AKG K361 First-Class Closed-back Headphones Reviews

These headphones are the ideal tracking headphones in my opinion, but can be used for mixing or anything else. Some of the flattest frequency spectrum headphones I have experienced, and I am very picky about headphones. Doesn't have that harsh top end that the AT, Behringer, Sony's, or Senn's have even though people seem to like all of those headphones. For the price, these are without question the best bang for the buck. I picked up two for my home studio to listen as they track. Get them!

I purchased the AKG K-361 closed backs from Sweetwater after a long search for mid-tier closed-back headphones to use when ambient noise in my home office prevented me from using my open-back headphones. For reference, I own and use AKG-240S, Sony MDR-7506, Cleer Flow ANC, Cleer Enduro, Etymotic ER4S, Beyerdynamic DT-880, and HifiMan Sundara 2020. My source is Qobuz HD music through Roon digital transport, to a JDS Labs Element II DAC/AMP (I do use an EQ profile with the K-361 designed by Amir at AudioScienceReview, but they do not need it to sound great).

I have not heard Focal Celestee, Dan Clark Aeon 2, Audeze LCD-2, or other ~$ closed backs. So I cannot compare to those models.

The Sundaras do sound more open and spacious, owing to their open back design. However, the K361s are so well balanced that they are a joy to listen to. They sound wide enough to not feel closed in, however there is very little forward/backward presentation in space. Music is presented evenly and naturally, and there is ample sub bass, without the usual mid-bass hump in consumer grade cans.

If you wear glasses, you will miss out on some of the fantastic sub bass. The glasses frames will break the seal with your ears and bass energy is lost. So plan on wearing contacts or taking your glasses off for serious listening.

I cannot comment on the longevity of the headphones, but I do like the design. They are extremely light and comfortable. They look professional and attractive without looking cheap. The cable is detachable, which is excellent at this price point.

Overall, I rate this as the equal of the Sundaras. They aren't better or worse, just different. The Sundaras are wider and more open sounding, but with less sub bass slam. The K-361 aren't as wide or "resolving" in the treble, but with huge sub bass slam and a balanced sound that makes listening to music such a joy. Compared to the Sony MDR-7506 and the Cleer headphones, the K361 are FAR superior. They blow them out of the water.

I have not listened to the K371 but I suspect they are similar. I might just buy the K371 as well to see if it's even better yet. I can highly recommend the K361, you will not be disappointed.

I have AT's, Sennheiser's, Sony's, KRK's, & other AKG's but this set of AKG K361's are by far the best for every purpose. Absolutely love them. Best money ever spent on anything at Sweetwater. And I have bought enough there that I could open my own store. As always, the Sweetwater experience is above all else.

Just received these from Sweetwater. As always great service and awesome response time from all involved. I own Sennheiser, AT's, KRK, and Sony headphones. I have had other AKG's in the past. Wanted to get back to that sound. The K361's are incredible. Right out of the box I found four or five things that clearly set AKG apart from all other headphones makers. Small things but things that all other makers should copy. The design is clean and simple. The way they fold and open is so simple and unique. The sound is incredible and after about an hour of comparing my HD280 Sennheisers to these, I was ready to make the change. Nothing absolutely wrong with the Sennheisers or the AT's but when you put these on and turn them up, it's a no-brainer. I will track and mix with these and they have already become my go-to set of phones. The price is very low for the quality you receive. Don't take my word for it. Get you a pair of your own. I intend on buying another pair for the co-pilot.

wonderful sound quality, very comfortable, easy to adjust, comes with two cables and a quarter inch adapter and a really nice bag for safe transport.

My new AKG K361 is versatile in tracking and comfortable mixing.

I finally caved and tossed my old headphones of twenty years. Put on these AKG K361's and went from a vw to a porsche!
Great sound and price. As always... nice to deal with the folks at Sweetwater. Many thanks.

I've owned more headphones than I can count at this point, I'm hard to please. I've tried just about everything around this price, all the ones you're currently looking at I'm sure I've tried them, if not owned them at one point. These truly suprised me. They're the first set of cans that have checked every single box for recording. Those boxes are these;
1. Affordable - I'll be buying multiples of these so as much as I love my Blue Sadies for myself personally, I'm not about to go buy 6 pairs of those.
2. Detachable cable - makes them easier to store, also the number one failure on headphones is always the cable, having them detachable means I can just order replacement cables instead of replacement headphones.
3. Comfortable - These are light, with pretty big cushions. They don't put a lot of pressure on your head like some of those german ones that shall not be named.
4. They're quiet - They don't squeak, make weird plasticy noises when moving. Dead quiet. Nothings gonna get into the recording that I'll have to try to edit out later.
5. They sound good - I'm not expecting magic out of these for the price, but they don't sound harsh or muddy and in my book that's good enough for tracking!

I just opened these and right out of the box these feel sturdy and look solid. For the price I am very pleased. For the important stuff: These initially felt a bit heavy in the mid range maybe around 750-2k, but after listening to various music on spotify for about 15 minutes, I realized that these are relatively flat to my ears and my wireless earbuds are just a bit more scooped (Jaybird Vista's, which I also love but would definitely not consider "flat"). Give yourself a little time to adjust to the sound profile and "retrain" your ears and you will find these are quite clear and balanced. I have gone back to some of my own self recorded music and I can instantly recognize what my EQ plugs have been visually telling me, but I was not necessarily hearing with typical earbuds. I would imagine if you are used to studio monitors in a reasonably dampened room, these will feel balanced more immediately, but I realize many of us don't have that set-up. Overall I would say for the price (especially if you can take advantage of this current sale!) these are a fantastic choice. I will primarily be using them for tracking, but I will likely also rely on them for another reference point when mixing.

These are well made and comfortable.

I'm really enjoying these headphones. The sound has tremendous clarity at any volume, and they're very comfortable to wear. I'm actually using them for my studio work -- honestly, I'd invest in something about 5x the price if I had the scratch, but I've never gotten better sound at this price point. Basically, I wouldn't use these to master your album, but for producing demos at home, they're a great value. I've been very happy with the results.

If you're getting started setting up a home studio with limited funds, or just want a great listening experience that won't break the bank (or your Sweetwater credit line), this could be just what you're looking for.

I tried these at the recommendation of my sales guy, and found them lightweight, fairly comfortable, but cheaply made with an equally lack luster appearance. Just too much plastic. Audio was thick and muddy - not so much excessive bass, just sort of dull. Upper end suffers from a lack of precision, definition, and crispness - cymbals do not sizzle and snare drums just don't sound quite right. I exchanged them for a the Austrian Audio Hi X15 and have never looked back - the Hi X15 have a clear, balanced, delicate tone through the entire listening range. No argument or problems with Sweetwater which delivered quickly and with safe packaging and good follow up after the sale - I just prefer the Austrian Audio cans over this AKG set at the same price point. Your mileage may vary. TT

Only left ear piece working, have only had them for six months. Would not buy again.