Customer Reviews

AKG Acoustics K-240 Semi Open Studio Headphones

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First, although K240 phones old and new surround your ears, they are vented. Ambient noise is not reduced greatly as a result, but this design improves sound quality.

I have used the 600 ohm K240M phones since 1986. The new K240S are 55 ohms making them far more compatible with todays lower voltage gear. Even better, this new design gives deep bass response that I never thought was possible from phones. Even a 32 foot bombarde pipe organ stop sounds quite real, although you will not feel the room shake. Listening to a signal generator through these new K240S phones gives an impression of powerful bass down to at least 40 Hz. The old K240M drops off below 100 Hz. A slight dip in the midrange(K240M) has been filled in, making the K240S more true sounding.

Both the new and old versions reproduce operatic voices without increased "ping" which can be very abrasive. Years ago I started using phones to judge voices on choral recordings, resorting to speakers only to judge the organ sound. Speakers can make some beautiful voices sound nasty. Producer John Culshaw documented this in one of his books on recording the Wagner Ring.

The open air design minimizes ear sweating while giving a more open perspective. "In your head" effects are greatly suppressed compared to many sealed type phones. When watching opera DVD I find no conflict between the phone perspective and the TV screen on DVD that are well mixed. Orchestral sound is excellent, as is piano. To my ears, these phones give a perspective and tonal balance that is very close to what I hear at Boston Symphony Hall, when I sit in the second balcony front. These seats overhang the stage. When I sing in a choir, the live perspective is even closer to what the phones produce, provided my position on stage is fairly central. This is, in my opinion, a valid sound perspective, even if it is quite different from the tenth row center sound I aim for when I build speakers. Non performers sometimes have trouble accepting this close a perspective at first, only because it is not familiar. Many other phones give a perspective that is too close for comfort, a good reason to avoid the low end.

It is good to bear in mind that individual ears are unique in shape and that phones are designed to work on a "standard ear" made with an average shape. Phones will give different response curves depending on how your ear pinnae and canal differs from that "laboratory standard ear" shape.

People with small heads will have trouble keeping the phones on. It is unfortunate that although this problem has been known for years, nothing has been done to correct this.

AKG did not change any parts that touch your ears and head, a very wise move. Some parts are interchangeble, as they have the same stock number on AKG parts lists. Unfortunately AKG has of late been hard to deal with, making part purchases difficult.

Consider buying the K 240 studio phones in the MK II version as you get a spare cord and spare ear pads with a velvet like feel. Having these extra parts on hand is worth the extra cost and makes this four star item a 5 star item.

I've had a pair of 240's for the last 8 years. About 2 years ago, I ran over the cable with my office chair, and basically ruined the headphones. I mended the cable, but they never really sounded right again.

So, I got a pair of Shure E40's, and they've been quite good. Yesterday, I finally realized that the jack on the AKG's was broken, not the wire. So, I replaced the jack, and for the first time in about two years, am using the headphones again.

The sound quality is leagues better than anything else I've used in the last two years. Better than the Shures, better than the Sennheisers I got through work. There's a huge amount of detail that I'd been missing with the other headphones. I'm not an audio professional, or even a hardcore audiophile, but I've been a musician since I was young, and have a good ear.

For the price, I haven't heard anything that even comes close to these headphones. Just watch the cord.

I must have gotten the deal of the century in April 08 as I picked these up for $79.95 from BSW through Amazon. Currently the best price on Amazon is $125. These headphones are still worth it at $125.

I use these with a Ipod at work and wear them for 6+ hours a day. I've come close to depleting the battery only a couple of times (it's a 30 GB gen 5.5 Ipod). The bass and seperation sounds fantastic. You can crank these up to full volume without distortion (though I don't play them that loud to save my hearing). Most people in my department wear headphones and the most common comment when they put these on is "WOW".

The long cord is good and bad. It sometimes gets in the way, but not that big of a deal.

The comfort is something. They fit over the ears without pinching and as I stated above, they are worn for 6+ hours a day.

These replace Sony MDR-D777LP headphones which I paid way too much for in a brick and mortar store. These sound leaps and bounds better. The Sony MDR-D777LP headphones only lasted about 9 months before breaking ( a very common occurance).

These are considered the studio standard in circumaural open back headphones for good reason. The sound reproduction is excellent, with clear bass and midrange and a very balanced profile through the entire frequency spectrum. It makes me angry at how much I've spent on speakers and studio monitors, these do a better job at a fraction of the price.

They are circumaural they fit OVER your ears. I guess some people don't like that. I think they might change their mind if they tried these. If you're looking for a SUPRA-aural design look at the AKG K141

I find them extremely comfortable. I have literally forgotten I was wearing them more than once. The suspension system adjusts automagically and is excellent. At first I felt a little unsure about the security of the hold, I've been using these mostly as monitors while recording guitar and bass parts, but they've made it through some pretty enthusiastic headbanging without getting dislodged. It also prevents almost all the banging and noise you normally hear when handling your headphones.

The ear pads are soft and comfortable and have a nice synthetic cover which feels like glove leather and has just the right combination of grip and smoothness.

They are semi-open. In this case it means that with no sound coming out of them they are basically aurally transparent but when they are on it takes a pretty loud sound outside to be noticeable. They are excellent at the job I use them for, monitoring a master track while laying down new parts, because you can hear yourself and the room sound pretty naturally and still have a high quality monitor with no bleed through to the mic'ed amps. If you are intending to use these for monitoring during vocal track recording you might want to consider a closed back design, these can be a little loud close up, The K271 is an excellent option with an ingenious auto-mute feature that work off the same magical suspension system.

Other Cool Features:

mini-xlr connector on cord - replace your mangled cord or make your own!
fully rebuildable and modular - any component can be replaced if neccesary

Gripes:

It ships with a 3m mini-xlr to 1/8 cord w/ 1/4 adapter, I think most people would prefer the coiled cord which they sell as an option.

The suspension may 'feel' a bit insecure at first, and the pads may wiggle a bit if you shake your head really hard. a manual tension adjustment on the suspension might be a nice addition.

You really need a case for your studio headphones. As far as I know there isn't one available for these.

I've used the AKG K240S headphones for a few years now and I remain mystified at all the rave reviews here on Amazon. My experience may be different than some reviews, so I'll explain my approach. I do sound art, composition/production, and I listen for fun. Those are three different types of listening that typically require three different types of headphones. The thing is, out of my six pairs, these AKGs are my least favorite in every category.

We'll start with listening for pleasure since that's what the majority of readers are looking for. Despite the rather low 55-ohm impedance, I don't feel like portable devices can drive these adequately. I've never been impressed with their bass response. I'm not looking for anything really heavy, but when I'm listening to an album with punchy bass, it doesn't translate through these cans. The midrange is decent, but not very exciting. The highs are definitely on the dull side. I've heard plenty of headphones give me sparkling, crystalline highs, but not this pair. If you're on a budget, the $69 SR60 are a much better bet. You can easily drive them with an iPod and get a rich, full-bodied sound. The Grados are just a lot more fun to listen to. I realize that the Sennheiser HD600 Over-Ear Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Professional Stereo Headphones (Black) are a bit pricer, but they're a night-and-day improvement as well, but at 300ohms impedance, you'll definitely need a headphone amp to get a good sound.

Next, we'll talk about production work. I use a nice Digidesign audio interface, so I have plenty of power to drive the headphones. These work for tracking and monitoring, and the sealed design provides a little isolation, but at the same time, I've never felt that they gave me a clear picture of what the finished recording would sound like. Once I listened through some good speakers or a better pair of headphones, I'd notice details that remained hidden with the AKGs. They don't have the clinical precision of the Etymotics in-ear monitors, nor the isolation. They don't match the bass response of similarly priced Sennheisers either. As an alternative to the AKGs in the production/recording/mixing category, I'd highly recommend the beyerdynamic DT 770 Stereo Headphones. It provides superior isolation, excellent bass response, a better fit, and better construction. The Etymotic ER-4P Portable In-Ear Earphones are also useful for certain types of studio work, although they probably shouldn't be your only pair of headphones.

The other major factor is comfort. The circular design fits around your ear, but usually squashes part of it. My ears aren't abnormally big, but they don't quite fit perfectly. Sennheiser's elliptical design seems to solve this problem. The AKGs are very light weight and they don't put much pressure on your head, but they also don't stay in place very well. If you move your head, the ear pieces are going to slide. This isn't a deal-breaker by any means, but it's just another reason why I don't like this model. The Beyer DT770s also beat the AKGs in this area. They use a circular design, but the driver doesn't touch your ear, and a nice velvety material is used for the ear-pad. They're a little bit heavier and they grip your head a little tighter, but you can move around and they don't budge.

I don't recommend the AKG K240s. If you're an iPod user, you're not going to get a satisfyingly full sound without adding a headphone amplifier. If you're listening with a more powerful system, you'll get a decent sound, but not an amazing sound. Rich is not a word I would use to describe the K240s. If you're using these in the studio for recording, production, or mastering, you're not going to get a satisfactory level of detail. Overall, these are adequate and, all things considered, an improvement over many headphones out there. Perhaps I'm being too critical. The fact remains that I own four other pairs of headphones, each with better qualities than the AKGs.

Also, I've reviewed the Beyerdynamic DT 770s and the Etymotics ER-4Ps on Amazon, if you're interested in more detail on those models.

I have been using AKG headphones since the mid 70's when I started seeing them on the heads of every entertainer in the recording studio environment in film and television. This said volumes to me about the acceptance by the real professionals. Bought my first pair back then and have had them over the years, occassionally upgrading to newest technology model. I happened to be in the discotheque business back then and I bought AKG's for DJ use in all six of our clubs throughout the country. These are fantastic with full range of natural sound from lows to highs. Does not color the sound and they really kick if you loop them through EQ. Ain't nothin' better. I am so spoiled that sometimes I prefer listening to concert DVD's with these on rather than listening "full room" with my very expensive and well appointed home component audio system. And I occassionally go back to my original set of AKG's purchased in 1976 and they still sound awesome, although the rubber ear pads have become rather hardened and I cant wear them for long. My only complaint about this new pair of "around the ear" phones is that you tend to sweat a bit after wearing them through a movie. I also have a set of fairly recent model 141's that are the "on the ear" smaller pad model with very soft foam pads and I must say that I probably prefer them to the full ear enclosure, for that reason. Other than that, you can't beat the undisputed champ in headphone sound, and at an amazing price point for the quality of the sound.

The sound quality of these headphones is unbelievable. I was floored when I first heard them. The depth of bass I can achieve - while at the same time having crystal clear highs - is epic, to say the least.

These headphones are also remarkably comfortable. I haven't worn them for an extended period of time yet, but I can imagine being able to wear them for hours. They're very light and easy on the ears.

My one beef about these headphones is the cord. My old headphones had a spiral cord, so it wasn't nearly as long but still extended when I needed it to. These have a straight cord, which is a little cumbersome given the purpose for which I use these headphones. However, this is almost a non-issue - these headphones still deserve a solid 5 stars, and I can probably find a way to remedy the issue of the cord length (bundle up the excess cord with an elastic or something).

I would highly recommend these to anyone who needs a pair of really good headphones for a relatively low price.

I bought these about 3 years ago to replace the K240M that I had. The K240M had several issues - its 600 ohms impedance, and the non-replaceable cable.

For some reason, my cats love AKG headphones and kept chewing the cord.
This K240s was a godsend . I bought them and 5 replacement cords. I'm down to the last one. I keep forgetting to pack them in my drawer after use.

I have hundreds of cables in my house between my computer, home theater, home recording studio, and my cats only chew these, for some reason.

Also, the sound quality is insanely great and accurate. I have been using these recently to monitor recordings . These are more revealing than any speakers ever will be. Last saturday I recorded a harpsichord. I had 2 pairs hooked up to the recording station, including these. The other was a Sony 700DJ heapdhone. The Sony's sounded really dead. Like something was off. Too much bass, not enough treble. There was no mistaking the accuracy of the playback of the AKG, since I was sitting right next to the instrument and performer. It was almost like the real thing.

I see that these have dropped quite a bit in price since I bought them. At this price I might just have to get a second pair.

These headphones are extremely comfterable after hours of use, even if you wear glasses like I do. After watching movies for 5 hours, I forget I even have them on.

Another big thing I was worried about with the semi-open design was that it might leak out to much sound, and be annoying to my roomates. In a small, quiet room, if I turn them up really loud, my roomates can hear them a little. But with "normal" listening volume, they did not hear anything! This is great for people who don't want to disturb anyone.

The sound is realy something you fall in love with the more you listen to them. The quality is so clear, I can now hear parts of songs I never knew exsisted! Listening to orchastrel pieces, it really comes alive as I can now hear every finite detail of complecated pieces. Intially I thought the bass was lacking, but I find it is actually just more true to what it really sounds like. I actually find using a flat EQ produces the best sound, but if you like more bass, just change your EQ to bassbosster and it will provide very clear, strong bass.

They only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating was because when I first got them the left side wasn't working. I played around with it a little, and it started to work again, but I'm afraid it could be a problem in the future. So far this has not been the case, but many people seem to have this problem, so I would use care with the phones.
Overall they are the perfect headphone, and highly recomended.

Clear, not harsh sound, flat frequency response, which means they are great to mix with. They are very durable, and are extremely comfortable. I'm here to buy a second pair.