AKG K27i Review
I was set on buying a set of PX100s for my new iPod Nano 1GB. Apparently the one that was on hold for me wasn't in inventory... Luckily, my eyes discovered an attractive, minimalist, almost Apple-esque white box with the AKG logo and the words "K27i" on it.
I had forgot about these, but remember being interested in their sibling K26P.
Well I only have had a few other phones to compare to and these only have a few hours of 'burn-in' (though I don't realy think they need it). But here's the short of it...
Sound:
- not much seperation on the mid-range, treble a bit splashy, pronounced without being harsh.
- bass, packs a serious punch for such small cans.. can extend low but is not superbly detailed (the K271 even has much tighter and defined bass though it has less of it). Still the bass is a + and I can imagine is emphasized for its purpose.
- "soundstage" narrow, but not bad for its closed-back design. Not the best reproduction of stereo-field... reverb tails are there though.
- isolation - good. Isolation for its application is very important to me. (more below)
Comfort:
These are supra-aural and do not wrap around your ears ala HD555. Initially I found it was a tight fit on my relatively large noggin.. but its pretty snug... the pads are comfortable. Not the most comfortable phone for extended listening (the K271s and HD555 far surpass it here). But for its application, perfect. It won't fall of your head..
Design:
Not totally keen on the white look, thankfully there is enough grey to 'balance' them out... Overall they are like wearing mini-studio monitors... Had problems folding them up for transport but they jjust need some slack in the band. Mid-grade quality, they are durable enough.
Application:
Primary use is directly unamped out of an iPod Nano. These use the same audio codec as found in 4th gen iPods and are respectable. The Nano has no problem driving these and delivers full, dynamic sound.
I bought the K27i's for use at a noisey gym. Their isolation allows me to listen to music without hearing Madonna's 'Hung Up' or the pumped up rage of the cycle classes. At moderate levels, you get non-fatiguing mids and hi-end with plenty of non-distorted bass drive (important for that last rep!).
For use at work, not the most hi-fi, but enjoyable.
Put it this way, I had no qualms giving away my HD555 to a hard-working employee and will be using these as my work phones instead. The HD555 are better detailed, and more comfortable, but the K27i still have a bit of that AKG character which I like plus they are portable.
Overall:
These are a great set of cans. Others may offer more value... and I would have to listen to the PX200 as it seems like its closest competitor.
If you listen to electronic, rock, hip-hop, funk, trance, soul, disco, techno, house, breakbeat, drum n' bass, you will eat these up. Especially if you are an active type, running around, lifting weights, biking..
For classical, jazz, and vocals there are probably better solutions that offer even more isolation... look into some IEMs...
I've decided unless I'm listening to audiophile reference class equipment, mid-fi/hi-fi listening is mostly in the mind... if you find a set of cans enjoyable - as I do the K27i - that's their ultimate purpose. You can have fun listening to prosumer equipment especially considering one that is meant to accompany you during activities. At this the K27i is a great alternative to other portables.
I was set on buying a set of PX100s for my new iPod Nano 1GB. Apparently the one that was on hold for me wasn't in inventory... Luckily, my eyes discovered an attractive, minimalist, almost Apple-esque white box with the AKG logo and the words "K27i" on it.
I had forgot about these, but remember being interested in their sibling K26P.
Well I only have had a few other phones to compare to and these only have a few hours of 'burn-in' (though I don't realy think they need it). But here's the short of it...
Sound:
- not much seperation on the mid-range, treble a bit splashy, pronounced without being harsh.
- bass, packs a serious punch for such small cans.. can extend low but is not superbly detailed (the K271 even has much tighter and defined bass though it has less of it). Still the bass is a + and I can imagine is emphasized for its purpose.
- "soundstage" narrow, but not bad for its closed-back design. Not the best reproduction of stereo-field... reverb tails are there though.
- isolation - good. Isolation for its application is very important to me. (more below)
Comfort:
These are supra-aural and do not wrap around your ears ala HD555. Initially I found it was a tight fit on my relatively large noggin.. but its pretty snug... the pads are comfortable. Not the most comfortable phone for extended listening (the K271s and HD555 far surpass it here). But for its application, perfect. It won't fall of your head..
Design:
Not totally keen on the white look, thankfully there is enough grey to 'balance' them out... Overall they are like wearing mini-studio monitors... Had problems folding them up for transport but they jjust need some slack in the band. Mid-grade quality, they are durable enough.
Application:
Primary use is directly unamped out of an iPod Nano. These use the same audio codec as found in 4th gen iPods and are respectable. The Nano has no problem driving these and delivers full, dynamic sound.
I bought the K27i's for use at a noisey gym. Their isolation allows me to listen to music without hearing Madonna's 'Hung Up' or the pumped up rage of the cycle classes. At moderate levels, you get non-fatiguing mids and hi-end with plenty of non-distorted bass drive (important for that last rep!).
For use at work, not the most hi-fi, but enjoyable.
Put it this way, I had no qualms giving away my HD555 to a hard-working employee and will be using these as my work phones instead. The HD555 are better detailed, and more comfortable, but the K27i still have a bit of that AKG character which I like plus they are portable.
Overall:
These are a great set of cans. Others may offer more value... and I would have to listen to the PX200 as it seems like its closest competitor.
If you listen to electronic, rock, hip-hop, funk, trance, soul, disco, techno, house, breakbeat, drum n' bass, you will eat these up. Especially if you are an active type, running around, lifting weights, biking..
For classical, jazz, and vocals there are probably better solutions that offer even more isolation... look into some IEMs...
I've decided unless I'm listening to audiophile reference class equipment, mid-fi/hi-fi listening is mostly in the mind... if you find a set of cans enjoyable - as I do the K27i - that's their ultimate purpose. You can have fun listening to prosumer equipment especially considering one that is meant to accompany you during activities. At this the K27i is a great alternative to other portables.
