It's really not an upgrade, kinda

Wait off and get a pair of 701 or 702, because if you want to upgrade, think that you have to spend more then double your original price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vizzle 

I thinking about upgrade my AKG k240 mkII to AKG k601, because what I like in my k240:

 

- nice balanced sound

- 6h sessions, easy, no fatigue

- wide music scene

 

I hope that this will be improved in k601 and I get rid of:

 

- gentle heating in the ears (because of the open design of k601)

- bit distant sound

 

- i get nicer, fuller bass

 

Is AKG k601 real upgrade to AKG k240 mkII? Any opinions welcome!

 

I mostly listen to rock, metal.

If you want nicer, fuller bass, forget about any of the K501, K601, K701/702, or even the Q701 IMO.  They all have a treble emphasis to them that the K240 Mk II does not have.

If you really want an upgrade to the K240 Mk II, and if you really like the K240 Mk II's balance, then I'd suggest the Beyer DT880/250.

Heating of the ears: I have this problem with AKG's pleather pads, but if you switch to the velour pads the Mk II's come with, should fix it.  Did for me. 

The K601 is an upgrade to the K240 Studio, but not really in the way you've described. If you can find the K601 new for under $200 it's worth every penny.

To me, the K240 Studio ALWAYS felt like it had more bass than the K601. That's one thing I liked about the K240 over the K601.

The K601's sound is a lot more airy and the soundstage is much larger. I always felt the K601 was like a front row like experience, but now I think it's more like two. Depends on the recording though.

At time, sometimes the way the K601 present music is a bit annoying, not bad in any way, just different. Some music is a bit thin sounding and too airy for me. Like as if there's a silent fan near my headphone. I know this probably makes no sense!

Not as much as the K701 though. With my HD-598 I don't have this issue.

The treble on the K601 is definitely an improvement. There's much more treble, but not as much as the K701. K601 sounds more natural compared to the K702 IMO. The K240 Studio is probably one of the darker AKG heaphones I've heard.

BTW I think the K601 has more forward mids than the K240 Studio for sure. This is one reason I love them. As much as I love the K601, most of the time the HD-598 and KRK KNS-6400 is on my head. Music on the K601 isn't always engaging as it is on those headphones, but pretty close. I don't think the K601 I'll ever get rid of though. It's a keeper.

Also...to me, I do not agree that the K601 has a treble emphasis, but my K702 certainly did. My first K601 did sound different than my 2nd pair though.

The DT880/250's are some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn.  The Audio Technica M50's made my ears/sides of my head sweat too.

Hmm, its difficult task to find an open headphone with a stronger, fuller bass response than the K240's in this price range.  If you are willing to increase your budget range, two headphones come to mind as ideal options for you: the Sennhesier HD600 and Beyerdynamic's DT990.

It's true the further you move up the AKG ladder the less emphasis is put on bass.  I would still lean toward purchasing the K601 as you may end up appreciating its more neutral sonic presentation.  What music genres do you listen to by the way?

DT990. Very meaty and rich sound without sacrificing detail and transparency with amp and source upgrades. I'm looking at one myself now. It's for people who didn't quite dig the 880.

Forget about the K702, you're going to hate it. I don't think they sound musical at all.

DT880 is less bass in quantity, but more focused bass that you can pick apart, but it's really one of the best cans out there if you can look past it. It'll extend deeper than most headphones under 500 dollars can.

Don't compare 20 dollar headphones to their 200 dollar offering, thats not fair! Thats like me comparing HD518, seeing how muddy and unclear they are, and hating the HD600! The D2000 is a little boomy, but thats the nature of bass from closed cans, they weren't built with that purpose. It's still good bass and I really adore these cans.

The K601 has some bass, it's a smidge more than the 701, I actually liked this, but the K701 does everything else better. I just really hated how they sounded for the money invested. The same amp/source could drive any other audiophile can skyward and back, but they made the K701 just sound very neutral and sharp with very acute tight bass. The bass is there if you can listen for bass vs feeling it, but for just sitting there and not paying attention, you'll really loathe them.

DT880 is analytical (I've always described it as a K701 with some Grado and HD600 in it), but with mild amplification with the 600ohm, how accurate and clear it is almost becomes amusing to me, the bass is really deep, you'll hear bass frequencies you either didn't hear or only felt but not heard.

I will always like the DT990 (very punchy while remaining detailed) more because I like my Grados for detail + bright treble. Comfort is crap but whatever, it's my head not yours lol!