The deceitful death of AKG
Recently, I purchased the AKG K240 and K553 headphones, to replace my well loved but worn out K240 mkii's and original K550s. I noticed something alarmingly off about the build quality of the newer AKGs. Even the things AKG did make in China some years ago, like the original K550 and discontinued Q701, were made to appropriately high standards. Not anymore, evidently. The Sweetwater rep I purchased these new AKGs from assured me that "AKG makes good headphones." I would like to amend that statement: they made good headphones.
Here I will take the liberty to compare my recently acquired K7XXs to my old Chinese made Q701s; the parts are sourced by AKG and made in China, and the drivers are apparently identical. I noticed the following when comparing the three new headphones to their older counterparts: the external finish was of visibly lower quality in places, the cords were different and felt cheap, and the pads weren't as uniform or high quality. Upon further use and inspection, I discovered that the plastic molding and overall feel of the headphones was lower quality. Even the packaging was notably worse. I distinctly remember unboxing old AKGs in lovely packaging, which stands in stark contrast to what currently passes. This phenomenon became alarmingly apparent when the otherwise appealing K7XXs developed unbearably annoying plastic on plastic creaking in the earcup gimbal rings, something I never encountered with the similarly Chinese made Q701s. I then stumbled upon some comments on an archived thread from a year ago:
"AKG is a part of Samsung in the wake of Samsung's purchase of Harman International. AKG's Vienna headquarters has been shut down, and AKG's engineers are no longer part of the company. As far as new R&D is concerned AKG is basically dead, now it's just a brand that Samsung/Harman can label products with."..."The shut-down of the AKG Vienna facility started about 2 years ago."
🤬 Samsung, you cheap, dirty mother****er. No wonder the interesting K275s never reached production. No wonder the build quality of the K553s is poor compared to the original K550s, the pads don't feel right on the K240s, and my K7XXs creak like poorly molded plastic hell. The entire brand that passes for AKG is a well engineered lie now. The hifi industry accords the company masquerading as AKG respect it no longer deserves.
The only decent things that you can still buy from the label for AKG are past AKG products, made to lower standards. Good manufacturing standards went completely out the window over two years ago when the entire Austrian manufacturing base disappeared and Austrian AKG R&D ceased. I can't believe I let myself be conned like this. The brand name is meaningless now. The 'holy trinity' (AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic) of the hifi greats is shattered. So many things I loved about AKG years ago will never be the same. I'm profoundly disappointed I learned this the hard way. AKG as we knew it is dead and gone. How could this have happened, given the well earned prestige and relative success of AKG?
I have no experience with AKG in particular, but your story is very recognizable. It is a very lucrative business strategy to buy respected and reputable consumer brands, and then slowly but certainly reduce investment and operational costs while maintaining similar pricing, increasing profit margins.
In fact, many brands that try to make way in more or less saturated markets start with unsustainable business models, starting with high quality products and low prices. Too good to be true, and it is, because they are sold at a loss. Once a brand is established, either prices increase or costs get cut (directly by using cheaper materials or indirectly through scale efficiencies), or both. It happens all the time, with literally any product. Here's an example for foot cream:
However, it has been reported that they may have changed their recipe, and are now selling an inferior product to the one that got them so much acclaim. This is not an unusual practice for many companies. They will produce a premium product, even run in the red for several years doing so, get a loyal following and then start cutting costs so that they can make more of a profit. This seems to be the case because there is a marked difference between what is being sold currently, to what they sold back in 2008 and earlier.
You can't be angry at businesses doing this, or at least it's not very useful. They are here to make a profit, and serve the interests of their investors. And this strategy is not necessarily bad for consumers provided that they are critical buyers. A challenger in the market can cause innovation to happen, even in markets that seem to be stuck, and for that moment they are offering the best quality for the best price, consumers have a great offering to choose from.
And I wish that's what we would see more of that here in this subreddit: finding and discussing these unicorns, rather than talking about very subjective sound properties in terms that won't even be used in the New York Times crosswords, or even worse, blatant brand loyalty fanboyism and hapless defending of bad purchase decisions.
So, thank you /u/nstommel for doing your part and making us more informed customers!!
You can't be angry at businesses doing this
I'm angry at the system.
you can't be angry at business doing this
The hell I can't. Legal =/= ethical and if the gameplan is to bait and switch customers you're damn right I can be upset about it.
I was thoroughly disappointed with O'Keefe's products when I tried them, that makes sense. Walmart does this with products, but not the same exact method. Eggs, milk, alcohol, and other products are sold at a loss sometimes because they're core products that people buy all the time and they're positioned around impulse items to boost sales. Ever walk into a Walmart/store and exit with more than the one thing you needed? That's why. Definitely won't bother with O'Keefe's then, Gold Bond is probably the same too.
A bunch of the Viennese AKG employees founded their own company called Austrian Audio, so that their expertise is not lost. I think they first plan to develop some new microphones, but also plan eventually to make speakers and headphones. They did an AMA at some point.
https://reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/7ktk7e/we_are_austrian_audio_gmbh_a_team_of_many_of_the/
The brand has definitely been moving toward cheaper components to keep up with the current market. Look at the history of C414 microphones and you’ll see all the steps along the way to get to the C214 now. Bit by bit they have altered or removed components, brass capsules were ceramic and now Teflon, transformers removed entirely, metal shock mounts replaced with plastic clips.
PS, something is up with Harman right now as well... there’s a lot of changeover happening behind the scenes I’ve noticed.
I second this. If the piercing, sibilant treble of the DT770s and DT990s was not so bad, I'd still be wearing them now. I have a pair of on ear Tesla-transducer DT1350s from four years ago that are still in excellent condition and have been worn a lot. Because of their more ideal sound signature, I still regard them as by far the best pair of closed back headphones I've ever owned, even if they are on-ear. They cost $250 at the time. The ~$200, inexpensive but rock solidly built DT770/990 serve as a reminder that inexpensive should not equate to poorly made. What I find disturbing, however, is the recent release of the new gen DT1770/1990. Reading numerous reviews, driver rattling is unacceptable, they cost an absurdly inflated three times the amount of money compared to their older counterparts, and the designed placement of the mini XLR connector on the very bottom of the earcups is perplexingly bad. Beyerdynamic recently changed their logo too which low key worries me a bit. I only wish I could have purchased the second generation Beyerdynamic T5Ps. The asking price for good headphones has definitely increased. I remember the days when spending a thousand dollars for good headphones was absurd and unnecessary. Not anymore. If I had fully grasped how the hifi market changed so much in six years...I would've waited and saved my money.
I was debating on purchasing some AKG cans but their Vienna facility's closure has always kept me away. After Harman/Samsung purchased them, they're just a brand now. They don't come out with high-end headphone designs anymore, but they're now just mass-market headphones with a good brand name. It's a shame as I've heard good things about the K7xx/K55x series.
ployees founded their own company called Austrian Audio, so that their expertise is not lost. I think they first plan to develop some new microphones, but also plan eventually to make speakers and headphones. They did an AMA at some point.
The first 550 were also from China I guess, but build was really great.
I purchased a K240 at a massive flea market on a whim nearly 8 years ago. Made in Austria. They’ve been my computer headphones since then and I’ve never had issues. They work amazingly well for games. I had buddies spending tons of money on surround headphones and then they’d listen to mine and get extremely pissed when I told them I paid $30 for the K240 while they paid $100+ for their surround headphones.
Make AKG Great Again?!?
I had a K612 about two years ago, which was sold for a K712. I bought another K612 about a month ago directly from Amazon, and the build-quality is really not what I remember (plastics are thinner, headband didn't feel as nice), but I didn't know for sure because I was going on memory.
Well, I got a used K612 on eBay a couple of days ago and the build-quality is much better, more or less how I remember my old K612.
It's still a good headphone, but it's a shame to see AKG go this way.
They did the same thing to DOD, the guitar effects manufacturer. All their good designers are gone.
Just to make a correction: The OG Q701 and K550's were Austrian made. I know, because both of mine are Made in Austria. They're both still going strong, too.
I have had to resolder every wire in my q's and the plastic tab broke the first week. Right now they just sit on a shelf, eventually i need to just completely break them down and rewire them, I loved the sound but hated the problems i had with them. Unfortunately that experience was bad enough to never buy akg again for me.
I'm happy with my Chinese K702, heck I recommend them to anyone. The squeakiness is only apparent when I stretch them wider than any human head, maybe I got lucky in that regards. I have also not tried anything in the price range that I like sound as good (imo). Yes the build quality isn't as good as Sennheiser or Audio-Technica but even so I have no doubt that they will last me years. They just need to fix the elastic they use as it is nowhere near tight enough.
I can literally hold my k702s and shake em and hear that China rattle, btw the right ear went out but I was able to fix it. I can take my 712s make in Slovakia and hear little to no rattle, even if the parts are coming from China and being assembled there the molds are obviously being qa'd because the tolerances aren't as shit. even the headband which on my 702s feel like cardboard is nothing compared to the 712s which is actually supple and bends more and they're both genuine leather which is the cheapest shit but it's ridiculous how different the two are. even the plastic is different on the 712s the plastic around the housing is actually textured and not smooth.
I love the sound of my 702 but if I had to buy another I'd hunt for one made in Austria and would suggest that to anyone else. the 712s are fine, but I'd be worried about those in the coming years.
edit: post has me seriously considering a pair of anniversary edition but my wallet is not prepares.
I bought my 701 Quincy Jones Edition from Amazon with a $40 "Lightning Deal" discount making them $123.94 before tax. November 2015. Made in Austria.
At the time there were old posts from 2012/13 stating they were made in Austria. After that they were made in China. I think I just got lucky. Apparently Amazon's distributor sold 701s made in China and Austria.
Samsung is one of those all-swallowing all-manufacturing companies. They do just about fucking everything. Construction, product manufacturing, non-physical services, etc. Their products are as bland and massively-produced-feeling as products can get...
Dude. You bought a Massdrop edition at a steeply discounted price and you did not expect that corners would be cut to maintain some margin?
Yet the HD6XX doesn't have any corners cut at all, actually has been a bit 'refreshed' with a newer finish?
The build quality difference between my Austrian-made K701 and my K702 made in China is day and night. Later one is creaky as hell and the earcups joints don't even work neatly.
I grabbed the AKG N60NC wirelesslast October, the earpads came apart in may of this year. Not the best sounding of on ear options, but they were without a doubt the most comfortable on ear option I'd found. Because of how TMJ effects the jaw joints, finding headphones that didn't clamp the ears while still being light was critical.
But considering the right hinge was loose, though functional right out of the box, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
AKG will stay alive until the C414 and C12 legends die. Sorry, it's just the way. The life is doubled when they convinced home recordists that a C214 was equal to half of a C414.
...Just wait until traditional moneyed guys find out that B-ULS capsules are available thru third parties for $150, and can be replaced by anyone with marginal experience.
And then the Q-series and K-series headphones can be auditioned and found to be as good as they are. Try it out, Schoolboy Q - Blank Face LP thru K7XX or Q701 is insane. It's not even fair that headphones this good can be found for $200, and it's impressive that dynamic cans are as good as the high end AKG.
And as long as the 700 series headphones sounds as effortlessly good as they do. Kinda shouty, but the K7 and Q7 are fan favorites for a reason.
AKG Austria was closing well before the Samsung purchase was announced.
I also implore you to see/listen to the n5005 or n700nc and tell me they are trash/ have trash build quality.
My AKG 553 MKII's are superb build quality and sound... not sure what you're fussing about honestly.
I bought the AKG Y50 BT would u consider them good heapdhones for the price of 150$ if not what would you pay for it? Because you seem to have lots of experience with AKG and their headphones.
I can't really attest to those, but I do remember when the Y50 (sans bluetooth I think) came out a couple years ago. At least when I purchased lower end AKGs around six years ago, they weren't all that great compared to Sennheisers' offerings. But that's a matter of personal preference, really. See, I'm not saying that AKG currently doesn't make headphones that can't compete sound quality-wise with competitors: older or relabeled models that use drivers developed when at least some of the vestiges of AKG existed are basically all that's left of it though. I believe those particular headphones came out when at least some of the R&D people had sense, and I'd certainly wager they don't sound terrible. But build quality has really suffered across the entire product lineup unfortunately.
I have a Y50 and I bought it about $25 used. The only thing suck about it is the earpads. After a while my ears get too hot and my ear cartilage starts to get a little pain. Really need to find thicker earpads.
I had an original K550 and a more recent K553. Same very good build quality to me.
I've owned both in succession and feel the same. My K553 are the most well built of any other headphones I've used in that price range, and many that cost hundreds more.
I made a mistake the day I decided to buy the AKG K240 55ohm.
Worst headphones I've ever had (paid 50$),sound quality even worse than 10$ earphones and construction quality barely decent.
Now I have a pair of HD598sr and I couldn't be happier
Yes, I have HD 650s and made in Austria 701's and my 598 are still my everyday headphone.
Funny that you say the Chinese Q701 is better built. Mine just recently broke its solder joint on one of the earcups. It was fixable but that should never really happen. Had an Austrian K701 once - it never needed service in its entire existence, which I believe was approaching a decade old at the time I owned it.
my k7xx creak like hell too if i chew anything with them on. Annoying for sure. At least they still sound fantastic.
Is this affecting microphone too? I'm concerned about the c414 I was planning to buy in a year
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