AKG K 271 MK II

(Originally written by Capitaine G/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Hello everybody

I've been owning these headphones for a few days.

They are a very good product, one of the best if you ask me.

Headphones can't really color the sound. Music instruments are expensive and I just can't conceive that their sound can be altered by an accessory. These AKG faithfully reproduce every signal. If you want fat and growling lows, choose another model.

With these you hear... music.

the AKG K 271 MKII were on the higher end of my price range so I was hesitating a lot before I dove in and purchased them. But eventually I fished out the 250 to get them. Originally I was not too happy with the design of them because I just felt like they were kind of too plain to cost that much money. But they kind of grew on me after a month or so because they look really clean.
When it comes to comfort then these are the most comfortable that I think that I have ever had. The ear cups are very soft and they just fit right on your ear. I have even fell asleep before wearing these and didn’t wake up with a headache or uncomfortable. They truly feel amazing and when adjusted to the proper size you will not even notice that you have them on but you will feel the weight of them because they weight over 1 pound.
When you are purchasing them you can pick which style of ear pads you want, I chose the leather ear pads but you can also choose velvet. But if I wanted to I could always change out the ear pads down the road because leather can get a weird feeling on your skin after too long so it might be nice to have a pair of velvet cups too especially now that these are my primary headphones now and the ones that I prefer over all of my other pairs. They are also the most expensive that I have purchase so I have to make sure that I protect them.
The frequency range on them is 16 Hz to 28 kHz with a driver size of 30mm. The AKG K 271 comes with a 16 inch coil cable and a standard straight cable in 10 foot. You can change out your cables at any time because they are detachable.

The headphone is fragile because its construction uses a mediocre plastic.

I used this headset for a little more than a year of tracking and also as supplementary listening to mix media. The headset is comfortable but had a tendency to overheat a bit my ears and shake my head.

This headset is designed almost entirely with plastic, a few screws, etc ... and even glue. All I think is very fragile and should be handled carefully, mine did not survive more than two years.

In addition, the automatic function that mutes the sound when removing the headset works much.

No, this headphone does not have a flat response, the bass is back, but it is still usable and pleasant to listen. It isolates reasonably well and there is virtually no repisse, but is certainly not suitable for a tracker battery for example.

I use it now for 2 months. What I like the most, its design, its trslger weight, comfort (very good!) Reasonable price. I have a Sony MDR-7506 for many years, and I was looking for a second headphone complment to the monitoring / mixing in a semi-professional studio environment. I chose the AKG after very many readings of tests and comparisons.

I'll start with the positives: the sound is very clear prcis, flat, neutral properly (Not looking Hifi headphones here). The bass is a little low that's it. It is a closed headphone and very well off the sound outside. You your quiet The AKG reproduces very well the left-right space. It's a bit droutant compared to elsewhere MDR-7506 is more "compact" in stro I think. This is true as told another opinion here that the sound is comparable to the MDR-7506, but I find it more "ramass (plus it later). Having spent a lot of time on the MDR I think that it will take me qq months adaptation, especially since I do not use that half the time (shared with MDR).

Now flaws: It's one that exaspre me, and frankly I'm almost ready to sell it so takes my head (in the literal sense): the headphone cable is directly connected to the hull. However, it is completely hermtique (normal is a closed headphone. In fact, when the cable tappe the table, or chair, or lorqu'on touches the same cable means noise multiplied by 10,000 in the ears. It's just unbearable. The MDR has no default. Obviously, when we sound in the headphones means more noise, but listening not stop either! So you have to get to the cable away from any physical interfrence. Not easy.

Then the volume: it is ridiculously low. It takes a pr-amp. But it's not a priority purchase in a small studio. The outgoing volume of my card (Audio Kontrol 1) is more than enough dfoncer my ears on the MDR-7506. Nothing of the sort with AKG. This is unfortunate because we feel the potential of the headphone, I not profit. So if you also use it to espriez DJ mixer, forget completely (well it is not the goal).

Finally, very few seem low compared to prsentes MDR. That may be a big default MDR, but I was even pregnant and a hi-fi quality on which I can test my productions, and I feel the difference. Mdiums also seem a little weak compar MDR.

Voil a rather long review, but I use my headphones so (several hours a day - so that the speakers are rarely kindlest) that I thought was important to share here.

In conclusion: it is a very good headphones, the sound is very faithful, but lacks power and does not seem realistic in the bass. With a pre-amp and a shot of EQ (post-master) it should be perfect. Remains the default of hyper-nervant cable, you see. Compared the MDR-7506 seems more suited to monitoring, even if the latter almost too low too prsentes and compared the stro broadcast is poorer.

My ct I'll see if I'll keep, at least a third complter the headphone, this time from the ultra-top level, a Sennheiser HD-650. But that's another price. Besides, if you do not have too many means, a tip: Save and invest a max in a very very good headphone. You will not regret it, and lasts for years.

EDIT: I accuracy of all I'm doing electronic music (tech, electro, a little hip-hop, dubstep). If a help to understand me.