I have a set of AKG K240'a and a set of AKG K271's (originals) and I'm looking into buying 6 sets of AKG K44's. I run a home based studio where I record and mix indie bands. In a studio setting there are 3 general uses for headphones and, ideally, you want 3 different types for those uses. Mixing/listening // Vocal booth monitoring // live room monitoring. For mixing and listening you want true hi fidelity, an accurate non-fatiguing sound you can reference from and enjoy. I'd never mix on K44's and that's not what they're for... I'd rarely listen to music with them either... they hold their own for their price point, but they are not really hi fidelity cans and to review as such is a little unfare. I use my K240's for that.

In the vocal booth you need 2 things... high fidelity to get the singer feeling great and in turn sounding great, and closed backs... the k44's are closed back and could be used here, but the fidelity will be a little lacking... I use K271's for the booth... they even have a cool little switch that turns off the speakers when you remove the headphones, eliminating any accidental feedback from being so close to a sensitive mic.

In the live room K44's shine! You need multiple sets of loud headphones to allow drummers and guitars to work in their naturally loud environment without struggling to hear their cans... k-44's are among the loudest studio headphones out there and IMo can not be beat in this setting... they're cheap so you can afford a set for everyone in the band. They're loud as f^@k so your bassist isn't going to be constantly asking for more... and all that considered, they actually sound pretty damn good for the price.

My 2 cents.

Cheers