AKG K141 Review and Appreciation Thread
Oct 22, 2011 at 10:03 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 33

donunus

Headphoneus Supremus
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
Posts
9,236
Likes
157
I just bought a pair of the k141 mk2. I got this particular 141 since i felt they were the better value vs the k142 HD seeing that they are still Austrian made and come with more accessories in the box. They come with two pairs of pads(velour and leather) and a coiled and straight cable plus they are less expensive than the k142 HD. 
 
Soundwise, these are ridiculously good, especially for the price I paid! I didn't expect this kind of sound from an AKG since I didn't like the K701 at all and found the k240S to sound just okay like many of the other AKG models that I've owned. These are way better than the k240 Studio to me. These have a more coherent sound and have no annoying brightness in the 10khz area like in the 240S. These cans almost sound like Grados with TTVJ Flats in tonality and immediacy but are even more coherent and lack that harshness in the upper mids and mid treble that is present in most Grados. Although not quite as detailed and sweet sounding as my Sennheiser HD600s, these have the slam that those senns sometimes lack when listening to some of my favorite 80s new wave or most other rock music for that matter.
 
When people think of reference supraaurals, one can that most likely gets mentioned in the $200 and under range is the Sennheiser HD25-1. I really don't get all the fuss about the hd25-1s though. I think they are a little nasty sounding due to their cuppy colorations and I find them to sound a little too aggressive yet lacking top end air. These K141s just sound more natural than the HD25-1 II for me, hands down. They might not have the airiness that HD600s have for example but they don't feel like they have such an abrupt rolloff above the mid treble range like the hd25s. 
 
If one wants a slightly more laidback sound, one can switch to the fabric pads that come in the box. The velour/cloth pads make the sound a tad warmer and more relaxed than the leather ones. The midbass punch gets a little more accurate with the cloth pads and the soundstage gets a little wider but the leathers have that extra oomph, that extra high contrast sound that one finds in headphones like Grados/Alessandros. For the $125 including free worldwide shipping that I paid for them, they are pure awesomeness!
 
I can't believe not more people here are raving about these cans. It's not even that easy to find any impressions on them. Well, here it is... A place to write all about the AKG K141 headphones.
 
 
 

 
Here is a snapshot of my K141 mkII
 
Oct 23, 2011 at 2:32 PM Post #2 of 33
Now that I've gotten oriented with the cans, I can say that the velour pads are really a must have in case you didn't get the mk2 or the HD. They are better for long term listening due to their slightly less aggressive nature.
 
Oct 24, 2011 at 2:56 AM Post #3 of 33
If I were to chose only one pair of pads, I would still choose the leather ones though.
 
EDIT: I spoke too soon. I guess it depends on the music and the mood because the velours are stunning with some stuff too. Both are a must have!
 
Oct 27, 2011 at 2:17 PM Post #4 of 33
Got me interested here.  How is the clamping pressure though?  Thanks.
 
Oct 27, 2011 at 7:20 PM Post #5 of 33
Theres not much clamping pressure here but these may be uncomfortable for some people due to their supraaural nature. By the way, don't expect them to have the finesse of HD600s. I like them because of their straightforward balance. Coming from the hd600s will make them sound dark and rolled off while coming from these will make the hd600s slightly nasal and bright so I would give myself time to acclimate to each of the signatures when shifting instantly from headphone to headphone. This is a type of headphone I can just rock out to with my thin rock recordings but listening to Jazz on them is not anywhere near as nice as on the HD600s due to their slightly more artificial treble and more compressed sound.
 
Oct 27, 2011 at 8:26 PM Post #6 of 33


Quote:
Theres not much clamping pressure here but these may be uncomfortable for some people due to their supraaural nature. By the way, don't expect them to have the finesse of HD600s. I like them because of their straightforward balance. Coming from the hd600s will make them sound dark and rolled off while coming from these will make the hd600s slightly nasal and bright so I would give myself time to acclimate to each of the signatures when shifting instantly from headphone to headphone. This is a type of headphone I can just rock out to with my thin rock recordings but listening to Jazz on them is not anywhere near as nice as on the HD600s due to their slightly more artificial treble and more compressed sound.



thanks for the feedback. I'll check it out at the neighborhood guitar center. Good to hear from you and keep enjoying the music.  Talk to you sometime.
 
 
 
Oct 27, 2011 at 10:07 PM Post #8 of 33
I had the original silver K141 with Sextett drivers and they sounded so close to the Sextett that I sold them, but I kind of wish I didn't.  In some ways I preferred them to the Sextetts, but not in every way, the Sextetts have better imaging and soundstage and detail.  I'd be curious how these new ones compare to the vintage variety. 
 
Also I think they are damn sexy.
 
Oct 27, 2011 at 10:08 PM Post #9 of 33
Yup, damn sexy. 
 

 
Oct 27, 2011 at 10:59 PM Post #11 of 33
Oct 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM Post #14 of 33
Now that I've spent more time with them, I'm keeping the velours on. They are less fatiguing because the upperbass on them are not as pronounced as the leather pads. 
 
Nov 3, 2011 at 2:27 PM Post #15 of 33
These are my first $100+ cans. I love their smooth and laid-back sound. I've demoed the Shure SRH840, Denon AH-D5000, Ultrasone Pro 900 and some other cans (see my profile) and these really don't sound much worse compared to them. Classical is heaven with these.
 
I use an iBasso T4 amp with my iPod and this - they are really smooth sounding, compared to the iPod's headphone out, which sounds bright, harsh and congested.

My only gripe is the design itself - it was built to be a comfortable supra-aural, so it had to be less clamping, which means they can get loose a lot of times, even when walking. 
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top