AKG K27i very early (but final) impressions

[Andrea]

I bought a pair of AKG K27i yesterday.


I tried it briefly without any burn in, directly driven by my Panasonic SL-CT720 headphone out. This PCDP has a good, clear sounding headphone out, and more than powerful enough. I listened to Tom Waits's "Closing Time".


The sound was a little uninspiring. Too soft, and not textured enough for me with Tom's voice, with a rounded off treble, but with good (not so exaggerated or bloated as I thought) bass, only lacking a bit of dynamics. Without a recessed midrange either, just a little dull sounding. All this taking the (new "CCAW" version) PX100 as a reference.

One word for build quality and 'ergonomics' - not satisfying. Not very robust feeling, and a little impractical to handle. The PX100 is much better thought out.


So I'm readily going to return them K27i's and buy myself a pair of HD485 or perhaps HD205, which were both available at that (non online) shop.

[donunus]

you should have tried the current fotm... k81dj

Oh, Hows the new px100 compared to the old one? man the old one had almost no highs at all and very messy bass

[Andrea]

Yep, "if only I could" but shops around here don't seem to have it yet. However, I think that the HD485 could be a better choice from a purely sonic standpoint? After all I don't really need my phones to be closed

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by donunus

Oh, Hows the new px100 compared to the old one? man the old one had almost no highs at all and very messy bass

A lot more even and disciplined in the bass, crisper and more extended treble, somewhat smoother midrange, overall "richer" sounding. Very very nice, and this brief K27i experience has reinforced my conviction that you'll have a hard time finding anything better for the size.

[bahamaman]

Andrea - what do you think about the AKG's headband? I own the K24P and I actually like it as well as my PX100. But the headband is just a constant annoyance to me.

[donunus]

take note that people do say that these akgs are burn in hungry unlike the px which in my memory, sounded better and more alive out of the box and became dull in the long term unlike the higher end senns that get better with burn in. About the k81djs... Ive read comments saying they are not just the best closed can for under a hundred but the best can period in its price class. Im very interested myself. People say the 485s are dull and slow hmmm

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by bahamaman

Andrea - what do you think about the AKG's headband? I own the K24P and I actually like it as well as my PX100. But the headband is just a constant annoyance to me.

Yep, I have exactly the same issue as you had described, the headband extension system being without the usual "notches". It keeps "narrowing down" (err, lacking vocabulary) every time I take the phones off my head


Btw, I've the feeling that I may like the K24P better.

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by donunus

take note that people do say that these akgs are burn in hungry unlike the px which in my memory, sounded better and more alive out of the box and became dull in the long term unlike the higher end senns that get better with burn in. About the k81djs... Ive read comments saying they are not just the best closed can for under a hundred but the best can period in its price class. Im very interested myself. People say the 485s are dull and slow hmmm

Well, the K81dj had 4.5 stars at $69 and the HD485 4 stars at $89 from Headroom. So what?

Also, if people equate dull with (properly) smooth (not rounded off transients) I may very well disagree. Dull is defined as lacking richness and aliveness of sonic colors, for me.

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by donunus

People say the 485s are dull and slow hmmm

Here's a passage from Cnet's review of the HD485.

Bass was big and beautifully defined, midrange was crystal clear, and the treble had plenty of sparkle without a hint of harshness or glare. We plugged in a pair of our reference Grado SR125s for a brief comparison--their bass didn't reach as low, and voices and guitars lacked the rich sound they had over the HD 485s.

I don't know if you care for Cnet. As for me... That sounds like just what I'm after

[Andrea]

...although I'm afraid that I could get too much of a bassy sound from the HD485 for acoustic music

[donunus]

how does the 485 stack up to your 650? soundwise

[Blackmore]

Just keep in mind that HD485 not overall phones. For TRANCE/CLUB music they just great ones. Some ROCK records are very nice sounding to. And they do improve with an amplification. But ones again, that's a matter of taste anyway. I still like them but when I bought Grado SR225 I have never used them again since.

Originally Posted by Andrea

...although I'm afraid that I could get too much of a bassy sound from the HD485 for acoustic music

[Paul_in_Maryland]

As a K27i owner, I must agree about the lackluster sound quality. (See my earlier thread.) I have no trouble with its ergonomics, now that I've wrapped the excess cord in one of those Sanjin wraps. I keep the 27i in my belt pouch as my second headphone, because it's so small. However, yesterday in Circuit City I saw the Sony MDR-710LP, a closed phone that competes with the PX200. Folded up, the 710LP was so small, I couldn't believe it--to my eyes, it folds to half the size of a folded-up 27i.

[Malfunkt]

I may have to get a pair of PX100s, but I am very happy with the K27i.

They are for bassheads... I won't be listening to any classical on these. They are not accurate, but if you need portable closed cans, they do the trick.

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by Paul_in_Maryland

However, yesterday in Circuit City I saw the Sony MDR-710LP, a closed phone that competes with the PX200. Folded up, the 710LP was so small, I couldn't believe it--to my eyes, it folds to half the size of a folded-up 27i.

Funny! I saw that one too, over here, in the shop where I bought the K27i (and returned it and finally got the HD485 ). They did look interesting. I wonder about their sound quality as in the past I didn't have memorable experiences with Sony portable phones.