Headphone manufacturers (like all manufacturers) carry a name for themselves. AKG headphones are known to be the best sounding headphones around, and offering near-reference class DJ headphones. However, they often fall short on build quality and occasionally dip into the gimmicky hi-fi sound world. The K171s live up to this name quite well, though they do seem a little more robust than the usual AKGs. This is odd, as they are built more for studio use than DJing, which is where headphones really get a beating. For the price range, these guys are top-notch when it comes to audio, but they're definitely NOT reference headphones. They can be used for tracking in project studios, but mixes will never come out correctly when using them. The characteristics of these headphones include a warmer sound and a boost in the lower mids and low end. This gives a highly inaccurate sound, though they may seem to sound better initally. This also gives the lower mids a fairly large amount of coloration, which is very noticeable at high SPLs (you don't want to be using these headphones with a pre-amp as they will distort noticeably). The headphones are a 'retro' design, which may appeal to some, but is generally uncomfortable and I feel that this causes a bit of ear fatigue that could have been avoided. The design of headphones has been changed and improved due to this, so I don't really understand why AKG chose to design the headphones this way - perhaps because it makes the headphones look… read more a little more 'hifi'-esque. Still, these headphones sound head and shoulders above their Sennheiser equivalent, and they are impressively well built for their low price tag (especially in comparison to Sennheisers, which are truly tacky in build when head-to-head against the AKGs). AKG is a well-known headphone manufacturer with a leading place in the DJ headphones market, but they rarely produce closed-back headphones. However, they have done very well here with great isolation without too much ear fatigue. AKG is not well-known for its product support and you may find that breaking your headphones (even within warranty) does mean the end of their life and need replacing. I recommend these headphones for tracking in project studios (especially instrumentalists, as vocalists may want a little more clarity than this). For real studio monitoring, I'd look at Ultrasone DJ headphones. While slightly less well built, they are vastly higher in clarity and quality, and about as good as monitoring headphones can sound. For DJs, I recommend semi-open Technics or Pioneer cans due to their sheer reliability and build (but they don't sound half bad either). And for hifi listeners, you can't go wrong with these, but they're really not up to the scratch you might be expecting. Whatever you are buying them for, they are certainly very good value for money as such fantastic headphones are rarely available at anything near this price. Of course, you should research your options as there may be more suitable alternatives available for your needs.

Musical Background:
Producer, Engineer, DJ, Recording Studio Owner (30 odd years)

Musical Style:
House, techno, hip hop, dnb, dubstep - but we record anything from pop to folk rock in the studio. read less