The AKG K371 are very well-balanced over-ear wired headphones. They have accurate sound reproduction that's well-suited for a wide range of music genres and content. They're comfortable, though, and feel fairly well-made. Thanks to the faux leather finish on the headband, they have a premium look. Overall, if you want a pair of headphones for listening to music at home or in the studio, these are a good choice.
Our Verdict
The AKG K371 are poor for sports and fitness. While they feel comfortable, they're not very stable, which makes them an inadequate choice for exercise because they're likely to fall off. They're also wired, so their cable can catch on equipment. Plus, their bulky over-ear design takes up quite a bit of real estate in your gym bag. That said, they're fairly lightweight for this type of headphone. They also don't leak much of your audio into the space.
Comfortable and lightweight headphones.
Well-balanced sound signature.
- Poor noise isolation.
Bulky and wired-only design.
Not stable enough for dynamic movements.
The AKG K371 are unremarkable for travel. They're comfortable and easily fold down a bit smaller, but they also perform poorly when it comes to blocking out environmental noises. As a result, you'll hear most of the ambient din of your surroundings and most of the passenger chit-chat, too. Their passive and wired design doesn't require batteries to work, so you can use them for a long flight, but they're limited in connectivity. They play back bass with oomph, clear mids, and slightly bright treble.
Comfortable and lightweight headphones.
Well-balanced sound signature.
- Poor noise isolation.
Mediocre seal consistency.
The AKG K371 are poor for office work. Their lack of noise cancelling tech means they only block high-pitched noises, while lower-pitched sounds like HVACs reach your ears unimpeded. The wired-only cans don't include an in-line microphone, so if you take calls or meetings, you'll need an outboard mic. With that said, they feel comfortable and lightweight, and they reproduce your audio with a good amount of boom and clear mids and treble.
Comfortable and lightweight headphones.
- Poor noise isolation.
No microphone.
Bulky and wired-only design.
The AKG K371 are wired-only headphones and can't be used for wireless gaming.
The AKG K371 are acceptable for wired gaming. They lack a microphone, so you'll need an outboard mic for multiplayer team games. They otherwise provide a bassy boom on explosions, natural-sounding speech, and bright effects. However, our unit's stereo mismatch somewhat tilts the stereo image, and the closed-back design doesn't mimic the immersive listening experience of an angled reference monitor. They're decently built and comfortable to wear for long sessions.
Comfortable and lightweight headphones.
Well-balanced sound signature.
No microphone.
Mediocre seal consistency.
The AKG K371 are good for audio reproduction accuracy. They comply very well with our target frequency response curve, for a weighty bass, even-sounding lead instruments, a clear treble, and an overall smooth sound profile. These exhibit low harmonic distortion, too. That said, their L/R drivers sound slightly different and exhibit some weighted phase mismatch, and their group delay isn't very defined in the bass range. The headphones don't interact with your outer ears the same way as an angled monitor speaker, either.
The AKG K371 are poor at noise isolation. The passive-only headphones muffle high-pitched trebly noises, and very slightly block upper mid-range noises, but they're ineffective at isolating you from most sounds in your environment. Since their over-ear seal is inconsistent, if you wear glasses or have long hair, which break the seal, they'll perform worse at noise isolation.
The AKG K371 don't have a microphone.
The AKG K371 have mediocre frequency response consistency. These over-ears have an unreliable fit and any ear pad gaps around your ears alter the sound profile you'll hear. People with glasses and long hair experience a different bass response, for example. This effect occurs across various common physical attributes. You'll want to take time to ensure the fit is the same between listening sessions.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Jul 15, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. In addition, we've added updated results for Isolation, including Noise Isolation - Full Range and Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated Jul 10, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
- Updated Jul 04, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.8, which updates our target curve and Sound tests. You can read more about this in our changelog.
- Updated Jun 27, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.7, which updates our Noise Isolation test. We've also expanded the scope of this test to include Common Scenarios in addition to Voice Handling and Wind Handling.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The AKG K371 only come in 'Black.' If you encounter a variant or additional colorways, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update the review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The AKG K371 are decent studio headphones with a very well-balanced and neutral sound reproduction. They look fairly premium thanks to their faux leather finish and feel fairly well-built despite being mainly plastic. Compared to their sibling, the AKG K361, they also use more premium materials like metal in parts of their hinges and detailing. As expected from closed-back headphones, the AKG K371 don't have an expansive-sounding soundstage, especially compared to open-back headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO.
If you'd like more recommendations, check out our picks for the best studio headphones, the best audiophile headphones, and the best closed-back headphones.
The AKG K371 are very similar to the AKG K361. Both are closed-back headphones intended for studio monitoring and have balanced sound profiles. The K371 reproduces sound with a touch more excitement, making them a good choice for more casual listening. They also use a detachable Mini XLR connector rather than the 1/16" TRS to 1/8" TRS of the AKG K361. While the K371 incorporates more premium materials, such as a faux leather headband and metal components in its hinges, both siblings are similar in their ergonomics: the two are equally comfortable, have acceptable stability, and decent build quality.
Between the AKG K371 and FIIO FT1, the choice mostly depends on whether you prefer a brighter or slightly more balanced treble. Apart from that, the AKG are a bit more portable due to the lighter weight and foldable design. They're also fairly low-profile for closed-back over-ears. You get a generous three cables with the AKG, but only the FIIO include a balanced cable. Meanwhile, the FIIO are chunkier, heavier, and not portable, though the zip case is nice. The FIIO have considerably tighter stereo matching for a better-balanced stereo image. Because both have similar cons, like disappointing frequency response consistency and noise isolation, your choice will still probably come down to the kind of tuning and visual styling you prefer.
The AKG K371 are slightly better over-ear studio headphones than the Sony MDR-7506. The AKG leak less audio, isolate a bit better, and have detachable cables. On the other hand, the Sony's frequency response tilts towards a bright sound with de-emphasized bass, which you may prefer. The Sony also have notably tight L/R stereo matching, and they deliver audio consistently between different wearers compared to the AKG's more variable audio delivery on different people.
Choosing between the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO and the AKG K371 depends on the sound profile you prefer. The Beyerdynamic are tuned with de-emphasized bass and an exaggerated treble, while the AKG offer more low-end and a more even treble. The Beyerdynamic have a more stable fit and feel more durable, with a tighter L/R stereo mismatch. The AKG's sound profile is smoother, but their fit is a bit more prone to inconsistencies between wearers. To their credit, the AKG leak considerably less audio.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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