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AKG K371 Review (closed back headphone)

Transmaniacon

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To me the HD6XX are supremely comfortable. I can wear them all day without any sort of fatigue. I find the comfort is pretty consistent across the HD lineup, but some of the cheaper cans can have a bit too much clamping force or feel a little creaky.

I also have the K371 and it is very comfortable, though it's a bit harder to get the fit just right and they are heavier. I wish Sennheiser made a closed equivalent to the HD6XX that I could use at work.
 

ithehappy

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Is that EQ/PEQ software working out for you?
Really not getting time to test the software :(

I have a query to those who use both open back and closed back. How can I guess how much a open back leaks? I mean if I play a track at my desired volume on a closed back and lay it on a table idle, is that some reference point of how much an open back would leak? My room is always around 45-50 dB on avg. due to fan/AC, I just wonder whether the noise will travel 7-8 ft away (position of my family member) when I am using it a moderately loud volumes. I intend to get the 560S.

Do you think this video demo could be depended upon with respect to what I am asking?
 

Doodski

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Really not getting time to test the software :(

I have a query to those who use both open back and closed back. How can I guess how much a open back leaks? I mean if I play a track at my desired volume on a closed back and lay it on a table idle, is that some reference point of how much an open back would leak? My room is always around 45-50 dB on avg. due to fan/AC, I just wonder whether the noise will travel 7-8 ft away (position of my family member) when I am using it a moderately loud volumes. I intend to get the 560S.

Do you think this video demo could be depended upon with respect to what I am asking?
I use Sennheiser HD 598SR open back headphones and I can hear the sound in the room like a tweeter is playing. It's high freq and mids and is loud enough that I can hear it in my room all over. The room is ~20' x ~15'. It also depends on what tune is playing as some are louder. The open back phones are a little louder when sitting on a table and when put over your head the sound pressure level in the room decreases. You can put your hands over the phones cushions and see the difference.
 

Jimbob54

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Really not getting time to test the software :(

I have a query to those who use both open back and closed back. How can I guess how much a open back leaks? I mean if I play a track at my desired volume on a closed back and lay it on a table idle, is that some reference point of how much an open back would leak? My room is always around 45-50 dB on avg. due to fan/AC, I just wonder whether the noise will travel 7-8 ft away (position of my family member) when I am using it a moderately loud volumes. I intend to get the 560S.

Do you think this video demo could be depended upon with respect to what I am asking?

I would work on the assumption with any Open back (though some do leak more than others- my Hifiman XS seem to fire as much out as in! ) that someone in the same seating area as you will be able to hear your music as if through a tinny little wireless speaker if you are at enjoyable levels. My wife can hear my music playing from upstairs if I leave the door open.

Even closed backs are not immune but if they retain a decent seal round the cups will likely not be bothersome to others if they are watching TV.

Which brings me to my next point. Open backs let exterior sounds in too (see again my Edition XS which has practically zero isolation inwards). So if your co habitee has the TV on, you will go louder to drown that out with your music, which means more gets heard by them so they turn the TV up.......
 

infinitesymphony

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To me the HD6XX are supremely comfortable. I wish Sennheiser made a closed equivalent to the HD6XX that I could use at work.
I lament this all the time, but I think the now-discontinued Sennheiser HD 380 Pros might have been right up your alley. Closed-back, slightly warmer than neutral, similar fit.

Their only similar option now is the HD 300 Pro, but these are the evolution of the 280 Pros which were not at all like the 380s in fit or sound quality.
 

Transmaniacon

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I lament this all the time, but I think the now-discontinued Sennheiser HD 380 Pros might have been right up your alley. Closed-back, slightly warmer than neutral, similar fit.

Their only similar option now is the HD 300 Pro, but these are the evolution of the 280 Pros which were not at all like the 380s in fit or sound quality.
Too bad they are discontinued!
 

solderdude

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I mean if I play a track at my desired volume on a closed back and lay it on a table idle, is that some reference point of how much an open back would leak?

Yes, when you have a referenced SPL coming from the drivers. Just using the same volume control level for all headphones can give the wrong impression as not all headphones play equally loud on the same input level. This could differ up to 20dB between specific models.
 

ithehappy

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Yes, when you have a referenced SPL coming from the drivers. Just using the same volume control level for all headphones can give the wrong impression as not all headphones play equally loud on the same input level. This could differ up to 20dB between specific models.
Hmm, thanks. In that case open back isn't really an option for me. I can clearly hear from 5 ft. away what's being played through the K361. This is a movie playing at 50% volume on MPC-HC, no amp (Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard), all Windows audio settings at default. Room noise level is around 45 dB. Nice, I gotta stay with them ****** closed backs. Agh...
 

solderdude

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The K361 is a closed headphone.
Up to about 500Hz there is little to no attenuation of outside noises though.
More closed headphones exist that do not isolate very well.
 

sharock

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I've spent a little bit more time with these and with a good head position/seal I'm really enjoying them a lot with Oratory's PEQ applied. Obviously, I should be happy with this but I'm curious what would be the next step up? Ideally, improving the issues of this headphone like more robust construction, less fussy about position/seal and better spacial qualities with a more speaker-like presentation and less in your skull? DCA Stealth or Noire? LCD X-C?
 

Robbo99999

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I've spent a little bit more time with these and with a good head position/seal I'm really enjoying them a lot with Oratory's PEQ applied. Obviously, I should be happy with this but I'm curious what would be the next step up? Ideally, improving the issues of this headphone like more robust construction, less fussy about position/seal and better spacial qualities with a more speaker-like presentation and less in your skull? DCA Stealth or Noire? LCD X-C?
For an open headphone that won't break that bank but is reliable in it's unit to unit variation as well as construction, whilst having good spatial qualities and ability to do good clean bass once EQ'd then you could try the HD560s and use Oratory's EQ. You won't have the "uncorrectable" dip in the treble that the K371 has either. (There's still a bit of a dip that's not corrected in the Oratory EQ, but it's quite a bit smaller than that of the K371.) For closed headphone recommendations, then I'm less of an expert on that, but closed backs seem to be a bit more errattic in the treble and probably won't have great soundstage.......the DCA Stealth might be the exception to this, certainly from a frequency response point of view it's almost totally perfect. But for an open back headphone that should generally sound better than the K371 whilst having better soundstage, then the fairly inexpensive HD560s would be a good place to start.
Harman 2018-AKG K371-Sennheiser HD560S.png

(I'll let other people give you recommendations on closed backs that can outperform the K371).
 

sharock

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For an open headphone that won't break that bank but is reliable in it's unit to unit variation as well as construction, whilst having good spatial qualities and ability to do good clean bass once EQ'd then you could try the HD560s and use Oratory's EQ. You won't have the "uncorrectable" dip in the treble that the K371 has either. (There's still a bit of a dip that's not corrected in the Oratory EQ, but it's quite a bit smaller than that of the K371.) For closed headphone recommendations, then I'm less of an expert on that, but closed backs seem to be a bit more errattic in the treble and probably won't have great soundstage.......the DCA Stealth might be the exception to this, certainly from a frequency response point of view it's almost totally perfect. But for an open back headphone that should generally sound better than the K371 whilst having better soundstage, then the fairly inexpensive HD560s would be a good place to start.
View attachment 215104
(I'll let other people give you recommendations on closed backs that can outperform the K371).
Thanks, I've read many of your posts about the 560s and I do intend to purchase it. Hopefully it drops down to £120 on Prime day.
 

Robbo99999

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Thanks, I've read many of your posts about the 560s and I do intend to purchase it. Hopefully it drops down to £120 on Prime day.
Ha, I know, I probably sound like a broken record, it is the headphone I recommend the most, I think it's just such a great allrounder! (without really any weaknesses)
 

Bleib

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Well, I'll add my voice to this and say that I prefer 371 in its sound, although I think it has a bit too much deep bas
 
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oratory1990

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The images in that ebay listing reveal how reliable the K371 truly are... and that's just one seller... the design is barely 2 years old.
I will gladly pay 100$ extra for a higher quality more reliable construction with the same sound.
My personal unit has withstood the test of time with no issue so far.

One of the screws has to be tightened occasionally, but that's a non issue.
 

MCH

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What bothers me a bit is that the slide mechanism makes it not to sit straight unless you carefully adjust it.
Otherwise, no issues yet
 

James-F

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One of the screws has to be tightened occasionally, but that's a non issue.
What bothers me a bit is that the slide mechanism makes it not to sit straight unless you carefully adjust it.

Thank you.
My K371 is arriving today, 109$ on amazon, couldn't skip that.
I will be locking the sliding/rotating point with zip ties after adjusting to my head, I only hope the headband lasts.
 

James-F

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Okay they're here.

Quality control:
Box, packaging and headphones, nothing rattles or loose, both hinges are tight, no issues, great.
The only problem is the coiled cable is completely solid stiff like hard plastic, in the garbage it goes, the two other cables are soft and usable.
Never mind, I'll buy a much better coiled cable and good pads on Aliexpress.

coiled cable.jpg


Comfort:
Ears don't touch the inner part, my ears are quite flat against the head anyway.
Pads seal the entire ear with no extra pressure at all, great fit.
Overall great.

Sound:
No coloration at all to my ear, even boring if I might say.
Nothing stands out, including the sub-bass, if it's not in the song it's not in the headphones.
Remarkably similar to my Behringer B3030A monitors (they are superb) which I calibrate with IK Multimedia ARC 3 in the flat setting.
I also don't hear any random inconsistency in sound when I put them on, so I don't know what's the "bad consistency" stories all about.
Compared to my Sundara 2020, again, remarkably similar, maybe a tiny bit less higher treble ('air') and more subbass-bass thump but very similar, after a few seconds of listening I wouldn't care which is which.

Feast your eyes and call me names. :cool:
The only moving/bending part now is the top of the steel reinforced headband, how it was supposed to be if Samsung wasn't cheap.
Plus, it is completely reversible, but why would I want to reverse something as necessary as this? :)

k371.jpg
 

Robin L

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Okay they're here.

Quality control:
Box, packaging and headphones, nothing rattles or loose, both hinges are tight, no issues, great.
The only problem is the coiled cable is completely solid stiff like hard plastic, in the garbage it goes, the two other cables are soft and usable.
Never mind, I'll buy a much better coiled cable and good pads on Aliexpress.

View attachment 215502

Comfort:
Ears don't touch the inner part, my ears are quite flat against the head anyway.
Pads seal the entire ear with no extra pressure at all, great fit.
Overall great.

Sound:
No coloration at all to my ear, even boring if I might say.
Nothing stands out, including the sub-bass, if it's not in the song it's not in the headphones.
Remarkably similar to my Behringer B3030A monitors (they are superb) which I calibrate with IK Multimedia ARC 3 in the flat setting.
I also don't hear any random inconsistency in sound when I put them on, so I don't know what's the "bad consistency" stories all about.
Compared to my Sundara 2020, again, remarkably similar, maybe a tiny bit less higher treble ('air') and more subbass-bass thump but very similar, after a few seconds of listening I wouldn't care which is which.

Feast your eyes and call me names. :cool:
The only moving/bending part now is the top of the steel reinforced headband, how it was supposed to be if Samsung wasn't cheap.
Plus, it is completely reversible, but why would I want to reverse something as necessary as this? :)

View attachment 215508

I still prefer open back Sennheisers, but need closed back headphones for monitoring. My solution to the weak hinges of the 371 is an application of my favorite electrical tape---Christy's 10 mil--- to the right side, which in my case was rotating at more than 360 degrees. The left side is limited to 180 degrees. Also, the left side can be adjusted for best fit:

DSCF5981.JPG
 
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