AKG Q460 Mini On Ear Headphones, Quincy Jones Signature Line

Let me start by saying that I have very picky ears & being a musician, I have very high expectations from high-end headphones. I've used AKG products for years, but more in Microphones than headphones. I also want to mention that I also own a pair of Beats Studio to use during my frequent flights, and for home music listening, as well as a pair of Shure studio monitoring headphones for studio recording. I had also owned a pair of Bose QC15 & an old pair of over-ears with which I was very satisfied but the sound lacked bass in some music genres. So I needed a more portable pair on the go and I'm not a fan of earbuds (although the only earphones I appreciate are the iBeats with changeable noise-isolating buds).During my search for the perfect-sounding, high-end-like, portable headphones to use with my iPod/iPhone (a standard 32 ohm device, playing 256 Kbps AAC), I tried at least 50 different pairs from different manufacturers, always using the same tracks (using a range of genres to cover most music frequencies. I used: Dance, Electronic, Jazz, Alternative, Rock, Pop, Country, Classical). Some of the pairs I've tried included: Klipsch Premium One, Bose OE2i, Sennheiser HD 239, Beats Solo HD, Bowers & Wilkins P5 & P3, Harman Kardon Bluetooth wireless, Bose AE2i, AKG DJ closed-back, Monster Inspiration, Skullcandy Aviator, and many others but these were the ones I could have bought instead of the AKG Mini.Why the AKG Mini Q460 won?- Frequency Response from 11 Hz - 29.5 KHz (you won't find that important piece of information on the product description. Only found in the manual & product box with a clear audible proof!!). If you don't know what these figures mean, simply know that a standard pair of headphones has a range of 20 Hz - 20 KHz. Having a bigger range means hearing more details in sound as well as delivering better sound throughout different music genres. The range for higher-end sets is 15-25. So the AKG's range is clearly my far greater, thus providing superb sound fidelity!- Loudest sound output with low noise, decent Bass & Mid-range thanks to its 40mm drive (usually found in larger-sized headphones).- Best external noise isolation thanks to its closed-back design & 40mm drive (not to be confused with active noise-cancellation found in the Monster pair). Once on, you won't hear anything around you unless it's overly loud. Won't isolate a plane's or subway's noise but you'll still listen pleasantly to your music.- Most comfortable (the only one I didn't take off after over 4 constant hours of listening. They get softer within the first week of use)- Smallest headphone size (for great portability) without compromising sound quality.- Lightest of all I've tried so hanging them around my neck for hours of walking doesn't hurt or add any weight. They also don't add much weight to my handbag!- Most importantly: The ONLY pair that gave me the most DETAILED sound in ALL music genres that I've tried.- Best $90 value (compared to others that cost as much as $300).- And YES, it sounded better than the B&W P5!! (AKG was louder, more comfortable, & more detailed. P5 failed at Electronic, Dance, and Country).- Build quality although the B&W were also very good. But I didn't expect such a quality for a $90 priced pair. I have the black pair.- Finally, my trust in AKG quality of their products (although I also had good trust in B&W, Bose, Harman Kardon & Sennheiser).In short, this pair of headphones did not disappoint me. I did not have any issues with quality after frequent using (had it for almost a month now with daily use & even tossing them inside my bags without the case sometimes). I use it with the in-line mic cable because it works seamlessly with my iPhone & MacBook. The other cable is indeed too short for practical use! Instead, I use it as an audio cable to connect my iPod/iPhone via Aux connection in my car or other speakers (it's a great quality cable that comes in very handy, & I like the lime-green color that stands out so it's not easily lost among other black cables).If you're checking those headphones right now, do not hesitate! It's an easy buy that's worth all the money and it's already down-priced! Why pay hundreds of dollars for other headphones that don't sound as good? Yes I still love my over-priced Beats Studio but they are not portable & I hate having them on the go, plus they are too heavy when I'm hanging them around my neck! So the AKG are my choice for a portable pair of headphones to take along without compromising high-end sound quality that I would get out of the larger, less-portable sets.Hope this review helps with your decision...Update: After a few months of continuous use now, I have to say that they are holding very well. Haven't used the case much and yet they remain sturdily intact despite tossing them in my bag wherever I go. I also have to say that I'm now strongly favoring their sound to my pricey Beats Studio and that is very likely due to the AKG's larger frequency response, considering that both headphones use a 40mm driver. AKG, you did a great job on this one!!! My next comparison will be with a pair of Grados. Keep checking for another update soon.

This headset has become the answer to my long quest for a high quality sound in a small, on ear headset. Based upon the acoustic accuracy as perceived with my ears which have many years of listening experience with a focus on blues, jazz, vocals, opera, classical, rock n' roll, folk, acoustic, ballads, C&W, Cajun, Tejano and more, I rate these headphones as a 5 star audio product. I compared them to Sennheiser 280 Pro, various Bose headsets, Bowers and Wilkins, Dr. Dre, Bang and Olufsen Form and others. I was amazed at how much musical clarity, range, brilliance, bass and presence the AKG Q460 provides compared to the other headsets I compared. It is important when testing these using an iPod Classic 160 GB - my music source in this case - to select the EQ, or equalizer, setting that is most pleasing to your own ears. The form factor of the Q460 makes them easy to carry, comfortable to wear indoors or outdoors (except for wind noise). I found they exclude enough external sound so that I can enjoy my music while someone is listening to a nearby television set. When I first tried this headset, I was blown away by the range of sound that came through clear and crisp. For example, bell tones, fingers on guitar strings, background talk between musicians, and I also experience the full side to side breadth of the sound spectrum across the recording studio or live stage. Very enjoyable and not expected in this price range. The cord is a super design and it can be disconnected from the headset and is strain relieved and well made. The ear pieces feel comfortable and are much preferred for bus and plane travel compared to ear buds. Quincy Jones must have approved this headset personally and he is a stickler for the quality of his arrangements and of his recordings - which span some sixty plus years and 27 Grammy awards. I have enjoyed his 4 CD Musical Biography on the Q460s. So, all in all, a great headset, but why did I have to take away one star from my 5 star rating?The biggest reason is that the in line control on the long cord corrupted some of my music. This - I expect occurred when I was fast forwarding to the next song. Perhaps I accidently clicked the control an extra time, but whatever I did, there is no excuse for a product to corrupt the data in the iPod. The buttons on the control are tiny and my fingers are big so I may have hit two buttons at once. See photos. But, the end result was that a number of songs would play for a few seconds and then skip to the next song all by themselves. I had to delete and reload some 40 pieces of music to my iTunes library and to my iPod. Fortunately, I caught this early. If anyone can explain this, I will be glad to modify this review. I do not know the exact cause but it seems to be related to the long cord's integral control. The male plug also is different than that on the normal ipod headset as it has one extra insulated section. I cleaned up my corrupted iTunes files, stopped using the in line control, place the iPod on "lock" when inserting and removing the male plug and the problem seems to have gone away. Be very cautious before you invest in one of these headsets for use with an iPod Classic as AKG does not list them for iPod Classic use. In fairness, many iPod Classic users have complained on line about a similar song skipping problem, but have not blamed it on their headset.The second reason for the loss of a star is that the warranty that I received is not good in the USA or Canada. Amazon or the seller should so state in its advertisement that this is a "gray market" product if that is in fact the case.Some people have noted that the ear piece can come loose when adjusted. I found it is necessary to grip the headset by the slider and the steel backed band and not by the ear piece in order not to stress the swivel joint which can break if you put too much force on it.I did not run any tests with an iPhone or other phone. The headset comes with a six inch phone adaptor cable. It also comes with a short cable which I found less useful and a long cable which is excellent except for the switch (which you do not have to use at all), but be careful if you loan out your iPod Classic and headset. If someone plays around with the switch, your music collection will suffer.PRICE ALERT! Since the product is made in China - a low cost manufacturing country - I would have expected a lower price even though it is designed in Austria. I was right! To my chagrin, I purchased my AKG Q460 Headset from Amazon direct on April 2, 2011 for $151.47. Now, lucky buyers may pay $119 or less direct from AKG via Harman Kardon with free shipping too.How low will it go? All in all a great small profile headset well worth your time to consider.