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GawainS
33
May 4, 2015
I've already got a SRH940 but i cannot resist this deal! The value is too good to be true! Can't wait to listen to these bad boys.
ShawnP.Watson
155
May 4, 2015
GawainSGawains, I'd love to hear your impressions of this comparison between the SRH940 and the K533Pros. That should be a contest! Would you shoot me an email with your results? shawnpwatsons1@netzero.com. Thanks. Or FB friend me under Shawn P. Watson.
GawainS
33
May 4, 2015
ShawnP.WatsonHey Shawn, sure! However, it might take a while before the K553 gets shipped to where I am. Totally looking forward to this.
dalethorn
193
May 4, 2015
ShawnP.WatsonThe 940 is bright with a slightly lean bass - a very similar signature to the Senn HD800. The K553 bass is maybe slightly stronger, and the treble definitely less.
ShawnP.Watson
155
May 10, 2015
GawainSGawainS: I just purchased a pair of Philips Fidelio X2's which get rave reviews. They are an open design. Many people say they prefer the X2's over the incredible Sennheiser HD600. So how do the AKG's compare to the Fidelio's??? Damn good! I've A-B'd them back and forth on many songs and I have to say that AKG has succeeded in creating a closed headphone that sounds perhaps 50% of the way to a fully open design such as the Fidelio's.....and 90-93% of the way to the sound of the Fidelio's over all. In fact, some things the 553's do better than the Fidelio's. You can't believe how good these 553's will eventually sound after 300-400hours of break-in. But they sound much better after just 12 hours. Enjoy!
robinhood752
201
May 10, 2015
ShawnP.WatsonEvery time I see your posts it makes me think that you are salesman of AKG, or somehow invested.
yeahx
4
May 10, 2015
robinhood752I was just starting to think the same thing! :) The drop is over but who knows, there will probably be more later. Hopefully we will find out soon. Looks like you barely made it in the "first" group! Does UPS really take a week, that sounds more like USPS to me!
spyder256
14
May 11, 2015
ShawnP.WatsonSo about the "openness". Would you say these are a better option for gaming then the average closed headphone? Or say something like ath-M40 or 50X's?
Also is there any factual evidence behind this whole "breaking in" thing? Because honestly it's pretty hard to believe.....
Navas
32
May 11, 2015
spyder256I've heard open is better for positional audio cues in gaming. I can't vouch for it personally but the folks over at teksyndicate.com have been advocating open headphones for a while now. I think they got one unit of the 553 to review as well.
lixxiee
4
May 11, 2015
spyder256Breaking in has no factual evidence. Source: myself.
ShawnP.Watson
155
May 12, 2015
spyder256OMG yes spyder256....yes. I've had the M50x. I just sold them used on Amazon after I got the K533's. The spacial cues on the M50x are about zilch by comparison. Want to hear something really flipped out? I just went across down and purchased the AKG 712Pro's for $400. Guess what? I've been A-B them all night long. Yes the 712's sound a little (damn little) smoother and more open (--not not by as much as the Fidelios) than the 553's but my God there's not a nickel's worth of difference between them.! I'm not kidding! And the reason is that the 553's are that damn good. Wait till I report this comparison online all over hell's half-acre. The shit's going to hit the fan. AND, I think the Fidelio X2's are better--for less money too.
ShawnP.Watson
155
May 12, 2015
robinhood752No, no such thing. I'm just an enthusiast Robin. Now that I've just bought the AKG 712 Pro's for $400+ tax and A-B the 553's with the 712 Pro's, I can tell you that the 553's are so good as to render the 712's the crappiest value out there in the AKG line. The Fidelio X2's were better than the 712's for an open can.
ShawnP.Watson
155
May 12, 2015
Robin, my 553's were from the 1st drop so they are breaking in quite nicely. I noticed a big difference after the first 12-20 hours of play with the 553's...
Etaoin_Pig
16
May 12, 2015
spyder256These are a bit more open-sounding than the M50Xs. Both are closed. In general, open headphones are just much more spacious. This makes them better for gaming, I suppose, but, moreover, tends to make them better all-around. That said, a good headphone, closed or open, will always beat a lesser one. In reality, since any game you're worried about positional audio for uses a dynamic digital soundstage, you could use almost any decent headphones and cover your bases there.
There is factual evidence for breaking in. If you think about it, it makes sense that a machine subjected to various mechanical forces will change over time, and quantifiable evidence has been submitted in this regard. (I think Innerfidelity might have a good video on this.) However, these are small changes, and I think placebo effect makes some people overly enthusiastic about break-in. I don't put my 'phones through any complex break-in process, but I am aware of it, and it makes a bit of a difference.
ShawnP.Watson
155
May 18, 2015
spyder256Honestly, I'm not a gamer. I can't advise there. "Factual evidence"? Well, I've got my ears to tell me so. I could definitely tell that the AKG's sounded better after 12-20 hours. After that it's far more subtle.
dalethorn
193
May 19, 2015
robinhood752The 553 is really, really good.
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