[pjones5]

What is it that you hate about them? It’s most likely not the headphone itself but the album(s). They’re pretty neutral in tonal balance so if you’re listening to something that’s too bass forward or too treble forward, it’ll show, although, these seem to present flaws rather smoothly compared to many headphones.

It's exactly that.
These have surprisingly good reproduction for their price point, but also a really small sound stage and not the greatest imaging. I think it's the combination of really good detail with poor depth that just leads to some serious ear fatigue with me. I have found that I really enjoy listening to small band type albums/genres; e.g., small band jazz, classical soloist work, even chill acoustic stuff - things where the detailed, warm sound signature shines and the sound stage isn't missed. Listening to larger, more complex pieces that really need depth to appreciate, it just feels chaotic. It's that chaos that feels very aggressive and wears my ears out so fast.

I like to tell people that the AKG K371s are something that you'd add to a collection. I love having these for those albums/genres I know sound great on them (jazz is almost always a go to for me). However, I would not want these to be my only pair of headphones.

 

[bcaulf17]

It's exactly that.
These have surprisingly good reproduction for their price point, but also a really small sound stage and not the greatest imaging. I think it's the combination of really good detail with poor depth that just leads to some serious ear fatigue with me. I have found that I really enjoy listening to small band type albums/genres; e.g., small band jazz, classical soloist work, even chill acoustic stuff - things where the detailed, warm sound signature shines and the sound stage isn't missed. Listening to larger, more complex pieces that really need depth to appreciate, it just feels chaotic. It's that chaos that feels very aggressive and wears my ears out so fast.

I like to tell people that the AKG K371s are something that you'd add to a collection. I love having these for those albums/genres I know sound great on them (jazz is almost always a go to for me). However, I would not want these to be my only pair of headphones.

Yeah that makes sense, and that’s why I rebought them. They’re good and they’re pretty cheap, tick a lot of boxes. But yes, as it’s already been said, it’s not going to beat higher end models when it comes to stage, imaging, separation and detail. The thing is, it’s quite a jump in price to get to that point, at least for closed backs, so these are rather impressive considering their price, and the improvements after are rather small.

 

[pjones5]

Yeah that makes sense, and that’s why I rebought them. They’re good and they’re pretty cheap, tick a lot of boxes. But yes, as it’s already been said, it’s not going to beat higher end models when it comes to stage, imaging, separation and detail. The thing is, it’s quite a jump in price to get to that point, at least for closed backs, so these are rather impressive considering their price, and the improvements after are rather small.

For $150, the detail with the careful balance of warmth and neutrality is fantastic. Without a doubt.
You should check out the Meze 99 Noir (if you haven't already). They retail for $200 at Drop. Closed-back, wood ear cups, probably one of the most comfortable headphones I've worn IMHO, and they have the depth that I just feel the K371 couldn't bring. Thing is, they are significantly warmer than the K371s. Not muddy, not dark, but you put them on and its like "Oh, okay, these are warm". Super chill, not quite as detailed as the K371, but still pretty impressive given the price point. I noticed today that the 3.5mm stock cable is actually balanced - which makes them my first pair of headphones that have a balanced 3.5 cable. I think that contributes to the good imaging of them.

Anyways... This is a thread for the K371s, not the 99 Noirs. Suffice to say, the K371s have their gifting at a great price point (especially considering finding these on sale is not totally unheard of - picked up mine for $120). I do have to say though, the 99 Noirs are my go-to closed back for about 80% of what I listen to, when I need a closed-back.

 

[IEManiac]

For $150, the detail with the careful balance of warmth and neutrality is fantastic. Without a doubt.
You should check out the Meze 99 Noir (if you haven't already). They retail for $200 at Drop. Closed-back, wood ear cups, probably one of the most comfortable headphones I've worn IMHO, and they have the depth that I just feel the K371 couldn't bring. Thing is, they are significantly warmer than the K371s. Not muddy, not dark, but you put them on and its like "Oh, okay, these are warm". Super chill, not quite as detailed as the K371, but still pretty impressive given the price point. I noticed today that the 3.5mm stock cable is actually balanced - which makes them my first pair of headphones that have a balanced 3.5 cable. I think that contributes to the good imaging of them.

Anyways... This is a thread for the K371s, not the 99 Noirs. Suffice to say, the K371s have their gifting at a great price point (especially considering finding these on sale is not totally unheard of - picked up mine for $120). I do have to say though, the 99 Noirs are my go-to closed back for about 80% of what I listen to, when I need a closed-back.

Warmer and not as detailed? You just put me off the 99 Noirs. Thank you, actually. You saved me money and time.

 

[pjones5]

Warmer and not as detailed? You just put me off the 99 Noirs. Thank you, actually. You saved me money and time.

Ha! You're welcome - I'd still listen to what other people have said though too, we all hear differently.

The Meze 99 Noirs do have significantly better imaging. When I said less detail, I mean minimally so. To my ears, the 99 Noirs are the superior headphone.

 

[bcaulf17]

Ha! You're welcome - I'd still listen to what other people have said though too, we all hear differently.

The Meze 99 Noirs do have significantly better imaging. When I said less detail, I mean minimally so. To my ears, the 99 Noirs are the superior headphone.

I actually owned those briefly, wasn’t a fan personally, to me they were just too warm and too bassy, and I did find them to sound a bit muddy.

 

[silvesnake]

I just got my second pair of these today and I’m starting to question why I returned these the first time around. I thought they didn’t stack up as well against my other closed backs but now I’m not so sure. At the very least, and this has already been said, this is a surprisingly solid performer given its price tag. In fact, one of the main issues I had the first time was they sounded pretty closed in but I don’t notice that as much this time around, imaging is pretty ok too honestly. And, the mids don’t come off as aggressive this time either.

Well, I know that I’m not returning these again, at least.

I had the same feeling and sold them. The balanced non fatiguing sound made them interesting but listening experience was put down by the closed and congested soundstage.

 

[bcaulf17]

I had the same feeling and sold them. The balanced non fatiguing sound made them interesting but listening experience was put down by the closed and congested soundstage.

I’ll be doing more comparisons throughout the week, but I don’t really find them as congested as I first thought. They have a good sense of clarity in the mids and treble that makes things sound generally open. I haven’t tried much metal yet. Gotta keep in mind that they are still closed back and a $150 one at that. I didn’t notice any less width compared to my HD6XX but I know that’s open, and that one images better.

I know seal is very important with these headphones so that could make all the difference. It’s nice to not have to deal with peaky treble or muddy, bloated bass in return.

 

[pjones5]

I’ll be doing more comparisons throughout the week, but I don’t really find them as congested as I first thought. They have a good sense of clarity in the mids and treble that makes things sound generally open. I haven’t tried much metal yet. Gotta keep in mind that they are still closed back and a $150 one at that. I didn’t notice any less width compared to my HD6XX but I know that’s open, and that one images better.

I know seal is very important with these headphones so that could make all the difference. It’s nice to not have to deal with peaky treble or muddy, bloated bass in return.

I'm having to give these a more intentional listen now to make sure everything I'm saying is accurate

I'll admit the 99 Noirs are a bit of an acquired taste and they definitely don't work for all situations/genres. I pull those out when I just want to kick back and enjoy some of my more relaxed music; chill acoustic stuff, smooth jazz, etc. They did sound muddy at first, but I feel like they've tightened up so now they're just a very warm pair of cans. Between the sound signature and comfort, they're my go to lounging headphones.

Listening to the K371 with some acoustic-based stuff and soft-rock/pop. I am still very much impressed by the detail of these cans. They're very tight and clean; meaning, whenever you have a note played, the note plays for as long as it needs to and then it terminates. There's no long, drawn-out delay/reverb hidden in the details - which I've found common in a lot of closed-backs. I'm trying to write this as I analyze, so correct me if I'm wrong... The bass is something that is more felt, not in like thump thump thump, but in that gentle hum that adds a nice little warmth to it. The Harman Curve graph shows a dip in the mids, but I honestly feel like they're more forward. Your depth/separation from these headphones goes - mids and then a step back, lower bass, and then the highs are sort of doing a little dance where sometimes they're super noticeable and other times they're standing in the back. I guess so much of it depends on the recording - these definitely don't smooth over flaws.

Don't get me wrong, these are fantastic headphones for $150. They sound great, detail is great, I do like the tuning. I think if AKG had put a little bit more time in figuring out how to open these up even just a little bit more to add some more separation and imaging, these things would be flying off the shelves.

 

[bcaulf17]

I'm having to give these a more intentional listen now to make sure everything I'm saying is accurate

I'll admit the 99 Noirs are a bit of an acquired taste and they definitely don't work for all situations/genres. I pull those out when I just want to kick back and enjoy some of my more relaxed music; chill acoustic stuff, smooth jazz, etc. They did sound muddy at first, but I feel like they've tightened up so now they're just a very warm pair of cans. Between the sound signature and comfort, they're my go to lounging headphones.

Listening to the K371 with some acoustic-based stuff and soft-rock/pop. I am still very much impressed by the detail of these cans. They're very tight and clean; meaning, whenever you have a note played, the note plays for as long as it needs to and then it terminates. There's no long, drawn-out delay/reverb hidden in the details - which I've found common in a lot of closed-backs. I'm trying to write this as I analyze, so correct me if I'm wrong... The bass is something that is more felt, not in like thump thump thump, but in that gentle hum that adds a nice little warmth to it. The Harman Curve graph shows a dip in the mids, but I honestly feel like they're more forward. Your depth/separation from these headphones goes - mids and then a step back, lower bass, and then the highs are sort of doing a little dance where sometimes they're super noticeable and other times they're standing in the back. I guess so much of it depends on the recording - these definitely don't smooth over flaws.

Don't get me wrong, these are fantastic headphones for $150. They sound great, detail is great, I do like the tuning. I think if AKG had put a little bit more time in figuring out how to open these up even just a little bit more to add some more separation and imaging, these things would be flying off the shelves.

Yeah, I’d love to see a version that improves the stage, imaging and detail even further for something around the $300 - $400 mark while keeping the overall tuning.

The NAD VISO HP50 has a very similar tuning but more bass tilted and with a supposedly better stage. I enjoyed them when I tried them at a store, they just have a weird fit and comfort. But I see them being a good option now where you can get them around the price of the K371.

 

[pjones5]

Yeah, I’d love to see a version that improves the stage, imaging and detail even further for something around the $300 - $400 mark while keeping the overall tuning.

The NAD VISO HP50 has a very similar tuning but more bass tilted and with a supposedly better stage. I enjoyed them when I tried them at a store, they just have a weird fit and comfort. But I see them being a good option now where you can get them around the price of the K371.

That's the other advantage of the K371, they have reasonably good build quality and are pretty comfortable.

You kind of have to factor in the controversiality of a product. The Meze 99 Noirs, some of Beyerdynamic's stuff, etc. Those are things where the reviews are pretty polarized - people either love them or hate them. The K371s are more in the middle which does make them a safer buy (especially at $150) for most people.

I would recommend them before most other headphones, especially in this season of COVID where we just can't try them and listen.

 

[plakat]

By the by, does anyone have a link for replacement cables for the 361? With the proprietary twist connector? I don't need yet, but wanted to determine if they are available...

doesn't the K361 use the same mini-xlr connector as the K371 and many other AKG headphones? If yes, replacement cables are readily available

 

[pjones5]

doesn't the K361 use the same mini-xlr connector as the K371 and many other AKG headphones? If yes, replacement cables are readily available

I'm pretty sure the K361 utilizes a weird locking 3.5mm cable.

 

[plakat]

I'm pretty sure the K361 utilizes a weird locking 3.5mm cable.

you are right... just checked the photos of the supplied cables, they even look like 2,5mm on the headphone end. My fault... and too bad, the mini-xlr are good connectors, but maybe the few cent difference were of importance in that price range (361 vs. 371)

 

[pjones5]

you are right... just checked the photos of the supplied cables, they even look like 2,5mm on the headphone end. My fault... and too bad, the mini-xlr are good connectors, but maybe the few cent difference were of importance in that price range (361 vs. 371)

Right? It seems like a silly change for AKG to make. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a mini-xlr cable isn't balanceable?