AKG K371-BT

The audio hardware of both these over-ears remains basically the same, even with the addition of a Bluetooth receiver. They can still be used wired, for which I’ll give them an extra point for usability. Because – especially if you use the headphones mainly in the same place – it is very annoying if you forget to charge them. However, this should not be necessary too often, because with a full charge the AKG lasts up to 40 hours. The Bluetooth version, with its 50-millimetre drivers with OFC (Oxygen-free copper) voice coil, also provides an epic frequency response that ranges from 5 Hz to 40 kHz, and has a sound pressure level of 104.37 dB at an average impedance of 34.2 ohms.

Appearance

As with the 2x series, AKG breaks new ground in the design of the “Threes”. Here, the joy of innovation goes even further, because everything about these headphones is well rounded. There is not a single hard edge here, except for the mini XLR jack for the connecting cable on the left side. In combination with the anthracite housing, this looks “stealthy” and really modern. Another unusual feature is that the headphone ear cups can be folded inwards by 180 degrees on the adjustment axis making them easy to transport. So the K371 fits comfortably into its accompanying carrying bag, which is a real eye-catcher with its fabric finish and soft fleece lining. The choice of materials also makes a high-quality impression, as the heavy-duty axle on the ear cup is made of robust magnesite and feels great. Whether (in the case of the K371 three) you pack the included connection cables into the bag or not – the inclusion of the three cables (two straight with 3 and 1.2 metres, one spiral cable with 3 metres) including mini jack adapter get bonus points from me. With this generous selection of features, it should be possible to cope with almost any application scenario, and the fact that AKG uses the mini-XLR standard for the jack also allows the use of standard accessory cables – all very good. The only visible indicators of the Bluetooth and hands-free functionality added to the BT version are the small slide switch with integrated LED, a USB-C charging jack, and a tiny microphone hole in the left earpiece.

Wearing comfort

I would like to call the wearing comfort excellent – but in view of the closed design, which is always a bit more uncomfortable than open systems due to the closed design (the thing to watch out for here is “heat accumulation”): The headband lies comfortably, it is soft over the skull and the earpads cover the ears well and with very even pressure distribution. Their comfortable fit is also due to the oval shape because even large ears can fit completely into the earpiece and no part of the ear is squeezed.

Handling

The cable connection is self-explanatory: Plug one of the supplied cables into the mini-XLR socket and, if necessary, screw on the jack adapter, which is also included. And neither does Bluetooth connection present the user with any major difficulties: Move the Bluetooth slider towards “On”, select AKG as the audio device on the transmitter – done. The fact that the slide switch can (and must) only be moved to the middle of the recess is a little bit irritating. Intuitively, you want to push it to the On mark. But you can’t and shouldn’t do that, because the space is needed to keep the small LED indicator visible. The gesture control is completely invisible so you have to stroke over the AKG logo area of the left ear cup. An up/down movement controls the volume, swiping back and forth navigates between music tracks, and a short tap controls play/pause. I was really impressed by the range of the Bluetooth connection. The wireless connection remained stable through two room walls, over this sort of distance the wireless connection of most of the other headphones we tested has broken down.

Sound

It’s amazing, but these headphones sound exactly the way they look: Absolutely seamless! Over the entire listening range the parts are just totally balanced. For some people this might be too unspectacular and emotionless. And it’s true: If you are looking for impressive staging of music, this is not the place for you, because the K371 offer neither shiny glittering highs nor spectacular bass booms. They simply play music – neutral, unadulterated and accurate. It maybe a little bit one-dimensional, but even the stereo field seems neutral and objective here. With this exemplary unobtrusiveness and comfortable wearing characteristics, the K371 is especially recommended for professional work with music, whether in the recording studio, the editing suite or the control room. The only thing you have to pay attention to is that they are positioned on the “sweet spot”, because your ears will have plenty of room under these ear pads.