The AKG K550 costs 14,950 locally and can be bought on a lot of the AKG stores in the country. They look and feel like something Chewbacca or Till Lindemann would wear. It is also a very detailed, neutral and fast headphone accompanied by a very fast, controlled and punchy bass. -AKG K275 headphones -detachable mini XLR cable with 3.5 mm connector -3.5 mm to 6.35 mm connector -protective drawstring pouch -documentation The cable was also shortened and slimmed down while adding physical controls. The AKG K552 Pro headphones are a beauty to behold. Winner of the “Best home over-ear headphones £100-£200, Awards 2016” the K550 “combines the noise-isolating qualities of a closed-back headphone with the spacious, dimensional sound of an open-back design.” according to AKG … Updated February 18, 2016 Sorry to break it to you, but if you want to get into mixing your own music, your Beats Studios just aren’t going to cut it. Visit our corporate site. The AKG K702 share the same style and build as the AKG K701 and AKG K712 PRO. Neutral 6. The K550s are sweetly communicative, handle tempos in a natural, unforced manner and punch into and out of low-frequency information with precision. But “Song for My Father”’s doubled melody line, performed by saxophonist Joe Henderson and trumpeter Carmell Jones, sounded just a bit too bright for me; the headphone seemed to have a little excess energy around 3 or 4 kHz. I experimented with slight differences in position of the earpieces to get the best seal of the headphone on the cheek plate and the most representative frequency response curves. Should you brave the great outdoors in a pair of K550s, you'll find that movement doesn't alter their sound even slightly, that the cable doesn't transmit any bumps it receives, and that for all their comfort the AKGs don't grip your head as securely as some. Vocals are slightly recessed on the K550, but the vocals are smoother and are much better separated from the rest of the instruments. AKG has been piping out a lot of budget options for us to gobble up lately. To my ears, the only voice the K550 mangled was Donald Fagen’s; the upper harmonics of his reedy tenor seemed to excite the K550’s narrow “brightness band.”. 29 points. Final WordNow without further ado, let’s get rolling! The open back ear cups are large and circular and covered in a suede-like padding that gives the headphones a premium appeal. The K550 has a much better low end body, and the sound feels well planted with enough lows, where in comparison the K701 feels rather ambivalent mainly due to the lack of low end weight. The K550s are big in every way: large earpieces featuring 50mm drivers, a broad headband, and a long, chunky cable. And in case you were wondering: Yes, these headphones are almost entirely made of metal. AKG has seemingly picked up on this trend, too, and has added a three-button remote to the existing K550 headphones in the name of portability, resulting in the K551 model. No question, the AKG K550 can be easily powered without any separate headphone amp, which is not the case with an HD 650. The K550 sounds extremely detailed, with above-average (although still not open-back-quality) spaciousness. The frequencies in question are pretty high, and I didn’t notice a channel imbalance when listening, but still…. the review that gives such a clear cut consensus cannot be useless. Most are open-back models, which allow the sound from the back of the speaker driver inside to escape, and which thus avoid the “boxy” sound that driver enclosures can create. Above that, it’s reasonably close to accepted norms. Granted that it was a bundled headphone for a Samsung phone, we expected better from the brand which is known in the industry for superior sound. If you don’t live here in Philppines, you can easily buy it through Amazon for a discounted price. Out of the box, the AKG K553 are a reference grade studio headphones that are positioned to have a flat frequency response for monitoring and mixing audio in a neutral tone. 1. AKG definitely succeeded in making a closed-back headphone with much of the sonic character of a big, open-back audiophile headphone. 11 December 2008. The AKG K553 Pro is a revised version of the earlier K550. Now if your wondering why I wanted them used, ill tell you. Best AV receivers 2021: brilliant home cinema amplifiers, Best earbuds 2021: brilliant in-ear headphones for every budget. II, they also have the K551 which looks like it just has the in-line mic, and then there is the K553 Pro, which looks to be an upgrade from the K550. This is my review of the AKG K550 MKIII. These will still need some run-in time, which is common for AKG headphones. Incidentally, we noted a similar narrow high-frequency boost when we tested the Q701, but the K550’s superior bass performance balances out the HF boost much better. With a matte black finish and small AKG logos in white, it has a mature simplicity to it. Before we get into the AKG K550 vs. Q701 comparison, grab a snack, sit back and relax because… You’ve come to the right place!! Most good headphones have a bump in the bass, a dip between about 800 Hz and 2 kHz, a peak somewhere around 3 kHz, and maybe another peak around 6 or 8 kHz. AKG K550. AKG K550 ⭐ review. 50 points. The AKG K551, is identical to its identical twin, the AKG K550, however rather than having a thicker, non-mic cable, it … The midrange output seems low, especially from 300 Hz to 1 kHz. They perform both duties admirably, but what's profoundly impressive is just how unlike a closed-back pair of headphones they sound. How does K550 differs from the norm? Some headphones are more assertive than others when it comes to stating their case, and the AKG K550s don't equivocate: their priority is indoor use. Adding 70 ohms output impedance to the V-Can’s 5-ohm output impedance to simulate the effects of using a low-quality headphone amp has only a slight effect, boosting bass by less than 1 dB at 20 Hz. And except for that little apparent lower/mid treble peak, it sounds extremely neutral and, as Will aptly put it, “accurate.” What’s more, it’s a far more versatile and user-friendly product than any open-back headphone. I will outline the Similarities & Differences between the 550 and Q701 and then give a recommendation towards the end. With the listening done, I then ran the K550 past my audio measurement gear to get an idea of their technical performance. He loved the way it made voices sound clear and distinct in even dense, complicated mixes. That’s something you can’t say about some open-back audiophile headphones. The materials seem high-quality and possibly a little more durable than the original AKG pads (which fell apart pretty easily). It's sometimes a fine line between neutrality and dispassion, but the AKGs walk it confidently – and even though they relish the lushly analogue sound of Etta James, they have sufficient drive and attack to make Ladytron's Seventeen an exciting, hard-hitting and dynamic listen. Summary 3. Best home over-ear headphones £100-£200, Awards 2016. Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. Will and I also listened with my Denon DVD-2900 DVD/SACD player feeding a Rane HC6S professional headphone amp. With the K550, AKG is attempting to make a closed-back headphone that sounds like an open-back model. At 3m long, the AKG K550 cable is far too long to be used conveniently on-the-go. And the sound from the headphones leaks to the outside, which will bother anyone around you. The K550 sounds extremely detailed, with above-average (although still not open-back-quality) spaciousness. If you’re gathering from this list that you can plug the K550 into damned near anything and get adequate volume, you’re right. So Ive had these for a little over 3 months. These are an over-ear, closed-back design, a configuration intended to isolate the wearer from noise while also preventing sound leaking from the cups (thus denying the outside world access to your good taste in music). These headphones have some pretty cool features in terms of design and performance. I use it during most of my workdays. The company’s website and press materials don’t say what Real Image Engineering is, though. So I used the recent HDTracks high-res releases of several classic Blue Note jazz albums to reacquaint myself with the headphone’s sound. Isolation is very good (and vastly better than any open-back headphone), running -5 to -18 dB from 200 Hz to 1 kHz (excellent results for that frequency band), and -20 to -35 dB at most frequencies above that. They produce more of a neutral sound which makes them great for casual listening and … So Ive had these for a little over 3 months. Now if your wondering why I wanted them used, ill tell you. They’re rather low profile, nothing flashy about them whatsoever, but the black matte and metallic finishes really do complement one another nicely. The headphone as mentioned is a sealed over-ear headphone which is marketed as a reference class headphones. Despite the mil-spec vibe, it’s very comfortable, although it doesn’t clamp real tight so you may get the feeling at times that the ’phone is about to slide off your head. AKG definitely succeeded in making a closed-back headphone with much of the sonic character of a big, open-back audiophile headphone. The vocal (from which, in this instance, the entire recording hangs) has ample space, and is packed with information – the AKGs don't lose a scrap of detail. I've used these headphones every single day since around December 3rd or 4th 2018 for about 4-5 hours every single day (yes, every single day) for mostly music and movies (some gaming, though I have a separate pair of headphones for gaming) and I feel like at this point I can perhaps provide some insight into these headphones. The isolation issu… I don’t usually criticize headphones when my measurements for the left and right channels don’t match perfectly, because it’s difficult or impossible to get the left and right earcups positioned exactly the same on the ear/cheek simulator. I personally have complaints with this site like speed of reviews, not quality. Home > Headphones comparison > AKG K550 vs Sennheiser Momentum. I’ve been using the K550 off and on for a few months, but just haven’t found time to review it. Also, there’s almost no isolation from outside sound — any sound around you will come right through the drivers to your ears. AKG K701 review These AKGs are beautifully built and feel like they’d survive years of use with ease, but there are more entertaining headphones out there Tested at £250.00. By What Hi-Fi? The AKG K550 is a high-performance closed-back reference class headphone. MORE: Awards 2014 - Best on-ear headphones. What is the difference between Sennheiser Momentum and AKG K550? 2 things made me look at the competition: the isolation and the sibilant treble. All rights reserved. The soundstage (which sounds reasonably remote, rather than as if it's being thrust directly into your ears) is well-defined, and separates individual threads of the recording as well as it integrates them into a coherent whole. AKG K553 Pro Review Design. AKG headphones range greatly in price, so it’s easy to find a reliable budget pair or a professional-quality set of headphones that will last for years. The bass was never, ever overwhelming, bloated, or boomy — another big plus for audiophiles. Please refresh the page and try again. The AKG K551, is identical to its identical twin, the AKG K550, however rather than having a thicker, non-mic cable, it … The more I listened to the K550, though, the less bright it sounded. Even if you’re not an audiophile, you’ve seen the huge headphones many audiophiles wear. AKG K553 Pro Review. Here I heard not the slightest trace of brightness — just the gorgeous sound of the two classical guitars, with the subtlest variations in tone between the two guitars easily audible. Can I Stream MQA Tracks to My Amp via Bluetooth? This is without doubt the most leathery smelling pleather headphone I have ever held and man that smell is awesome and reassuringly expensive to the nostrils. What I will bring you in this review. The overall presentation is expertly balanced. These AKGs are for detail fanatics: they offer staggeringly good insight for the money. My review of the full-size, over-ear, closed back, mid-range headphones from AKG Impedance is almost flat, averaging 36 ohms. ‘Performance’ part of the AKG K553 review is going to be long, hence brace yourself for it. Review of AKG K550 powered by the Slant community. Sets like the K267 and the K550 really went over very well with the audio community in recent years, but it seems that wasn’t enough to satisfy team AKG…not that this is … Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Welcome to my full review of the AKG K 550 headphones! After 100 hours, I'll come back and update my review. AKG K551 review from the experts at What Hi-Fi? Free shipping & returns. The Akg K553 Pro is generally all black headphones with a stylish look to them that make that fashion statement and can perfectly go with any coloured outfit and still stands out.. I can’t recall hearing this recording sound better over headphones — and in this case I was just using my iPod touch as the source. “I had to crank it up to hear the mids clearly, but then it gets too bright-sounding. Our last review of a AKG headphones left us less than impressed. It could be the result of thousands of man-hours of scientific research using parent company Harman International’s matchless lab facilities. What's not debatable is AKG's achievement. The sound was audiophile-pleasin’ all the way: delicate, detailed, involving and, for a closed-back headphone at least, admirably lively and spacious. Pros 4. Rousingly musical headphones with no obvious deficiencies. Indoors, though, they're just a hugely capable pair of closed-back headphones that simply don't sound closed. Design Look and Feel. 13 2 . Will Hollywood Movies Start To Look Cheap? - compare latest prices, see user reviews, and see K551 specs and features. Consensus/Conclusion 10. To me, it just sounds thin and flat.”. Tactile and sturdily built, they certainly feel like £250-worth, even if it's debatable whether they look it. Specifications 2. A tool is included to help stretch the material around the headphone which is nice. 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But despite looking like a pair of road-digger's ear-defenders, the AKGs are relatively light and comfy, even during long sessions – though they do warm your ears more than some. Usually the bass is relatively tame. I started with Horace Silver’s Song for My Father, one of my all-time favorites. In this case, though, I will hazard some criticism, because the K550’s response seems to match quite well in right and left except in a band between 3.3 and 7 kHz, where the output in the left ear seems to drop by -2 to -5 dB. They have two-tone navy blue and silver color scheme and an old-school retro design that will work for some. Review: AKG K371 - King of Budget Closed-Backs - Headphonesty There are folks out there that need a pair of studio-grade over-ear headphones and the AKG K551 perfectly fits the bill. I personally trust can understand where Dale is coming from, being an owner of AKG K550. TCL 6-Series 65R635 Roku LCD Ultra HDTV Review, Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 Surround Speaker System Review. en. The review will be conducted at the £150 price tag, even though they can be now bought at around £130 from certain places. It doesn’t come with a carrying case, but it does fold flat to slip into a briefcase, and the cord is tipped with a smartphone-friendly 3.5mm plug. There was a problem. This is my review of the AKG K550 MKIII. Well worth che… The detail really caught my ears, all the way from the subtleties of the plucked acoustic bass line to the crisp crack of the rimshots and high-hat. Find out which is better and their overall performance in the headphones ranking. AKG headphones range greatly in price, so it’s easy to find a reliable budget pair or a professional-quality set of headphones that will last for years. AKG K553 Pro Headphones Review Comfort, style, and sound—these headphones have it all. You could even use the K550 for portable applications. Face-Off: Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds, A Touch of Class: Meze Audio 99 Classics Headphones, Cleer Enduro 100: Wireless Headphones that Play On and On and On, Mixcder E9: Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones that Won’t Break the Bank, Face-Off: 8 Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headphones, True Wireless Earbuds: AirPods and Alternatives, Etymotic ER3 Extended Response Headphones Review. AKG has made some of our favourite on-ear headphones in the past, like the bargain-tastic AKG K451, but the Y50 see the company having a crack at a whole new design. Video Review 7. The headband is made off maroon metallic plates that adjustable on both sides to ensure that you get that secure fit. Discover the key facts and see how AKG K550 performs in the headphones ranking. But there are other trade-offs with open-back phones. To measure the K550, I used a G.R.A.S.43AG ear/cheek simulator, a Clio FW audio analyzer, and a Musical Fidelity V-Can headphone amplifier. AKG K550 Review The PreReview I got these for christmas, I asked “santa” for them. Lauren used an iPhone as her source, I used my iPod touch and my Motorola Droid Pro, and also plugged them straight into my rather generic MSI laptop. AKG K550 Review. In some ways it is one of the best closed headphones out there as I’ve rarely heard such an open sound from a headphone in this category. The title track (from which Stevie Wonder lifted the melody for the chorus of “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing” and Steely Dan borrowed the opening bass line for “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”) has a smooth bossa groove that the K550 portrayed perfectly. Sets like the K267 and the K550 really went over very well with the audio community in recent years, but it seems that wasn’t enough to satisfy team AKG…not that this is … The K550 doesn’t stop with the evolution in sound, the whole package including build and quality is a marked step up in class and build concept and comfort. The AKG K275 has a clean and professional look. Categories. though if you don’t trust reviewer then its a different story. It also employs what AKG calls Real Image Engineering. The overall presentation is expertly balanced. AKG has seemingly picked up on this trend, too, and has added a three-button remote to the existing K550 headphones in the name of portability, resulting in … For Lauren, though, the K550 didn’t work too well. Audiophiles are happy to suffer the high cost and total non-portability of open-back ’phones because of the huge, spacious sound they offer. The Akg K553 Pro is generally all black headphones with a stylish look to them that make that fashion statement and can perfectly go with any coloured outfit and still stands out. is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. This pair of AKG K550 headphones has lasted years (and still going strong), so from my experience, it is a durable pair of headphones. But the 9-foot cord is a little long and cumbersome for portable use unless you bundle up some of the slack. smartphones smartwatches headphones tablets. (A 6.2mm adapter is included.) And I requested that “santa” bought them used. These are generally large cans, Over-ear headphones with huge ear cups and if you have a smaller head they mig… The K553 pro comes with 1/4” adapter plug. This is a cable designed for use at home. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! The frequency response measurements of the K550 look like nothing I can remember seeing. Bath These fit my AKG K550 well. Review: AKG K550 Headphones. Introduction; Similarities & Differences; Final Word While it easily fixes the deficient high end of that older model, how does it sound compared to other headphones with a $199 price tag? AKG K275 Review In the Box-AKG K275 headphones-detachable mini XLR cable with 3.5 mm connector-3.5 mm to 6.35 mm connector-protective drawstring pouch-documentation. I’ve owned its bigger brother, the AKG-K550for a good while . $139.95. The K550 sounds extremely detailed, with above-average (although still not open-back-quality) spaciousness. Overview Prices Specs + Add to comparison. Cons 5. A FLAC file of Etta James's I'd Rather Go Blind, delivered via the Award-winning Furutech ADL GT40 headphone amp, is airy and spacious in a way that's beyond the majority of closed-back designs. Regardless, even the crankiest reviewer wouldn’t deny the K550’s awesome build quality. AKG K550 Review The PreReview I got these for christmas, I asked “santa” for them. Well worth checking out. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, Apple patent paves way for notchless iPhone 13, Best Sony STR-DN1080 AV receiver deals 2021. What Hi-Fi? © Design and features I confirmed this when I listened to “Shadow Dancers” from The New Boss Guitar of George Benson, in which Jimmy Forrest’s tenor sax clearly sounded brighter than normal. It's sometimes a fine line between neutrality and dispassion, but the AKGs walk it confidently – and even though they relish the lushly analogue sound of Etta James, they have sufficient drive and attack to make Ladytron's Seventeenan exciting, hard-hitting and dynamic lis… As such, they endure punishment extremely well and even if you were to drop them daily they would jus… You will receive a verification email shortly. Lauren compared them primarily to her recently acquired PSB M4U 2 headphones, while Will and I compared them to various other headphones we had on hand. Other Products We Considered The BestReviews editorial team researches hundreds of products based on consumer reviews… Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 100 dBA is negligible, just 2.8% at 20 Hz. Shop premium microphones, headphones, wireless audio systems, and other audio products at AKG.com. The big earcups practically swallowed her head, and she complained — in contrast to what Will and I heard — that the K550 buried the midrange. Our Verdict. And except for that little apparent lower/mid treble peak, it sounds extremely neutral and, as Will aptly put it, “accurate.” What’s more, it’s a far more versatile and user-friendly product than any open-back headphone. They're particularly adept at teasing out the fine details at the back or at the edge of the soundstage, and give a vivid, high-resolution insight into a mix. BA1 1UA. Indeed, Will used one word — “accurate” — over and over when describing the K550’s sound. The gray color doesn't look as good as the old black ones to my eye, but it doesn't look horrible. Even with that bit of brightness, the K550 treated most voices kindly. Or it could be a term that a marketing guy dreamed up after one too many Starbucks lattes.