AKG K371 Review (closed back headphone)

[solderdude]

If you can please check if the 4th pin has some high resistance to ground (pin 3) or a small voltage on it when BT is active.
It could make sense to let the HP 'know' the cable is plugged in and that's where pin-4 is used for.

 

[LTig]

Thanks... the question is if XLR 3 and XLR 4 in the headphone itself are also connected or only in the cable.
When not connected ... XLR1 connects to XLR ?
XLR2 connects to XLR ?

On the headphone side XLR pin 3 is not connected, and pin 4 is the common ground. So it's not possible to feed it balanced. Not a problem though IMV, it's quite sensitive and gets loud enough with normal unbalanced amps.

 

[solderdude]

Yep. Corrected my post. I suspect it is to let the HP know a cable is plugged in.
Weird that AKG decided to completely re-arrange the pin assignment from 3-pin mini XLR 'convention'.

 

[Blumlein 88]

If you can please check if the 4th pin has some high resistance to ground (pin 3) or a small voltage on it when BT is active.
It could make sense to let the HP 'know' the cable is plugged in and that's where pin-4 is used for.

Pin 3 and 4 are connected in the cable, so there can't be a voltage difference across them. Unless I had a 4 wire cable to work with. I've got one ordered then I can tell what is going on.

 

[solderdude]

Correct.. I am not talking about the cable though.
I am talking about the headphone itself.

It would appear that pin 3 is not connected in the headphone.
This would be strange because why would pin 3 and 4 be connected in the cable is the real question.

So... my theory is that pin 4 is common/ground in the headphone itself and pin 3 in the headphone (which appears to not be connected to anything) might still be connected to 'some input' of the BT receiver amp.

That is.. it is something I would design that way if I were to start using a different plug and leave the 'normal' pinning they use in all other AKG products using mini XLR.
If I would want to let the internal BT circuitery know to that a cable is inserted (so it can switch off and connect the drivers to the socket) it would need to be detected. For that I would use 3-pin and when that connects to ground (pin-4) because the cable has 3 and 4 connected this would be an easy way to do this.

So I meant to measure the socket side of the headphone (without the cable) to find out what pin 3 is actually for.

We know it is not for balanced (which @Music1969 wanted to know) and there is no cable for it with a TRRS so the mic works wired as well so my thinking is it must be there for some reason. Letting the HP know a cable is plugged in seems to be the only other function of pin-3.
I was just wondering about it... if and how they use pin-3.

It is not important to know... I was just wondering about why AKG would use a 4 pin when they just as easily could have used a 3-pin like on the non BT K371.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Correct.. I am not talking about the cable though.
I am talking about the headphone itself.

It would appear that pin 3 is not connected in the headphone.
This would be strange because why would pin 3 and 4 be connected in the cable is the real question.

So... my theory is that pin 4 is common/ground in the headphone itself and pin 3 in the headphone (which appears to not be connected to anything) might still be connected to 'some input' of the BT receiver amp.

That is.. it is something I would design that way if I were to start using a different plug and leave the 'normal' pinning they use in all other AKG products using mini XLR.
If I would want to let the internal BT circuitery know to that a cable is inserted (so it can switch off and connect the drivers to the socket) it would need to be detected. For that I would use 3-pin and when that connects to ground (pin-4) because the cable has 3 and 4 connected this would be an easy way to do this.

So I meant to measure the socket side of the headphone (without the cable) to find out what pin 3 is actually for.

We know it is not for balanced (which someone wanted to know) and there is no cable for it with a TRRS so the mic works wired as well so my thinking is it must be there for some reason. Letting the HP know a cable is plugged in seems to be the only other function of pin-3.
I was just wondering about it... if and how they use pin-3.

It is not important to know... I was just wondering about why AKG would use a 4 pin when they just as easily could have used a 3-pin like on the non BT K371.

I might get around to it. Like I said, when I get the other cable I can measure it easily with the trrs end. Right now inside the phone isn't much room for hand held leads. Hard to get a good reading.

 

[rdenney]

My K371’s have started distorting heavily in the right channel on hard transients played even moderately loudly. That’s with any source—JDS Labs Atom, B&K preamp headphone output, Adcom preamp headphone output, etc. My Koss Pro4S (also 33-ohm) play fine in these sources.

I’ll be attempting to replace them under warranty.

Rick “sigh” Denney

 

[solderdude]

Check for hairs in the foam first.
Sometimes hairs poke through the foam and touch the drivers when they make larger excursions (bass).

 

[Blumlein 88]

I might get around to it. Like I said, when I get the other cable I can measure it easily with the trrs end. Right now inside the phone isn't much room for hand held leads. Hard to get a good reading.

Well the Fantasia cable with TRRS is very supple, but the info it fit K371 BT was incorrect. Someone must have assumed they were the same. The Fantasia cable only has a 3 pin XLR to the phones. The extra lead on the end is for the built in microphone. So I'll have to send it back.

 

[tvrgeek]

As I look into headphone reviews, I will give my biggest complaint about many. Band adjustment RANGE. I guess I just don't have a pointed enough head as my old Grado SR80's have to be fully short to sit correctly and I had to modify my ole Yamahammer YH-1s.

 

[Garlucky]

As I look into headphone reviews, I will give my biggest complaint about many. Band adjustment RANGE. I guess I just don't have a pointed enough head as my old Grado SR80's have to be fully short to sit correctly and I had to modify my ole Yamahammer YH-1s.

I'm the exact opposite I have a longish potato shaped head.(pointy head).
Most of my headphones have to be extended almost fully. As a matter of fact my premium 600ohm Beyer dt 990 don't extend far enough.
Although, they still fit, just barely.
Also I have big ears. I need an inner dimension, on oval shaped earpads of 60mm top to bottom and 40mm wide.
Although I can get away with a minimum of 50mm, circular earpads.
I get a chuckle when I hear people say move the earpads a little bit forward or a little bit backwards on your head.
Once they're surrounding my ears, there no option to move them anywhere.

 

[MacCali]

Damn so the Bluetooth version does not perform the same. Are the pads swapable? Can you even purchase the original pads from the none bt version. Pretty sure that’s what’s destroying these headphones

 

[DarrylG]

Damn so the Bluetooth version does not perform the same. Are the pads swapable? Can you even purchase the original pads from the none bt version. Pretty sure that’s what’s destroying these headphones

Not as far as I know. You'd think AKG would sell replacements, since they the market the K371 as a pro headphone.

 

[MacCali]

Not as far as I know. You'd think AKG would sell replacements, since they the market the K371 as a pro headphone.

What pads for the KG371 and KG361 Headphones?

Find out what earpads are best for the AKG K361 and K371 headphones. Check out the Brainwavz replacement pads range that work perfectly with this set, and choose from a variety of sizes, colours and materials.

www.brainwavzaudio.com

What about those? Kind of don’t get it, I guess you have to do like a manufacturer install on those. Almost like assembling the ear pads on to the unit

 

[Atanasi]

Not as far as I know. You'd think AKG would sell replacements, since they the market the K371 as a pro headphone.

In the past AKG's cheapest product lines didn't have official replacement parts, they lasted their time and that was it. I think K371 is the same.

 

[DarrylG]

What pads for the KG371 and KG361 Headphones?

Find out what earpads are best for the AKG K361 and K371 headphones. Check out the Brainwavz replacement pads range that work perfectly with this set, and choose from a variety of sizes, colours and materials.

www.brainwavzaudio.com

What about those? Kind of don’t get it, I guess you have to do like a manufacturer install on those. Almost like assembling the ear pads on to the unit

Those are Brainwavz pads that fit (and don't destroy the sound of) the K371, according to the people who bought them. Brainwavz sells some aftermarket pads for specific models of headphones, but they mostly make generic pads.

 

[DarrylG]

In the past AKG's cheapest product lines didn't have official replacement parts, they lasted their time and that was it. I think K371 is the same.

I'm going by the example of the AKG K240. AKG sells replacements for almost every part of that line of headphones, from the pads, to the speaker element, to the rubber bands for the headband suspension.

Results for akg k240 | Full Compass Systems

Shop for akg k240 at FullCompass.com. Shop and save with Free Shipping on thousands of items!

www.fullcompass.com

 

[MacCali]

Those are Brainwavz pads that fit (and don't destroy the sound of) the K371, according to the people who bought them. Brainwavz sells some aftermarket pads for specific models of headphones, but they mostly make generic pads.

But how you install the new pads? Like I mentioned in my previous post? Or do they pop out like regular headphones

 

[Blumlein 88]

Up thread somewhere I listed several options for changing the pads on the AKG 371BT model. I have such a model and just haven't gotten around to changing the pads.

Also, some are assuming the BT model sounds different. That hasn't really been established. They have different depth to the pads which might well sound different, but one could change to the pads the same depth as the non-BT model. Some where up thread Olive responded that he didn't know if they were the same, which isn't confirmation they are different in sound.

In any case, they sound pretty good. They also seem improved by using exactly the couple of EQ changes Amir posted in his review for the non-BT model.

 

[MacCali]

Up thread somewhere I listed several options for changing the pads on the AKG 371BT model. I have such a model and just haven't gotten around to changing the pads.

Also, some are assuming the BT model sounds different. That hasn't really been established. They have different depth to the pads which might well sound different, but one could change to the pads the same depth as the non-BT model. Some where up thread Olive responded that he didn't know if they were the same, which isn't confirmation they are different in sound.

In any case, they sound pretty good. They also seem improved by using exactly the couple of EQ changes Amir posted in his review for the non-BT model.

Correct, and it also states the BT model has no app or way of EQing it so it is leaving it handicapped to an extent.

I just purchased the non-bt one, and I got no issues. I got two very decent portable dac amps so I’m good as gold. Plus I can eq too on the go all the problems solved.

Never had a headphone that is so closely aligned with the Harman curve and I want to see what it sounds like, only reason I’m purchasing