Price Paid:  $150.00 from Headphone.com

Summary:
I have had a pair of K-500 headphones for 10 years, and still use them. I recently purchased a pair of K-501 headphones to replace them, as the head-band broke on the K-500s.

Like other reviewers have stressed, these are good headphones for classical. I also like them for rock as well. as I can't stand an overdose of bass. If you enjoy that annoying bass that you feel and don't hear, then these are not for you. They are for, as AKG states, "audio purists". Imaging, clarity, and realism are excellent. They are comfortable, and I hardly notice I am wearing headphones when listening to music. They are even comfortable in hot humid weather - some headphones make your ears sweat.

The fact that I bought another pair after 10 years (and I use the old pair for TV now) is a good enough testimony to their value and quality.

Strengths:
1) Excellent and realistic, non-bassy sound quality. All frequencies of music are balanced appropriately for a realistic music experience, be it rock or classical.
2) Comfortable
3) Good value for the money.
4) Good quality, but see weaknesses.
5) Long, straight cord that allows for unimpeded movement of right arm to change CDs.
6) Comes with two adapters.

Weaknesses:
The only weakness I noted was in my old pair of K-500 the elastic component of the headband eventually wore out, preventing a proper fit. This happened after a decade of pretty heavy use. The earpads also got "softer" with time, which for some might be good.

Similar Products Used:
None - I have been content with these and didn't need to look around for others.

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Buenos Aires

Summary:
I listen mainly to classical orchestral music by labels such as Chandos, BIS and Delos, famous for realistic sound image, and chamber music as well (atring quartets for example). I sometimes listen to jazz piano trios and voices. I really enjoy the sound these headphones provide. They offer a detailed rendition of the different instruments and an open soundstage. They are mellow and you won't get tired after hours of use. They give a natural sound to excellent recorded piano (not an easy task for headphones) and tremendous resolution overall to all instruments. As I said before, I find them excellent, and considering that their price is not high, they are even better. The only problem from my humble point of view is that they require a high current amplifier. That means they will perform defficiently if you plug them directly to the HPs output of your CD player and they are totally un-usable out of the portable CD player output. The only solution is to feed them power. I enjoyed their sound from a Parasound amplifier, and I am looking forward to connecting them to a Musical Fidelity X can V3s. Tha lack of bass is NOT a problem for me. I find the bass they provide very natural and true. These bass fans, have they ever been to a concert hall? Do they remember how the basses sound at a tutti of the orchestra? If you are a classic fan, I believe you'll love them. But remember, powered by a headphone amp. If not, you'll only get to know a part of their capabilities.

Strengths:
Natural, open sound. Mellow and detailed rendition of instruments. Open and clear soundstage. Excellent resolution of midtones and treble.

Weaknesses:
Very hard to drive. Need ad hoc amplifier.

Similar Products Used:
Koss, Sennheisers, Sonys

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Buenos Aires

Summary:
I listen mainly to classical orchestral music by labels such as Chandos, BIS and Delos, famous for realistic sound image, and chamber music as well (atring quartets for example). I sometimes listen to jazz piano trios and voices. I really enjoy the sound these headphones provide. They offer a detailed rendition of the different instruments and an open soundstage. They are mellow and you won't get tired after hours of use. They give a natural sound to excellent recorded piano (not an easy task for headphones) and tremendous resolution averall to all instruments. As I said before, I find them excellent, and considering that their price is not high, they are even better. The only problem from my humble point of view is that they require a high current amplifier. That means they will perform defficiently if you plug them diorectly to the HPs output of your CD player and they totally un-usable out of the portable CD player output. Thae only solution is to feed them power. I enjoyed their sound from a Parasound amplifier, and I am looking forward to connecting them to a Musical Fidelity X can V3s. Tha lack of bass is NOT a problem for me. I find the bass they provide very natural and true. These bass fans, have they ever been to a concert hall? Do they remember how the basses sound at a tutti of the orchestra? If you are a classic fan, I believe you'll love them. But remember, powered by a headphone amp. If not, you'll only get to know a pert of their capabilities.

Strengths:
Natural, open sound. Mellow and detailed rendition of instruments. Open and clear soundstage. Excellent resolution of midtones and treble.

Weaknesses:
Very hard to drive. Need ad hoc amplifier.

Similar Products Used:
Koss, Sennheisers, Sonys

Price Paid:  $125.00 from eBay

Summary:
These headphones live up to their reputation as THE 'phones for classical music lovers (or at least, THE headphones within a certain price range). The detail, vibrancy, and airiness they project is very conducive to nonstop listening sessions. They both integrate the musical textures into a cohesive whole and differentiate them. And they have a wide, and wide-open soundstage (perspective is somewhere between the concert-hall ambience of Sennheisers and the close-up balance of Grados.)



I've had this set of K501s (which I bought new on eBay for an unbeatable price) just long enough to have had a "before" and "after" experience. The first few days I had them, I had my CD player hooked up directly to a headphone amp. The sound was detailed and lively, but pretty lean; bass was barely hinted at. Then I incorporated my first-ever external DAC (a modified Audio Alchemy DDE) and BAM! Kicked it up a notch! The apparently greater power output of the DAC gave the K501s the brute force they thrive on. The harmonics filled out convincingly, the three-dimensional palpability became much more apparent, and the bass--well, it's never going to satisfy listeners who need throbbing low frequencies, but with the DAC in the picture, the bass is tight and well-defined and makes the proper impact. Which tells me that those who say the K501s need a lot of power behind them are right, and those who consider them bass-deficient may not have fed them properly (volume does not equal power).

Strengths:
Engaging and involving. Detailed without being clinical. The wide soundstage (the widest I've ever experienced with headphones) allows for plenty of air around the instruments. And they're comfortable to boot.

Weaknesses:
These really do need a lot of power to sound their best. The cord is a bit fragile. If you need booming bass, these aren't the headphones for you.

Similar Products Used:
Grado SR60, SR80, SR125, SR225; Sennheiser HD570, HD580

Price Paid:  $150.00 from headroom

Summary:
Very natural unobtrusive sound. Sound slightly better than the Grado SR80's i own, and are MUCH more comfortable than the Grado's. But they are also harder to drive. They do lack quite a bit in the lower bass. Have also noticed a slight bit of a rattle at high volumes. Like all open headphones, these won't block any sound but it seems that these are worse than normal in terms of being an annoyance to people around you.

Strengths:
natural sound
Good price
comfortable
nice soundstage (with amp only)
More laidback than Sennheiser (can listen to them for hours with very little fatigue)
not a Y cord, single cord to left ear (no twists or tangles)
build quality (in general)

Weaknesses:
Harder to drive than the grado's
lack low bass
Very open

Similar Products Used:
many Senns
many Grados