AKG K72 Review

COMPLETE REVIEW

AKG Acoustics is an Austrian brand. The company was founded in 1947 and designs and manufactures different audio products such as headphones, microphones, wireless systems and more. They have products for both professional use and for the general consumer.

The K72 headphones are one of their most low-budget models and can be bought for under $50. They are described by AKG as studio headphones and they are designed for monitoring and mixing.

They feature professional-grade 40 mm drivers which deliver an accurate and detailed sound, to help you with your mixing and recordings.    

Here are their main specs:

• Weight: 200 g
• Frequency response: 16-20000 Hz
• input power: 200 mW
• Sensitivity: 112 dB SPL/V
• Rated impedance: 32 Ohms
• Professional-grade 40 mm drivers
• Fixed 3 m cable
• Replaceable Leatherette earpads

Design

The AKG K72 are closed back and over the year. Considering their really low price, they are solidly built, they have lightweight earpads and they are comfortable to wear, especially thanks to the soft, self-adjusting headband. Moreover, the earpads are replaceable, which is a useful feature. They don’t have such an attractive design as high-end headphones, but you can’t even have such expectations in this price range.

The cable of the K72 is 3 m long, not detachable and it is single sided, which is a good thing when you have to move a lot in the studio, to mix and so on. The circumaural earpads are quite large and really encircle your ears completely, instead of putting pressure on your ears, as it is the case with a lot of other headphones. This  circumaural design adds to the comfort. The K72 are easy to fit and wear, even by people with really big ears. All in all, while aesthetics might not be the most note-worthy quality of the K72, comfort is definitely one of their biggest strengths.

Sound quality

Even though they are really inexpensive, the AKG K72 are designed for professional use, such as studio mixing and monitoring. They have a frequency range of 16 Hz – 20,000 Hz. The 40 mm drivers deliver a clear and detailed sound you wouldn’t normally expect to hear with a $50 headset. There are of course some cons when it comes to sound quality, which is perfectly normal in this price range. The main problem with the K72 are the mid frequencies which are a bit emphasized. That is why the overall sound might be a bit colored and not as neutral as you would want a pair of monitoring headphones to sound. Depending on the music you are listening to/mixing, this problem can be more or less noticeable. There are cases in which the AKG K72 can really blow you away (in a good way!) and others when they might deliver a less natural sound.

When it comes to soundstage, it is not extraordinary, but decent enough, as you can expect with closed-back headphones.

Overall though, any audiophile on a tight budget should really appreciate these headphones, because they offer way more than most counterparts in this price range. They are comfortable, lightweight and sound really good.