AKG K92 | Over Ear Closed Back Monitoring Headphone

I bought these for 65€ and here are some impressions.

Build and Comfort is decent. They're made of cheap plastic but finish is good so I don't have anything special to complain about, but also nothing to praise. Ear-pads are soft and nice, they go around your ears. One problem you may find is that they are quite shallow so your ear might touch inner part of the headphones. I tried adding some more padding under the pads, it helps with comfort but negatively affects the sound. Being closed back cans, noise isolation is very good and there is no significant sound leakage.

Sound Quality is very good with sources that have good headphone amp. I used them with Topping NX4, FX-Audio DAC-X6, Topping DX3pro and my integrated amps. And with all of these they delivered full and warm sound with decent sound-stage. Bass is powerful and punchy, but it's also well controlled and much faster then I was getting with Superlux HD681 or ISK HP580. Mids are decent and not recessed in low-mid part like on these headphones so you get much fuller mids in general. That said, vocals do feel like coming from a tube a little bit so this may not be the best model if you're listening to Jazz singers with husky voices etc. Highs are clear and clean, you get plenty of details but never too harsh or tiring.

All in all, I'm enjoying most of my music collection the way I never could with mentioned SL HD681 and ISK HP580 (bloated bass, completely recessed mids and way too harsh/sharp highs). I heard many opinions that these two are performing at the same level as much more expensive headphones. Now when compared them to K92 that is just not my experience because K92 wins easily and with comfortable margin. I'm definitely keeping them and I'm not looking back.

Warning about sources - don't try using them with under-powered sources. Sound will loose much of it's energy, sound-stage will compress, get muffled, and you'll get the wrong impression. Connected to laptop, smartphone and even some DACs without dedicated AMP (Sabaj Da2/SMSL Idea or Sabaj Da3) I was simply not happy with what I hear.

Here is my video review too:



And few images:

I am giving this AKG K92 headphone a generous 4/5 because the price is rather low at $59 so the flaws are easily forgiven.

Comfort:

These headphones are very comfortable thanks to the humongous pads, their light weight and low clamping force. However, people with larger heads will complain about the elastic headband applying pressure over their skull. I am hoping that the elastic band will loosen up over time.

Build:

Right off the bat, I need to mention the rather long non-removable cable. It's rather flexible and solid feeling. Personally, I am not too worried about it since these headphones are just meant to be used at home and shouldn't be plugged/unplugged very often. Otherwise, I like to see that the headband is made out of springy steel and that the earcups are made out of solid plastic. This headphone feels solid due to its basic construction without any obvious flaws.

Sound:

Mids

Right off the bat, the mids feel kinda muffled and hollow on some tracks. Acoustic tracks with intimate vocals will lack vocal energy. Alternative tracks with loud guitars and quieter vocals will sound muffled. If you're a Smashing Pumpkins fan, these headphones are not for you. If you listen to a lot of Jack Johnson and Norah Jones, these headphones are not for you. This one flaw should steer many audiophiles away. But considering the price, most audiophiles would spend more money on "better" sounding headphones anyway.

Bass

This is where the AKG K92 really shines. The bass is punchy (without being muddy or boomy) and will make you groove to the music. The K92 really delivers with EDM music. It's not deep or fast bass like you would expect on far more expensive audiophile headphones, it's fun bass.

Highs

The highs are definitely boosted, without sounding shrill or fatiguing. It definitely makes smaller sounds "pop" and makes you believe that the K92 is more resolving than it actually is. There is some grain, but not as much as most headphones in the price range. It can be slightly fatiguing on some guitar tracks, but you shouldn't buy the K92 for rock/acoustic music anyway. I want to praise the K92 for not having fatiguing treble like the Philips SHP9500 or the god-awful Superlux HD 681. The K92 is truly an EDM headphone and the boosted treble reinforces that.

Overall sound

The overall sound of the K92 is that of a V-shaped headphone, not unlike the Beats Solo 3 which sounds rather pleasing, especially with modern pop music and EDM. The soundstage is in your head and the imaging is nothing remarkable. The K92 is not the most versatile headphone (it's not versatile at all LOL), and it's definitely not "Studio Monitor" material. But it doesn't have to be! The K92 is only 59$ and it does a wonderful job at putting a smile on my face when listening to EDM/Hip-Hop/Pop. Unlike other V-shape headphones, it doesn't sound overly fatiguing with piercing treble or boomy bass. I could see many people liking the K92 over more versatile and resolving headphones like the Philips SHP9500 simply because it's a joy to use with modern music.

Objectively speaking, the K92 should get a 2.5/5 rating due to its disappointing mids. But that's comparing the AKG K92 to headphones that cost twice as much like the Sennheiser 558 and don't sound as fun with EDM music. I give the K92 a 4/5 because the fun/price ratio is very high and the flaws are easily forgiven given the price. It's $59, what do you expect!?

MY GOD!!! I have just received my headphones! I have been putting them through there initial paces straight from the box, after just 30 mins I have had to come here to let you know my experience so far!!! I researched my buy for a long long time before I bought these, and yes this was based upon hours and hours of study and looking at amazing reviews, this however would not cloud in anyway my opinion on the product that landed with me about an hour ago. I have over the years owned very very good sennheiser headphones and I am a fan of BOTH totally flat and equalized music and sound !!! Right this is the track I chose to first test this set of headphones....Jean-Michel Jarre, **** Buttons - Immortals    Okay so first things first un equalized sound. These headphones are 100% flat, in the very best way that headphones can be!!! The sound reproduction with no equalisation is simply BREATHTAKING!!! every detail you can imagine (and some you couldn't have!) from the very lows through the mids and very highs is there......... without exception!!!!! Remember that this unequalised sound is EXACTLY the way it was mastered and produced in the studio!!!!! (this unequalised sound may come as a disappointment to some that are used to either or both bass or treble heavy headphones or speakers however to (for me anyway!) was an absolute joy to hear, this set of headphones reproduce this sound so faithfully, smoothly and with such depth right across the sound spectrum !!! Right now for the best bit (for me)as a reference my previous headphones for bass heavy was Sony MDRXB450AP (I cannot sing the praise of these enough for those wanting a clear base heavy quality sound with NO equalisation !!!) However......NOTHING could have prepared my ears for the sound reproduces on the AKG K92s WITH equalisation........OMG!!! My sound card allows me to equalise from 33-16k in 10 steps I pumped up the lows and the highs and took out the middle in a wave form that I like and really suits my ears....OMG all I can say is BEYOND BREATHTAKING!!!!! I know this track inside and out..every detail...well I thought I did till I heard it through theses headphones (that goes for the unequalised setting too!!!) Sound is such a joy when it is quality sound, sorry for going on but I really wanted to share my very early experience of the AKG92.......
Okay I'm back, to annoy you some more...this is after 20 plus hours of use and testing....
I really do think that these headphone should be taken of the market as soon as is possible, the chances of them gracing the ears of some sound quality unappreciative person is just too high ! ! ! Allow me to take about a few things other than the sound quality, which I would like to come back to. The build quality and comfort on these headphones is amazing !!! Firstly comfort....at fist I was a little sceptical about the self adjusting strap, I can tell you that it is engineered and manufactured in the most ingenious way, it fits perfectly every time, you never need to make any adjustment at all, its done seamlessly and perfectly overtime by this engineering masterpiece. Further more, once you have placed it on your head and the adjustment is automatically made, there is no sense of it been there at all! this brings me to the next point, overall comfort. The weight of these headphones defies all logic, the earphones have a tilt mechanism that rotated a full 360 degrees, so they are always placed perfectly over the ears. The combination of all these factors is that after about an hour of wearing them, you completely forget that you are even wearing headphones at all ! The ear pads are amazing, very very comfortable but unlike many other headphones with the foam etc which dose not look longer term durable these are solid yet manage to achieve to ne totally 100% comfortable, this design I am sure also helps with the excellent sound isolation of these headphones combined with them been closed bake design. I'm starting to think that AKG have recovered some alien technology, the two very thin bars that stretch all the way over from each side, are VERY strong metal of some kind, further more, you will notice that the sound signal and power comes in on one side.....I have looked at them for ages tying to work out HOW AKG have managed to get the signal and power across to the other speaker!!! and have come to the conclusion that is either AKG wizardry or like I said before some kind of alien technology. Let me put it this way, I have studied the deign in detail to try and work this out, the signal and power HAS to be transported THOUGH theses two off gold bars at he top and down the sides however the bars are so thin I cannot get my head around how they could get the wire for this INSIDE the cable, it would be impossible because it is so thin, the only other way I can see them achieving this is by using the WHOLE of these two metal (or whatever else they are) bars, if this is the case then the power and the signal ate been transported with no isolation, but straight through the two totally exposed bars....,wither way, or rather whatever way AKG have managed to do this (which baffles me every time I pick them up) it is engineering and design excellence of the very highest order!!!
Right...back to the sound, please remember as I said before these headphones are totally 100% flat (in the best possible way!) if you want a heavy bass set of headphones with no equalisation jog on. However like I said before I like both flat and equalised sound. I LOVE having the option too choose EITHER depending on the music or my mood at the time, here's the REALLY amazing thing about these headphone...they will do BOTH!! An example ( I love all styles of music by the way!) This piece... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNU-XAZjhzA with a totally flat unequalised setting, is just exquisite !!! No I mean REALLY amazing. The best way I can describe the quality of these headphones, is to say what ever piece you listen to however demanding it is, its as if you have headphones on that have millions of driver in them, each one specifically putting out its own individual frequency right across the full sound spectrum. The result of this, is the sound never becomes muddled or confused at all even when driving a very bass heavy track. An example of this is one of my go to tracks to test for very very deep and loud bass response...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4o-HoICS08&index=3&list=PL757B4703775657B2 from 4:10 to 4:50 in this track, I have NEVER heard a single set of speakers or headphones cope with the volume and depth of this bass.......UNTILL NOW !!! My AKG K92s were able to take this track and deliver a 100% unflawed delivery to my total amazement and astonishment, for the record this was AFTER I had equalised the sound to the very highest bass level my graphic would allow, to say I'm impressed would be an understatement, after waiting for over 30 years I am now able to hear this track as it was intended with no distortion! Personally (and I know this is not for everyone wanting heavy bass out of the box!) I LOVE been able to CHOOSE myself if I want to hear something totally flat as it was recorded, OR whether to indulge myself in a sumptuous wall of bass and sparklingly enhanced high notes. If you have access to an inbuilt graphic equaliser on whatever devise you are listening on, you will have unfettered access to both of these world with these headphones!
To sum up....
Sound quality INCREDIBLE (both unequalised and equalised!!!)
Build quality SECOND TO NONE
Comfort AMAZING