Hi audiophilia.. Hope everything is just fine with u guys..
This time I would like to make a full review of AKG K550. I'll divide this review in several sections:
- The profile
- The setup used in the review
- The songs used in the review
- The full review
- Summary/conclusion

[ul]The Profile[/ul]
AKG has been known for their products in the audio-world since long time ago. They built some masterpiece products before. But things were changing & the company went through hard times until Harman came in... The company regained their spirit & made some amazing products such as K701, K702, K1000, etc.. And, not a long time ago, they released AKG K550 with its tagline: "Open sound has never been such a private.."


[ul]The setup used in the review[/ul]
Before I begin, I'd like to give u a description of my setup. They are typically quite neutral & balanced. It's not a high-end setup, but this is what I have for now. Here they are:
- Source: Asus A43S, Sansa Clip Zip rockboxed & Blackberry Onyx 2
- DAC: iBasso DB1 Boomslang
- AMP: Ordnance .22 & iBasso Toucan
- m2m Cable: Balanced iBasso & DIY 4 strand full silver by: Agus a.k.a DragonBell
- AKG K550 burned around ± 100 hours

[ul]The songs used in the review[/ul]
I think it's best for me to explain my preferences of music. It's important so that the reader, whoever they might be, will understand this review even better..
I have a broad interests of music genres. I listen to pop, classic, jazz, acoustics, acapella, slow rock, hip hop & dance. Basically anything that's good. Lately, I've been listening much on jazz, acoustics, classic & other audiophile genre.. To be more specific, I'd love tro listen to sweet clear vocal, good detail & deep clear bass..
Here are the songs I used:
1. Buddha Lounge - 21 Days on WAV Lossless
2. Shania Twain - I'm gonna getcha good, You're still the one, From this moment, Ka-Ching on FLAC
3. Gipsy King - Hotel California, Amor, Gitano Soy on FLAC
4. Celine Dion - Be the Man, It's all coming to me ow on 128kbps
5. Adele live in Robert Hall - Rolling in the deep on FLAC


[ul]The full review[/ul]

Alright, this is the most awaited part, also the part I like the most of any review.. Whether I'm the reader or the writer.. Now, there are many reviews out there on AKG K550. What makes this review special? I think it's about the transparency of this review. I'll explain that later..
Let's start......
Design / Packaging
I paid for about $310 and finally I received my K550. It came in a nice black paper box. The top side was transparent so I could see the cans sitting nicely inside. It came along with a 6,3 jack adaptor. There was no other accessories which is quite a let-down for me. I wish AKG could have at least included a pouch at this price..
Move one to the cans, I was astonished by its look. A simple elegant & classy combination of black & grey. The built was superb. It looked sturdy & I got the feeling that it would last forever. The headband was designed absolutely beautiful. There were these numbers on the adjuster to help u memorize the perfect size for your head.
The earpad was quite big, it could swallow all of my ears, ver soft & comfortable even when I used it for hours. It took hours before it started to feel hot. Simply one of the most comfortable cans I've ever used..
The 3,2 metre cable looked quite thick & strong. However, only time will prove it. The jack was gold plated and there was this "AKG" printed on it. Beautiful!

The sound
The first thing came into my mind was the K550's tagline, "Open sound has never been such a private..". This was a closed can, yet the sound staging was so wide. It also have a good depth too. There was this feel of "openness" too. However, when I tried it fresh out of the box, it sounds strange. The high was sharp, the mid was a little bit recessed. What about the low? Yeah, exactly, where is the low freq? There was no impact on the low, no texture, no depth at all. It sounded like <b>TRASH</b>... Seriously needs many hours of burn in.. So I keep on playing it frequently for another ± 40 hours. It was a relief knowing that the cans actually could sing this well.. there was a huge improvement but I continued to burn it for another ± 60 hours or so.. So here we are now..

The High - Rated 8,5/10
The high is sparkling & detailed.. In the Gipsy King songs, I can hear the percussions clearly. Sometimes it's too sharp, but I think it also depends on the recording itself.
When I listen to Buddha Lounge, all of the instruments being played is presented well. The notes are hit perfectly right where they are. The ambience on Adele's Rolling in the Deep is superb. I can feel the crowd's emotion. It's like I'm listening to a live performance.. Also I notice that this cans is quite analytical.
However, this cans might be too bright and it might be losing the 'fun' factor at some point for some people. But we can't argue too much 'bout somebody's taste....

The Mid - Rated 8,5/10
Mid is one of K550's strength points. The articulation is clear and I also think it's a laidback vocal. An amp would be a big help to make it sounds more forward..
When I listen to Gipsy King's album, the vocal sounds sooo sweet.. It's like I'm sitting on one of those front rows while watching the band.. When I test the 128kbps file with Celine Dion's Be the Man, the vocal still sounds good.
Basically this cans is really strong on the mid section..

The Low - Rated 8/10
When it's burned in enough, the low becomes clearer & tighter. It has superb detail. There are a lot low freq. playing on Buddha Lounge's 21 Days. K550 does a great job in presenting them perfectly. I can hear the notes clearly.. It also goes deep when the recording tells it so. When I listen to Shania's I'm gonna getcha good, . I can feel the punch in my chest.. The quality is excellent..

Sound Staging - Rated 10/10
Can't say too much on this part. Sound staging is absolutely top notch. I don't think any other closed cans can sound like K550.. It's so open, wide, and it feels like u're wearing an open cans..

[ul]Summary - Rated 8,5/10[/ul]
The good:
Excellent with pop, jazz, classical, etc. Very comfortable, great sounding cans.. It doesn't demand power too much since it's 32 ohm. Superb sound staging, clear high, strong vocal and deep bass.. Personally I think the high & vocal is better than Sennie HD650.. When it's properly amped, it sounds so great.. K550 is also a revealing cans, so it's like a double edges side. It's good that we can listen lossless at its best, on the other hand it will use up your hard-disk space.

The bad:
Definitely SUCKS to play dance, rnb, hip-hop, etc. Though it is a great sounding cans & doesn't demand power too much, yet it's sooo picky on the amp & source.. If you want to make it sounds at its best, be ready to spend your money for good DAC & Amp.. The 128kbps will mostly turn ur K550 into trash since it's very revealing. 320kbps & all other lossless format would be demanded. The cans will serve a good home use cans. It's more transportable than portable...