nunomeneses
100+ Head-Fier
A simple question. I own k361 and think the bump on lower range is a little too over. What differs the most to k371? In terms of response and detail?
AKG K361/K371
- Thread starter bcaulf17
- Start date
1More H1701 Triple Over-Ear if you can get it for $130 or under. Others that are reasonably priced would be planars, like the Audeze Penrose and the Dan Clark x Drop Aeon Closed X.
K371 has less brittle treble, but neither are particularly refined there. Timbre is better on the K371, but it does have a significant sub-bass shelf. It's a more detailed headphone, but it's not going to blow a good open back out of the water.
Just received these today.
I've been on a hunt for a portable closed-back lately, and these are relatively affordable ($109 on Amazon ATM), so figured why not?
For the asking price, I think build quality is acceptable. I was a bit concerned after coming across many horror stories online regarding poor QC. Not sure how well these will hold up long term, but they seem more sturdy in real-life than how they strike as being 'flimsy' in pictures/clips.
In short, sound is good from sub-bass to mids with mostly pleasing tonality. For my taste, sub-bass can be slightly toned down. Treble is a tad bit grainy, and the overall sound is more on the congested side. On the other hand, I appreciate the timbre here.
Visually, the earpads appear to be plush enough with decent depth. However, it's rather uncomfortable for some reason. Inner pad diameter is acceptable, but my ears are touching the driver housing, it seems. I had to constantly adjust the HP, and comfort wise, this reminded me of wearing the WH-1000XM4. Guess I'll have to try the Dekoni pads.
Overall, I think these are good HPs, especially when considering the current street/asking price. I will definitely be keeping these.
Well, my portable closedback search continues.... next, the DT700 pro x.
I've been on a hunt for a portable closed-back lately, and these are relatively affordable ($109 on Amazon ATM), so figured why not?
For the asking price, I think build quality is acceptable. I was a bit concerned after coming across many horror stories online regarding poor QC. Not sure how well these will hold up long term, but they seem more sturdy in real-life than how they strike as being 'flimsy' in pictures/clips.
In short, sound is good from sub-bass to mids with mostly pleasing tonality. For my taste, sub-bass can be slightly toned down. Treble is a tad bit grainy, and the overall sound is more on the congested side. On the other hand, I appreciate the timbre here.
Visually, the earpads appear to be plush enough with decent depth. However, it's rather uncomfortable for some reason. Inner pad diameter is acceptable, but my ears are touching the driver housing, it seems. I had to constantly adjust the HP, and comfort wise, this reminded me of wearing the WH-1000XM4. Guess I'll have to try the Dekoni pads.
Overall, I think these are good HPs, especially when considering the current street/asking price. I will definitely be keeping these.
Well, my portable closedback search continues.... next, the DT700 pro x.
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Speaking of the Dekoni choice suede pads....
These pads greatly increased the comfort of my K371. Comfort was my biggest gripe with these otherwise fantastic HP.
I was a little hesitant at first, due to the pads costing third of the HP price. And I typically stick with stock pads unless comfort is an issue, and these Dekoni pads are a solid choice.
Sound wise, My other gripe has been the hardness in the upper mid/lower treble region. These pads seem to have smoothened out in those areas and allow for more relaxed listening. At the moment, I actually prefer the sound of the K371 with these pads over the DT700 Pro X, which similarly suffer from the upper mid/treble bite and hardness. One thing the DT700 still has over this is the sense of spaciousness. Both aren't particularly open sounding HPs even when taking into account their closed nature, but the K371 feels slightly more closed-in than the DT700 Pro X.
Bottom line, preference aside, IMO this budget offering from AKG is hard to beat at this price range. And if you generally like the sound of these HPs but not the comfort, I recommend you give these Dekoni choice suede pads a try.
These pads greatly increased the comfort of my K371. Comfort was my biggest gripe with these otherwise fantastic HP.
I was a little hesitant at first, due to the pads costing third of the HP price. And I typically stick with stock pads unless comfort is an issue, and these Dekoni pads are a solid choice.
Sound wise, My other gripe has been the hardness in the upper mid/lower treble region. These pads seem to have smoothened out in those areas and allow for more relaxed listening. At the moment, I actually prefer the sound of the K371 with these pads over the DT700 Pro X, which similarly suffer from the upper mid/treble bite and hardness. One thing the DT700 still has over this is the sense of spaciousness. Both aren't particularly open sounding HPs even when taking into account their closed nature, but the K371 feels slightly more closed-in than the DT700 Pro X.
Bottom line, preference aside, IMO this budget offering from AKG is hard to beat at this price range. And if you generally like the sound of these HPs but not the comfort, I recommend you give these Dekoni choice suede pads a try.
Mark Up
1000+ Head-Fier
I'd gotten Dekoni Sheepskin for my K371. Comfortable, look good, similar sound with slightly more sub bass and a bit smoother high mids. A good investment.
b481
New Head-Fier
Anyone try these chinese earpad replacements? There's a few listings for them on eBay. I can't imagine they're all that great, but I'm morbidly curious nonetheless.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394136436033
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394136436033
SwordAngel
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2010
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Does anybody have an issue with the whole headphone having a tendency to slowly flip backwards unless you pull the headband to tilt forwards, but then the cups are also slightly tilted forwards, such that the pads don't form an optimal seal around the ears?
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fattymacgeek
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2010
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The pleather of my K371 headband has been flaking for a while now, and lately its been getting pretty bad. Does anyone have any suggestions for repair or replacement or even a simple headband cover? Do other owners face the same issue after several years of use?
Wow that's bad. How long have you had them for?The pleather of my K371 headband has been flaking for a while now, and lately its been getting pretty bad. Does anyone have any suggestions for repair or replacement or even a simple headband cover? Do other owners face the same issue after several years of use?
fattymacgeek
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2010
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I have had them basically since they were launched ... so approximately 2-3 years? It's probably typical wear-and-tear from normal usage. Just looking for a way to continue using them without getting black flakes on everything, because otherwise they are still perfect and I love the sound.
Knee Deep In Epoxy
500+ Head-Fier
I've been using K361 with the Yaxi stPad2 (stuPad name 2
) for some time. Stock pads were too uncomfortable.Yesterday I received the Dekoni Choice Suede and Elite Velours and decided to comapare all 4 sets - Stock, stPad2 and both Dekonis:
Stock - I won't go into this in detail as we all know what they sound like and feel like to wear.
Comfort - stPad2 and both Dekonis are more comfortable than stock. My right ear sticks out a little more than my left and touches the right driver with all pads. However stPad2 are the most comfortable of all for me even though they are the thinnest pads. Their foam is the firmest so they don't compress as much as the others and I feel little to no pressure on my right ear eventhough there is contact with the driver. Dekonis are thicker than the stpad2 but compress more so I end up feeling just a tad more pressure on my right ear but its still fine for listening for reasonably long times. I've not had a super long session with them yet but they are immediately more comfortable than stock which I can't wear for more than 30 mins.
Sound Impressions
Choice Suede is closest to stock; stpad2 is the most enjoyable sound for my taste, Elite Velour sounds closer to stPad2 than stock or Choice Suede.
If you love the stock sound and love great mids then stock and Choice Suede are the best options for their detail and timbre accuracy. I'd even go further and say that the Choice Suede present the mids with very slightly more fullness, warmth and than the stock. It's lovely.
In all other departments the stpad2 sounds best to me and the Elite Velour is a close second - greater soundstage, instrument and vocal separation, bass impact and sub-bass extension, clear highs without any harshness.
The stpad2 only beats the Elite Velours in terms of sub-bass rumble, extension and definition. In fact, all the other pads have bass that is slightly muddy compared to the stpad2.
Mids and highs on both the stpad2 and Elite Velours are more or less equal to each other. Both sound slightly thin and recessed in the mids compared to stock and Choice Suede.
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I own all three K361 and K371 (both non-BT) and the N700NC mk2. From research online you will find that the K361/371 BT version are inferior, even in wired mode to their non-BT counterparts.
While the N700NC mk2 resembles the other two a little bit, it is actually a completely different animal, as the headband is a very different design (like a mini version of the K553 mk2 headband). The earcups are quite a bit smaller and snug, albeit still encompassing your entire ears. Actually this gives it really great (and superior to the others) passive noise cancellation, removing almost all the noise even before powering on ANC. Note the mk2 is supposedly a major upgrade to the original version, so steer clear of that. The NC on the mk2 is very excellent, probably not at top grade Sony or Apple level, but better than most at its price.
Incidentally the sound signature of the N700NC mk2 is actually closer to the K371 than the K361 is to the K371. The bass is boosted on both the K371 and N700NC mk2, whereas the K361 is quite mid focused. That being said, they all have fairly neutral sound signatures.
The N700NC mk2 is probably the most audiophile and best sounding NC headphone I have ever tried. In fact, one could even use it for professional mixing. It does not have as wide of soundstage as the other two, although, interestingly, that does expand with ANC powered on. (The music is 'imitimate' unlike the other two which have some soundstage, but it is a bit wider once ANC is powered on.)
However, the K361 and K371 have even better clarity than the N700NC mk2. However, this gap is not huge. There are some days I am in more of an N700NC mk2 mood as its sound signature is a bit more "fun".
The K371 is probably the best all around with having both bass boost and clarity with soundstage; however, sometimes its bass boost can get taxing, whereas the K361 you can wear for hours and not have that energetic bass emphasis bug you.
If you need/want BT or ANC, get the N700NC mk2 (it also sounds good wired, without ANC, and powered off.)
If you don't need BT or ANC, want great clarity, some soundstage, and with a bass boost, get the K371.
If you don't need BT/ANC, want great clarity, some soundtage, but your ears tend to get tired from long listening sessions, get the K361.
While the N700NC mk2 resembles the other two a little bit, it is actually a completely different animal, as the headband is a very different design (like a mini version of the K553 mk2 headband). The earcups are quite a bit smaller and snug, albeit still encompassing your entire ears. Actually this gives it really great (and superior to the others) passive noise cancellation, removing almost all the noise even before powering on ANC. Note the mk2 is supposedly a major upgrade to the original version, so steer clear of that. The NC on the mk2 is very excellent, probably not at top grade Sony or Apple level, but better than most at its price.
Incidentally the sound signature of the N700NC mk2 is actually closer to the K371 than the K361 is to the K371. The bass is boosted on both the K371 and N700NC mk2, whereas the K361 is quite mid focused. That being said, they all have fairly neutral sound signatures.
The N700NC mk2 is probably the most audiophile and best sounding NC headphone I have ever tried. In fact, one could even use it for professional mixing. It does not have as wide of soundstage as the other two, although, interestingly, that does expand with ANC powered on. (The music is 'imitimate' unlike the other two which have some soundstage, but it is a bit wider once ANC is powered on.)
However, the K361 and K371 have even better clarity than the N700NC mk2. However, this gap is not huge. There are some days I am in more of an N700NC mk2 mood as its sound signature is a bit more "fun".
The K371 is probably the best all around with having both bass boost and clarity with soundstage; however, sometimes its bass boost can get taxing, whereas the K361 you can wear for hours and not have that energetic bass emphasis bug you.
If you need/want BT or ANC, get the N700NC mk2 (it also sounds good wired, without ANC, and powered off.)
If you don't need BT or ANC, want great clarity, some soundstage, and with a bass boost, get the K371.
If you don't need BT/ANC, want great clarity, some soundtage, but your ears tend to get tired from long listening sessions, get the K361.
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Mark Up
1000+ Head-Fier
I tried the Yaxi stPad2, and noticed the sub bass increase. I love bass, especially low sub bass, and perhaps because of my height I have longer middle ear canals. It was way too much sub bass vs. the rest of the spectrum (which seemed distant and anemic in comparison though not necessarily bad). It made me almost dizzy on sub bass heavy tracks & so I couldn't stay with it. I also tried the larger Meze 99 pads ($20 on Amazon / Meze site). They fit and look better on it than any other pad. They keep the most sound quality, from the original, and add a bit more even. There is a bit of midrange build up / echo / but not bothersome. Same sub bass issue though, just too much, it can make you dizzy.
Mark Up
1000+ Head-Fier
Alright. JUST after I posted that, these ear pads just arrived from AliExpress / www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803016478903.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.8a511802uQbc3d
Dammit, there goes those Dekoni Sheepskins. I liked them better than the stock because they didn't get permanent indentations or have the strong smell or odd grey color.
While being softer, there were a bit narrower which always bothered me. Their increased bass came at the cost of a loss of clarity. Well, the above pads has just fixed all of it.
You have to pick the ones on the left, it's $18 and says 'Original Parts' as color. It has no side seams and is clearly better made than the $12 one that I chose not to purchase.
Everything better. It does not arrive creased or crinkled and will not. It is true black, looks better. It's a touch softer than the original and wider (read, better fit) than Dekonis.
Sound? It has similar bass to the Dekoni, but cleaner, the high mid and highs that became rolled off return. Soundstage is the same. I bought a 2nd pair as backup just now.
Dammit, there goes those Dekoni Sheepskins. I liked them better than the stock because they didn't get permanent indentations or have the strong smell or odd grey color.
While being softer, there were a bit narrower which always bothered me. Their increased bass came at the cost of a loss of clarity. Well, the above pads has just fixed all of it.
You have to pick the ones on the left, it's $18 and says 'Original Parts' as color. It has no side seams and is clearly better made than the $12 one that I chose not to purchase.
Everything better. It does not arrive creased or crinkled and will not. It is true black, looks better. It's a touch softer than the original and wider (read, better fit) than Dekonis.
Sound? It has similar bass to the Dekoni, but cleaner, the high mid and highs that became rolled off return. Soundstage is the same. I bought a 2nd pair as backup just now.
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InvisibleInk
Headphoneus Supremus
Alright. JUST after I posted that, these ear pads just arrived from AliExpress / www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803016478903.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.8a511802uQbc3d
Dammit, there goes those Dekoni Sheepskins. I liked them better than the stock because they didn't get permanent indentations or have the strong smell or odd grey color.
While being softer, there were a bit narrower which always bothered me. Their increased bass came at the cost of a loss of clarity. Well, the above pads has just fixed all of it.
You have to pick the ones on the left, it's $18 and says 'Original Parts' as color. It has no side seams and is clearly better made than the $12 one that I chose not to purchase.
Everything better. It does not arrive creased or crinkled and will not. It is true black, looks better. It is a touch softer than the original and wider (read, better fit) than Dekonis.
Sound? It has similar bass to the Dekoni, but cleaner, the high mids and highs that became rolled off return. Soundstage is the same. I bought a 2nd pair as backup just now.
Looks kind of shallow to me. The shallowness of the original pads were just so uncomfortable.
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