The Y-series is the signature series of In-ear and On-Ear Headphones from AKG. We have the Y50BT headphones with us today and our first impressions of this pair are really nice.
This is the Bluetooth cousin of the Y50, and apart from just the bluetooth aspect, there’s more to it. More on that later.
As soon as we opened the box and saw this lovely pair, it looked really premium. You take them out and you will realize that they feel classy too, and responsible for getting that look is the metallic finish that’s there to it. Just beside the outer metallic finish are these little Ys denoting the Y-series, and we’re loving the attention to detail. You can also spot them on the screws as well as on the headband. The headband too has nice cushioning and feel of a very good quality.
The ear cushions are soft & smooth, and we enjoyed the way it feels on the ear. This coupled with the headband (which is just a tad bit heavy), gives you a perfect fit. Though these are not “over ear” headphones, they do manage to isolate the sound to a great extent.
User interface:
The buttons on the Y50BT are located on the right ear-piece, positioned comfortable so that you can access them with your thumb naturally.
First are the volume buttons, and in between them is the multi-functional button. Then is the slot for the cable input, then the power key, which is followed by the LED indicator for bluetooth (when the headphones are ON), and also shows a red light when they’re about to switch off. Lastly, there is the mic.
The multi-functional button can be used to play/pause a track, and also go to the next track (double press), and the previous track (triple press). A long press would activate the assistant in your phone based on your phone model. When you receive a call, you can also use this button to answer it.
The connect:
Press the Power On key, and the headphone comes to life with a beep and a blinking blue LED. Connecting the Y50BT to our phone was a breeze and we had no problems at all. It works without any hassle upto a range of 5 mtrs.
The Y50BT once randomly disconnected while it was connected to my laptop. I (while having the headphones on), and the laptop were stationary. Though it got connected by itself again with a few seconds immediately.
The Y50BT sound:
We found the audio quality to be really good and it can take on headphones of a slightly higher price range too. The bass of these is a bit on the higher side. I think the good isolation also adds on to that effect. For me this personally makes for a good pair to listen to most music. The bass isn’t so high that it will drown out all other musical instruments or voice clarity, so it is also well-suited for movies or other audio as well.
The headphones also felt loud enough for an immersive audio experience.
Given the slight firmness of the headband which tends to provide a good isolation, it also means that wearing these for extended periods, can cause a slight discomfort.
Now that I’ve spoken about the sound output, let me also talk about the input. The microphone of this one is brilliant. It is pretty sensitive, and can catch the audio effortlessly. I tried out some voice typing (speech-to-text) in my phone and I was actually just whispering and the phone detected each and every word of what I said.
The Cable(s):
As you must be aware, the Y50BT also comes with an audio cable which a welcome addition for when the batteries die out. On one end of the cable is a 2.5mm connector plug which goes in the headphones, and on the other end is a 3.5mm plug which goes in the standard 3.5mm jack. Wait, it isn’t all that “standard” these days now, is it?
So this also means that you won’t be able to use this cable as a replacement for one of your 3.5 to 3.5mm AUXiliary cables.
A big drawback of the cable is that it does not support inline audio control. So everything that the headphones could do when connected via bluetooth, it can’t with the cable. No volume control, no receiving calls, no use of mic. This is kind of a bummer for such a lovely pair of headphones.
The other cable is the charging cable which is a micro-usb, which isn’t necessarily a good thing since most phones these days are moving to the USB-C standard. That being said, the claimed battery life is about 20 hours which is really impressive. You can watch a movie every day and still last throughout the whole week. The battery life has been good for me so far. The charging input on the Y50BT is located on the left speaker and so is the LED indicator for the same which lights up red when it is juicing up.
If your phone is one that “says hello to the future”, you won’t have a good experience with the wired use of these headphones. Plugging them in your phone, and also charging them using you phone’s cable can’t be achieved without an adaptor.
Something that I noticed is that if you’re a bit rough with your usage, the headphone cushions can come off, at least partially, and then you’ll have to carefully slide it back so that it “gets in the groove”. It isn’t much of a hassle, but if it completely comes off, then putting it back on might be a bit of a pain. Though this can be avoided if you’re really careful while using them.
In the box:
There comes a nifty pouch to store your headphones. It is thick and velvety so that your lovely Y50BT is isolated from wear and tear while storing them.
There is also the charging cable inside, the quick start guide, and the warranty card.
To sum it up:
I think it is a fantastic pair of headphones overall, especially given the price point. The sound and the insulation is better than acceptable, and the feel is premium. The others are just minor drawbacks for which a simple workaround should do the trick.