Samsung-owned brand AKG has unveiled a new pair of ANC earbuds that go toe-to-toe with the recently-debuted Galaxy Buds Plus. The new AKG N400 do not have a flashy name, but instead suffer from a boring model number that’s bound to never catch on. Features like a “studio-quality microphone” and IPX7 waterproof rating adorn the latest earbuds from AKG, and unsurprisingly support for Bixby is touted more prominently than either Siri or Google Assistant. Continue reading to learn more.
AKG N400: Yet another pair of ANC earbuds
These days we are inundated with earbuds. Ever since AirPods Pro debuted, embedding ANC technology has become the latest target for manufacturers. Galaxy Buds Plus have done it, making the release of AKG N400 a bit strange since AKG is owned by Samsung.
Setting that aside, let’s go over noteworthy features of AKG N400. Unlike any version of AirPods, these allow users to control volume with a swipe. Other gesture-related controls include voice assistant activation, playback controls, and more. Using the AKG app, users are able to adjust audio using an equalizer and fine-tune noise cancellation levels.
If you’re planning to work out with these, you’ll be pleased to read that IPX7 water- and sweat-resistance is onboard. The charging case embraces both USB-C and Qi, and once fully topped off, users can expect 12-hours of battery life. For comparison, that’s roughly half of what AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Plus achieve.
Pricing and availability
The new AKG N400 earbuds are currently available for order in South Korea with no word if they will ever ship elsewhere. They’ve garnered a list price of 219,000 Won, which equates to just under $180 USD. Not exactly a killer price given the fact that you can find readily-available alternatives for less.
9to5Toys’ Take
Having spent the better part of the last 10-years working from home, I know first-hand just how beneficial active noise cancellation can be. I’ve bounced between Beats and Sony, but have yet to try recently-released in-ear ANC headphones like AirPods Pro as it historically doesn’t take long for my ears to experience discomfort.
Thankfully I am outside of the norm on this as many folks can wear standard earbuds without issues. For those folks, AKG N400 may be an excellent fit, but considering the fact that availability is limited to South Korea at launch, you may be better off with AUKEY’s new AirPods Pro competitor. Or your could boost existing AirPods with a pair of Comply’s memory foam tips.
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