I have been pretty obsessed with the performance of any of my listening equipment especially when it comes to in-ear/headphones. And as much as I wanted the best headphones possible, I simply couldn’t afford those. So when I needed a set of headphones, I went for the most bang for the buck headphones.
As with most equipment that that I tend to buy, I had specific requirements that I would not bend. With choosing the headphones, I had two besides having good quality sound, one was that it needed to be circumaural or that it needed to wrap around my ears rather than supra-aural or having the cups press on them. The second requirement is that the headphones had to be a closed set as opposed to an open set. Closed headphones would better prevent outside noise from mixing with what I was listening to and also prevent people around me getting annoyed as they can hear the music I’m playing.
Most consumers probably would not be familiar with the AKG brand but for professionals, the brand is highly regarded for the quality of sound that their products produce. That is I was thinking when I saw the AKG K512 headphones in stock at a computer shop no less. The price was also decent for PhP2,490.
Specs-wise, the K512 are decent enough. The audio bandwidth ranges from 18Hz to 20,000Hz with 32ohms of impedance and a maximum input power of 200mW. On the other hand, specs are not everything especially when it comes to listening equipment. In terms of sound quality, the AKG K512 headphones actually sound better than I expected. I use these cans from music to gaming and the headphones did not skip a beat. The bass is perfectly punchy and not overwhelming while the highs are a bit lacking for my taste. The mids are just right.
Comfort-wise, the ear cups fit pretty well for my ears as well as isolating them from the external noise. It won’t completely block external noises but just enough that you won’t be blasting your ears with music that can damage you ears beyond repair. One problem that I have with the K512 is the auto adjusting strap. The strap is basically an elastic strap that will stretch to fit my head. It does work as advertised as you don’t need to adjust anything to make the headphones fit right. However, the strap hits just the right pressure point in my head with the right amount of pressure that I get a feeling of imbalance which in turn makes me a bit nauseous. Removing the headphones instantly makes me feel better. I did find away to alleviate the feeling by adjusting the headphones just so that it does not hit the pressure point on my head.
Except for the annoying auto adjusting strap, the AKG K512 headphones is a great purchase for PhP2,490. They produce great sound while passively isolating my ears to any external noises.
Specs:
- System|Design: Dynamic | Circumaural, Closed
- Audio Bandwidth (Hz): 18 – 20,000
- Efficiency (dB SPL/V): 115
- Maximum Input Power (mW): 200
- Rated Impedance (ohms): 32
- Weight (g|oz): 190 | 6.7
- Cable (m|ft): 2.5 | 8
- Stereo Adaptor (mm|inch): 3.5/6.3 | 1/8″ to 1/4″
Plus: Excellent sound quality for the price; Strong bass
Minus: Strong auto-adjusting headband
Bottomline: Would have given a higher score if it wasn’t for the annoying auto-adjusting headband but the great sound quality far outweighs that single annoyance
Rating: 8/10
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