Bluetooth over-ear headphones are always a little tricky to judge at first glance. They need to be comfortable enough to wear for a while, portable enough to actually take with you, and still sound natural enough that they do not feel like a compromise.
AKG sent over the K845BT, their Bluetooth over-ear headphones, so I wanted to start with a straightforward unboxing and first look before spending more time with them for a full review.
Quick Answer
The AKG K845BT made a solid first impression out of the box. They are lighter than I expected, the ear cushions feel soft and comfortable, the build feels sturdy, and they include both Bluetooth support and a passive wired mode through a standard stereo cable.
The main downside I noticed right away is that there does not appear to be a carrying bag or case included, and while the ear cups pivot nicely, these are not especially compact or fully foldable travel headphones.
What Comes In The Box
Inside the box, AKG includes the K845BT headphones, a stereo audio cable, a USB to mini USB charging cable, and a small instruction booklet.
The instructions are basic, but they cover the essentials: getting started, pairing, unpairing, operation, and charging. For a Bluetooth headphone, that is really what you want to see. Nothing about the setup looked overly complicated.
- AKG K845BT Bluetooth over-ear headphones
- Stereo cable for passive wired listening
- USB to mini USB charging cable
- Basic setup and operation instructions
Basic Specs On The Box
The packaging lists the expected core features: Bluetooth compatibility, support for Bluetooth-enabled devices, USB charging, NFC pairing support, up to 8 hours of battery life, and a listed frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
Those are fairly standard numbers for this type of headphone, so the more interesting question is how they feel, how well they fit, and how natural they sound once they have been used for a while.
- Bluetooth support
- NFC pairing support
- USB rechargeable battery
- Up to 8 hours of battery life listed
- 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range listed
- Weight listed at 9.9 ounces
First Build Impressions
The first thing I noticed after taking the K845BT out of the packaging is that they are surprisingly light. I expected them to feel heavier, especially for an over-ear Bluetooth design.
The ear cushions feel very soft and squishy, which is something AKG usually does well. I use AKG Q701 headphones daily, so I already have a bit of a bias toward AKG's comfort and sound approach, but the K845BT felt good immediately in the hand.
The pivots also feel smooth. They are not too loose and not too stiff, and I did not hear any creaking or cracking when moving the cups around. That matters because portable headphones get handled a lot more than a pair that just sits on a desk.
Controls And Ports
The left side has the mini USB charging port and what appears to be a small LED indicator for charging status.
The right side has the main playback controls, including up and down buttons that appear to handle volume, a center button that likely handles play and pause, the wired audio jack, a power button, and another small LED near the power button.
There is also a small built-in microphone area on the right side. I did not test microphone quality in this first look, but it should allow for basic voice features like Siri commands or phone calls. The real question will be how usable it sounds in practice.
Passive Wired Mode
One useful feature is passive mode. The included stereo cable lets you bypass Bluetooth and plug directly into a device.
That is important because it gives the headphones a backup option if the battery dies or if you want to use them with something that does not support Bluetooth. My understanding from the first look is that the cable bypasses the onboard controls too, so volume would need to be handled from the device you are plugged into.
Fit And Portability
The headband adjustment feels solid, with clear clicks as you move through the sizing positions. Each side appears to run from 1 to 12 markings, so there is a decent amount of adjustment available.
Fully extended, they should fit a fairly large head. The ear cups are smaller than the AKG Q701 headphones I use every day, but that makes sense. The K845BT is meant to be more of an on-the-go Bluetooth headphone, not a large open-back studio-style pair.
The cups pivot nicely, but they do not collapse down into a very compact shape. I also did not find a carrying bag in the box. That is a little disappointing for a headphone designed for portable use, even though I personally do not always use a bag.
What I Still Need To Test
This was only the unboxing and first look, so the big questions still need real use before making a final call.
For me, good headphones should sound natural. I do not want exaggerated lows, mids, or highs. I want them to reproduce the music in a way that feels close to what the musician intended. That is what I will be listening for in the full review.
I also need more time with Bluetooth performance, battery life, comfort over longer sessions, microphone quality, and how well the controls work in day-to-day use.
- Sound quality and tonal balance
- Bluetooth connection reliability
- Real-world battery life
- Longer listening comfort
- Built-in microphone quality
- Control behavior in Bluetooth and wired modes
Key Takeaways
- The AKG K845BT are Bluetooth over-ear headphones with NFC support and a listed battery life of up to 8 hours.
- They include a stereo cable for passive wired listening, which is useful if the battery runs out or Bluetooth is not available.
- The headphones felt lighter than expected during the first look.
- The ear cushions are soft, and the build felt solid with smooth pivots and clear headband adjustment clicks.
- The right ear cup includes playback controls, a power button, wired input, LED indicator, and a built-in microphone.
- There does not appear to be a carrying bag included, and the headphones pivot but do not fold down into a very compact travel shape.
Watch the Video
The video above above for the full unboxing and hands-on first look at the AKG K845BT, including the box contents, controls, fit adjustment, and size comparison with the AKG Q701.
