Top Rated Product
Product Reviews
AKG K 601
Reference class headphones
Average Customer Rating:
Rating Snapshot (10 reviews)
5 stars
7
4 stars
3
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
10 out of 10(100%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for K 601
Review 1 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
4
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Dvorix
Location: Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: Blues
Date:22 July 2010
A week with them
I had them only for a week at home. But I listened to very often with some comparison. They are quite lighten, light as clouds. Sometimes I would like to had more "drive" in the sound (maybe bass). But K601 pay back it with detailed natural sound.
My source was blues and rock music through Firestone Fubar IV (optical) against Sennheiser HD595, HD650. They vere the best of these three. But I thing, that K701 has legendary model and has a better value.
6 of 8 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 2 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
4
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
4
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Celticphile
Location: Ankara
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: Classical
Date:16 June 2010
Excellent performance for the price
Due to the high reputation of K701s, many people are not aware of the K601s and the unique advantages of it.
First, it should be noted that the K601s are one of the hardest headphones for a headphone amp to drive. So one has to have not just an amp, but a powerful and clean sounding amplifier with those.
As for its sound signature, K601s are for those who look for a K701 that does not have as harsh highs and upper midrange as K701s. K601s are therefore a smoother sounding version of K701s with a similar overall sound signature. Its midrange also is slightly more colored and fuller, which underestimates the analytical side of the music compared to K701s, but clearly a step up for musicality in my opinion. Therefore, one may say that both of these headphones have their own advantages and drawbacks. Finally, its soundstage is a bit narrower than K701s, but still wider than any other brand's headphones. AKG expertise basically knows what they should do to make perfect imagining and soundstage in a headphone. If you look for bassy sounding phones, K601s are not for you, just like the K701s. The natural sound of them suits acoustic genres, ie. classical and folk.
Though I still do not find it very comfortable, K601's headband is flat and it makes the headphones much more comfortable than K701s. AKG should still find a solution to that kind of headbands, which strain by pressure and become unbearable after some time. On the other hand, its earcups are extremely comfortable.
After all, I believe that K601s are undeniably underrated headphones. If you seek for an enjoyable sound that does not let you focus on the extraordinary details but musicality of what you listen to, these are for you.
10 of 10 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 3 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
4
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
JoeyL
Location: York, UK
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: I like it all!
Date:09 June 2010
The budget version of K701
Used these phones for about 6 months before I decided to move up the scale to K701. Another masterpiece done by AKG.
Sound quality: Overall, the K601 can be considered as the more musical version of the K601 with smoother mids and highs, and slightly more bass.
- Treble: Refined if compared to the K701 but still much more detailed than other phones in its price range (even higher!). This, however made the K601 a more forgiving of bad records and more engaging than the K701 at the expense of details.
- Mids: Smooth and lush! If the K701 vocals give you eargasm, the K601 will give you multiple.
- Bass: The K601 reaches deeper than the K701 but with a bit less punch (not significantly though). Metal and alternative rock shines on these phones, while R&B and hip-hop sound good enough.
- Soundstage: the K601 has a slightly smaller soundstage than the K701 and K501 but the 3D factor still remains. The vocal is placed at the front while other instrument is infused into the air (if this makes sense).
Amplifying and source:
- The K601 is very power demanding so make sure you pair them with a powerful amplifier to make the most out of them. Don't rush to return them or criticise them before you listen to them amped properly.
- The K601 is more forgiving but high-quality music is still recommended.
- The K601 is very power demanding so make sure you pair them with a powerful amplifier to make the most out of them. Don't rush to return them or criticise them before you listen to them amped properly.
- The K601 is more forgiving but high-quality music is still recommended.
Design & Comfort:
- 5 Stars! The K601 is significantly more comfortable than the K701 with no headband bumps and lighter clamping force. The velour pads are like pillows on your ears. Absolutelty a pleasure in long listenning session.
- Some say the K601 design is cheap and flimsy. I totally disagree. They won't break unless you abuse them (which would break any headphones).
- 5 Stars! The K601 is significantly more comfortable than the K701 with no headband bumps and lighter clamping force. The velour pads are like pillows on your ears. Absolutelty a pleasure in long listenning session.
- Some say the K601 design is cheap and flimsy. I totally disagree. They won't break unless you abuse them (which would break any headphones).
Value: For about £135, you can't go wrong with the K601. They're a great introduction to high-end AKG sound for audiophiles on a tight budget.
7 of 7 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 4 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
4
out of
5
Design:
4
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
paulb09
Location: United Kingdom
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: I like it all!
Date:09 June 2010
Good Value Mid-Fi Headphone
I'm going to dive straight into the sound of the K601. Bass is where this headphone will be criticized most. Whilst it extends fairly well, the impact can be put to question; when a recording gives you bass impact, the K601 usually comes out with it, but it can fall short sometimes, especially when a recording has been a little reserved in terms of bass response. It certainly won't suit the "bass head" type of listener.
Mid range is frankly superb, and the best part of the headphone's sound. Open and expansive, but somewhat lush at the same time, it really involves you. However, this comes with some penalty; there is some fuzz on the side of instruments, taking that clear edge off what you'd expect from reference headphones, and it can get a bit muddled depending on how many different sounds are thrown at it. Nonetheless, it still has a good deal of clarity and separation considering the headphone sits more in the "mid-fi" category.
Whilst most describe the K601's treble as "non-fatiguing", this is not entirely true; where a recording has a tipped treble, you'll certainly notice it with this headphone. That being said, it's definitely not intrusive for the most part, and you shouldn't find your ears feeling really tired out after a good listening session with the K601. Again, as with the mid range, you lose that clear edge and more refined detail of a reference headphone, but the headphone is by no means lacklustre in terms of over-all detail.
The K601 has a fairly wide sound-stage and sports an airy sound. Instruments will have good separation and positioning where recorded, though there is still a sense that things could be a little more accurate.
This headphone is orientated for home usage, and you'll find portable players and low grade sound cards don't really do it justice, resulting in a lack of flesh and impact to the bass and treble especially. Pair it with a "mid-fi" source and amplifier, and it'll really supply you with some great audio. Whilst the airiness and sound-stage help make the K601 work very well with classical, that relaxed edge to the sound enables the headphone to act as a fairly good all-rounder, and I enjoy it with any music I throw at it.
Onto comfort, this headphone should certainly cause you no problems with of a CD or two's worth of straight listening, if not more. The velour ear pads are soft, and clamping force is quite light. This has some drawback, as moving your head forwards too far can result in the headphone slipping a bit, and vigorous head-banging on any axis will move it easily, but this should be little issue for most users. The headband is just a flat piece of leather, and I have found it to cause some pressure discomfort over long wearing periods, but usually a slight repositioning will fix the problem for while on top of that.
This leads me onto design. Whilst comfort will be very good for the majority of users, the K601 is not without design flaws. The adjustment mechanism does not allow for a great deal of movement, and it works mostly in the vertical plane, so for those with particularly wide or over-all large heads, the headphone may not fit properly. Whilst the headphone is relatively attractive, the design is by no means as robust as some other headphones, and though it may be sturdier than it appears at first sight, it might not last a really major beating, or a big accident.
Over all, the K601 performs well with several types of music, responds well to good equipment, and offers great comfort, all at a reasonable price.
4 of 4 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 5 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
5
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
metalmaniac248
Location: Chesterfield
Gender: Male
Age: 15-17
Favourite Music Genre: Metal Rock
Date:01 June 2010
Outstanding
These headphones are outstanding. They need pairing with some decent equipment like a dedicated headphone amp, but if you do this you will not be disappointed.
They have a fantastic build quality and are comfortable enough to wear for hours on end.
And as for the sound quality, it's beautiful provide them with a quality source and adequate equipment pairing and they will sing. Fantastic stereo imaging and a surprisingly large sound-stage, they are capable of creating a delightful sense of atmosphere and space. They also deliver allot of detail along with accurate bass and treble.
But be under no illusions, they aren't magic, if you plug them into your ipod or computer headphone port and play 128bit mp3's through them you can expect them to sound terrible. But give them lossless files or CD's and connect them to a decent hifi set-up and you'll reap the rewards.
2 of 2 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 6 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
5
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
zhangzhezh
Location: GXLZ,China
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: Classical
Date:19 May 2010
Excellent
Excellent earphone
when listening to the piano,the violon,and so on..
it performance very good...
listen at night....it is an enjoyment
though it a bit hard to drive...
but on the other hand,K601 is so excellent...
when listening to the piano,the violon,and so on..
it performance very good...
listen at night....it is an enjoyment
though it a bit hard to drive...
but on the other hand,K601 is so excellent...
2 of 2 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 7 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
5
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
benjaminre
Location: Canton, China
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: Classical
Date:10 April 2010
A perfect, high performance, over-valued headphone
As my title, this is a perfect, high performanced as well as over-valued headphone. I love akg headphones because its sound is not only clear, but also musical. I am a university student, and most of my friends love super-bass headphone. But this one, the AKG K601, is not. It's not for films, it is here for music. Its sound like a crystal, pure, but moveable. I cannot believe that this headphone just cost $200. Its sound values more than $400!
4 of 4 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 8 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
5
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
aras84
Gender: Male
Age: 25-34
Favourite Music Genre: I like it all!
Date:01 March 2010
Perfect Product
Excellent sound quality. It does justice to his price.
5 of 8 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 9 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
4
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
olio
Location: Skopje, Macedonia
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: I like it all!
Date:06 December 2009
Excellent overall performer
Extremely comfortable headphones with good audio bandwidth. Awesome highs but lacks low end punch. Extremely difficult to drive! Make sure your amplifier is up to the job! Make sure you buy these for listening premium formats like FLAC, otherwise they tend to point out the weaknesses of low end formats such as mp3's. Overall a good value headphones with excellent design.
16 of 17 found this review helpful.
Share this review:
Review 10 for K 601
Overall Rating:
Sound Quality:
5
out of
5
Design:
5
out of
5
Comfort:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
caretta
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Gender: Male
Age: 18-24
Favourite Music Genre: I like it all!
Date:31 October 2009
Exceeds All Expectations
The AKG K601 model is a set of durable headphones with a sound quality unmatched by any other. The clean, rich mids, the deep, booming bass, and the clear, precise highs will leave you astonished after listening to music (or movies) with these fantastic headphones. They work exceptionally well even without a headphone amp and even without being plugged directly into an AV receiver. Well worth every penny. Thanks.
4 of 5 found this review helpful.
Share this review: