AKG K601 headphones review

Austrian over-ear headphone heaven

Mozart, Apfelstrudel, Pez candy and AKG K601 headphones. That's our list of cool things to come from Austria. These 'phones are a piece of serious hi-fi enthusiast equipment.

The K601s are comfortable to wear, even for longer periods of time. Their adjustable leather headband adjusts almost automatically to the size of your head and keeps the headphones in place. An over the ear cushion design completely covers your ears, giving your eardrums an intimate dome of musical pleasure. While they are comfortable, you still know you are wearing them as you can feel the leather strap against the top of your head.

It's clear by the 3-metre long cord and quarter inch gold plated jack, that these aren't designed for a train journey home. Their open-back design means the sound quality feels extraordinarily unrestricted and clear, but it also means that anyone within 10-metres of you can hear every last synthesising whine of Gary Numan.

They can be used with the supplied adapter with an iPod or MP3 player, but you won't get much volume out of a weedy portable player. These are best suited for a more serious sound system.

The AKG 601s add nothing to the music, but take nothing away. Find a well-recorded CD and prepare to metaphorically press your nose against the studio glass. They're expensive, but well made; we certainly think they're a good living room investment.

Written by Adam Tranter