AKG N60 NC Wireless
FOR Great noise cancellation; comfy build; solid bass AGAINST Nothing of note
“They may have lost their cable, but the N60 NC Wirelesses retain the superb character of their wired equivalents”
Ironically, there’s a lot been said about silence. The Chinese philosopher Laozi said, “Silence is a source of great strength,” while Confucius believed it was a “friend that never betrays”.
At What Hi-fi?, we take a more practical view of silence – it’s a great feature to have in a pair of headphones, especially when you’re in a busy office or on a noisy plane.
AKG’S N60 NC Wirelesses are designed for just that. They are more compact, convenient, and cheaper than the excellent Sony MDR 1000X, but that doesn’t mean they’re lacking in quality. For the price, this is a superb pair of cans.
Choice of connectivity
The main difference between these headphones and the wired N60 NCS is aptx Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. This means they will play along nicely with the increasing number of smartphones that are dropping the headphone jack.
If you want a wired connection, there’s a 3.5mm cable that comes in the box for use with non-bluetooth kit or if your headphones run out of juice, for example. That shouldn’t be a regular occurrence, though – the N60 NC Wirelesses have up to 15 hours of playback when used with Bluetooth, which automatically turns on the active noise cancellation (ANC). If you’re using just the ANC, its 610mah lithium-ion battery will last up to 30 hours before a recharge via the micro-usb cable.
Comfy wear
There are some slight structural changes between wired and wireless. The new headphones have a metal connection between the headband and the housings, rather than plastic, which makes them more secure and, in our eyes, betterlooking. The headband itself has been made 10mm wider, and there’s slightly more padding to the wireless versions too. Not that this has changed how comfortable these headphones are: even those in our office who dislike on-ear headphones were content wearing these all day.
The noise-cancelling quality is as impressive as it is in the wired version, and can cut out the background noise of streets or the office. They’re not quite as good as the Sony MDR 1000X headphones, but Sony’s over-ear headphones are larger and more expensive, so that’s to be expected.
The N60 NC Wireless are also more intuitive than other Bluetooth headphones we’ve tested. Flick the connection switch on the right housing to turn them on, or hold it down to go into pairing mode. Below it is another toggle for playback that also answers calls with a push. It’s more intuitive: no mistaking a volume button for the ‘Next track’ button here.
Streaming via Tidal, these headphones sound clear and striking, giving a good thump to the bass of (Sandy) Alex G’s Judge while remaining transparent enough to retain the papery quality of the drum. The naturally padded, wide sound comes across as well during the coiled blasts of drums on Queen Of The Stone Age’s No One Knows, the smooth, earthy beats sliding across your ears with precision and insight.
Rhapsodic sound
These headphones balance their bass against the midrange and treble nicely, handling a 44.1khz FLAC of Queen’s
Bohemian Rhapsody with a spring in their step. As Freddie Mercury’s vocal starts, the piano is crisp and delicate, softly building to the clear crash of sparkling cymbals.
There’s a lot going on in that song, with singers popping up on the left and right, but the N60 NC Wirelesses keep track of every player in this battle of harmonies. There’s enough space to satisfy, and each is strong.
With the noise-cancellation blocking most sounds from getting between you and your music, the amount of detail rendered by these headphones is impressive.
Punchy volume
Attention is drawn to the texture of the small squeals at the beginning of Radiohead’s Paranoid Android, marking each time the guitar changes chord, and the dry acoustic strums reverberate nicely.
The rise and fall between those quieter thrums and the louder, powerful distorted twangs that end the song are quick and dynamic, able to give you a good punch of volume when the need arises.
They might have lost their cable, but the N60 NC Wirelesses retain the superb character of their wired equivalents, and make a great alternative for those looking for something smaller than the over-ear noise-cancellers usually recommended.
Compact, powerful, and reasonably priced, these noise-cancelling headphones should be the go-to for those on the go.