[AKGunkie]

AKGs page says it all
 
but here it is without all the graphics.
 

AKG presents the N90Q, the first headphones that listen to your ears. Inspired by the Grammy winner Quincy Jones.
Inspired and blessed by the living legend himself, the N90Q headphones are the world's first headphones featuring TruNote technology, thus providing the most accurate listening experience.

N90Q — INSPIRED BY A LEGEND

"I have thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Harman over the past five years, and I am very excited to add the AKG N90Q to my signature line of headphones.” said Quincy Jones. “There are only 12 notes, and no matter what genre of music you are enjoying, whether it be Jazz, R&B, Pop, Rock or Classical, I believe the enhanced experience provided by the AKG N90Q will offer the listener such exact sound and customization that you will believe you are in a professional recording studio.”

 

TRUNOTE TECHNOLOGY

 

TruNote technology consists of a new, proprietary software solution for auto-calibration and frequency response measurement. In combination with a patented dual foam ear cushion and a pistonic motion driver, TruNote allows music reproduction to reach the maximum sound accuracy.

 

Auto Calibration: The Auto Calibration solution uses two microphones in each ear cup to measure the frequency response while you are wearing the headphone, and generates an accurate correction filter, all within a second.By analyzing sound pressure distribution, the technology inside the N90Q is able to adjust the sound according to the shape of your ear, minimizing distortion and delivering truly accurate sound.

 

Memory Foam Ear Cups: The patented dual density memory foam ear cups help to suppress unwanted reflections between ear and driver, but also support passive noise canceling performance while improving comfort dramatically.

 

Novel Pistonic Motion: Together with the novel pistonic motion 52 mm transducer that uses a special Japanese paper membrane (positioned off center to allow for maximum alignment between and driver and ear canal), it ensures optimal sound reproduction.

 

ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING

 

The AKG N90Q also includes the world’s first truly audiophile grade, fully discrete analog active noise cancellation circuitry that achieves 20dB wide band noise reduction, without introducing excessive noise on its own. Not only is the external noise attenuated by 20dB (a factor of ten), but so is the distortion arising from the headphone transducer and ear cushion as well. This results in exceptional bass performance and transparency throughout the whole spectrum due to the absence of intermodulation effects.

 

FINETUNING

 

The rotary control on the left ear cup enables a subtle and continuous adjustment of the bass and treble level, while ensuring sound reproduction remains undistorted. This allows the listener full control of the sound signature regardless of the type of music. This feature was suggested and developed with Quincy’s supervision.

 

 

[kjk1281]

Wow, there's a lot stuff going on in these headphones! :blink:

I'm curious to see how well TruNote works. AKGunkie, has something like this been implemented before, particularly in car audio? Seems like the tech would do well in an automotive environment.

Of course, the purist in me would also like to see AKG make a "regular" headphone without all the doodads but utilizing that 52mm (biocellulose?) driver.

 

[AKGunkie]

Wow, there's a lot stuff going on in these headphones!

I'm curious to see how well TruNote works. AKGunkie, has something like this been implemented before, particularly in car audio? Seems like the tech would do well in an automotive environment.

Of course, the purist in me would also like to see AKG make a "regular" headphone without all the doodads but utilizing that 52mm (biocellulose?) driver.

 They ARE pack full of stuff, i think that AKG already makes quite a few "regular" headphones when you look at the AKG professional store. So I really welcome a snazzy phone, that being said, i am a traditionalist at heart and am quite a bit skeptical on anything coming between "me and the music" (EQ and such).
 
Speaking of TruNote, at one time there was a similar idea in car audio, but i think it was ultimately dropped for a number of reasons. Number one being that the complexity of a cars interior far surpasses the interior of an ear cup. In car audio you want it to sound good no matter which seat you are in (obviously there we be optimal placement) , and i think a system of mics all throughout the car is/was too obtrusive at the time of the ideas conception. Number two, a good Systems Engineer can get the car to sound great with enough time, and many automotive customers want a different sound or think different things sound good. 
 
After listening to many cars you tend to see things as a "Lexus" sound or "Chrysler" sound...etc...
 
You can count me in on getting these once they drop though. Some article i read said mid-15. 

 

[Semont]

I wonder when they'll stop recycling the K550 headband.
 
The earcups look larger than the K545 though, and AKG making oval cups is kinda interesting.

 

[plakat]

Nice to see new developments by AKG. Still I'm a bit hesitant with headphones that 'do too much', i.e. contain electronics themselves... On the other hand many speaker systems with active control do work very well, at least in the professional area. So lets see...

 

[frix]

Really like this unique innovative concept. Hope it turns out as promised

 

[pietcux]

I just got me a Bose QC25 some weeks ago. They can run unpowered, NC circuit turned off. If you do that you get a feeling of a very cheap headphone for let's say 20 $ price. When you turn the NC on, not only do you get the environment blocked out at a degree that is very impressive, you also get rewarded by a sound that suits at least a 200 $ headphone. So the microphones inside the ear cups do also feed a DSP/amp inside the can that does magic to the overall sound. You get a pretty decent sound out of rather basic (and cheap) drivers. If AKG/Harman can put such a DSP to work with decent hardware, then the result can be awesome.

 

[AKGunkie]

First hands-on video, not very descriptive about how they sound though. And i don't know who this guys is and whether or not he is just a hype-man or an actual audiophile
 
 
 
 
 
 

  I wonder when they'll stop recycling the K550 headband.
 
The earcups look larger than the K545 though, and AKG making oval cups is kinda interesting.

 
This video makes it look like a different, thicker headband; but it may just be the video.  It also looks to be in-between K545 and K550 in terms of cup size.

 

[Semont]

  This video makes it look like a different, thicker headband; but it may just be the video.  It also looks to be in-between K545 and K550 in terms of cup size.

 
Yeah it looks like they did improve on the headband design to look more consistent.

 

[AKGunkie]

Many sources are saying they will be available summer of 2015. But my most trusted source says $1299.99 and fall 2015.

 

[pietcux]

I would like to know what Tyll from inner Fidelity thinks about them. I am sure he has already listened to them. And remeber the Olive/Welti/McMullin measuremets. I bet that their science is in this headphones genes

 

[Wild]

Definitely an interesting concept. Has there been a summit-fi NC headphone yet?

 

[qazxsw80]

It's kind of hard to believe that these ugly-looking celebrity headphones are gonna cost 1300 dollars. They have to sound exceptionally good. The AKG was always famous for beautiful headphones like the K240 Sextett/K550/K701/K712/K812/K1000 but this one...

 

[kjk1281]

 They ARE pack full of stuff, i think that AKG already makes quite a few "regular" headphones when you look at the AKG professional store. So I really welcome a snazzy phone, that being said, i am a traditionalist at heart and am quite a bit skeptical on anything coming between "me and the music" (EQ and such).

Speaking of TruNote, at one time there was a similar idea in car audio, but i think it was ultimately dropped for a number of reasons. Number one being that the complexity of a cars interior far surpasses the interior of an ear cup. In car audio you want it to sound good no matter which seat you are in (obviously there we be optimal placement) , and i think a system of mics all throughout the car is/was too obtrusive at the time of the ideas conception. Number two, a good Systems Engineer can get the car to sound great with enough time, and many automotive customers want a different sound or think different things sound good. 

After listening to many cars you tend to see things as a "Lexus" sound or "Chrysler" sound...etc...

You can count me in on getting these once they drop though. Some article i read said mid-15. 

Thanks for the reply AKGunkie! Also send my regards to the JBL automotive team. I've been pleasantly surprised to impressed by every Toyota car audio system that was tuned by them.

 

[hypersonic]

It's kind of hard to believe that these ugly-looking celebrity headphones are gonna cost 1300 dollars. They have to sound exceptionally good. The AKG was always famous for beautiful headphones like the K240 Sextett/K550/K701/K712/K812/K1000 but this one...

This Quincy Jones line up is a joke. (my opinion)
Every products in this series I've heard sounds significantly inferior to the proper AKG counterparts. To be honest I know absolutely nothing about Quincy Jones and have no idea what he does. But this "signature" line up does nothing but ruin the AKG reputation.

"There are only 12 notes."
Inspiring words. I am totally enlightened.