[audiohurric4ne]

Can someone do a comparisson between the sextett and the newer model, the k240s/mkii for me ? Thanks !

 

[roBernd]

Quote:

Can someone do a comparisson between the sextett and the newer model, the k240s/mkii for me ? Thanks !

compared to a Sextett (mid Production):
 
K240s:
-better bass extension, but more boomy as well,
-sharper treble, but less upper mids
 
K242HD
-similar to the K240 in every aspect but
-less boomy
-less sharp treble (subjective)
-most balanced of the 55ohm K240 series
 
K240MKII: ( if you use pleather,)
-almost exactly as the K240s
K240MKII: ( if you use velour.pads,)
-almost exactly as the K242HD
 
 
The K240MKII should be a recolored K240s with both pad options... still they sound (subjectively) worse than the K240s and K242HD (strange... might have heard a bad one)
 
 
In order of my preference
-K240 Sextett (mid- and early-production)
-K242HD
-K240s
-K240 (golden 600ohm) & Sextett late-production
-K240MKII
 
(never heard a DF... , apparently more linear... but from some graphs, it looks like they are similar to the K240 (gold 600ohm) but have a better treble extension but are overall brighter, which I don't quite like)

 

[vid]

Quote:

(never heard a DF... , apparently more linear... but from some graphs, it looks like they are similar to the K240 (gold 600ohm) but have a better treble extension but are overall brighter, which I don't quite like)

 
I heard the LP Sextett very briefly, but after hearing the DF later, I think their sound was similar in terms of frequency response, i.e. bright; the DF's response is almost identical above 1 kHz to the 241/250, phones which were the next chronological step from the Sex. The difference is that the 241 has a bass-tilted curve whereas the DF and 250 are flatter, the 250 more so.
 
The disclaimer is that my DF measure very differently from those measured by purrin, but similarly to those measured by some Russian guy who did both the DF and Monitor.

 

[Tiemen]

To ad a different opinion: I preferred the Late Production over the Sextett MD.
The LP was less grainy, faster (better PRaT), had a tighter bass and a more detailed treble.
Unfortunately more sibilance too, but that good be repaired with some dampening and changing ear pads.
 
The mids of my LP had more weight and body than the DF I owned.

 

[vid]

The DF mids tend to sound more distant than on the 250; indeed, the DF's response in the mids is somewhat recessed from 1 kHz up compared to the 250.

 

[audiohurric4ne]

compared to a Sextett (mid Production):

K240s:
-better bass extension, but more boomy as well,
-sharper treble, but less upper mids

K242HD
-similar to the K240 in every aspect but
-less boomy
-less sharp treble (subjective)
-most balanced of the 55ohm K240 series

K240MKII: ( if you use pleather,)
-almost exactly as the K240s
K240MKII: ( if you use velour.pads,)
-almost exactly as the K242HD


The K240MKII should be a recolored K240s with both pad options... still they sound (subjectively) worse than the K240s and K242HD (strange... might have heard a bad one)


In order of my preference
-K240 Sextett (mid- and early-production)
-K242HD
-K240s
-K240 (golden 600ohm) & Sextett late-production
-K240MKII

(never heard a DF... , apparently more linear... but from some graphs, it looks like they are similar to the K240 (gold 600ohm) but have a better treble extension but are overall brighter, which I don't quite like)

Thanks ! Btw which one should i get ? I listen to mostly prog metal/heavy metal (opeth,dark tranquillity) impedance should not be a problem to me. I owned the dt770pro and hated it for my genre but i love its soundstage for prog rock(pinkfloyd) and loved my ms1i for metal but it is lack of soundstage for me.

 

[roBernd]

Quote:

Thanks ! Btw which one should i get ? I listen to mostly prog metal/heavy metal (opeth,dark tranquillity) impedance should not be a problem to me. I owned the dt770pro and hated it for my genre but i love its soundstage for prog rock(pinkfloyd) and loved my ms1i for metal but it is lack of soundstage for me.

I'd go for some used K240s or K242HD -> ebay, forum, elsewhere,
Anything else might be tougher to drive (as I don't know how you plan to amp them)
 
But... depends on luck though, a Sextett (I prefer MP) can be (despite some ringing) quite magical.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

 a Sextett (I prefer MP) 

 
Out of curiosity, why?

 

[tdogzthmn]

I really enjoy using my DF to contrast against other headphones. It's a headphone that clearly does its job of being a critical monitoring device. Not the most emotive sounding headphone but you get to hear everything in the mix. The tone of the DF was very similar to my HD800 at the time when I owned both.

 

[roBernd]

 
Out of curiosity, why?

 
Despite the production variation in the Sextett Series, what is known is that AKG decreased the bass quantity with every new iteration of the Setett.

TL;DR
-EP, most bass
-MP, a bit less bass
-LP, the least quantity of all 3

The K240 Sextett is a musical phone, neither linear but not to horrid FR-wise, and the MP has just enough bass to still be fun without sounding off. This is why I prefer the MP over the LP. An EP is fine too, but the MP hits the magic spot IMHO.

 

[RAZRr1275]

I did a review of these so I thought I'd post it up here
 
[size=small] When I first got these they sounded like they were broken in some fashion. The drums sounded plasticy, the bass extension was non-existent, and the treble was harsh. After being inspired by their lack of performance to sell off my audio setup and start over with an O2 and Project Ember, I finally heard what these were supposed to sound like. They're different. When I put them on for the first they still sound off for the first couple hours that I wear them because it's safe to say that they don't make anything with a sound like this anymore. The sound isn't overly analytical or perfect like many modern headphones strive to be. They don't have an overly clean sound that at times pushes artificial but somehow the detail retrieval is on par with headphones such as the AKG K702s. The soundstage isn't massive and the imaging isn't the best but you can hear absolutely everything. The treble has a slight ring to it which I find to be pleasant -- it causes cymbals to pop and gives the upper register of string instruments the wonderful piercing sound that you hear in a live performance. In fact, if I had to describe what these sound like, it's accurate and fairly neutral (with the typical bit of treble boost that AKG cans have). As a violinist I can safely say that these offer the best reproduction of string instruments that I have ever heard. The same holds for other instruments - these aren't perfect but they're musical. They're the sort of headphone that makes you want to shut your eyes, forget about frequency charts, forget that you're an audiophile, and enjoy the music. The midrange is spectacular and is one of the best that I heard. It's incredibly neutral but at the same time it's incredibly musical and intimate -- almost as if you have been transported into the studio in which the artist is recording. Guitars are also modeled superbly - when a wall of sound and crunch is necessary these can deliver and extend lower than you'd think an AKG headphone especially one from the 1970s would but at the same time if clean reverb is desired these deliver. In fact, where the headphone shines most is acoustic music such as Nick Drake or Elliott Smith where there is little to hear except a vocalist and a guitar because that's where its intimacy shines the most.[/size]

[size=small] Now for some things I'm on the fence about. This headphones is incredibly picky of recording and equipment when it comes to bass and drums. On certain recordings, the snare has a fantastic snap without sacrificing the lower resonance and the toms produce a fantastic thud but on others drums can sound plasticy. The same applies for bass - on some recordings (such as well recorded blues) it sounds like an actual bass live with a fantastic resonance however on others (specifically electronic bass like dubstep (Skrillex I'm looking at you. James Blake you work out well)) the extension simply isn't there to deliver the low end that's desired. Feed it good material and you will be rewarded and feed it garbage and it will spit it right back at you in spectacularly horrible sounding fashion.[/size]

[size=small] To conclude, if you're interested in a set of these , make sure you have proper gear and a bunch of flac and you will be rewarded. If you don't, it's not worth your money to invest unless you're simply looking for a collectible.[/size]

[size=small]  [/size]

[size=small] and the obligatory photo[/size]

[size=small]  [/size]

[size=small] [/size]

 
If you're interested in reading some of my other work I have a blog here http://musicandlistening.wordpress.com/

 

[RUMAY408]

Quote:

I did a review of these so I thought I'd post it up here
 
[size=small] When I first got these they sounded like they were broken in some fashion. The drums sounded plasticy, the bass extension was non-existent, and the treble was harsh. After being inspired by their lack of performance to sell off my audio setup and start over with an O2 and Project Ember, I finally heard what these were supposed to sound like. They're different. When I put them on for the first they still sound off for the first couple hours that I wear them because it's safe to say that they don't make anything with a sound like this anymore. The sound isn't overly analytical or perfect like many modern headphones strive to be. They don't have an overly clean sound that at times pushes artificial but somehow the detail retrieval is on par with headphones such as the AKG K702s. The soundstage isn't massive and the imaging isn't the best but you can hear absolutely everything. The treble has a slight ring to it which I find to be pleasant -- it causes cymbals to pop and gives the upper register of string instruments the wonderful piercing sound that you hear in a live performance. In fact, if I had to describe what these sound like, it's accurate and fairly neutral (with the typical bit of treble boost that AKG cans have). As a violinist I can safely say that these offer the best reproduction of string instruments that I have ever heard. The same holds for other instruments - these aren't perfect but they're musical. They're the sort of headphone that makes you want to shut your eyes, forget about frequency charts, forget that you're an audiophile, and enjoy the music. The midrange is spectacular and is one of the best that I heard. It's incredibly neutral but at the same time it's incredibly musical and intimate -- almost as if you have been transported into the studio in which the artist is recording. Guitars are also modeled superbly - when a wall of sound and crunch is necessary these can deliver and extend lower than you'd think an AKG headphone especially one from the 1970s would but at the same time if clean reverb is desired these deliver. In fact, where the headphone shines most is acoustic music such as Nick Drake or Elliott Smith where there is little to hear except a vocalist and a guitar because that's where its intimacy shines the most.[/size]

[size=small] Now for some things I'm on the fence about. This headphones is incredibly picky of recording and equipment when it comes to bass and drums. On certain recordings, the snare has a fantastic snap without sacrificing the lower resonance and the toms produce a fantastic thud but on others drums can sound plasticy. The same applies for bass - on some recordings (such as well recorded blues) it sounds like an actual bass live with a fantastic resonance however on others (specifically electronic bass like dubstep (Skrillex I'm looking at you. James Blake you work out well)) the extension simply isn't there to deliver the low end that's desired. Feed it good material and you will be rewarded and feed it garbage and it will spit it right back at you in spectacularly horrible sounding fashion.[/size]

[size=small] To conclude, if you're interested in a set of these , make sure you have proper gear and a bunch of flac and you will be rewarded. If you don't, it's not worth your money to invest unless you're simply looking for a collectible.[/size]

[size=small]  [/size]

[size=small] and the obligatory photo[/size]

[size=small]  [/size]

[size=small] [/size]

 
If you're interested in reading some of my other work I have a blog here http://musicandlistening.wordpress.com/

At 600 ohm's this HP requires a decent amp. Very musical and outstanding mids.  I thought my old HP's were broken till I pumped up the quality of the amp.

 

[tdogzthmn]

I had a similar experience with my K240DF also 600 ohm.  They did not seem like much until I got a solid tube amp to drive them which really opened the sound up.  I still have not owned the Sextett but I'd like to try one at some point and compare it to the DF.

 

[roBernd]

I was wondering, why is this thread called Grado'd AKG"?
The Sextett is not alike any Grado... the only AKG I'd called Grado'd is the K701 -> harsh upper mids/treble and lacking body (better extensions than most Grados though)

 

[RUMAY408]

Quote:

I was wondering, why is this thread called Grado'd AKG"?
The Sextett is not alike any Grado... the only AKG I'd called Grado'd is the K701 -> harsh upper mids/treble and lacking body (better extensions than most Grados though)

I don't get it either.  I've read this thread from beginning to end and maybe it is a DIY thing, either way I was thrown off when I tried to research these HP's.  This is the AKG K240 Sextett thread.  Maybe someone above is reading this and would kindly change the thread title for all the fans researching the HP.