CNET editors' review
- CNET editors' rating: stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 03/03/2004
- Released on: 08/15/2003
The AKG Acoustics K 301 Xtra is a large over-the-ear headphone set. The company claims the design offers significant improvements in sonic performance over its predecessor, the standard K 301. The new model was developed for use in recording studios, home systems, and portable players. The K 301 Xtra has a suggested retail price of $130.
The self-adjusting leather headband takes the weight of the headphones off your ears, and the large, cushy, leatherette ear pads are washable and easy to replace. The K 301 Xtra's steel-frame construction feels durable and should stand up in everyday use. Other features include a single-sided, oxygen-free cable and a gold-plated 1/8-inch minijack with a screw-on 1/4-inch adapter. AKG headphones are sold with a two-year parts-and-labor warranty.
These 'phones can pump out loads of bass and handily bettered our Grado SR125 headphones' prodigious low-end sound, at least in terms of quantity, if not quality. We did note that the SR125 headphones have a more open sound, with greater bass, midrange, and treble detail. You can play these closed-back AKG headphones as loud as you like and not disturb anyone near you--the pads completely cover the ears.
We subjected the K 301 Xtra to the all-out, pedal-to-the-metal blasts of the 2 Fast 2 Furious DVD--this headphone set can crank! Dialog was clear and articulate, which is more than we can say about the mindless street-racing flick. Bass buffs will love the K 301 Xtra's fat bottom end, but we felt the headphones sounded cloudy and somewhat crude on classical music and seemed more at home with rock and jazz.
Finally, we hooked up the K 301 Xtra to our iPod--oh boy, that combination clicked. The sound was rich and full, with effortless detail. It's a match made in heaven, if not for one drawback: the K 301 Xtra's overly long 10-foot cable doesn't travel well.
