AKG K-511 Review

The AKG K-511 fills the entry-level spot of the Austrian audio manufacturer’s current multi-purpose headphones lineup. Let’s see if there’s more to this than its affordable price.

Design-wise, there isn’t much of a difference between this headphone and the AKG K 514 MKII which we did a review of last June, so we suggest revisiting that post to find out more about the AKG K 511’s design. The only significant difference between these cans and the other (besides the color of course) is the use of synthetic leather for the cups’ cushion instead of cloth.

Much like the K 514, the majority of the K 511’s body is made out of plastic which makes it lightweight and comfortable when worn. The self-adjusting headband has just the right clamping force for a cozy fit, but I still have my doubts about it in terms of durability.

However, since the band applies lesser force than most of us are used to, sound leakage can sometimes become an issue. Although it’s fairly minimal, it’s one of the loudest I’ve heard from a closed-back, circumaural headphones. When indoors, the headphones provide a fair amount of noise cancellation, it’s still pretty decent when you’re outside but it isn’t that good especially when you’re in a crowded area or riding an ordinary bus.

The sound quality is decent enough, nothing really exceptional but definitely not that crappy. One thing that we noticed with the K 511 and the K 514 is that both of them give an airy or spacious feel when you listened to it. When it comes to this, it’s really a matter of preference and the tunes that you intend to listen to with these headphones. I personally don’t dig the “airy” feel of the K 511, but you might a have different opinion about it when you get to try it on for yourself.

I’m not so sure if this is still part of the “airy” feel of these headphones but I feel like the overall sound output is a little bit muffled which almost feels there’s a blanket in between your ears and the headphones. It has a balanced sound output for the most part, but we did feel like the bass could use a little boost as it lacked oomph and is a little bit recessed. The highs aren’t that sparkly as we would like it to be and mids are a bit hollow but nothing really bothersome.

This headphone may not be the best sounding headphone out there but we’ve seen or should I say heard worse from a headphone in the same price range. If you’re on a tight budget but don’t want to settle for Beats knock-offs which is roughly around the same price range and isn’t too particular or technical with how your headphones sounds, then we highly suggest the AKG K 511. As we usually say on our headphone reviews, it’s always best to “try extensively before you buy”.

The AKG K 511’s price ranges from Php2,099USD 36INR 3,032EUR 34CNY 260 to Php2,799USD 48INR 4,043EUR 45CNY 347 with Egghead having the cheapest offer with a two year warranty. Better yet if you’re living around Ortigas or Mandaluyong area you can drop by AKG’s concept store at the 4th floor SM Megamall Building B CyberZone.