[Makiah S]

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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 plenty of sub bass and sparkle. 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 

Talk with Shadowox8 he has made some nice Head Phone mods to the pads! 

 

[shadowox8]

I just used felt. Nothing fancy, but it's a little cleaner and more even than using cotton rounds or whatnot. I have not done any testing to see what it does to the sound, though.
 
I also found this mod at some point. I have not tried it, but, again, it seems easier and more likely to yield even results than cotton rounds.

 

[Makiah S]

It seems from reading more reviews and what not these should fit my head just fine.
 
#1 thick hair seems to help with the fit as it makes ur head bigger in a sense [and I've got thicker hair on my head than the bass from a Beats Pro ;3]
 
#2 people who complain about the fit of the k550 also seem to struggle with ath Wing headbands [which my w1000x was an issue for a week then I figured it out]
 
So my worries are gone and I'm just excited! I've paid the shipping for a seller to send me a pair of the cans. Hopefully they will b in b4 Friday! 

 

[Soundwave76]

Just got my pair of K550. I actually had these over for testing months ago for my new office headphones, but I threw them away after 1 minute for two reasons: 1) I thought the size was too big for my laptop bag, and 2) the sound was waaaaay too neutral, cold and without bass. I ended up buying Sennheiser HD 25 sp II.
 
Well, time went buy and in the mean time I experimented with different headphones in my home system. I went through HD 598, 600 and 650 and ended up keeping the HD600. Then I got AKG Q701 and K702 and really liked their totally different sound compared to HD600. I ended up keeping the Q701 due to it's marginally more warmer sound. I am now switching the HD600 and Q701 between different kinds of music. For example some vocal electronic ambient music sounds awesome with the Q701 and Mark Knopfler equally awesome with the HD600.
 
Now back to the K550. After one discussion in the local headphone forum, I started to rethink these, because many people really seemed to like these and reviews kept being great. So I re-ordered them and I got them again today. I must admit I was wrong to ditch these so fast last time. Waaaay wrong. These are great sounding headphones. Yes, the bass is not strong, but nor is it in the K70x/Q701 models. I have a big head and these fit great in my head. The size is big for my bag, but I'll manage. I am using CA Dacmagic Plus at home and Fiio e10 at work for DAC&amp and no problems here.
 
When I compare these to my previous closed headphones (ATH M50, Sennheiser HD 25) the difference is huge - the bass is not overly strong and these sound more like open headphones and not closed ones. Comparing these to Q701 I find them more 'airy' probably due to the open structure. The bass is probably a bit more 'snappy' with the K550. These are probably a keeper and HD 25 will go for sale...

 

[Antihippy]

I still don't really see them as that bass light really. It can bring the head rattling sub bass when the song calls for it.
 
This song for example.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pBCA9mUciU

 

[Soundwave76]

You are right - the bass is ultimatelly a subjective experience. In my case I am 'benchmarking' these to Sennheisers (HD600 and HD25) and they offer much more bass and/or warmer sound. There's 'enough bass' in the K550 no doubt about it in my opinion.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

You are right - the bass is ultimatelly a subjective experience. In my case I am 'benchmarking' these to Sennheisers (HD600 and HD25) and they offer much more bass and/or warmer sound. There's 'enough bass' in the K550 no doubt about it in my opinion.

Just got a K550 in from a fellow Head Fi'r and... The bass is great! Nice and tight how I like it but.. the reason they sound bass light... WHERE ARE THE LOWER MIDS. I mean low piano notes sound lifeless and think, Cellos are DEAD on these cans, YET A double bass [which is lower than a cello] has a great sound to it! How the heck did AKG manage to get nice tight bass but kill out the lower mids right after it, now the upper mids are magical! I see why people love female voices on these! I mean about 150hrz to about 500 is just dead! ANd sadly the Electric bass suffers as well! 
 
That's just so bizzare xD those lower mids and upper bass are just gone lol Yea, listen to Earth a Run Red [Also by Digital Mystikz] gonna fight Dub with Dub <3 and to ME the wobble is life less. it's lost all it's agression it's lost all it's PUNCH. And wobble lives around 150-350, which is what I find to be missing from these cans
 
damn what a shame, no lower mids xD Granted an Eq helps a little bit but SERIOUSLY, and EQ for lower mids... that was the GOLDEN spot for the Dt 880, I mean the Dt 880 had one DAMN nasty wobble imo
 
Welp I will happily review these tommorow when I got more time ^^ they look good, have excellent Treble and Upper Mids, but the Lower mids are thin and lifeless, then the mid and Sub Bass Pick up nice and tight! 
 
But DMN IT, this bass is TIGHT, but it can't wobble xD 
 
I'm also using a Matrix M Stage with a LME 49990 op, it's lean but still a little warm. And as soon as I put my dt 990s in, I recognize the lovely highs of the K550, and the tight Bass and SUDDENLY the aggressive Mid Bass Wobble hits me. And that's UN EQ'd Dt 990 to an Eq'd K550
 
So my verdict, K550 GREAT bass, K550 horribly dead lower mids! 
 
ANd btw I have an accoustic guitar sitting in my room, trust me I know that a lower mid feels and sounds like <3

 

[cel4145]

Just got a K550 in from a fellow Head Fi'r and... The bass is great! Nice and tight how I like it but.. the reason they sound bass light... WHERE ARE THE LOWER MIDS.

Have you experimented with placement of the headband angled more forward on your head than you normally do?

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Have you experimented with placement of the headband angled more forward on your head than you normally do?

Yeaper I did, those low mids where just not there. Again, I'm used to Dt 990, Dt 880 and w1000x. The w1000x is very mid heavy [out of a solid state] the dt 880 had wonderful low mids, and the dt 990 also has some nice low mids.
 
The point is, it's a nice can but not what I'm looking for. The Upper Mids and Treble are just as nice as the dt 880, but the lower body was not. Which is pretty good considering they are closed, but the price of $170 ish is not worth the sound. Where as I got a Ath a900x for $93, so immediatly the price differance more than makes up what ever faults the Ath a900x would have, which according to golden ears it is simmilar to the Akg K550
 
Anyways, If I still had a tube amp those would be like hot magical ear sex! Yet I won't have a another tube till september 
 
so for my portable needs these are not fitting the bill as I don't have a portable tube <3
 
Non the less look forward to my review tommorow [and did I mention I REALLY like the bass <3] 

 

[gilsont]

After having the AKG K550 , K551 and K701, I made a review and comparison with them!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4HmSmxPF_g
 
cheers

 

[elvergun]

Quote:

 
So my verdict, K550 GREAT bass, K550 horribly dead lower mids! 

 
Hmmm....most of the negative reviews mention that that there might be something off with the upper treble.   This is the first time I've read about horrible lower mids. 
 
I don't find anything wrong with the upper treble or the lower mids.  
 
What is it about this model that evokes such polarizing opinions?  

   I'm willing to bet the negative reviews stem from bad fit since I was also one of the naysayers until I got a good seal.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
Hmmm....most of the negative reviews mention that that there might be something off with the upper treble.   This is the first time I've read about horrible lower mids. 
 
I don't find anything wrong with the upper treble or the lower mids.  
 
What is it about this model that evokes such polarizing opinions?  

   I'm willing to bet the negative reviews stem from bad fit since I was also one of the naysayers until I got a good seal.

Paid for in full, for $164 bucks. Not bad since I was about to drop $65 into a1000 pads for the Ath a900x 
 
That being said, these do sound wonderful and yes not seal but placement! Made a big differance. Seal affects your bass placement affects your mids, and THANK GAWD I only had placement issues, move the cans forward a little, with my ears closer to the back of the driver for a big improvement! 
 
Thankfully, the w1000x still kicks the K550 in the tushy! [Except on bass, the w1000x biggest flaw] Then again my w1000x is modded so that's un fair right.
 
Still, mids are tighter and punchier and smoother on the w1000x, the k550 is a lil edgy with the mids at times, although that's due to it's plastic housing <3. Never knew how much wood smooth those mids out! 

 

[Antihippy]

Isn't the w1000x twice the price of these too?

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Isn't the w1000x twice the price of these too?

yeap , which goes to show how good these are. A stock w1000x would sound well about the same as this maybe not as clear even q.q
 
but I had to MOD mine for gawd sakes, just to get it to sound better than a STOCK Akg K550
 
Point being, these are most epic cans. I shall whole heartidly recommend them to EVERYONE looking for thier first neutral closed can! Although the ATH a900x is thier competitor in alot of ways... when mine comes In I'll have to see how they differer. I guess I prefer more nuetrality and "boring" sound than I do fun. As the Ath has been described as a "fun" alternitive to the "boring" Akg K550.... still I modded the "fun" out of my w1000x so I think I'll prefer the Akg over the Ath a900x
 
Eithe way glad I got to try em! 

 

[bonfirehay]

The only thing fun about the K550 is their look