AKG K402 Headphones Review
When I was unboxing the AKG K402 I was a bit worried about the sound quality because of it looked so small and flimsy compared to the other headphones in my collection. However after testing it out for almost 2 weeks now I can honestly say that the AKG K402 is probably one of the best entry-level portable headphones you’ll find in the market today. It retails for just Php1,599 and yet it delivers amazing sound quality that you’ll find in headphones that cost two times that here in the Philippines. I’ve done a lot of headphones reviews already here at Unbox and this is just one product that I won’t hesitate to recommend to friends, especially if they’re on a budget. The full review below.
Packaging and Build
You can read more about the packaging in our unboxing entry. To summarize though it comes in a transparent plastic package that’s just incredibly hard to open. I had to use a steak knife to hack into it and I think I ended up brutally destroying the box just to get the cans out. I honestly can’t understand why some companies make it so hard for people to get the product out of the box, haha!
I think the biggest issue with the AKG K402 is the build of the product. The headband is made from two layers of steel. That’s okay but the hinges and the actual cups are made from hard plastic that’s a bit flimsy. Then again we’re only paying Php1,599 for this so we can’t expect top of the line material right? By the way the pads are made from foam and not from the leatherette type that you find in most cans. Foam pads are actually my personal favorite (I’m a huge fan of Grado) because they’re much more comfortable to wear. The only problem with them is that there’s a tendency for the sound to leak out so people can hear what music you’re listening to.
A nice plus point for the build category though is that the AKG K402 is very portable! You can easily fold it up and store it in your bag or even in your pocket. This makes it very ideal for people who are always travelling. If you’re the type that takes out and stores headphones several times in a day you seriously might want to take consider the K402. AKG didn’t include a pouch for this but I’m sure you guys can find one in department stores.
Lastly, the colors are nice. It gives the headphones more flavor and personality versus the usual black.
Sound Quality
Now we get to the most important factor of all – sound quality. Based on my experience in the last week the AKG K402 has very good bass complimented with nice isolation. Even the mids tend to be biased towards the lower range. However the detail and clarity that you get is pretty amazing if you consider the price you’re paying for this. You’ll get your money’s worth regardless what kind of genre of music you like to listen to. It does noticeably better though with tracks that have bass like hip hop, RNB (think Justin Timberlake or Usher), and electronic (love listening to DAFT PUNK on this).
Verdict
We highly recommend the AKG K402 for people who are looking for affordable portable headphones. It’s a great day-to-day and all-around listening companion for people who are always on the go. The AKG K402 sells for just Php1,599 and you can find them being sold in JBL Concept Stores and most of the Apple Resellers like Digital Hub.
Two thumbs up for this one AKG. This is really a keeper!
Good News: AKG Philippines (Like them on Facebook) allowed us to raffle the demo unit we have away. Note that we can’t possibly send the box anymore since we destroyed it when we were trying to get the headphones out, haha! We’ll post the mechanics for the raffle soon so please do check back daily.
