AKG N60 NC

Any pair of headphones aimed at the slice of the market that is always darting from A to B sets the manufacturer more than a few challenges. Firstly, keeping the model as lightweight as possible is a must. An overall compact form is another, as is a carry case solution that’s just as discreet. They also need to be comfortable to wear for hours at a time, while also delivering quality sound output. Finally, something that looks great will always win over pundits, with headphones nowadays earning just as many nods for their aesthetics as their playback performance.

Music on the Go

The weight of these headphones is definitely a draw, weighing in a total of 179 grams. It just escapes the accolade of falling into the flyweight class, falling a little heavy of the 150g cut-off. That being said, ultra-lightweight constructions have their downsides. Ensuring sufficient stability and overall robustness is a challenge for that class of product, so maybe those extra 29 grams are worth the carrying cargo.
The N60 makes a solid first impression. You get the impression things are robust enough that you needn’t worry about the safety of the unseen components. Considering the earpieces can be folded both vertically and horizontally, this confidence in resilience against strain is truly saying something. The folding mechanism is a pocket-friendly format, allowing the headphones to stowed away safely in the smallest of compartments. For that purpose, a durable neoprene bag is thrown into the package.
The compact design is ultimately only achievable by a compromise in the size of the earpieces, as seen here. Personally, I’m not a big fan of this design approach. Models like this tend to have issues with contact pressure and this one was no different. However, to be fair to AKG, I have to admit this was only noticeable after a three-hour train journey.

Enjoy a Front Row Experience

What always excites me is being treated to a new sound experience for the first time. With these AKG headphones, my attention was immediately grabbed thanks to an impressive representation of space. The sound of these headphones is wide and open, allowing you to savour all dimensions of the recording. For pieces recorded in authentic environments, like classical and jazz titles, you can marvel at the beautiful sound you might experience if sitting in the front row of the performance hall for real.
The frequency response is neutral, with powerful bass taking a back seat to precise impulses, while the mids and treble are clean and balanced. Depending on what you’re listening to, the lower mid-range might suffer from the occasional hiss, but beyond that, the N60 NC radiates a superior and shimmering treble.

Shut Out the World

Activating noise cancelling is like switching off the world around you. On the train, I had the perfect busy environment to test the ANC functionality of these headphones. It worked perfectly the first time. Where there was constant chatter and engine thuds, there was silence. However, the sound does experience an overall change with ANC enabled, with a significant upswing in bass. With a battery life of 30 hours with the function enabled, you can enjoy silencing the world around you for a great deal of time without the worry of reaching for a charging cable.