AKG K553 Pro Studio or Sennheiser HD 598

[Keudn]

So I have used ATH-M50s for years now, and I want a newer, better class of headphones. I purchased the Sennheiser HD 598 SE off amazon and have been testing them out, and I'm not really sure how I feel about them. I don't like velour, I much rather prefer the soft leather cups that my ATH-M50 has (I got replacement ones from stock, so much comfier). However I'm sure there are soft leather cups for these as well so I'm not overly concerned about comfort. The thing I am not really sure I like is the bass. It sounds more prominent and muddy compared to my M50s, and I don't know how much I like it. Right now Massdrop has the AKG K553 Pros for $120 and I am tempted to buy them and return the 598s, the problem is you can't return on massdrop. People with experience with these headphones, what would you suggest?

 

Also I don't have an amp or dac, just a soundblaster internal soundcard because im poor

[SSL]

Return the HD 598 because you obviously don't like those.

The K553 is going to have somewhat less bass, but better soundstage. $120 is a good price for it. Or pay the extra $30 for 30 day return on Amazon.

[Keudn]

1 minute ago, SSL said:

Return the HD 598 because you obviously don't like those.

The K553 is going to have somewhat less bass, but better soundstage. $120 is a good price for it. Or pay the extra $30 for 30 day return on Amazon.

Besides the K553, what other headphones are similar in response to the M50s? I kinda feel like I prefer a neutral, studio sound signature that the M50s have (but I haven't had anything else so I can't back that up). Right now I can find Audio Technica ATH-AD900x for $135, or maybe DT880s? Or perhaps AKG 702s?

[ItsTheDuckAgain]

So going at this again, starting of with this statement: I got both of those Headphones. With that being said I also no longer got them since I moved on to a much higher tier.

 

Things to consider BESIDES sound quality: The Sennheiser wears better around the Neck and will not heat up your ears that much over time, while the AKG is more comfortable to wear on the head, is terrible around the neck and heats up your ears way quicker. I', the kind of guy that wears headphones for about 8-9 hours at work and another 4-5 hours at home, so I got a pretty good idea what to look for :-)

 

When it comes to sound quality, the AKG sound a bit better in my mind, but not by a margin where I would consider getting rid of the Sennheiser and get the AKG instead (plus, as you pointed out, you can't return on massdrop, which when it comes to headphones is a nono in my mind).

 

I would  go for what pleases you more in turns of aesthetics, keep the around neck-thing in mind, if that's a thing for you at all, it sure is for me. Build and sound quality is en par with both from my experience.

 

You don't need AMP/DAC (and in many cases a more importand jitterbug) just now in that price range, the hearable difference is to small to notice provided a decent soundcard / shielded on board chip. That comes into play when going 300$+.

 

I don't know where you are situated but this guy here is worth a look https://www.amazon.de/AKG-leistungsfähiger-geschlossener-Konnektivität-Musiksteuerung/dp/B00FIZ1SVC/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1479275664&sr=8-35&keywords=AKG&th=1 

150€ for the ugly white version :-) that will get you in the next category and got bluetooth, pretty good atm.

 

If you can save up for something much better have a look at these guys: http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/238

that's the next league and still one of my favorites for what I consider a reasonable price, those are my spares in case I kill a cable again, yeah it happens to me, often, way too often, oh dear....

 

[Dackzy]

42 minutes ago, Keudn said:

Besides the K553, what other headphones are similar in response to the M50s? I kinda feel like I prefer a neutral, studio sound signature that the M50s have (but I haven't had anything else so I can't back that up). Right now I can find Audio Technica ATH-AD900x for $135, or maybe DT880s? Or perhaps AKG 702s?

oh you think the M50's are neutral? They aren't they have a fairly big bass boost, they have a 6-7dB boost in the bass. The DT770 also have the same kinda sound, just less bass and a bit more treble.

[SSL]

1 hour ago, Keudn said:

Besides the K553, what other headphones are similar in response to the M50s? I kinda feel like I prefer a neutral, studio sound signature that the M50s have (but I haven't had anything else so I can't back that up). Right now I can find Audio Technica ATH-AD900x for $135, or maybe DT880s? Or perhaps AKG 702s?

DT770. You can get it with pleather pads. However, I think the K553 would be a better choice. Better build quality, for one thing.

[Keudn]

 

6 hours ago, SSL said:

DT770. You can get it with pleather pads. However, I think the K553 would be a better choice. Better build quality, for one thing.

 

7 hours ago, Dackzy said:

oh you think the M50's are neutral? They aren't they have a fairly big bass boost, they have a 6-7dB boost in the bass. The DT770 also have the same kinda sound, just less bass and a bit more treble.

Interesting, then the HD598s must be pretty base-heavy because they sound much more so than my M50s 

 

I think I will order both from amazon and keep the one I decide is best

[Keudn]

So I have both the DT770 and the AKG 553s. The DT770s are alright, but I feel like they have a bit too much V in the response with a bit too much treble. The AKGs are a tad more open sounding and roughly the same response curve as my M50s, but I don't feel like they are that much better, not enough to justify spending money for a bit better soundstage. Does anyone have any suggestions that are a bit higher class than the DT770s or the AKGs? I don't see the point in buying a new set if they aren't that much better than my M50s

[KaminKevCrew]

15 minutes ago, Keudn said:

So I have both the DT770 and the AKG 553s. The DT770s are alright, but I feel like they have a bit too much V in the response with a bit too much treble. The AKGs are a tad more open sounding and roughly the same response curve as my M50s, but I don't feel like they are that much better, not enough to justify spending money for a bit better soundstage. Does anyone have any suggestions that are a bit higher class than the DT770s or the AKGs? I don't see the point in buying a new set if they aren't that much better than my M50s

The  ATH MSR-7?

[Keudn]

9 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

The  ATH MSR-7?

Interesting, from the reviews I just read it sounds like they are similar to M50s but a tad more shifted towards the high end of the spectrum, don't know if I will like that but I might as well try them out!

[SSL]

2 minutes ago, Keudn said:

Interesting, from the reviews I just read it sounds like they are similar to M50s but a tad more shifted towards the high end of the spectrum, don't know if I will like that but I might as well try them out!

 

They will have less bass.

[Keudn]

1 minute ago, SSL said:

 

They will have less bass.

Yeah, I don't know if I will like that but I do want headphones that are very clear and detailed which they are so maybe I will like them, I also think I will try the DT880 250Ohm and AKG 702 this time around, I will probably hang onto the 553s and keep comparing them though

[KaminKevCrew]

Just now, Keudn said:

Yeah, I don't know if I will like that but I do want headphones that are very clear and detailed which they are so maybe I will like them, I also think I will try the DT880 250Ohm and AKG 702 this time around, I will probably hang onto the 553s and keep comparing them though

If you can swing it, I would suggest the K712 instead of the K702. The 712 is a much better headphone, and more than worth the increase in price, IMO.

[SSL]

3 minutes ago, Keudn said:

Yeah, I don't know if I will like that but I do want headphones that are very clear and detailed which they are so maybe I will like them, I also think I will try the DT880 250Ohm and AKG 702 this time around, I will probably hang onto the 553s and keep comparing them though

 

If you like the M50X bass, you're probably not going to be satisifed by the DT880 or AKG702. Both bass light headphones, and with bright treble, especially the DT 880.

 

I would look more at some of the higher-end closed headphones to keep in line with the general sound you like. Massdrop Fosted TH-00X as an example.

[KaminKevCrew]

7 minutes ago, SSL said:

Massdrop Fostex TH-00X as an example.

To be fair, the TH-00X barely counts as being closed. None of that style of headphone are actually sealed, so they leak a lot of sound in and out. Definitely a fantastic headphone though, and if OP isn't too worried about sound leaking, they certainly do leak less than fully open back headphones.

[SSL]

2 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

To be fair, the TH-00X barely counts as being closed. None of that style of headphone are actually sealed, so they leak a lot of sound in and out. Definitely a fantastic headphone though, and if OP isn't too worried about sound leaking, they certainly do leak less than fully open back headphones.

 

I'm recommending them based on their closed-back performance, rather than isolation.

[KaminKevCrew]

Just now, SSL said:

 

I'm recommending them based on their closed-back performance, rather than isolation.

Gotcha! Definitely a +1 then! They are excellent!

[Keudn]

42 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

If you can swing it, I would suggest the K712 instead of the K702. The 712 is a much better headphone, and more than worth the increase in price, IMO.

Do they have the same sound signature?

40 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

If you like the M50X bass, you're probably not going to be satisifed by the DT880 or AKG702. Both bass light headphones, and with bright treble, especially the DT 880.

 

I would look more at some of the higher-end closed headphones to keep in line with the general sound you like. Massdrop Fosted TH-00X as an example.

Alright, I would still like to try one headphone like them to see. Plus I don't really necessarily like the bass of the M50, I like the clarity and the balanced sound. I don't mean balanced like a flat sound signature, I mean the music I listen to nothing sounds overpowering, everything is clear and distinct in its range. I suppose saying what music I listen to would help, I listen to mainly rock, which in my mind makes sense why I like the M50s, the slight bass heaviness sounds good paired with rock music

[KaminKevCrew]

4 minutes ago, Keudn said:

Do they have the same sound signature?

The K712 have a little more bass, from what I've heard.