A great way to kick off the new year is some new tech - and a fresh pair of cans go a long way to getting you through the dark January days. To see if a spanking new pair of headphones did anything to lighten our post-Christmas mood, we spent some time with the Samsung AKG Y500 Wireless Headphones.
AKG is a sub-brand that has been growing in significance for several years now, and recently has enjoyed status as a maker of go-to head fodder for blocking ambient sounds. The Y500s are no exception, boasting wireless connectivity with noise-cancelling cleverness.
Sleek and minimalist in design, the AKG Y500 aren't all that much to look at in terms of visual wow, but that should be the last thing on your mind when it comes to a pair of headphones. They are 'on-ear' in layout, so they won't completely encompass your shell-likes; instead they gently sit right on them, trimming down the size to save on space and weight.
As you'd hope, they fold up relatively compactly and ship with a very handy pouch to keep them safe in your bag. You can hook them up with Bluetooth, or alternatively use the included phono cable. We were impressed to see that the Samsung AKG Y500 Wireless Headphones's battery life boasts up to 33 hours of continuous playback. That's pretty immense and should immediately prick the ears of anyone sick of their 'phones going flat half way through the day.
Uniquely the headphones will pause your playing music when you lift them from you head. They'll then resume the track when you pop them back on. That's pretty handy, and helps in those sudden situations when you have to de-can but don't to have to miss your favourite part of the song.
Speaking of having to take them off, the Samsung AKG Y500s use ambient aware technology. This means that, at the touch of an ear-mounted button, the music will dip and the headphone mics will pick up and amplify ambient sounds into the speakers. We found this perfect for quickly listening to train announcements, and to respond if someone asks you a question while you have the headphones on.
All that ties into the Y500s noise-cancellation. It's very good and worked well in pretty much all the situations we used them in. Remember, these are sub-£100 headphones, so there are better ones out there. For a start, noise-cancellation never works amazingly on headphones that aren't over-ear in design. Ambient sound will still sneak in around the edges, so true audiophiles won't be won over.
But... add a decent price, decent noise-cancellation, and clever tricks like the ambient aware feature, and stick it with great sound quality, and AKG are onto a winner. General sound reproduction was very good indeed, and with of without cancellation active everything sounded clear and rich. Highs were crisp, and lows were satisfyingly deep.
For the everyday user, who might deploy these on the aforementioned commute on a train, they're great. The compact design will make them easy to handle, while the ear-based controls, clear mics for calls (we tested over a network call and WhatsApp - both great) and impressive longevity will make you reach for them every morning.
As solid all-rounders go, the Samsung AKG Y500 Wireless Headphones should definitely be considered for your New Year self gift. Go on, you deserve it.
£99
Available from www.amazon.co.uk