AKG K361 Review: You Won’t Take Them Off!

Do you want to float in musical heaven?

Then I have the perfect headphone for you. It’s none other than the AKG K361.

You can hear subtle nuances in songs that you never heard before.

Are you excited to know more about these headphones?

If so, then let’s dive into my AKG K361 review, where I have given every information about this headset.

AKG K361 Review: A Studio Headphone

In this review article, I have discussed all the features and functions of this headphone in depth.

You will get to know their specifications, pros, cons, comfortability, and many more.

Now, without wasting your time, take a glance at its vital features.

At A Glance

• Excellent level of bass and soundstage.
• Lightweight and foldable.
• Consumer-friendly fit.
• Sleek and sturdy design.
• Improved low-frequency response.

AKG 361 is a closed-back style headphone and ideally suited for on-the-go listening. The sleek design is eye-catching too.

It’s time to open the box of this headset and see what comes with it.

In The Box

You will find below items from the package.

• AKG K361 headphones.
• 2 Straight cables: 3.0 m and 1.2m.
• 1 Adapter: 3.5 mm to 6.35mm.
• 1 Protective carrying pouch.

The accessories are great for a headphone in this price range.

AKG K361 was launched worldwide in late July 2018.

Before drowning in the review world, let’s know the key specs with the pros and cons.

Specifications

• Headphone Type: Over-Ear.
• Driver Size: 50mm.
• Frequency Response: 15 to 28000 Hz.
• Sound Pressure Level: 114 dB.
• Impedance: 32 Ω.
• Weight: 219 grams.
• Voice Coil: Pure OFC Voice Coil.
• Microphone: No.

AKG-361 is a professional studio headphone that combines performance and accuracy.

Whether you want to use it during studio sessions or daily listening, comfort is a must.

I always prefer a comfortable pair of headphones as I like to listen to music for a long time.

Here, I will let you know if these headphones satisfied me in that regard.

Is It Comfortable to Wear?

It has low retention foam pads that give you a soft feeling.

The ear cups are oval-shaped that will cover up your ears and give you great comfort even if you use them for a long time.

The headband is adjustable with advanced clamping force, so there is no more worrying about fit.

Because of the lightweight, you won’t feel heavy wearing this headset.

But, the headband is not padded with soft material that can be uncomfortable for some users.

I don’t know why the manufacturer didn’t consider this vital fact.

I think it could have achieved an absolute 10/10 comfortability if the headband had soft padding.

You know nothing is picture-perfect in this world.

At least K361 is giving you a V-shaped tone.

Hence, what else does it offer you in terms of sound?

Well, this is the moment to explore the sound profile of this headset.

And I ensure that you will be amazed by its audio performance.

Sound Profile

This headphone can produce clear and natural audio with exceptional detail.

It has a low treble and unstrained sound. You can hear the sub-bass frequencies easily.

Sometimes it lacks the punch and texture. Otherwise, the mid-range is well balanced, neither congested nor thin.

However, it lacks in the lower midrange, which leads to a light sound feel.

The highs are well defined and bring out all the detailed pitches of singers effortlessly.

You will hear the deepest lows with sparkling highs in audio and mix recording.

In short, the lower midrange of this headphone has a downside, but the high and lows are remarkable.

Frequency Response

It has a stunning frequency response that is good for studio monitoring/mixing and listening to music or audio content.

I have to admit that it has done an excellent job in terms of frequency.

Sound Stage

The soundstage and imaging of AKG K361 are pretty good. You can feel the deeper bass of music.

This headphone does a great job of separating the instrumental sound from the vocal.

I suggest you hear ‘Titanium’ by David Guetta ft. Sia with this headphone. I assure you will enjoy the song like never before.

Sound Leakage

As it’s a closed-back headphone, the sound leakage is minimal. There is a possibility of leakage at a high volume.

60% volume level is considered safe for your listening.

But, if you put the volume at a moderate level, it won’t leak any sound.

Now, does it have a noise-canceling feature?

Move on to the next section, where I disclosed this fact.

Is It Able to Isolate The Noise?

Even though it doesn’t have active noise canceling feature, the oval ear design does a good job isolating noise.

The earpads will seal your ear, and you won’t be able to hear someone talking to you from across the room.

So, it will block out most of the sound.                                                                    

Well, it doesn’t mean you can wear it into a parade program and expect it to block the massive thumping sound.

It will look like you are trying to fight with an elephant with a piece of a bamboo stick!

How To Control It?

There are no control buttons available on the earpads of this headphone.

You have to manage the volume, including play/pause from your connected device.

I prefer having controls on the earpads because sometimes I’m not particularly eager to reach the device to adjust the volume.

I wish they could have considered this fact.

Anyway, let’s see if the build quality is satisfying or not.

Build Quality & Design

The headset is made of rubberized plastic and leather pads. The plastic is of good quality and doesn’t feel rough on the skin.

The headband pad is also made with rubber plastic rather than foam. It feels hard at first but gets a little soft upon use.

The design looks very stylish and smooth.

And of course, the earpads are removable, and you can replace them with new ones if they wear out.

You will find replacement pads from a third-party dealer, not from AKG.

Durability

These headphones are built to last for a long time and have gone through strict testing that makes them highly durable.

It can resist many accidental drops.

This headset is not waterproof or sweatproof.

So, the earpads may crack while exposed to moisture and sweat.

A hot and humid environment can cause damage to the earcups.

You can keep them from cracking by cleaning them once a week.

Besides, AKG offers one year of warranty on this product.

Have a note that this warranty doesn’t include any physical damage and only manufacturing defects.

Is It Portable?

You can fold the headphone by rotating the earcups.

It becomes compact enough to carry in your backpack or luggage.

As they provide a carrying case, you can easily put the headphone inside it and take them everywhere with you.

The pouch makes sure that it doesn’t get friction damage from your other belongings.

Shortly, it’s a travel-friendly headphone.

Stability

As the adjustable calibrated headband provides a perfect fit, it will be stable on your head and won’t slide off.

However, if you lie down with the headset on, it may slide off now and then.

If you use them during exercise or cycling, then it may snatch off because of the cord.

So, it is suitable for casual listening and not for intense workouts.

This headset comes with two detachable cables for connecting with different devices.

Right now, I will describe the details of these cables.

Cable Details

K361 AKG comes with one short and one long straight cable and an ¼ inch adapter for connectivity.

The cable is a 2.5mm TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) that ends with 3.5mm TRS. So, it is not possible to connect a balanced cable but only to the stereo.

It attaches to the headphone port with a twist mechanism. There is a white circle marked up that rotates 90 degrees to lock them in place.

I have to admit that the 2.5mm connector is a major downside of this headset, as all the recent headphones use a 3.5mm connector.

As a result, It will be hard to find a 2.5mm connector in markets for replacement.

Since you know about the cable detail, you may be worried about if it’s compatible with every device.

Don’t worry. I am presenting it below.

Compatibility

You already know that it has a 3.5 to 6.35 mm adapter, so it’s compatible with your desktop and mobile or audio system that supports this connector.

If you want to use it with an Apple iPhone, then a third-party dongle will be needed.

You can also use it with your instruments, like a guitar amp, drum, and piano.

How Much Suitable for Gaming?

Thanks to its excellent details on highs that allows it to deliver detailed sound in games.

You can hear the enemy’s footsteps, explosions, and background sound clearly.

It seems like the bass authority makes AKG K361 an ideal choice for casual gaming.

Lately, It has become one of my favorite headphones for playing games.

Although, I wish they had provided a microphone to play multiplayer games.

But, it’s okay as I am satisfied by playing solo games with it.

In the meantime, you know that K361 is a professional studio headphone, let’s see how it performs in the studio.

How Much Suitable for Studio?

The balanced sound with the largest-in-class 50mm transducers makes it a superb headphone for studio monitoring.

When you produce music for an extended time, It delivers comfort too.

The long cable lets you roam around inside the studio without taking them off.

I can say that it’s a great studio headset without any doubt.

Customer Support

You can contact AKG through email, chat, and phone calls.

If your product malfunctioned during the warranty period, then they will help you to sort the problem out.

You can also return your gadget within one month of purchasing.

Who Should Buy This?

Whether you are a podcaster, beatmaker, artist, gamer, or vlogger, this headset will meet your expectations whenever you are in a creative mode.

It’s also suitable for audiophile listening.

And if you want to buy it for everyday listening, then you can go for it too.

Who Might Skip It?

This headset is not suited for online teaching, office work, and online meetings because of the absence of a mic.

As these headphones are not water and sweatproof, you can’t use them while swimming or running.

But if you want waterproof earphones for swimming, you can check out this article where we have listed the five best earbuds for you.

For your better knowledge, I will compare AKG-K361 with some other headphones now.

Compare With Other Headphones

This comparison part will help you to find out the differences between them.

1. AKG K361 Vs. K371

K371 has a frequency response of 5 Hz to 40kHz, where k361 has 15 Hz to 28 kHz.

In this context, K371 can cover up more listening audiences than K361.

Both of the headsets come with one short and one long straight cable.

But, K371 has an extra 3m coiled cable, which is a superb option for studio use as there is no chance of a tangled cord.

On the other hand, K361 (219 grams) is lighter than K371 (255 grams).

That’s why 361 is the proper choice for prolonged listening with comfort.

2. AKG K361 vs. M40X

K361 and M40x have robust, durable construction designs.

They have 90 degrees swiveling earcups for single-ear monitoring.

M40x has a 40mm driver, whereas 361 has a 50mm (largest-in-class) driver.

The sensitivity of 361 is 114 dB, and M40x is 98 dB.

Though two of them come with detachable cables, the M40x has only long wires, and no short cord is available with it.

3. AKG K361 Vs. K361BT

While K361 supports only wired connections, K361BT has Bluetooth and wired connectivity together.

It seems like you can connect more devices with 361BT than 361.

They have the same impedance (32 ohms), Pure OFC Voice Coil, and closed-back style.

Yet, K361 weighs less than K361BT (260grams).

4. AKG K361 vs. M50X

The foldable feature of AKG-K361 and M50X makes them portable and travel-friendly. They have a 6.3mm adapter for connection.

The headband of M50x has enough padding that ensures comfortability. The circumaural design of this headset helps to isolate sound in a noisy environment.

Meanwhile, M50x has three detachable cables when you will get only two with K361.

5. AKG K361 Vs. Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro Open Studio Headphones

DT 1990 Pro has a dynamic Tesla neodymium driver. It has an open-back design.

You will get two pairs of replaceable ear pads and a lockable 3-pin mini-XLR cable connector in the box.

The earpads have different sound characteristics (analytical and well-balanced). Hence, you can choose which type of sound you want to hear.

K361 has one pair of earpads, which delivers balanced sound. Like the DT 1990 Pro, You don’t have two options with it.

6. AKG K361 Vs. Neumann NDH20 Closed-Back Monitoring Studio Headphones

Neumann NDH20 has memory foam earpads that offer high comfort to your ears. The transparent sound with high resolution is pleasant for mixing.

The headband is made of flexible steel that looks stylish. The earmuff covers are embodied with aluminum.

I have to admit that this headset is more fashionable and comfy than the K361 that uses leather earpads and plastic materials.

Still, K361 wins the race in terms of driver size because Neumann NDH20 has 38mm drivers.

7. AKG K361 Vs. Cleer Audio – Enduro 100 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones

Cleer Audio – Enduro 100 gives you 100 hours of playback on a single charge. It delivers powerful audio with 40mm drivers.

Where AKG K361 has no control option on the earpads, Enduro 100 headphone has it.

You will find four control buttons on the left earpad: play/pause, volume up and down with a power button.

You can tell Cleer Audio – Enduro 100 is a game-changer in this matter.

Maybe you are wondering if it will be worth purchasing AKG K361 or not.

Don’t worry, Dear! I will answer this question too.

Is It Worth Buying?

Considering all the features that this headset is offering you, I would say it’s worth buying.

Moreover, it’s also a budget-friendly headphone for music monitoring.

The well-designed fit goes with every consumer, and the sleek design is eye-catching too.

The oxygen-free copper voice coils give you accurate bass and clarity.

Since you have read the full review, It depends on you whether you are satisfied with its performance or not.

If you are not happy with these headphones, I have some alternative options for you in the below section.

Alternative to It

The alternatives are:

1. AKG Pro Audio K371BT
2. Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Professional Studio Monitor Headphone

These headphones are almost similar to AKG K361 with some better features and functions.

Conclusion

At last, you have got a deep concept of K361 from my AKG K361 review.

Now, you can decide if you will buy these headphones or not.

And I hope you will make the right decision in the end.