I have these and the K712 pro. I find myself reaching for these more often! Better bass detail and impact, and really about the same as far as mids, detail and sound stage. Very well built and comfortable too. Very nice with the Schitt Lyr amp.
got the k551's recently(same headphones, different cord) and its thanks to this review that i got them. extremely satisfied. cant hear a conversation in the same room clearly even if they are not playing anything. very happy with the purchase even tho the galaxy note does not cut it as a mp3 player for em
I just bought 2 of theese, one for home, one for the workplace. I love them. Bass is good, it's confortable for my ears. My colleague mentioned it, that when I got it on he can't hear anything, but when I put them off it's very loud, so it's a nice closed/sealed headphone.. can't hear much from the outside noises either. Best $ - value imo. It's a bit squishy, I'm afraid of breaking it, that's the reason I bought 2 of it in the first place, so I don't have to drag it around on the street.
i managed to fetch an AKG K550 MKII for $89.99+tax. Really happy, was looking for something to replace my extremely worn out ATH M45s. My head literally burned straight through the M45s through piano practice LOL. I see a lot of reception describing these headphones to not sound quite as fun but rather analytical; which is perfect for the use of a training pianist and any other instrumentals i work on ^.^. Not to good for electronic music or super high pitch instruments like violins. But you won't go wrong with ath M-Series. Honestly, i think between K550s and the M-series, its wise to simply choose whats cheaper! They are all great
Francis Santos 3 year late response but if anyone's wondering the same thing go for the AKG. I have seen many reviews of the dt 770 being V shaped and nowhere near reference level
The Momentums would probably give you a better, more "full-bodied" kind of experience because of its balanced, but rich kind of sound, due to their great mids and lows. Not extremely revealing cans, but they still do very well. The K-550 is lean, trebly, analytic and the highs are a bit weird at some points, though I personally love the 550's openness, sound-stage, clarity, imaging and sound-separation. One of the best closed cans for critical listening under 300 bucks (US). Hope I helped!
I'm not sure on this but I think even Tyll may have fallen victim of flavour of the month here. On his wall of fame, these were retired by the Logitech UE6000, which was then subsequently retired by the Sennheiser Momentum, which was then in turn retired by the NAD VISO HP50. That makes them victim of quite a few downgrades... I suspect that "artificial" high end has been the problem. In the UK there are actually less than half the cost of a NAD (though still more expensive than the Logitech) so YMMV.
Thank you for taking the time to get back to me and post your opinion. This is the best way, other than actually getting a pair to try, to critique them. I also like a good balance in my cans and don't go for the emphasized over hyped garbage. For Headphones at this price range, I would have to try them out rather than just order them online and take a chance of being disappointed. Thanks again Cheers
I now have my K601s and my K701s mostly on classical, or orchestrated music.. The airy sound is extremely nice and the overall presentation is superb for the price (Coupled with a nice DAC/amp) I also have my trusty old MDR V6 and my Shure SRH804s for general music listening and portable listening with no amps or dedicated DAC on my portable setup.. It is straight to my iPod Video 60GB or my iPod touch... Sometimes I use these closed headphones with my PC running through a AS?US Xonor U3
Are you sure? I have a AKG k420 headphone.. and it sounds so much better than the beats by dré solo's to be honest.. i only think the beats pro is a decent headset.. but it is not very comfortable, and it is just waaaay too expansive
Also, its nice that you covered the comparison to D2000's, since many people compare them on head-fi and there are a lot of discussions going on. :P I was looking at D2000's as well, but hearing that K550's are so good, and taking into consideration the fact that D2000's cost more than twice as much as the K550's in my country, I think I'll be adding another AKG to my collection. :P
For those still watching this in 2017, Denon no longer market the models Tyll refers to in this vid and their current models dont get his seal of approval. I think you can still find the K550 online - AKG have also moved onto other models FWIW.
Depends on the device you're sticking it in. The Q701s almost definitively require a standalone high-end headphone amplifier, while the 550s will deliver a much better sound coming from a standard computer sound card (NOT onboard). To answer your question, the Q701s can sound better, but there are other factors you need to take into account.
Excellent headphones!!! I'd highly recommend them to anyone who has the money and is looking to buy reference-grade closed back headphones. Common failure points are pads fraying / peeling, and the plastic retaining sleeves cracking by the small internal screws and snapping open causing the cup to fall of the headband. When they failed like that (or were beginning to fail) I used electrical tape around the sleeve to help compress the headband in the sleeve and lock it in position. That bought me lots of time to prepare to buy a replacement. The mat rubberized cord material can become stiff and shiny with friction and heat (and maybe UV light as well? Though short-term testing in sunlight didn't reveal anything). I've owned two pairs of these, both failed in the same way. Though with that said; they went travelling with me (Great on planes!) to both California's giant sequoias and Jasper Alberta. They held up on those trips very well and the failures weren't related to them as critical failure occurred many months after travelling in both cases. Also to note that these headphones failed after 2 to 3 years each of continuous daily use. They were ~$400 Canadian at the time I purchased my first pair, and about $300 when I purchased my 2nd pair. Now I can find them for about $260 and at that price it's a no-brainer.
I'm listening to this review via my brand new pair of K550's! Needless to say I am very impressed with the sound quality, thanks for your honest opinion.
Trying to decide between the Q701s and these... Leaning toward these for sound isolation, and leakage- I want to use these at work. Cut out the external noise, but not disturb my colleagues...
Ended up with Q702s. They sound amazing, but they do leak a bit... Although, I can have the volume up enough to hear my music without my colleagues being able to hear it, and I can hear the boss sneaking up on me!
HEY! I really liked this video. I just purchased these headphones myself. I need a good sealed headphone, and these seemed right up my alley. I like the way you review headphones, but one thing: ARE YOU RECORDING THIS ON A DAMN iPHONE? 360p! REALLY!?
Are you ever going to do a stand-alone review on some of the older high-end cans? You already did the HD800, will the D7000, T1, STAX 007 (maybe...009? lol),GS1000I, LCD3? I would love to see your take on those headphones instead of all the new headphones coming out at the moment which will come and go... :)
I bought these based on your review. great headphones, just picked them up bestbuy happened to have a set...what are the odds? they also had the B&W P3's and P5's, great sets, beautifuly made and sound very good both of them but i loved these.
Some people are too much focused on ranking the headphones. At some point you can do, in the end you've reached a point where you can let someone decide on preference. I just like the performance of my D2000s. However, the K550 is really a top class can. They went from 299€ to 195€ on Amazon. The Denons are discontinued and retailed around 230-250€ before. So this can is definitly an outstanding value for the price.
@innerfidelity I love how people ask you the same questions over and over again in every video haha, I think you should just make a FAQ for all of them when you get some free time.
They can.. I auditioned the K550s with my iPod touch 4G with no additional gear When I reach a comfortable listening level is around 85-90% volume outputted on my iPod touch... Trying to compensate on the iPod/iPhone EQ settings is not a good ideas since it usually lower the sound levels and adds unbalanced color to your music or audio output. Try the K550s with a Wolfson DAC player rather than CirrusLogic with no EQ, much warmer and less analytical... Also the seal, hence isolation, is fair.
@Palmetto4Liberty MS1i is the main thing I've had from Grado. As I said, I found them to have an awful lower mid/upper bass bloom to them, and the upper mids were glaring compared to the higher regions. Got AD700 and enjoy it much much more -- no "bum bum bum" sound in the low notes, and far better treble and mids that are at least less offensive.
You must have been unlucky with QC as mine are perfect. I love them apart from slippage from nodding forward. I do notice that the sound is affected greatly by the precise positioning on the ear and a tiny amount of movement can introduce an airy sound and reduce bass. Basically, to get a proper soundstage the position must be just right which is easy to achieve but not made easier by the fairly stiff pivots which require manual adjustment instead of being truly self-adjusting like the K240.
The DT990pro if you wanna go open and not go over the top with the v-shaped signature; if not, the M-100 is a great, great basshead can. For something cheaper, the fiioE6 and pro700Mk2 combo will just pump bass into your head like two subwoofers strapped onto your noggin. Just don't expect much more than that.
Also, I am no means of a "Serious" HiFi listener no an "Audiophile" I classify myself as a "Mid-Fi" sort of person as I mostly listen to at least 320kbps MP3s, FLACs or just my good ol' CD collection... I also use my closed headphones for some recording work with my TASCAM US-1800 interface Sometimes I use the TASCAM US-1800 interface as a DAC and ADC with my computer.. The actual DAC on my TASCAM is fairly good.
Hm...That's an interesting opinion, never heard people say things like that about the K550. I thought they were very revealing and open-airy, albeit a bit sterile and lean. All things aside, they're still my favorite sealed cans for critical listening. I'll need to do an AB with the SRH sometime soon; you've definitely gotten me interested!
@Medibisu "wrong" for you...Grados are brilliant for rock/metal. I agree the SQ is not for everyone. Just because you don't like the SQ, doesn't mean they are bad.
I tried this in a shop against the Sennheiser HD 598, and while this one is much less dry and more lively and emotional, spatial orientation is a pure mess, there is none, and if there is it only makes things worse. At least compared to the Sennheiser, I don't know whatever people may consider as "spatial orientation", but they don't compare in the least. I have an old Sennheiser so I'd really like to go with the AKG's different sound, but this stupid orientation makes it a very tough choice.
I feel generally my SRH-840s are a pair of good overall cans even with no amp, as long as the DAC and the source is good or decent, sound is clean and smooth. Stereo imaging is quite good for a pair of closed HPs as well. I cannot imagine using the SRH-840s or my very old MDR-V6 with any Rap songs.... The highs and the rappers' voice would be too harsh especially if there is no EQ and especially the V6 will have too sparkly highs and mids compared to the not very strong mid-bass..
I've had these headphones for about 6 months and i was never wowed by these, i expected to see new areas of music id previously unheard given i was spending around £130 as opposed to the £5 pair from TESCO..however i wasn't that impressed, i did get to try on the Sennheiser HD 650 recently though and wow they are amazing, finally going to eBay the K550 (never could wear them too long got hot ears! :( ) and take the plunge on the Sennheisers!
Just be sure you that you burn them in before giving it a fair comparison. The SRH-840 only needs about 8 to 10 hours I think. The SRH-840 seems to be good with everything. Mids, lows and highs. And at least it got some padding in the headband ;). One bad thing about it is it only comes with a curled cable but at least you can buy a normal one separately.
Very good review! Please could you also review the AKG K545. It would be much appreciated. I would like to know in particular about the sound stage and imaging as these are essential for what I look for in a headphone. Do you have any recommendations for headphones with exceptional soundstage and imaging. I am talking stellar performance.
If anyone is looking for a fairly good quality USB powered DAC and ADC combo with XLR jack/48V phantom power for recording and cheap price, give the TASCAM US-144 MkII USB Sound Interface a try. The built-in DAC and ADC are pretty good quality especially for the price, also it is a steel construction... The only downside with the construction is the cheap feel knobs.. The output levels is much louder and so much cleaner than your average on-board DSP (e.g. C-Media, Realtek, Conxanant Audio etc)
Great review! I have a quick question if you have a minute. What'your take on the ultrasone hfi-580? I've had the dj1 for a year now and love them for their wonderful v-shaped signature but have always wondered if the AKG K550 would be a worthwhile upgrade. Thanks!
what other headphones are comparable to the akg k550? i tried them on and really liked the way the sounded and especially how they felt. any other headphones that are comfortable like these with sound similiar or better?
EQ will solve this, but if it is just software EQ without a good DAC, the song will get quite colored and while lows improve, other end of the spectrum will suffer. Also the overall volume is lowered, and sometimes (depending on the recording) the bass might get quite muddy...
Some say the ATH-PRO700MK2 is better though if I read why then I have my doubts about that. At any rate I believe the SRH-840 delivers great soundstage. Not sure in comparison as it's been a few weeks already since I've last used the K550 (which I no longer have) but I've chosen the SRH-840 for pure enjoyment and not for professional reasons. For professional use it's somewhat more difficult because even though the Shure is more dynamic the AKG's coolness, might actually be useful here.
@Raykomak i agree there but for overall quality i'd go with the studio's for comfort, base and noise cancelling although they leak i love them for my itunes library
it's hard to compare open and sealed headphones, you certainly couldn't use the HD650's outside of your house/apartment, but their sound is superior I think!
+Reuben They're good, HD650 has the typical Sennheiser sound with a flat signature. Bass thump is good, mids are clear, highs not overtly bright (a bit grainy). The AKG K550 is much, much for comfortable though, probably the most comfortable I ever tried and I wear glasses. Unless I got it to position JUST right on my head, the bass virtually is non existent.
Got mine, and I can tell you it sounds very similar to my Q701's. With proper seal of course. To me, they seem to have a bit less bass than Q701's, a little bit more treble, a lot more sibilance, and slightly thinner mids than Q701's. They sound very similar, but Q701's sound a bit clearer, airier, fuller, smoother...just sound like better headphons overall. If I'd give Q701's a 100/100 in score, then K550's would get 90/100, mostly because of sibilance. But I wouldn't buy them again.
Hi, after a good amount of research, I am torn between whether to buy the Audio Technica ATH-M50s, AKG K550s, or Sennheiser HD 25-1 ii. I will be listening to music through my iphone 5 and listen to mainly rock, electronic/ dubstep, and rap/hip hop. I also will purchase a portable headphone amp such fiio. I will be using these headphones for portable use as well as home use . the size to me really does not matter bu i lovee bass and love to listen everything .. every detail if possible :)
I believe the Pro700Mk2 cables might work for the SRH series, but that's just guessing from the screw for the adaptor. I just wish I had some more dough to spend on stuff... I might sell the 550 if I like the 840 enough. How is the soundstage in comparison? It needs to match, if not top the K-550 for checking the instrument placement when I do some (very amateurish) mixing in and around my "home studio." If it all works out, I won't need to switch between the 550 and the Momentum anymore.
The K550 have a very withdrawn or rather neutral Bass when you put them freshly on your Head. After about 10 minutes the K550 will start to seal (or so is my expierience) and the Bass will get a little stronger. It has a very clear and deep Bass, just not a ton of it. Its the only downside i have with the sound of these. Other then the minor lack of Bass the sound is perfect... not just for a closed Headphone.
out of these headphones whats the best buy? AKG K550 , SONY MDR XB 500, Audio Technica ATH-M50,V-Moda M-80, or The Pioneer HDJ-2000 I have The SONY MDR XB 500's already but i really want to buy the AKG' K550.
im an eclectic music listener who tilts moreso to hiphop but not a monster-bass-beats-fanboy however i do like the bass on a headphone to actually have a recognized presence so from a scale of 1-10...how powerful is the bass?
This review is about AKG 550 or Denon 2000? You forgot to mention ear pads construction, frequency, speakers... impedance and a lot other stuff...this time very low quality review
![[ TEASER ] เงาะป่า - วงL.กฮ. | TMG RECORD](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M4ObdFfcPww/mqdefault.jpg)
"they look like they're made for an adult, not some rapper" - made my day :D
I have these and the K712 pro. I find myself reaching for these more often! Better bass detail and impact, and really about the same as far as mids, detail and sound stage. Very well built and comfortable too. Very nice with the Schitt Lyr amp.
I've never missed a youtuber like I missed this man. Come out of your retirement and continue reviewing man.
got the k551's recently(same headphones, different cord) and its thanks to this review that i got them. extremely satisfied. cant hear a conversation in the same room clearly even if they are not playing anything. very happy with the purchase even tho the galaxy note does not cut it as a mp3 player for em
I just bought 2 of theese, one for home, one for the workplace. I love them. Bass is good, it's confortable for my ears. My colleague mentioned it, that when I got it on he can't hear anything, but when I put them off it's very loud, so it's a nice closed/sealed headphone.. can't hear much from the outside noises either. Best $ - value imo.
It's a bit squishy, I'm afraid of breaking it, that's the reason I bought 2 of it in the first place, so I don't have to drag it around on the street.
I've had these since last Christmas and I'm pretty impressed with them.
I like how the design minimizes the bulk on the side of your head.
oh man, I bought these before watching this and now I'm even more excited!
i managed to fetch an AKG K550 MKII for $89.99+tax. Really happy, was looking for something to replace my extremely worn out ATH M45s. My head literally burned straight through the M45s through piano practice LOL. I see a lot of reception describing these headphones to not sound quite as fun but rather analytical; which is perfect for the use of a training pianist and any other instrumentals i work on ^.^. Not to good for electronic music or super high pitch instruments like violins. But you won't go wrong with ath M-Series. Honestly, i think between K550s and the M-series, its wise to simply choose whats cheaper! They are all great
This vs the Beyerdynamic DT770?
Francis Santos 3 year late response but if anyone's wondering the same thing go for the AKG. I have seen many reviews of the dt 770 being V shaped and nowhere near reference level
The Momentums would probably give you a better, more "full-bodied" kind of experience because of its balanced, but rich kind of sound, due to their great mids and lows. Not extremely revealing cans, but they still do very well.
The K-550 is lean, trebly, analytic and the highs are a bit weird at some points, though I personally love the 550's openness, sound-stage, clarity, imaging and sound-separation. One of the best closed cans for critical listening under 300 bucks (US). Hope I helped!
I'm not sure on this but I think even Tyll may have fallen victim of flavour of the month here. On his wall of fame, these were retired by the Logitech UE6000, which was then subsequently retired by the Sennheiser Momentum, which was then in turn retired by the NAD VISO HP50. That makes them victim of quite a few downgrades... I suspect that "artificial" high end has been the problem. In the UK there are actually less than half the cost of a NAD (though still more expensive than the Logitech) so YMMV.
Thank you for taking the time to get back to me and post your opinion. This is the best way, other than actually getting a pair to try, to critique them. I also like a good balance in my cans and don't go for the emphasized over hyped garbage. For Headphones at this price range, I would have to try them out rather than just order them online and take a chance of being disappointed. Thanks again Cheers
I now have my K601s and my K701s mostly on classical, or orchestrated music.. The airy sound is extremely nice and the overall presentation is superb for the price (Coupled with a nice DAC/amp)
I also have my trusty old MDR V6 and my Shure SRH804s for general music listening and portable listening with no amps or dedicated DAC on my portable setup.. It is straight to my iPod Video 60GB or my iPod touch... Sometimes I use these closed headphones with my PC running through a AS?US Xonor U3
@InnerFidelity I thought most headphones with the cable dangling from the left side was already the indicator for the left side of the earphone.
Are you sure? I have a AKG k420 headphone.. and it sounds so much better than the beats by dré solo's to be honest.. i only think the beats pro is a decent headset.. but it is not very comfortable, and it is just waaaay too expansive
Also, its nice that you covered the comparison to D2000's, since many people compare them on head-fi and there are a lot of discussions going on. :P I was looking at D2000's as well, but hearing that K550's are so good, and taking into consideration the fact that D2000's cost more than twice as much as the K550's in my country, I think I'll be adding another AKG to my collection. :P
Got this for listening at work. They sound amazing paired with a basic cMoyBB.
my goodness...they're beautiful. One think about akg, aside from their headphones generally sounding nice, they are likely the best looking around.
For those still watching this in 2017, Denon no longer market the models Tyll refers to in this vid and their current models dont get his seal of approval. I think you can still find the K550 online - AKG have also moved onto other models FWIW.
i love your channel! there were like 5-6 headphones i was comparing, youtubed them and you had reviews for all of them. thanks a ton! Subbed
The VModa's are very good headphones and will last a lifetime, absolutely great sounding headphone and extremely well built
Depends on the device you're sticking it in. The Q701s almost definitively require a standalone high-end headphone amplifier, while the 550s will deliver a much better sound coming from a standard computer sound card (NOT onboard). To answer your question, the Q701s can sound better, but there are other factors you need to take into account.
As far as prices go, the sky's the limit with hobbies like these...No exceptions! :)
Excellent headphones!!! I'd highly recommend them to anyone who has the money and is looking to buy reference-grade closed back headphones.
Common failure points are pads fraying / peeling, and the plastic retaining sleeves cracking by the small internal screws and snapping open causing the cup to fall of the headband. When they failed like that (or were beginning to fail) I used electrical tape around the sleeve to help compress the headband in the sleeve and lock it in position. That bought me lots of time to prepare to buy a replacement. The mat rubberized cord material can become stiff and shiny with friction and heat (and maybe UV light as well? Though short-term testing in sunlight didn't reveal anything).
I've owned two pairs of these, both failed in the same way. Though with that said; they went travelling with me (Great on planes!) to both California's giant sequoias and Jasper Alberta. They held up on those trips very well and the failures weren't related to them as critical failure occurred many months after travelling in both cases. Also to note that these headphones failed after 2 to 3 years each of continuous daily use. They were ~$400 Canadian at the time I purchased my first pair, and about $300 when I purchased my 2nd pair. Now I can find them for about $260 and at that price it's a no-brainer.
I'm listening to this review via my brand new pair of K550's! Needless to say I am very impressed with the sound quality, thanks for your honest opinion.
Trying to decide between the Q701s and these... Leaning toward these for sound isolation, and leakage- I want to use these at work. Cut out the external noise, but not disturb my colleagues...
Ended up with Q702s. They sound amazing, but they do leak a bit... Although, I can have the volume up enough to hear my music without my colleagues being able to hear it, and I can hear the boss sneaking up on me!
Hello,I have been following your reviews about a while and i do understand you are good in choice of headphone selection.
HEY! I really liked this video. I just purchased these headphones myself. I need a good sealed headphone, and these seemed right up my alley. I like the way you review headphones, but one thing: ARE YOU RECORDING THIS ON A DAMN iPHONE? 360p! REALLY!?
@Malangsufi Go ahead. I think the mixed reviews are happening because so many are not getting a good seal in use.
Are you ever going to do a stand-alone review on some of the older high-end cans? You already did the HD800, will the D7000, T1, STAX 007 (maybe...009? lol),GS1000I, LCD3? I would love to see your take on those headphones instead of all the new headphones coming out at the moment which will come and go... :)
Great video and article!
You made a small typo on the 2nd page. It says "AT-M80" instead of AT-M50.
I bought these based on your review. great headphones, just picked them up bestbuy happened to have a set...what are the odds? they also had the B&W P3's and P5's, great sets, beautifuly made and sound very good both of them but i loved these.
Some people are too much focused on ranking the headphones. At some point you can do, in the end you've reached a point where you can let someone decide on preference.
I just like the performance of my D2000s.
However, the K550 is really a top class can.
They went from 299€ to 195€ on Amazon.
The Denons are discontinued and retailed around 230-250€ before.
So this can is definitly an outstanding value for the price.
These are going for £140 in the UK atm, I might pick a pair up for christmas
Thumps up....great and accurate review!! Will there be a K553 review soon?
Hardware Canucks did a review. You can also trust him
@innerfidelity I love how people ask you the same questions over and over again in every video haha, I think you should just make a FAQ for all of them when you get some free time.
Good review as always Tyll. Just wondering, can they handle fast paced rock?
Guitar shirt FTW. Thanks for the review
Thanks a lot for a great review! Guess I’ll have to get one of these …
5:56 "not for some rapper", thats a very good point!
So I guess rappers aren't allowed to wear good headphones? -_-
ConsciousN Trill Yo they got beats yo
***** I be you know a lot of rappers.. Like 2?
***** Who did you listen to Lil Wayne or Feminem?.. Bet you have no idea who K Rino, AZ or Z-Ro are..
***** I can name rappers who's songs have more meaning than any of the hipster garbage rock you like..
I have the MDR-XB 700's and I do not regret buying the K550's, my friend has the V-Moda's and the AKG K550's beat them by a longshot
They can.. I auditioned the K550s with my iPod touch 4G with no additional gear
When I reach a comfortable listening level is around 85-90% volume outputted on my iPod touch...
Trying to compensate on the iPod/iPhone EQ settings is not a good ideas since it usually lower the sound levels and adds unbalanced color to your music or audio output.
Try the K550s with a Wolfson DAC player rather than CirrusLogic with no EQ, much warmer and less analytical...
Also the seal, hence isolation, is fair.
@Palmetto4Liberty MS1i is the main thing I've had from Grado. As I said, I found them to have an awful lower mid/upper bass bloom to them, and the upper mids were glaring compared to the higher regions. Got AD700 and enjoy it much much more -- no "bum bum bum" sound in the low notes, and far better treble and mids that are at least less offensive.
You must have been unlucky with QC as mine are perfect. I love them apart from slippage from nodding forward. I do notice that the sound is affected greatly by the precise positioning on the ear and a tiny amount of movement can introduce an airy sound and reduce bass.
Basically, to get a proper soundstage the position must be just right which is easy to achieve but not made easier by the fairly stiff pivots which require manual adjustment instead of being truly self-adjusting like the K240.
The DT990pro if you wanna go open and not go over the top with the v-shaped signature; if not, the M-100 is a great, great basshead can. For something cheaper, the fiioE6 and pro700Mk2 combo will just pump bass into your head like two subwoofers strapped onto your noggin. Just don't expect much more than that.
Also, I am no means of a "Serious" HiFi listener no an "Audiophile"
I classify myself as a "Mid-Fi" sort of person as I mostly listen to at least 320kbps MP3s, FLACs or just my good ol' CD collection...
I also use my closed headphones for some recording work with my TASCAM US-1800 interface
Sometimes I use the TASCAM US-1800 interface as a DAC and ADC with my computer..
The actual DAC on my TASCAM is fairly good.
Hm...That's an interesting opinion, never heard people say things like that about the K550. I thought they were very revealing and open-airy, albeit a bit sterile and lean. All things aside, they're still my favorite sealed cans for critical listening. I'll need to do an AB with the SRH sometime soon; you've definitely gotten me interested!
@Medibisu "wrong" for you...Grados are brilliant for rock/metal. I agree the SQ is not for everyone. Just because you don't like the SQ, doesn't mean they are bad.
I hope I can buy it during Tax return time. I really need a decent akg for the go. Thanks for your reply back.
I bought Beyerdynamic custom one pro great mids and highs with plenty of bass you can manually adjust.
I tried this in a shop against the Sennheiser HD 598, and while this one is much less dry and more lively and emotional, spatial orientation is a pure mess, there is none, and if there is it only makes things worse. At least compared to the Sennheiser, I don't know whatever people may consider as "spatial orientation", but they don't compare in the least. I have an old Sennheiser so I'd really like to go with the AKG's different sound, but this stupid orientation makes it a very tough choice.
I feel generally my SRH-840s are a pair of good overall cans even with no amp, as long as the DAC and the source is good or decent, sound is clean and smooth. Stereo imaging is quite good for a pair of closed HPs as well.
I cannot imagine using the SRH-840s or my very old MDR-V6 with any Rap songs.... The highs and the rappers' voice would be too harsh especially if there is no EQ and especially the V6 will have too sparkly highs and mids compared to the not very strong mid-bass..
So can I quote you on that the AKG K550 actually sounds better than the ATH-M50?
I've had these headphones for about 6 months and i was never wowed by these, i expected to see new areas of music id previously unheard given i was spending around £130 as opposed to the £5 pair from TESCO..however i wasn't that impressed, i did get to try on the Sennheiser HD 650 recently though and wow they are amazing, finally going to eBay the K550 (never could wear them too long got hot ears! :( ) and take the plunge on the Sennheisers!
@Connor Anderson Lol its inside the cups with a R for right and L for lett ;)
thanks i've been looking for some new cans
They look like the older brother of the Skullcandy Mix Master Mike, looks legit!
you should do a review on the sennheiser 558's :D I would like to hear your take on them!
Just be sure you that you burn them in before giving it a fair comparison. The SRH-840 only needs about 8 to 10 hours I think. The SRH-840 seems to be good with everything. Mids, lows and highs. And at least it got some padding in the headband ;). One bad thing about it is it only comes with a curled cable but at least you can buy a normal one separately.
Very good review!
Please could you also review the AKG K545.
It would be much appreciated.
I would like to know in particular about the sound stage and imaging as these are essential for what I look for in a headphone. Do you have any recommendations for headphones with exceptional soundstage and imaging. I am talking stellar performance.
Great review, one of the best I've seen/heard. Could have done without the "rapper or something" reference
is there any difference in sound quality from these headphones and akg k845bt
@iBag3l Its a completely new headphone, and costs twice as much as the M50's, I'd bet it sounds better.
If anyone is looking for a fairly good quality USB powered DAC and ADC combo with XLR jack/48V phantom power for recording and cheap price, give the TASCAM US-144 MkII USB Sound Interface a try.
The built-in DAC and ADC are pretty good quality especially for the price, also it is a steel construction... The only downside with the construction is the cheap feel knobs..
The output levels is much louder and so much cleaner than your average on-board DSP (e.g. C-Media, Realtek, Conxanant Audio etc)
Great review! I have a quick question if you have a minute. What'your take on the ultrasone hfi-580? I've had the dj1 for a year now and love them for their wonderful v-shaped signature but have always wondered if the AKG K550 would be a worthwhile upgrade. Thanks!
what other headphones are comparable to the akg k550? i tried them on and really liked the way the sounded and especially how they felt. any other headphones that are comfortable like these with sound similiar or better?
dt 770
EQ will solve this, but if it is just software EQ without a good DAC, the song will get quite colored and while lows improve, other end of the spectrum will suffer. Also the overall volume is lowered, and sometimes (depending on the recording) the bass might get quite muddy...
AMAzing! i love them. i had to order a Fiio E5 for my iPod but they are Amazing regardless!
@DeeDeeDanone Each to his own, but I think there is such a thing as a "wrong" sound signature and the Grados I've tried definitely have it
Great review, love this channel!
Some say the ATH-PRO700MK2 is better though if I read why then I have my doubts about that. At any rate I believe the SRH-840 delivers great soundstage. Not sure in comparison as it's been a few weeks already since I've last used the K550 (which I no longer have) but I've chosen the SRH-840 for pure enjoyment and not for professional reasons. For professional use it's somewhat more difficult because even though the Shure is more dynamic the AKG's coolness, might actually be useful here.
@akila219 Both are requested and will come as soon as available.
it's strange you still don't have a review of ultrasone pro900.... would be great to hear your opinion
I can't use sealed headphones because the pressure causes my eyes to water, and i get head aches. Don't know why I felt the need to say that...
@Raykomak i agree there but for overall quality i'd go with the studio's for comfort, base and noise cancelling although they leak i love them for my itunes library
I'm debating between the HD 650 and the K550. Thoughts?
it's hard to compare open and sealed headphones, you certainly couldn't use the HD650's outside of your house/apartment, but their sound is superior I think!
12sin8 I'm gonna use them indoors. Just want the best sound. Thanks for the comment. I went and bought the HD 650.
Are they good
+Reuben They're good, HD650 has the typical Sennheiser sound with a flat signature. Bass thump is good, mids are clear, highs not overtly bright (a bit grainy). The AKG K550 is much, much for comfortable though, probably the most comfortable I ever tried and I wear glasses. Unless I got it to position JUST right on my head, the bass virtually is non existent.
You should review the denon headphones if you havent already
Just ordered one on sale, I will tell how they sound on my Fiio X5 II
So? How do you like them?
Got mine, and I can tell you it sounds very similar to my Q701's. With proper seal of course. To me, they seem to have a bit less bass than Q701's, a little bit more treble, a lot more sibilance, and slightly thinner mids than Q701's. They sound very similar, but Q701's sound a bit clearer, airier, fuller, smoother...just sound like better headphons overall. If I'd give Q701's a 100/100 in score, then K550's would get 90/100, mostly because of sibilance. But I wouldn't buy them again.
Nice review.
So what didn't you like about them? Not enough bass, unbalanced, too much treble and no mids?
Good review. Thanks.
You really only NEED amps for anything over 100Ohms, but they can definitely still benefit from them.
do a review on the PSB and Focal headphones.
Try Sennheiser HD 598 or akg Q701/K701 maybe? Just ordered the 598's yesterday over the K701 though. Hope this helps :)
Tyll, When are you getting a review sample of the V Moda M100?
Can this fit a small head? They look MASSIVE!!
ATH-m50 or v-moda's V-80?
please help!
love your vids..keep the good work up ;)
Love inner fidelity. If I already have the mix masters, is it worth selling them at a loss for the k550s?
Hi, after a good amount of research, I am torn between whether to buy the Audio Technica ATH-M50s, AKG K550s, or Sennheiser HD 25-1 ii. I will be listening to music through my iphone 5 and listen to mainly rock, electronic/ dubstep, and rap/hip hop. I also will purchase a portable headphone amp such fiio. I will be using these headphones for portable use as well as home use . the size to me really does not matter bu i lovee bass and love to listen everything .. every detail if possible :)
Bigstreamfan I don't know if you're getting them send to the moon and back, but for the product alone they are definitely not 1.300 dollars.
It sounds nice, but I use mine with an x-fi fatal1ty, and they sound awesome!
Make sure you have a big head though...
I believe the Pro700Mk2 cables might work for the SRH series, but that's just guessing from the screw for the adaptor. I just wish I had some more dough to spend on stuff... I might sell the 550 if I like the 840 enough. How is the soundstage in comparison? It needs to match, if not top the K-550 for checking the instrument placement when I do some (very amateurish) mixing in and around my "home studio." If it all works out, I won't need to switch between the 550 and the Momentum anymore.
The K550 have a very withdrawn or rather neutral Bass when you put them freshly on your Head. After about 10 minutes the K550 will start to seal (or so is my expierience) and the Bass will get a little stronger. It has a very clear and deep Bass, just not a ton of it. Its the only downside i have with the sound of these. Other then the minor lack of Bass the sound is perfect... not just for a closed Headphone.
I like the review but not one reply to anyone's questions so far and they still keep asking!??
out of these headphones whats the best buy?
AKG K550 , SONY MDR XB 500, Audio Technica ATH-M50,V-Moda M-80, or The Pioneer HDJ-2000
I have The SONY MDR XB 500's already but i really want to buy the AKG' K550.
im an eclectic music listener who tilts moreso to hiphop but not a monster-bass-beats-fanboy
however i do like the bass on a headphone to actually have a recognized presence
so from a scale of 1-10...how powerful is the bass?
This review is about AKG 550 or Denon 2000? You forgot to mention ear pads construction, frequency, speakers... impedance and a lot other stuff...this time very low quality review
Is this your job? Because i would love to know what job description this is and how i could get to that point when i am older.