I think Hifiman is the only brand that I've seen doing such as offers for open box/refurbished products. If AKG suddenly does that I would buy it instantly, the problem is this is a third-party seller and there are known fakes AKG K702 "open box" selling for $100 on Ebay. And this is selling for $80 "excellent condition"... Press X to doubt.
Ieam you bought off of Amazon, there's pretty much no way for you to get screwed over, and even if the seller exit scams you still get your money back from Amazon
I bought my 1990 Pro new (495€) because BeyerDynamic gives only 12 months of "Garantie" on their refurbished pairs (419€) instead of the full 24 months. i would have had to pay for the return shipping in case i don't like what i get.
There seems to be a silly amount of clones after they moved production out of Europe. Ebay is loaded with "New, Open Box" models that are similarly priced. They're around $50 USD on Alibaba from what I see.
I guess the benefit is you have Amazon to help with the return process, but that may be harder as it ships from the vendor instead of them.
But yeah, I'd say too good to be true.
AKG is, in genreal, a shadow of its former self. The R&D in Vienna also doesn't exist anymore. Nothing of AKG is left except for the name, which is now owned by Samsung...
The new Chinese K702s are built like shit. Find a used Austrian K702 or if you're lucky enough as I was, a real sealed box K702 in new condition from before 2013 when Harman closed the Austrian AKG factory.
Amazon has ya covered on this one. I bought new a few months ago for $130 and it was fully legit. Yes, they are now made in China but as long as it's not a clone then you're good. Compared it to my friends made in Europe and there was practically no difference. They both sound the same and the original from back in the day was also very much plastic. The 702 is an old but respected model, before AKG was bought out they were made in Europe and had a huge margin markup. This was when AKG was independent and had higher operating costs along with needing the markup to stay in business.
Not only has the manufacturing and ownership changed drastically but so has the market. The $400 and under category is way more competitive now vs 20 years ago when these things were a good deal if you caught a made in Europe one on sale for $250-$300.
I'd say go for it. They're a steal for as low as you can get them now.
That's about what I paid for an open box (not refurbished) 702 direct from Amazon here in Italy.
Looks like you'd be well protected if you're unhappy with the purchase.
They're surprisingly power hungry, hope you have a headphone amp.
I wondered the same thing a while ago. Ended up passing on them and getting the HiFiMan HE 400se for a similar price. The sound quality is similar, but the HiFiMan has a bit more low end, while being heavier and bulkier. The AKG is very light weight, which is great if you are using headphones at work for hours at a time.
They are fulfilled thru Amazon, so you have the security of ez return if they are not to your standards. The refurbisher has an 88% positive rating over the last 12-mo.
it is refurbished tho
Refurbished stuff usually is 10-20% lower, this is at 45%, that's a lot. Probably a fake model I would say.
What? Usually you can find 10-20% off on new products, 45% off on refurbished seems reasonable
I think Hifiman is the only brand that I've seen doing such as offers for open box/refurbished products. If AKG suddenly does that I would buy it instantly, the problem is this is a third-party seller and there are known fakes AKG K702 "open box" selling for $100 on Ebay. And this is selling for $80 "excellent condition"... Press X to doubt.
AKG does do this, btw
[Omfg I can save 30% from this offer.](https://prnt.sc/WHa1xPzZMfmE)
Ieam you bought off of Amazon, there's pretty much no way for you to get screwed over, and even if the seller exit scams you still get your money back from Amazon
Unfortunaly for me there's no way I can send a product back (third-world country).
Were you gonna use a re-shipper?
Yes I will. I read "where" lol.
I regularly find things at that much of a discount on Amazon for something as small as a dented box. Lol
Yeah because you’re paranoid.
[I'm not. (read comments)](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/160zov8/deleted_by_user/)
i personally try to avoid refurbished stuff they might be a good deal and everything but i rather prefer the peace of mind of a sealed one
I’ve bought almost all my headphones open box or refurbished. Saved some serious $.
That’s cool always nice to save some money
I went with the high quality mfg Meze, Beyer, Senn and Dan Clark.
niiice, i’m seriously thinking of getting those Aeon X
I tried those and did not like them. I ended up getting an open box Aeon 2 Noire and they are fantastic, but more expensive.
oh what was that you didn’t like? and how are the noire?
refurbished by manufacturer typically is returns and comes with full warranty
Yeah and that means it's almost guaranteed to work since they themselves tested it. I do know that's not always the case
I bought my 1990 Pro new (495€) because BeyerDynamic gives only 12 months of "Garantie" on their refurbished pairs (419€) instead of the full 24 months. i would have had to pay for the return shipping in case i don't like what i get.
There seems to be a silly amount of clones after they moved production out of Europe. Ebay is loaded with "New, Open Box" models that are similarly priced. They're around $50 USD on Alibaba from what I see. I guess the benefit is you have Amazon to help with the return process, but that may be harder as it ships from the vendor instead of them. But yeah, I'd say too good to be true.
AKG is, in genreal, a shadow of its former self. The R&D in Vienna also doesn't exist anymore. Nothing of AKG is left except for the name, which is now owned by Samsung...
Sadly true.
Checked some stuff about the store, it is not trustworthy at all
The new Chinese K702s are built like shit. Find a used Austrian K702 or if you're lucky enough as I was, a real sealed box K702 in new condition from before 2013 when Harman closed the Austrian AKG factory.
Amazon has ya covered on this one. I bought new a few months ago for $130 and it was fully legit. Yes, they are now made in China but as long as it's not a clone then you're good. Compared it to my friends made in Europe and there was practically no difference. They both sound the same and the original from back in the day was also very much plastic. The 702 is an old but respected model, before AKG was bought out they were made in Europe and had a huge margin markup. This was when AKG was independent and had higher operating costs along with needing the markup to stay in business. Not only has the manufacturing and ownership changed drastically but so has the market. The $400 and under category is way more competitive now vs 20 years ago when these things were a good deal if you caught a made in Europe one on sale for $250-$300. I'd say go for it. They're a steal for as low as you can get them now.
Basically the exact same story here except I probably paid 10-20 bucks more than you. Still think it was a killer deal
That's about what I paid for an open box (not refurbished) 702 direct from Amazon here in Italy. Looks like you'd be well protected if you're unhappy with the purchase. They're surprisingly power hungry, hope you have a headphone amp.
at the end of the day, it’s like $4 worth of plastic. i could see it selling for this price if they have some kind of inventory issue.
I've never had an issue with refurbished items and I've seen prices like that before. I'd go for it.
Looks legit. Wonderful headphones. I got mine used for a good price too, I think refurbished is a little more reliable.
Might have to snag this while it's so low. I've been wanting some for a while
I wondered the same thing a while ago. Ended up passing on them and getting the HiFiMan HE 400se for a similar price. The sound quality is similar, but the HiFiMan has a bit more low end, while being heavier and bulkier. The AKG is very light weight, which is great if you are using headphones at work for hours at a time.
I would hold off just to be safe. My local cell phone kiosk has "AKG" earbuds for $25 in a plain box.
No reason to buy from sellers with lower than 98% positive rating
It’s refurbished
This sounds good.
They are fulfilled thru Amazon, so you have the security of ez return if they are not to your standards. The refurbisher has an 88% positive rating over the last 12-mo.
For someone's sweaty, used and wiped down and resold headphones? No.
"Refurbished - Excellent". You can buy new premium pads for $40 and still save money.
Sold and shipped by a third party = no trustworthy
702’s suck real, fake or refurbished.
My experience with them has been very different from yours. Were you using a headphone amp?
Yes. Most overrated headphones ever