AKG K371 Impressions

[nate]

In my opinion the K371 is much better than the M40X.
I am sure you can find others with a preference for the M40X though..

thanks for the reply.

 

[dogtagkz]

Lovely pair of closed back. highly recommended Enjoying the faster driver response over the "old guards" ATH M50X and DT770pro.

this is a bit off topic, but could you describe a bit the Logitech Headphone in your sig? Thanks.

 

[JediMa]

I had the chance to test for a couple of days the AKG K371 and they sound fantastic BUT they are very delicate, the ones of my friend in few weeks are starting to have issue where they fold, it got losey and it looks like it's going to break soon. This is a real issue and it's stopping me from buying them. I wonder if those ones are an exception or if they are really so easy to get broken
What I liked it's the neutral and clear sound and that they are very easy to drive SO... I dont want to risk to buy headphones that will break soon and so there's just ATH M50X? Becasue when i tested them some time ago they didn't sound that neutral

 

[jhaider]

I had the chance to test for a couple of days the AKG K371 and they sound fantastic BUT they are very delicate, the ones of my friend in few weeks are starting to have issue where they fold, it got losey and it looks like it's going to break soon.

Uh oh. I just picked up a set of K371BT, primarily for taking calls over the firm's collaboration software. Bluetooth is a cruel thing, and Windows generally is a terrible imposition on top of that. (At least my AirPods Pro just work with both iPhone and MacBook Pro.) So instead of wasting time seeing why this is paired with that instead of the other thing I pretty much buy one set of BT accessories for each device. So NAD HP70 are paired with the iPhone and nothing else, and AirPods Pro are used with iPhone and MBP. That means I needed something else for the work laptop.

I haven't listened to music much - just work calls and the "Nice White Parents" podcast from NYT and the Serial folks - but K371BT passed the first test I always give headphones: Radiohead's "How to Disappear Completely." If a headphone bloats out the bass line when it comes in, it's not for me.

 

[Fenicks]

Hello, I've signed up in order to get some advice regarding the AKG K371s. I'm in dire need of new headphones for tracking/record and gaming/casual listening purposes. I'm very interested in this pair of headphones for their neutral sound and comfort. The other pair I was interested in are the Beyerdynamic DT770s in 80 ohms but the K371s by most people's accounts seem to be the better option these days.

I've read this entire thread so I'm fairly confident I'll be happy with the K371s sound, but am unsure if they will work for me as I wear glasses. I've read that getting a good 'seal' on the cups is crucial to the K371 sound and I'm worried my glasses my prevent this from happening, and that they may also squeak against the cups in a way that's very irritating to put up with (I've had that experience with other headphones and the squeaking sound drove me quite mad). Can anyone speak to this? It's really the only thing preventing me from buying them right now. Even though the DT770s have a less neutral and therefore less appealing sound (for what I need headphones for), they have the advantage of velour cups, which may sit better with glasses.

 

[solderdude]

Beyerpads and thicker armed glasses isn't the greatest combo either.

 

[Fenicks]

Beyerpads and thicker armed glasses isn't the greatest combo either.

Well... I'm not really sure what to do about this. I can't be the only person with glasses who wants to use these headphones. Hoping someone with that experience will weigh in.

 

[solderdude]

accept some squeeky noises is all that one can do about this.
How much lows roll-off depends on how far the glasses's arms are away from the skin.
When the arms rest against the skin where the pads are roll-off will be minimal.
Pleather pads (K371) have a tendency to squeeck more than velours.

 

[Frank Dernie]

I'm worried my glasses my prevent this from happening

I used a headset radio in a noisy environment for work, I ended up choosing my glasses for comfort, and to a lesser extent, seal.
IME wearing headphones and plastic framed spectacles is a complete no-no. The best have had flat metal side arms.
For me the choice of spectacles is a key issue for comfortable HQ headphone listentng.

 

[Fenicks]

I used a headset radio in a noisy environment for work, I ended up choosing my glasses for comfort, and to a lesser extent, seal.
IME wearing headphones and plastic framed spectacles is a complete no-no. The best have had flat metal side arms.
For me the choice of spectacles is a key issue for comfortable HQ headphone listentng.

Makes sense. I can't afford both new glasses and headphones right now but I will aim for flat metal side arms when I next upgrade my glasses (in the next year probably).

In the meantime, I have to figure out some kind of headphone solution, but this convo is making me despair! With my plastic glasses it seems like I won't get a decent seal with K371s and their pleather cups. I'm really bummed about that as they're otherwise ideal. Maybe DT 770s with velour cups are the best I can hope for?

 

[renaudrenaud]

Well, I am sorry but I was too lazzy to read the whole thread. I have a question, I hope it is not answered earlier in the thread.

I own the K361 & K371. I use the K361 most of the time, and I would like to use more the K371, but it is near impossible. It's due to the fact the cable connector orientation produce a lot of friction on my shirt or whatever I wear. It is less present with the K361.

Have you heard for a mod allowing to orient the connector differently?

 

[phoenixsong]

Well... I'm not really sure what to do about this. I can't be the only person with glasses who wants to use these headphones. Hoping someone with that experience will weigh in.

As Solderdude has mentioned, it depends on the distance between the arms of your glasses and your skin where the pads are. Although I'm using plastic-armed glasses, the length of the arms and its curvature match my facial contours really well and as a result, I rarely experience loss of bass extension with headphones except for the rare few badly designed ones with exceptionally thin, narrow and stiff pads

 

[phoenixsong]

Well, I am sorry but I was too lazzy to read the whole thread. I have a question, I hope it is not answered earlier in the thread.

I own the K361 & K371. I use the K361 most of the time, and I would like to use more the K371, but it is near impossible. It's due to the fact the cable connector orientation produce a lot of friction on my shirt or whatever I wear. It is less present with the K361.

Have you heard for a mod allowing to orient the connector differently?

Haven't heard of such a mod, but I imagine it'd be easier to source a different cable or apply modding to the surface of the existing cable

 

[renaudrenaud]

Haven't heard of such a mod, but I imagine it'd be easier to source a different cable or apply modding to the surface of the existing cable

In fact, this is not the cable, but the whole connector + the cable connector which are too long and touch my clothes. It's a bit silly, just a different orientation should be Ok.

 

[Feelas]

Well, I am sorry but I was too lazzy to read the whole thread. I have a question, I hope it is not answered earlier in the thread.

I own the K361 & K371. I use the K361 most of the time, and I would like to use more the K371, but it is near impossible. It's due to the fact the cable connector orientation produce a lot of friction on my shirt or whatever I wear. It is less present with the K361.

Have you heard for a mod allowing to orient the connector differently?

I'd also be happy to know of one - maybe there are some miniXLR-to-miniXLR-90deg-adapters available just to plug into the headphones?

 

[solderdude]

I'd also be happy to know of one - maybe there are some miniXLR-to-miniXLR-90deg-adapters available just to plug into the headphones?

These would also need to have the correct 'angle'. Imagine the ones where the angle is towards the neck or back.
Cables hanging down on a 90 degree angle also isn't desirable.
A shorter connector could help.

 

[Berwhale]

The key on the mini-XLR connector points towards the back of the lefthand earcup. So a right angled mini-XLR connector with the cable running oppposite to the key will point the cable forwards e.g.

Remote Audio TA3F-RA-B 3-Pin Female Mini-XLR Connector TA3F-RA-B (bhphotovideo.com)

 

[Berwhale]

These ones could work really well...

TA Mini-XLR Connectors - Ambient

The exit angle is adjustable: LP_Assembly.pdf (ambient.de)

I found them for sale in the UK here: Low Profile XLR Connectors (wendysbroadcast.co.uk)

Edit: actually, there are XLR (not mini), these ones are though: Cable Techniques Low-Profile TA3 Female with Grey Cap (wendysbroadcast.co.uk)

For those in the US: Cable Techniques CT-LPS-TA3-A LPS Low-Profile TA3F CT-LPS-TA3-A (bhphotovideo.com)

 

[Robin L]

B + H had a used pair of the AKG K371 headphones at a discount, they arrived yesterday. First thing I heard was a Time-Life collection of country music, 1965. Nearly a perfect fit of sound for the music. The use of plate echo, for some reason, was fuller and more satisfying than usual. I like the treble, has a touch of grain, enough to give a little bite on strings and horns. Vocals seem to have the right balance. Listening to music via the Fiio M3K DAP, a tiny low-powered music player, was better than the other headphones I've directly hooked into this tiny music player, doubtless because the 371s are so sensitive. Hooking up the 371s to the Topping E/L 30 combo doesn't change things much.

Not the biggest gripe, but the lower octaves sound blurry and rubbery compared to Drop 6XX headphones eq-ed and hooked up to the Topping pair. But I find the treble more focused than the 6XX pair. At the same time, things are a bit too thick and unfocused playing back traditional orchestra recordings. Smaller, "early music" ensembles sound more natural, though more smoothed out than reality. For portable devices, I'd call it a winner. Comfy enough, light enough. Right now, my best sounding closed back pair headphones.

 

[markanini]

The use of plate echo, for some reason, was fuller and more satisfying than usual.

I've noticed many times that all kinds of reverb gets enhanced on my pair.