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Written by Aenn Seidhe Priest
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Tuesday, 04 November 2008 12:53 |
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AKG's new, or, rather, "new" line of mini-headphones has been released. The changes are mostly cosmetical and mechanical, but yielding a high increase in price. This follows a serial number redesignation: each line was assigned its own numeric code.
100+ and 200+: no change, supra-aural and circumaural professional headphones (K-141, K-240, K-181, etc.);
300+: earphones (K-324, etc.);
400+: mini-headphones (K-412 is a repainted K-24P, etc.);
500+: "value" line (K-518=K-81, K-530=K-301 Extra, K-516=K-71, etc.);
600+: no change.
700+: no change.
Thus, as an example, AKG K-24P became AKG K-412P (repainted in black/white/greys), and finally K-420 in a new housing. The painting schemes also changed, with AKG finally bringing in colours after the greyscale dullness of the ex-20 400-series.
The major changes to the "old" K-2x series are a cable with tiny miniplug (fits Apple Phone), and a new housing. Headphone enclosures now have decorative inserts - the K-420 has a grey plastic frame with denim inserts, the K-430 a silver frame with black inserts, and so on.
The K-450 and K-430 are the closed models (equivalent to K-26/K-27, K-414P, etc. etc.), the K-420 are open. K-430 have a single-entry cord with inline volume control, the K-450 cable in addition is detachable, which is a first for miniature headphones. Finally there're the K-480NC, the noise-cancelling closed model. The K-450 and K-480 as an option can include a Bluetooth transmitter. All of the mini-headphones are foldable.
Electroacoustics haven't changed; the prices have though, so the new posh mini-headphones are at least three times as expensive as the old K-2x series.
Headphonedeals advice: get the old 20-series and greyscale -412, -414, -416 while supplies last. They should also drop in price now that the new mini-headphone line's out. Sonically they're all the same, only the looks and features are different.
The images below are linked to AKG's product pages.
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Last Updated on Friday, 07 November 2008 20:43 |
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