Love these head phones....Nicely made, very comfortable and durable. I love the self adjusting head piece, it eliminates the pressure points you would get in a typical headphone. The headphones rest across the whole top of your head. I chose the closed style to eliminate outside noise which does a very good job. I use them with my ipod and macbook, they work great for both. I do have a portable headphone amp which I use every so often with the ipod, but it is not really needed for everyday listening. My only complaint, if I had one, would be I was hoping the head band would have been leather(like the AKG K701), not a big fan of vinyl/plastic. But I will say, they did a good job with it regardless.
The following review is my impression of the K702, based upon working on mixing and mastering processes with them in my music studio.
After 100 hours I can say that I can trust my K702 100% as my best studio monitor headphones. It's very easy to navigate with them through the frequency response scale within the sound stage environment. The sound is very smooth, airy and clean; no artificial noise, due to the perfect axis in the 3D sound stage. This means the depth is equal to the stereo image which is equal to the frequency response. This brings better instrument separation and musical details to the sound. With these abilities I can be anywhere in the mix and the best thing about it is that I can match the K702 sound with my speaker monitors. (I have to comment here, most of the headphones have problems creating this depth in the 3D sound image.)
No matter what kind of music I'm working on in the studio, I found that the K702 will create the best results. Until I had the chance to own the K702, I was relying on a few different headphones, in that each one gave me a different view and characteristic of the sound. With the K702, I don't have to use any other headphones to check the references anymore. They do the job completely. In my ongoing search for the best studio monitor headphones, these are at the top of the list, so far.
Credit: Acix, www.head-fi.org (More review)
I have the AKG K181DJ and LUV them, they are fun you feel the music like listening to speakers and a sub, wow!!I Have Senn 555,could hear every flaw. Its kind of like driving a corvette, you can feel every piece of gravel in the road, i would rather enjoy and feel the music instead of looking for technical flaws. (drum & bass, hard rock, alternative and undergound hip hop, lyrics, vocal and bass are my focus)
If it's too pricey their predecessor is the K81DJ and are about 70 bucks and very similar
the 181's have a little wider range and a replaceable cord, lay flat, quality construction, are a little snug, earpads are removeable and can be replaced.
The AKG K 240 MK II differs from the K 240 studio ( used in many recording studios) in two important ways:
Two cables are now included. One is the standard light weight cable, the other is a coiled cable.
Second, the ear cushions have been made softer for a better fit. This improves the bass response. An alternate pair of ear cushions have been included as well. Use what works best for you.
All other parts appear to be the same also the sound, but it is easier to get good head contact with these new phones, thus fuller bass is assured. The sound is the best I have heard for the money.
Listening tests were done on classical music for the most part. Opera, choral music, piano, and orchestra CDs and DVDs were used. What is remarkable is the transparency, the ability to hear so many inner parts in a complex choral work. There is no smearing of fast coloratura singing, such as found in early operas. Rock music testing was done too and these phones handle lots of bass very cleanly.
The semi open air design gives a very open stereo image that is very similar to sitting in a balcony seat overhanging the stage at Boston Symphony Hall. Bass- treble balance of the phones also matched the sound heard live from the front balcony. To me having the tonal balance and spacial aspects match a real location in a real hall is nice.
These phones do not produce a " inside the head" effect which is also nice.
Highly Recommended, with a warning, you may not like your speakers after you get addicted to these phones.
Just to be clear, these are primarily intended to be studio monitors, used by musicians and vocalists in a studio environment. But AKG made these so light and durable, that they are also appropriate for portable music players, as well as for DJ use. The AKG manual and box both state that these can be used as portable headphones, and that's a primary reason I got them. These are "closed" headphones, meaning the drivers are enclosed in a solid shell and no sound can leak out while you are wearing them. This also keeps-out outside ambient noise for the user. I got these headphones as a low-cost alternative to the Bose QuietComfort II noise-canceling headphones, which I used once on a flight from NYC to London. Although these headphones won't make this library-quiet like the Bose, they are smug enough and have a wide dynamic range to keep-out outside noises very effectively. I'm really impressed with the bass response on these. These are smaller and more durable than the larger AKG K271 headphones, and unlike the K271, these can be taken outside the studio. I'm glad I chose these over competing DJ headphones from Sennheiser and Sony!
I received a pair of these as a gift about 18 years ago, and they are fabulous. I finally had to replace them this year because the cord near the jack was having issues and I could only hear one ear. The headset is in excellent shape and should work fine once I replace the jack end of the cord. The new one has a flexible, rubber covering over the area where the cord connects to the jack, so it should not develop the same problem. Here is what I like about them.
COMFORT. The earpieces are padded and sit on your head, not your ears. I share an office so I wear them all day long, and I have never had any problems with comfort (most regular headphones give me a headache or earache after a while). Since they are semi-closed, they breathe a little, so my ears do not get hot. The headband is attached with elastic pieces so there is no adjusting - just put them on and they fit. The cord comes out of the left earpiece, so there is no annoying "Y" under your chin.
SOUND LEAKAGE. My office mate cannot hear my music at all (although I don't listen to music loudly). It blocks enough external noise to help me concentrate, but I can still hear what's going on around me and carry on a conversation while wearing them. (They may leak more sound if you have a heavy beard or sideburns.)
SOUND QUALITY. The quality is amazing. I have read that it is very hard to get good quality sound with closed headphones, so the semi-closed are a good balance between quality sound and preventing sound leakage. I listen to them plugged into my computer speakers, and sometimes I have to skip a song because the non-music noises are so clear (lip smacking, breathing, guitar string squeaks, chimes, etc.).
SUMMARY: Extremely comfortable, quality construction and quality sound
Extremely comfortable with well balanced, neutral soundWorking in a cubicle, I listen to music nearly all day, every day. I have been using the AKG k601s for the last fourteen months or so, plugged into the headphone jack of a component size CD player. I listen to a wide variety of music including electronic, classical, and post-rock.
COMFORT.
With this experience, I can confidently report these are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. The are very light on your head, and apply most of their pressure to the area around your ears. The soft, well padded cups fit entirely over my average sized ears, with room to spare--even with eyeglasses. The leather headband pressed on the top of my head a little when new, but that slight discomfort disappeared quickly. Again, I cannot think of a better testament to the comfort of these cans than the fact that I repeatedly wear them for four- or five-hour stretches. I also own a pair of Sennheiser HD595 headphones that I can compare the k601s with. The Sennheisers also are very comfortable, but the ear cups are not as large, and may present problems for folks with larger than average ears.
SOUND.
I have been very pleased with the sound of the k601s. When I first got them, I immediately rediscovered my CD collection, hearing details and nuances I had never noticed before. I'm not talking about a minor difference, but an incredible, eye-popping experience. If you have never heard high-end headphones before, you will hear songs like you've never them before. This is my favorite aspect of the k601s. Whenever I buy a recording now, I always prefer to hear it first over these headphones, rather than my home system. As far as neutrality, I believe they are fairly uncolored. I have not seen anything from AKG, but an impressive response curve can be viewed on www.headphone.com, which, by the way, is a great merchant. Since the drivers are so close to the listener's ears, headphones typically have reduced output in the higher frequencies (i.e. treble) and higher output in the lower frequencies (i.e. bass). The curve for the k601 follows this philosophy, and to my ears, the cans sound fairly balanced across the frequency range. The bass may be a little thin, though the notes are reproduced and audible--just not with large amounts of sound pressure. Again compared with the Sennheiser HD595s that I recently acquired for home listening, the k601s have a noticeably diminished lower frequency output. I'm not sure how I feel about that, perhaps because I have become accustomed to the leaner k601s, and the Sennheisers bass seems more prominent than its higher frequencies. Many folks recommend a long break-in period for the k601s, and I suspect it has to do with getting used to the bass output. They are not heavy hitters as far as bass goes, so hip hop fans probably will be disappointed. I don't know, but suspect--based on reviews and the response curves--that the bass output is one area in which an upgrade to the top-of-the-line k701s would be justified.
DURABILITY.
Using the k601s every day in an office setting has exposed them to a fair degree of wear and tear. I have found them to be very durable, even after repeatedly dropping them onto the floor and running over the cord with my chair. The ear pads have come off, but they just click back on. I returned the cans for warranty service after I started hearing distortion: where the cord connects to the left side had become audible loose, though not visually. This was probably because of misuse on my part (allowing the cord to get caught and having it pull taught on the earpiece at times), but AKG re-corded the headphones for free. The cord itself is fairly thick and well insulated. It has withstood numerous roll-overs.
FUNCTIONALITY.
The headphones have an average impedance overall, less efficient than smaller supra-aura `phones, and less efficient than other circum-aura, open-backed cans like the Seenheiser HD-650s. You will not necessarily need a dedicated headphone amplifier with the k601s. The headphone jack on my Marantz CD5001 cd player drives them very well. I also have had success listening to internet radio, plugging the k601s directly into my desktop computer. I suspect, though, that an Ipod would not have enough voltage to drive these very well, and I doubt you'd want to wear the bulky k601s on the subway or bus. The unique design of these headphones may or may not strike your fancy, but it achieves comfort, as I've already described. I purchased a pair of HD595s, however, for home use because the k601s aren't as suitable for wearing while laying on the couch with your head on a pillow. I must also mention that I use these open-backed headphones in an office setting. Even though they are not a sealed design, I've found that very little sound leaks out at the volumes I listen to. I've confirmed this with my co-workers in the adjoining cubicles. Plus, I like being able to hear my telephone ring or know when someone has entered my cube. If active noise reduction is more important, however, you'll have to look elsewhere.
CONCLUSION.
At from two to three hundred dollars, the AKG k601s are top notch headphones from a well respected, science-based manufacturer with enormous R&D resources. I cannot imagine you will be disappointed with them after an extended listen, except perhaps if you value bass reproduction over everything else.
One of the very best mid-priced headphones
Buyers have abundant options for mid-priced headphones, and at $300, you should expect stereophile quality. The AKG 701 is thought by many to be one of the very best all-purpose headphones. While they can handle pop music well, they really shine with classical, where their elegance and smoothness of tone come to the fore. At the same time, they're extremely detailed - some feel too much so - allowing you to hear details in the music missing in some comparably priced headphones.
Strictly speaking, this headphone works best with a headphone amplifier. At the same time, it's one of the more comfortable headphones around, with pads that you almost forget you're wearing. The ingenious design automatically adjusts pressure for different heads, and the open design allows for a pleasing sense of space. That latter feature means that you won't want to wear these when you can disturb others, because sound does leak.
Like many top headphones, these have been noted to improve with use as its diaphragm relaxes with use. While these headphones sound just fine out of the box, they improved markedly after a break-in period of up to 300 hours. (This is likely a function of the diaphragm's dual-layer design.) You can speed up the process by playing pink and white noise through the headphones at a solid, comfortable volume for a day or two.
I've owned a number of headphones, but the K701 leaves me comfortable with all types of music. At this price level, it's not so much finding the "best" headphone as getting the one that suits your tastes and needs most satisfactorily. After a long, hard search, the K701 does the trick for me. In its short time in production, users have rated it as tied for top headphone in its range. (The Senn HD650 is the other headphone, which boasts a lush sound, albeit with an overabundance of bass.)
