[Marcus Jang]

How on earth the world famous AKG company could have released their flagship :tongue_smile:  headphones under $300 with those spikes around 9 kHz???


Have they ever responded to many complaints? Have they noticed many returns?
Any comments from the AKG? Do they have their own  AKG forums?

Well, maybe the joke flew above my head, as English is not my primary language. I just gave my first impressions, and now it is, while still retaining that said peak, quite listenable as I got used to it. I was never trying to bash K550 or it's userbase.

EQ with iTunes. Or buy a DAC with its own power supply. The 550 places emphasis on good source (DAC) but less on amplification. Pair it with a good DAC, your sonic daggers should be gone.

Not entirely sure if you'd count an iPhone 5 or ASUS Xonar Essence STX as a good DAC, or to have a good one. I was never a high-end DAC guy anyway.

 

[tdogzthmn]

I really did not care for the Beyerdynamic DT880 and hope the K550 does not sound similar.  

 

[zackzack]

Quote:

How did you get rid of the "infamous spike" on your DT800 that is at 8500 hz? Have you ever compared the measurements for the DT880 and the K550? They both have similarly measured spikes. Although I know that they don't' sound exactly the same. The DT880 treble spike bothered me more than the K550.

What did the Beyer engineers say when you questioned them?

Quite the opposite, with the Beyeyr 880, the highs seem roll off more than the K550. 

 

[djenkov]

My 550s are on their way, but I kinda regret purchasing them....I read several topics about these headphones and the comments about them are so mixed I don't know what to think...The comments of rhythmdevils and several other head-fi veterans about these headphones for example are brutal...

 

[viralcow]

Quote:

My 550s are on their way, but I kinda regret purchasing them....I read several topics about these headphones and the comments about them are so mixed I don't know what to think...The comments of rhythmdevils and several other head-fi veterans about these headphones for example are brutal...

 
You won't know til you've tried it for yourself. Just know that both comfort and build quality are seriously top notch, no regrets there.

 

[CheeseWithWorms]

Are there any pouches for the k550?
 
Or would they fit in a beyerdynamic DT series pouch? (I mean this one http://cdn.head-fi.org/2/27/342x353px-LL-270bc28a_ScreenShot2012-07-02at4.46.17PM.png)

 

[CheeseWithWorms]

Quote:

My 550s are on their way, but I kinda regret purchasing them....I read several topics about these headphones and the comments about them are so mixed I don't know what to think...The comments of rhythmdevils and several other head-fi veterans about these headphones for example are brutal...

Well, they are on innerfidelity's wall of fame though. You never know.

 

[djenkov]

Quote:

Well, they are on innerfidelity's wall of fame though. You never know.

Yeah, thats what got me to buy them. Thanks for reminding me

 

[viralcow]

Quote:

Well, they are on innerfidelity's wall of fame though. You never know.

 
Not anymore.

 Got replaced by the UE6000, which was replaced by the MDR1R. The Wall of Fame is a very competitive place.

 

[CheeseWithWorms]

Quote:

 
Not anymore.

 Got replaced by the UE6000, which was replaced by the MDR1R. The Wall of Fame is a very competitive place.

Actually i first bought them and then found that out.
 
I had also bought the m50's and even though they were praised soooo much by sooo many, i found them to be terrible. For me, the sound was so congested and so low on detail. In fact i just returned them. I mean today 4/6/2013.

 

[cel4145]

Not anymore.  Got replaced by the UE6000, which was replaced by the MDR1R. The Wall of Fame is a very competitive place.

The K550s still occupy an emeritus position in the retired section

 

[Olias of Sunhillow]

Quote:

My 550s are on their way, but I kinda regret purchasing them....I read several topics about these headphones and the comments about them are so mixed I don't know what to think...The comments of rhythmdevils and several other head-fi veterans about these headphones for example are brutal...

 
Just hang in there, keep an open mind are see what you think. Like many headphones, the K550 are highly polarizing (perhaps due to fit). I absolutely adore mine, preferring them to my much pricer LA2000 Lites by a significant margin. I'm actually thinking of getting another pair of K550s to keep at home, since my current pair live mostly at the office.

 

[nakedhand]

First impressions after 12 hours of pink noise. I have not read this entire thread.
 
Well unless they spectacularly improve by hundreds of hours of usage the words that spring to mind after initial listening are:
 
Unrefined
Opague
Subdued
Veil/Dark
Lack of micro detail
Inferior imaging and spatiality
 
 
This is compared to AKG K701 (1000 of hours usage). I do enjoy the extended bass of the K550. Stuffing the ear pads is the next thing I am going to do, pressing the head phones slightly closer to my head improves the sound dramatically as described by many here. Mids become way more forward, bass better controlled and general imaging improves. Treble more crisp and less subdued. I can see these headphones becoming a favorite for certain types of electronic music and some rock. Seems like a complete disaster for classical music though.
 
Listening on:
Arcam CD72
Amp: Graham Slee Solo Ultralinear

 

[JakeJack_2008]

Quote:

 
Not anymore.

 Got replaced by the UE6000, which was replaced by the MDR1R. The Wall of Fame is a very competitive place.

Yeah, Tyll prefers the UE6000s to the K 550s.
I badly wanted the AKG

 brand .... but now .... well onto the ATH-A900X (closed-back under $150) or ATH-AD900X (open air - soon under $200) or perhaps  the UE6000s.
 
P.S.
By the way, I haven't experienced any peak on my DT 880s.  ...
wait a moment,  I might not   

 experience the infamous spikes on the K 550s either???

 

[zackzack]

Quote:

Yeah, Tyll prefers the UE6000s to the K 550s.
I badly wanted the AKG

 brand .... but now .... well onto the ATH-A900X (closed-back under $150) or ATH-AD900X (open air - soon under $200) or perhaps  the UE6000s.
 
P.S.
By the way, I haven't experienced any peak on my DT 880s.  ...
wait a moment,  I might not   

 experience the infamous spikes on the K 550s either???

DT880 has "peaks?' They are bright-ish headphones, the closest to T1 in terms of sound quality but the 880 has significant treble roll-off. 
That's why  people prefer 880 to the rest of Beyer line-up including T1.