When a brand like AKG puts “Premium DJ Headphones” on the box, it automatically raises my expectations. After all, if you’re going to market the AKG K619 for DJs who are the most discerning of customers, they better sound awesome. I’ve been using these headphones for quite some time now, both for music and gaming. Curious to learn if they’re any good? Read on to find out in my full AKG K619 Premium DJ Headphones review.
Design and Construction
The AKG K619 review unit I got came in Vibrant Red, but you can also get it in blue, pink, orange, black and green. It features a flexible segmented band that’s lined with leather padding and a 3D Axis folding mechanism that allows the cups to be folded up so they occupy even less space compared to your typical folding headphones. If you check on the inside of the cups, you’ll find the “left” and “right” indicators. Also, the cable is single-sided, meaning there’s only one end that has a 3.5mm jack while the other end is permanently attached to the left cup.
To be honest, I find the cups to be a little too small for my ears, although the soft leather padding helps seal in the sound just the same. Also, when I wear the AKG 619 over the top of my head, the cups seem to come up short that the drivers end up not being positioned just right to drive the sound into my ears, despite the band being flexible and extendible. Of course, DJ headphones are often worn wrapping around the back of the head, which explains the need for the band to be so tight when it clamps down on the ears, but it would have been nice if they extended a bit further for people who prefer the traditional way of wearing headphones.
Sound Quality
The AKG K619 is equipped with large 40mm drivers with soft leather-lined padding and a band that clamps the cups tightly against the ears so the sound really gets delivered into your ear canal. I tested these headphones on a range of genres, particularly RnB, Rock, Jazz and Classical. I also used them whenever I played Far Cry 3, which is one of the most immersive first person shooters today.
Considering I had previously reviewed another pair of headphones with 40mm drivers, the bass was boomier than I expected. Much of this has to do with the excellent seal the leather-lined cups create. Despite that, the bass didn’t overwhelm the rest of the spectrum. The mids were excellent and the highs were never drowned out. I especially loved the AKG K619 while I was playing Far Cry 3 because the dynamic performance across the entire spectrum helped add another layer of realism to the already excellent game.
Verdict
The AKG K619 Premium Headphones may look a bit flashy, but they mean business when it comes to sound. They aren’t calibrated to deliver excessive bass, you can try to crank them up to the highest levels your portable audio device can muster and still not get any distortion.
The design falls a bit short though. Despite the innovative 3D Axis design, the band is simply not large enough to provide ample coverage when worn over the top. The cups end up being poorly positioned when worn this way.
If you wear the AKG K619 properly, it’s an awesome buy at Php5,990. However, I just don’t see the casual audio enthusiast wanting to wear these around the back of the head for long. So if you have a smallish head or are fine with wearing it around the back of your head or over the top, you should be perfectly fine.