akg k 518 dj review

Picture courtesy of Alex.

Average Ratings
Sound Quality8.6/10
Comfort Level7/10
Value for Money9.8/10
Reviewer Rating9/10
Overall Rating9.3/10 Based on 7 ratings
100% Recommended5 out of 5 Reviews

expert review of AKG K 518 DJ Headphones

By drDubbelklick Rank: Sergeant on 2nd Jun 2007

drDubbelklick's Ratings
Time Headphones OwnedLess than a Week
Sound Quality8/10
Comfort Level6/10
Value for money9/10
Overall value8/10
yes drDubbelklick's recommendation

Good Points

These cans offer a very balanced sound for the money. In my opinion, they are one of the best sealed headphones less than SEK 1200 (approx. EUR 130). They fold up flat, so it is possible to store them in a very slim suitcase, which I use at work. They are listed as being DJ headphones, but they qualify for any type of music listening.

Bad Points

As with all earpad headphones (supra-aural), they apply pressure on the ear itself, so they can be a bit discomforting to wear for extended periods of time. The material on the cushions is pleather. I also own a pair of Sennheiser HD-25 SP1, on which I have replaced the pleather cushions that comes with them with velvet ones, which are available as replacement items, so they do not have the comfort aspects that pleather ones have. They still do apply the same amount of pressure on the ears, though. The seal from outside noise is actually a bit better on the Sennheisers, but only a bit.

General Comments

These are a natural step up from AKG K26P, and are worth saving for instead of buying the K26P. The K26P has a feeling of being able to break at any point, as the plastic parts give quirking noises every time I put them on. The K26's are also more bass-heavy.

The 518's offer a very balanced sound, and can easily be driven by an mp3 player. I recommend them. My pair is still in the break-in period, and am eager to wait for what they can offer once the sound profile settles after the mandatory 50 hours of play-in time.

drDubbelklick's review has yet to be rated - Be the first!

How have you found this review?