AKG K171 Studio Closed Headphones
Zero-pressure comfort. High ambient noise attenuation.
Overall User Ratings (based on 17 ratings)
Submitted February 3, 2013 by Benjamin Wilde
"Great sounding tracking headphones, but not quite reference class"
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 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.
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Submitted September 10, 2014 by ali mohtashami
"Sound Quality is great but is not usable for long time"
Sound quality is very good, but headphone leather is harassing the upper part of my ear, and I don't like listen to music for long time.
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Submitted August 17, 2006
"The best, awesome. forget Senheiser. these are the best!!!!!!!!!! Ive owned my pair for about 2 years"
id keep these headphones till they stopped working, then id buy the latest similar headphones akg has to offer at the time.
Sound
The best. Awesome. Worth every penny. I spent along time looking for the best headphones suited to my style of music which is trance and rnb. I have owned a pair of sonys and koss headphones in the past but i wanted the best. The store i bought these from allowed me to listen to all the headphones to make comparisons. I tried all the senheisers , koss etc but after a long test the akg's stood out alot. I had never heard of this brand before then but after listening to these i had to buy them.
It has the perfect balance of treble, midrange and bass with no sign of distortion at mind blowing sound levels. I am abit of an audio quality freek and never listen to things like mp3's because i only want to listen to the best. I have kef and boston speakers at home teamed up with a marantz amp, that setup cost me over $5000 australian dollars and i have to say that these headphones sound just as good ( if not better ) and all for a couple hundred dollars.
However these headphones need to be teamed up with a good amp, however im listening to some music on my laptop as i type and they still sound good but not loud enough through the laptop.
The headphones can be a little tight if you have a big head, but after frequent use they loosen up. If they feel tight its best to place them on something like a ball or something that keeps them open when not in use. this loosens them up and after a while they should fit your big head like mine. If you have a small head then these will be perfect. They are very comfortable and very easy to put on and off. The band adjusts perfectly to the head when you put them on, some other headphones require manual adjusting .
Since buying these i have noticed on tv and movies how many recording artists use these headphones.
Seriously you cant go wrong with these headphones. If you want the best then get these. They sound awesome for dance and rnb and im sure they'l sound great with anything playin through them. If you want something that doesnt sound as good and is overated then go for the senheisers.
Features
The headphones come with a detachable gold plug thats very handy. Wires and plugs tend to stuff up after time and youd be forced to throw the whole unit away, however with these you can just get another cable/plug.
Quality
i have had these cans for about 2 years . they are still in perfect condition. build quality is excellent.
Value
yes. if i ever lose these or accidently run them over with the car , i would by another pair the day after.
The Wow Factor
they do like abit retro, the first time my bro saw me wearing these he laughed and said what the hell are they. They do look abit big and old recording studio style looking, but there is a reason why they are kinda biggish because they pack a big punch.
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Submitted November 4, 2004
AKG K171 Headphones Customer Review
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
Sound
Fantastic sound. But the real reason I got this was for tracking acoustic guitars and vocals. They're super isolated and sound sweet!
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