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Author Topic: AKG K551  (Read 7679 times)

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Solderdude

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AKG K551
« on: December 05, 2013, 01:37:06 PM »

Reveived a second hand K551 a few days ago for a very low price.

Didn't like it in stock condition very much, the highs are 'off', sometimes sibilant and although 'accurate' sounding was still a bit 'off' in the mids.

This is how it measured (stock):


So I tinkered with it and now have it like this:


No more sibilance / slight shrillness and lovely sounding....

Bass extension is excellent (when your head allows a good fit and by forcing the cups in the right position) and measures down to 5Hz !
Driver matching is not great but +/- 2dB is not extreme and cannot hear it either.

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donunus

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2013, 04:17:29 PM »

What did you do to them?
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ultrabike

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2013, 07:06:20 PM »

That was uber-awesome! Specially the treble tuning... What was used to restrain it?
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schiit

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2013, 07:16:23 PM »

Wow, the modded ones look great! That's an AKG I could get behind.
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Solderdude

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2013, 07:46:25 PM »

I used a piece of quite thick felt which I removed of modified a HD681-EVO.
Tried various felts and creatology felt types but that Superlux felt really did the trick.
The felt is 3mm thick and quite dense.
It even makes sense to buy a HD681-EVO for this and buy some Chinese pads to use on that one and you have 2 fine headphones.  headbang
As the dip around 5kHz is actually a resonance, that dip is much smaller as well and the highs are now silky and behave quite well.. bye bye sibilance !
Trouble was... the bass became relatively lifted because of the highs were too tame and it became too dark for me.
From 200Hz to 3kHz there is a 5dB drop which needed to become smaller.
This was my 'first attempt' and will try to tweak it further.
That is done electronically with a very simple filter that consists of a resistor and capacitor in series.

When I am completely done with it I will make a pdf about it.

Wouldn't surprise me if the bad sounding K550's could benefit from the same mod as well.
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Anathallo

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2013, 07:48:32 PM »

What about those nasty resonances that existed before?  Still there at all, even with the improved FR?
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Solderdude

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2013, 07:55:46 PM »

The resonance is much smaller now (dies out pretty quick) and is less 'sharply defined'' in the CSD.

Might upload the CSDs, they look quite clean and only showed some nasties around 5kHz and some up higher to begin with.
Didn't make a picture of the CSD's yet, but did have a look of course.
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DrForBin

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2013, 06:22:11 AM »

hello,

looking forward to the pdf for a potential mod of my K550's.  ;D
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Solderdude

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2013, 09:05:34 PM »

Took me a few days but the article (in pdf format) is ready and can be downloaded here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/pzbaqy8nuek1kkq/AKG%20K551%20modifications.pdf

It may very well be applicable to K550 as well (those that sound 'edgy' and a bit 'off' that is).
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CEE TEE

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Re: AKG K551
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2013, 10:10:46 PM »

 :-0


That is a FANTASTIC paper...downloaded and need to study.  Thank you for quite a contribution!!!
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