Home Closed Back Headphone Reviews AKG K550 Headphone Review

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Greetings mate and Welcome aboard! Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear) all over again, so…

Before we get into the AKG K550 Review, grab a snack, sit back and relax because…

You’ve come to the right place!!

What I will bring you in this review

  1. Specifications
  2. Summary
  3. Pros
  4. Cons
  5. Neutral
  6. Video Review
  7. Amp/DAC Requirements
  8. Who benefits?
  9. Consensus/Conclusion
  10. Final Word

Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!

AKG K550

Specifications

  • Price: Check amazon! | check sweetwater! | check eBay!
  • Type: Closed back.
  • Fit: Circumaural.
  • Impedance: 32 Ohm. What is Headphone Impedance?
  • Sensitivity: 114dB.
  • Frequency response: 12Hz to 28kHz.
  • Material: Mostly metal, some plastic.
  • Headband: Padded.
  • Color: Matte black with black metal accents.

Summary

To start off, these are gorgeous. They are actually made mostly of metal, with some plastic. They absolutely exude beauty in my opinion.

Everything from the headband, ear-cups and the overall feel is just solid. They are very comfortable, but the ear-cups could have been wider in diameter.

Just be aware that some people do complain of a loose fit, and it entirely depends on the size of your melon. The right amount of snugness really determines whether or not the bass will sound too flat or just right.

The earpads are very soft, which can present problems with the fit. You may have to tinker quite a bit with them. Once you do find that perfect fit, they are extremely comfy, and you won’t have to really adjust them at all.

The other big thing of note is isolation. While they do isolate pretty well, they don’t completely block out sound. This makes them pretty exceptional for office situations, but their biggest claim to fame is most definitely a closed-back reference.

In terms of that, they allow you to really get a feel for how the music actually sounds. A lot of people may put these on and say that they lack bass.

No, that just means that you may have grown a little too accustomed to poor consumer-grade models. And that is understandable. What these give you is a very flat, accurate, and well-extended bass response.

There are no glaring speed problems. They are very unforgiving though, so make sure your source is good. Mp3s probably won’t sound all that stellar. Haha.

One last notable aspect is that there are a couple of different versions of this headphone floating around. I wouldn’t buy a pair on eBay because you may get one that sounds very different from the original 550. Also if you can, demo this before you buy it due to the strange fit.

Pros

  • Folds up flat for easy transport.
  • Build quality is fantastic. Mostly metal, with a great headband adjustment.
  • Very comfortable once you get a good fit.
  • Flat and neutral bass that extends quite deep. Very analytical.
  • Best closed-back reference headphones. A great alternative to the open-back HD600.
  • Relatively fast and detailed.
  • Almost perfect treble range. There is a bit of a boost around 10khz, and some may find this artificially detailed.
  • Nice color matching 1/4″ adapter. Very solid.
  • Great for office. Works for every genre and isolates sound just enough.
  • Good Soundstage for a closed back. What is Soundstage?

Cons

  • No carrying case.
  • The cloth that covers the driver may hit your ear(s).

Neutral

  • Non-removable cable. Depends on your preference really.
  • The cable is very long for portable use. Around 9-10 ft. Could have benefited from a choice of coiled or straight.
  • Strange fit and the ear-cups could have been larger in diameter.
  • It May sound artificial in the mid-range. Very uncolored, but: There is a forwardness at about 1.5khz, a ringing at 4 or 5k, and a spike at 6khz. Metal or electric guitar in that region may become problematic. Some detail is slightly blurred.

Video Review!

All credit to @Metal571. Check him out on Twitta!


Amp/DAC Requirements

These don’t need an amp at 32 Ohm. They do just fine with portable devices and come with a 1/4″ adapter for use with interfaces and mixers.

Who benefits?

Not the most laid back or easy to listen to with every genre, and don’t expect a boomy bass or anything.

As mentioned in the summary, these are highly accurate but don’t have that impact. They are a reference headphone period, and the best closed-back one at that. There may be a problem with distinction in instruments however in the mid-range.

If you strictly listen to good sources, these can sound great with a lot of genres. Just know that above all, they benefit producers needing a good mix-down.

Consensus/Conclusion

Just about the best closed-back reference can, from a purely analytical standpoint. Be cognizant of the strange fit, and if you can, demo them beforehand. They are supremely built, and the aesthetic is that of pure beauty. The bass is accurate and detailed, with good extension. Mid-range is a bit of a mixed bag, but the treble is almost perfect. Sound isolation is good enough, but the overall sound stage is a bit on the underwhelming side. Still, being a closed-back headphone, you get some characteristics of an open-back design. The best of both worlds perhaps?

Final Word

If you’re looking for the best closed-back reference can, these will most certainly do the job. They have a great analytical sound and come across as very flat and neutral. Just don’t expect to be particularly amazed by the low end. They do their job quite wonderfully though.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REVIEWS ON AMAZON!!


Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed my AKG K550 headphone review! Do you have questions? Don’t agree? Feel as though I left something out? Please don’t hesitate to reach out below, or contact me!

Do you think that the K550s are the best closed-back reference headphone? Let me know as well!

Until next time,

All the best and God bless…

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Can’t decide which headphones to purchase? Interested in a complete buyers guide outlining over 40 of the best options on the market? Click on over to the best audiophile headphones to learn more!!

Be sure to also check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!

Save

AKG K550

4.75

Reference Sound

5.0/5

Build & Aesthetic

5.0/5

Comfort/Fit

4.3/5

Sound-stage

4.8/5

Pros

  • Analytical, flat, true to the source
  • Very comfortable
  • Durable, made of mostly metal
  • Perfect for Reference

Cons

  • Tough to get a good seal

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4 comments

Eduardo Gordo August 15, 2017 - 11:05 pm

Hey Stu! Thanks for this review, I´ve got a question for you, which other closed-back headphones do you recommend me for mixing and for music production? Your help is very appreciated, have a nice day!

Reply
Stu August 16, 2017 - 12:42 am

Hey Eduardo!

No problem! Thank you for stopping by..

The others would be the Shure SRH440, Sony MDR V6, Sony MDR7506, and Sennheiser HD280 Pro. Any one of those is very good as well. Let me know what you think!

-Stu

Reply
Eduardo Gordo August 16, 2017 - 2:37 pm

Thank you Stu! I haven’t tried any of them but (maybe I’m wrong, please correct me if I am) looks like all of them tend to go very low in decibels in their frequency responses at 10khz, and I usually listen at low volumes, so maybe I’m not going to be able to hear the high frequencies because of that. Do you know any other closed-back headphones that could work for mixing at low levels that have also enough sub-bass (if do you think it’s needed)?
I’ve got another question Stu, in your review you talk about a couple of versions that you can buy on eBay, which one is the version that you have? Thank you again.

Reply
Stu August 16, 2017 - 8:03 pm

Hey,

You will be able to hear the high frequencies just fine. That’s the least of your worries. The K553 is the upgraded version and it improves on the K550. I’ve only demoed the K553 and loved it.

-Stu

Reply

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