AKG N700NC - Noise Cancelling Headphones

[MCM]

Creative Writing
I’ve always admired ninjas. The way they seek the light if only to hide in the shadows. I feel the same way about Bluetooth headphones. They seek to provide a better user experience, only to muck it all up with subpar FR and high noise floors. They all sound veiled or wonky, and all of them hiss. But still, the tech is undeniably sexy, as is the promise of a life lived untethered. With that promise in mind, I keep coming back to BT headphones. I want it to work.

I once went to a ninja parade. It was great. Nobody in the crowd saw a single ninja for the entire 3 hour parade. True masters at their craft. I feel the same way about the AKG. Every BT headphone I’ve owned struggled to hide the fact that it was a wireless headphone, with the cable being replaced by hiss or other SQ issues. This is not so with the AKG N700NC.

Impressions
When you first put on the N700NC, it’s reminiscent of the B&W PX, having relatively narrow pad diameters. However, unlike the PX, you don’t feel the plastic rim under the pads digging into your head. The memory foam warms up and conforms to your face, forming a tight seal that doesn’t break when you turn your head. Although not quite as comfortable as the class leading QC35ii or 1000XM3, the N700 can easily be worn on a 12 hour transpacific flight with no problems.

You reach up with your right hand and slide the power switch down with your thumb. You’re greeted with a futuristic ascending tone letting you know that the power is on, and then another letting you know that a BT connection is active. A split second later, everything goes eerily silent as the ANC kicks in. An ANC that’s a touch better than that found in the PX and H9i, though not as good as the QC35ii or top dog XM3.

You reach up with your left thumb and hit the Play/Pause button, nestled between the Volume + and - buttons, and fire up your Reference Playlist and the music starts to play.

My God, the tuning. AKG is owned by Harman, and you can hear it in the application of the Harman Target Response Curve to the FR of the N700. It’s a sound that’s both neutral and fun.

Bass is thunderous, yet controlled in the Oliver Heldens remix of One Kiss. There’s minimal bloom, though the relatively slow drivers get hampered down in the complicated passages and kettle drum rolls in The Battle - Hans Zimmer.

Acoustic instruments and vocals are presented with a natural timbre as the mids are handed off to the treble without any really weird peaks or suckouts. There’s a bit of extra energy at 3-4K that makes female vocals really pop without introducing any sibilance.

Speed and detail are on par for offerings in this price range.

Things take a turn for the worse when you switch the power off and use it in passive mode. It sounds like there’s a big 500-1K peak with a 2-4K suckout, along with slightly muted bass. There’s got to be some DSP EQ going on when you power everything up. This approach makes sense, rather than trying to tune the closed back set through dampening and other physical means. Whatever they did, AKG had made by far the best sounding BT headphone I have ever heard.

Other Features
You reach up with your right thumb and hit the Ambient Mode button. At first, you’re not sure if anything happened besides the volume being lowered 5 dB or so. Then the air conditioning in your house kicks in and you hear the air coming out of the vents. You start talking to your wife and it hits you. The passthrough mode is incredible. Everything sounds completely natural, like the N700 turned into an open back headphone with no isolation. You can hear the refrigerator cycle on, the rustle of your bedsheets, and your kid starting to rouse from her nap, all without sounding tinny or overblown like with other BT headphones. It’s incredibly useful when you have young children or a wife that you actually still like.

You open up the app and check out the EQ. At first, it seems a little weird but you notice that each tap of your thumb adds another adjustable point to the graph. Of course, you have to keep tapping the graph to see how many points you can add. You get to 15 before your fat thumbs can no longer add any more points. When you move the points around, the frequency and gain are clearly labeled. Wow, you could probably get really close to PEQ accuracy with this system.

Who’s It For?
The N700NC is my top recommendation for most people looking for wireless or ANC headphones. Its FR and SQ – black background with no hiss – are noticably better than the competing models from Sony, Bose, B&W, and B&O. The N700 sounds great for everyday listening and with its awesome tuning might be all most consumers ever need for audiophile sound in a convenient package.

I would not recommend the N700 for people that travel a lot and only use their ANC headphone while flying. The Sony 1000XM3 has the best ANC at the moment and sounds better than the N700 at altitude.

I also would not recommend the N700 for techies who need to have all of the latest and greatest features. The only BT codecs included are SBC and AAC, which is fine because AAC sounds great. However, the lack of AptX-LL might bug people that only watch a lot of movies.

Squiggly Lines and Confusing Numbers for Nerds
Frequency Response Graph as measured by rtings.com.

Impedance:16 ohm
Sensitivity: 98dB/mW @1kHz
Max Input Power: 30mW
BT type: 4.2
Frequency Range: 10-20kHz
Weight: 261g

Edit:
Price: $350 USD

[Hellenback]

Well written, nicely formatted and informative review, thank you.

My feelings regarding Bluetooth headphones mirror yours but I’ve gone in the other direction in not buying any at all!
Just never found a SQ I could live with that was worth the wired trade off.
Also, I don’t do any air-travel to speak of, so have less need of the convenience than many.

But still, I’d like a decent pair just to wander and work around the apartment freely late at night. But without wires and /or having to use the phone as a source.

Sounds like they’re at least getting better. I suppose I’ll seek out the price on these as I didn’t see it mentioned.

Nicely done (AKG should hire you

[prfallon69]

I read this on Reddit too. It really is a pleasure to read. Thanks.

[bidn]

Hi MCM,

excellent review!
I bought the N700C a few months ago, after having purchased so many disappointing BT headphones, and these are the best so far for me, the only one with both:

• a rather flat (very rare in the BT world) FR curve
• well extended FR in bass and treble.
  The two last ones I bought before were not V-shaped as usual, the Audeze Mobius (yet not enough treble, and a little too much bass) and the Sennheiser PXC (not enough bass), still not satisfying.
  I find the ANC of the N700NC is very satisfying re. SQ and the headphones hold well on my head whn I bow down (don’t start falling off like some others…)
  I find them very well designed, for me they are what the N90Q should have been (the N90Q are the only headphones I returned back after purchasing them, they were so badly designed – never seen this before – that I couldn’t keep them).
  I am vey happy happy to see AKG back on the right direction .

[MCM]

Thanks, @bidn. After owning the N700 for awhile now, I can still say that it ticks all the boxes for me. It shows that BT tech isn’t completely limited for Audiophile use and I’m excited to see how it improves in the future.

Since I wrote the review, I’ve also had the Master & Dynamic MW65 for about a week. The allure of Beryllium drivers in a BT ANC headphone was too much to resist. Through the drivers definitely sounded a bit faster, the tuning was definitely even more of a consumer oriented V-shape. Comfort was pretty bad too for my large dome. Yup. N700 is still the top BT headphone for me.

[antdroid]

I picked up the N700NC M2 that recently came out and got it today. It sounds quite good for what it is. The newer update is in a darker colorway, changes to USB-C and increases battery slightly.

The subbass on these are really nice, and without any bloat. The Sony WH-H900N H.Ear On 2 I have is pretty similar in terms of sound signature, fit, and ANC ability, but I think the AKG edges it out in a more even treble and clarity, probably due to that extra peak in the 3K region.

[antdroid]

AKG N700NC M2 Review

Background

The AKG N700NC M2 is a new active noise-cancelling and wireless Bluetooth headphone that is also the second iteration of the N700NC series, which debut a couple years ago from AKG. As a quick primer to those who may not be aware of the history of the company and why it’s relevant to what I am about to write:

AKG is an Austrian audio company that has been around for a very long time and was later acquired by Harman International and became part of their audio portfolio. This company was later purchased by Samsung and AKG has since closed down its operations in Austria. Many of the former employees have formed a new company called Austrian Audio, but that’s another story for another day.

Many years ago, Harman International, led by Dr Sean Olive, started researching ideal sound curves – ones that targeted what people hear and what their preference was using a variety of headphones and settings, and over-time, adding more and more variables such as more headphones, music types, and ethnicity. Through this research and surveys, the team developed target frequency response curves that have seen many iterations through the years. The most recent target curves came out in 2019 for both over-ears and in-ears. Since Harman owns a variety of companies, they started implementing these target preference curves through their product lines in the past couple years.

AKG has seen the most abundant use of the Harman target curve as far as I know. Other brands have also started using this research in their product lines, such as the Chinese brand Moondrop. AKG has implemented this target on many of their newest products including the Samsung Galaxy Buds, Buds+, AKG K371, and the N700NC that we will be looking at here.

Accessories/Features

The AKG N700NC M2 comes with a carrying case that is small and compact and has pockets for accessories. It also comes with a USB-C cable, and a cord for using it passively and wired. As noted, one of the major changes between the original and the M2 model is USB-C, as well as the darker colorway.

The headphone itself is generally compact and folds up neatly to fit in the case. The cups can swivel left and right, and there’s a good amount of extension available on the band itself of various head sizes.

On each cup are a set of buttons. The left cup has volume buttons and play/pause button as well as the 2.5mm jack for using the included cord. The right ear cup has the power button/slider, the USB-C port, and a button that can control either Ambient Aware mode or TalkThru mode.

There’s also an available app on the Android and Apple market stores that allows the user to control what that button is assigned to, as well as an equalizer setting with save slots.

Usage

In actual usage, I found the comfort level to be average for most headphones I’ve used. This is primarily due to the cup and pad size. Most of the headphones I normally use have significantly larger diameter cups and pads, and so using a portable headphone has it’s limitations in this department.

I think the comfort and pads are comparable to other wireless active noise-cancelling headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Bose QC35 and NC 700 series. My previous portable, the Sony H.Ear On 2 WH-H900N had slightly larger pads and cups and also softer pads, and they are a step up on comfort.

The Bluetooth range seems quite good. I was able to walk a good long distance away from my phone while still retaining unaltered sound and no disconnections. I can easily walk from one part of my house to the other without a problem. The AKG N700NC M2 does not support Apt X, Apt X HD or LDAC though, and so it’s limited to SBC and AAC formats, and Samsung Variable codec for Samsung devices, which is what I primarily used with this headphone.

Sound

This sound review is going to be primarily with it being played wirelessly using Bluetooth and the Samsung Variable Codec which is exclusive for Samsung phones. I did play it on the normal subband bluetooth codec (SBC) using my Sony NW-ZX507 digital audio player, but only for short periods of time.

The AKG N700NC M2 has a thunderous elevated bass region, mainly focused on sub-bass, and doesn’t have any semblance of mid-bass bloat. The mid-range can sound a tad thin at times, as it’s slightly recessed, while the upper-mid-range and lower-treble can come across as shouty, forward, and a little harsh at times, depending on your recording. Now that said, I find it to sound pretty good, especially for a consumer-level Bluetooth headphone – it’s actually excellent.

Bass hits with a decent amount of slam and speed. Decay is on the faster side, and there’s a lot of rumble when you turn up the volume, especially on a track like “Lose Yourself to Dance” by Daft Punk, where each kick drum hit has punch and vibrations along the pads. Because low bass notes seem rather controlled, I didn’t find too much bleed off despite being the response being so elevated.

The mid-range is a little thin. I feel this is due to the upper-mid range and lower treble being so peaky, especially around 3-5KHz where it’s quite elevated with respect to the rest of the mids that it makes the majority of the midrange taking a slight backseat. Female singers are more forward and presented much better than deeper male singers due to this.

Treble is extended pretty well. There’s a good amount of air in the presentation, and sometimes in modern pop recordings, there can be a little bit of harsh shrill, however, for most recordings, I don’t find any problems with the way the upper range is presented. In fact, I think it’s exciting and clear, though some may not appreciate it’s brighter sound.

The soundstage width is slightly wider than most headphones, and sounds spacious compared to most closed-backs. Depth is a little limited, but is an area where cheaper over-ears don’t excel with anyway. Resolution is average. It’s limited by Bluetooth, so keeping that in mind, I think it’s as good as many other Bluetooth headphones out there, if not surpassing many.

Listening

So, where do I find the N700NC M2 to excel?

A good example is London Grammar’s “Truth is a Beautiful Thing” album. The album is led by the powerful female voice of Hannah Reid, with a backing band making a large, wide soundscape of blissful sound that really exemplifies the strengths of the headphone – it’s powerful sub-bass performance and it’s airy treble presentation, along with the upper-mid range that highlights Reid’s talented singing style.

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, to me, is quite fatiguing with this headphone. There’s a ridiculous number of high hats, clicks/clacks, rattles, and cymbal splashes on this album, that I find too elevated with the treble presentation on this headphone. This paired with Michael Jackson’s higher pitched voice makes a pairing that sounds pretty nice at first, but not something I’d want to listen to for hours at a time.

My favorite jazz recording, probably ever, is Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Live on the Air.” The AKG N700NC M2 sounds nice with this piano-centric jazz album. The piano notes are presented rather close and intimately but the backing band is quietly placed behind the scenes. There are times when Guaraldi’s harder pressed keys come off a little heavy, but for the most part, I think the N700NC M2 does well here.

Overall

I didn’t spend a lot of time or really much at all talking about other headphones in this portable wireless class, but I have tried pretty much every popular model on the market in the past couple years for various levels of listening and time. My favorite up until this point was the Sony WH-H900N, which I found to be extremely under-rated and flew under the radar to it’s more expensive brother, the WH-1000XM3. It’s more neutral-sound signature was more pleasant to my ears than the bloated messy 1000X series, which is also the case with the Bose lineup and most of the other brands.

The AKG N700NC M2 may top the WH-H900N in sound presentation and quality despite not having LDAC. I found it’s bass to be more textured and rich, while more subbass emphasized like I like, and it’s treble more even, though at the same time more elevated and possibly more fatiguing.

The ANC capabilities are similar with perhaps a slight edge to the Sony WH-H900N, and a step below Bose and Sony’s 1000X series. That said, it works for most all situations I’ve encountered where I can’t hear outside noise at all and people have to tap me to get my attention.

The AKG N700NC M2 gets my vote for a recommendation for a good balance between portability, noise cancelling and sound quality for this class of headphones, and should be on your radar.

[SenyorC]

Thanks for the review @antdroid, it’s a shame I couldn’t find this over here to give it a try on my recent ANC search.

[hmitsui]

Professional reviews! Thanks!

[Den-Fi]

Never realized these were such a “hidden” gem! I wonder if their disappearance from normal stock means an M3 is coming. Hopefully they realize it’s a hit at is current price and don’t try to come out with the M3 @ $300 unless the ANC and build are also improved. But I think it found its niche at $100-160.

AKG N700NC M2 – There’s No Harm in Being Affordable

[newernow]

The trick is to use these headphones WIRED and with activated NC. Very flat (with just a little bit added bass). I sold my Stellias (which were too pricey anyways) after discovering these AKG phones.