AKG K271

SAVE YOURSELF SOME MONEY AND DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT!

Having owned several pair of closed back AKG studio headphones over the years including (most notably) the 240 Parabolics, I was expecting durable, high-quality construction from this product like the AKG products of-old, but sadly, that wasn't to be the case in this instance. Like almost everything else in the marketplace these days, product quality at AKG has evaporated.

These headphones have three to four MAJOR flaws in their design that should keep anyone from purchasing them as follows:

1. PHONE CABLE: Although "cutesy", the detachable phone plug cable is exceedingly flimsy in weight and covering with a very thin rubber coating that readily separates at any flex point along the length of the cable. I foolishly bought three (3) pair of these things and the cable split (exposing the inside wiring) on ALL THREE PAIR at the single most prominent flex point of the cable where it joins the headset itself.

2. AUTO SHUTOFF FEATURE: Although "cutesy", the 'auto shutoff' feature on these headphones (i.e., a design that allows the volume to shutoff automatically whenever the headset is removed from the head of the listener, something apparently intended to reduce speaker wear and extend speaker life), is so incredibly sensitive, that it makes the headset unusable in practical terms! They clearly DID NOT test this product or this feature adequately before production because the slightest shift in the headset position while on the head can shut the volume off. Talk about inconvenient! Its absolutely INSANE! What possessed you AKG???? I'll be sitting there listening to something and I'll adjust the headset on my ears ever so slightly for comfort and the entire volume will shutoff! Incredible! And to reset it (i.e., to get the volume back-on), you have to remove the headset entirely from your head! What a joke!

3. EAR-PIECE: The leather boot that covers each earpiece is of "sub-standard" construction at best. It is constructed of two-pieces of leather (or mock-leather, not sure), sewn together at the outer perimeter, and the stitching has relaxed and unraveled on TWO of the THREE pair that I own. They are less one-year old with minimal wear and they're shot already!

Having owned several pair of closed back AKG studio headphones over the years, I was expecting high-quality sound from this product, but I'm afraid the sound quality on these headphones is "mediocre" at best. Not worth the money.

ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE, PERIOD! For the three (3) reasons outlined above, this product should be deemed completely "UN-RELIABLE".

Never needed to use.

Based on insufficient product research and development, shabby construction and marginal sound quality, the very best that I could do for this product would be a FOUR (4).

Think again AKG! $500 for three sets of crappy, second-rate headphones?? How foolish was I????