[TomatePasFraiche]

When I saw these on sale for $250 I couldn't resist the temptation and jumped on the deal. I've had them for a couple of months now so I feel comfortable enough with their sound to give my impressions of them.

The first thing I noticed is how amp picky they are. Not in the sense that they're difficult to drive but rather that they don't play nicely with everything that you plug them into. On the wrong amp they can sound very harsh and piercing but on the right amp they become quite smooth and well-controlled. I suspect that this is because their impedance is so low. I'd definitely recommend using them with a clean amp that has an output impedance below 1. It doesn't have to be expensive, they play very nicely with my Massdrop THX AAA One on low gain.

I also noticed that the different filters change the sound quite noticeably. I've tried living with all of them and in the end I decided that I prefer the bass boost filters. Of course, these filters don't really boost the bass so much as they hold back the treble. I appreciate that AKG realized that different people prefer different amounts of treble. All of the other filters had too much ear gain but the bass filters with the THX amp really hits the spot.

I have a love/hate relationship with their tonal balance. It sounds fantastic with some genres and not so great with others. They're harman tuned, which I don't usually like, but these are one of the best attempts at matching the harman curve that I've heard thus far. They have a very clear and transparent sound about them with powerful sub-bass but they can often come across as thin. They lack some meat on the bones. Personally, I'd like them to have a touch more weight in the midrange but I can appreciate them for what they are. The scooped out lower midrange is a feature of the harman curve, not a quirk. The bass filters help tame that extremely V-shaped sound signature by reducing the highs a bit but even with the bass filters on they have a very harman adjacent tuning.

They're very open sounding. If I didn't know any better I would think that they were totally open backed. This must have something to do with the big port in their shell. The flipped side of that coin is that they don't provide much in the way of passive noise isolation. I can quite clearly hear the sound of my fingers typing on my keyboard with them in my ears and music playing. Whether this is a pro or a con depends on your perspective.

Their soundstage and imaging are average. I've heard better staging in iems. Their level of detail retrieval is above average but not phenomenal.

All in all, these are a fantastic set of universal iems. Many will crave more weight in the midrange but the abundant amount of treble and the well-extended sub-bass have an addictive effect. On the right track this combination is magical. I couldn't live with them as my only audio equipment but they have earned a permanent spot in my arsenal.

That was a very interesting impression/review. From all the IEM you own, are there some at that price range you'd prefer as an every day carry over those?

 

[Not so fat head]

Hi All, I've mentioned this before. The stems on the N5005's are kind of shallow and is one of the key reasons for the reported poor fit. Try using the tips from Bose, YES BOSE, on these. Bose tips are meant to block the ear canal, without deep insertion and work very well on these. To me, this took these from good IEM's to stellar!! Best bargain I've had in audio, and I've been at this for decades.
Give it a try...

 

[Nacmy]

Hi All, I've mentioned this before. The stems on the N5005's are kind of shallow and is one of the key reasons for the reported poor fit. Try using the tips from Bose, YES BOSE, on these. Bose tips are meant to block the ear canal, without deep insertion and work very well on these. To me, this took these from good IEM's to stellar!! Best bargain I've had in audio, and I've been at this for decades.
Give it a try...

What's their name? What model is it?

 

[Not so fat head]

What's their name? What model is it?

Yes, these came with my BOSE Sounsports Free's and Quiet comfort. Make sure to match left to left and right to right..

 

[Not so fat head]

For part number, I've no idea, they're extras that came in the Bose boxes..

 

[Nacmy]

I also found these ones that look cool and have an old sony groove sound design. The Cerepros Silicone earbuds. More expensive but I'll buy them. They're meant for Bose in-ears.... Will they fit with the AKG N5005? Anyone know what they sound like?

 

[6PANDEMONIUM6]

That was a very interesting impression/review. From all the IEM you own, are there some at that price range you'd prefer as an every day carry over those?

At $250? Not really.
At the original msrp of $1000? Many.

I think that was the problem with these. AKG set the bar a bit too high with that kilobuck price point. They probably would have been successful at $400-$600. Sony EX-1000s tend to go for about $300 on the used market and those are great but if you want something brand new below $300 these are an excellent option.

 

[fytize]

If anyone still has tips issues, the AZLA SednaEarfit MAX Standard tips are really good! I've been using the Final E-Tips previously and the Azla does have better seals.

 

[emdeevee]

If anyone still has tips issues, the AZLA SednaEarfit MAX Standard tips are really good! I've been using the Final E-Tips previously and the Azla does have better seals.

I, also, am using these tips and having a great result!

 

[cpu235]

Hi, I am looking for a N5005 in the US, if anyone is willing to part with it let me know, thanks!

 

[cpu235]

I just got my N5005 and it has insane price to performance ratio at $199, as long as you have good source this iem shines(coming from a sp2k cu with IER Z1r setup), I think its worth at least $500 if paired with a good and powerful dap, and I prefer it over Andromeda 2018. Plus it has tons of accessories and filters to play with, $199 is definitely a steal.

 

[emdeevee]

Once this baby is well-seated in your ear, you smile at that deal for sure.

 

[kl884347]

The Azla Sednafit Max have a 30% coupon for Prime Day if anyone is interested.

 

[PeacockObscura]

The Azla Sednafit Max have a 30% coupon for Prime Day if anyone is interested.

Cheers just bought some.

 

[Blackberry Jack]

Recently got back to these babies few years later. Been using various TOTL iems in the last few years. I gotta say, people underestimate these. They're not only absolute bargain at 299$, they could compete with many top-tiers in different aspects. Its' obvious weakness is the soundstage, but the sound it produces is very accurate, even sterile I would say, and has one of the best bass responses in the game - its punchy, agile and hits deep. The good fit is crucial for these.

With all being said, anyone knows where to buy a good cable for these, cause as long as I remember not every mcmx connection fits it?