AKG K550 Heaphones Sound Culture Review

AKG K550, wired HIFI headphones for listening to music at home.

For a decade, AKG' s Hifi headphones remained an open design that did not allow any kind of isolation, and was intended for use in music studios. They were, however, very good value for money Hifi music headphones.
The AKG K550s broke this tradition in many ways and brought a completely different design to the brand, both inside and out. In addition, thanks to their new closed structure, they are well insulated, giving us a new musical experience.

For all this and more, from Culturasonora we have dedicated to the AKG K550 an exhaustive analysis that will reveal all its details.

Design – AKG K550 MKII

The AKG K550 MKII model is large in every way: its earphones are wide and thick; the cable is quite long; and inside they have transducers up to 50 mm. It is a over-ear design closed, with a composition designed to isolate the user from noise, also preventing sound leakage from the inside (which will also prevent others from hearing your music).

Despite their size, they are not heavy headphones: they weigh just 300 grams. However, due to their size, the AKG K550 MK2 will dominate your head almost like a pair of earmuffs. But despite this, we repeat, they are relatively light and comfortable, even if you wear them for long sessions. However, we found them to be warmer than other models.

On the downside, when testing them we noticed that they do not grip as well as they should. If you lean down, you notice that they may fall. The issue is exacerbated when you jump or make sudden movements.

For now, the AKG K550 MK II is only available in one color: black. Very different from what brands like Bose and Sony offer us.

Connection

The AKG K550 M2 uses a non-removable rubber cable. For this price, we would have liked to see a detachable cable. Not for durability, but for portability issues. With a length of 3 meters, the AKG K550 MKII cable is too long to carry comfortably anywhere. It seems that the designers did not focus so much on its outdoor use.

In any case, their size already made them look like a non-portable headset. But when we seek isolation in noisy environments with high concentration of people, this will limit us quite a lot.

This problematic cable terminates in a 3.5 mm threaded connector. In addition, a 6.3 mm adapter is included in the box.

Sound – K550

We wanted to start with some classic blues and “The Thrill Is Gone” by B. B. King was our choice.

The first thing we notice is that the AKG K550 MK2 is spacious in the ears, and in a way that goes beyond most closed designs. The series of tones, which seem to have a strange remote feel, is well defined and the headphone separates the individual threads of the song, as well as integrating them back into a coherent whole.

The voice (which is critical in this song) has ample space and is full of refinement. As you can see, the AKG K550 MK2 headphones don't miss a single detail. The overall presentation is quite complete and balanced. The K550s are very communicative, handle rhythms in a natural, unforced manner, and deepen the bass line with precision.

At times they seem very close to going out of tune, but the AKGs walk confidently. Although they savor B.B King's strident vocals, they have enough drive and attack to make The Thrill Is Gone an exciting, hard-hitting and dynamic title to listen to.
Also, the finesse of the guitar in the composition is quite remarkable, as it gives a lively and high-resolution touch to the mix.
We found very few defects. In some parts, the treble was accentuated somewhat more than usual. In others, the basses were not at one hundred percent. But if we take into account its moderate price, it is normal that we do not find a perfect sound.

And is that based on what we have heard and analyzed, we can say that there is a good value for money. It should be added that in the box we did not find a protective bag for the headphones.

Conclusión

If you are looking for a balanced and clear sound, you will not find a better value for money closed headphones than the K550.

We just wish they were more portable. Its thick 3-meter cable doesn't get in the way while you're at home, but leaves you with a pocket full of wire when you're out on the street. Maybe we complain too much about this, but nowadays when something gets such an acceptable sound we don't like to leave them at home. But if you're on a budget, the AKG K550 MKII is one of the best value for money headphones. Have we got your teeth set on edge? Find the best prices on Amazon.

Technical characteristics AKG 550K: