AKG K371 Review

AKG is one of the prestigious brands in the audio market that offers a wide range of studio solutions through various kinds of headphone and microphone offerings. While almost all of its headphones are studio-worthy and meet the expectations of the professionals or the audio engineers, there are quite a few options that hit the consumer market better. Nonetheless, AKG always succeeds in delivering what it promises to its consumers. The most impressive thing that makes its customers loyal to the brand is that it takes the customer’s feedback seriously and tries to address the problems in the next model that they come up with. Before we head to our AKG K371 Review, let us understand a few aspects pertaining to the product.

What Are AKG K371 Headphones? Where Are These Headphones Mainly Used for?

What about the AKG K371 headphones? What are they used for and have they been able to live up to the customer expectations? Well, this article is all about that. Through a comprehensive AKG K371 review, we are going to talk about the various aspects of these headphones like their sonic capability, build quality, AKG K371 frequency response, and more. But before heading to these details let’s get an overview of this headphone first to see where it stands in AKG’s headphone lines.  

When it comes to studio category headphones, you will see many options but most of them are on the higher end of the pricing scale, and this is quite typical. It can be quite a challenging task to find too many good audio gears that will cost you less but benefit you more. AKG, however, uses state-of-the-art technology in its headphones and makes them available to every kind of modern need while fitting into the budget expectation of all its consumers.

AKG K371 headphones are one of those offerings from the brand that has low-key pricing of $155.00 but has plenty to offer. This headphone balances quite well between comfort, design, and acoustics. It features an over-ear, closed-back arrangement with solid sound engineering to suit the audiophile ears. It is designed to meet the home studio needs and made DJ compatible in terms of both sound and construction. 

AKG has also very thoughtfully come up with two versions of this headphone- wired as well as wireless. This allows the headphones to be beneficial to a wide range of users. While this article is more focused on the wired ones, we will also cover a bit about the Bluetooth version of AKG K371 headphones, so you know which one falls in your alley. 

Who Are AKG K371 Headphones Best Suited for?

These headphones are great for YouTubers and podcasters who are looking for an economic option with excellent sound accuracy. AKG K371 headphones have outstanding mid-range response that enables you to effectively mix the sound, making the vocals sound powerful yet natural. 

This pair of cans have also proven to be a great option for studio professionals who need to work for hours on sound editing projects. The super-comfortable ear cups allow them to wear for a long period of time without hurting the ears.    

If you are looking for headphones to work on sound editing on the go, then this one makes a great travel-friendly option, thanks to its foldable, storage-friendly design. It is also a choice of those who enjoy a pleasant sound signature and is ideal for bespectacled people. 

It is often a challenging job for people with glasses to find perfect headphones that will not press the frames against their temples and most of them switch to earbuds gradually. But do earbuds really have the same kind of convenience and sound delivery that you need for those long studio sessions? Well, several AKG K371 reviews stated that these headphones have thick and dense ear cups that can easily sit on the frames of the glasses. With less to moderate clamping force, they do not make you feel uncomfortable when you are using the headphone for hours at a stretch. 

The K-Series…

Now, for those of you who are new to the studio headphones industry, AKG K-series is an extremely successful new generation headphones range that focuses, particularly on studio demands. All the K-series headphones including the AKG K371 offer a detailed and unaltered sound that is neutral in nature ideal for sound mixing, monitoring, editing, and tracking. Additionally, their ergonomic design and strategic build allow them to offer superior comfort and cope up with the intense studio handling and use. 

AKG has included a mixed range of headphones in its K-series that includes both open-backs, semi-open back, and closed back styles for a variety of sound characteristics. The ones that have a fully enclosed back offer superior noise isolation and are great for use in busy places while holding the original quality of music. The open-back models, on the other hand, offer a spatial, free sound, that allows you to recognize the flaws in the recording and mix or edit accordingly. 

With that, let’s move on to the AKG K371 reviews section below. We will also provide you with a list of the pros and cons at the end of the section to help you decide whether AKG K371 is ideal for you.

AKG K371 Review: How Do K371 Headphones Look and Feel? What Are Its Significant Features and Pricing? 

AKG K371 headphones are a mid-priced headphone from AKG that is equipped with some extremely convenient features and excellent sonic capability. It is well calibrated for both casual and home studio use or music production, of course depending on individual listening preference as well. Even though the headphone falls in a reasonable price bracket compared with some other professional headphones in the market, it is quite capable of standing as a strong contender to many expensive ones available today considering their powerful and best-in-class features. 

Let’s move on to see what this headphone has in store for us:

AKG K371 Specs

Connectivity Type	Wired
Headphone Type	Over-ear closed back
Audio cables	3 meters (two), 1.2 meters (one)
AKG K371 Frequency Response	5 Hz to 40000 Hz
AKG K371 Impedance	32 Ohm
Sound Sensitivity	114 dB
Driver size	50 mm
Driver Type	Drivers with Titanium coated voice coils for superlative accuracy
Max power output	200 mW
Sound output	Stereo
Controls	No controls on the headphone
Microphone	No
Noise cancelation	No
Weight	255 g (excluding cable)
Accompanying accessory	1/4th inch adapter, 3-meter coiled wire, 3-meter straight cable, 1.2-meter straight cable, and a carrying case
Applications	Versatile applications- podcasting, gaming, casual listening, music production

What Can You Expect in the Box? 

When you open the box of K371 headphones, you will get a lot of different useful accessories to make your experience with these headphones much easier. Included are:

• The headphone itself
• One 3 meters long coiled cable 
• One 3 meters long straight cable
• One 1.2 meters long straight cable
• Cable adapter that is 1/4th inch convertible to 1/8th inch.
• A carrying pouch for easy portability and protection from dust and other foreign bodies. 
• Limited one year warranty document

AKG K371 Reviews: Design, Build Quality, and Comfort

AKG K371 is a little different in terms of the visuals that the other AKG headphones usually feature. Unlike the retro kind of look that most of the AKG pro studio headphones have, especially the K-series, this one is a combination of traditional design with a contemporary touch to it. This makes this pair of headphones quite appealing to look at.

At the very first glance of it, you might think that the ear cups are way too big because of their unconventional elongated shape, but really, that is not the case. Those who love closed-back headphones would agree that there is something very cozy and special about the large-sized ear cups. While AKG K371 headphones do not have overly large cups, they are decently large to sit comfortably around the ears with rarely any fitting issue. The shape of the ear cups adds to the overall ergonomics of the headphones.

Material

With a minimalistic design, the overall headphone is made of good quality plastic with a matte finish. Unlike some other popular ones in the K-series like the K-700s that have a lot of metal used in their make, this one has more plastic and very little metal in its construction. Now, in case you are wondering about the build quality of AKG K371 because of the all-plastic body, then, rest assured that the headphone not only just feels solid, but it actually is quite sturdy. In fact, this makes the headphone quite lightweight and easy to wear for your longest editing sessions. 

AKG has used synthetic leather or pleather in its ear padding with memory foam underneath that makes it dense and soft. The headband also has silicon rubber padding that provides enough cushioning in the head to prevent excessive compression. Several AKG K371 reviews have stated that the ear pads are great at making a bespectacled person wear the headphones comfortably without a sign of discomfort. 

You can rotate the ear cups to 90 degrees which allows you to carry out different kinds of monitoring techniques including single-ear monitoring if need be. This is a big advantage for sound engineers and DJs- they can effectively move the ear cups on either ear to hear the surrounding sound for better mixing or analyzing. This flexibility in the ear cups is great in fending off the ear fatigue as well. The adjustable sliders on the sides allow you to customize the fitting as per your head and ear size.

Fit and Comfort

The clamping pressure of the headphone is just right ensuring that it doesn’t exert pressure on your temples nor do they slide off the head. But, yes, they aren’t too snug as well to hold steady when the head movements are rigorous. This clearly makes this pair unfit for use during running or workouts. 

The single-sided cable design paves way for convenient use. Additionally, it is detachable which not only increases the life of the headphones by protecting them from damage caused due to accidental pulls but also helps in proper storage. It also makes it easy for you to replace them if needed. 

The only downside with this headphone is that it assimilates heat when used for several hours at a stretch. Because of the enclosed design, there is no way for the heat to escape which can lead to sweating or make you feel warm during the hot days of the year. 

Also, it is worth noting that even though the headphones can fold up into a more compact form, they are still quite broad and can take up a lot of space in the bag. The case that comes with the headphone is a soft pouch and while it cannot give that kind of protection that a hard case can offer, it keeps the headphone safe from just moisture. 

AKG K371 Reviews: Sound Quality and Performance

You can consider the AKG K341 headphones to be neutral sounding. Obviously different people have different ears for any sound. Therefore, despite the headphone having a natural tonality, some users perceive it differently than others when it comes to the individual frequency levels. Nonetheless, these cans are ideal for both studio projects as well as casual music listening unless you really want deep, punchy bass effects in the songs. 

The headphone has an extended low and high-end response of 5 Hz to 40,000 Hz. AKG K371 frequency response along with 50 mm large drivers (largest-in-class) and titanium-plated voice coils, the headphone is tuned for a high degree of accuracy and sound clarity over the broad frequency spectrum. AKG K341 headphones also boast a high level of sound sensitivity that makes the headphone impressively loud even at moderate volumes, so you never have to crank up to the upper limits. The low impedance of 32 Ohm makes it suitable for smaller devices like mobile phones as well.

Bass Response

The bass response is amazingly accurate and decently balanced. Some feel that the headphone is slightly warm and heavy in the low range. Well, the sub-bass (between 30 Hz to 70 Hz) is definitely a little deeper and enhanced than the mid-bass. It isn’t too boosted though to overshadow the mid-bass. Yet, you can feel the rumbling presence clearly which gives you a pleasant listening without bleeding into the mids. Some AKG K371 reviews state that the bass response lacks a bit in texture and detailing when compared with some other professional headsets from the competing brands but overall, the bass is very delightful to listen to. 

The mid-range is as pleasant as the bass response. K371 headphones provide a good mid-range frequency response of 200 Hz to 5,000 Hz. There is no extra boost in this range or no dips. The headphone offers superior clarity and accuracy in the vocals and lead instruments, so you can get a clean hearing of every little sound very easily without having to struggle. The instruments may not sound as immersive as open-back headphones or like real life. However, you can clearly see AKG’s efforts in tuning these headphones for the optimum precision and highest quality possible which is very impressive. 

The mids are not overwhelmingly full sounding as there is enough upliftment in the lower bass to balance already. This makes AKG K371 great for every type of musical genre, especially the classical ones. It also helps the critical listeners and audio engineers to track down even the slightest variations, easily helping them edit or mix the sound effortlessly.

Treble

The treble or the upper-level tonality is smooth and clean without any haziness or interruption. Some users did mention in their AKG K371 reviews that they experienced a bit of surge in the mid-upper frequency response which may make the ‘S’, ‘T’ sounds or the cymbals a bit flat. This depends on how critically they hear though and not everyone can discern it. It also depends on what you’re listening to, as some tracks may easily show this dip, some may just conceal it. The upper ends above 10 Hz seem a little quieter- as in, there isn’t much power as you go up, the way it is in the lows and mids. However, for an enclosed design, you really cannot expect the treble to be that open and light as it is in the open-back headphones. So for what the K371 headphones are, they perform pretty well. 

Like any other closed-back headphones, the sound staging isn’t really wide. We wouldn’t say that it is extremely narrow either; it is mediocre. But when you compare it to some other enclosed alternatives, like Audio Technica M50X, AKG K371 headphones stand at a much better position with a comparatively wider stage. Speaking of the comparison, check the AKG C214 comparison from here. The placement of the elements present in the audio track is really nice and there is plenty of instrument separation, so you can distinguish between every individual element easily. 

If you really want to have a better sound stage, then you should go for the open-back alternatives. If you want to stick with a closed-back option, then Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro has more accurate staging than AKG K731. 

AKG K371 Reviews: Noise Isolation, Sound Leakage, and Consistency 

Unfortunately, AKG K371 headphones aren’t good at passive noise isolation, especially low-frequency sounds. It is true that closed-back headphones are known for good reduction of external sound but in this case, it is below average. These headphones are designed for higher-level comfort because of which the clamping pressure is very less. So while it may stick around the ears just enough for the headphone to stay in place, it doesn’t form a very tight seal for the ambient noise to block. 

Now, since it cannot form a tight seal around the ears, there is a lot of sound leakage from these headphones as well, which means, the consistency is not the same at all times. Depending on the track and the volume at which you are listening to the sound consistency will vary. While you can certainly turn the volume up to a moderate level or a bit higher than that. But if the volume is too high, and you are in a silent place, you may end up letting the people around you know what you are listening to. Check out our wireless earbuds for swimming from here.

AKG K371 Reviews: Price and Availability

AKG K371 will cost you around $155.00 which isn’t too cheap but it is quite competitively priced for a studio or production headphone of this level of performance which is great. This affordable pricing makes it open to different types of customers like casual users, beginners who just started with their production work as well as professionals. 

You will get this pair of headphones on most of the e-commerce websites like Amazon, Sweetwater, and even on AKG’s official website. Click here to take a look at AKG K371 on Amazon.com. 

Now, before we go to the pros and cons of K371 headphones, here’s a brief AKG K371-BT review (the wireless version)  for you to know the difference between the two. 

AKG K371-BT, as mentioned earlier is the wireless/Bluetooth enabled model that serves different purposes than what the wired one does. While the AKG K371 frequency response, the driver size, and the design and build of this headphone remain the same, there is a significant difference in the sound performance and a few other things like connectivity, etc.

Wired Vs Wireless

One thing you must note is that, as soon as you convert the headphone from wired to wireless, there is a slight variation in the sound quality. In wireless connectivity, the data processing takes a long time and in that process, some bit of data gets lost which results in reducing the quality to some extent. In analog connection, there is no processing time involved, and the data transmission is almost instant which is why there is no loss. So how does AKG K371-BT perform? Can it really deliver good results on both the professional and casual front? 

Well, the headphone offers a detailed sound with a neutral presentation where there is a lot of texture in the bass, the mids are crisp and the treble shines pretty well. The acoustic presentation is more extended towards the lower end of the frequency level. The headphone also features an excellent battery life of 40 hours on a single charge. This means you do not have to worry about the headphone running out of charge during those long hours of studio sessions if you charge it fully once. In case it does, you can connect it with the detachable cable provided and continue your listening sessions without interruption.

Connectivity and Audio Codecs

K371-BT is supported by Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC and SBC codecs. What’s disappointing is that the headphone doesn’t support some crucial codecs like AptX, AptX HD, or Low Latency which could have made it more convenient. However, it doesn’t make a lot of difference because if you want seamless video streaming you can still do it by connecting it to the audio source with the wire. 

The headphone is operated with touch-sensitive controls which are of questionable success as per many reviews. It may take a while to get used to it and even if you do, you may not truly get it right all the time. This is one of the main areas where the headphone lags. In case you are planning to opt for this wireless version, then we recommend you to read the reviews on various websites and then make a decision. 

Pros and Cons of AKG K371 Headphones

All the headphones offered by AKG are of admirable quality and showcase high-level performance irrespective of the price. AKG K371 headphones are also one of them that has several positives that makes it quite a popular choice in the market. However, no headphone is perfect by nature and K371 also has some flaws that you need to take into account before making a favorable decision.

Here’s a list of the pros and cons of these headphones that will help you decide whether this is something that you should invest in or not: 

Pros: 

• Comfortable pair of headphones suitable for long hours of listening.
• Lightweight and durable build.
• Softly padded over ear cups makes it ideal for bespectacled people.
• Outstanding sound quality.
• Neutral sound presentation tuned for versatile use.
• Wide and accurate bass response.
• Crisp and clean mid-range.
• The headphone comes bundled with a lot of accessories.
• Swivelling or rotating earpads and foldable design for easy storage and portability.
• Earpads can be replaced if needed. 
• Decent pricing.

Cons: 

• Passive noise isolation is sub par due to the gaps the earcups leave around the ears.
• Lot of sound leakage that may affect the people around you. 
• Needs to be used in a quiet place due to lack of noise isolation ability.
• Low clamping force makes the headphone prone to sliding off often especially if the head size is small. 
• The upper treble is a bit recessed. 

The bottom line is, the AKG K371 headphones are a striking pair of audio gears with great value for money. It sure lives up to all the expectations you have of a good pair of closed-back headphones. This headphone is ideal for both casual and professional use with its reach to a wider bandwidth of customers. This is because it offers a fantastic balance between money, comfort, style, and acoustical performance. You may find a lot of audio gears in the market with better sound neutrality than what it offers, but you may have to also shell out a little more money for that. However, if you are looking for a multifaceted frequency response with ultimate audio precision at a modest price, that too coming from a reputed brand, you would probably not find a better option than this. You might also find yourself interested in the AKG K240 review from here.

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