The recent news that Harman International’s $350 million acquisition of Sound United and all the brands associated with it has been signed, sealed and delivered is one of the biggest pieces of hi-fi news to break in recent memory.

In case you missed it, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon and Marantz are all now under the same ownership as AKG, Arcam, Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson and Revel.

This makes Harman quite the audio behemoth, with an even longer list of major brands under its belt, all with serious pedigree and impressive global reach.

We sat down with Dave Rogers, President, Lifestyle Division, Harman, to give us a bit of background on the deal, explain how Sound United and all its brands fit into the Harman family, and how things might take shape moving forward.

Rogers reveals that when Sound United was originally bought by Masimo back in February 2022 for $1.025 billion, Harman was also in the mix as a potential purchaser.

“When Masimo bought them, we were in the discussion at that point. We were one of the companies – there were some other parties involved – and then Masimo stepped in while we were talking to them, made the offer that they made, and we stepped away at that point.”

According to Rogers, many of the people involved in the 2022 discussions were involved this time around, too. “We’ve had interest in Sound United for a long time, and many of the leadership team were involved in those (2022) discussions. Those same people were in the meetings this time.

“At the end of last year, there was some press that was starting to show up before CES. And when we went to CES 2025, we arranged a first discussion to connect again – and it just evolved from there.”

Rogers mentions it’s only natural that Harman would be interested.

“99 per cent of the products we build are audio related, and they (Sound United) are pre-eminent brands in the space, in categories where we don't have a super strong presence.”

Rogers clarifies, “The AVR space, I mean. Arcam’s a great brand; we do nice business, but it's in a very small sliver of the market geographically, and we plan to keep it in that space, in that niche space.

“Maybe there's some learning on feature set or manufacturing capability in the plant in Japan, that Denon and Marantz have – maybe they could do some manufacturing there.”

It’s in manufacturing and engineering where Rogers feels big things could potentially happen.

“Leveraging the manufacturing capability of Sound United in the Worthing plant and in Shirakawa, could there be benefits? That would be the first place we'll look – but no decisions have been made.

“We'd look to leverage those facilities and then create a dialogue between engineers to share best-in-class, knowledge, information, testing that they’re doing and so on. Certainly, facilities are open to share; there are no hard lines between them.”

Denon has consistently made some of the best AV receivers we have tested in recent years, while the Marantz Cinema 30 is the AV receiver we use in the reference home cinema system in our dedicated London test room.

Rogers continues, “Equally, with the Bowers brand, we hope to leverage the UK plant for some Harman speaker manufacturing, assuming they have the capacity.

“There are some great engineers in Japan designing products. We'd like to get the team in England over there, or the team in Japan over to England, to share ideas on Arcam with the Japanese colleagues.

“We'd like to have some of the (Harman) loudspeaker engineers collaborate with the Bowers engineers looking for improvement.”

With that many brands under one roof, could there be any big clashes?

“In JBL, there's not a lot of crossover. There's not a lot of crossover in the headphone space. Bowers sits more premium, above everything that we're doing with the JBL brand; even Denon does to a certain degree.”

Part of the appeal for Harman appears to be in brands that have different appeal in different markets, due to the different sounds those territories favour. Rogers points to Bowers & Wilkins speakers as an example.

“You’ve got a UK/Europe-based loudspeaker, which has a different sonic signature from a US-based, dome and cone speaker, such as a Revel or a Polk, or a horn or waveguide speaker, such as a JBL. There's a different sonic character. So we believe there's a market for all those brands to coexist. Maintaining that core identity of each brand is, I think, imperative.”

“We are very committed to having unique brand identities and heritages – we don’t want to disturb it, we're not looking to homogenise. We think each brand has a special place, especially in the high-end market.”

Does Rogers foresee much change? Initially, no. He sees the relationship following a similar path to that Harman took following its purchase by Samsung. That means Sound United is, and will continue to be, run as separate businesses.

“Sound United will come into the lifestyle division (of Harman), independently managed with its own sales force, with its own supply chain, with its own customer service. So we're pulling it in, but they're going to run the business within the consumer space.

“They have built a nice business, and we want to amplify that and put 100 per cent focus on audio, to identify features and use cases of consumers, and try to anticipate those use cases based on how people consume content.”

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Berlin's annual technology expo, IFA, is quickly approaching, which means we are beginning to fantasise about the latest home cinema and hi-fi announcements that could take place at the convention.

We saw some of the biggest audio, TV and projector brands show off their latest innovations at last year's show. Examples include the Xgimi Aura 2 4K ultra short throw projector and the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 noise cancelling headphones. We even came face to face with the Canvas Hi-Fi soundbar for the first time at IFA 2024.

So, what could possibly be on show at this year's show? Well, we're not sure yet; most brands tend to wait until their respective press conferences to drop any major reveals. That, though, hasn't stopped us from compiling a wish list of what we hope to see.

Samsung's Micro RGB TV

Just yesterday, we shared the news that Samsung is officially launching its first-ever Micro RGB TV, which includes an advanced new backlight system built around microscopic individual red, green and blue LEDs.

Each LED can be individually activated for pinpoint contrast control and rich, vibrant colours, according to Samsung. Expectations, then, are rather high.

We had a brief encounter with this TV tech at CES 2025, but it was a mystery as to whether the panel tech would go mainstream anytime soon.

Well, we're reluctant to call this supposed £24,000 TV mainstream (that price is converted from 44.9 million Korean Won), but it will be commercially available soon.

At 116 inches, it's perhaps a bit too large for our current AV testing facility, but IFA would be the perfect opportunity for it to take the spotlight.

It wasn't only Samsung that shared a sneak peek of its advanced new LED TVs at CES. TCL and Hisense also announced that they would be developing their own take on the TV tech; could we see these companies also make their versions official at IFA 2025?

New wireless headphones and earbuds

We saw a handful of exciting wireless headphones and earbuds make their debut at IFA 2024. Beyerdynamic launched the Aventho 300 over-ear cans as well as the Amiron 300 earbuds, both of which sport noise-cancelling capabilities.

Fellow audio brand AKG also dropped some new buds in the form of the N5 Hybrid, which was the company's stab at a premium pair of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds.

So, what can we expect to see at IFA 2025? Countless audio companies will be attending, including Earfun and JLab, while Beyerdynamic will also be returning.

Panasonic, which owns Japanese audio firm Technics, will also be attending, so we could see its wireless audio offerings on show too.

Projectors aplenty, please

If there's one thing we can rely on to be on show at IFA 2025, it's projectors. Xgimi will be in attendance, and after its impressive demonstration at last year's IFA showcase, which saw the Chinese AV brand launch an entirely new projector range, we have high expectations of what it could show off this year.

Furthermore, it has been confirmed that Samsung, Hisense and LG will all be attending IFA this year, so we expect to see plenty of ultra short throw projectors too.

LG, in fact, has just announced its new compact CineBeam S, an exciting pint-sized UST projector that we hope to see in action at IFA 2025.

We'll be on the ground in Berlin next month to cover all of the announcements, with hands-on coverage of the latest hi-fi and home cinema gear.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best wireless headphones

And the best TVs

Read our full Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review

Sony and Bose, look out! AKG is back in the wireless headphones space and from what we can tell, it may just be a triumphant return from the storied brand. Unveiled at IFA 2024, the new AKG N9 Hybrid over-ears are trumpeted as sporting "industry-leading hybrid adaptive noise cancellation", not to mention some handy features that will be giving the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones a run for their money.   

We were intensely excited when we heard that AKG was unveiling a pair of new headphones at IFA (the other being the AKG N5 Hybrid wireless earbuds). The brand has been rather quiet of late since Samsung acquired parent company Harman International back in 2016, but we're pleased to see AKG return, as it has given us some of the best headphone experiences in the past.

We managed to get hands-on with the new AKG N9 Hybrid noise-cancelling over-ears and here are our first impressions from the IFA show floor.

Price 

The AKG N9 Hybrid are priced at £329 / €349, a figure that inevitably puts them on a collision course with some very fine pairs of premium wireless headphones. The Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM5 originally launched at £380 / $399 but have since dropped to around £279 / $300 in recent months, whereas the five-star Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are currently sitting at around £379 / €339 / $429. Choppy waters, then.

Build and design 

AKG doesn't always go in for fancy frills and adornments, but what you usually get from the brand's products is a strong focus on user-friendly functionality. With circular earcups adorned with a tasteful metallic trim (reminding us of the AKG Y500), the AKGs come with a minimalist look (and two finishes, as seen in the photos here) that strikes a neat balance between restraint and flair. 

We weren't bold enough to start bending and flexing the cans in front of AKG's representatives to test their tensile strength and general capacity to handle a lot of wear and tear and stress (you need such qualities if you're going to survive IFA), but having the cans in our hands at least gave us the chance to feel a product that seemed well-made, functional and surprisingly lightweight.

We wouldn't miss the chance to slip them on, either. IFA this year has been one large sauna of oppressive heat, so it's best to avoid passing judgment on heat radiation and the sweat generated from a half-hour listen – most of that likely came from the wearer rather than the nature of the headphones. That aside, a short listening session made for a comfortable experience. The N9 Hybrid fit well to the contours of the skull, while the padding on the headband and earcups provided a soft, gentle cushion as we listened. Some users might want a little more robustness and density, especially from the headband, but it's too early to make a proper assessment at this point.

There are also some design and usability aspects that we can get on board with. The new over-ears follow the standard procedure of placing most of their buttons at the base of the cans' earcups, with a play/pause button and a power slider on the right cup and an ANC button sitting on the left. What we really like is how you adjust the volume: swivel the right ear cup up or down and, when you feel a pleasing little kick of resistance, the loudness will increase or increase depending on the direction. We could've done it all day...

Features 

For better or worse, you need your premium headphones to have a pretty full stable of features if you're going to tempt prospective buyers away from the heavy hitters in this weight class. The AKG N9's party piece is a USB-C dongle that can be plugged into devices – which offers 2.4GHz streaming for better quality and lower latency over native Bluteooth 5.3 – and this dongle can be snazzily stored in a sliding compartment in one of the headphones' ear cups (again, a lovely mechanism).

If the USB-C dongle is the party piece, the cans' battery life is the even-better afterparty. The N9 Hybrid feature up to 100 hours of playtime with ANC switched off, with up to 85 hours using the USB-C dongle (again, ANC turned off). Those are belting numbers that match the figures of the new Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 (also 100 hours with ANC off) and trounce the class-leading Sony XM5's respectable 40 hours. 

Noise cancelling is on board, and from our brief experience, it's an impressive effort from the Austrian brand. The N9 Hybrid offer three customisable noise-cancelling modes: standard ANC, an ambient aware mode and a talkthrough setting. We enjoyed a brief demo using the pretty nifty AKG headphones app, noting not only how effectively chattering voices came through as we listened but also how effective the customisable slider was in adjusting how much chatter ended up making it into our ears. 

Spatial audio support is on board courtesy of AKG's take on "Immersive Spatial Audio". AKG also promises "superior" call quality thanks to a total of four virtual adaptive beamforming microphones which monitor your environment and, with the help of our good friend AI, suppress ambient noise while highlighting human speech. We didn't make any calls, obviously. 

Sound quality 

The AKG N9 Hybrid house 40mm dynamic drivers equipped with bespoke liquid crystal polymer diaphragms to deliver what the maker describes as "wide-range detail and brilliant dynamic sound". AKG has teased a rich and precise bass alongside clear and accurate vocals, blending with "vividly lifelike" high notes from its new premium cans. 

We're always wary of marketing bluster, but even so, it's easy to at least see what AKG are talking about when they describe the sonic credentials of the company's latest headphones. From the first notes of Rebecka Törnqvist's Nothing Ever we're struck by just how controlled and revealing the N9 Hybrid seem to be, even during our demo listen on a busy show floor. These are clearly cans that honour AKG's studio legacy, so that you can clearly hear individual fingerstrums from the track's tender, intimate guitar.  

The AKG headphones sounded poised and controlled in our brief listen, and while the idea of a pair of cans sounding "controlled" might not have your pulse racing and your fingers hurriedly tapping at your keyboard to secure yourself a pair, it's an adjective we think that is to H9's credit here. Nero's dubby, pulsating Won't be There is the sort of offering that could sound unwieldy and unfocused, especially at the lower ranges, but we found the AKG's fairly precise, in-check bass reproduction gives the belting tune a solid platform from which to build.

A live rendition of The Eagles' Hotel California is even better served. We find that the N9 Hybrid seems to have enough of the space, detail and insight needed to bring that performance to life. It's a rendition that melds the intimacy of the track's core vocal with the breadth and scale needed to evoke the sense of a performance happening in a large space – for a moment, we're no longer in Berlin listening to headphones, but somewhere else entirely. 

They feel like rhythmically competent cans, too, at least as far as we can tell from our limited testing time. Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso benefits from the snap and tautness of the cans' clean, almost springy bass reproduction, leading to those small, slightly hesitant head bops evidenced by so many tech journalists when they're asked to listen to something poppy in front of a room full of total strangers. There's enough bounce and life to the track's playful underpinnings, and we think Carpenter's alluring, confident vocal performance is communicated with appreciable personality and life. 

Verdict 

Another competitor strides into the arena ready to do battle for supremacy in the premium wireless headphones space. It's too early to tell if the AKG N9 Hybrid have what it takes to gain the raised thumb of the metaphorical emperor, but even from our brief listen on a busy show floor – never a good place to draw concrete conclusions, mind – we feel optimistic that AKG could make quite the comeback. 

While we've heard elements of good detail, spaciousness, clarity and control in our demo, we need our own review sample and dedicated testing time to see if the new N9 Hybrid can play with the class leaders in this highly competitive market, and whether their true rhythmic and musical capabilities can compete with the best offered by Sony and Bose.

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It feels as though it has been quiet on the AKG front for some time now – it’s almost eight years since Samsung acquired the once prolific headphones brand as part of the Harman International acquisition of 2016.

Product news has been particularly thin on the ground in recent years, though, but at last, we have a double whammy of new products to report on from IFA 2024.

Say hello to the AKG N5 Hybrid wireless earbuds and N9 Hybrid wireless headphones.

AKG's press release is off to a bold start, claiming the N9 boast “industry-leading hybrid adaptive noise cancellation”. Auto Compensation uses six built-in microphones to monitor external noise and make adjustments to the ANC in real time. Alternatively, you can stick to one level of ANC via the AKG Headphones app.

• Read our hands-on review of the AKG N9 Hybrid wireless headphones

Inside each earcup is a 40mm dynamic driver made from Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP). On each earcup, you will find two beamforming mics to handle call quality, with AI machine learning keeping ambient noise at bay. The AKG’s “hydrodynamic windproof design” claims to reduce distortion caused by wind and improve the clarity of your calls.

The N9 hybrid supports Bluetooth 5.2 and comes with a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle which can be stowed in the left earcup when not in use. Battery life with ANC and Bluetooth turned on is a claimed 55 hours.

Additional features include Bluetooth Multipoint and support for AKG Spatial Audio, which can turn any stereo content into virtual surround sound. There is also LDAC support for higher-quality Bluetooth audio from compatible sources.

The AKG N5 Hybrid wireless earbuds also come with a USB-C dongle (stored in the case) and claim to offer “best-in-class” adaptive noise-cancelling which, as on the N9 Hybrid, can also be tweaked through the AKG Headphones app.

These buds use a 10mm Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coated dynamic driver, and offer similar spatial audio tech to the over-ears. Battery life should be good for eight hours of playback per charge (with ANC on), while the supplied carry case adds approximately three extra charges. The buds are IP54 rated which means they are  resistant to dust particles and water sprays from multiple directions which should make them handy for exercise.

To aid call quality, there are multiple customisation options available through the AKG Headphones app, including the ability to fine-tune your voice for meetings or add more bass or treble to others on the call. The Voice Aware feature can even fine-tune the amount of your voice that you hear when you speak so you don’t end up shouting in public.

With the AKG N5 Hybrid priced at £250/€269 and the AKG N9 Hybrid coming in at £329/€349, it will be interesting to see what AKG can bring to the party. This is a super-competitive space and they will compete with some exceptional rivals, such as the Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. We will let you know how they get on as soon as we have samples in for review.

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You may not have heard of Chinese brand Sivga before. Established in 2016, the somewhat fledgling outfit is seeking to carve out a name for itself in the world of wired headphones, with a quick trip to the company’s official website revealing a healthy stable of wired over-ear cans backed by robust sonic claims and adorned, to varying degrees, with swanky wooden exteriors.

Carving out your own niche is never easy, especially for young bucks trying to make a name amid a packed crowd of established players, and while those retro wooden exteriors may be enough to catch some wandering eyes, few companies make the grade if the goods they tout simply aren’t up to task. At this relatively affordable price point, our spotlighted contenders – the Sivga SV021 Robin – have substantial competition from the likes of Røde, Austrian Audio, Sennheiser and AKG, none of whom will be keen to concede ground to the new boys without a fight. 

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and Batman isn’t swinging by to save them. Time to find out if the Sivga SV021 Robin have the makings of true headphone heroes.

Price

The Sivga SV021 Robin officially retail at £149 / $149 / AU$299 and, as of yet, we haven’t seen that number drop during their short lifetime. That figure puts the Sivga on a collision course with some notable rivals, including the punchy AKG K371 (tested at £151 / $145 / AU$145) and the Award-winning Røde NTH-100. We tested the Røde last year at £149 / $149 / AU$249, but discounts are starting to pull prices down a touch, making the Sivgas’ task of competing with the best in the business just that little bit trickier. 

Build & comfort

In terms of their general shape and profile, the SV021 Robin are something of a mixed bag. A pair of headphones sporting wooden earcups at this price level is a welcome sight if you like that sort of thing, and while the cups’ exterior surface does seem susceptible to external scratches, the overall impression given by combining leather and wood is one of retro elegance. The external stitching atop the headband is uniform and neatly done, while the cans’ adjustment sliders are relatively smooth and simple to operate.

Thanks to their soft and squishy (that’s a technical term) memory foam earpads, the SV021 Robin initially seem to offer a light, easygoing fit, but it’s a somewhat fleeting impression that soon gives way to the realisation that the combination of the pads’ excessive softness and the lack of proper clamping pressure from the headband doesn’t keep the headphones completely stable when in use. We also notice significant on-ear heat as minutes of listening turn to hours, so bear that in mind if you’re planning on using the Sivga to delve into a non-stop exploration of Tool’s back catalogue or thinking of devoting a day immersed in Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

Further issues may arise depending on the wearer. While many of our more cranially-endowed team had few problems with the overall fit, those blessed with more diminutive domes struggled to obtain a comfortable clamp, bemoaning the fact that the cans, even on their smallest adjustment, sat too low on their ears. 

Elsewhere, these aren’t the most lavishly furnished pair of over-ears you’ll find, but that’s understandable considering the Sivgas’ reasonable cost. You’re provided with a solitary 1.6m cable for directly connecting to most standard headphones via a 3.5mm connector, although Sivga has been good enough to include a 6.3mm adapter should you require it. You don’t get a bespoke case, though, meaning a rather basic fabric carry bag is charged with keeping your cans protected from the perils of the outside world. 

Sound

Sivga may still be a relatively unknown name, but fears that the brand is yet to find its “voice” are soon assuaged when we get the SV021 Robin plugged in and firing. A Tidal recording of Paolo Nutini’s intimate, sincere Through The Echoes reveals the sensibly priced over-ears’ personality as the track benefits from a reasonably well-ordered and detailed display, with the Sivga picking out the timbres of gentle guitar strums, disparate piano touches and Paolo’s throaty, nasal rasp. 

There’s unquestionably detail here, but the SV021 Robins’ main currency is that of propulsive, slightly treble-happy assertiveness – they’re as keen to please as a fresh-faced intern on their first day on the job, throwing themselves into the action and conveying tracks with a peppy, eager spirit. As we plug the Sivga into our Astell and Kern A&norma SR35 hi-res player and pick out a 24-bit/96kHz FLAC recording of Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop, we’re struck by how crisp and spritely the familiar tune feels, even if the upper-end can stray into sounding a touch harsh and shrill to our ears. These are cans keen for you to like them, and a part of us wants to oblige. 

Sonic shortcomings, however, prevent mild affection from blossoming into full-grown infatuation, and that eagerness to please can often lead the otherwise likeable headphones to stray into decidedly one-dimensional territory. There’s a point in Muse’s Hysteria when the bubbling, bassy verses are side-swiped by the introduction of crunchy, ripping guitars, signalling not only the chorus’s arrival but the track letting loose as it explodes into full-on tornado mode. It’s a key moment that feels more momentous and impactful through the more dynamically engaging approach of Røde NTH-100, as these Award-winners contrast the building verses with the explosiveness of the chorus to make that entrance feel like a real event. The Sivga, by contrast, are so busy colouring everything with their forward, enthusiastic palette that they can forget to bring out the track’s distinct textural and dynamic elements.

Hysteria exposes more issues. The track’s relentless sense of propulsive drive is captured effortlessly by the fast, forward-thrusting SV021 Robin, so much so that you can almost feel they are straining at the leash to jump from one note to the next. Nuances are picked out with relative competence, but often the Sivga lack the necessary robustness to add oomph to the composition. More problematic still, their lack of lower-end refinement – especially when compared with the Røde – can sometimes leave that iconically intricate bassline feeling somewhat muddled and misshapen when contrasted with the clean, taut performance of the more capable NTH-100 rivals.

As we bounce through tracks of varying genres and styles, the SV021 Robin don't quite have the breadth of talent to bring out the full range of shades and dynamic contrasts across the listening spectrum. The Sivgas’ energetic approach brings snap and timing to proceedings, but be it conveying the well-ordered intricacy of Radiohead’s Reckoner, the sparky drive of The Black Keys’ Gotta Get Away or the subtle melancholy of Nils Frahm’s Ambre, they simply don’t possess the adaptability or insight to trouble the class leaders.

Verdict

If you can secure a proper fit and you’re in tune with their particular sonic approach, you may find something to enjoy from the Sivga SV021 Robin wired headphones. For us, though, they need more muscle, not to mention more refinement at both ends of the sonic spectrum, to gain greater plaudits. It may initially be hard to resist the Sivgas’ peppy and outgoing personality, but established rivals offer far more involving listens. 

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Comfort 3
• Build 3

MORE:

Read our review of the Røde NTH-100

Also consider the Austrian Audio Hi-X50 

Read our AKG K371 review

Best over-ear headphones: wired and wireless pairs tested by our experts

Austrian Audio is still a young brand. Founded by a core team of ex-AKG personnel in 2017, it has gone on to produce some of the finest sensibly-priced wired headphones on the market.

Given the company’s heritage, it was interesting that the initial headphone releases focused on the more affordable part of the market, staying below £400 / $450 / AU$600. Even though we always suspected that the brand would move into more premium sectors at some point, it is still surprising just how ambitious it has been with the slightly awkwardly named The Composer.

This flagship pair of wired, open-back headphones retail for around five times as much as anything else in the company’s range and is joined by a partnering headphone amplifier called The Full Score (£1299 / $1499 / around AU$2200). The full review of the amplifier will have to wait for another day, for now, it is the headphones that we are focusing on, and mighty impressive they turn out to be.

Build & comfort

There is an aura of careful engineering about these Austrian Audio headphones. They feel like a precision instrument when we lift them out of their packaging; the various hinges in the predominantly metal structure moving slickly and without noticeable play. There is little to complain about when it comes to finish, which is of a high standard. 

The fit is adjusted using a sliding padded headband and earpieces that rotate to accommodate ear angle. In combination with the well-judged clamping pressure and easily replaceable magnetically-held earpads, it adds up to a comfortable experience for most, but not all. Inexplicably, given the company has so much headphone-designing experience, we find that the range of adjustment on The Composer’s headband isn’t enough to accommodate members of our team with smaller heads. This is something that Austrian Audio needs to have a look at and fix.

There is a good range of connectivity on offer here. These headphones are supplied with a 3m lead terminated by a 3.5mm jack with the option of a 6.3mm adaptor. Those who want to go the balanced signal route have a choice of a 3m XLR 4-pin lead and a shorter 1.4m alternative with a 4.4mm Pentaconn connector. Electrically, there isn’t anything to worry about here, with the headphones having an impedance of 22 ohms and a sensitivity of 112dB SPL/V. We found no issue in driving these Austrian Audios with a range of products from our MacBook Pro to dedicated headphone amplifiers. While poorer quality sources are ruthlessly revealed, there is little to complain about when driving the headphones to reasonable levels.

Being an open-back design is both a blessing and a curse. The positive points are many. Any sound being fired rearwards by the newly-developed 49mm diamond-like carbon-coated driver escapes out of the back and doesn’t get trapped in an enclosure to re-radiate through the diaphragm or cause structural resonances. In our experience, this has huge benefits in terms of resolution, dynamics and distortion levels. Heat isn’t trapped either, so open designs, as a breed, tend to warm up your ears less during a longer listening session. Other advantages include reduced weight: The Composer weigh in at just 385g (without cables) and so prove easy to wear over long listening sessions.

The big issue with open designs is that they tend to let noises in from your environment and they leak sound like a sieve. This makes them less than ideal if there is a lot of noise around or if you don’t want to disturb anyone sitting close to you in a quiet room. Open designs also tend to produce less in terms of bass weight and power than their closed-back cousins, though as we will soon find out with The Composer, some open designs do better than others.

Sound

Despite being relatively unfussy about partnering equipment (in electrical-matching terms), we don’t think anyone should buy headphones at this level and simply feed them directly with the output of a smartphone, laptop or even budget separates. The Composer deserve better, as becomes clear once we work our way from our Macbook Pro (with Audirvana software) on its own, then feeding an AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt (£179 / $200 / AU$460), a Chord Hugo 2 (£2099 / $2500 / AU$4500) and lastly a Chord Hugo TT2 (£3995 / $5295 / AU$8500). 

The steps up in the performance of the system are obvious. Even so, while the final combination gives strong results, connecting these Austrian Audio headphones to our reference sources (Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R/Kiseki Purpleheart record player) and the headphone output of the Burmester 088 preamp shows that the design has even more stretch. 

We have several high-end headphones available for comparison, from the Grado RS1x and similarly-priced but closed-back Sony MDR-Z1R to more expensive open-back alternatives such as the Focal Utopia (2022) and Yamaha’s YH-5000SE. It gives us a good context to judge The Composer’s performance. 

Make no mistake, they are impressive, but not in a flash-bang-wallop way. These are more mature than that, prioritising composure, neutrality and insight above all. They allow the listener to hear deep into a recording and track low-level instrumental strands with ease. In this respect, they are as good as anything we have heard at this level and broadly on par with Focal’s Utopia at double the price. Such detail is well worth having, but it is the way these headphones manage to organise it into a cohesive and musical presentation that pleases even more. They communicate the sheer majesty of Mahler’s Symphony No.9 well, delivering large-scale dynamic shifts with authority. A shift of musical genre to Go! by Public Service Broadcasting is greeted by enthusiasm and surefooted rhythmic drive.

Given that they are an open-back design we’re pleased to note that The Composer deliver lows with a surprising amount of muscle. They dig deep and true and can track undulating basslines with conviction. There is plenty of refinement higher up the frequency range, but if you feed these cans with a poor source or drive them with less capable amplification they won’t hide that fact; transparency is high on their considerable list of strengths. Given suitably talented partners we doubt whether you can find a rival that’s as articulate or natural-sounding with voices, or as capable of digging up so much information.

Tonally, these are essentially neutral without sounding bleached. Acoustic instruments come through with natural warmth and texture intact. No part of the frequency range gets undue emphasis, giving the presentation a lovely balanced feel. Some of Austrian Audio’s cheaper headphones, good as they are, can be accused of sounding a little sterile, but that’s certainly not the case here. Given a suitable recording, these headphones have enough in the way of drive and energy to entertain.

Verdict

There is no denying that The Composer are excellent headphones for the money. They manage to deliver a combination of naturalness and resolution that is deeply impressive. Add excellent build and superb engineering into the equation and they become easy to recommend for those that are lucky enough to shop at this level. But, if you are one of those fortunate people, make sure that they fit you properly before buying.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Comfort 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Grado GS3000x

Also consider the Sony MDR-Z1R

Read our Focal Utopia (2022) review

Best headphones – every type tried and tested

“Great ideas are born in silence” are the slightly counterintuitive words stamped onto the interior lid of AKG’s new K371 wired headphones. Silence, however, isn’t what comes to mind when talking about the K371, the new wired counterpart to the capable Bluetooth K371-BT model. 

We found the BT version's sonics stood out in a crowded wireless market, and it’s mostly the same story with this new wired offering. Boasting a big, broad sound and some seriously impressive audio clout, the AKG K371 deliver a great listening experience for a reasonable fee.

They also have the numbers to match – AKG claims around 5Hz to 40kHz frequency bandwidth, substantial 50mm drivers and a meagre weight of just 255g. If you’re looking for a relatively affordable pair of cans that can still pack a punch, you should certainly consider AKG’s K371 model. 

Comfort

The wired K371 cans deliver pleasing levels of comfort and style. Different experiences are inevitable, but most ears will be snugly covered, even if we did feel a little excess pressure at the top of the cup during longer listening sessions.

Given the muscle of the K371’s delivery, you might be worried that even a mid-volume listening session could end up filling your room with unwanted audio spillover. Happily, the closed-back K371 have no such problems keeping their sound where it belongs, i.e. in your ears and not splashing across a crowded sound studio or bemused office space.

Build

AKG has once again delivered polished levels of build quality. Scratch a fingernail over the headband’s cushioned material or the exterior of the plastic earcup and you’ll barely make a mark across the pristine surface. 

Being a pair of wired headphones, the K371 cans don’t offer a huge number of bells and whistles to play with. Instead, a choice of three wires (one short, straight 1.2m; one long, straight 3m; one coiled 3m) and a 6.3mm adaptor to complement the basic 3.5mm jack ensures users won’t be restricted by an excessively short lead, and all three leads fit into the headphone socket via a Mini-XLR plug.

The headband's neat and well-designed aluminium slider mechanism, meanwhile, allows the earcups to move back and forth and rotate backwards into the headband for storage, and at no point in this process do you ever worry you’re about to snap your precious headphones in half and watch your money evaporate in one fell crack. It’s not an entirely unique feature, but it’s still a relatively rare one at this price point.

We did harbour concerns that the similarly-designed BT model may reveal a potential weak point where the slider and headband meet due to some inflexibility at the band’s outer edges, but AKG has assured us that there have been no issues with breakages of its Bluetooth cans.

Sound

AKG markets the K371 as perfect for professional functions such as streaming, vlogging, music production and studio monitoring, but there’s nothing to stop you from using them as your own personal headphones for enjoying your music at home or on the go. 

In fact, the K371 offer great sound for the more casual buyer as well as for the studio professional. What you’ll notice immediately is how meaty the bass is, giving plenty of oomph at the sonic spectrum’s lower end. Tracks such as Muse’s Hysteria or Liars’ Big Appetite benefit from the K371’s weighty sound, even if more nuanced offerings such as Elliot Smith’s Between The Bars will be coloured by the cans’ slight bass emphasis.

Yet there’s no mistaking how clear and insightful AKG’s headphones can be, and it’s only when they are compared with their main rival, Røde’s crystal clear NTH-100, that you might detect any room for improvement with regard to the latter’s more detailed soundscape and greater bass precision. Still, if you favour a bit more oomph for some grungey rock, heavy hip-hop or pulsing musical soundtracks, AKG has certainly delivered on that promise.

Verdict

AKG has once again delivered a truly solid pair of headphones suitable for anyone from the professional studio mixer to a casual music lover. The K371 are an impressive pair of cans that benefit from careful construction and a robust sound, not to mention high levels of comfort and quality.

Potential buyers should bear in mind Røde’s NTH-100 which go a little further in terms of nuance and subtlety, but AKG’s effort offers a powerful, enjoyable sonic experience with confidence and enthusiasm at this price. For making you feel the music you’re listening to, the K371 headphones are a really solid investment.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Comfort 4
• Build 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Røde NTH-100

Also consider Austrian Audio's Hi-X15

Read our Grado SR80x review

Best over-ear headphones: wired and wireless over-ears for every budget

Given everyone’s apparent obsession with wireless headphones, you’d be forgiven for thinking the days of wired headphones were numbered, especially at the more affordable end of the market.

But, we’d be surprised if those thoughts ever surfaced in the corridors of Austrian Audio’s Vienna HQ. The company, born out of ex-AKG employees, has hit the ground running with its first-ever range of wired headphones, Hi-X. 

We’ve heard, enjoyed and given five-star ratings to the more expensive Hi-X55 headphones but the Austrian Audio Hi-X15 are the first model we’ve heard from the brand which we’d consider a proper budget offering.

• Our pick of the best wired headphones

Design and build

Although, from a quick inspection, it’s apparent that these wired over-ears look and feel anything but cheap. Their design and finish put a lot of plasticky competitors to shame. The use of proper metal hinges results in a pair of headphones that fold away neatly, with zero fuss. And you can even slip them into the supplied carry pouch to protect them from bumps and scrapes.

The matte plastic on the arms is a nice change to glossy plastic, while the black, red and silver colour scheme gives them on-desk presence. In each earcup you’ll find a 44mm driver and ring magnet system with a copper-clad aluminium voice coil.

In the box you get a 1.4m long headphone cable with a 3.5mm jack at one end and a 2.5mm connector on the other. This slots into the left earcup (a 6.3mm adapter is included in the box). It’s then a matter of twisting and locking it into place.

Put them on your head and the grip level is nicely judged, with just enough pressure applied to keep them from sliding around your head. The soft, ‘slow retention’ memory foam earpads are also comfy and during our time with them didn’t seem to generate too much in the way of heat.

Given the portable element of their design has been executed so well, you might think it a shame that the cable isn’t just a little bit shorter and that it doesn't have in-line smartphone controls. But we’d still class these really as home headphones.

Sound quality

Now, we found the Hi-X15 sounded quite lively straight out of the box. This means you’ll need to be prepared to give them a decent running-in period (we’re talking a good couple of days at least) so they have a chance to calm down.

Once they settle, the Austrian Audios sound so transparent and grown up that they belie their relatively modest price tag. We suggest using them with a DAC/headphone amplifier such as the DragonFly Red to make the most of them rather than simply plugging them directly into a smartphone (though they will still sound good). In fact, the Hi-X15 would quite easily work with a more expensive option like a Chord Mojo.

Any rough and ready recordings are mirrored in how the sound is fed into your ears, and this transparency gives them a huge advantage over rivals, especially when you take into account the close-backed design. This sense of openness allows an immense amount of detail to be served up to feast on, without having to worry about sound leakage.

Throughout the frequency range, these headphones deliver consistently high detail levels and fantastic dynamics. Play The End by Kings Of Leon, and the Hi-X15 pick apart and deliver the funky bass guitar riff at the start, the drum kit and lead guitar with consummate ease. You can almost feel the texture of each instrument as it’s being played, the headphones drawing you deep into the performance.

There isn’t an ounce of fat on any track played through the Austrian AudioHi-X15 headphones. But at the same time there’s enough weight and substance to low frequencies that you don’t feel as though you’re missing out. Massive Attack’s Angel is obviously known for its deep, probing bass notes and the headphones punch their way along, each note dispatched with force and power.

Verdict

Yes, we’d consider the Hi-X15 an analytical pair of headphones, but they still manage to make music entertaining with it – they extract bags of detail but keep the soul of your music intact.

We wouldn't insist on you partnering them with a suitable DAC/headphone amplifier, but do so and you’ll be rewarded with a mature-sounding pair of headphones that go above and beyond at the money.

Review published: 2021. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Comfort 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Read our round up of the best over-ear headphones

Read our Grado SR80x review

Austrian Audio has had something of a dream start to life when it comes to What Hi-Fi? reviews. We’ve covered three of the company’s headphones so far, and each one has been excellent, garnering full five-star reviews and, in the case of the entry-level Hi-X15, a What Hi-Fi? Award this year. Take a look at the open-back Hi-X65’s rating and you’ll see that this current range-topper continues to keep standards high.

The company is young, having been founded in mid-2017, but at its core is a group of ex-AKG employees who have decades of experience in the headphone industry. This wealth of knowledge clearly shines through in Austrian Audio’s products.

Build

The Hi-X65 have an open-back design, meaning they leak a certain amount of sound out as well as letting a fair amount of environmental noise in. These headphones are nowhere near as leaky as the likes of Grado’s otherwise brilliant SR325x, but it’s still something to be aware of if you’re going to use them when in the company of other people. 

Open-back designs tend to have sonic advantages over their closed-back cousins, of course. All things being equal, they tend to sound more spacious and articulate with a notable extra dose of expressiveness when it comes to dynamics. That's down to the lack of a drive unit enclosure and with it all the resonances and distortion that such a structure invariably causes.

Elsewhere you’ll find a rugged, sensibly constructed pair of headphones that are clearly designed to last. Parts that deteriorate over time such as the earpads and headband cushioning are easily replaced, and the use of metal in the structure, particularly the stocky hinges of the ear cups, suggest these Austrian Audios will take plenty of abuse.

They’re comfortable too, with nicely judged clamping pressure and a reasonable 310g of weight nicely spread between the contact points. You’ll find two cables in the box; one of 1.2m length and the other a 3m option. Both feature a 3.5mm jack at the source end and a twist-locking arrangement to connect to the left earcup. A 6.3mm adaptor is also in the box.

Be warned if you’re the impatient sort. Performance-wise, our sample took the best part of a week to settle. Not that the Hi-X65 don’t sound good from the beginning; more that their presentation is a little thin and forward straight out of the box, which gives them an overly analytical, less involving presentation. Over time, though, the sound mellows to become more expressive and subtle with a convincing amount of natural warmth with not a hint of unwanted edge.

You’ll need a decent source, though. A nominal impedance of 48 ohms and sensitivity of 110dB SPL/V means that our Apple MacBook laptop has no trouble driving the headphones to high levels. But note that the quality of the Hi-X65’s performance gets notably better at every step from there to the addition of an Audioquest Cobalt DAC and then to a Chord Hugo 2 DAC. The Hi-X65 are transparent performers, so the better the source and electronics, the better the sound gets.

Sound

We listen to a wide range of music in our time with these headphones – from the grand classical works of Stravinsky to the abrasive hip-hop of Eminem, with the likes of Nick Cave and Lana Del Rey taken in along the way – and these headphones never disappoint. 

They have the dynamic stretch to cope with the brutality of the crescendos in Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring and the composure to deal with the staggering instrumental complexity of the piece. The Hi-X65 always sound controlled and can track low-level instrumental stands with relative ease.

Tonally they’re nicely judged, thankfully avoiding the overbearing low-frequency character that so many rivals exhibit. The X65 sound cohesive, all-of-a-piece, with no part of the frequency range sticking out. 

We’re pleased with the detail resolution too. These are crisp, clean and precise sounding performers that make it easy to follow Eminem’s rapid-fire delivery on No Love. There’s a pleasing degree of punch on offer alongside taut and articulate bass. Rhythmically, things are good enough to communicate the energy and momentum of the track, while admittedly lacking a little of the exuberance that makes the likes of Grado’s SR325x so great. These X65 remain an entertaining listen, though.

Verdict

Put it all together and the conclusion is easy: the Hi-X65 are comfortable, well made and sonically capable. If you’re looking for a pair of quality wired home headphones at this level, you really should put these on your shortlist.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 4

MORE:

Also consider the Grado SR325x

These are the best over-ear headphones 2021

There are only three things required to build superb loudspeakers. A team of talented and experienced speaker designers, unlimited research and development resources, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. That’s why there are so few superb loudspeakers!

Revel ticks all three boxes. The design team is a veritable ‘dream team’ that includes three of the world’s most famous loudspeaker designers: Dr Sean Olive (who started his audio career working with Dr Floyd E. Toole at Canada’s National Research Council), Kevin Voecks (who helped found Mirage before becoming chief engineer at Snell), and Mark Glazer (Jumetite Labs and Infinity Systems, where he worked with Arnie Nudell). It really doesn’t get any better than that.

As for ticking the second box, Revel is owned by Harman International, which has the best acoustic laboratories and listening rooms in the world, in particular its famous ‘shuffle’ speaker comparator. As for the third box, Harman’s manufacturing facilities are second to none, as you’d expect from a company that also builds products for JBL, Infinity, AKG, Mark Levinson, Arcam and half a dozen other famous brands. Harman International having access to Samsung’s coffers is also a big help!

• Best music streamers 2021

Equipment

The Revel PerformaBe F226Be is our favourite design, a four-driver, three-way system in a floor-standing cabinet. Perhaps the most important of these attributes is the ‘three-way’ nature of the design. The beauty of a three-way loudspeaker is that the all-important midrange is being handled by just the one driver, so you’re not getting any Doppler distortion going on, and there is no crossover anywhere near the most crucial section of the vocal range from C4 (Middle C) up to C7 (which is pretty close the top octave of a piano keyboard).

The next most important of these attributes is the use of four drivers, which always means that there are two bass drivers to deliver the lowest frequencies, rather than just the one. The beauty of using two bass drivers is that you split the load, so the power-handling is higher and cone excursion is minimised, so distortion drops away.

Then we come to the fact that the F226Be is a floor-standing design. This is our favourite format because, all things being equal, a large loudspeaker cabinet is always going to enable louder low frequencies – and better low-frequency extension – than a smaller cabinet.

The acoustic alignment of the cabinet – whether it’s sealed or ported/bass reflex – is also important, but in the case of the F226Be, Revel gives us the best of both worlds, because you can operate it in whichever of these two alignments works the best in your room, and with the music you prefer to listen to, thanks to the provision of port plugs with which you can block off the ports.

The cones of the two 165mm diameter bass drivers used in the F226Be are made from a material Revel calls ‘Deep Ceramic Composite’ (DCC) aluminium, which Revel’s Mark Glazer says are made using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process that uses a plasma discharge to create a ceramic coating on both sides of an aluminium core. He says that the two ceramic layers provide constrained layer damping that pushes the cone’s breakup modes outside the pass band, allowing the driver to maintain ideal pistonic motion through its entire operating range.

To ensure proper voicing during the crossover from the two bass drivers to the midrange driver, the midrange driver’s cone and chassis are made from exactly the same materials as the bass drivers. In fact the overall construction is identical… the midrange driver just has a smaller-diameter cone, at 130mm.

As you’ve probably already guessed from the model name, the 25mm diameter dome of the F226Be’s tweeter is made from Beryllium. Beryllium is one of the go-to materials of choice for tweeter domes, because it’s half the weight of either titanium or aluminium, four times as stiff and more self-damped than either of these metals.

The Beryllium dome is partnered with a waveguide that according to Kevin Voecks ensures that the tweeter’s dispersion characteristics match that of the midrange transducer in the crossover region, and also ensures wider dispersion at higher frequencies. “This gives the loudspeaker very smooth sound far off-axis,” says Voecks, “providing consistent sound over an exceptionally wide listening area.”

At the rear of the Revel F226Be you’ll find four large, gold-plated speaker posts linked by large gold-plated buss-bars, all mounted on a plastic moulding. The rear of the F226Be is so narrow and the moulding so large that it wraps around onto the sides of the cabinet which, unfortunately, makes the mouldings visible from some positions in front of the speakers.

• Best stereo amplifiers 2021

Listening sessions

As the arrival of the F226Be coincided with the arrival of Adele’s record-breaking song Easy on Me (breaking too many records to list, including being the most played song in U.S. radio history during a song’s first week on the air), so that was the first song we played to check the performance and sound of the F226Be’s midrange. Our conclusion? Hands-down mind-bogglingly great midrange sound. 

It’s studio-monitor accurate in terms of relative levels across its pass-band and totally tonally accurate in terms of reproducing correct timbres. We were hearing Adele’s amazing voice exactly as it has been recorded, as well as the true-to-life sound of the piano and the Hill Street Blues-y bass riffs. It also didn’t matter whether we sat on-axis or off-axis – the dispersion of the F226Be’s midrange driver is amazingly wide.

The great bass we heard on Easy on Me was a portent that we’d hear even greater things when playing tracks heavily-loaded with bass and that was indeed the case, as we proved by playing Hayley Williams’ great debut album ‘Petals for Amour.’ There’s lots of deep bass, both synthetic and real, with the sound of the real bass (played superbly by Joey Howard) delivered as superbly as he plays. 

The sound of Aaron Steele’s drum kit is also totally authentic: just listen to that kick drum. You’ll hear it all too, because the recording quality is first class. Listen especially closely to all the layers of Cinnamon, both instrumental and vocal and wait for that growling open E from Howard. Wow!

All this great sound from the deepest bass and right across the midrange would all be for naught if the F226Be’s tweeter was not up to the challenge.

We can put you out of your misery: it was… and more besides. These speakers deliver the very highest of high frequencies with a pellucid delicacy that will have you enthralled, tinkling, shining ethereal highs that are super clean, even when there’s much going on elsewhere, such as in Mahler’s ‘Symphony No. 3’ with Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic.

Conclusion

We were absolutely rapt by the performance of Revel’s F226Be. These are loudspeakers that will give you unrivalled sound quality, no matter what type of music you play, and irrespective of whether you like to play your music very softly, very loudly, or somewhere in-between. 

SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency response: 38Hz–33kHz (–6dB)
Low frequency extension: 38Hz (–10dB)
Nominal impedance: 8Ω
Sensitivity (2.83V/1m): 88dBSPL
Crossover frequencies: 260Hz, 2.1kHz
Enclosure type: Bass-reflex (front-mounted port)
Available finishes: High gloss piano black, white, metallic and walnut
Dimensions (WDH): 249×347×1050mm
Weight: 26.4kg
Warranty: Five years

• Check out all our Australian reviews from Australian Hi-Fi & Sound+Image magazines

Austrian Audio has unveiled two entry-level additions to its impressive Hi-X series. The wired HI-X15 and wireless HI-X25BT closed-back over-ears are designed for both private listing and professional audio.

The new models come only a few months after the company’s first foray into headphones with the five-star Hi-X50 and Hi-X55 over ears. Formed by former AKG employees after the brand migrated to California, Austrian Audio has a pedigree of expertise in studio technology that has extended beyond its initial microphone offering into the Hi-X headphones line-up.

Starting with the more affordable option, the wired Hi-X15 over-ears are priced at £89 ($119, about AU$170) and have a folding design with metal hinges for easy storage and durability. The closed construction and insulation of the Hi-X15 headphones offer isolation suited for studio and performance spaces as well as at home. A 1.4m cable terminated to mini-jack is included but other lengths are available to purchase at an additional cost.

With the HI-X25BT you have the choice of going wired or wireless, with detachable USB-C and USB-C-to-3.5mm cables, plus Bluetooth 5 onboard for a claimed 30 hours of wireless listening time. The earcups feature integrated mics for taking calls and touch controls to controlling music playback. The Hi-X25BT are priced at £135 ($179, about AU$260) and included in the box is a 1.4m mini-jack cable, a 1.2m USB-C cable and adapters for USB-C-to-USB-A and 3.5-to-6.3mm jack. 

Both models have a low impedance of 25-ohms to improve performance when used with low-power outputs like mobile devices and employ the same 44mm drivers as the rest of the Hi-X series. Designed for comfort during long sessions, the large earpads are made of soft memory foam and are replaceable.

The Hi-X15 and HI-X25BT will be available in Europe this month before coming to the US in September and Asia in October.

MORE

Read our five-star review of the Austrian Audio Hi-X55 headphones

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How to choose the right pair of headphones

When we reviewed the AKG Y50BTs back in 2015, we were just as impressed by the superb wireless on-ears as by their wired AKG Y50 counterparts. “What you have here is a rare example of headphones that are equally excellent across audio performance, features, design and build quality,” we said.

Three years on and the Y50BT’s successor, the AKG Y500 Wireless, ups the game once more, thanks to a smarter design and a hugely listenable sound.

Design and build

The new Y500s remain on-ear designs, with a cushioned, adjustable headphone band and memory foam ear cups.

Gone is the large-lettered branding on the brightly coloured earcups; instead, the new Y500s come in shimmery green, blue, pink and black metallic finishes that look appealing.

The AKG logo is much smaller and subtler, and a much smarter design than before. The mix of aluminium and plastic leave the Y500s feeling sturdy yet lightweight, and the polished metal edges around the ear cups give the cans a touch of class.

The earcups themselves are soft, but clamp down on your ears a bit too tightly for our liking. It’s possible that they will loosen off over time and use. It’s not so bad that we want to take them off, but it’s something to keep in mind if you wear glasses. You can also fold up the headphones flat, bundling them up small enough to fit into your bag or a large pocket.

• AKG Y50BT review

Features

The controls under each ear cup have been redesigned, too. The power switch has a small blue LED to indicate when the Y500s are switched on and Bluetooth-connected to your smartphone. Subtle beeps indicate when your headphones are paired.

There’s also a button for AKG’s ‘Ambient Aware’ feature, which makes you aware of your surroundings while keeping your headphones on, so you don’t get run over in traffic or miss that train announcement. It works effectively, with music subdued and outside noise seeping in naturally.

On the other earcup, there’s a small button for playing and pausing music (double-tapping it summons your smartphone’s voice assistant) and a neat volume switch that you slide up or down. The controls are responsive, and it takes mere seconds to get used to these controls.

With a standard 3.5mm-ended cable included in the box, and a simple in-line remote for controlling playback, there’s the option to go wired. The Y500s can be charged via the supplied microUSB and battery life is a claimed 33 hours. That’s a big jump up from the previous Y50BT’s 20-hour lifespan – we didn’t need to charge the Y500s up during our week of testing.

Another extra feature is that the Y500s automatically pause music when you take them off. Put them back on, and music starts playing again. It’s a neat feature when it works, but we find it a bit hit and miss.

Sound

What’s clear right from the start is that AKG has opted for a more refined and grown-up sound with the Y500 Wireless headphones. There’s plenty of detail here, and every bit of it is composed and clear.

We play PJ Harvey’s Good Fortune and are met with a bold, solid delivery in a pleasingly spacious presentation. There’s ample heft and punch to the low end, edges of notes are crisply laid out, and her raw vocals are projected with excellent clarity. The Y500s go comfortably loud, too – they never sound rowdy or unruly even when pushed to high volumes. If you want headphones that you can just put on, listen to and enjoy with minimum fuss, these are ideal.

Taut basslines and a confident handling of timing make Massive Attack’s Angels an enjoyable, if not overly demanding, listen, and the Y500s’ silky, crowd-pleasing character make them a more long-lasting listen – they’ll keep you bopping along to songs for hours.

AKG has opted for a more composed and polished presentation that sacrifices a touch of its previous dramatic and energetic flair, but that doesn’t mean these cans aren’t an exciting, involving proposition.

The Y500 Wirelesses are a bit more reined in than their predecessors in the way they handle subtle dynamics and rhythms, but they are well put together, with a level of clarity and organisation you won’t get in rival Bluetooth headphones of this kind and price.

Verdict

Juggling good sound quality, clever features, durable build quality and attractive design in equal measure is no mean feat, but AKG pulls it off while making it look easy.

The Y500 Wireless headphones are hugely appealing to use and listen to – you won’t find a similar wireless headphone experience that wraps every element together so neatly at this price.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Comfort 5
• Build 5

MORE:

AKG unveils four new wireless headphones at IFA 2018

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See all our AKG reviews

High-end in-ears isn't new territory for AKG - way back in 2012, its £1000 K3003i in-ears managed to drop our jaws and rack up a five-star rating.

Skip forward five years and AKG has a very successful N-Series of in-ear headphones. Up until now, the most expensive pair in the range has been the Award-winning N40s, which will set you back the best part of £350.

The N5005s up the ante with scratch-resistant, high gloss black ceramic earpieces. Each pair carries its own unique serial number and is Certified for Hi-Res Audio by the Japan Audio Society.

The headphones use a hybrid of the company's One Dynamic and Quad BA drivers which amounts to a five-way design. You can also tune the sound to suit your own musical taste by swapping around the four interchangeable sound filters that come as part of the package. These are labelled Bass Boost, Reference Sound, Semi-High Boost and High Boost.

Also included in the box are two sets of cables, different sizes and styles of eartips and there's even a Bluetooth dongle so you can swap a wired connection of eight hours of wireless playback if you so desire. The headphones will hit AKG.com and select stores in Spring 2018.

Read more:

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Arcam, one of the best-known brands in British hi-fi, has been acquired by Harman International Industries.

Harman is a division of a Samsung, following an $8 billion deal last year, and the owner of audio brands including AKG, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. In November 2012, Arcam had become a wholly owned subsidiary of JAM industries, based in Montreal.

The news was revealed in an email to Arcam customers from Scott Campbell, director of sales and marketing at Arcam.

"Arcam and Harman share a like-minded passion for bringing the highest quality sound into people's lives," the email reads.

"Harman recognises the value and potential of Arcam’s people, technologies, and brands, and we expect the combination will deliver growth opportunities and benefits to our customers. We believe this is an unprecedented opportunity to grow Arcam’s engineering capabilities and extend its product reach into new markets."

The existing management team in Cambridge, England - where Arcam, originally A&R Cambridge, was founded - will remain, as will sales and distribution channels in the US.

Arcam managing director Charlie Brennan adds: "Becoming part of Harman will give us access to technology and resources that should give us the means to develop better products in the future.

"I don't envisage any sudden moves - it's business as usual for all of the Arcam team. I believe we can make a big difference to the high-performance brands that Harman has owned for years and will continue my quest to save the world from bad sound with a bigger and stronger company behind us."

Let's hope the Arcam hi-fi and home cinema products benefit from the partnership.

Read more:

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