Hello, sir. Thanks for the review, this is by far the best channel for headphone reviews. Most people present a graph and subjective opinions that tell you nothing about how good or bad the respective pair will sound for you, but your binaural recordings immediately provide a great deal of info about the openness and detail retrieval of the product in question. Absolutely top class, you've got a new subscriber. Keep up the good work !
I bought my k240 back in 2013. Couple of years ago my daughter borrowed it and never returned it. I think I'll get another k240 or k275. I love the gimbal headband and very good mid range.
Your review sold me on these, especially because i somehow did not notice the *mkii* comes with optional velvet pads, and that they slightly slightly reduce the high frequency which i wanted. Absolutely great fun for 80 euros i paid.
My favorites among them all. Had them for a studio I had back in the late 80's. The same pair of K240 Studio's look like new in 2024. I just ordered a 240 MkII set for my new setup. They are so comfortable and don't present annoying mud when tracking vocals.
I've used the akg k240 studio (not mkii !) for about 6 years 4+ hours daily on average and my experience largely lines up with your review. They are very comfortable even when worn 8 hours straighdt, sound very natural and were fairly robust. However: Do note that they leak a lot of sound, so they probably aren't great for train- or bus- rides. I've also had the cable break on me after 4 to 5 years of intense use, I don't know whether that's out of the norm but watch out for that. With the original pads, I had the issue that sometimes my ears would touch the fabric cover for the speakers, which did get uncomfortable over longer periods. I had to replace them after 5 years because they started to dissolve and chose deeper (leatherette) pads, which solved this issue. I tried third party velvet first, but they absolutely butchered the sound, so I'd recommend going for leatherette if you want to replace them.
Thanks for sharing your long term use with the studios. I agree on the sound leakage, I generally wouldn't recommend open or semi-open back headphones for public spaces. I can see the cable having issues after a few years, both the coiled and straight cables that are included with the mkii feel similar to the studio's cable. They don't feel as flexible as my Senn or AT cables. That said, in this price range, 4-5 years of daily use is good performance and value in a cable. I have had similar issues with changing to aftermarket velvet pads on other headphones. Interestingly enough, I didn't experience that when switching between the leatherette and velvet pads included with the mkii. There was only a very minor difference in both low and high extended frequencies. It may come down to AKG getting the velvet pads right based on clamping pressure, density, and thickness of the pads. Cheers!
Thi gay is amazing no other channels does this kind of thrall headphone examination thank you so much i appreciate it great videos. Wish you all the best good luck.
I've used the AKG K-240s (Not mk.II but the same guts) near daily since 2017. I'm a proponent of different headphones for different tasks, and I love these particular headphones for watching RUclips, podcasts and chatting on Discord. The semi-open design is a huge advantage for voice calls since you can hear yourself speaking even over the noise. I also have a pair of vintage Sony MDR-7506s for movies, editing, and gaming. Something that would benefit from the thumpier bass and detailed treble you get with a closed back. Finally, I love music over both pairs.
Very well said. Given the diversity of material we all listen to and the numerous applications for headphones it is simply not practical to create one set that is optimal for everything. From the breadth of material to the unique physics of everyone’s ears, we are fortunate to have many options to find the best options. Thanks for sharing your choices!
I just received them. I already have two pair closed backs from Shure (SHR-840) and Audio Technica ( ath-mr7b, best headphones I've ever owned). I wanted a cheaper open back pair for practicing . Never owned or tried AKG cans so it was a gamble. . It is not instant love with the AKG's but after 3 hours of burn-in the honkyness is slowly dissappearing. I want to practice guitar with them and I think they are great for that purpose because of the nice midrange. Blues(rock), soul, and 70's rock sound awesome with these cans. I think they will grow on me. If this is the AKG sound signature I will try the higher end cans in the future. Great soundstage for the price. Good honest review! Cheers
Thanks! Glad you started to hear some difference after a few hours. In my experience these cans are need a pretty long burn-in period. I recommend playing a good mix of content as a moderately loud level for about 24 hours and then give them another listen (mono is fine and invert the phase on one side if you don't want to be disturbed...) This made a pretty big difference in the frequency response I measured initially vs after burn-in. If you get a chance, try this out and let me know how it goes.
@@askdrtk, after a few days of burn in they indeed sound a little more even specially the bass. It's not a tight bass but it's not all over the place either. The bass settled down a bit. These cans reminds me of seeing an old friend for a long long time. I like them for older genres of music like classic rock, blues, soul, acoustic stuff like Tommy Emmanuel. It's like you are there in the room with them. I like the imperfections of them, symbals can be a little overwhelming depending on the recording but it reminds me of when I'm playing live with my bands. What I noticed that you have to be careful with reverb settings because these cans exeggerate this effect. This cans are keepers for sure. Are there better cans? Sure. Are these better cans more satisfying? For listening to music maybe but Rory Gallagher, Ted Nudgent, Black Sabbath, Old soul, disco stuff sound like it is supposed to be. Better then my HD650 For the price unbeatable,vey enjoyable
Thanks so much for this detailed review. This really takes any preferance or bias out of recommendations. Thanks for creating and testing these headphones.
Also when EQd with EqualizerAPO or else, they are at their full potential. Yesterday I corrected the frequency response curve from rtings to get the flatest curve possible and holy molly they sound good now!
@@invisiblecat9620 Firstly find the response curve of the K240mkii. Then download the free EqualizerAPO or eqMAC software. Open it. Select your audio interface that you'll use with the headphones. And then manually adjust the curve to you liking. What I did was to do make the inverse of the response curve. For instance if it lacks 100hz I'll crank up that frequency. Resart the computer. Done.
Excellent review, as always! Been waiting for this for quite some time. All I need now is the comparison between these and the Mark I, and possibly with the AKG K271's. Your reviews' technical consistency is what makes them valuable to me. Cheers !!!
Very much appreciated! The YT Short I made comparing the mkii with the mki (Studio) will be posted soon and I'm planning for the 271's sometime in late September / early October. I'm trying to keep the format consistent to make it easier to compare headphones across the various reviews. Glad to hear this approach is helping out!
@@kostadintzvetkov1636 If you want only AKG and closed back ones. I recomenden you K371. AWESOME! very neutral, very full sounding and comfortable cans.
Dropping in after the fact here... I'm currently shopping for beginner/cheap mixing headphones. I love that you put up actual sweep analysis for a lot of gear and it looks to me that this pair is actually VERY accurate in the frequency domain, even more then much more expensive alternatives. So given the low price, why aren't they just the best choice ever, period ? I can get them for ~80€ here in France and they look better in theory compared to say HD 280 Pro/M50x...
The K240 provide more detail in the midrange vs the HD280 which will help with the majority of mixing decisions. For some genres (EDM, HH) the M50x provide superior sub-bass extension vs the K240 at the expense of some of the perceived detail in the midrange. The other thing about the K240 is that their bass extension improves significantly with burn in. I recommend playing a wide range of music through them at a "healthy" level for 24 hours before using listening to their sound profile. I recommend the K240 for most genres with the exception of EDM and HH. In the same price range, the OneOdio Monitor 80 provide better bass extension while maintaining very good midrange detail which gives them an edge for HH and EDM. I hope this helps out!
Both provide a balanced accurate representation of vocals and music which is important for video editing. Since viewers will listen on a wide range of speakers, headphones, and earbuds, some bass heavy, some mid forward, etc., getting your audio in the "middle" will help improve the overall experience for all viewers. The K240 will be more comfortable for long editing sessions, particularly if you use the velvet earpads. They provide a bit more room around the ears and being semi-open back, they will help you stay cooler. However sound will escape and get picked up by your microphone, so if you are tracking vocals the M40x will isolate sound better. For me it comes down to which of these few differences is more important to you. From an audio standpoint, imo neither has an advantage for your use case and both have proven to be durable in heavy commercial use. I hope this help out!
Thanks, and I’m glad I could help out. When you get your new K240s, I recommend burning them in for a good 24 hours with mid-volume music. The low end on these headphones benefits greatly from doing this…the difference is very noticeable imo. Cheers!
i'm a gamer, what i need is reliability and comfort for a long period of wear, i trust the professional range of headphones to sound fantastic as is. is this model a good pick for me? my current audio-technica headphone drivers started to die and i can't repair it
Another cool review. Something strange is going on! The AKG K240 I bought last year were terrible as studio monitors, and didn't reflect what your graphs indicate in this video. My pair had badly deficient lower bass reproduction, and I could only hear down to 27Hz with them! Many others have reported the deficient bass reproduction on Amazon, too.
Tracking with an amp cab mic'ed up it's not a big deal. Usually the cab is loud enough that you won't be able to hear the phones. Where you can have issua is tracking acoustic guitars with a condenser mic.
I have this K240 mk2 too (Made in China). And now I have very interesting question: Do you have heard old Austrian made AKG k240? My friend has it and when we compared them, OMG! I was astonished! Difference is obviously! Austrian have more high end, more bright sound and was more louder! Bass level is same but Austrian in High ends is absolutely different and is more detailed.
yeah, mine are the newer model made in china and my first though when i heard them was "are these fake? they sound like cheap earbuds..." everyone who has the older made in austria model says theyre day and night difference.
@@bixo2956 Yes mate yes! I was f...ng astonished! Then I thought, "maybe because he wants burning?", after this all 5 days I burned and burned it and when we compared again...... Rusult was same! heeeh, RIP AKG. Legendary Brand. When it was acquired by Harman Holdings, The production moved to China and the result is visible.. :((((
It has been years since I heard the originals…I wish I had a set to compare. The original Austrian made were 600 ohms…different drivers = completely different headphones. I’m curious about what your friend uses to drive them as 600 ohms is a bit much for most built-in headphone amps on modern audio interfaces or mixers. With high impedance a great headphone amp can really open things up.
Thanks for letting me know…even more versions to add into the comparison. I find it interesting how, just as with automobiles, there are a few “nameplates” that never go away whether or not the car or in this case the audio gear is even similar to its predecessors. I guess the “names” are just too valuable to let go…but still, regardless of the year, a great set of headphones is still a great set of headphones.
Great review. I am look for a great analytical headphone that has great soundstage, detail and frequency extensions. I would use it to listen to music(analytical listening), play games and watch movies. Would this suffice my listening requirements? I use DAC AMPs with my headphones/earphones. I bought the K702 and returned it as they sound very thin, low on volume and eq - ing them in favor of low and upper low frequencies caused a lot of distortion and supression of other frequencies.
Great review again, Todd. I bought the K240 for mixing, but they may have been a bad pair, as the bass was only audible down to 26Hz - nowhere near the claimed 15Hz! I replaced them with Superlux HD681 and was delighted. The rtings site reviews of the aforementioned two reflect my own experience with them. Please consider reviewing the following three sub-$100 models: Devine Pro 4000 and Takstar Pro 82 and Superlux HD660 and HD662.
I was really looking forward to buying these but you lost me with the proprietary cable. Can you recommend another set of over ear headphones at a similar price range that are just as good but use a standard 3.5 mm cable?
Thank you for the detailed review. Having an impedance of 55 ohms, is it enough to plug the AKG K240 directly in a laptop or does it need a headphone amp?
Will my audio interface drive AKG K240 MKII (55 Ohms) I have Lexicon Alpha audio interface Audio interface Headphone Output: (1) 1/8" stereo jack 20 mW per channel at 50 Ohms AKG Headphone: 55 Ohms Sensitivity 91db Would be great if I had info on that.
Great reviews, so much info. You rule! So what's your opinion about these headphones, are they appropriate for bass guitar playing and practicing? On one side they do offer a clean response, but some mention that flat sound for all frequencies... Particularly interested in making my new bass guitar pedal sound, so need to hear it as it is. Thanks!
Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying my reviews. For practicing bass, and in particular for your application building a sound, the 240s have a bit too much roll off in the lower frequencies. Their lack of isolation will also allow ambient noise including the physical sound of the bass itself to interfere with hearing the sound as it will be recorded / reproduced by amplification. I would recommend the DT770 pro for your specific goals. The 770s will isolate the physical sound of the bass will represent the sound of your bass through the pedalboard in a way that will translate well when performing and recording all the way through mixing for playback on a variety of devices. My first choice is the 250ohm version for bass as long as your interface has a reasonable headphone amplifier. There are always other options, but the DT770 Pro are a well established solution for bass. I hope this helps out.
It needs a long time to burn but after they are really great for the price. PRO MOD : Since a few day I listen to this pair without the flat foamy pad inside and I think they sound even more accurate and "dynamic" (with the velour earpads). However I'm going to get a K702 because from what I understand they are even better that this pair. What do you think of the K702?
Nice tip on the foam inserts and I agree on the burn-in. There has always been a lot of debate around burn in on headphones and monitors, but I have heard and measured the difference. Moving up in price, the K702 are excellent in terms of both accuracy and particularly on soundstage / imaging (I will have a review of them coming in the new year.) They are of course usually considerably more expensive compared to the K240, but AKG is running a promo on them and amazon.com has them for $170 usd which is an incredible value…
So I've been bouncing around a number of your reviews trying to make up my mind. I think these are the ones I need but I'm a bit of an over-thinker I guess. I'm on a tight budget and would prefer to keep my purchase as close to $50 as possible, that said, as long as I'm under $100 I'll manage. I need something that will be suitable for mixing and mastering a variety of different music ranging from EDM, Trip-Hop, and Industrial all the way to Alternative Rock, Nu-Metal, and even more orchestral/soundtrack styles of music. I also need to have something that can be reliable to mastering sound effects and soundscapes. I make an extensive variety of things and a lot of it is centered around my work as an indie horror game developer so having any degree of a soundstage to work with is also a benefit. Would you say these are my best bet for my price constraints or should I look more at something like the ATH M-20s or even the Sony MDR 7506? Maybe I ought also mention that I do wear glasses a lot and envision myself wearing my headphones anywhere between 2 hours to 6 hours a session. I know that I'll need to make compromises as my budget likely won't land me a product that meets my needs in an idealistic way but still, I want to get as close as possible obviously. I'm hoping that since you've tested a lot of these out that maybe you can help me make up my mind. lol I also really appreciate how scientific you are in your reviews of all of these different headphones. Your style of review is infinitely more insightful and useful than a lot of the other video reviews you can find on RUclips. Thank you for all of the effort and work you put into these reviews!
Really Good Review,I am considering these headphones against Sennheiser HD 400S,Im wondering if these need an amp or is it fine it I use directly from my laptop aux jack while its charging.I think music quality should be good on both but I wanted open back headphones for gaming and dont care about audio leak either.I wont be running at high volume either just normal listening
I was wondering the same thing about the amp since they are 55ohms instead of the more common 32 for low-impedance headphones but it should be fine if you're ok with a lower max volume
Hey, love the data driven reviews, especially in a world of massive subjectivity. That being said, what are your thoughts on AKG K361 vs these AKG K240s? I'm looking for the best accuracy, and based on your findings, it seems like the K240s are truer neutral than the K361s despite the slight boosts in the low and high end - with the K361s, the sine waves / log suggest some missing data. I currently own the AKG K361s and the pads started flaking - got a cheap Chinese leather situation and hoping the sound quality remains, hence why I'm on your channel considering a side-grade should the resulting sound be of concern. There was a generalisation on reddit between these two models, with one user suggesting, AKG K361s are best without equalisation, and the 240s require equalising (via DAW, for music production), and I can see why someone would suggest that. It would seem the trade-off in terms of sound would be missing information with the K361, or boosted highs/mids with the K240, construction and impedance aside. Thanks for your time and shared expertise P.S. If you have something better than both of these for perfect studio tracking, kindly direct me!
Much appreciated! I would say the 240s provide a more complete picture across the audible range vs the 361s. The thing about changing pads is that it is difficult to predict what their impact on response will be until you try them. Material porosity, density, and fit all come into play including how they interact with the drivers and tuning of the ear cups themselves. You certainly can eq the 240s to tame the mids and highs, but once your learn them there can be advantages to the 240’s capabilities in the upper frequencies. Between the two, the 240s will provide a more accurate representation across a wide range of instruments and vocals. On audio only, another thought is this price range could be the m40x. They are a very honest headphone revealing the good and not so goos in a mix, and I have found that mixes that sound balanced on m40x translate well to other playback devices. While not as comfortable as the 240s, they are a good option for tracking and worth considering for their overall performance. I hope this helps and I would be interested to hear about the results of the ear pad change on your 361s.
@@askdrtk will let you know how the earpad change swap goes, and thanks for the substantial reply and recommendation. I have reservations about the frequency response curve of the 240 and AT in the bass and have just started learning about Harman neutral and the likes - even something like the Sennheiser hd600 which is quite popular seems to be better at upper mids but at the expense of bass.. It's all pretty confusing but I appreciate you taking the time and making these videos to provide some light in quite a hazy market. Kudos and stay tuned for the pad change differences report!
@@askdrtk hey so this may be placebo but i believe the bass response is better with the new protein leather pads i got and the upper mids/treble is a bit muddier, but again, i don't have a rig to test... i was happy to find peace / equalizer apo and used an oratory1990 EQ for the akgs and the treble is much nicer now. that and new pads feels pretty good. all that being said, i'm now considering between hd600 and sundaras but leaning towards hd600. thanks again for all the content and hope the pads change anecdote was at least fairly insightful
Thanks for sharing your experience with the pads change. On a side note, I have been using a set of hd600 for years and have found them to be one of the best mixing headphones I have used. I will often complete a mix with the hd600 and my studio monitors and then check on a few other sets. I will have a review on them coming soon.
I think AKG professional headphones under 200$ are still the best. What do you think? There is any other really special really better headphones? But what's really best from AKG? K240 studio, K240 mkii, or K182? Which of those 3 have the really best most deep most detailed but not too strong too artificially pumped up Bass? The one with lowest minimum value of the frequency band (K182)? K182 seems to provide more pumped up Bass (maybe less detailed) than the other 2, from what I read about them. What do you think? All of them are pretty much the same well balanced, right? All of them are pretty much the same suitable for more natural more organic music like orchestra, right? What about all of them 3, comparing to AKG K77 Perception? I have K77 Perception since 8 years ago and they still are by far the best headphones I ever listened to. Really natural deep detailed Bass, yet it doesn't rip it exceptionally strong enough at the most vibrating cello notes. At the beginning they seemed to have low Bass, as many people say about most of AKG headphones.
The K182 do have overemphasized low frequencies and have an overall lack of detail to my ears. After testing the K24 studio and mkii, there is negligible difference within both testing accuracy and by listening to a wide variety of material on both. When it comes to detail and accuracy across a wide frequency range, the k240s are tough to beat in the under $200 price range given today's offerings. Instrument separation will be a step up on the k240 vs k77 and like the k77, bass will detailed but less closed-in. Sometimes superior detail in the mid and upper frequencies can make bass seem not as deep, but this is very subjective across listeners. I would say you need to spend considerably more to step up from the k240 for your application, where the gains will be noticeable in imaging and soundstage. I hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk I don't want artificial pumping up of the Bass, not at all. I want a very detailed but still deep enough Bass, as natural as possible, especially for strong cello which became most addictive for me in last years to listen, like Epic Strings or soundtracks from war or action games or films. My AKG K77 Perception, which I bought 8 years ago, still sounds impressively well and natural, just a little weak on the Bass, not weak at all if the song has professional enough Bass Boosting, especially when it's more natural. When the bass is strong then I can feel and even see a little but strong enough vibration. Maybe my K77 sound this well because I did the break in very well? There are ways to speed up the break in? It can be very bad if I buy new headphones and start to listen to very strong bass boosted Rap or Hip Hop songs at very high volume? Or in this way I just speed up the break in? Now I want something really worthy to replace these old headphones, under 250$. Just several seem to be really worthy, especially Philips Fidelio and other 2 Sony headphones, besides K702, K612 Pro, K182 and K371, but which seems the most fragile, least durable. K240 seems not substantially better than K77. K612 Pro seems to have too big impedance, being possible to sound too weak on my Windows 7 computer with Conexant audio driver.
I provided a few ideas on break in as well as a recommendation of the Shure SRH1440 now on sale for $279usd in my response to your question in the SRH1840 review. If you can pickup a pair of 1440, they should be an excellent match for what you are looking for.
Very weird review, I saw a lot of frequency response graphs of k240's and they definitely lack of bass and sub, but I hear almost perfect sound in this video from headphones, just ordered them and going to cancel
So, what would your top recommendation(s) be for a budget headphone for studio mixing? Do you have a video or chart anywhere that gives top mixing choices for
I gather that there's no noticable difference between K240 studio and mk ii based on your comments in here. Would you recommend the k240 studio over beyerdynamic DT 770 pro (any of the impedances) for mixing music? Thanks
Both K240s are the same (I actually made a short comparing them). Both the DT770 pro (32ohm and 250ohm) are good more mixing as are the K240. The DT770 pro has more bass and sub-bass extension vs the K240 while the K240 have a slight edge in soundstage in my testing. If you mix genres where bass is more pronouced (EDM, HH) I would go with the DTs. The K240 are great for Rock, Country, etc. In either case, once you learn either of them you will be able to make critical mix decisions. Hope this helps out!
my AKG K240 Studio headphones sound awful - muddy/wooly/boxey i also have akg 240DF from the 1990's as well as more recent shure srh440 and srh240 which all sound really good. ... so i'm starting to think i got sent either from a bad p[rduction batch or just a poorly made 'friday special' set of headphone .. got mine in april 2022i just never use em.. they're that horrible. ... emailed AKG tonight to see if my serial number ties to to a bad production batch or not...
i had an intial response fomr the amazon link but they said to use a different email for support in UK .. i sent that email off and heard back nothing for a 9 days now@@askdrtk
The mkii and original (studio) versions of the k240 use the same drivers and share the same sonic characteristics. Harmonic distortion is higher in frequencies below about 800Hz compared to other popular choices such as the DT 990 pro. This isn’t always a drawback and is actually desirable for some genres, but if you are looking for a very clean and transparent sound (preferable for pop, classical…) the K240 series is not the ideal choice. The physics of everyone’s hearing is different, so the amount of HD we all perceive is somewhat different.
Thanks for letting me know! This is valuable feedback. I include the actual recordings as many viewers have commented on how they like the transparency of seeing the actual tests vs only the results, but I believe I will try lowering the level of the sine sweep by 20dB in my next review. I think the music and spoken word are likely most important to be heard? Thanks again!
You know what's interesting, as we get older we loss our higher frequency response compared to younger people. The leatherette pads may be better for older producers mixing for a younger audience.
Great question! The ear pads (both leatherette and velour) are softer on these and they also have a bit less clamping force compared to the M20X. I find them very comfortable and can wear them for hours without any problems from my glasses. You could try changing to some softer earpads on the M20X, but if you are thinking about a headphone upgrade and you don't require the sound isolation of a closed-back headphone, the K240 mkii are very comfortable and you will notice an improvement in imaging. Hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk many thanks for your response!! I ordered some earpads last month on AliExpress and I'm waiting for those to arrive, if they suck I'm considering buying the k240. many thanks again!
The problem with snoobs is that they always plug AKG to shitty cellphones or chi fi dacs, and they always say "AKG" sounds horrible blablabla, but if you plug them into "high end" gear they sound brutally real, people need to realize that AKG is so sophisticated and you can use them ass a revealing tool, to tell what audio gear sucks.
Hi, I need help, I produce Progressive House, Electro House music, I read here on RUclips that these headphones are weak from 40 Hz to 100 Hz, how can I solve it in order to hear my bass well, so as to make a good mix , thanks ❤
Just seeing your question, I generally do not recommend the K240 for bass-heavy genres. Some good open-back options in this price range include the HD599 (and SE Model I just reviewed) and the OneOdio Monitor 80 (I reviewed a while ago). Both of there offer good detail across all frequency ranges and are suitable for creating mixes that translate well.
do you find that the mini xlr cable on the akg k240 and mk2 cause a micro-phonic problem when the wire touches/rubs against anything? i sent back the k245 due to this, just wondering if these do to?
Yes, it does have that issue. By no means the most noticeable I have heard, but for anyone that is sensitive to the effect the choice comes down to different headphones or a different cable (for those that really like AKGs, there are many cable upgrade options available but probably more applicable to higher end models).
Hello and much appreciated! These are very comfortable and will work very well for your applications. The only consideration is with them being semi open-back, there will be some sound escaping which is not ideal if your a commuting (plane, subway, etc.) or listening in a public place. If this is an issue, the AKG K361 and Sennheiser HD 559 are good options. Hope this helps out!
I don't know what I'm missing.. I think they sound horrible, but everyone says they are great. Almost everything sounds muffled and low quality, especially the vocals. Weird and lackluster bass, very uncomfortable. My old 50€ hyperx headset honestly sounds twice as good, and I really tried to give these a chance. Used them for 3 days and switched back to my old ones, instant improvement. The sound these give can be compared to some very cheap no name headphones under 50€ if you ask me.
I can see that. The perceived loudness of the K240's natural profile will be lower vs a headphones that have more emphasis in certain frequency ranges (particularly mids, bass, and sub-bass). I find this a lot when switching from a number of closed to open-back headphones. It even shows up when comparing equal peaks vs LUFS...great question!
@@askdrtk Thank you very much for the answer, and I already thought that I would have to change the headphones.😌These headphones are very close to honest sound, as most sound engineers say.)
The difference between the two is very subtle in my tests with the binaural microphone. As many factors cause each of us to pick up frequencies differently, such as the shape of our ears, the difference is not enough that I would recommend one over the other based on frequency response. Thanks for the question and I hope this helps out.
@@askdrtk thank you.. yes its really helps i own superlux hd668b i like it so much with that clear vocal have medium soundstage and the power of bass is it.. its fun headphone but i still can monitoring with it but the problem is build quality, i need some preferences the sound simillar like hd668b or slightly better (overall) in better materials.. i bought takstar planar and hifiman 400se but it waste of money😅 i dislike the character, hd668b still the best for now and i dunno what another product to replace it..
Yes, very little change over the years. I hear from quite a few viewers that are on their second or even third set. I have been testing the K702 and will have a review of those up soon as well.
tried the K240 studio (mk I) in all possible genres but sent them back to Amazon for unsatisfying sound, felt like a 70's micro fm radio, flat and dim sound, when I got my Sennheisers back I felt like going back to heaven after going through a smelly subway underpass, I don't understand how this pair of cans can be considered a standard
Glad you have your Sennheisers back are are enjoying them. This is the issue with “standards.” Standard for what? “Flat/neutral/“ “Good sounding - subjective?” “Which genre?” …and the list goes on. The good thing is we at least have choices for everyone’s preference. Make’s me think about the HD 280 Pro vs MDR-7506 debate…both are “standards” but sound different lol. Thanks for sharing your take on these headphones.
I too was repulsed by the sound of these when I put them on. Like a wooden lower midrange resonance or something. I've only used a pair of Sony MDR-V600s from forever ago so maybe my judgement is off. After a few hours of use I still feel like UGH when I first put them on, but after a few moments listening I'm noticing that feeling seems to go away and its idiosyncrasies disappear. It's so weird. I'm still testing them.
The K240 are semi-open back and there will leak sound when in use. For vocal recording I recommend closed-back headphones so as to avoid sound bleeding into the microphone. Some good choices at a similar price point include the M40x, MDR7506, and HD280 pro. Hope this helps out!
It depends on your priorities. The HD600 will provide improved imaging and soundstage with more bass extension (not excessive by any means - HD650 provides more bass than the 600).
The K240 are great studio headphones imo. The 702 provide some additional low frequency extension and enhanced soundstage / imaging performance, but I wouldn’t “upgrade” from 240s to 702s unless you find the low end of the 240 insufficient for mixing.
@@askdrtk basic rule of govt spending.... why buy one, when u can Two, for Twice the price.... so bot k 702, also... very necessary for mixing...got another k702,,, do try stax, and pioneer hrm 7, one day, for kicks... u might see other colors...
I have Lexicon Alpha audio interface Audio interface Headphone Output: (1) 1/8" stereo jack 20 mW per channel at 50 Ohms AKG Headphone: 55 Ohms Sensitivity 91db Would be great if I had info on that.
i have had AKG's and they suck, they have no bass whatsoever making them useless for many genres. there is an extreme focus on the high frequencies, and complete lack of lower end. also the earpads will become dirty and disintegrate by themselves, and you cannot replace them. very expensive headphones a waste of money. I would strongly recommend looking for something else.
The common problem is thinking they sound bad, and actuality you can use them as a tool, to tell what amplifier or audio source sucks! So if they sounded bad to you.. Is not the akg is your overal audio chain
I have mine for over 12 years, I out on the Velvet pads, and they're still ok, no wear. They do need a bit of break in, but then they're fine! But .. they're for work, that's why they sound "flat".
Manufacturer cost savings from mass production have definitely impacted the music industry. I was glad to see some of the folks from AKG start up Austrian Audio (also great to see companies like AudioScape, Aston, and many others still manufacturing in smaller quantities). There is some great quality and innovation coming out of audio manufacturers around the world.
These have an excellent soundstage and imaging for a semi-open back headphone...superior to many open-back designs in my experience. You can efficiently place instruments in a mix using these headphones.
@@askdrtk I bought Sennheiser 569 a few days ago and am very happy with the result. Much more than the Pioneer HDJ X5's which were too 'bass heavy' for me.
Thanks for the actual sound test! Most other videos I watched have some mixed opinions from use but not test so is very hard to say is unbiased.
I’m glad you found the audio tests helpful!
my brother bought one of these in the late 70s. he is still using it and enjoying it
Hello, sir. Thanks for the review, this is by far the best channel for headphone reviews. Most people present a graph and subjective opinions that tell you nothing about how good or bad the respective pair will sound for you, but your binaural recordings immediately provide a great deal of info about the openness and detail retrieval of the product in question. Absolutely top class, you've got a new subscriber. Keep up the good work !
Much appreciated, I'm glad you are finding my reviews helpful. Cheers!
I bought my k240 back in 2013. Couple of years ago my daughter borrowed it and never returned it. I think I'll get another k240 or k275. I love the gimbal headband and very good mid range.
Your review sold me on these, especially because i somehow did not notice the *mkii* comes with optional velvet pads, and that they slightly slightly reduce the high frequency which i wanted. Absolutely great fun for 80 euros i paid.
My favorites among them all. Had them for a studio I had back in the late 80's. The same pair of K240 Studio's look like new in 2024. I just ordered a 240 MkII set for my new setup. They are so comfortable and don't present annoying mud when tracking vocals.
I've used the akg k240 studio (not mkii !) for about 6 years 4+ hours daily on average and my experience largely lines up with your review. They are very comfortable even when worn 8 hours straighdt, sound very natural and were fairly robust. However:
Do note that they leak a lot of sound, so they probably aren't great for train- or bus- rides.
I've also had the cable break on me after 4 to 5 years of intense use, I don't know whether that's out of the norm but watch out for that.
With the original pads, I had the issue that sometimes my ears would touch the fabric cover for the speakers, which did get uncomfortable over longer periods. I had to replace them after 5 years because they started to dissolve and chose deeper (leatherette) pads, which solved this issue. I tried third party velvet first, but they absolutely butchered the sound, so I'd recommend going for leatherette if you want to replace them.
Thanks for sharing your long term use with the studios. I agree on the sound leakage, I generally wouldn't recommend open or semi-open back headphones for public spaces.
I can see the cable having issues after a few years, both the coiled and straight cables that are included with the mkii feel similar to the studio's cable. They don't feel as flexible as my Senn or AT cables. That said, in this price range, 4-5 years of daily use is good performance and value in a cable.
I have had similar issues with changing to aftermarket velvet pads on other headphones. Interestingly enough, I didn't experience that when switching between the leatherette and velvet pads included with the mkii. There was only a very minor difference in both low and high extended frequencies. It may come down to AKG getting the velvet pads right based on clamping pressure, density, and thickness of the pads. Cheers!
seems like akg doesn't sell replacements, any leatherette recommendations?
You're the best at these reviews
Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying them!
Thi gay is amazing no other channels does this kind of thrall headphone examination thank you so much i appreciate it great videos. Wish you all the best good luck.
Fantastic reviews from you, sir. You’re the best.
Much appreciated, I am glad you are enjoying them.
I've used the AKG K-240s (Not mk.II but the same guts) near daily since 2017. I'm a proponent of different headphones for different tasks, and I love these particular headphones for watching RUclips, podcasts and chatting on Discord. The semi-open design is a huge advantage for voice calls since you can hear yourself speaking even over the noise. I also have a pair of vintage Sony MDR-7506s for movies, editing, and gaming. Something that would benefit from the thumpier bass and detailed treble you get with a closed back. Finally, I love music over both pairs.
Very well said. Given the diversity of material we all listen to and the numerous applications for headphones it is simply not practical to create one set that is optimal for everything. From the breadth of material to the unique physics of everyone’s ears, we are fortunate to have many options to find the best options. Thanks for sharing your choices!
I just received them. I already have two pair closed backs from Shure (SHR-840) and Audio Technica ( ath-mr7b, best headphones I've ever owned). I wanted a cheaper open back pair for practicing . Never owned or tried AKG cans so it was a gamble. . It is not instant love with the AKG's but after 3 hours of burn-in the honkyness is slowly dissappearing. I want to practice guitar with them and I think they are great for that purpose because of the nice midrange. Blues(rock), soul, and 70's rock sound awesome with these cans. I think they will grow on me. If this is the AKG sound signature I will try the higher end cans in the future. Great soundstage for the price. Good honest review! Cheers
Thanks! Glad you started to hear some difference after a few hours. In my experience these cans are need a pretty long burn-in period. I recommend playing a good mix of content as a moderately loud level for about 24 hours and then give them another listen (mono is fine and invert the phase on one side if you don't want to be disturbed...) This made a pretty big difference in the frequency response I measured initially vs after burn-in. If you get a chance, try this out and let me know how it goes.
@@askdrtk, after a few days of burn in they indeed sound a little more even specially the bass. It's not a tight bass but it's not all over the place either. The bass settled down a bit. These cans reminds me of seeing an old friend for a long long time. I like them for older genres of music like classic rock, blues, soul, acoustic stuff like Tommy Emmanuel. It's like you are there in the room with them. I like the imperfections of them, symbals can be a little overwhelming depending on the recording but it reminds me of when I'm playing live with my bands. What I noticed that you have to be careful with reverb settings because these cans exeggerate this effect. This cans are keepers for sure. Are there better cans? Sure. Are these better cans more satisfying? For listening to music maybe but Rory Gallagher, Ted Nudgent, Black Sabbath, Old soul, disco stuff sound like it is supposed to be. Better then my HD650 For the price unbeatable,vey enjoyable
Thanks for the update. Well said and I agree, they fit that playlist well… Cheers!
Thanks so much for this detailed review. This really takes any preferance or bias out of recommendations. Thanks for creating and testing these headphones.
Also when EQd with EqualizerAPO or else, they are at their full potential. Yesterday I corrected the frequency response curve from rtings to get the flatest curve possible and holy molly they sound good now!
Fantastic! Glad to hear you have them dialed in!
How to do that?
@@invisiblecat9620 Firstly find the response curve of the K240mkii. Then download the free EqualizerAPO or eqMAC software. Open it. Select your audio interface that you'll use with the headphones.
And then manually adjust the curve to you liking. What I did was to do make the inverse of the response curve. For instance if it lacks 100hz I'll crank up that frequency.
Resart the computer. Done.
Excellent review, as always! Been waiting for this for quite some time. All I need now is the comparison between these and the Mark I, and possibly with the AKG K271's. Your reviews' technical consistency is what makes them valuable to me. Cheers !!!
Very much appreciated! The YT Short I made comparing the mkii with the mki (Studio) will be posted soon and I'm planning for the 271's sometime in late September / early October. I'm trying to keep the format consistent to make it easier to compare headphones across the various reviews. Glad to hear this approach is helping out!
@@askdrtk , thank you! Your approach is spot on. I will be looking forward to the notification for the comparison 👍
Aaah, new MK2 k271 for me is Terrible! No bass, harsh and very dry. I do not recomended it.
@@GiorgiLobzhana , thank you for the note. It’s good to know your opinion, it’s valuable.
@@kostadintzvetkov1636 If you want only AKG and closed back ones. I recomenden you K371. AWESOME! very neutral, very full sounding and comfortable cans.
Dropping in after the fact here... I'm currently shopping for beginner/cheap mixing headphones.
I love that you put up actual sweep analysis for a lot of gear and it looks to me that this pair is actually VERY accurate in the frequency domain, even more then much more expensive alternatives.
So given the low price, why aren't they just the best choice ever, period ?
I can get them for ~80€ here in France and they look better in theory compared to say HD 280 Pro/M50x...
The K240 provide more detail in the midrange vs the HD280 which will help with the majority of mixing decisions. For some genres (EDM, HH) the M50x provide superior sub-bass extension vs the K240 at the expense of some of the perceived detail in the midrange. The other thing about the K240 is that their bass extension improves significantly with burn in. I recommend playing a wide range of music through them at a "healthy" level for 24 hours before using listening to their sound profile. I recommend the K240 for most genres with the exception of EDM and HH. In the same price range, the OneOdio Monitor 80 provide better bass extension while maintaining very good midrange detail which gives them an edge for HH and EDM. I hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk man this VERY helpful thanks you !
Talk about detailed! I love your videos they are technical. Thanks and keep up the great job.
Thanks! I enjoy sharing the technical side with the straight up audio in these reviews!
@@askdrtk If these were the same price as the m40x which ones for vocals and video editing?
Both provide a balanced accurate representation of vocals and music which is important for video editing. Since viewers will listen on a wide range of speakers, headphones, and earbuds, some bass heavy, some mid forward, etc., getting your audio in the "middle" will help improve the overall experience for all viewers. The K240 will be more comfortable for long editing sessions, particularly if you use the velvet earpads. They provide a bit more room around the ears and being semi-open back, they will help you stay cooler. However sound will escape and get picked up by your microphone, so if you are tracking vocals the M40x will isolate sound better. For me it comes down to which of these few differences is more important to you. From an audio standpoint, imo neither has an advantage for your use case and both have proven to be durable in heavy commercial use. I hope this help out!
Incredibly detailed..also, love the 80s jam 😉😎
Love your tests. So thorough!!
Great production quality in your videos and a really helpful review. Your video helped me make the decision to get a pair of these. Thanks!
Thanks, and I’m glad I could help out. When you get your new K240s, I recommend burning them in for a good 24 hours with mid-volume music. The low end on these headphones benefits greatly from doing this…the difference is very noticeable imo. Cheers!
Thanks for this great review, how it still best chose mixing in 2024 🕺
Thank you for the tests and great review
Amazing headphones ! Akg done a very good job.
But i keep my M40x a few years I hope :)
Dood such a great video! Thanks a million
I have been using my MK II pair for... geez 13 years now. I will swear by these until I am dead.
13 years! What else needs to be said…Glad to hear they have served you well!
i'm a gamer, what i need is reliability and comfort for a long period of wear, i trust the professional range of headphones to sound fantastic as is. is this model a good pick for me? my current audio-technica headphone drivers started to die and i can't repair it
Another cool review. Something strange is going on! The AKG K240 I bought last year were terrible as studio monitors, and didn't reflect what your graphs indicate in this video. My pair had badly deficient lower bass reproduction, and I could only hear down to 27Hz with them! Many others have reported the deficient bass reproduction on Amazon, too.
Your audio tests example are amazing. Can you do in a seperate video compare some headphones against each other?
Tracking with an amp cab mic'ed up it's not a big deal. Usually the cab is loud enough that you won't be able to hear the phones.
Where you can have issua is tracking acoustic guitars with a condenser mic.
I have this K240 mk2 too (Made in China). And now I have very interesting question: Do you have heard old Austrian made AKG k240? My friend has it and when we compared them, OMG! I was astonished! Difference is obviously! Austrian have more high end, more bright sound and was more louder! Bass level is same but Austrian in High ends is absolutely different and is more detailed.
yeah, mine are the newer model made in china and my first though when i heard them was "are these fake? they sound like cheap earbuds..." everyone who has the older made in austria model says theyre day and night difference.
@@bixo2956 Yes mate yes! I was f...ng astonished! Then I thought, "maybe because he wants burning?", after this all 5 days I burned and burned it and when we compared again...... Rusult was same! heeeh, RIP AKG. Legendary Brand. When it was acquired by Harman Holdings, The production moved to China and the result is visible.. :((((
It has been years since I heard the originals…I wish I had a set to compare. The original Austrian made were 600 ohms…different drivers = completely different headphones. I’m curious about what your friend uses to drive them as 600 ohms is a bit much for most built-in headphone amps on modern audio interfaces or mixers. With high impedance a great headphone amp can really open things up.
@@askdrtk Noo, My Friend's Austrian one also is with 55 ohm. This 600 ohm ones was released in 70s, 80s time. But 2000s Austrian ones is with 55 ohms.
Thanks for letting me know…even more versions to add into the comparison. I find it interesting how, just as with automobiles, there are a few “nameplates” that never go away whether or not the car or in this case the audio gear is even similar to its predecessors. I guess the “names” are just too valuable to let go…but still, regardless of the year, a great set of headphones is still a great set of headphones.
Fantastic job, great info. Thanks!
Thank you for your review sir.. it is a great pleasure to learn before buy..
My pleasure, I am glad I could help out!
Great review.
I am look for a great analytical headphone that has great soundstage, detail and frequency extensions. I would use it to listen to music(analytical listening), play games and watch movies. Would this suffice my listening requirements?
I use DAC AMPs with my headphones/earphones.
I bought the K702 and returned it as they sound very thin, low on volume and eq - ing them in favor of low and upper low frequencies caused a lot of distortion and supression of other frequencies.
just bought some new head phones i needed this fam
Great review again, Todd. I bought the K240 for mixing, but they may have been a bad pair, as the bass was only audible down to 26Hz - nowhere near the claimed 15Hz! I replaced them with Superlux HD681 and was delighted. The rtings site reviews of the aforementioned two reflect my own experience with them. Please consider reviewing the following three sub-$100 models: Devine Pro 4000 and Takstar Pro 82 and Superlux HD660 and HD662.
Can you hear below 20Hz? Superlux is emphasis at low frequencies (not flat) maybe that makes you feel like it is more capable at lower.
I was really looking forward to buying these but you lost me with the proprietary cable. Can you recommend another set of over ear headphones at a similar price range that are just as good but use a standard 3.5 mm cable?
Thank you for the detailed review. Having an impedance of 55 ohms, is it enough to plug the AKG K240 directly in a laptop or does it need a headphone amp?
Have you gotten an answer for this question?
They do not need a headphone amp
Will my audio interface drive AKG K240 MKII (55 Ohms)
I have Lexicon Alpha audio interface
Audio interface Headphone Output:
(1) 1/8" stereo jack
20 mW per channel at 50 Ohms
AKG Headphone:
55 Ohms
Sensitivity 91db
Would be great if I had info on that.
Great reviews, so much info. You rule!
So what's your opinion about these headphones,
are they appropriate for bass guitar playing and practicing?
On one side they do offer a clean response, but some mention that flat sound for all frequencies...
Particularly interested in making my new bass guitar pedal sound, so need to hear it as it is.
Thanks!
Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying my reviews. For practicing bass, and in particular for your application building a sound, the 240s have a bit too much roll off in the lower frequencies. Their lack of isolation will also allow ambient noise including the physical sound of the bass itself to interfere with hearing the sound as it will be recorded / reproduced by amplification. I would recommend the DT770 pro for your specific goals. The 770s will isolate the physical sound of the bass will represent the sound of your bass through the pedalboard in a way that will translate well when performing and recording all the way through mixing for playback on a variety of devices. My first choice is the 250ohm version for bass as long as your interface has a reasonable headphone amplifier. There are always other options, but the DT770 Pro are a well established solution for bass. I hope this helps out.
It needs a long time to burn but after they are really great for the price. PRO MOD : Since a few day I listen to this pair without the flat foamy pad inside and I think they sound even more accurate and "dynamic" (with the velour earpads). However I'm going to get a K702 because from what I understand they are even better that this pair. What do you think of the K702?
Nice tip on the foam inserts and I agree on the burn-in. There has always been a lot of debate around burn in on headphones and monitors, but I have heard and measured the difference. Moving up in price, the K702 are excellent in terms of both accuracy and particularly on soundstage / imaging (I will have a review of them coming in the new year.) They are of course usually considerably more expensive compared to the K240, but AKG is running a promo on them and amazon.com has them for $170 usd which is an incredible value…
@@askdrtk Thanks for your feedback. I'm going to acquire the k702 next month. I too think they are a steal for the quality. Thanks for the videos!
So I've been bouncing around a number of your reviews trying to make up my mind. I think these are the ones I need but I'm a bit of an over-thinker I guess.
I'm on a tight budget and would prefer to keep my purchase as close to $50 as possible, that said, as long as I'm under $100 I'll manage. I need something that will be suitable for mixing and mastering a variety of different music ranging from EDM, Trip-Hop, and Industrial all the way to Alternative Rock, Nu-Metal, and even more orchestral/soundtrack styles of music. I also need to have something that can be reliable to mastering sound effects and soundscapes. I make an extensive variety of things and a lot of it is centered around my work as an indie horror game developer so having any degree of a soundstage to work with is also a benefit.
Would you say these are my best bet for my price constraints or should I look more at something like the ATH M-20s or even the Sony MDR 7506? Maybe I ought also mention that I do wear glasses a lot and envision myself wearing my headphones anywhere between 2 hours to 6 hours a session.
I know that I'll need to make compromises as my budget likely won't land me a product that meets my needs in an idealistic way but still, I want to get as close as possible obviously. I'm hoping that since you've tested a lot of these out that maybe you can help me make up my mind. lol
I also really appreciate how scientific you are in your reviews of all of these different headphones. Your style of review is infinitely more insightful and useful than a lot of the other video reviews you can find on RUclips. Thank you for all of the effort and work you put into these reviews!
which one you bought after all bro . would be useful for me for your experience as i am also stuck in a similar situation like yours
Really Good Review,I am considering these headphones against Sennheiser HD 400S,Im wondering if these need an amp or is it fine it I use directly from my laptop aux jack while its charging.I think music quality should be good on both but I wanted open back headphones for gaming and dont care about audio leak either.I wont be running at high volume either just normal listening
I was wondering the same thing about the amp since they are 55ohms instead of the more common 32 for low-impedance headphones but it should be fine if you're ok with a lower max volume
Hey, love the data driven reviews, especially in a world of massive subjectivity. That being said, what are your thoughts on AKG K361 vs these AKG K240s? I'm looking for the best accuracy, and based on your findings, it seems like the K240s are truer neutral than the K361s despite the slight boosts in the low and high end - with the K361s, the sine waves / log suggest some missing data.
I currently own the AKG K361s and the pads started flaking - got a cheap Chinese leather situation and hoping the sound quality remains, hence why I'm on your channel considering a side-grade should the resulting sound be of concern.
There was a generalisation on reddit between these two models, with one user suggesting, AKG K361s are best without equalisation, and the 240s require equalising (via DAW, for music production), and I can see why someone would suggest that. It would seem the trade-off in terms of sound would be missing information with the K361, or boosted highs/mids with the K240, construction and impedance aside.
Thanks for your time and shared expertise
P.S. If you have something better than both of these for perfect studio tracking, kindly direct me!
Much appreciated! I would say the 240s provide a more complete picture across the audible range vs the 361s. The thing about changing pads is that it is difficult to predict what their impact on response will be until you try them. Material porosity, density, and fit all come into play including how they interact with the drivers and tuning of the ear cups themselves. You certainly can eq the 240s to tame the mids and highs, but once your learn them there can be advantages to the 240’s capabilities in the upper frequencies. Between the two, the 240s will provide a more accurate representation across a wide range of instruments and vocals.
On audio only, another thought is this price range could be the m40x. They are a very honest headphone revealing the good and not so goos in a mix, and I have found that mixes that sound balanced on m40x translate well to other playback devices. While not as comfortable as the 240s, they are a good option for tracking and worth considering for their overall performance. I hope this helps and I would be interested to hear about the results of the ear pad change on your 361s.
@@askdrtk will let you know how the earpad change swap goes, and thanks for the substantial reply and recommendation. I have reservations about the frequency response curve of the 240 and AT in the bass and have just started learning about Harman neutral and the likes - even something like the Sennheiser hd600 which is quite popular seems to be better at upper mids but at the expense of bass.. It's all pretty confusing but I appreciate you taking the time and making these videos to provide some light in quite a hazy market. Kudos and stay tuned for the pad change differences report!
@@askdrtk hey so this may be placebo but i believe the bass response is better with the new protein leather pads i got and the upper mids/treble is a bit muddier, but again, i don't have a rig to test...
i was happy to find peace / equalizer apo and used an oratory1990 EQ for the akgs and the treble is much nicer now. that and new pads feels pretty good.
all that being said, i'm now considering between hd600 and sundaras but leaning towards hd600.
thanks again for all the content and hope the pads change anecdote was at least fairly insightful
Thanks for sharing your experience with the pads change. On a side note, I have been using a set of hd600 for years and have found them to be one of the best mixing headphones I have used. I will often complete a mix with the hd600 and my studio monitors and then check on a few other sets. I will have a review on them coming soon.
@@askdrtk looking forward to it, there's a sale in my area shortly so I may have to decide before then but will enjoy the review nonetheless!
I think AKG professional headphones under 200$ are still the best. What do you think?
There is any other really special really better headphones?
But what's really best from AKG? K240 studio, K240 mkii, or K182?
Which of those 3 have the really best most deep most detailed but not too strong too artificially pumped up Bass?
The one with lowest minimum value of the frequency band (K182)?
K182 seems to provide more pumped up Bass (maybe less detailed) than the other 2, from what I read about them. What do you think?
All of them are pretty much the same well balanced, right?
All of them are pretty much the same suitable for more natural more organic music like orchestra, right?
What about all of them 3, comparing to AKG K77 Perception?
I have K77 Perception since 8 years ago and they still are by far the best headphones I ever listened to.
Really natural deep detailed Bass, yet it doesn't rip it exceptionally strong enough at the most vibrating cello notes.
At the beginning they seemed to have low Bass, as many people say about most of AKG headphones.
The K182 do have overemphasized low frequencies and have an overall lack of detail to my ears. After testing the K24 studio and mkii, there is negligible difference within both testing accuracy and by listening to a wide variety of material on both. When it comes to detail and accuracy across a wide frequency range, the k240s are tough to beat in the under $200 price range given today's offerings. Instrument separation will be a step up on the k240 vs k77 and like the k77, bass will detailed but less closed-in. Sometimes superior detail in the mid and upper frequencies can make bass seem not as deep, but this is very subjective across listeners. I would say you need to spend considerably more to step up from the k240 for your application, where the gains will be noticeable in imaging and soundstage. I hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk I don't want artificial pumping up of the Bass, not at all.
I want a very detailed but still deep enough Bass, as natural as possible, especially for strong cello which became most addictive for me in last years to listen, like Epic Strings or soundtracks from war or action games or films.
My AKG K77 Perception, which I bought 8 years ago, still sounds impressively well and natural, just a little weak on the Bass, not weak at all if the song has professional enough Bass Boosting, especially when it's more natural.
When the bass is strong then I can feel and even see a little but strong enough vibration.
Maybe my K77 sound this well because I did the break in very well?
There are ways to speed up the break in?
It can be very bad if I buy new headphones and start to listen to very strong bass boosted Rap or Hip Hop songs at very high volume?
Or in this way I just speed up the break in?
Now I want something really worthy to replace these old headphones, under 250$.
Just several seem to be really worthy, especially Philips Fidelio and other 2 Sony headphones, besides K702, K612 Pro, K182 and K371, but which seems the most fragile, least durable.
K240 seems not substantially better than K77.
K612 Pro seems to have too big impedance, being possible to sound too weak on my Windows 7 computer with Conexant audio driver.
I provided a few ideas on break in as well as a recommendation of the Shure SRH1440 now on sale for $279usd in my response to your question in the SRH1840 review. If you can pickup a pair of 1440, they should be an excellent match for what you are looking for.
Very weird review, I saw a lot of frequency response graphs of k240's and they definitely lack of bass and sub, but I hear almost perfect sound in this video from headphones, just ordered them and going to cancel
So, what would your top recommendation(s) be for a budget headphone for studio mixing? Do you have a video or chart anywhere that gives top mixing choices for
I gather that there's no noticable difference between K240 studio and mk ii based on your comments in here. Would you recommend the k240 studio over beyerdynamic DT 770 pro (any of the impedances) for mixing music? Thanks
Both K240s are the same (I actually made a short comparing them). Both the DT770 pro (32ohm and 250ohm) are good more mixing as are the K240. The DT770 pro has more bass and sub-bass extension vs the K240 while the K240 have a slight edge in soundstage in my testing. If you mix genres where bass is more pronouced (EDM, HH) I would go with the DTs. The K240 are great for Rock, Country, etc. In either case, once you learn either of them you will be able to make critical mix decisions. Hope this helps out!
Can you compare these to the sennheisr HD 25? What’s the difference between headphones for producing edm music?
if I buy a 3 pin xlr to lightning cable, would this be a good option for my iPhone 11?
Perfect, thank you!
My pleasure, glad to help out!
Hello.
I do have AKG K702, are the 240mkii better for mixing and mastering?
Greetings from the Polish Coast 🇵🇱
my AKG K240 Studio headphones sound awful - muddy/wooly/boxey
i also have akg 240DF from the 1990's as well as more recent shure srh440 and srh240 which all sound really good.
... so i'm starting to think i got sent either from a bad p[rduction batch or just a poorly made 'friday special' set of headphone ..
got mine in april 2022i just never use em.. they're that horrible.
... emailed AKG tonight to see if my serial number ties to to a bad production batch or not...
Interesting...It would be great to hear what follow-up they provide...
i had an intial response fomr the amazon link but they said to use a different email for support in UK .. i sent that email off and heard back nothing for a 9 days now@@askdrtk
Very detailed…. Thank you!
Much appreciated! As always, I'm glad to share.
i saw a lot of review online that say akg k240s' distortion in bass is insanely high，i'm wondering if k240 mkii is also have high distortion
The mkii and original (studio) versions of the k240 use the same drivers and share the same sonic characteristics. Harmonic distortion is higher in frequencies below about 800Hz compared to other popular choices such as the DT 990 pro. This isn’t always a drawback and is actually desirable for some genres, but if you are looking for a very clean and transparent sound (preferable for pop, classical…) the K240 series is not the ideal choice. The physics of everyone’s hearing is different, so the amount of HD we all perceive is somewhat different.
akg 240 or audiotechnica m40x ? wich one is better for mixing and mastering (i dont have studio im making beats in my home)
Your reviews are great but I find listening to the sine sweep to be painful, i have to mute or skip whenever it plays.
Thanks for letting me know! This is valuable feedback. I include the actual recordings as many viewers have commented on how they like the transparency of seeing the actual tests vs only the results, but I believe I will try lowering the level of the sine sweep by 20dB in my next review. I think the music and spoken word are likely most important to be heard? Thanks again!
Is it somehow better or different than K72!?
You know what's interesting, as we get older we loss our higher frequency response compared to younger people. The leatherette pads may be better for older producers mixing for a younger audience.
great reviews
Thanks, glad you're enjoying them. Cheers!
Do you have any problem with your glasses in long sessions? I currently have the ATH-M20X and it hurts after 1 hour of wearing
Great question! The ear pads (both leatherette and velour) are softer on these and they also have a bit less clamping force compared to the M20X. I find them very comfortable and can wear them for hours without any problems from my glasses. You could try changing to some softer earpads on the M20X, but if you are thinking about a headphone upgrade and you don't require the sound isolation of a closed-back headphone, the K240 mkii are very comfortable and you will notice an improvement in imaging. Hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk many thanks for your response!! I ordered some earpads last month on AliExpress and I'm waiting for those to arrive, if they suck I'm considering buying the k240. many thanks again!
The problem with snoobs is that they always plug AKG to shitty cellphones or chi fi dacs, and they always say "AKG" sounds horrible blablabla, but if you plug them into "high end" gear they sound brutally real, people need to realize that AKG is so sophisticated and you can use them ass a revealing tool, to tell what audio gear sucks.
Is it suitable for mixing? Completely flat? Good referance?
Hi, I need help, I produce Progressive House, Electro House music, I read here on RUclips that these headphones are weak from 40 Hz to 100 Hz, how can I solve it in order to hear my bass well, so as to make a good mix , thanks ❤
Just seeing your question, I generally do not recommend the K240 for bass-heavy genres. Some good open-back options in this price range include the HD599 (and SE Model I just reviewed) and the OneOdio Monitor 80 (I reviewed a while ago). Both of there offer good detail across all frequency ranges and are suitable for creating mixes that translate well.
do you find that the mini xlr cable on the akg k240 and mk2 cause a micro-phonic problem when the wire touches/rubs against anything?
i sent back the k245 due to this, just wondering if these do to?
Yes, it does have that issue. By no means the most noticeable I have heard, but for anyone that is sensitive to the effect the choice comes down to different headphones or a different cable (for those that really like AKGs, there are many cable upgrade options available but probably more applicable to higher end models).
Hi my friend thanks for nice review! So for a pair of headphones for gaming, chatting and general use like movies etc you suggest them?
Hello and much appreciated! These are very comfortable and will work very well for your applications. The only consideration is with them being semi open-back, there will be some sound escaping which is not ideal if your a commuting (plane, subway, etc.) or listening in a public place. If this is an issue, the AKG K361 and Sennheiser HD 559 are good options. Hope this helps out!
@@askdrtk I appreciate your detailed answer my friend:) Thanks! No, it's only for use with my desktop at home! There won't be any use outside :)
Could you please try the AKG K92 and tell me if they are good for listening to music? Thank you
I have them on my list…Cheers!
I don't know what I'm missing.. I think they sound horrible, but everyone says they are great. Almost everything sounds muffled and low quality, especially the vocals. Weird and lackluster bass, very uncomfortable. My old 50€ hyperx headset honestly sounds twice as good, and I really tried to give these a chance. Used them for 3 days and switched back to my old ones, instant improvement. The sound these give can be compared to some very cheap no name headphones under 50€ if you ask me.
These headphones seem too quiet for me after OneOdio hedphones? is that normal?
I can see that. The perceived loudness of the K240's natural profile will be lower vs a headphones that have more emphasis in certain frequency ranges (particularly mids, bass, and sub-bass). I find this a lot when switching from a number of closed to open-back headphones. It even shows up when comparing equal peaks vs LUFS...great question!
@@askdrtk Thank you very much for the answer, and I already thought that I would have to change the headphones.😌These headphones are very close to honest sound, as most sound engineers say.)
Are they good for listening outside?
sorry for my bad english.. so slighty boost in high and low on k240 and absolute neutral on k240 mk II? tysm ^^
The difference between the two is very subtle in my tests with the binaural microphone. As many factors cause each of us to pick up frequencies differently, such as the shape of our ears, the difference is not enough that I would recommend one over the other based on frequency response. Thanks for the question and I hope this helps out.
@@askdrtk thank you.. yes its really helps
i own superlux hd668b i like it so much with that clear vocal have medium soundstage and the power of bass is it.. its fun headphone but i still can monitoring with it
but the problem is build quality, i need some preferences the sound simillar like hd668b or slightly better (overall) in better materials..
i bought takstar planar and hifiman 400se but it waste of money😅 i dislike the character, hd668b still the best for now and i dunno what another product to replace it..
A masterpiece
Much appreciated! I'm glad to help out!
Now I see why this series is sold since ages.
Yes, very little change over the years. I hear from quite a few viewers that are on their second or even third set. I have been testing the K702 and will have a review of those up soon as well.
@@askdrtk I'll be there.
tried the K240 studio (mk I) in all possible genres but sent them back to Amazon for unsatisfying sound, felt like a 70's micro fm radio, flat and dim sound, when I got my Sennheisers back I felt like going back to heaven after going through a smelly subway underpass, I don't understand how this pair of cans can be considered a standard
Glad you have your Sennheisers back are are enjoying them. This is the issue with “standards.” Standard for what? “Flat/neutral/“ “Good sounding - subjective?” “Which genre?” …and the list goes on. The good thing is we at least have choices for everyone’s preference. Make’s me think about the HD 280 Pro vs MDR-7506 debate…both are “standards” but sound different lol. Thanks for sharing your take on these headphones.
I too was repulsed by the sound of these when I put them on. Like a wooden lower midrange resonance or something. I've only used a pair of Sony MDR-V600s from forever ago so maybe my judgement is off. After a few hours of use I still feel like UGH when I first put them on, but after a few moments listening I'm noticing that feeling seems to go away and its idiosyncrasies disappear. It's so weird. I'm still testing them.
Hello sir
Is it easy to drive? I wanna buy and connect it to ds4
Hello! Very easy to drive, no issues with consoles, phones, and others.
Do you recommend this for studio recording (vocals)??
The K240 are semi-open back and there will leak sound when in use. For vocal recording I recommend closed-back headphones so as to avoid sound bleeding into the microphone. Some good choices at a similar price point include the M40x, MDR7506, and HD280 pro. Hope this helps out!
can you review Arcano Shp300 ?
They are difficult of get a hold of in my area, but I will try!
Subbed
This vs hd600 senheiser plis
It depends on your priorities. The HD600 will provide improved imaging and soundstage with more bass extension (not excessive by any means - HD650 provides more bass than the 600).
we gots k240 studio,,,, so,,,, whats the diff maybe
The K240 are great studio headphones imo. The 702 provide some additional low frequency extension and enhanced soundstage / imaging performance, but I wouldn’t “upgrade” from 240s to 702s unless you find the low end of the 240 insufficient for mixing.
@@askdrtk basic rule of govt spending.... why buy one, when u can Two, for Twice the price.... so bot k 702, also... very necessary for mixing...got another k702,,, do try stax, and pioneer hrm 7, one day, for kicks... u might see other colors...
Will my audio interface drive AKG K240 MKII (55 Ohms)
I have Lexicon Alpha audio interface
Audio interface Headphone Output:
(1) 1/8" stereo jack
20 mW per channel at 50 Ohms
AKG Headphone:
55 Ohms
Sensitivity 91db
Would be great if I had info on that.
Yes, the K240 are easy to drive and the Alpha will drive them up to considerably loud listening levels.
@@askdrtk thank you so much for clarification
These headphones could be +12 dB at 16 KHz and I'm reasonably sure I couldn't hear it. Not a problem for these old ears.
Hermina Court
Thats flat as hell. My open back 240s seem to have almost no bass. I use them to practice keyboards because I don't trust them for mixing.
i have had AKG's and they suck, they have no bass whatsoever making them useless for many genres. there is an extreme focus on the high frequencies, and complete lack of lower end. also the earpads will become dirty and disintegrate by themselves, and you cannot replace them. very expensive headphones a waste of money. I would strongly recommend looking for something else.
The common problem is thinking they sound bad, and actuality you can use them as a tool, to tell what amplifier or audio source sucks! So if they sounded bad to you.. Is not the akg is your overal audio chain
Take a robust amplification.
I have mine for over 12 years, I out on the Velvet pads, and they're still ok, no wear. They do need a bit of break in, but then they're fine!
But .. they're for work, that's why they sound "flat".
Really a shame since the Samsung acquisition, they have shut down everything in Europe.
Manufacturer cost savings from mass production have definitely impacted the music industry. I was glad to see some of the folks from AKG start up Austrian Audio (also great to see companies like AudioScape, Aston, and many others still manufacturing in smaller quantities). There is some great quality and innovation coming out of audio manufacturers around the world.
@@askdrtk Thanks for the info, will check them out.
Shame they're semi-open.
shame not knowing how superb imaging with semi open is
These have an excellent soundstage and imaging for a semi-open back headphone...superior to many open-back designs in my experience. You can efficiently place instruments in a mix using these headphones.
@@askdrtk I bought Sennheiser 569 a few days ago and am very happy with the result.
Much more than the Pioneer HDJ X5's which were too 'bass heavy' for me.
Great choice! The 569's are much more natural sounding with superior imaging vs the X5's. Enjoy your new headphones.
@@askdrtk Thanks for your first reply, and this one.
Am enjoying them greatly.
Keep up the great content !!
Can you please review some Bluetooth headphones? What i like about your channel is that you dont have much useless talk
Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying my videos and yes, I will be reviewing Bluetooth headphones...