Brilliant, elegant, functional, design. It doesn't get much better.

I got exposed to the AKG K271s when I was tracking my first album in 5 different studios. One of the studios, where I spent the bulk of my tracking time [200 hrs] had these. I was sold in the first session. These you could keep on for hours without major ear irritation and, for folks that wear glasses like me, they don't grind your glasses ear stems into your head or at least way less than other headphones. The K271s also have a great feature in that you can peel off one ear and the audio to that ear stops. That's great for tracking string players who typically want to track with only one ear in the phones; the same is true for choir members. These work wonderfully for those applications. I also keep a pair plugged into my Roland XV-88 keyboard when playing it. It almost goes without saying how great they sound. Frequency spectrum is hugely wide, bass is solid and fat, and highs are crisp and clean. I have 8 pairs of these in my little home studio for tracking small choir groups and I even keep a couple as safety spares but that is probably pointless since they aren't likely to go out anytime soon. If you are particular about the country of manufacture [some are some aren't], the K271s come in two issues: the original issue was simply called "K271 Studio" and they were Made in Austria, the subsequent issue are what we have now the "K271 MKII" which is actually Made in China. I, personally, have no issues with the people of China but I do have issues with their government. That being said, BOTH issues are outstanding in quality. Functionally, I also love that the pads are easily replaceable and they come in two textures: plastic/leatherette and felt. I have found the felt to be better for very long sessions as they don't retain as much heat. These phones are also light feeling and don't weigh down your head after long periods of usage. The headstrap is very comfortable and it allows for easy auto-adjustment when you put them on. You don't have to fidget with getting them just right on your ears and head. They do that for you. Brilliant, elegant, functional design. It doesn't get much better. I wish all pro audio equipment was as functional, affordable, and well-designed as these phones.Read full review