AKG K52 High Performance Lightweight Closed-Back Monitoring Headphones

Product Information

Professional-grade drivers deliver deep bass and crisp highs. They produce robust bass, well-defined mids, and crisp highs, allowing you to hear everything that's going on. The headphones are so evenly balanced that we could listen to them for hours without ever getting tired. There are no bright edges or booming basslines. The fixed cable (3.5mm) measures a good 2.5mm and an included adapter allows us to use a 6.3mm output. The cable looks robust and has a comfortable length, even if it is a bit too long for mobile use. For the price called I find the workmanship and functionality successful. The frame of the headband is made of metal, whereas the ear cups are completely made of plastic.

The headband is self-adjusting and therefore adapts to the shape of the head. Even large skulls should not have any problems with the AKG K72. The wearing comfort on the head is therefore good, even if the headband does not offer any significant additional padding.The K72 & K92 actually only make the K52 worse, as they only amplify the obvious problems. They sound duller in the mids and are more accentuated in the lower range, which sounds unnatural, as well as a bit sharper in the treble, with earlier roll-off in the sub range (K72). The K92 is on the same level in the bass as the K52. These are all minimal differences, but they do not represent an added value. I am of course aware that AKG has enough other alternatives when it comes to natural timbre and neutrality. The three models are a welcome change, as AKG is going a different way, but not like this. At least not with the mentioned marketing, because without any analytical claim you can consume music very well with the K52. In the studio, the models have little to look for, only for short listening or recording. If someone does get lost, then the K52 is the one that sounds most "authentic". The differences between the individual models, however, remain more than manageable and are actually non-existent with the K72 & K92.

At the price called I find the workmanship and functionality very successful. The frame of the headband is made of metal, whereas the ear cups are completely made of plastic.To ensure sturdiness and durability, the AKG K52 is subjected to mechanical, electrical, and acoustic tests. And rigorous driver testing (a long sequence of 3W bursts every half second) ensures that the drivers won't fail when they're most needed. They made the ear cushions replaceable to preserve your investment over time because they are often the first components to show wear and tear. The K52 is designed for professionals, with great performance and a stylish style to match. Guitars sound crunchy and have a nice amount of weight and muscle underpinning each strum. The instruments don’t overcrowd the vocals, either. What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence. This headset has an attractive, yet simple, appearance that is also fairly robust. This headset is comprised of a metal and plastic mix. Steel is used for the headband, while plastic is used for the earcups. When it comes to nailing the correct grip, it can involve following the same part for hours at a time - and that's where comfort comes into play. This headphone features a one-of-a-kind self-adjusting headband that automatically adjusts to the optimal fit for each band member. There's no need to worry with sensitive sizing systems that could fail over time. The shape of basslines and edges of notes are clean and taut in Sbtrkt’s Wildfire, and there’s a remarkable amount of control for the price.

The exposed headband design keeps the K52 headphones comfortably light, without compromising driver size. Breathable, lightweight ear pads encircle your ears, rather than putting pressure on them. And a single-sided cable gives you freedom to move. To sum it up, these high-performance headphones sound, feel and look great. Who says you can’t have it all? The AKG K Series is one of our best selling headphones ranges. They represent outstanding value for money, combining a durable, comfortable design with a clear, detailed sound that works well for casual listening and music creation applications. I find the bass to be quite qualitative, even if it convinces me a bit more in the low frequencies than in the mid and upper bass, where it doesn't always have the desired firmness and sometimes sounds a bit hollow.It's rare to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that match their wired counterparts for performance, but the Y50BT rise to that challenge. They're the wireless version of the Y50 that sit at number one in this list. They have the dynamic power to shift effortlessly between frequencies which makes them seriously entertaining. Compared to the K52, a firmer imitation leather cover is used, which looks more robust, but doesn't add much in the way of comfort.

Designed to meet the stringent requirements of recording musicians, producers and engineers on a budget, the AKG K52 delivers legendary AKG sound quality with exceptional comfort.And because the cable's permanently attached, ruining the cable will ruin the headphones as well. This is made more frustrating by the fact that AKG sells other headphones at a similar price that includes a removable (though non-standard) cable. If there are still differences between the K52 and K72, the belief that I have a different product on my ears when I go from the K72 to the K92 leaves me. Here the differentiation is so marginal that I would certainly fail the blind test. With the K52, I've already said a lot because of the almost outrageous tonal similarities, so I'll be a bit shorter here.