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AKG K550 Reference Headphones ~$183 Shipped (Lowest Price on Amazon.de)

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AKG K550 Reference Headphones ~$183 Shipped (Lowest Price on Amazon.de)Affiliate
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P[Deactivated] on 05/05/2013 - 14:44 amazon.de (973 clicks)
Last edited 05/05/2013 - 16:16
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Price is EUR143.44 including shipping once VAT is removed. Typical retail price for these in Australia is over $300, with the best price I can find being $279 shipped: http://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/AKG-K550-ClosedBack-Refere…

The K550 has one of the most open soundstages for a closed-back headphone in this price range, with very clean and accurate sound. It also has excellent build quality, although some people (with smaller heads?) may have issues with the fit. The imput impedance is 32 ohms, meaning these are very easy to drive without an amp.

Some reviews:
http://www.whathifi.com/review/akg-k550
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2012/07/30/review-akg-…
http://www.headfonia.com/akgs-new-reference-the-k550/
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/wonderfully-competent-a…
http://noblehifi.blogspot.com/2012/06/akg-k550-review.html

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.
Electrical & Electronics AKG Headphones

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closed Comments

  • ttkc on 05/05/2013 - 15:59

    Is this K550 better than Sennheiser HD650?

    • tiencanh2791 on 05/05/2013 - 16:06

      i think not, but HD650 will never get to this price. But I assume both will work only well with an amp

    • krisspy on 05/05/2013 - 17:47
      +2

      If you like a neutral sound, then yes. The 650's are very warm, almost veiled set of cans.

      Closest competition would be the Beyer DT770. The beyers have slightly more bass and treble though, it's a more "fun" headphone than ruler flat. I found the K550 more neutral but lacked abit too much bass, and not as comfortable as the velour pillow beyers.

      • aec on 05/05/2013 - 19:42

        650 are warm? they are VERY warm? imo, no. 598 are very warm.

        k550 is certainly not as good as hd650, if you really want to do the comparison. however, for $183, you can only get hd598.

        • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2013 - 20:05
          +2

          k550 is certainly not as good as hd650

          How can you say this with certainty if you haven't heard the K550 before yourself? (Based on your comment below asking where to audition these in Sydney.) ;)

        • aec on 05/05/2013 - 20:31

          read the comments. there are so many reviews and discussion online.

        • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2013 - 20:48

          Comments can only tell you so much, particularly when there are also plenty of commenters out there preferring the K550 to the HD650! IMHO, they're both technically good and there's no clear-cut "better" headphone here — it really boys down to which sound signature you prefer. The fact one is open while the other is closed is also a major point of difference.

          From the Headfonia review I linked to above: "Moving from the typical Sennheiser HD650/600 to the K550, it’s mind blowing how much more clean the sound of the K550 is in comparison to the very grainy sound of the Senns. I’ve been spoilt by the bass slam of the HD600/650 and it’s hard to adjust to something less than that (even my complaint with the HD700/HD800 is the same: more bass slam), but this is a matter of personal preference, and technically the K550 is just ahead of the Senn HD600/650 in so many aspects."

          Head-Fi comment:
          "I have the HD650 and K550. I had the HD600 once, but it's been too many years for me to try and compare them to anything. Based on memory, the 600s were a bit edgier than the 650. (I had both at the same time and decided to keep the 650.)

          As others have said, their sound signatures are quite different. Comparatively speaking, the 650s have more bass quantity, smoother / less pronounced treble, and rich, forward mids. They are an overall warmer and more relaxed listening experience. The 550s have a cleaner, crisper sound; more sparkly treble. Generally, the AKGs are a livelier listening experience.

          I think both are terrific in their own way. I got the AKGs to be my at-work, cubicle cans, and they do the job very well; good isolation, non-leaking."

          Another Head-Fi comment:
          "But my sound preference is…
          K550 > T70 > HD650
          This is obviously very subjective while comfort can be agreed upon more readily."

          Innerfidelity comment:
          "While I've yet to own the HD800 or T1 (I didn't particularly care for the dark sound of HD650) the AKG K550 is simply AMAZING."

        • aec on 05/05/2013 - 21:13
          +2

          certainly there are always different opinions and personal experiences. people will appreciate your effort.

        • krisspy on 05/05/2013 - 21:21
          +2

          Meh headfi, where opinions are passed along as facts. Try it out yourself, no one sees the same color red. I havent heard the 598 but compared to the 600/555/595 i found the 650 was the darkest.

  • OilyDan on 05/05/2013 - 16:05

    How long do orders from Amazon.de usually take to be delivered?

    • The Quote Train on 05/05/2013 - 16:58

      I'm guessing but I'd say they use DHL economy which should take around 4-5 days?

      • aec on 05/05/2013 - 19:43
        +1

        i ordered my t1 or hd650 from them, it took about 2 weeks,iirc.

    • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2013 - 20:10

      I haven't ordered from Amazon.de for over a year now. Previously I think they only offered express shipping with DHL, which was very quick — 2-4 days to Sydney — but now they offer a cheaper shipping option as well, which is what this price is based on. 2 weeks sounds about right based on their delivery estimates.

      If you require express, it might be cheaper to get these from Amazon.es: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B005CNR7B0/

    • Eivad on 06/05/2013 - 17:40

      Can't say for sure, but Amazon.fr took just under 2 weeks to deliver my headphones. Hope that provides a helpful indication!

  • The Quote Train on 05/05/2013 - 16:58
    +2

    headphones.com.au say this about 'em:

    "AKG K550 are a comfortable closed headphone that offer a detailed and neutral sound that dips into the analytical side of things. Bass response is quite lean, but tight and detailed (not a good choice if you want a bassy headphone). Soundstage is good for a closed model, but nothing like AKGs open 70* models. A good looking, well built, comfortable closed headphone with a well balanced sound."

  • Newtz4 on 05/05/2013 - 16:59

    Very nice price! Cant say i'm a big fan of the headphones though…. They felt way too loose on my head and were really lacking in bass. As i'm a bit of a basshead, these just weren't for me…

    • CyberMurning on 05/05/2013 - 19:00

      +1. i have small-ish head so this is not for me.
      the m-voda on the contrary, alot review mentioned issue if your head is big.

      • aec on 05/05/2013 - 19:45
        -1

        before i wasted $60 on Uptown, i read quite a few reviews on k550. however, do you know where i can conveniently audition them in sydney?

        • Newtz4 on 05/05/2013 - 22:15

          You might be out of luck. I auditioned them at Headphonic in WA….
          There's not many brick and mortar stores in Aus that sell, let alone allow auditions of the higher end headphones….

  • skysky on 05/05/2013 - 22:36

    Ordered. Thanks!

  • Eivad on 06/05/2013 - 17:38
    +1

    I had a pair of Q701's for a while but recently sold them because I didn't like the neutral sound. I tested these the other day and they sound quite similar to the 701's, so I'll probably pass.

    Having said that, they are sexy as.

  • Syn88 on 06/05/2013 - 20:47
    +1

    I've tried this on at headphonics when I was looking for a pair for work. Great sound, looks very nice but was uncomfortable on my small head. In the end chose a pair that had better comfort.

  • lead_org on 06/05/2013 - 22:58
    +1

    Curse the germanic headphone manufacturers, why do you have to produce so many good headphones? Just ordered a set for myself. My friend got an AKG K550 in Australia about 6 months ago for around 320 dollars, so this is almost half the price. The build quality of these AKG headphone is second to non, and it gives my HD650 a run for its money (in fact it is superior to the HD650).

    A really good thing with this headphone is that you can listen your iMusic devices and enjoy a higher sound quality level (provide you encode the music correctly) without the use of external AMP. I love listening to classical music with the AKG K550, always wanted to get one but in the past the price wasn't very attractive.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/05/2013 - 19:43
    +1

    Price has gone back up. Those still interested can get this from Amazon.es for ~$200 shipped with express (they don't offer a cheaper shipping option): http://www.amazon.es/dp/B005CNR7B0/

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