AKG Y50 Headphone Review

Up for review today is the AKG Y50. They are an over the ear design. The ear caps are fairly standard soft padded cups, as is the adjustable head band. But not so standard, especially with an MSRP of $100, are detachable cables, which is extremely rare feature at this price point.  They even have built-in remote in the cable to smartphone control.

Features and specs:

Driver	Closed-back headphones
Frequency Response	16Hz-24kHz
Maximum Input Power	100 mW
Input Impedance	32 ohms
Sensitivity	115 dB SPL/V
Cable	1.20 m
Cable	99.99% oxygen-free cable
Connector	Jack plug 3.5mm, hard gold-plated
Weight	190 g
Colour	Red

The AKG Y50 came in attractive packaging with a large clear plastic window so you can see the product. They are mostly made of plastic, with some metal in the headband. Quality of materials used in their construction was good, as was the fit and finish. The AKG Y50 was also easy to adjust, and were comfortable to wear. And I loved the fact that they have detachable cables. Also included were a carrying bag, manual,  airplane adapter, and 1/4“ adapter.

They also came with some nice functionality.  Their smaller on ear size also made them more compact and portable.  The earpads rotate and fold to help with that. And while they fit on the ear, the earpads are soft and comfortable for longer listening sessions.

When it came to listening, they performed very well.  Fresh Aire II: Going To Another Place, provided string instruments that were really crisp with good resolution.  Piano sounded very natural, the flute had good air.  And the kick drum had nice low end extension.  Steve Miller Band: Swingtown, had percussion and guitar that was crisp and clean, with natural sounding keyboard.  Vocals were smooth with some texture.  The bass guitar had nice extension as did the drums.  No Doubt: Hella Good yielded percussion that was crisp and bass was very deep and played with good authority. Vocals sounded natural. There is a lot of energy in the track and it came out very well.  Eric Bibb: Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down, guitar sounded clean with good resolution. Piano sounded fairly natural. Imaging was quite good, and they created a decent sized sound stage. Vocals were also natural sounding with good resolution.

The AKG Y50 sounded better that a $100 pair should.  If you are in the market for a pair at this price point, they absolutely deserve to be on your short list.  Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, the AKG Y50 has earned our Value Award.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.akg.com.