AKG's bumper crop of in-ear, on-ear, wireless and noise-cancelling headphones can be overwhelming for first-time browsers and buyers. A number of them are acoustically very impressive – but which is the right pair for you? And where can you find the best deals?
How to choose the best AKG headphones for you
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
Whether you want to splash the cash on deluxe, studio-quality over-ears, or fancy a pair of premium yet portable in-ears, the potted reviews below should help you make that decision.
If you're eyeing up a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones, then pay close attention to battery life – especially if you have a long commute. Comfort is key too, so if have the opportunity to try before you buy, take it.
If performance is top of your list, the good news is that AKG has an impressive track record. The company began producing headphones in 1953 and still makes some of the best headphones we've tested.
To help you get straight to the good stuff, we've tested a wide variety of AKG headphones and listed our top picks below. Each one comes highly recommended – you just need to decide which model suits you best.
- Shop today's best headphones deals
These hugely impressive wired headphones are six-time What Hi-Fi? Award winners. Excelling in sound and style, they're blessed with aluminium ear cups, soft leather ear pads and dynamic sound on a grand scale. Thrilling levels of detail and near-flawless balance would be enough to set them apart from the competition. But factor in the affordable price, not to mention the portable design, and the Y50 are true show stoppers.
Read the full AKG Y50 review
Scoring highly across all categories, these impressive wireless headphones are durable and stylish. They're small enough to squeeze into a pocket, yet sound spacious, rhythmic and detailed. A button on the ear cup connects you to your smartphone's voice assistant, and the Y500 automatically pause music when you slip them off. With rich features, strong battery life and great controls, the Y500 remain superb all-rounders.
Read the full AKG Y500 Wireless review
If you're on a tight budget but don't want to compromise on sound quality in the home, these rich, detailed over-ear headphones are the answer to your audio prayers. The springy, self-adjusting headband sits lightly and comfortably, and the cushioning is superb. A 3m cable with 6.3mm adaptor makes them ideal for use with your home hi-fi. As we said in our original review, "AKG has struck gold" – happily, that lustre hasn't faded.
Read the full AKG K92 review
It's rare to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that match their wired counterparts for performance, but the Y50BT rise to that challenge. They're the wireless version of the Y50 that sit at number one in this list. They have the dynamic power to shift effortlessly between frequencies which makes them seriously entertaining.
The 20-hour battery life is very respectable, but you can use them with a wire when they run out of juice. Intuitive ear cup controls are the cherry on an attractively-priced cake. All in all, these are high-quality cord-cutters.
Read the full AKG Y50BT review
Bluetooth, noise cancelling and brilliant audio quality come together in this slick, stylish (and not to forget multi-Award-winning) package. Despite their compact size, the N60NC Wireless headphones do a solid job of cutting out ambient noise such as cars and jet engines.
Inside your bubble of silence, you'll find plenty of precision, detail and drive – plus a good thump of bass. They can be used with a wire, but with 15 hours of playback (Bluetooth and noise-cancelling), that shouldn't be necessary. Small enough to secrete in a jacket pocket, these striking cans are great on-the-go.
Read the full AKG N60NC Wireless review
There's very little between these wired N60NC and their wireless counterparts (above). That's a good thing, though. Both perform with panache, serving up superb noise-cancelling and an open, musical sound stage. They're great travel buddies, too, with a collapsable headband that ups the portability factor.
Excellent battery life – 30 hours with active noise-cancelling – should be plenty for a long-haul flight. Trimmed with aluminium and leather details, these classy cans are some of the best noise cancellers we've heard.
Read the full AKG N60NC review
Studio-style headphones for under £50? That's a big ask, but AKG has nailed it with the K72. They're some of the comfiest budget headphones we've tested, but the main attraction is the sound, which is spacious, sophisticated and bassy enough to make the most of an explosion-packed movie soundtrack.
In the box, you get a high-quality 3m cable for use with a stereo amplifier. That's a not-so-subtle hint that they're not really designed for 'portable' use. Still, given the sub-£40 price, the K72 are unbeatable value for money and ideal for home listening sessions.
Read the full AKG K72 review
If you appreciate life's simple pleasures, you'll be won over by the pared-down K52: comfortable, budget headphones don't get much better. Given the price, they're fantastically constructed and surprisingly expensive-looking. The solid metal frame is nice and light, and the cushioned headband cradles your head.
Timing is snappy, and there's a remarkable amount of balance and agility on show. For those on a budget, these are a no-brainer. That said, if you can afford to stretch your budget by just a tiny amount more, consider upgrading to the more polished K72 (above).
Read the full AKG K52 review
AKG's premium, wireless and noise-cancelling headphones are solid performers. Hinged for portability, they deliver effortless timing and a healthy dose of musicality, making them an easy, elegant listen. Battery life is 23 hours with Bluetooth and noise cancelling on, rising to 36 hours if you switch to a wired connection.
Noise cancelling is good, but not quite as effective as a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose NC700. Need to eavesdrop on the outside world? AKG's handy Ambient Aware button lowers the volume and the noise-cancelling. While the NC700NC aren't class-leaders, they do offer a solid performance at a good price.
Read the full AKG N700NC review
Wired headphones do still exist, and not just of the ridiculously-high-end variety. The AKG K371 are the wired counterpart to the capable Bluetooth K371-BT model, and they're a closed-back affair, so don't leak sound.
Build quality is very good, and you get three different cable lengths to play with – one short, straight 1.2m; one long, straight 3m; one coiled 3m – as well as a 6.3mm adaptor to complement the basic 3.5mm jack. So they should play nice with most wired headphones.
The headband slider mechanism works well and is a relatively rare feature at this price. And sound quality impresses for the money: there's plenty of low-end oomph (although it can occasionally overpower more delicate compositions) while there's plenty of clarity and insight. A solid, four-star effort.
Read the full AKG K371 review
How we test headphones
We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door.
Of course, testing headphones don't often require such facilities (though we do often try audiophile headphones in our reference hi-fi system). What is important in our headphones reviewing process is that each pair is compared to the best in its price and style class – whether that's one standout pair or a few we favour the highest among the 100+ pairs we listen to each year for reviews and What Hi-Fi? Awards judging. What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, and we keep class-leading products in our stockrooms so we can always compare new products to ones we know and love.
We are always impartial and do our best to make sure we're hearing every product at their very best, so we'll try plenty of different types of music and give them plenty of listening time (and time to run in), while the wired headphones that might warrant being used with a DAC are tested with a suitable one. It's not just about sound quality, of course. If a pair has active noise cancellation – increasingly the case these days – we'll ensure part of our testing involves using them in different environments.
All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible, too. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.
- How to choose the right pair of headphones
- Our pick of the best Sony headphones