With AKG's range now extending to six different pairs of headphones, there are obviously some good options ... and some less good options.  The entry-level option, the K309s, have to face up to the difficult challenge of being good (or at least not awful) without breaking the bank.

Halloween Styling
AKG's first mistake was to put these headphones in a transparent case.  Before you even open the packaging, you know you don't really want to put the headphones on.  The black cable paired with a day-glo orange headphone isn't in the best possible taste.  When you get them out, things get worse and they feel cheap.  And don't even bother looking for any accessories ...

Sound Quality just as Scary
Let's be frank: the sound isn't good quality, with bass notes missing in action and squeaky treble.  It's so bad it almost makes your ears hurt.  In the mid-range, it's still less of a disaster than Apple's iPod headphones, but at least they're not as ugly.

With so many different options in one range, there was always going to be some junk, and, unforuntely, the K309s fill that role.