[menuki]

Pro tip easily reverseable "mod" for everyone who finds the treble / highs too sharp:
Simply cut or tear out a pice out of a toilet paper or kitchenrolle, put it in front of the driver inside the pads, that's it - Lows and Mids seem to be unaffected, perhaps there is an ever so slight reduction in clarity of vocals, but I rather believe that this just my impression because the treble calms down a bit. Give it a shot, it's basically just adding a non-fancy accoustic filter, which many other headphones do as well.

Would love to hear some impression from anyone!

 

[dogtagkz]

Pro tip easily reverseable "mod" for everyone who finds the treble / highs too sharp:
Simply cut or tear out a pice out of a toilet paper or kitchenrolle, put it in front of the driver inside the pads, that's it - Lows and Mids seem to be unaffected, perhaps there is an ever so slight reduction in clarity of vocals, but I rather believe that this just my impression because the treble calms down a bit. Give it a shot, it's basically just adding a non-fancy accoustic filter, which many other headphones do as well.

Would love to hear some impression from anyone!

i'll give this a shot. Thanks, buddy!

 

[menuki]

i'll give this a shot. Thanks, buddy!

Looking forward to some impressions! Feel free to play around with different types of paper (even stacking some thinner ones can work), it can really make a difference in treble presentation. Great fix for sharper songs, nice to have it in and out again so quickly. It just fits right in and stays there, even if I wiggle it a bit around inside. Just great.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

I think I may have come to my senses regarding closedbacks, finally! The majority of all my listening is done via open-backs simply because I find them to sound that more natural...but there are occasions where the isolation is needed and a closedback is the only way.
Anyway I was thinking about finding that one brilliant closedback which would dethrone my current K371 as I genuinely don’t want or need anything more than 1 pair. So I took my trusty AKG with me recently, when I went out and a/b’ed against whatever I could find in audio shops nearby. There was this one place that had the D7200, the P9 as well as the NDH20. All cans with way more rambunctious tunings and more bass..and while I still feel the Denon is one of the finest closedbacks out there...it’s really not a closedback and I’m not sure I prefer it over the AKG. I love the bass though...
Then on my way home I decided to swing by the Focal dealer to see if the Elegia was in for a spin...which it was!!!! Huge score as it actually was THE one I was hoping to a/b against the K371.
Now I realise this may come off slightly deranged so be warned:
The Elegia smokes the AKG in terms of construction, design as well as isolation from the outside world..no doubt.
BUT much to my surprise I prefer the sound of the K371. Call me crazy but the K371 feels like a “fixed” Elegia. The small amount of bass quantity missing from the Focal is there with the AKG, but more importantly: the big hole in the uppermids/lower treble is filled out over the little cheapskate coconut ie it sounds more real.
Initially I thought I was mad. Then I got one of the younger shop guys to join in on the fun, and he ended up agreeing with me..when his boss wasn’t looking that is

So yep. I’m done. I found the closedback I want to keep. For my tastes it even bests headphones 10 times pricier..and well just happens to be one of the most comfortable coconuts I’ve ever worn.

 

[bcaulf17]

I think I may have come to my senses regarding closedbacks, finally! The majority of all my listening is done via open-backs simply because I find them to sound that more natural...but there are occasions where the isolation is needed and a closedback is the only way.
Anyway I was thinking about finding that one brilliant closedback which would dethrone my current K371 as I genuinely don’t want or need anything more than 1 pair. So I took my trusty AKG with me recently, when I went out and a/b’ed against whatever I could find in audio shops nearby. There was this one place that had the D7200, the P9 as well as the NDH20. All cans with way more rambunctious tunings and more bass..and while I still feel the Denon is one of the finest closedbacks out there...it’s really not a closedback and I’m not sure I prefer it over the AKG. I love the bass though...
Then on my way home I decided to swing by the Focal dealer to see if the Elegia was in for a spin...which it was!!!! Huge score as it actually was THE one I was hoping to a/b against the K371.
Now I realise this may come off slightly deranged so be warned:
The Elegia smokes the AKG in terms of construction, design as well as isolation from the outside world..no doubt.
BUT much to my surprise I prefer the sound of the K371. Call me crazy but the K371 feels like a “fixed” Elegia. The small amount of bass quantity missing from the Focal is there with the AKG, but more importantly: the big hole in the uppermids/lower treble is filled out over the little cheapskate coconut ie it sounds more real.
Initially I thought I was mad. Then I got one of the younger shop guys to join in on the fun, and he ended up agreeing with me..when his boss wasn’t looking that is

So yep. I’m done. I found the closedback I want to keep. For my tastes it even bests headphones 10 times pricier..and well just happens to be one of the most comfortable coconuts I’ve ever worn.

You’re not crazy. Overall impressions of the Elegia have seemed rather mixed to me, with complaints about the lack of bass, weird mids and treble timbre. I’m sure it smokes the K371 in resolution and other performant areas, but it doesn’t matter much when the tuning isn’t great, and the AKG isn’t necessarily a slouch either performance wise.

What IS crazy is how good this headphone really is all around for only $150. I’m never disappointed when I listen to them.

 

[goldark]

Is the K371 worth it as an "upgrade" over a DT770 80 ohm for an office setup? Can anyone whose heard both comment? Isolation/comfort are priorities obviously, but so is sound.

 

[bcaulf17]

Is the K371 worth it as an "upgrade" over a DT770 80 ohm for an office setup? Can anyone whose heard both comment? Isolation/comfort are priorities obviously, but so is sound.

I personally prefer the K371 over the DT770, but if you already own and like the DT770 I wouldn’t bother with the K371 unless you just want something different. They’re totally opposite sound profiles, but I wouldn’t necessarily say one is better than the other, just different depending on what you like.

 

[Mink]

Is the K371 worth it as an "upgrade" over a DT770 80 ohm for an office setup? Can anyone whose heard both comment? Isolation/comfort are priorities obviously, but so is sound.

https://medium.com/@Xander51/headphone-showdown-akg-k371-vs-beyerdynamic-dt770-pro-e9692006272

 

[goldark]

Posted my impressions over on Reddit, but I'll post here as well.



I wasn't exactly looking to replace my trusty DT770's as office work headphones but I was buying into the hype pretty hard after reading about the K371's and watching metal571's video.

My experiences with headphones with a signature close to the Harman target are very positive and I own a few with high Harman preference ratings (how closely it adheres to the target curve): HiFiMan Ananda, Philips X2, JVC FDX1 - now just because they're all close to the Harman target doesn't mean they sound the same - 'where' in the frequency response the headphone deviates can change the character of the tuning entirely. But I was curious about hearing one that resembles it even more closely.

For reference, I used this table for Harman preference scores: https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/blob/master/results/RANKING.md
The AKG K371 has the 5th highest score for circumaural headphones with a score of 89.

So does it live up to the hype? To my ears, absolutely. Tonality is excellent and the headphones just get out of the way of the music not detracting or adding its own character to it. I prefer a tad more treble like my Ananda's have but it doesn't distract from the listening enjoyment at all. In terms of technicalities, detail and resolution are very good for a budget closedback. You'll need an open-back for more spaciousness/air/soundstage/holographic imaging, so keep those expectations in check.

One downside is that you absolutely need a good seal to get the best out of these headphones - (and also adjusting the position of the drivers affects sound quality) If you wear glasses like I do, make sure to put the headphones on first and let the glasses' temples rest above the ear cup so it's not interfering with the seal at all. When I first tried the headphones with my glasses, having an improper seal took away from the sub-bass emphasis and mid-bass impact, leaving the K371 sounding lean and thin. A proper seal transformed the sound.

So assuming you're able to position the drivers well enough and have a proper seal, comfort and usability is good. For sound quality, I absolutely agree it's the new standard for budget closedback headphones. I prefer it to my EMU Teaks that I sold a couple months ago and it's a step up in neutrality/tonality over the DT770's as well. To me, closedbacks are a compromise in sound anyway, but in this price range and a little above, I haven't heard anything that makes fewer compromises than the K371. Add to the fact that it can fold up and can be driven from pretty much anything without an amp, it could well be the only closedback you need.

 

[amanojp]

HI all.. Is the K361/371 BT good to take calls wirelessly?

 

[klogg4]

HI all.. Is the K361/371 BT good to take calls wirelessly?

Sorry to say, but absolutely no. Maybe in quiet room they're OK, but otherwise they're a bad headset.

 

[amanojp]

thanks for your immediate response... What Over the ear wireless headset do you recommend, which has a good Sound quality for music and taking calls as well?

 

[klogg4]

Any with Active Noise Cancellation should have above-average quality of mic. You may start with FIIO EH3 NC and Bose QC35 II. If you prefer spending more money for better quality, Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC should be it.

 

[goldark]

Curious to what users with more experience with higher end closedback headphones think...

What would be a good step up in sound quality from the K371 in a closedback design that didn't leak sound? I would guess I'd have to spend a lot more. (to me, the Denon/Fostex/EMU wood headphones have too much sound leakage so do not qualify)

 

[Sam L]

I think I may have come to my senses regarding closedbacks, finally! The majority of all my listening is done via open-backs simply because I find them to sound that more natural...but there are occasions where the isolation is needed and a closedback is the only way.
Anyway I was thinking about finding that one brilliant closedback which would dethrone my current K371 as I genuinely don’t want or need anything more than 1 pair. So I took my trusty AKG with me recently, when I went out and a/b’ed against whatever I could find in audio shops nearby. There was this one place that had the D7200, the P9 as well as the NDH20. All cans with way more rambunctious tunings and more bass..and while I still feel the Denon is one of the finest closedbacks out there...it’s really not a closedback and I’m not sure I prefer it over the AKG. I love the bass though...
Then on my way home I decided to swing by the Focal dealer to see if the Elegia was in for a spin...which it was!!!! Huge score as it actually was THE one I was hoping to a/b against the K371.
Now I realise this may come off slightly deranged so be warned:
The Elegia smokes the AKG in terms of construction, design as well as isolation from the outside world..no doubt.
BUT much to my surprise I prefer the sound of the K371. Call me crazy but the K371 feels like a “fixed” Elegia. The small amount of bass quantity missing from the Focal is there with the AKG, but more importantly: the big hole in the uppermids/lower treble is filled out over the little cheapskate coconut ie it sounds more real.
Initially I thought I was mad. Then I got one of the younger shop guys to join in on the fun, and he ended up agreeing with me..when his boss wasn’t looking that is

So yep. I’m done. I found the closedback I want to keep. For my tastes it even bests headphones 10 times pricier..and well just happens to be one of the most comfortable coconuts I’ve ever worn.

Thank you for this. I just brought out my k371's out of the closet. Needed a break from iems and earbuds and wanted to do some real critical listening to Simon rattle's beethoven 9th.

I just wrapped up and had a fleeting thought, "I wonder if I should see what else has come out that dethrones the k371 for fantastic bang for the buck."

You did my work for me. Much appreciated.