Samsung AKG Y500 Review – The AKG Y500 is a wireless Bluetooth on-ear headphone from AKG, the audio brand owned by HARMAN. Samsung completed its acquisition of HARMAN in 2017, bringing AKG into Samsung’s wider corporate group. The Y500 was positioned as a compact wireless headphone with a combination of sound, design, battery life and useful everyday features.
The AKG Y500 is now a discontinued model, and the current price referenced in this updated review is Rs. 7,000. At this price, does the Y500 still make sense today?
Let’s find out in this updated Samsung AKG Y500 Review!
Samsung AKG Y500 Review
The AKG Y500 is a wireless on-ear headphone that supports both Bluetooth and wired listening. It features Bluetooth 4.2 with AAC codec support, Ambient Aware technology, automatic play/pause, multipoint connectivity and a claimed battery life of up to 33 hours. The headphone also has a detachable cable for wired listening.
Unlike some descriptions of the product may suggest, the Y500 does not have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Instead, it uses AKG’s Ambient Aware feature, which lets users hear more of their surroundings while listening to music. This distinction is important when considering the headphone’s noise isolation performance.
The Y500 was available in different colour options depending on the market. We ordered the black version. Let’s start the Samsung AKG Y500 Review with its design and specifications.
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Samsung AKG Y500 Design and Specifications
The design of the AKG Y500 is one of its more appealing aspects. The headphone has a compact on-ear design with a relatively thin frame, soft-touch headband and memory foam ear cups. Aluminium elements add some structure to the build, while the folding mechanism makes it easier to store and carry.
The Y500 weighs around 230 grams, so it is reasonably lightweight for everyday use. The headband can be adjusted to different head sizes, although during our use the adjustment mechanism and slightly loose joints did not always feel as secure as expected.
The ear cups fold inward, making the headphone easier to put into a bag. The overall design is modern and understated, and the Y500 looks more polished than many older headphones in this price category.
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On the right-hand side is the main control area, including the power and playback controls, Bluetooth functionality and the Ambient Aware control. The headphone also has a Micro USB charging port. The Micro USB connection feels dated by today’s standards, especially when compared with newer headphones that use USB-C.
The controls allow users to adjust volume and control music playback. Track navigation can also be performed using the controls on the ear cup. A button is available for activating the voice assistant, depending on the connected device and supported functionality.
The Y500 also includes a 2.5mm audio connection for wired listening. This is useful when the battery is running low or when connecting the headphone to a source without Bluetooth.
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One of the more interesting features is the automatic play/pause function. The Y500 can automatically pause playback when the headphones are removed and resume playback when they are placed back on the ears. During our use, however, the feature was not always as convenient as simply pressing pause or removing the headphones manually.
The Y500 also supports multipoint connectivity, allowing it to maintain connections with two devices. This is useful when moving between a phone and another Bluetooth device. However, our experience showed that switching between devices could sometimes be less straightforward than expected, particularly when trying to move music playback between the two connected sources.
The official specifications list Bluetooth 4.2, AAC codec support, a 40mm driver, a 32-ohm impedance and a claimed battery life of up to 33 hours. AKG also advertised speed charging that could provide approximately one hour of playback from a five-minute charge.
Samsung AKG Y500 Performance
We tested the AKG Y500 with the OnePlus 7T Pro and listened to music from different genres. The overall performance was decent, although the sound did not completely match the expectations we had from the AKG name.
The Y500 produces a fairly energetic sound with noticeable punch in the lower frequencies. It works reasonably well with tracks that benefit from stronger bass, although the overall presentation is not especially detailed or balanced compared with newer headphones in the same general price range.
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We played Basement Jaxx’s Summer Dem on the AKG Y500. The sound was punchy and energetic, with a pleasant sense of reverberation. However, the mid-range felt somewhat dull, and vocals did not have the clarity we expected.
The Y500’s lack of ANC is worth keeping in mind. Ambient Aware is designed to make surrounding sounds more audible, rather than block them. Because the Y500 is also an on-ear headphone, outside noise can remain noticeable in busy environments. During our testing, this reduced immersion compared with headphones offering stronger passive isolation or active noise cancellation.
Sound leakage was also noticeable at higher volume levels. It was not unusually high for an on-ear design, but users listening at high volume in quiet environments should keep it in mind.
Samsung AKG Y500 Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Compact and lightweight design
- Folding ear cups make it easier to carry
- Comfortable memory foam ear cups
- Up to 33 hours of claimed battery life
- Bluetooth 4.2 with AAC codec support
- Multipoint connectivity
- Automatic play/pause feature
- Ambient Aware mode
- Wired listening through the 2.5mm audio connection
- Punchy sound with good bass presence
Cons:
- No Active Noise Cancellation
- Passive noise isolation is limited by the on-ear design
- Micro USB charging feels outdated
- Mid-range clarity could be better
- Sound leakage is noticeable at higher volume
- Multipoint switching can be inconvenient
- Some controls and automatic features can feel less convenient in everyday use
- The product is now discontinued
Samsung AKG Y500 Review Conclusion
The AKG Y500 is not a bad pair of headphones, but it is an older product and its limitations are more noticeable today. The design is compact, the headphone is relatively lightweight, the sound has a punchy character and the claimed battery life of up to 33 hours remains useful.
However, the Y500 should not be considered an ANC headphone. Its Ambient Aware feature is designed to let users hear their surroundings rather than cancel external noise. The Micro USB charging port, older Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity and on-ear design also show the age of the product.
At Rs. 7,000, the AKG Y500 can still be interesting if you find a new old-stock unit at a reasonable price and specifically want its compact design, wired option and long battery life. But because the model is discontinued, availability, warranty and the condition of the particular unit should be considered before buying.
Overall, the AKG Y500 remains a decent older wireless headphone, but it does not offer the feature set expected from many newer headphones available today. Its strongest points are its design, portability, battery life and energetic sound, while the lack of ANC, older charging standard and limited isolation hold it back.
