[BushGuy]

primarily female vocals, but also broadway and some classical. I was heading toward k701 but have begun to see where some folks are not liking them as much after full burning-in process has ended.......soo......consideration is now more to the "old goldies" the k240 DF, and k340........looking for folks who have real experience with them and what their impressions have been over time. Better yet, if they intimately know both models.

 

[aerius]

You mention female vocals, for that, there's almost nothing that comes close to the goodness of a K340, especially once you tweak them a bit.

I don't have that much experience with the K240DF, I tried it out in a store out of curiosity and that was about it. Wasn't bad, but nothing special either. Sounds more or less like a Senn 580, but with more bass, less treble, and less detail & refinement overall. Decent for what it costs, but there's a lot better.

K340 on the other hand is something special. Even to this day I feel it still holds its own against any of the modern top tier headphones. In terms of detail & resolution, it's about the same as a Stax 4040 system, but with a lot more punch & impact in the bass. Frequency balance will depend on the production run, some have more bass, some have more treble, but I feel that they're all well-balanced with a slight emphasis on the midrange which gives female vocals a scarily realistic sound, especially with tube amps.

 

[Rob80b]

The 240Df were my phones for almost 20 years until I discovered this site. Pick up the K501's, better extension at both extremes, more efficient and they really open up as they age. Sound stage and depth are also a lot more evident. Another option is the Senn HD580’s mentioned above, that are slightly darker and less airy than the AKG’s but with better extension in the lower registers.
But all in all the 240DF are pleasant to listen to at all volumes but are not as engaging as are many phones out there.

 

[philodox]

I'm with aerius on this, the K340's are great for female vocals. I also quite like them for Jazz. Recently I recieved my Grado HF-1's, and while they are great for some rock and most hip hop, I find the K340's far superior for most electronica, jazz and classical.

 

[BushGuy]

Thanks Aerius and Philodox - read everything and come January, I'll begin stalking ebay UK and Deutschland for a pair of 340's worthy of modding

It makes a lot of sense for me
BTW Aerius - have you bi-wired yours?

 

[philodox]

Wise decision my friend, let us know what you think when you get them. Just remember ampampamp... and the greatest recable upgrade out there as far as I'm concerned.

 

[gerG]

I am going to vote DT880 here. Next choice would be HD595, and maybe the HD600 right behind. Please be aware that the K340 have a rather unique sound due (I believe) to the fact that you get to hear both + and - signals from the tweeter at the same time. Some people like the effect, while others run screaming from the room. Funny things, headphones.

The K240 DF is even more unusual, and by that I meen awful (to my ears at least). I have a pair that I tore down for parts because the previous owner donated them to me on the stipulation that they never fall into the hands of a poor unsuspecting listener. I tried to figure out what was up with them, but eventually gave up. If you like a diffuse sound, I would suggest a good pair of electrostatics first.


gerG

 

[xand1x]

k340s also get my vote. I was listening to A love supreme and Kind of Blue last night..pretty amazing stuff =) Make sure you pair them with a powerful amp and good source!

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xand1x Make sure you pair them with a powerful amp and good source!

Ditto.

 

[aznsensazian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerius K340 on the other hand is something special. Even to this day I feel it still holds its own against any of the modern top tier headphones. In terms of detail & resolution, it's about the same as a Stax 4040 system, but with a lot more punch & impact in the bass. Frequency balance will depend on the production run, some have more bass, some have more treble, but I feel that they're all well-balanced with a slight emphasis on the midrange which gives female vocals a scarily realistic sound, especially with tube amps.

I couldnt agree with you more, stock k340 sounds good, but after modding them, it took it to another level. Resolution is increased, bass is tighter, mids stays liquidy, and just a sound that makes you smile

 

[aznsensazian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xand1x k340s also get my vote. I was listening to A love supreme and Kind of Blue last night..pretty amazing stuff =) Make sure you pair them with a powerful amp and good source!

DittoX2

 

[wang228]

i'm probably one of a few people who don't enjoy K340 very much. The upper midrange just doesn't sound right to me. maybe i have a bad pair.

 

[jvbb2005]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob80b The 240Df were my phones for almost 20 years until I discovered this site. Pick up the K501's, better extension at both extremes, more efficient and they really open up as they age. Sound stage and depth are also a lot more evident. Another option is the Senn HD580’s mentioned above, that are slightly darker and less airy than the AKG’s but with better extension in the lower registers. But all in all the 240DF are pleasant to listen to at all volumes but are not as engaging as are many phones out there.

I second that.
Being an owner of K340, 240DF & K501, I feel that the most musical among them are the K501s. They perform wonderfully with Jazz & classical materials. Sure the details from K340s are good but I am somewhat disappointed with the loose bass.......

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wang228 i'm probably one of a few people who don't enjoy K340 very much. The upper midrange just doesn't sound right to me. maybe i have a bad pair.

If it's sort of an echoey resonance which is especially noticeable with acoustic guitar and piano notes in that frequency range, then you probably got a bum pair like I did. It's possible to almost eliminate it, but doing so is a serious pain in the butt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvbb2005 Sure the details from K340s are good but I am somewhat disappointed with the loose bass.......

Try sealing off the rectangular opening in the back of the housing with a couple layers of electrical tape. It's probably better to do it from the inside, but if you don't want to open them up, just remove the housing covers (the part with the "K340 electrodynamo-whatsit" label on it) and seal the openings from the outside. This should tighten up the bass and add more speed and impact.

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerius Try sealing off the rectangular opening in the back of the housing with a couple layers of electrical tape.

Yeah, that is what Larry [headphile] recommends as well. A recable might tighten up the bass as well. Also, if you havent already, you might want to experiment with removing the cotton... I've got my chambers cotton free and the bass is quite articulate. I'm hoping that velour earpads [they are making them for the HSD271] will add the touch of bass that they are missing and even everything else. Another simple tweak to increase bass if the cotton removal takes too much away is to tighten or replace the elastics. If it grips your head tighter there will be more bass... experiment by pushing the cups closer with your hands to see what I mean.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerius K340 electrodynamo-whatsit

priceless