[geremy]

Quote:

The Q460 are on a level with the K450 (I believe they are the same but for the cable and the color, because I couldn't hear a difference). Their sound is mushy and dark. They are clearly inferior to the K81/K518.

Well that's disappointing!  Thanks for the response.

 

[shnitz]

Thanks meltie, that's exactly what I meant.  I was on my way out the door, sorry for the confusion.  Let me try that again:
 
- The AKG K430, K450, and K460 definitely use the same housing.  When it was just the K430 and K450, before the Q460 were announced, the differences were that the K430 were a balanced sound and the K450 were a more fun sound.  One necessarily isn't better than the other, despite one having a higher model number.  The K450 also came with a nicer case, additional cable with smaller jack (useless, IMO), and detachable cable (also useless, since AKG never released the wireless adapter).  When the Q460 were announced, AKG stated that they upgraded the model number from 450 to 460 because of the inclusion of on-cable controls.
 
- The K81DJ/K518LE is way above these headphones, sound-quality wise.  Even if the Q460 are sonically superior to the K450, which is debatable, they won't be better by much, since they're still so compact.  You have so much space for larger drivers and to create the soundwaves in the K81, that no matter how much technology and development you throw into a smaller pair of headphones, those pesky laws of physics ensure that the bigger ones will usually sound better for a lower price.  With the K430/K450/Q460, you are paying for good sound while getting high portability, much like you pay more for a 13" laptop than you would for a 15" laptop.

 

[geremy]

Wow, the k81s are pretty tiny themselves.  I can't imagine how much smaller the 450/460s are.

 

[chelboed]

Regarding the laws of physics...if that were really the case, then IEM's would sound like total shnitz...yet some IEM's would blow K81's out of the water. Does that disprove the laws of physics? (not being smartypants here...real question) Does the driver size-to-tympanic membrane distance ratio come into play?

 

[Pangaea]

Right out of the box these are pretty good.  I'm gonna burn them in for a day or two but sound is even and crisp- not muddy like I was afraid of.

 

[dilkrac]

I tried both q460 and k450 and they both sounded exactly same but i definitely recommend this. Better option than PX-200. Just a note for anyone interested in buying it.

 

[Pangaea]

Q460 is a nice phone.  The worst aspect is probably its ability to take phone calls.  Sounds like you are in a cave.  Not sure why a pair of headphones with superior sq to the ibuds would sound worse with voice calls.  With music they are very nice, a tad bottom heavy.  But for a treble head they are fine.  The mids, vocals sound very sweet.  Isolation is actually quite good, considering they do not cover the ears completely. 
 
Cable is a little stringy, would have liked to see a nice robust cable.  Not sure why everyone is so afraid to put a nice cable on portable phones.  I am not even talking fairy dust materials, just a nice thick exterior, that holds it's shape.

 

[inarc]

Hi, just to re-bump this thread, I was hoping that someone could give a comparison for these head phones against the ATH-ES55? I have heard very good points about both, such as a what hi-fi award. Each are about the same price if you look around.
 
Thanks

 

[inarc]

Anyone got any ideas, or should I just consider the qj460 the best for style and sound at under £100.

 

[Sasquatchbreath]

I bought them, used them for several days then returned them. I'm a novice who is OCD about whatever I do so take that into consideration. I found them grating and difficult to listen to. I really wanted to like them. Some songs were ok through them (just ok) some were almost unlistenable. I actually hated them.

I have a pair of hd25s on order that should be here Tuesday. I'll have a better point of reference then.

I'm a Newbie to headphones, so keep that in mind. Until now I've used nothing but senn iem and senn sports in ear. I'm no audiophile but my home equipment is about 4 or 5 levels than it should be due to my OCD lol

 

[nonsupremous]

What about them did you hate specifically?  Was it soundstage?  Bass, harsh, laid back, too forward? 

 

[Sasquatchbreath]

I'm not really good with the terminology in here, but I'll give it my best shot. They were almost shrill to me. So I would say too up front especially on the midhigh to high end. The place I bought them from had a kiosk where I could try several AKG models including the 702, 181le etc. Of them I chose the 460 because the others seemed too subdued. The problem was they were all hooked up to their source.

I think they may be too efficient even for an iPhone if that makes sense (probably not). I found them worse on my avr-3805.

I'm a novice and my words may not translate in here very well. It reminds me of cigars. Some of my buddies taste leather, plums, citrus etc. I taste tobacco and either I like it or not lol. I guess I am simple.

This set at times actually made songs I love unpleasant to my ears. I think I need something warmer. I was thinking denon2000 might fit the bill and I love denon amps. But I found a good deal on the senns and have been really happy with their iems etc.

Sorry if this isn't helpful but I actually couldn't listen to them and didnt figure burn in would be dramatic enough to change things.

 

[Pangaea]

I picked up the yellow K518LE this week on an impulse. It was under 50 bucks thru Amazon. As much as I do like the q460... the 518, esp with the foam removed is far better. Really a great set of portable phones.  Awesome isolation and SQ is about the best I have heard on a pr of HP I would actually take out of the house.
 
With the foam removed, the highs really sparkle.
 
The K518 usually goes for well over a 100, but like I said the yellow version was on sale for about 46 bucks.  It is now 55- still a good deal.  Just thought I would throw that into the fold.

 

[blub]

this is a very intresting, but also very confusing thread.
While not everyone agrees if the Q460 is better than the K450, at least no-one sais it's worse!

(and I do find the Q460 looks awesome)
 
But 2 things puzzle me:
(1)
What I'm wondering now, is what the K480 would sound compared to those. (I read somewhere, from 1 person, that the K480 sounded better than the K450, but without much more info.)
So it would be intresting to have a comparison between Q460 and K480, to seal the doubts
 
(2)
Pangaea , Shnitz, could you explain further what differences in sound make the K518 better than the K450/Q460for you?
I'm puzzled, as in the following thread, the K430 is described as 'more balanced and articulated' and 'less boomy' on basses than the K518 and that I thought the K450 went even further that way than the K430.

Confusion rises.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/433318/shootout-74-portable-headphones-reviewed-audio-technica-ath-sq5-ath-fc700-03-29
 
I'm still looking for a good portable closed headphone (foldable, small, good noise-isolation with good extension and enough natural and '3D' for acoustic music, rock, jazz, classical music etc. 'on the go'). The Q460 / K 450 / K480 keep coming up...but always with some contradicting experiences. (and I can't find a place to test them myself before buying).

 

[blub]

maybe an additional question:
could someone share his opinion on the Q460 for listening to classical music, jazz and rock (both electrical as well as acoustical) ?
(eventually in comparison to other headphones you own)