Customer Reviews

AKG K 311 In-Ear Bud Headphone - Plum

5 star:		(4)
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2 star:		(1)
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I got a pair of these for my wife after her old Sony buds died. I reasoned: "AKG is known for making some of the best headphones, and these must be better than what she had". My wife is not nearly as picky as I am about sound quality. So I took a chance I what I thought were relatively cheap buds ($20 shipped from another site) and I'm glad I did.

After my wife used them for awhile she came and told me she was blown away by the sound. Thinking she was probably easily impressed, I took them for about an hour, playing different kinds of music through them. I normally listen to phones costing 5 times as much, but I think these sound pretty good for the price. They have a balanced sound, decent bass, and a nice sound stage. Here's what I mean:

Balanced sound: Bass does not cover or drown mids and highs, mids don't muddy everything, highs aren't too tinny or piercing. Overall, the sound is good quality for this price point.

Decent Bass: This is probably due to the fact that these buds seem to have slightly larger drivers than most buds. The bass is NOT powerful, but you can't expect it to be from such tiny speakers, which are also not plugged into your ear canal. It supports the rest of the music nicely though.

Nice sound stage: Because these are "semi-open", meaning they do not plug into your ear canal but sit at the opening of it, the sound stage is moderately wide. Music spans across from right to left and sounds OUTSIDE your head, rather than sounding trapped INSIDE your head. But being semi-open is not the only thing which contributes to a wider sound stage and I've heard many similarly priced, semi-open buds that don't sound near as good. AKG did something right here.

Now keep in mind, every thing I have said so far is subjective, and others may have different opinions about the sound. I am not what you'd call an "audiophile", but I am a musician and have recorded my own music for years. I am particular about any kind of quality, sound quality included.

This part is fact and I don't think it can be argued. Because they are semi-open (sitting in the opening of your ear canal instead of plugged into it) they leak sound, both in and out. People near you can hear some of your music, and noisy environments will certainly interfere with your listening experience. It's a trade-off for a more natural and wider sound.

OK, so these don't sound as crisp, natural, and powerful as my Grados, but nobody should expect them to. For the price, I think they are a good value. My wife certainly loves them, and I'm glad she's happy!

These are the first "ear buds" I've ever been able to listen to for any length of time. They have a smooth sound I would describe as "natural" and I consider that high praise. They also have a real soundstage which is exceptional for any in-ear or partly-in-ear device. I also find them both comfortable and secure; much more comfortable and much more secure than any of the expensive in-ear monitors that I have owned or tried. They attenuate extreme highs and lows a little bit and are, generally, not quite as accurate as my studio earphones, but they also fit in my pocket, weigh next to nothing and go everywhere. I not only would replace them if I lost them, but plan to buy a spare pair to have just in case I lose them. I think I will also buy some to put in Christmas stockings. For what they are and what they cost I recommend them enthusiastically.

Amazing sound for the price!

Purchased these since I've heard of AKG before but never actually tried them. I didn't expect much at this pricepoint but am pleasantly surprised so far. The phones are well-packaged in an attractive box with a magnetic face cover. Treble isn't piercing and sounds smooth, with emphasis on the midrange and bass. A warm presentation with a wide soundstage, making it easy for me to pinpoint the instruments individually. The result is enjoyable non-fatiguing music. Compared to the Sennheiser CX300B which had an edgy treble and less bass or the Skullcandy with heavy bass, I find the AKG to be more musical and well-rounded. The large earpiece of the AKG may take some getting used to though. Might be an issue for long term listening. I've used these while biking and they've held up to accidental tugging, shocks and bumps so far. Their semi-open design are a good compromise when you need to be aware of your surroundings.

Kudos AKG for a great product!

p.s. This is my 2nd purchase. The 1st I gave to my nephew who was a Beats fanatic and found this a good listen.

i got this from a local retailer here in manila. and like this product very much. its sounds awesome and the best for music minded like me. the bass is not that really the focus of this tiny earbud but the soundstage that definitely rival those high definition earphone. akg did make something astounding with 311. the instruments separation and vocals is the high point of this buds. i'd been using koss porta pro, senn px100 and bose in-earphone..these phones are bass heavy with a tendency to muddle the clarity of the song instrumentation. 311 is a breather from bass centric phones but focuses more on the audio quality. i am not an audiophile but i could tell the difference coz my ears say so.

I lost the rigid ear bud from one of these in about two weeks - it popped off at some point. Basically they lasted me two weeks (the sound was good, by the way) and I had to throw them out because of this.