AKG K553 Pro Studio Headphones Discussions | Drop

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AKG K553 Pro Studio Headphones

Audiophile

FULL DISCUSSION

Etaoin_Pig

Aug 8, 2016

So, here's a little REVIEW after nearly a year of use. I aim to keep it short and simple, so without further ado: -The first issue is fit and comfort. Although AKG went with a nice attempt at aesthetics, the band design really isn't optimal for sound quality or comfort. In order to get good sound from these phones, the drivers need to be pressed a bit more firmly to my head than the band can provide. This is disappointing, as there is no easy way to fix this. I do have a slightly narrow head, but still pretty close to the median distribution, I suspect. On the same theme, the pads provided are really inadequate. Long-term listening becomes pretty uncomfortable, and they don't offer much isolation. *However* replacing the pads with thicker ones goes a long way towards improving the comfort, and can help a little with the band issue. Comfort with glasses is better than many, but all circumaural phones sound better without. -Design notes: Lack of detachable cable is a bummer, but not a dealbreaker. The individual cups are articulated on the headband to twist for comfort and flat storage, but they don't rotate fully. There is 90 degree outward rotation, and about 20 degree inward rotation. This means they don't sit flat when worn around the neck. As others have noted, the cable is long-this is good. -Sound quality *can* be excellent. However, plugging these into a regular mp3 player or pc is likely to be a underwhelming. A strength of these phones is that the low impedance makes them easy to drive with anything, but if you want audiophile grade output, you need a good source. Lossless media (FLAC, etc...), an appropriate player application (WASAPI/ASIO driver, FooBar, MusicBee), and a DAC are really advisable to make this headphone come into its own. I'd say a DAC is more important than an amp for low impedance phones (note-many dual DAC/amps units exist, of which some are just as good as discrete components), but keep in mind that DAC output is usually designed to be amplified and won't be satisfactory for higher-draw sets. Don't feel bad if you aren't ready to make this change, but recognize it is necessary to get reasonable audio quality from a system. Once properly fed, the drivers are spectacular for a relatively inexpensive set. If you can get them properly fitted and close to the ear, they have a beautiful response, easily matching the best in the sub-$250 range. These are advertised as studio phones, implying a flat response curve. (This means that perceived intensity of bass, mids, and treble should all be similar.) In reality, they have a little extra bass emphasis and some minor 'livening' to them. It's still much flatter than V-MODAs or (heaven forbid) Beats. However, they are not quite as flat as some. They are plenty analytical, so I would feel comfortable using them for studio work, but bear this in mind. Some people will prefer a more 'fun', uneven emphasis, while others may find these not flat enough. I like them. Compared to the ATH-M50x, I find them subjectively 'better', but also a little more finicky. They look better, too, but, again, need some upgrades in the comfort department. -Durability: These are well-made headphones. Nonetheless, I would be careful with them. They are better than most cheap headphones, but not as durable as the uglier ATH-M50xs or even most Grados or Beyerdynamics. However, I've tossed them in my backpack for nearly a year and not had problems. Summary: Comfort is bad as purchased, but can be made reasonable with upgrades. Sound to dollar is stellar.

Aug 8, 2016

ZaphodX

Aug 9, 2016

Etaoin_PigNot quite as flat as 7506? Wow. That's like saying not as skinny as Rosy O'Donnell. 7506 are good for editing or perhaps tracking, but that's about it. They are smiley face as hell. Nowhere near flat. Now, the 7520--that's a headphone you can use as an additional mix or master reference. You just succeeded in scaring me away from these headphones.

Aug 9, 2016

Etaoin_Pig

Aug 9, 2016

ZaphodXMea culpa. I wrote the above at about 3am, and my phrasing was an egregious misstatement that I can only attribute to sleep deprivation. It has been edited. I think I was attempting to discuss the dichotomy between 'musical' and 'analytical' headphones and where the K553s fall into it. While not audiophile headphones by any stretch, 7560s are a widely recognizable contrast to the 'fun' sound seen in many consumer phones. If anything, they have more bloated mids than being 'smiley', but they are a flatter phone used for professional work. I wouldn't use them for mastering, either, but the key point is comparing the differences in use. Although the K553s are marketed as a 'pro' headphone, I use them recreationally, and I suspect most of the other people on this page are interested in doing so as well. For this, they work nicely, and are very flat compared to most other consumer phones. For audio work, I would feel okay using them, but they are less flat than some other mastering phones. That's the takeaway. If I was the deciding factor in your decision, you might want to take things with a grain of salt, but otherwise, your call.

Aug 9, 2016

ZaphodX

Aug 9, 2016

Etaoin_PigYeah, smiley face may be too simplistic and not quite the most accurate explanation. 7506 does not have bloated mids. It has a weird, hyped top-end rollercoaster frequency response that is anything but flat. Pros use them mainly for editing (vocal and dialogue editing especially) and tracking. No one uses them as a main headphone mix reference. Something like a Sony mdr7520, or even the k7xx on here would be much better for that. So, I guess it depends on what you're using them for, especially if you're a professional.

Aug 9, 2016

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