AKG K371 Review (closed back headphone)

[solderdude]

Maybe ATH MSR7 ?

 

[markanini]

For electronic music genres you wont easily find a headphone that sounds the same in that way.

 

[schmu]

Maybe ATH MSR7 ?

Interesting, didn't come across this one yet.
What makes it better or different compared to the K371?
Seeing the price, one could assume that there's not a huge performance increase.

 

[solderdude]

Mechanically better build. Treble peak for the ATHMSR7 is higher.
Has a somewhat different tonal balance but is not far off.

 

[schmu]

Mechanically better build. Treble peak for the ATHMSR7 is higher.
Has a somewhat different tonal balance but is not far off.

thank you, I'm not sure if I want to spend ~ 150€ for something that might have a better build & a higher treble peak tbh.
Maybe I should just be content with the K371 for now haha.

 

[jtwrace]

I really like my K371's. Granted I only use them for my podcast but I find them incredibly comfortable and perfect for what I use them for. I did listen to music through them at one point and thought they sounded fine for that too.

Go Harman!

 

[Aldoszx]

I have both of them, MSR7 & K371.
Both of them sound good for me but MSR7 has indeed a better build.
I am using mostly K371 with new Oratory1990 EQ settings (based on his "Optimum HiFi" curve).
For MSR7, I am using @solderdude passive filter.

 

[Robin L]

B + H now has the AKG K371s on sale @ $119.99.

 

[Feelas]

Food for thought about the 3-4kHz dip, from Linkwitz website:

Our perception of loudness is slightly different for sounds arriving frontally versus sounds arriving from random directions at our ears. The difference between equal-loudness-level contours in frontal free-fields and diffuse sound fields is documented, for example, in ISO Recommendation 454 and in E. Zwicker, H. Fastl, Psycho-acoustics, p. 205.
Diffuse field equalization of dummy-head recordings is discussed in J. Blauert, Spatial Hearing, pp. 363, and headphone diffuse field equalization by G. Theile in JAES, Vol. 34, No. 12.
Reference to a slight dip in the 1 to 3 kHz region for loudspeaker equalization is made in H. D. Harwood (BBC Research Department), Some factors in loudspeaker quality, Wireless World, May 1976, p.48.

Around 3 kHz our hearing is less sensitive to diffuse fields. Recording microphones, though, are usually flat in frequency response even under diffuse field conditions. When such recordings are played back over loudspeakers, there is more energy in the 3 kHz region than we would have perceived if present at the recording venue and a degree of unnaturalness is introduced.
This applies primarily to recordings of large orchestral pieces in concert halls where the microphones are much closer to the instruments than any listener. At most listening positions in the hall the sound field has strong diffuse components.
I use a dip of 4 dB (x1.gif, 2760NF) to equalize for this. The circuit consists of R, C and L in series, forming a frequency dependent ladder attenuator in conjunction with the 5.11k ohm source resistor. You may choose to make the notch filter selectable with a switch for different types of recordings.
I have found through my own head-related recordings of symphonic music that the dip adds greater realism, especially to large chorus and to soprano voice and allows for higher playback levels.

Thoughts? Close miking might ensure this happens even more, and as such the dip seems to make sense, somehow. If that psychoacoustic scenario happens, I wonder whether GRAS measurements account for this.

I don't really think AKG designers would take this into account (barring that, perhaps the lowered fatigue in pro audio headsets is always wanted), yet it makes some sense in looking for the sources of reported reverb character in K371. This would also apply to any headphones w/ a dip there. That all being said, if this psychoacoustic phenomena really happens. I found it when reading about the so called "BBC dip", which seemingly flushes the soundstage backwards as a side effect of 1-3kHz EQ, perhaps 4k might be similar.

 

[boselover61]

Have anyone a K712 PRO to compare to these?

 

[DualTriode]

Have anyone a K712 PRO to compare to these?

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...headphone-amplifiers-tools-and-methods.17329/

See post 15

 

[samwell7]

Have anyone a K712 PRO to compare to these?

I've got K702s and a set of flat, memory foam (aftermarket K712) pads on order.
The K702 plus the pads should be fairly close to the K712 from measurements I've seen.

I can do a comparison for you when they arrive?

 

[samwell7]

Can another K371 owner help me out by trying something?

When I have my K371s on the smallest and second smallest position the wire is pinched between the cup and the bump stop but only on the right hand side (see below image) is this normal?

The most comfortable listening position for me is on the second smallest point so I'm worried the cable is going to fail as it's always under stress.

If somebody could please put their K371s on the smallest position and let me know if the same thing occurs that'd be very helpful (Amazon return period will be finished in a week or so)

 

[Grotti]

Looks the same with my K371 but the cable seems not completely pinched (still movable). I personally wouldn't worry too much about it....

 

[samwell7]

Looks the same with my K371 but the cable seems not completely pinched (still movable). I personally wouldn't worry too much about it....

Thanks for that!
Yeah the cable is only pinched if I push the cups out (like how they'd be when I'm wearing them).

 

[Robin L]

Thanks for that!
Yeah the cable is only pinched if I push the cups out (like how they'd be when I'm wearing them).

Look in the mirror with the pair on. I think the cups won't be pushing against the lead wire. the cups most likely will be going in, not out, when they're on your head.

 

[JSHamlet234]

Food for thought about the 3-4kHz dip, from Linkwitz website:



Thoughts? Close miking might ensure this happens even more, and as such the dip seems to make sense, somehow. If that psychoacoustic scenario happens, I wonder whether GRAS measurements account for this.

I don't really think AKG designers would take this into account (barring that, perhaps the lowered fatigue in pro audio headsets is always wanted), yet it makes some sense in looking for the sources of reported reverb character in K371. This would also apply to any headphones w/ a dip there. That all being said, if this psychoacoustic phenomena really happens. I found it when reading about the so called "BBC dip", which seemingly flushes the soundstage backwards as a side effect of 1-3kHz EQ, perhaps 4k might be similar.

The trouble with building such a dip into the listener's playback equipment is that there is a high likelihood that the fluctuations in sensitivity of human hearing at varying frequencies have already been accounted for by whoever recorded, mixed, and mastered the music. I prefer to let bad recordings sound like what they are.

 

[samwell7]

Look in the mirror with the pair on. I think the cups won't be pushing against the lead wire. the cups most likely will be going in, not out, when they're on your head.

I just put them on and had a look, the top of the cups point outwards like in my first pic so if I've got it on any of the 2 smallest clicks the cable is taking all the clamping force

 

[Not Daijoubu]

Koss KSC75 (I really like this one) at 90dB SPL

They turn really nasty when played loud and don't take low bass boost well.
Otherwise great headphone.

The newer ones don't perform as well as the ones from 10-15 years ago. No idea why. Koss claims nothing changed but measurements say otherwise.

Despite being a big Koss fanboy, this does not surprise me at all lol. Looking forward to Amir doing measurements on a Koss 60 ohm. I normally don't EQ my Porta Pro, but today I played around with Apple Music's basic EQ and even small tweaks transformed the sound quite significantly, although it still is not a very detailed headphone.

 

[Alansf]

After reading some reviews on Amazon, the poor product quality made me hesitate ，Looking forward to k371mark II