[danielghofrani]

Hi people.
I hope you are all doing well. 
from what I heard on Headfi AKG 501 headphones are worthy headphones if you can supply them with enough amplification and they are specially prominent when it comes to playing classical music. that makes me wonder why they stopped making them. 
was it because the demand was too low or what?
thanks

 

[TheKisho]

Time for a new shinny updated looking product?  They would make more money selling something brand new!!!!!!
 
1. AKG Name tag
2. ??????
3. Profit!
 
Just my best guess.  I wouldn't mind getting a K400, K401, K500, or K501.  While I may like the look of my K701s I miss a more natural sounding mid range.

 

[danielghofrani]

somewhat sensible, but why did they not use the same drivers and acoustic design and just change the name and aesthetics?!
do you not think that they are cutting themselves low?

 

[Uncle Erik]

In my opinion, AKG has made some serious mistakes.

The K-501 is an excellent headphone that should have been left in production. Same with the K-1000. Now that every manufacturer save AKG has a $1k+ headphone, the K-1000 would have competed well if left in production.

Instead, AKG regressed (again, in my opinion) and now offers lesser headphones. Like them or not, the new models were voiced differently from the old ones. Personally, I think the old ones were better.

There are rumors that AKG will give us something new for CES 2011. Hopefully, we'll get something good instead of another fluorescent celebrity vehicle.

 

[SilverCans]

I had the k501 and I wouldn't call my self a bass head but those were just too thin bass wise, even the mids sounded a little lacking body because of it. but yeah akg's current offerings are not so super, there is just something wrong w the k701s that i cant quantify (lifeless?). the k1000s from th brief listen I had with them were amazing, but damn ugly and rather impractical if you consider what they are meant to be (they were more speaker then headphone). They should have at least found a way to package that driver into headphone shell.

 

[power]

llol  that I would be interested the driver;s seem advanced by todays stanfards

 

[TheKisho]

I totally agree with you Uncle Erik.  To bad they'll never put them back into production.  The K1000 might happen but not the K501.  Their new headphones in the K?0? line are definitely voiced different and they have regressed but I don't see them turning back from this path.  I hope their new rumored headphones will prove me wrong and they go back to their classic AKG sound.
 
How much longer do we have to wait until CES 2011?
 
I miss my AKG K240M so much; so much better then a K701, and anything is better then the Q701...
 
As to why they didn't just use the same driver as the K501, I don't know but I guessing it was a cheaper manufacturing process that will save them money over time.  That and they seam to be reducing the impedances of their headphones [K501 (120ohms) -> K701 (62ohms), K240 (600ohms) -> K240S (55ohms)].  All their lower impedance headphones are never as good as their older higher impedance headphones in the series.
 

 
 
Quote:

llol  that I would be interested the driver;s seem advanced by todays stanfards

 
AKG use to push the bar a bit more with their designs.  They should do it again, another pair of headphones in the same spirit as the K240 Sextett, or K340, or K1000 

 

[lejaz]

I might as well throw another discontinued one into the mix....the k240DF. Better, fuller, midrange than the k702, and comes up pretty frequently on ebay. Not bass monsters by any means, but FWIR, it has more than the k501. It does very well with acoustic jazz bass. I can't understand how AKG could discontinue the 240DF and the 240M and come up with the 240S and 240HD. They're not bad phones but definitely a step in the wrong direction....down. I guess they're trying to appeal to the iPod generation by lowering the impedance to 55 ohms from 600, but the sound definitely went downhill

 

[danielghofrani]

Quote:

. I guess they're trying to appeal to the iPod generation by lowering the impedance to 55 ohms from 600, but the sound definitely went downhill

yes that makes a lot of sense. 

 

[lejaz]

It's all about dollars and cents I suppose. They figure the 600 ohm k240 is limited to studio use, but the typical consumer won't be able to use it out of an iPod or portable CD player. The studio professional market is probably way smaller then the home consumer market, so they went in the direction  where the money is....to hell with standing by a very high quality product like the 240DF or M. I really can't understand the mind set that would discontinued those phones which were studio standards for several decades

 

[Proglover]

I recently bought the K501, 2nd handed as a real bargain. Bought them mainly because of some nice remarks about them from f.e. Uncle Erik (thanks for that Uncle)....
 
..and yes indeed, they can't be used widely with different music styles, but for classical and light jazz it's a great headphone, ordered some 601 pads for them. I think there will definitely be enough people who'll still like to buy this new, if they weren't discontinued. They have certain qualities 601 and 701 don't have.

 

[Adda]

Quote:

It's all about dollars and cents I suppose. They figure the 600 ohm k240 is limited to studio use, but the typical consumer won't be able to use it out of an iPod or portable CD player. The studio professional market is probably way smaller then the home consumer market, so they went in the direction  where the money is....to hell with standing by a very high quality product like the 240DF or M. I really can't understand the mind set that would discontinued those phones which were studio standards for several decades

Well said, I agree completely!

 

[tdogzthmn]

I dont have the K501 yet but the K500 sounds nice too. 

 

 

[TheKisho]

Your collection of AKGs so far is making me envious!
 
 
P.S.  This is something I've always wondered.  How does the K500, and K400 compare to the K240M?  (How about thoughts about how they compare other AKGs you've owned and remember).  Have you tried your with K601 pads?  Which versions are those in the picture.  I often see the K400, K401, K500 and K501s compared to themselves and the K601 and K701s but not often to the other AKGs.

 

[lejaz]

X2
Would also like to know how the k50X and k40X compare to the 240M and the 240DF. IMO something went seriously wrong in the transition from the older AKG's to the 70X. There's an upper mids resonance or peakiness in the 70X that ruins a lot of tracks for me and a soft edge around the notes in the midrange (like a slightly blurred photo) while the DF has sharper, clearer edges around the notes. I would love to hear the 50X one day.
Quote:

Your collection of AKGs so far is making me envious!
 
 
P.S.  This is something I've always wondered.  How does the K500, and K400 compare to the K240M?  (How about thoughts about how they compare other AKGs you've owned and remember).  Have you tried your with K601 pads?  Which versions are those in the picture.  I often see the K400, K401, K500 and K501s compared to themselves and the K601 and K701s but not often to the other AKGs.