AKG K540

Professional hi-fi headphones aren't always best-suited to general multimedia use as they require a powerful source and can often be pretty bulky.  Fortunately, however, newer models have begun to appear that are better-suited to using with your computer and other less powerful inputs.  In AKG's case, this role is filled by its 5 series headphones

Design: plastic fantastic

Despite the classy packaging, we were soon disappointed by the K540s.  First of all, although it has a matte finish and is good quality, we were hoping to see something other than plastic.  Our next cause for concern was the headband, which, despite the metal supports, still seems worryingly lightweight.  Finally, headphones with metal arches might be back in fashion, but this time they don't have any suspension, making the K540s much less comfortable to wear.

Despite all of these problems, though, wearing the K540s is a relatively comfortable experience and is clearly a notch above a more basic product.  The ear-pads rotate freely to fit snugly over your ears, and they're large enough to be comfortable.  They're finished with a soft fabric which is much gentler than the poor quality synthetic velvet used elsewhere.

The three metre cable boasts some solid insulation but can't be removed.  There's an adaptor to convert from mini jack to 6.35 mm.

Audio Quality: lots of work from the mid-range

It was almost inevitable with semi-open headphones: the K540s squeeze bass and low mid-range sounds until listening becomes a chore, especially that without bigger, heavier bass, there's a very uneven sound.

Treble, on the hand, really shines through and sounds pretty good.  But listen out for noticeable sibilance on some recordings that can make listening to vocals a trying experience.  Fortunately, though, the mid-range is spot on, and the KT540s mange not to produce an unbalanced V-shaped response curve.  As long as you're prepared to tweak the equaliser a little, you can get some pretty decent results.

The audio output is accurate enough, but hardly earth-shattering.  The semi-open design creates its own problems at the bottom of the spectrum, but the punchy treble helps to make up.  Like with every almost-closed pair of headphones, the soundscape isn't very wide, meaning the K540s are better suited to electronic music rather than older recordings or classical genres.

All told, the K540s are anything but awful—but AKG has shown us time and time again that it knows how to do much better than this without breaking the bank.