The AKG N5005 ranks #2 out of 68 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: AKG
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#2 AKG N5005: $399.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Bass, mids and presence all land within about 0.6 dB of the Harman target, giving a Harman score of 87 and a very smooth 1.11 dB deviation. Sub-bass is essentially on target at 0.1 dB below, so kick drums and bass lines have natural weight without bloat. The five-driver hybrid layout and 18 ohm impedance with 116 dB per volt sensitivity run fine from a phone. At 11.4 g per earbud it is light in the ear.
Cons: A 5.8 dB dip near 10 kHz and a 3.4 dB peak near 7.8 kHz leave the top end slightly uneven, taking some sparkle off cymbals and air. Treble from 6 to 10 kHz runs about 0.6 dB under target, so it can sound a touch laid back. It costs far more than the Truthear x Crinacle Zero RED, which has the same rating, so the premium buys refinement rather than a better rating.
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.11 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 9.2mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 87 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 18 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 116 dB SPL/V |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.09 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0 lbs (11.4 g) per earbud |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -1.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -0.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,406 Hz | +3.0 dB | 1.31 |
| Peak | 892 Hz | +2.7 dB | 1.01 |
| Peak | 1,593 Hz | -1.4 dB | 0.18 |
| Peak | 77 Hz | +1.4 dB | 1.19 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,702 Hz | -2.0 dB | 5.51 |
| Peak | 3,571 Hz | +1.3 dB | 2.99 |
| Peak | 6,150 Hz | +2.2 dB | 5.73 |
| Peak | 4,894 Hz | -0.7 dB | 4.27 |
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