AKG Open-Back Studio Headphones - K601

Working in a cubicle, I listen to music nearly all day, every day. I have been using the AKG k601s for the last fourteen months or so, plugged into the headphone jack of a component size CD player. I listen to a wide variety of music including electronic, classical, and post-rock.
COMFORT.
With this experience, I can confidently report these are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. The are very light on your head, and apply most of their pressure to the area around your ears. The soft, well padded cups fit entirely over my average sized ears, with room to spare--even with eyeglasses. The leather headband pressed on the top of my head a little when new, but that slight discomfort disappeared quickly. Again, I cannot think of a better testament to the comfort of these cans than the fact that I repeatedly wear them for four- or five-hour stretches. I also own a pair of Sennheiser HD595 headphones that I can compare the k601s with. The Sennheisers also are very...Read more

The cost to performance ratio on a good headphone/headamp system can, on occasion, completely destroy conventional speakers and their respective front-end audio components. These headphones are an excellent example of what good cans can do. The open backed design conveys a soundstage that is both wide and deep, where individual instruments are well-defined and the overall definition is so detailed, you can hear a mouse belch in an auditorium.

That's really the strongest benefits of AKG K-601's. They sound amazing... period. It should be noted however that with an impedence of 120 ohms, they are quite a load for small amps. That impedence rating is the magic number for matching an amplifier to your headphones. Powerful amplification does a lot more than 'play loud', it also controls those little driver diaphragms with an iron fist so that every last ounce of detail can be conveyed with authority. If you do not own a dedicated Headphone Amp with a wide frequency range, you...Read more

I auditioned a variety of headphones, Grado, Sennheiser, the AKG 701, etc. I picked these because they sounded the best to me of the 'phones in this price range. The Grado 225 sounded good, but it was uncomfortable for me. The 701 sounded slightly better, but not worth the additional cost because I don't have a high-end headphone amp. The Sennheiser HD595 was a little bright sounding to me.

I wear headphones a lot, and I like the easy, comfortable listening these offer. Very smooth and detailed, with the ability to really rock when powered right. A great value in my book for a high-end Austian-made headphone.

I highly recommend a headphone amplifier for these - they are worth it and need it to sound their best (as do all good headphones, in honesty). I use the Headroom Total Airhead, which is portable and inexpensive. The two of them give me really good music all day long at work.