AKG K52 Headphones review: Good sound, excellent comfort, makes these headphones a compelling buy

AKG is a well-known brand in the audio circle owned by Harman Kardon, now owned by **Samsung** . The K52’s are relatively new headphones launched at the beginning of this year. Having heard these briefly before, I was quite eager to review these thoroughly. Build and Design: 8.5 / 10 The headphones are sturdy with a prominent black finish metal frame around it with a net weight of only 200g. Compare that with a headphone like Audio Technica M50 which weighs 284g, the difference of just 84g on the head makes a world of difference in terms of weight and comfort. [caption id=“attachment_353610” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The most comfortable headphones ever[/caption] Unlike most headphones which come with a hard strap like Audio Technica M50, AKG K52 has a much better-designed head strap made of unique malleable leatherette strap that easily conforms to the shape of the head while securing the headphones well. [caption id=“attachment_353611” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Can fit around large ears too easily[/caption] The comfortable large leatherette earpads which fit around-the-ear (rather than on-the-ear) add to the comfort. These also house the 40mm drivers. [caption id=“attachment_353612” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Not the most portable headphones out there[/caption] In spite of the lightweight, these headphones aren’t really designed from portability standpoint as the cable is 2.5 m in length, tangle-prone and the headphones don’t collapse into a smaller footprint. In the box AKG skimps on the extra’s in the box such as a carry pouch, they rather include the 6.3 mm (1/4-inch) screw-on adapter for amplifiers. Performance: 8 / 10 AKG K52 was tested with an Android phone, Windows 10 Desktop with FiiO Q1 DAC and Audio Technica M50s Studio Monitoring headphones for reference. Objectively: Most closed-back headphones under Rs.10,000 price point have a typical “boxed-in” sound to it (for the lack of words) which K52 surprisingly avoid. The headphones seem to exhibit an airy sound to it which is in line with (more expensive) open-back headphones. Due to their airy nature, the K52’s exhibit a wide soundstage especially more than the narrow soundstage of Audio Technica M50 headphones. The bass lacks the thump, the mids and highs are quite clear, one can hear the separation of the instruments well. Subjectively: I really liked the sound of these headphones and was quite surprised by the openness and considerably wider soundstage. Any tracks thrown at it sounded good without any heavy emphasis on either of the frequencies whether be it bass, mids or highs. In fact, I needed to pump up the bass more in the EQ to enjoy the sound as the bass sounded too flat for my liking. Also, the headphones are loud and are perfectly suited for outdoors use. The rated 32 Ohms impedance ensures that mobile phones and music (MP3) players can easily run these headphones without any drop in loudness. Verdict and Price in India For the kind of sound, overall quality and street price of Rs 3,350, the AKG K52 headphones are an excellent recommendation. You’ll get plenty of other brands offering around-the-ear/over-the-ear headphones around this price or even lower, however, there is no match for open airy representation and comfort that these headphones provide. Go for AKG K52 if you

• Want good open sound
• Want headphones that are light and comfortable
• Want headphones that easily run on mobiles and MP3 players without a hassle

Don’t go for AKG K52 if you

• Want more bass (can be upped in the EQ, though)
• Want headset mic functionality
• Want detachable cable