AKG K271 MKII Headphones

I bought this item about a week ago and I have to say that I’m pretty disappointed. Construction feels less than durable. The material that the body is constructed of feels cheap and shoddy. Sound is weak and tinny. I’m not sure what AKG was shooting for when they made this headphone- it certainly isn’t good as a mixing reference. Its cheap materials and weak construction would not win my confidence when being used by multiple musicians who are in and out of the studio.Everything about the marketing for this product is misleading. I don’t see what AKG is charging over 250 dollars for. Perhaps they are deluded into thinking that the MK271s ability to mute itself when removed from the listeners head is really just the bees knees and musicians as well as producers ... MoreI bought this item about a week ago and I have to say that I’m pretty disappointed. Construction feels less than durable. The material that the body is constructed of feels cheap and shoddy. Sound is weak and tinny. I’m not sure what AKG was shooting for when they made this headphone- it certainly isn’t good as a mixing reference. Its cheap materials and weak construction would not win my confidence when being used by multiple musicians who are in and out of the studio.Everything about the marketing for this product is misleading. I don’t see what AKG is charging over 250 dollars for. Perhaps they are deluded into thinking that the MK271s ability to mute itself when removed from the listeners head is really just the bees knees and musicians as well as producers are looking for just that feature! Well AKG, that’s not the case. What i paid for this product compared to what I received from AKG does not fit the price tag. These should go for no more than 50 dollars a pair. Utterly disappointed in this inferiorproduct. That being said, save yourself over a hundred dollars and buy some audio technica ath-m40x or something similar. I’ve been using the same pair for over five years. Better construction. Better materials. Superior sound quality. Cheaper price tag. Better experience overall than AKGs inferior K271’s

Amazing sounding earphones although not the loudest.

I already have a pair of AKG Y50 headphones that I use for my DJ hobby but I wanted a set of headphones with a coiled cable. The AKG K271 MKll comes with both a coiled and normal cables which are interchangeable using a push fit mechanism. There are also cloth and vinyl cups too. The sound quality is amazing. Crisp and clear high frequency and lovely deep low frequency. The volume doesn't seem to be as loud as the Y50's though but the fit is very very comfortable with the auto adjusting head strap.

Balanced and Nuanced

I have had these for a little over a season now and I am quiet pleased with them. I can hear ~ 20dB more than the average hearing human (verified by 2 audiologists), and these headphones are good medicine to my head.I work on voice acting, music recording, and use my ears a lot when it comes to audiobooks, webinars, and listening to meditation music. The noise cancellation is just the right amount for my taste, the sound temperatures coming through are even and balanced, and I feel confident that what I am hearing through the headphones is the quality that I am sending out for auditions.My one adjustment I would make is that the headphones have to be even on my head for the sound to come through. When I try to listen with just one ear, the sound cuts out. Not ... MoreI have had these for a little over a season now and I am quiet pleased with them. I can hear ~ 20dB more than the average hearing human (verified by 2 audiologists), and these headphones are good medicine to my head.I work on voice acting, music recording, and use my ears a lot when it comes to audiobooks, webinars, and listening to meditation music. The noise cancellation is just the right amount for my taste, the sound temperatures coming through are even and balanced, and I feel confident that what I am hearing through the headphones is the quality that I am sending out for auditions.My one adjustment I would make is that the headphones have to be even on my head for the sound to come through. When I try to listen with just one ear, the sound cuts out. Not sure if this is a safety feature or something...? It doesn't detract from its value to me.

Brilliant, elegant, functional, design. It doesn't get much better.

I got exposed to the AKG K271s when I was tracking my first album in 5 different studios. One of the studios, where I spent the bulk of my tracking time [200 hrs] had these. I was sold in the first session. These you could keep on for hours without major ear irritation and, for folks that wear glasses like me, they don't grind your glasses ear stems into your head or at least way less than other headphones. The K271s also have a great feature in that you can peel off one ear and the audio to that ear stops. That's great for tracking string players who typically want to track with only one ear in the phones; the same is true for choir members. These work wonderfully for those applications. I also keep a pair plugged into my Roland XV-88 keyboard when playing it. It ... MoreI got exposed to the AKG K271s when I was tracking my first album in 5 different studios. One of the studios, where I spent the bulk of my tracking time [200 hrs] had these. I was sold in the first session. These you could keep on for hours without major ear irritation and, for folks that wear glasses like me, they don't grind your glasses ear stems into your head or at least way less than other headphones. The K271s also have a great feature in that you can peel off one ear and the audio to that ear stops. That's great for tracking string players who typically want to track with only one ear in the phones; the same is true for choir members. These work wonderfully for those applications. I also keep a pair plugged into my Roland XV-88 keyboard when playing it. It almost goes without saying how great they sound. Frequency spectrum is hugely wide, bass is solid and fat, and highs are crisp and clean. I have 8 pairs of these in my little home studio for tracking small choir groups and I even keep a couple as safety spares but that is probably pointless since they aren't likely to go out anytime soon. If you are particular about the country of manufacture [some are some aren't], the K271s come in two issues: the original issue was simply called "K271 Studio" and they were Made in Austria, the subsequent issue are what we have now the "K271 MKII" which is actually Made in China. I, personally, have no issues with the people of China but I do have issues with their government. That being said, BOTH issues are outstanding in quality. Functionally, I also love that the pads are easily replaceable and they come in two textures: plastic/leatherette and felt. I have found the felt to be better for very long sessions as they don't retain as much heat. These phones are also light feeling and don't weigh down your head after long periods of usage. The headstrap is very comfortable and it allows for easy auto-adjustment when you put them on. You don't have to fidget with getting them just right on your ears and head. They do that for you. Brilliant, elegant, functional design. It doesn't get much better. I wish all pro audio equipment was as functional, affordable, and well-designed as these phones.

Great choice for audiophiles or studio owner/musicians

These are not hyped at all, so if you're looking for that heavy bass that drowns out everything else, this is not the headphones for you. They work really well in the studio and the closed back let's you get up tight on microphones without bleeding and feedback. They are 300 ohms so they're not for portable devices so you should be aware of that. They do, however, get loud when pushed with a proper headphone amp. I would recommend these to any audiophile or studio owner/musician who wants a quality closed back headphone that can be worn for hours. The come with extra ear pads and I prefer the velour to the leather, much more comfortable.

Not the AKG 271 of yesteryear

I ordered these cans hoping to replace the AKG studio monitor headphones that I had previously owned for many years. As moderately priced tracking headphones, they’ll get the job done. I do like the fact that they cut off when you take them off- so you are unlikely to get stray signal from some headphones lying around when switching back and forth recording different instruments. Unfortunately, overall they were actually disappointing. The workmanship is noticeably poorer than the ones I owned before. Frankly, they just feel cheap, holding them in your hands. Sound wise, I wasn’t impressed, either. Perhaps my listening skills have changed in the last few years- but I found the sound a bit “tinny”. I also noticed that when someone else was wearing them, I was hearing ... MoreI ordered these cans hoping to replace the AKG studio monitor headphones that I had previously owned for many years. As moderately priced tracking headphones, they’ll get the job done. I do like the fact that they cut off when you take them off- so you are unlikely to get stray signal from some headphones lying around when switching back and forth recording different instruments. Unfortunately, overall they were actually disappointing. The workmanship is noticeably poorer than the ones I owned before. Frankly, they just feel cheap, holding them in your hands. Sound wise, I wasn’t impressed, either. Perhaps my listening skills have changed in the last few years- but I found the sound a bit “tinny”. I also noticed that when someone else was wearing them, I was hearing more signal leakage than I’d like to have when tracking.One consolation is that, if you are going through a lot of headphones in your studio setting, you can always buy replacement parts. The cable also is compatible with other AKG headphones- for ex. the K712- so if you want to switch back and forth between tracking and reference headphones, that’s a nice little thing.

Painfully uncomfortable

I received these headphones three days ago in the mail. I own several bass heavy headphones and was looking for a neutral sound. Hence I bought these.First of all, the ear cushions are way too stiff. They hardly flex at all. The cushions are also too small and rests on my ears instead of around them. The clamping force combined with the small and stiff ear cushions make these headphones painful to wear. I had to take them off after less than an hour due to the pain experienced to my earlobes wearing them.Secondly, the headphones barely adjusts itself to the head at all. The earcups tilt ever so slightly up or down but not front to back. The self adjusting headband applies too much force to the top of my head. I found myself fighting the headband trying to get a ... MoreI received these headphones three days ago in the mail. I own several bass heavy headphones and was looking for a neutral sound. Hence I bought these.First of all, the ear cushions are way too stiff. They hardly flex at all. The cushions are also too small and rests on my ears instead of around them. The clamping force combined with the small and stiff ear cushions make these headphones painful to wear. I had to take them off after less than an hour due to the pain experienced to my earlobes wearing them.Secondly, the headphones barely adjusts itself to the head at all. The earcups tilt ever so slightly up or down but not front to back. The self adjusting headband applies too much force to the top of my head. I found myself fighting the headband trying to get a good fit without success. I think one might overcome the headband problem with clever use of string though.Soundwise, they seem fine. However, I've only used them for less than an hour, so It's hard to make a fair assessment.Overall the headphones are fighting very hard against the shape of my head instead of conforming to it. The severe discomfort overshadows by far any sound quality. I don't see any reason why I should keep these headphones around.

[Rewarded Review] Great soundstage & detail

What first drew me to these headphones is that they create a soundstage where you can recognize individual instruments in the mix as they are panned from left, center, right, and all points in between. Most headphones can't achieve this, but these babies do it easily. I use them for both work, as a sound recordist for motion pictures, and personal listening as well. I know what I'm recording when I wear these. I can't say the same for the typical Sony headphones.

dissatisfied with the design

I own these.. Im a professional musician. the wire that goes through to each side of the headset has a piece of plastic connectied to it... held in by one screw...that holds the wire to the headset. this plastic is brittle and breaks when the headset earmuffs turn from side to side.....the screw pulls against the plastic housing and breaks it.... i have had mine replaced three times which requires you to take the headset apart and solder the wire back onto the headset.. this is clearly planned obsolescence.... the sound reproduction of these headphones is amazing but the stupidity of the design prevents me from recommending this product to anyone. if youre going to design something.. make the product have enough strength to last...

good flat sound reproduction

I was looking for affordable studio headphones to mix and master my own music tracks, basically guitars, bass and drums at night so my family wouldn't have to sleep in a tent ;-). As of today the sound quality is very good. The bass is not overwhelmed, mid and highs are very well balanced. If you are bass and highs lover they are not for you. They are not 100% studio monitors replacement but for occasionally work at night and tracking are perfect. I have to mention that my head is a size of melon so I'm always worry about the comfort. In this case is no issue.