AKG Y100

The adaptable neckband gives the in-ears good stability so that in everyday use there is a lot of freedom of movement; in sports use, a short intermediate sprint is also possible. For more intensive sporting activities, however, these headphones do not seem to be the right choice, as their grip reaches its limits in the event of major vibrations. By using magnets at the ends of the housing, of what is a robust and well-manufactured system, the headphones can be worn around the neck like a chain. This is especially practical when on the move, as there is no need to stow them away. On the other hand, the presence of cable noise, which can occur, for example, when the rubberised sheath comes into contact with clothing, is a negative aspect of the design.

Energy is supplied by a lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 120 mAh, which has proven to be long-lasting in practice and reached a runtime of more than eight hours when fully charged up. When the battery is empty, charging via the supplied USB charging cable takes about two hours, and the quick charging function allows spontaneous use. After a power supply of just 15 minutes, the headphones could be used for more than one and a half hours, which is a good result.

Device control

The Y100 supports Bluetooth standard 4.2 and, in combination with various Android and iOS devices, offered ranges of around ten metres with above-average stability. Pairing is performed by holding down the central remote button, switching the system on, and then switching it to pairing mode. When a radio connection is established, the button is used to control the start/stop function and to accept and end telephone calls. The corresponding voice assistant can also be activated by double-clicking, while separate plus and minus buttons are available for volume control. These can also be used for title navigation by pressing and holding the plus button to jump forward, and the minus button to jump back, which is achieved without delay. The only thing that needs getting used to is that the buttons have a certain resistance when pushed.

Multipoint Connections and Ambient Aware Technology

If two devices are paired at the same time, you can switch between them smoothly. The headphones connect seamlessly as soon as playback is stopped. Even calls on a mobile phone will not be missed while using a tablet with a multipoint connection, as these are automatically given priority. While the quality of the integrated microphone is praiseworthy, as it depicts one’s own voice clearly and ensures good speech intelligibility when telephoning, the Ambient Aware mode is only successful to a limited extent. This can be (de-)activated via a button on the side of the remote and lowers the playback level in order to amplify the ambient noise. The idea is good, but the mixing ratio in the ear is diffuse, so that the added value is rather low. The function is useful in the case of being aware of signals or announcements, but locating or understanding them isn’t really possible.

Sound

The in-ears have a clear, bright sound with a well-defined bass foundation that extends into the deep bass range and sounds appealingly powerful, although the basses tend to be slim rather than full or overloaded. While the mid-range, which resolves with great attention to detail, appears more reserved, the quite constant treble has a superficially perceived presence, which can become noticeable especially with increasing volume by an overdrawing of hissing sounds. Those who are sensitive in this respect can also be disturbed by the slight background noise of the headphones. The powerful output, on the other hand, has reserves, while the more compact stereo stage typical of in-ears appears tidy and well structured. Thanks to the support of the AAC codec, a broad musical spectrum is covered with impressive sound quality.