AKG K240STUDIO Semi-Open Studio Headphones

The short and sweet of these phones is they are a really solid cheap option for studio grade flat response phones that are well worth the money and where you should be making your entry into the studio grade space with AKG. Read on for a more detailed reviewTesting performed on an SMSL DAC using OpticalWindows 10 at 24 bit 96000Hz Studio quality no enhancements of any kindTested using Spotify Premium Quality, Youtube videos, and MusicBee FLAC music, and some Bluray MoviesCompared against Sennheiser HD598 and Pioneer HDJ-1000(for distortion purposes)So these headphones were a very pleasant surprise for me to give a review. The last “cheap AKG” phones I’ve had any experience with were the K70. Those phones were flat just on the edge of tin like and overall a massive disappointment. I might be considered an “audiofile” by some and would consider my setup to be at the bottom of premium. I normally listen to things on a set of HD598 that I love with everything and an S.M.S.L. DAC connected via SPDIF(optical). So coming into these phones at this price point I was not expecting good things to say the least given my last experience. Turns out I was way off base as these are really solid phones.So first things first the sound is very neutral which is something I look for in studio grade phones. No bass boosting or extra crystal in the highs. Just nice neutral sound to appreciate the original source material. The sound stage is large but The highs are nice and clear with a little cut off at the peaks. The bass is nice warm and clear if a little flat. Giving a listen to a bass boosted version of Invincible I would have to crank my DAC to a level that on my HD598’s would have my ears bleeding. However there was no distortion or muddling so I would more likely chalk it up to gain hunger for bass than I would weak output. Switching over to a song I know has a lot of highs as well as bass I gave a listen to Ignoring My Heart Bass Boosted. The story was the same. No real distortion happening I could discern a clear difference between the highs and the bass on the drops. I think the lesson here is if you’re wanting a rich thick bass signature out of these phones then you’re going to have to be listening on a dedicated device like a DAC or Audio Interface and not a phone/tablet. Highs I listened to a couple songs that give me a good impression of the highs and their qualities. First off I listened to Jolie Coquine by Caravan Palace. DAC was at the normal level I keep it at this time around and everything from the lyrics to the violins were nice a clear if a bit lacking in the peaks. Next up a gave Beauty Beats by Beats Antique a listen which has the highs more muted but still present in the foreground. It was a much better listening experience here the violins are more in the background while the fiddles are more foreground. Next up I gave Carmina Burana a go particularly the version performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s one of the best versions that really shows off highs as well as giving you a solid idea of the sound stage of the phones. This was outstandingly good in terms of the highs but the sound stage was quite lacking here.I would say it's about half as wide as my HD 598's. Last I gave Madame Coquette by Tape Five a listen and noticed the slight cut off in the highs once a gain compared to my 598’s. It’s nothing an average listener would notice or someone who’s more a casual listener would notice but it’s definitely there in the highs Mids songs are always really hard to pick out because I think a huge difference in peoples listening experience comes in at the Mids. So I would use my track list here to find where your listening defaults lie. First off I gave My Kind of Town by Sinatra a listen because with the lyrics and the woods section I think this song has a really solid mid presence throughout. Here’s where I noticed the first bit of the corner cutting that I think gets these phones into the price point they are in. There’s a flatness that isn’t obvious but very pronounced. It sounds like you get to right where a mid would fill your sound stage and it stops just before that. Next up I gave In The Air Tonight by Collins a listen. I think this song is a good choice because the Mids are what I would call the essence of this song. No real issues here this time around and the flatness isn’t as big of a deal here.Moving on to movies and general video content from the likes of YouTube, Netflix, etc I think this is where the phones really shine. The overall neutral sound signature gives any spoken word content a perfect balance. Everything form YouTube videos to movies to Netflix sounded as good as I expected it to sound. With no real issues or noticeable drops offs of any kind. Everything sounds just right in my book.So conclusion time is upon us and it’s important that you remember that sound in general is a very subjective medium and it’s hard to just outright say something or give a person a conclusive yes or no answer to a question. All that taken into account are these good headphones? Yes I think the neutral studio sound signature and level detail in the sound is perfect for this price point. If you’re a streamer, gamer, or video watcher then these headphones are hard to beat. If you’re a big music listener or expect booming thunderous sounds then I think you should look elsewhere. I don’t honestly believe you can get a set of headphones that are this comfortable and this quality at this price without a major sale going on at the time. These are a solid buy and a solid 5 star from me.

Do not get these to listen to music, podcasts, watch movies, tv shows, audio books, or any kind of audio entertainment. And especially don't get this for porn! I'll explain why further down. This device is for professionals only. If you're not mastering or producing audio projects from music to podcasts etc, then you have no business here.Put it this way. I have the AKG N60, which is way more expensive than the AKG K240s. I use the AKG N60 to listen to music, because music sounds way better on the AKG N60 than the AKG K240. When I make beats beats, I use the AKG K240. Because the sounds are more clear. It is easier to know how to pan and how to EQ sounds and their frequencies using the AKG K240 than on the N60. The N60 is meant for entertainment and chill. The AKG K240s is meant for work. Plain and simple. So if you're looking for entertainment headphones use the money you were going to use for this and buy headphones made for entertainment. If you're a producer, and you're here to WORK with professional studio/monitor headphones under $100 or under $80, this is for you. If you've made the mistake to get these for entertainment purposes, you will be disappointed and find the audio quality to be cheap. And that's your fault for not listening to the pros or doing your research. So if you're here for entertainment no need to read further, move on with your life and find something else. If you're here to WORK, please read on.Now that we have that out of the way and the civilians are gone, let's get to WORK. If you want great fantastic studio/monitor headphones that gives you musical orgasmic experiences, you want something that costs hundreds and hundreds of dollars. But if you want to get the job done and are under a strict budget, you're going to fall in love with these guys. Especially if you buy fluffier ear pad replacements like I did. Its so fluffy! And made the sound a bit more roomier, but also less punchy, and less pronounced, because the little speakers are further away from your ear. But somehow it makes the sounds clearer if you will, I'm guessing because its roomier with fluffier ear pads. Now, there's nothing wrong with the default ear pads. They are comfortable giving you hours of play. I mean WORK. I just took that extra step. Fluffier ear pads allow you to play even longer. I'm sorry, I mean WORK. Though not sure how healthy that is, breaking night because you cant stop creating, exploring and perfecting sound. These headphones are def! ;)A few things to keep in mind as an audio engineer. These are no good for LIVE recording, or wearing these as you record vocals or instruments like a guitar or piano, etc. The reason being is because they are semi-open. Which means the sound purposely leaks out of the headphones and will leak into the mic, totally messing up your recording! For those you want closed studio headphones, not the AKG K240s. Now if you're making beats, mixing tracks, mastering audio projects, editing a podcast/interviews etc, these are perfect!Let me explain this leakage in terms most can understand. If you want to listen to >>>PORN<<< privately without disturbing people next door, like your parents or other family members, these are a very poor choice! You can hear the noise leakage outside of your room from the other side of the door! So in short, if your place in making music is recording in a sound booth, stay away from the AKG K240's! The K240 is for those who work outside of the booth. The noise leakage helps in making the sounds clearer because it gives the sounds more room rather than trapping the sounds. Helps in panning, EQueing, etc. It's also helpful in hearing a potential attacker like Jason, Pennywise or Michael Myers stepping up behind you, giving you a chance at survival. But since you'll be working so hard, the chances of you falling asleep on your chair and falling prey to Freddy Krueger are very high! So if you feel tired, do the right thing. Turn everything off and go to bed. Your head will be more clear for the next time you tackle your audio projects. And Freddy isn't really into responsible audio engineers. Or is he?One other thing I want to share, that I didn't know about these babies. This is no baby!! These headphones represent the birth of Generation X. Disco, Rap, Heavy Metal, House, Punk etc. The AKG K240s is basically a remix of the original 1975 K240 Sextett. And its exact look and golden colors make it a replica of the 1984 K240M.These were used by producers who worked for many legends who came to be during the birth and revolution of digital music. Let that sink in, for all of you 808 Trap heads out there. Yup.One thing to think about for Trap beat enthusiasts. People who know more than me, say these aren't that great for listening to bass music. That's kind of redundant information being that these aren't meant for chilling to music. They're meant for real work. Anyhow, imagine perfecting the most righteous 808 kick bass sound with the K240 and then mastering and mixing everything together so it all sounds perfect. Then imagine how that would sound to people listening to it through hifi speakers or headphones meant for listening to music and how insanely extra bass heavy it will sound while still sounding clear with all the sounds in place and arranged. That's what I'm experiencing right now. Results that go boom-boom with quality clarity. Something to keep in mind.Do I recommend this for people who just want to listen to music? Seriously? Didn't I tell you to get lost already? You do not belong here! BEAT IT!Do I recommend this for audio engineers who edit and master audio projects of all kinds trying to get professional studio headphones for under $80? Hell yes I do. And while you're at it, go get the fluffiest ear muffs you can find.

Excellent budget-friendly hi-fi headphones. Compared to HD600s, these are "warm" sounding. The top end is still clear though. Unfortunately, they are mostly made of a cheap feeling plastic. The head band is very comfortable and they are very light headphones. The cable they come with is mid-tier but for the price, these are great 55ohm headphones.