Quote:

Originally Posted by Baltowolf 

So here's the deal, I'm 16 and I'm into recording etc. I'm a multi-instrumentalist musician but I mainly play guitar. I'm badly in need of good studio headphones with a [more or less] flat frequency response. I want to get the AKG K240s but my mom says she doesn't think I need 60 dollar headphones. (That's the cheapest I could find them for on Amazon.) I've explained to her twice now that I need real headphones because mine suck (Behringer HPS3000) and are shorting out and that good headphones always cost more than 50 bucks. She demanded to see alternatives, so I figured I might as well sign up and ask for recommendations. I need circumaural headphones with a flat-ish frequency response which would be good for studio use and playing guitar with. (I basically never use the speaker in my amp, just headphones.) I would prefer to have a disconnectable cable which is something I've been wanting for a while. Also closed back or semi-open preferably. Something that doesn't let a ton of noise in. (Or out.) It'll have to be under 60 bucks (I know, it sucks) since my mom doesn't quite get that quality headphones cost money. I don't want to have to buy a headphone amp so that's a factor as well, it can't be too power-sucking.

 

One other headphone I've heard of which I'm curious about is the Audio Technica M40. How do they compare to the K240? Do they have a flat-ish sound signature? Sweetwater claims even the drivers a replaceable which is interesting.

 

Thanks in advance.

Alright. First off, I totally understand your situation with your mom saying you don't need headphones costing "x" amount of dollars. Second, AKG has a great lineup of headphones for music recording and listening in the studio. And I use K240's on occasion when we are using a lot of drums in a song. I find them to be great studio headphones, and great for listening to music as well. I cannot comment on the Audio Technicas, but I can tell you that AKG would be a good choice for what you will be using them for. You won't need an amp for nearly every situation. They aren't too power hungry either.

Just try to convince your mom that these are what you need. I think they would be great. 

Welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet. :) -BiggBenn

http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_33

there are a few models under this brand...not sure which is the most neutral..check them out. 

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00001WRSJ/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1358128288&sr=1-1&keywords=mdr+v6&condition=used

just alittle above the 50dollar mark.

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http://www.head-fi.org/t/637699/50mm-driver-open-air-full-size-cans-pop-out-of-nowhere-sound-amazing

My 2 cents, the Sony MDR-V6 is a great headphone for monitoring and mixing down tracks. It's used extensively in the industry and has a 20 year solid reputation that is well deserved, and it's about $70 so maybe you should mow the lawn and do a lot of kissing up....

And that said, try not to mix down using only headphones. All headphones have certain very narrow peaks and valley's in the frequency response because of their close proximity to your ears. If you mix something that sounds good on headphones, it might sound flat or colored on loud speakers.

If you want a suprising selection for about $20, get some Logitech LS201 2.1 desktop PC speakers. They aren't headphones but if you are pinching pennies you could do a lot worse. Provided you don't crank the crappy little 4" subwoofer too much, the actual speakers themselves are suprisingly neutral, detailed, and transparent. I was honestly shocked at how good they sound with no EQ. Much better than my Klipsch and even my home stereo bookshelf speakers.

If you need headphones and can't use loudspeakers, the V6 is about as cheap as you can get for a working sound engineering role.

Try to ask your mom for the K240MKll as your bday gift or so,  the other alternative will be a lower AKG model, like the 271MKll, 141, or other models in your price range like the, M-80, M-44, K-511 ...