After unpacking the headphones, I could wait to try them out. My first impression was rather "negative". There was too much pressure over my ears. Ouch, that hurt. But after a few minutes it got better as my ears started to get used to the high volume pressure that AKG K81-DJ advertises, especially for bass frequencies. Ok, that was expected since these headphones are meant to be used by DJs.

I started to look for other user comments and "strangely", I saw the same comments, at least when it comes to comfort:

• Clamping pressure is a problem that can be solved with the following method "... To loosen them you must place the left and right ear pieces together, and then with the ear pieces between your palms, squeeze the headband together like tongs. Do this gently, and repeat until they are comfortable...". Another idea is to use your desktop PC case and leaving them to stretch out a bit
• The leather pads make your ears get a bit hot after sometime. Others use them for workouts quite happily.

In my opinion, while the headphones are light weight, comfort could be an issue with many users. But that's enough about comfort. Let's now move on to the sound quality. I don't claim to be an expert, but this is what I found:

• Smooth, nice bass punch and nice mids and highs. I found when listening to the radio that there was too much bass, especially when listening to the human voice
• Thy respond very well to EQing and repositioning them over your ears can reduce/increase the bass
• Isolation with these headphones is superb. You won't hear external noise, no matter what
• Also good for portable use, and there's a long cable
  

Concluding this review, I have to say that you need to try any headphones before buying them, even if they are only €50. The AKG K81-DJ have proved to be very popular among enthusiast users, for their versatility and sound quality. On the other hand, I find them not very comfortable, especially after using them for a long period of time. Maybe it's a matter of personal taste, but I would like something much more comfortable, even at the expense of lesser sound quality. Nevertheless, a good choice for DJs, as these headphones do an excellent job of isolating external sounds and are at the same time, very affordable.