Product Description
AKG's K271 Monitoring Headphones are the DJ's most unfailing tool. The closed-back, circumaural earphones provide maximum attenuation of high ambient noise. No sound leaks from these headphones - you'll hear the highest highs and lowest lows. It offers the same performance as studio headphones, but is much lighter and easier to use and with a natural, pristine sound. Frequency Range - 16 Hz to 28 kHz Rated Impedance - 55 ohms THD -
<0.3% Gold plated stereo mini jack; Gold plated mini to 1/4 screw-on adapter jack Plug-in cable with mini XLR connector Weight - 8.5 oz. (240 g)
Customer Reviews:
Terrific price-to-quality ratio.......2007-12-19
These headphones are terrific. The audio reproduction seems very well balanced, and while the closed design does attenuate external sounds, they are not boomy unlike most typical closed-design phones. They are quite comfortable and light. They do not fold, so they are not ideal for traveling, but the low impedance will allow them to reproduce any audio surprisingly well from even the wimpiest of MP3 player. With an external headphone amp, they can put out very clean concert level audio with very little distortion. Careful about hearing loss, these fantastic cans sure are capable of accelerating it. Over all, they are real bargain for the quality, and they come with as two year USA waranty. Highly recommended!
Excellent sealed (closed) cans for noisy environs!.......2007-08-24
Much lighter and better built than the 7506s it replaced, the 271S is a tremendous set of headphones. Three weeks into using them 8 hours a day, the sound is brilliant, clear, transparent, with great impact -- and only gets better when paired with a good headphone amp. Mine are fed by a Firestone Audio Cute BEYOND headphone amp, and the results are quite remarkable.
These cans have a seductive midrange, crystal-clear highs, and a well-tempered, articulate bass. Overall the sound is transparent, lively, very well detailed, yet smooth. The better the source, the better the recording, the better these will do. When you listen to reference-caliber recordings, your eyes will bug out. They're good. Really good. Incredible on voices. The music's great, of course -- incredible, even -- but the voices.. oh man. Violin and cello lovers will also appreciate the midrange these cans have.
Lack of comfort is what drove me away from my previous cans, and the 271 delivers comfort in spades. Lightweight, well-built, comfortable enough to be worn all day long. So comfortable, in fact, I forget I am wearing them.
If you're a music lover trapped in a noisy open office or cubicle farm, these are what the good doctor ordered. They muffle the outside world, and the outside world won't hear what you're listening to.
Nice headphones for the price.......2007-03-11
I tested many closed-back headphone brands in my search for a replacement for my Sony MDR-V6 and landed on the AKGs. While the AKGs lack the liveliness of the V6s, I feel they are more "accurate". My spouse prefers the V6s, however. The AKGs are comfortable, even for a person with a touch larger head like myself. They are certainly larger than the V6s and look a bit geeky, but in the confines of ones own home, I guess who cares. The AKGs are a great match for my Nano. There appears to be just enough power available in the Nano to drive the AKGs to decent volumes. They won't make your ears bleed, however, for that one may want to invest in an external amp. Don't get me wrong, the AKGs do not require an amp for use with a portable device. Also, the AKGs do not drain the Nano like my Sony V-600s did. More on par with the Sony MDR-V6s I was replacing. Overall, the AKGs are a nice set of headphones.
Acurate Audio Monitor Quality.......2006-09-28
If you read my previous review of the Bose Triport Headphones where I said these were the greatest. . . I take it back. I won't say I lied, but I will say I am now better educated. The AKG K271 headphones are only slightly more expensive, but they are in another world of quality. One of the two headphones is priced wrong.
Let me get my annoyances with the K271 out of the way. One of the features is an on / off switch that is built in to headband of the `phones. The idea is that if you are in a recording session and these headphones are not in use, no sound will come out from the speakers. These days my hairstyle resembles a classic Friar Tuck with a generous portion of solar panel on top. Without an excess of bushy hair, I've got to push the headphones down to get them to play. The first time I put them on I thought I had a defective set as I was not hearing any sound. Lesson learned very quickly: place the headphones snugly on your head! Disappointment 2 is there is no adjustment for the headband size.
Once they were properly in place, the sound is sweet. The midrange is really opened up, the highs are clean and the bass is there without being overpowering. By way of contrast, the Bose highs are piercing, the bass overrides the midrange and the midrange, if there is no bass to overpower it, is mediocre. In short, there is no comparison in sound quality between the two sets of headphones. AKG advertises a dynamic range of 16 Hz - 28,000 kHz. While the extremes are considered beyond the range of normal hearing, I do believe that by being able to reproduce harmonics in the ranges outside of normal hearing, the K271 comes as close as you can to reproducing a truly live sound.
There is also a world of difference in construction. These are designed with daily use, and for long periods of time, in mind. The metal portion of the headband is rock solid but still light weight, the padding for your ears is comfortable, the cord is heavy duty and user replaceable. Compare this to the narrow headband of the Bose, thin hard wired cord and the slider that is now held together by a cable tie.
If you are looking for a set of headphones for indoor critical listening, these are the ones. Save the Triports for hooking up to your portable player. They are still a good set of headphones, but not in the same league as the AKG K271.
Product Description
The K 271 Studio is a complete model that combines the benefits of AKG's circumaural design for extreme comfort and a closed-back design for maximum isolation from ambient noise. Thanks to its XXL transducers, the K 271 Studio sounds clean, smooth and very rich. The K 271 Studio is the perfect choice for any application where sonic bleed could cause problems such as broadcast work. Another important feature of the K 271 Studio is the addition of a switch in the headband that mutes the audio just as soon as the headphones are taken off.
Customer Reviews:
Accurate sound, impressive noise reduction.......2007-12-22
After a little research exploring the options, I settled on this set from AKG for my monitoring and mixing needs.
Noise is a concern for anyone working (or simply listening) in a noisey environment. With the ubiquity of computers in this day and age, the constant whir of fans quickly becomes an irritant and distraction from accurate listening (and the truley silent pc is still a myth, despite what any manufacturer may claim). The K271 surprised me with the noise suppresion its closed back design provided - there is no artificial noise cancellation that might alter the tone, it is purely the work of the design of the cups fitting over the ear, and it is remarkable. With the headhpones in place, the noise of two computers right beside me is reduced by half. The clack of typing on the keyboard is eliminated. People calling me from downstairs but a distant buzz. Ah, it is a marvel indeed! Conversely sound does not leak out. I have handed the set to players I have recorded to monitor themselves with, and bleed was not an issue. The automatic switch that shuts off the sound when removing the phones is a nice touch, making these a natural for a studio environment.
The quality of the audio reproduced on this set is of the highest order - I'd say it easily outclasses the bulk of other headphones (both open and closed designs) out there. Smooth and warm throughout the range, no unusual emphasis in any part of the band. Truly a reference monitor. High frequencies are a pleasure on this set, and faithfully help one weed out undesired harshness. The bass is not 'weak' as other reviews have implied, it is simply accurate. Most consumer gear has a bass boost - while some might desire this for their listening pleasure, it certainly is not all that helpful for professional music production purposes (which these phones are intended for) as it would alter your perception of how to treat the material. The bass is accurate, and surprisingly focused - sharp hits are reproduced with beautiful crispness. The bass is definetly 'tight' as many would put it.
The accuracy extends to all sorts of minutiae of sound, and listening to favourite recordings can, as others have stated, be quite the revelation.
Comfortable and durable in design, these ought to last a very long time. The long high quality cord is greatly appreciated as it provides some freedom of movement.
Recommended for music professionals, and music lovers who enjoy hearing their audio faithfully reproduced, not unlike what the engineers who recorded it did.
The best headphones I've ever owned........2007-08-06
Having read AKG's reputation over the last few months of searching for good headphones, I excitedly opened the box and placed these on my head. I couldn't believe how comfortable they are. The padding around my ears is snug, but not tight and the headband rests with an even amount of gentle pressure over the surface of my head, rather than applying more pressure to a few points. They are lightweight, so I'm not continually aware of their presence, allowing me to completely focus on what I'm listening to.
They appear to be very well-constructed, with even stitching and hinges and pins that are strong. I have not found the slightest flaw in any of the surfaces or between the seams of the connecting pieces. The cord connects to the left 'phone with a three-pin connector that inserts with a strong, satisfying 'Click' and I expect that the problems I've experienced with a set of truly mediocre Sony phones I own (sound cutting in and out in one ear due to cord integrity) will simply not be a problem with these. (The AKG's cord connection design allows replacement cords.)
This set of headphones features buttons on the tops of both earcups that once released (when the user does not have them on his/her head), silences the signal to the earcups. I thought this might be a disadvantage, but it is of no consequence. This is a design to prevent noise from the 'phones from entering a microphone or other pickup device in a studio setting -- perfect for DJ and other professional work. As a home user, this merely prevents the sound from escaping until the headphones are snugly ensconced on top of the listener's head.
As for the sound, I can't say much except these are the most wonderful-sounding 'phones I've ever owned and among the best I've ever listened through. All ranges are so clearly and beautifully rendered that it's tough to pick out one particularly magnificent quality, except that one. As mentioned by another reviewer, the bass is alive and present, but avoids overpowering all other frequencies. Listening to classical orchestral music, I noticed sounds I'd never heard through my speakers (which says something about the quality of my speakers, I guess) such as small coughs, pages turning, etc. It's just amazing. The sound washes over me and I'm completely absorbed, or rather I completely absorb it. Fantastic!
In comparing these to another recent purchase of a pair of Sennheiser wireless headphones, the Senns sound thin and tinny, although still clear and crisp. But they cannot match the depth and quality of the core-filled sounds emanating from these AKGs. I suppose few wireless sets will favorably compare to a truly great pair of corded 'phones, but the difference between the two is telling.
The AKGs are close-cupped. This is an advantage if you want the close clarity of intent listening without ambient sounds creeping in or without the sounds of what you're listening to creeping out. However, the sound has a much closer feel, as if you're in a studio rather than a reverberating hall. Thus, recordings with a high degree of reverberation will shine with these 'phones (though everything sounds wonderful with them). If you like a more open, natural sound, you might try the K 240 headphones or step up to the semi-open K 601 or K 701 sets. I plan to add the K 701s to my home theater system and I'll certainly write a review when I do! Happy listening.
The real thing!!.......2007-05-12
I have been searching for headphones for about a year.My use for them is primarily for listening to recorded music at times when it is not appropriate to indulge with my main audiophile system.(the misses and the neighbors) Most of the sets out there are way to muddy or bassy sounding. Others are tinny like the old transistor radios of my youth. The AKG 721's are the clearest and most true sounding headphones I have ever tried. The sounds are rich, and clean. Tight bass, clear highs and excellent mids. No matter what I am listening to I feel I am getting just what the producer wanted be to hear. And they are comfortable!! The auto adjust fits me wonderful with no futzing. I feel these are very much worth the price. Strongly recommended!
An excellent pair of sealed headphones for acoustic music.......2007-02-24
I purchased these to replace my worn down Sennheiser HD212 Pros. They had served me well over the three years that I had had them, but was looking to upgrade to a more mature sounding headphone with more articulated mids and more refined bass. I am a classical trumpet player in college, and I do quite a bit of analysis of classical music because of it. I therefore needed a headphone with a fairly neutral frequency response that would also be comfortable for long listening periods, and be sealed for use in my dorm.
I must say that for sealed headphones, the AKGs truly do live up to their reputation as being a very refined headphone. They seem to be more marketed towards acoustic listening. Based on my observations, they do really shine in the midrange, with the mids being very clear and not tinny as can be found on others. The highs are also very detailed and not obtrusive. Note that sealed headphones by their very nature will produce a more 'boxed in' feel than open ones, and you do notice this with these, but of the sealed cans I have used, these seem to be the least noticeable.
Many people have complained about the bass response of these cans, and I can see where they are coming from if you need to have heavy bass for electronica or hip hop, but the AKG's bass is by no means woofy or obstentatious, it is simply a little recessed. It is as if someone simply turned down the volume a little on the low end, but retained the detail. I imagine that it would most likely improve with an amp. I do listen to electronica sometimes and find that the AKGs have just the right amount of punch for me without giving me a migraine in the process.
It is most likely a good idea to use a headphone amp with the AKGs. Even though they can be driven from portable players to some degree with their 55ohm impedience I found that to achieve what I consider normal listening volume I had to keep the volume bar on my iPod to about 2/3 maximum.
The fit and finish is outstanding. I was into the whole retro look with these 'phones, and the Gimbal type mechanism has them resting lightly, but securely on the head. They also adjust easily to my head due to the automatic adjustment system and soft headband, meaning I don't have to mess around with that. However, if you use them in a hot environment, the earcups will make your ears sweat, so beware. The only other thing was that the rubber on the cable could be a little better reinforced, but this shouldn't be a problem if you don't mess around with or abuse it.
Overall, I believe that AKG has graced us with a well designed, excellent sounding sealed can for acoustic music. Outstanding product.
Nothing more, nothing less than TRUE SOUND.......2006-11-03
I've bought this headphones for the sole purpose of mixing my band's live performances, but I ended up carring it with me everywhere I go. Sure it is not the best definition of portable, but boy, it sounds like no other! If you're not one of those overbass fans, if you ever get the chance, try it with a song you're very used to listen. It will sound like a whole new song, much more detailed! Real flat, well-defined in all ranges, its resolution is amazing - the midrange reproduction is like no other I ever tried. It is also very comfortable and well built. The only thing I don't really like about it it is its cord - a little bit too long. But since it is replaceble, it is not exactly a problem.
Product Description
The complete solutions package essential for your device!
Cheap Consumer Electronics:
- Apple Mighty Mouse Wireless Kit
- Apple Wireless Keyboard Kit
- Audio Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitoring Headphones
- BebeSounds TV Listener
- Behringer Powerplay PRO-XL HA4700 Amplifier 4-Channel, 0.25 Inch TRS Output Connectors
- BOSE (R)(R) Large Replacement Ear Tips for In-Ear Headphones
- ChicBuds Swarovski Crystal Retractable Earbuds - Pink on Black
- Clear Harmony™ Active Noise Canceling Headphones
- COMPAQ 700ID Compaq Optical Mouse / SD & MMC Reader Writer
- DW-ISD081 8x DVD+R / 4x DVD+RW, 8X DVD-R / 4X DVD-RW DVDRW Drive, 2.4X Dual Layer Fastest UNIVERSAL Internal Notebook DVD Burner fit Most HP, Sony, E-machine, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, Acer, Asus, SysteMax Laptops
Cheap Consumer Electronics List
Cheap Consumer Electronics
Headphones
|
DJ Equipment & Accessories
|
DJ, Karaoke & Lighting
|
Sound & Recording Equipment
|
Products
|
Musical Instruments
AKG K240 Semi Open Studio Headphones
Logitech Extreme PC Gaming Headset (980233-0403)
Western Digital WDG1T5000N My Book Pro Edition 500 GB USB/Firewire Triple Interface External Hard Drive
SANYO Eneloop 8 Pack AA NiMH Ready to Use Rechargeable Batteries
Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard
