[bcaulf17]

I listened to my HD650 last night for the first time since getting my K371. The whole time I had them on I was thinking about the K371 and eventually put them on instead. I was using the HD650 EQ'ed to the Harman target with Oratory1990 from reddit's suggested EQ values. May seem crazy but I guess I prefer the K371 over the HD650 now, even with EQ.

Wow. I don’t have my HD6XX eq’d but that’s interesting. Glad to hear you’re enjoying the K371.

I gave them one more go last night before getting ready to box them up and send them back and I had to stop and think...I might give them a little more time. I’ve been using them mainly for comparing but I haven’t listened to any full albums with them yet and I might do so this weekend. We’ll see how it goes.

 

[495709]

Recently heard those and they are amazing, probably one of the best closed backs under 200. But unlike the K371 all units suffer from an annoying channel imbalance from the factory due to a sealing issue with the removable cable.

The imbalance can be fixed by using foam to fill the space between the headphone and the cable.You push the cable pins through the foam and then fix the cable into position.

 

[495709]

That's because they were intentionally designed to target the Harman response. AKG is owned by Harman which is owned by Samsung, hence the Galaxy Buds and K371 targeting Harman for IE and OE responses, respectively. It says it right in the K371 datasheet, and Dr. Olive has already confirmed it on Twitter multiple times as well.

Hi metal571.I know you have tested the Fostex th-x00,are they a significant upgrade to the K371s.From watching your video I would guess the fostex is more musical than analytical.

 

[tdockweiler]

I just got the K371 last night and just had an annoying and super weird experience with them.
I sat down to listen to them and out of the box they were really thin and tinny sounding. Like no weight to anything. Reminded me of the old Koss A/250 (which is an awful headphone!). This is weird considering more that two people have compared them to the HD-650.

I removed them and put them back on with a tighter and less comfortable fit and moved them around on my ears a little bit.

I noticed that when I took them out of the box the pads had lots of deep creases in them.

The sound is a lot better and things are now sounding more "normal". The treble seems a tad harsh at times, but everything is now a lot less thin.
What the heck is going on?!

They're definitely more treble happy than my DT-900 Pro. No really, but i've used those for thousands of hours.

Sadly, I don't find these comfortable at all yet.
I hear every single dang movement of the cable too.
Even from slightest movements. This happens on the KRKs too.

BTW the Audio Technica ATH-M40 sounded pretty good when I heard the display at Guitar Center.
I wish I could afford to buy that too and check it out!
It's cool they now have nearly all their headphones for demo (on a display table).
Just remember that you can't return headphones there if they don't fit or you hate them (at least at my location).
They do price match Amazon though.


Also, i've listened to this Youtube video a record number of times and it sounds pretty much the same on this headphone. Slightly more trebly maybe:



It's Joe Hisaishi's Concert in Budokan (he made the Soundtracks for Hayao Miyazaki movies).

Yes, I know, Youtube is generally bad for music, but that video has OK sound.

PS This is my first headphone purchase in maybe 2 years. I've found that I prefer to listen to the DT-990 Pro the most.
Don't beat me up, but it sounds pretty neutral to me. Very slightly recessed mids, but no excessive bass or treble to me.
The HD-650 and Q701 has been in storage for 6 months.

 

[TheManko]

I bought the K-371 a week ago now and I agree with those who have said these set a new standard for the price. It's always frustrated me that the long-time studio classics like the 280 Pro, DT 770, 240, 7520, M50X and so on are so clearly flawed in their sound. They were (until the K-371 came out) the obvious recommendation for anyone wanting the best closed headphones for the price. But they were all flawed in their own ways. IMO the K-371 wipe the floor with all of them and deliver on the promise of the moniker "closed studio headphones". These have a superbly balanced, well damped, and well controlled sound. They retain their poise even when the sound gets congested, and thanks to their controlled acoustics are genre versatile. You can throw anything at them and they'll do it properly, which can't be said for the vast majority of closed headphones. These don't have boomy one-note bass or anything of the sort. The harman response curve is supposed to represent an ideal of what headphones are "supposed" to sound like, and I now agree it's a good target to shoot for.

But, with all those positive things said, the K-371 are a bit boring. I used to own a whole pile of mid-range headphones, but most are long gone from my home. So, all I can compare the K-371 to are my modified Sony Z7, AKG 701, Beyerdynamic DT-990 and Sennheiser HD 800. The K-371 compare most favorably to the 701 and DT-990, as they have a similar level of resolution, but with a better response curve. Funny enough the 701 and 371 have a similar metallic shimmer to their treble. I don’t mind it. The Sony Z7 are on another level of quality in terms of dynamics, resolution, sense of realism, and sheer musical enjoyment. The Z7 are clearly not as accurately balanced as the 371, but I don’t care when the Z7 suck me into the music and create a more vivid and enjoyable sound. Note that my Z7 are modified with the tape mod and carbon sheets. If I had a stock Z7 the 371 would win, because the stock Z7 are just ridiculous with the worst acoustics ever.

And if I compare the 371 and HD 800 in classical music, the 371 do a great job nailing the tone of the instruments, but the HD 800 capture so much more resolution and detail in the performance that they’re hypnotic, whereas the 371 are a more dispassionate experience. Their sound is correct, but unexciting. Not a fair comparison, but whatever.

The ergonomics of the K-371 are also merely on par with their price class. They’re on par with something like the 280 Pro. The materials and form feel good, apart from the creased earpads out of box. But they’re not even remotely as comfortable as the Sony Z7, let alone any of the open headphones like AKG 701 or HD 800.

So, with all these things said, if you want the best closed $150 headphones, the K-371 are it. Especially if you run a studio, these should be the new standard. But they’re not giant killers. If you're like me with a bunch of higher end headphones, it's probably pointless to get them. Unless of course you have a burning curiosity to hear a well executed version of the harman response curve like I was.

 

[tdockweiler]

I've been listening to the K371 a lot more lately.
Probably at least a week now.
If you have a really good open headphone already, there is probably no reason to get a K371 unless you need a closed headphone.

Comparing it to my other open headphones is a bit unfair. Nearly all of them I own sound better.
The DT-990 Pro is not much more expensive and sounds better to me.
I actually find the K371 a lot more fatiguing with harsh music.

I really only got the K371 for portable use outside the house. Yes, maybe at the gym too

I do like the K371, but overall it's a bit closed in and congested sounding. You can hear the soundstage or whatever in the recording, but something is missing.
I have a feeling the bigger version of this with those huge pads would be something i'd prefer. K553 I think it was?
Sometimes I wish it was clearer sounding, but it could be just the recordings.
I can't say i've been impressed with it, but it's worth the $125 I paid.

I'd like to do a listening comparison to the M50x, Koss ProDJ200, M40 and the KRK KNS-8400 to this.
I doubt the K371 is the one i'd prefer against the M50x. Who knows.
The first M50 I had was not great, but the newer versions sounded more balanced.
I haven't tried the M50x though.

PS I'm going to try this headphone more with a lot of different amps and portable players.
The setup i've been using it with is pretty transparent and doesn't change the sound of anything I use it with. Works well with all my headphones.
I imagine the O2 or Magni 3+ might be a good match with this headphone.

 

[squyzz]

Do you know if thé BT ones charges through type -c or micro-usb ?
thx

 

[TheManko]

Do you know if thé BT ones charges through type -c or micro-usb ?
thx

Surprisingly hard to find info on it, but in one of AKGs videos on their product page it looks like micro-usb. The port on the headphone had the familiar micro-usb outline.

 

[Mark Up]

I have pre-ordered the AKG K371-BT from Musician's Friend. Good return policy, that place. I tried the passive K371 and 361. The bass on the 361 is more bearable; the 371 has a bit too much and I usually like a lot of bass. Otherwise it's got higher quality resolution to it than the 361, and less of a middle mid to high mid bump, that can be annoying on some vocals. Ultimately, even with normal / flat ears, they'd press too much to be comfortable. Those BT clearly have thicker pads. My ears are taller than average and fit just fine in the old pads so the new should work too. Could use an extra 1/2 inch extension for my long head, so we'll see if the BT addressed that & possibly has less sub bass bloom than wired. Like the Sennheiser 380 pro and the more recent Koss pro-level over-ear, the unusual ultra low sub bass bump is unusual. At least the AKG didn't distort with it as the others did.

 

[thesheik137]

I have pre-ordered the AKG K371-BT from Musician's Friend. Good return policy, that place. I tried the passive K371 and 361. The bass on the 361 is more bearable; the 371 has a bit too much and I usually like a lot of bass. Otherwise it's got higher quality resolution to it than the 361, and less of a middle mid to high mid bump, that can be annoying on some vocals. Ultimately, even with normal / flat ears, they'd press too much to be comfortable. Those BT clearly have thicker pads. My ears are taller than average and fit just fine in the old pads so the new should work too. Could use an extra 1/2 inch extension for my long head, so we'll see if the BT addressed that & possibly has less sub bass bloom than wired. Like the Sennheiser 380 pro and the more recent Koss pro-level over-ear, the unusual ultra low sub bass bump is unusual. At least the AKG didn't distort with it as the others did.

What codecs does the BT support? Can't find any info on the website or spec sheet other than it having BT 5.0. I am assuming only SBC and possibly AAC?

Edit: Found it on b&h, only SBC and AAC supported.

 

[jasonb]

I have pre-ordered the AKG K371-BT from Musician's Friend. Good return policy, that place. I tried the passive K371 and 361. The bass on the 361 is more bearable; the 371 has a bit too much and I usually like a lot of bass. Otherwise it's got higher quality resolution to it than the 361, and less of a middle mid to high mid bump, that can be annoying on some vocals. Ultimately, even with normal / flat ears, they'd press too much to be comfortable. Those BT clearly have thicker pads. My ears are taller than average and fit just fine in the old pads so the new should work too. Could use an extra 1/2 inch extension for my long head, so we'll see if the BT addressed that & possibly has less sub bass bloom than wired. Like the Sennheiser 380 pro and the more recent Koss pro-level over-ear, the unusual ultra low sub bass bump is unusual. At least the AKG didn't distort with it as the others did.

I'm a big fan of the bass, and the overall sound in general. The only EQ I do is to add a tiny bit at 8k and 16k for more sparkle and shimmer. I don't like an overly warm and mid-bassy sound, but I am perfectly fine with good sub-bass when the song calls for it and I am happy with what the 371 does down low. With the small boost that I do at 8k and 16k these are basically perfect to me.

I also own an HD650 and a Q701, but since I got the 371 the weekend after Thanksgiving they have been over my ears the most by far. Even when EQ'ing the HD650 to the same Harman target that the 371 closely follows, I still prefer the 371. It's just a very pleasing and kind of fun sound that is still detailed and clear enough to satisfy me. My most favorite before these was my bass modded Q701.

 

[plakat]

I find myself using them more and more, with even my newest toy, the V-Moda M-200 struggling to get some attention (which it fully deserves btw). The K371 has some really good, very natural sounding midrange, which, combined with its nice subbass boost, really does it for me.
Yes, I'd still prefer a bit deeper cups, but overall comfort is good. Can't wait for the BT version. AKG being silent on codec support is a bit suspicious, but hopefully AAC is supported (don't need aptX). The pads look a bit deeper on the photos, which would be very welcome -- but I 'd be surprised if the made two different pads... I'm not that much into touch control, would prefer buttons. I hope they can pair with more than one device, but what I'm missing most is a release date for EU

 

[jasonb]

I find myself using them more and more, with even my newest toy, the V-Moda M-200 struggling to get some attention (which it fully deserves btw). The K371 has some really good, very natural sounding midrange, which, combined with its nice subbass boost, really does it for me.
Yes, I'd still prefer a bit deeper cups, but overall comfort is good. Can't wait for the BT version. AKG being silent on codec support is a bit suspicious, but hopefully AAC is supported (don't need aptX). The pads look a bit deeper on the photos, which would be very welcome -- but I 'd be surprised if the made two different pads... I'm not that much into touch control, would prefer buttons. I hope they can pair with more than one device, but what I'm missing most is a release date for EU

Get an ES100 or BTR5 and a short cable:

 

[plakat]

Get an ES100 or BTR5 and a short cable:

while that's a cute construct, I prefer the native version...
I do use an ES100 with my 64audio N8, where it's the only sensible way to use them with my iPhone though. Nice thing.

 

[jasonb]

while that's a cute construct, I prefer the native version...
I do use an ES100 with my 64audio N8, where it's the only sensible way to use them with my iPhone though. Nice thing.

I use an Android, so with this I get LDAC. I highly doubt the 371BT will support LDAC. So I'm happy with this.