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AKG K371 Review (closed back headphone)

Frank Dernie

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At 299 that’s a tempting impulse buy. Should I?!
I bought some soon after they came out.
They work well and are exquisitely made but were not in production long so I would imagine not repairable if they went wrong and they don't have a direct way to use them bypassing the DSP so if they -do- go wrong they can't be used without repair.
 

Jimbob54

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The QC is not a problem that much (it used to be I guess), but the pads are atrocious, with the creaking, moving memory foam underneath. Hopefully there'll be some replacements in the future...

I wonder whether AKG plans to cut off the K371s (making a new model with some corrections), leaving numerous people without replacement parts, or will these be continued...

That does it for me. Can't have noisy pads.
 

Feelas

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That does it for me. Can't have noisy pads.
I've seen people on Reddit trying to fit MDR-7506 onto these, so maybe, y'know, or maybe in nearby future somebody will manufacture.

They don't actually crackle that much, but I think that the moving foam itself is a show-stopper for many people.

OTOH, I think it's impressive how flat the GD graph looks.
 

solderdude

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50 mm titanium-coated drivers (available at ebay, aliexpress..)
1611402908321.png


Picture of K371 driver below.

rear driver K371.JPG
 

Joachim Herbert

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I own them and found that the the cord is a major problem. It tends to rub against a shirt collar or whatever is in reach and generates very loud noise. Part of the problem is the mini xlr and zthe position of the connector. This is a major design fault of this otherwise very pleasing headphone.

I replaced the standard Cord with a custum made one with a xlr plug that has an 90 degree angled cable outlet, assembled so that the cable points away from the body. Problem solved, but at quite a cost.

The K361 is probably better in this respect.

P.s.: The pads are not noisy and I find it quite comfortable.
 

Count Arthur

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My twopence.

I've had a pair of 371s for a short while and I really like how they sound. I've just tried Amir's EQ settings and I can hear a slight increase in clarity, particularly on vocals, but I'm completely happy with them "neat", it's quite subtle and, for me, not essential.

Compared to my Focal Clears, sonically I could happily live with either of these headphones and given the huge price difference between them, that makes the Focals shockingly bad value. However, as one would hope, the Focals are much better built. In addition, despite being heavier, I find the Focals more comfortable. The larger and deaper ear pads on the Focal Clears fit around my ears better and they are also much cooler; I find my ears get quite hot in the AKG 371s, such that I want to remove them periodically to allow my ears and the pads to cool down.

Regarding the hinge and adjustment mechanism, I agree with the critisisms, it's a bit vague and it's a shame they didn't do a better job of it. Of all the headphones I've tried, it's probably the worst. They're fine for home use, where I use them, but I suspect that they would be pretty useless if you want them to wear while out and about, in the gym, or for DJs, etc.
 

Jimbob54

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Is there a headset cable with mic for starfield? How is the starfield fit for you? Can you sleep with them on the ear?

It takes standard 2pin iem cable so I'm sure you could find an inline mic cable. Not one in the box, like most audio focused iem.

I couldnt wear in bed, they would come lose. Needs the perfect tip for my ears.
 

solderdude

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I agree.. K371 is better sounding. K361 may possibly be better for monitoring purposes. Doesn't have the mini XLR plug either so is cheaper.
The driver of the K361 is tuned differently (other damping scheme)
 

Feargal

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I have some K361s. Sound quality even in-EQ'd is great and I have no issues with build quality or fit. I've only had to adjust them a few times anyway and don't recall any issues. Pads seem pretty comfortable, and I use them for guitar practice so I move around a fair bit. The one thing that is of a very slight irritation is the protruding plug pointing downwards towards my shoulder from the left hand side (the K371 might be a bit better in this respect as it has a smaller? mini XLR).
 

Count Arthur

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The one thing that is of a very slight irritation is the protruding plug pointing downwards towards my shoulder from the left hand side (the K371 might be a bit better in this respect as it has a smaller? mini XLR).

No, it's just as bad, I've noticed the plug/cable catching on my colar on occassion. It would have been better if they put the cable at an angle towards front of the ear cup, at around 7 or 8 o'clock, if you see what I mean.
 

pwjazz

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Is there a headset cable with mic for starfield? How is the starfield fit for you? Can you sleep with them on the ear?

I never sleep with IEMs, but I do wear them in bed. With the right tips, the Starfield fits securely and deep enough that lying on my side is comfortable enough. The only IEMs I have that are more comfortable for bed are the tiny Sony MH755.
 

Pio

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Thanks for this excellent review Amir. I use the 371's everyday as monitors for my commercial voice over work and love them. From my experience in broadcasting since the late 80's the headphone / monitor standard went from the Sony 7506 / V6 then many started preferring the Audio Technica m50x (me included). But (IMO) the 371 is the better headphone. No quality issues on mine or the 2 I gifted to industry friends.
 

blse59

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I had these headphones for a couple of months. Sold them because the build was not up to my standards. The sizing mechanism is not robust and slides too easily. I need it to stay in place and be consistent.
 

Thomas_A

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The original K271 Studio sounded good to me. The later Mk2 models sound terrible though. No low bass and peaky treble. Wonder what they did to destroy this model.
 
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