K371 BT

I Love these headphones. I see so many reviews of so many headphones, that it was really hard to choose. So I remembered I had a great pair of wired AKGs back in the day, which are still working great by the way, so I looked for the successor to those headphones and found these. They’re comfortable, and they sound great with my FiiO M23 Hi res player. If you want good sound and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars, I highly recommend these headphones, though please note that they are Not Bluetooth, and Not Noise Cancelling.

To preface this review, audio is always subjective, especially when listening for fun. I prefer neutral headphones. I like to hear the whole track in a very analytical and detailed way. That means the lows, mids and highs are all evenly represented without any washing out, muffling or muddying of any piece of the song. My daily driver for all kinds of music is the Audeze LCD-X, a high end reference headphone that is considered by many to be too analytical and detailed for casual listening.I've been in the market for closed back headphones for a bit now. I initially was planning to get some Meze 99 classics/neos. They are phenomenally light and comfortable and exceptionally well built. but after trying them I found that they tend towards being heavy in the bass which I found muffled the mids and left the highs with something to be desired. The other thing I didn't like was that the Mezes will "woof" leaving the enhanced bass muddy and fuzzed out, which is something a lot of people enjoy. I'm not one of them.Now, onto the AKG 371s. These headphones are neutral. Not quite as neutral as the LCD-X. But comparing these AKGs to a pair of headphone that cost more than five to six times as much is unfair. But I think it's warranted since they punch up extremely well given their price tag. The 371s trend towards neutral sound, leaving the bass tight and clean, not overpowering the mids while leaving the high clear enough to listen to without becoming fatiguing or painful. Playing games with them is great, I can hear everything from the booming explosions of grenades and tank shells to the high pitched crack of gunfire while hearing footsteps all at once without it becoming muddled together or painful to listen to. Music is fantastically clear and enjoyable to listen to, they are easy to drive so you don't need a dedicated amp to get them to that comfortable volume you want. Even when I'm sitting six feet from a noisy swamp cooler that clarity sticks around making it easy to listen to what I want without damaging my hearing in the process.They are light, but sturdy. They don't feel cheap, and have metal in the right places. They also have a removable cable, meaning they're way more likely to hold in the long term. They also fold up for easy storage or transport. The pads are leather and very plush, but big enough to accommodate my elephant ears. And on that note I've worn these for upwards of ten hours at a shot and they haven't gotten hot or uncomfortable to wear in that entire time.The only real negative I have is if you have long hair, the hinges and pads might grab it if you're lazy when taking them off leading to a bit of pulling. But two handing them on and off completely mitigates that issue.In short I love these headphones, and they're the best ones I've bought in this price bracket in a long time. They're not bass cannons, but they also weren't meant to be. If you want that bone shaking bass, look elsewhere.But, if you want to hear what's really going on in that booming bass note. Or even just pick out some new bits of detail in your favorite song, maybe give these a shot. They'll be different to your classic gaming headset or Beats. But different can be fun.

Update: the left earpad has split open. It's been less than 2 years. The pads are terrible and I just had to order a third-party replacement. Other than that, they have held up marvelously and I still whole-heartedly recommend them. Just be prepared to shell out 20 bucks a year or two down the road.I bought these after my m40x cans died. I was originally going to buy the m50x's even though I didn't like them the last time I tried them. I need something that's neutral for my music production, and I don't have hundreds to shell out. I bought these on the recommendation of a friend. Compared to the m50x, they are more comfortable, less aggressive in their sound, use a mini XLR connector instead of that silly recessed mini jack, and have more modern styling.The headband is comfy and the earcups are very plush. I think the silicone headband will last, but the pleather stuff never does. Feels good when new though.As for sound, it is indeed quite neutral, but it's not unpleasant like the m50x. They're a little more mellowed out and much easier to listen to, especially over long sessions. It always takes me a day or two to get used to new headphones. Not so with these. My ears had adjusted within 3 hours or so. They are just so, so easy to listen to because of the tuning. The upper mids aren't in your face, and the sub bass is really well balanced. There's a tiny bit of mud around mid-bass. It's possible that's coming from my mixer.There are a few things I dislike but are absolutely not dealbreakers:1. there is a very slight driver imbalance. This is probably within manufacturer tolerance and wouldn't be solved unless I spent more money. Most people probably won't notice.2. The included cable has a rather cheap-feeling jacketing. Good thing it uses an easy-to-find mini XLR jack that lets me buy new cables. To AKG's credit, they do at least provide a 1/4 inch TRS adapter to plug into studio equipment.3. The earcups don't swivel. I must admit, I did like that feature, fortunately the earcups do wiggle a bit to conform to your head and do still rotate upward for more compact stowing. It's really clever the way they spin around with satisfying clicks.A note to long-haired users, these can tangle in your hair quite easily. Take care when removing them from your noggin.