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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

AKG K44 Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Aug 29, 2016 at 10:57 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:21 am
AKG K44 Picture
5.4
Mixed Usage
6.9
Neutral Sound
4.8
Commute/Travel
5.4
Sports/Fitness
5.7
Office
4.3
Wireless Gaming
6.1
Wired Gaming
1.7
Phone Call

The AKG K44 are lightweight, moderately comfortable over-ear headphones that don't leak too much. Unfortunately, they're not versatile enough to use in loud environments or while doing physical activity. They're a bit cumbersome, and their sound quality is mediocre-at-best.

Our Verdict

5.4 Mixed Usage

The AKG K44 are more geared towards critical listening and studio recording. Their design and poor isolation limit their versatility and mixed usage. Unfortunately, audio reproduction is also unimpressive.

Pros
  • Lightweight design.
  • Low leakage.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • Weak, plasticky build quality.
  • Subpar audio reproduction.
6.9 Neutral Sound

The AKG K44 are average for neutral listening. They have a decent soundstage considering their closed-back design. Unfortunately, audio reproduction is uneven, honky, and not ideal for neutral listening.

4.8 Commute/Travel

The AKG K44 aren't suitable for commuting. They have no audio controls and they have poor noise isolation performance. As a result, you may be distracted by background noises while listening to audio.

5.4 Sports/Fitness

The AKG K44 aren't made for sports. They're lightweight but a bit too bulky to comfortably use while training or exercising. They're also not the most stable and have no audio controls so you have to change your audio directly on your mobile device.

5.7 Office

The AKG K44 are sub-par for office use. They don't leak much, but they also don't isolate much either. You still hear the ambient noise and chatter of a busy office.

6.1 Wired Gaming
  • 5.4 Mixed Usage
  • 6.9 Neutral Sound
  • 4.8 Commute/Travel
  • 5.4 Sports/Fitness
  • 5.7 Office
  • 4.3 Wireless Gaming
  • 6.1 Wired Gaming
  • 1.7 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  5. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  6. Updated Aug 29, 2016: Review published.
  7. Updated Aug 27, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Aug 09, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic

The AKG K44 have an understated studio aesthetic that's a little bland but will work for some. The oval ear cups aren't too large or thick and don't protrude once you have them on your head. They're not as bulky to wear in public as some other over-ear headphones with a similar retro style.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.42 lbs
Clamping Force
0.56 lbs

These headphones are decently comfortable. They're lightweight and not too tight. However, the padding feels a little cheap, and the ear cups aren't wide enough for larger ears. This makes them slightly uncomfortable during long listening sessions. Their old-school headband adjusts well to most heads and shouldn't cause any discomfort.

0
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use N/A
Feedback N/A
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control No
Microphone Control N/A
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
Additional Buttons N/A
7.4
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 3.2 °C
5.4
Design
Portability
L 8.63"
W 6.88"
H 3.38"
Volume 200.7 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The AKG K44 aren't very portable. They're too bulky and cumbersome to carry on your person comfortably, and they don't come with a case or pouch. The large ear cups don't lay flat to take less space nor do they fold up for a more compact format. They fit into larger bags and backpacks but may be too big to carry around in anything else.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A
5.5
Design
Build Quality

The AKG K44 are a little cheaply built. They should be able to withstand a couple of drops. However, the frame and ear cups are entirely made of a relatively thin and lightweight plastic that doesn't seem very durable. The retro headband is also a bit cheap and has a couple of moving parts that could get damaged through regular wear and tear.

6.5
Design
Stability

These headphones aren't meant for sports or to use while running. They're a bit bulky, and although they're lightweight, the ear cups sway and could potentially fall off your head during strenuous exercise. They also have a thick non-detachable cable that could yank the headphones off your head if it gets hooked on something.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • AKG K44 headphones
  • 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
-2.32 dB
Treble Amount
-4.99 dB
7.2
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.56 dB
Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.5
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.05 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
25.94 Hz
Low-Bass
-1.09 dB
Mid-Bass
1.47 dB
High-Bass
3.09 dB
6.9
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.12 dB
Low-Mid
4.53 dB
Mid-Mid
4.08 dB
High-Mid
2.38 dB
4.4
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
6.57 dB
Low-Treble
-7.22 dB
Mid-Treble
-3.01 dB
High-Treble
-1.3 dB
6.0
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.58 dB
Dips
2.64 dB
8.5
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.32
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.79
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.89
Weighted Phase Mismatch
4.35
7.0
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
5.2 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
4.64 dB
PRTF Distance
15.46 dB
Openness
9.1
Acoustic Space Excitation
2.8
7.3
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.351
WHD @ 100
0.250
Isolation
2.6
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-7.21 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.57 dB
Mid
0.05 dB
Treble
-21.96 dB

Poor isolation. Although they're closed-back, their relatively poor seal makes them poor for isolation. They don't offer any isolation below 1kHz. There might be a resonance build-up between 500Hz and 1kHz. Above 1kHz, there's a 6dB/Octave roll-off present, which won't be very effective in blocking outside noise.

7.7
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
35.34 dB

Decent leakage. A significant portion of the leakage is between 5Hz-7kHz which is rather broad and below average. However, the overall level of leakage is low, making them perform about average in this test.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
N/A
In-line
N/A
Boom
N/A
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic No
0
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
N/A
LFE
N/A
FR Std. Dev.
N/A
HFE
N/A
Weighted THD
N/A
Gain
N/A
0
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise N/A
Speech + Subway Noise N/A
SpNR
N/A
Active Features
not tested
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
N/A
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
Power Saving Feature
N/A
Audio While Charging
N/A
Passive Playback
N/A
Charging Port N/A
0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

No compatible app.

Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
NFC Pairing
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
Default Latency
N/A
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
9.0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length 7.88 ft
Connection 1/8" TRRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A