AKG Y400 review
Utilizing AKG’s 70+ years of audio engineering experience and its whopping 1500 audio-focused patents, the company set out to bring its signature sound to the masses in the form of a pair of affordable lightweight, fashion-focused on-ear headphones. The AKG Y400 are the result of that mission, and for £109/$149, there’s certainly a lot to like.
Aside from nice audio performance, you’ve got a refreshfully rascally design, great battery life, and wireless connectivity, however like the newest tech, it’s not the proper package. continue reading to seek out why.
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Design and build
Headphones tend to look a bit same-y, and that’s particularly true with on-ear headphones, giving a similar general build and muted color options.That’s a trend AKG is trying to break free from with the entry-level Y400 headphones, sporting a more fashion-focused, vibrant design than most other options available right now.
Available in Black, Pink, Green, Blue and Rose Gold and sporting a high-gloss finish, the headphones have a noticeable sheen that looks great in the light, and the matte effect means it negates fingerprints and other smudges pretty well too – although the included soft carry case should help keep the cans looking fresh when not in use.
The headphones are built primarily from plastic, showcasing their entry-level nature, but there’s a flexible brushed-metal frame embedded within to keep things sturdy. It’s exposed in certain places too, like across the top of the headband, giving the headphones a slightly industrial look.
There’s a focus on portability with the AKG Y400s, offering not only a lightweight design at only 170g, but the ability to fold down to a vanishingly small form that’s easy to slide into a pocket or bag when not in use. That’s almost half the weight of the upgraded AKG Y600NC headphones, to give you an idea of just how light these cans are.
These are on-ear headphones, meaning they’ll sit directly on your ears and not around them like over-ears, so comfort is paramount. The good news is that the earpads are super soft to the touch and there’s thick cushioning on offer too, with the potential for all-day wear without getting achy ears.
There are a bunch of on-cup managements to quickly accept calls, control music playback and access the virtual assistant engineered into your smartphone too. There’s additionally a USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm earphone jack for the bundled cable, permitting for wired use once the cans run out of juice.
There is a slight issue though: the headband is a little on the small side, and when paired with the with minimal cushioning, it creates pressure across the top of my head over longer listening sessions. This will, of course, vary from person to person, and the headphone arms are adjustable in length, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’ve got an above-average cranium.
Features and connectivity
With such a small and light-weight kind factor, you’d be forgiven for thinking that these are simply another try of ‘dumb’ headphones. That’s not the case, however, with the Y400 headphones sporting auto-pause practicality that’ll pause music onceever you're taking the headphones off and resume playback once they’re well back in place.
--pps-- It’s a pleasant feature that saves you from incompetent to seek out the pause howeverton on the cans or on your connected device, but it isn’t unflawed in performance, typically failing to notice when the headphones had been kicked off and easily continued to play music. It is handy once it will work – I simply want it had been a touch additional consistent.
--pps-- aboard auto-pause functionality, you’ve got TalkThru and close Aware at your disposal. the previous permits you to quickly mute playback and funnel audio captured via the mics through to the telephone receiver whereas the latter does identical while enjoying music. each are there to assist you be more tuned in to your surroundings, like when walking at nighttime or after you have to be compelled to quickly check with a passer-by, and work just about as advertised.
--pps-- In terms of wireless connectivity, you’ve got access to Bluetooth 5.0 utilizing the AAC codec, allowing for improved audio quality once streaming from supported devices, and you'll be able to connect multiple devices right away for simple pass-over from one device to a different too.
If you want to connect to an older device or use the headphones once the battery has died, you’ve also got the option of connecting to older devices via the bundled 3.5mm wired cable.
In terms of battery life, the 360mAh battery provides around 20 hours of playback, although this will admittedly vary depending on overall volume, smart features, etc. That’s pretty decent for such a lightweight pair of cans, and with quick-charge tech that’ll provide four hours of use in 10 minutes and a full charge in two hours, you won’t find yourself caught out too often.
Audio quality
The idea behind the AKG Y400’s entry-level value purpose is to create AKG’s high-end audio quality accessible to a lot of people, and when defrayment plenty deal} of your time taking note of music and podcasts exploitation the light-weight cans, I’ve ought to admit that AKG has achieved its aim.
--pps-- Generally, on-ear headphones tend to suffer within the bass department – powerful bass desires a powerful seal round the ear, on balance – however despite this, the Y400s manage to deliver amazingly punchy bass. It doesn't do thus at the value of the mid-range either, with great sound separation on offer.
AKG Y400 Pricing
The main purpose of the AKG Y400 headphones is to bring AKG’s high-end reference audio at a more affordable price point, coming in at just £109.99/$149.99. That’s a decent price considering not only the colourful design but battery life, smart features and audio quality on offer.
If you’re interested, you can buy the AKG Y400 headphones from Samsung alongside retailers like Argos in the UK and directly from AKG in the US.
Verdict
The AKG Y400s represent great worth not solely for people who want one thing additional modern and vivacious than normal headphones, except for those that actually need to understand each detail within the music they listen to. Despite the on-ear design, the cans supply AKG’s signature sound with crisp detail and amazingly punchy bass, creating them an excellent possibility for fashionistas and music lovers alike.
--PPS-- The sensible practicality is great once it works, however, it’s never as consistent as some equally priced rivals, typically not police work when the headphones were taken off. The constitutional close and TalkThru modes are very handy though, particularly for those fast surprising interactions once you’re formation out on public transport.
--PPS-- Throw in 20-hour battery life, a lightweight style and additional color choices that you'll be able to shake a stick at, and you’ve got an excellent combination of entry-level on-ear headphones. the sole real drawback is that the band fit, which may get tight if you’ve got a giant head like me!
AKG Y400 Pros and Cons
Pros
Lightweight
AKG-quality audio on a budget
20-hour battery life
Cons
Tight headband
Flawed auto-pause functionality
Our Verdict
AKG's Y400 on-ear headphones offer the company's signature sound at a cheaper value point, and therefore the lightweight style may be a nice touch, however, blemished smarts let it down.
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