Review on AKG N700NC M2 Wireless Headphones, Active Noise Cancelling - Black (US Version), 2.6, Model: GP-N700HAHCIWA by Samsung by Justin Steele

I'll start with a positive. The sound quality of these headphones is amazing. Even without adjusting the equalizer, high-quality music is played back clearly and distinctly. In a quiet room, in a comfortable chair, and with your favorite album, you'll be amazed at what AKG was able to do for the price of a Bluetooth connection. As other reviewers have pointed out, the noise-cancelling effect isn't strong compared to competing models from Bose or Sony. I'll say this: These aren't the headphones I take on a plane. But for office work and listening to music at home, you will be happy. At least you'll be happy as long as these things don't break. First let me say that I don't have a big head. Nevertheless, within the first month the brackets that hold the on-ears broke (see photo). It didn't seem to affect how they fit or perform, so I figured I'd just let it be. I mean, they're positioned as a premium headset, so Harman/AKG/Samsung will be there to fix them if the problem gets worse, right? Not correct. After being used for a year they broke (see other picture attached). They broke where they started cracking a year ago. "Alright. Never mind." I thought. "AKG certainly knows this is a common problem and they will fix or replace it with no problem." I submitted a warranty claim and responded to a follow-up email only to find out that my units were out of warranty has expired and that "a local service center can order and repair parts. However, the cost of parts and labor can exceed the price of a new replacement.” So they offered me 35% off a new pair. So yeah, I guess it's my fault for not sending these things back immediately after realizing the cheap plastic was cracked. But having used both wired in-ear and on-ear Bose noise-cancelling headphones for over 15 years, I've grown accustomed to good build quality, reliability, and customer support. I can't imagine competing Bose or Sony products breaking down that quickly. And even if they did, I'm pretty sure these companies would get it right. My recommendation: don't buy it. I have friends with the competing Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000 models, and in terms of sound quality they are no worse. But unlike AKG, they don't break and are backed by the companies behind their product. So no, I will not take advantage of AKG's 35% discount offer. I will buy another pair from Bose. What I should have done in the first place.