AKG Acoustics is one of the biggest and oldest brands in the audio industry. After Samsung acquired AKG’s parent company Harman International Industries, we get to see some modern changes nowadays. The products have been polished under Samsung’s shadow. Recently, AKG launched its new Y500 Wireless headphones priced at Rs. 9,999. Not only AKG is promising high quality in performance, but the built is premium and solid as well. Big Question – can it become the best wireless headset priced under Rs. 10,000?
Let’s check out in the AKG Y500 Wireless headphones review below.
Design and specifications
There are not many brands that pay close attention to headphones. But, AKG is exemplary and stands out in this niche. Not only it is built but the modern catchy looks make this headphone a must buy.
The headphone comes with on-ear style fit and the ear pads are just flat rather than shaped like a ring. And, this new subtle change makes the headphones quite comfortable to put on. Though you might have to take them off from your ears after every few hours, still it won’t be a dealbreaker. The headband also gets some cushioning, which is a flexible band itself. There is a downside with this on-ear fit and size of cups as they are not very good for noise isolation. The headband is a plastic that looks a bit dull while the ear casings are solid metal. The headband might get your hatred but the outer casing of cups is modern. The headset uses a folding mechanism which is easier to fold and keep in case.
On the right side, the AKG Y500 packs a sliding power switch that doubles up for Bluetooth pairing, an ambient sound switch, and a Micro-USB port as well.
On the left side, there is a slider switch which is a volume controller with quick motions, for skipping tracks or going to the previous track by sliding and holding for two seconds. There is a play or pause music button and a double-tap can trigger the voice assistant on your smartphone with a double-tap. There’s a 2.5mm socket to connect the included 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable too.
If you take off your headphones, the AKG Y500 can pause music automatically, which is an interesting function. Place them back on your ears and music will start playing! Although that didn’t work all the time but it is still gimmicky.
The AKG Y500 headphones can be paired with two devices at once. But, the switching between the two devices isn’t seamless.
The AKG Y500 is having 40mm dynamic drivers on each side with a frequency response range of 16-22,000Hz, and Bluetooth 4.2 for connectivity. It only supports the SBC Bluetooth codec, which is a bit disappointing. If you look at the other options under this price, they do support AAC and/or aptX Bluetooth codecs.
Performance
The AKG Y500 headphones are decent in terms of its audio experience and you won’t get annoyed by this pair. But, the overall experience is underwhelming here, looking at its price. Even the AKG K52 was more impressive using the company’s signature sound beautifully. And, the Y500 is a completely different product in terms of the overall experience. Ye,s it has got the same sonic signature but something is missed here – good noise isolation.
The sound does come out punchy and bass-heavy but only a decent amount of detail can be heard. The mid-range also comes out dull compared to the lows and highs. The only good part, you can get good vocals despite the heavy bass. Also, there is some sound leakage at high volumes.
Using this pair for voice calls. the experience was just average – acceptable. Funny thing – increase the volume and you will find the detail and audibility is improved.
There is a 900mAh battery on the AKG Y500 headphones, which can run for about 33 hours on a full charge – as claimed by AKG itself. In real-world scenarios, it can keep up to 28-29 hours with ease. This is an excellent figure for a pair coming in this price bracket and with this form factor.
Final Verdict
The AKG Y500 headphones are good and that’s it. They are not bad but they are not top-notch as well. They look pretty and feel good. But, the sound is just decent for punchy bass lovers. There is nothing exceptional about these headphones. Honestly, this average pair doesn’t give us the AKG feel at all. Coming at Rs. 9,999, there are some nice features in it and the battery life is good too. But, they look good on the paper only. There are many options like Marshall Major III Wireless or LSTN Troubadour which might be worth buying rather than AKG Y500 Wireless.
