[plakat]

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And ofc I keep hearing, so many positive and negatives about the k550... the headband mostly but still...
 
Still I'd love to get a chance to try the K550 and just hear it for my self 

 
IMO definitely worth to try out. Yes, the headband padding could be a bit thicker but overall they are quite comfortable to me and I had no problems with getting a seal.
The hinges are a bit stiff, you might want to adjust the cups by hand as they don't move freely as in most other headphones.

 

[Makiah S]

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I didn't really have any trouble getting a good seal. I didn't do any mods to it. I'm also wearing thick frame glasses all the time just for reference.

Though I guess that means I have a big head? Not sure how to feel about that.

I have to say though these cans isolate better than I expected. Not to hd25-II levels but close.

Hmm well I have Thinner framed glasses my self... an I just hate all the creepy pasta, The rumors and what nots...
 
Ofc what worries me the most is I had an issue with getting a good seal on my w1000x, which needed some bending so I'd hate to have to relive that again, but the w1000x r one of my favorite cans so the trouble would be worth it. 

 

[Antihippy]

There's really no way to know unless you try it on for yourself honestly. It fits my head really well, but everyone has a different sized head. Also lack of clamping probably means that they won't fit to well on smaller heads, but they are super comfortable due to that.

 

[elvergun]

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Hmm round and round we go... hell I should just buy these and get it over with. People said the dt 990 is bright, not so much to me. 
 
Although the only can I've ever got to date that I didn't like was a well Mad Dog, and it was good with some genres but not enough for me
 
And ofc I keep hearing, so many positive and negatives about the k550... the headband mostly but still...
 
Still I'd love to get a chance to try the K550 and just hear it for my self 

I bought the Mad Dog...liked it...then I got the K550...the Mad Dog didn't get much use after that.
 
The K550s are not the best headphones in the world, but I do believe they are one of the best $300 full-sized closed headphones out there. 
 
They offer great isolation and comfort if you can get a good seal.  They do not sound like closed cans.  They have more sub bass than mid bass punch and they do not suffer from an anemic bass like the K702.   I don't hear anything wrong with the highs.  There is no sibilance and I can't detect the funkiness some have reported. 
 
I've reached end-game status as far as full-sized closed cans are concerned.    I mostly use my K702s...until my noisy girlfriend gets home, then it's time for the K550.

 

[Makiah S]

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There's really no way to know unless you try it on for yourself honestly. It fits my head really well, but everyone has a different sized head. Also lack of clamping probably means that they won't fit to well on smaller heads, but they are super comfortable due to that.

well crud, Ahh screw it I think it'll fit just fine. 
 
You know. And if there's an issue with them, I can always sell them for a little less than what I paid and have another great can experince under my belt! Plus I'm getting sick of hearing how EPIC the Kef m500 is... it reminds me of when I got the Mad Dogs [which btw are excellent Dark cans [like the LCD 2 which is also dark, I how ever don't like dark] So that being said... until I hear some negativity reviews about the Kef I'm done with it.
 
Now the K550, there's a true and tested can. People love it, some hate it depending on seal. Lol Tried and True, it's seeming like a good idea again... but ofc there is still the Mdr 1R is a bust, it's a bass can... so scratch that...
 
Down to the Sound Magic Hp 100 and the k550. I'll more than likely go with the Sound Magic first as I can get a refund on it hopefully! 

 

[Antihippy]

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well crud, Ahh screw it I think it'll fit just fine. 
 
You know. And if there's an issue with them, I can always sell them for a little less than what I paid and have another great can experince under my belt! Plus I'm getting sick of hearing how EPIC the Kef m500 is... it reminds me of when I got the Mad Dogs [which btw are excellent Dark cans [like the LCD 2 which is also dark, I how ever don't like dark] So that being said... until I hear some negativity reviews about the Kef I'm done with it.
 
Now the K550, there's a true and tested can. People love it, some hate it depending on seal. Lol Tried and True, it's seeming like a good idea again... but ofc there is still the Mdr 1R is a bust, it's a bass can... so scratch that...
 
Down to the Sound Magic Hp 100 and the k550. I'll more than likely go with the Sound Magic first as I can get a refund on it hopefully! 

Well I haven't heard a truly dark can yet, but I can tell you that the K550 are definitely not dark. 
 
Why not just give it a go, assuming that you can recoup most of your money until you stumble upon your ideal set? The path of an audiophile is one of lunacy anyway. I wouldn't have gotten the K551s if the cable of my HD25-II didn't break. "Hmm, replace the cables fairly cheaply, or buy a new set of cans?"

 

[Makiah S]

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Well I haven't heard a truly dark can yet, but I can tell you that the K550 are definitely not dark. 
 
Why not just give it a go, assuming that you can recoup most of your money until you stumble upon your ideal set? The path of an audiophile is one of lunacy anyway. I wouldn't have gotten the K551s if the cable of my HD25-II didn't break. "Hmm, replace the cables fairly cheaply, or buy a new set of cans?"

Yea I know right, lunacy day in and day out. I just hate getting something and being dissappointed... but again the mad dogs where a let down because they showed me that I didn't like dark cans any more... so yea I should b able to recoupe most of it! And I've not heard to much about breakage from the k550, although the only cans I've ever broke are cheap sony's which I sat one, stepped on and slept on [I owned three of those $10 cans b4 i wound up on Head Fi] 
 
Any one interested in a trade though? I've got a pair of Dt 990s that could use a home for ONE WEEK, if some one else wants to let me try thier K550s! Imo the dt 990s are my favorite bass cans [and you can eq them to be very close to a dt 880... ] 

 

[wrightanswer@ear]

From my dealings with AKG, and the way they send all questions about the K550 back to the Harman Lifestyle Division (even AKG's parts dept. told me they don't handle the K550 and I needed to contact Harman's consumer staff), I actually wonder if the headphone is actually an AKG creation. I get the impression it's a Harman-designed headphone carrying some AKG innards and branding. 

 

[Makiah S]

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From my dealings with AKG, and the way they send all questions about the K550 back to the Harman Lifestyle Division (even AKG's parts dept. told me they don't handle the K550 and I needed to contact Harman's consumer staff), I actually wonder if the headphone is actually an AKG creation. I get the impression it's a Harman-designed headphone carrying some AKG innards and branding. 

That's worrysome, and I mean I love that Byer [another German company] makes there headphones like WW2 tanks... TOUGH. The build quality is always top notch. And hearing that another well know {german right] company is sending their headphones off to China to be made... makes me well a little worried [Wish the Dt 770 wasn't so fickle] 
 
But I guess as long as it's AKG inside it's worth a shot I suppose. On that note, I'm going to  be trying the headphone very soon! Btw how tough are these cans... are them like cheap sonys or like Byers, or even as tough as a good pair of Audio Technicas, I assume they are some what tough seeing as we are encouraged to warp the headband... 

 

[Antihippy]

They feel like they are built like a tank, but I have heard of instances of the headband snapping from too much flexing. It's still somewhat flexible though, just know that there's a limit.

 

[Makiah S]

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They feel like they are built like a tank, but I have heard of instances of the headband snapping from too much flexing. It's still somewhat flexible though, just know that there's a limit.

Oh I'm sure. My w1000x Head Band is pretty sturdy but I'm always terrified of bending it. Although I've master my fitting routine for those cans!
 
GOOD NEWS, some one has agree'd to let me demo these babys [I gatta pay the shipping but that's no big deal] 

 

[bonfirehay]

The most fragile part seems to be the asymmetric single point of connection between the headband and the cups...

 

[Dirtyworks]

Here's my "almost stock" detachable cable mod:


All the original hardware, minus the cable, is used

Weird thing was the red wire is left.

 

[Makiah S]

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The most fragile part seems to be the asymmetric single point of connection between the headband and the cups...

that usually always is...
 
and nice mod! 

 

[SirG]

I just got mine a few days ago. Initially I was pretty disappointed because they didn't sound as good as my similarly priced 4-year old q-jays. They had more bass range and power but it wasn't as tight. Things sounded distant. Then I pulled the headband farther forward and everything sounded better, they found a better seal.
 
The second day of listening I heard some occasional high pitch buzzing, but that has gone away now by the fourth day. When I found this thread I tried applying pressure. With just the right amount, not too much, the difference in sound is noticeable. The already satisfactory bass becomes richer and tighter, sounding about twice as good to me. The mid and high range also sound much better.
 
Bending the headband doesn't seem to cause much clamping force for me, it's pretty flexible. I bent it some and it has helped a little, but still not the same as pressing on them. The pads seem to come off easily, and I will experiment with some cotton balls perhaps or foam. I can hear that these have a great potential when they fit correctly.
 
With a slight EQ tweak they sound very good, just increasing the very top and very bottom slider a bout 6 db, I can get enough bass and treble. Minor EQ tweaks make a really big difference and it doesn't take much adjustment to get just the sound I want. They don't have the super clarity of the q-jays but they are a much more overall balanced sound and that is exactly what I was looking for.
 
Now I just have to figure out how to clamp them on better, and start saving money for a pocket amp..
 
Overall happy