New models? GHS1, K540, K520

[JoLo]

the GHS 1
http://www.akg.com/personal/,pcp_id,161,_psmand,1.html
for gaming, looks like the K518 with a mic and a double headband


the K540 and K520
http://www.akg.com/personal/Multi-purpose%20stereo,pcp_id,166,_psmand,1.html


Ive seen these 3 yesterday + the green Quincy jones one


IIRC none of these have prices bellow 5k

[Azathoth]

Yup, I posted about them last week in the "Local Sources of Headphones" sticky thread, with their corresponding price tags:

http://www.headphiles.org/index.php/topic,11.330.html

[JoLo]

I'm curious as to how the K540 sounds like. especially the GHS 1. I wonder how it would sound with those foam pads

[Azathoth]

Details/impressions about them are pretty sparse on head-fi as well - they require a brave soul to take the plunge! The K540 is marketed as having "lifelike, flat response voicing that music professionals insist on", so maybe a baby K501/K701? The pads look to be velour, the information on the AKG website says it's washable:

http://www.akg.com/personal/K%20540,pcp_id,166,pid,908,_psmand,1.html:K%20540

[JoLo]

I wonder if anyone here would take the plunge. hmm if I have the time maybe I could go back to the A.Shop and audition them.  hopefully the box isn't sealed or anything

[donunus]

Someone should go and try out the k520 and k540 and post impressions. I'll buy the one I feel that I might like more based on those impressions

[Ishcabible]

The 520 looks super funky...

[donunus]

the 520 is retro yet modern. Very awesome IMO

[Ishcabible]

I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere in the US. Shame, I'm curious, even though my gut tells me not to be for some reason.

[amievil]

Kevin's brief impressions on the K540 here http://www.headphiles.org/index.php/topic,2715.45.html

Dropped by earlier today, and HARMAN_Master accommodated me quite nicely. I got to try the K242HD and the K540.

I was impressed by both cans, with the K242HD taking on a more natural, balanced tone, and the K540 showing a more warm, but still pretty natural presentation. I'm definitely going to score a K540 from them someday, because when I played John Mayer's 'Come Back to Bed' on it, I felt shivers down my spine.

Good to see both cans weren't picky with amps and sources either. They sounded good with my portable itouch>E1>E5 rig, and it left me feeling that when paired with proper amps and sources, they will really shine.

bro watzapdak owns one, judging on his siggie, so hoping he could chime in. i was looking for this can last Headfonics Launch meet unfortunately it was not included among the cans bought by the JBL/AKG group

[edsamac]

The K540 feels pretty sturdy in the hands.  The adjustable fit feels a little clickety and plastic-like, and I'm a little spoiled by the self-ajusting bands of the higher AKG models, but the fit is nice and comfy, and the padding is some kind of velour if I'm not mistaken.

As for the sound, it's a rather bright set of cans.  The mids are pretty forward and the highs are a bit on the edgy side.  Since they're semi open, there's also a sense of space, but not as wide as say the 242HDs.  The lows felt a bit flat for me, and they lacked a sense of warmth.  Very good for rock tracks as far as I tried them out, but they did well on vocal tracks as well.  I couldn't find myself thumping to the beat of some trance I had lying around in my iPod, but it's still a pretty dynamic set of headphones - at least from first impressions.

It looks like it can be used without an amp, but I bet they could use some power from a decent portable amp, like an E5 maybe.

[donunus]

Ive heard that the k520 isnt as bright

[watzapdak]

Kevin's brief impressions on the K540 here http://www.headphiles.org/index.php/topic,2715.45.html
bro watzapdak owns one, judging on his siggie, so hoping he could chime in. i was looking for this can last Headfonics Launch meet unfortunately it was not included among the cans bought by the JBL/AKG group

I was looking at a store's display when I saw it beside the K518. The saleslady allowed an audition and what I noticed was it is light and comfortable considering that I have large ears (although  my ears get a little warm when using it for extended period).  It is semi-open (according to the AKG website) and circum-aural.I liked the sound of their test unit although I only used my nokia 5530 that time. What I can say is it has good mids and highs,not that bassy, but  just the right amount of bass for my taste.Adjusting equalizer further improves the sound. It is said "to give more details than the K518DJ" according to a review, and I guess I would agree  .I also agree with bro edsamac that it's quite "plasticky" and it's Made in China . But I'm enjoying it a lot !

   
   
 

[donunus]

I am still wondering what the k520 sounds like

[edsamac]

No word yet on the K550, huh?  It's not up on the AKG site even though they recently updated it.