Jan 15, 2025 at 8:37 PM Post #151 of 153
I bought my K240s a couple of years ago for 10$ at a thriftstore, in the original box, but clearly opened. I tried them a few times and thought they sounded ok, but nothing special. Since I have the other cans you can see in my signature, I put them in a drawer for a rainy day.

Last week I got a new SMSL RAW MDA1 DAC. It disapointed me, so I decided to put it away for a break in period. So I used the K240s as a load during the break in.

After 4 days of continous use with a CD player on repeat, I was FLOORED by the difference I heard!
I quickly put the SMSL back in my main setup and checked with the Sundaras. It sounded a little better than I remembered, but nothing revolutionary. So I switched to the K240s. The magic was back again. So clearly it was the cans that had broken in. I put the SMSL back for more break in with the Sundaras and connected the K240 to my Audio GD NFB-15 (which is clearly superior to the SMSL).

What I hear is a sound that is just way more natural sounding than my other cans. There is no harshness ever. It does some magic with voices, Diana Kralls The look of love sounds just wonderful on these cans. Same with Frank Sinatras Only the lonely album, my main reference albums for voices.

While I am writing, I am listening to Carlos Kleiber conducting the Wiener Philharmonic in Beethovens 5. This sound is what I ACTUALLY hear when I am in a concert hall. The soundstage is huge and the softer sounds blend while the sharper can be clearly localised, just like in a concert hall. I can not separate the violas from the cellos and I am never floored by the bass, just like in a concert hall.
My more analytical cans that have the pinpoint placement of every sound and reveals every detail, just sounds unnatural compared to the K240. It also gets fatiguing after a while. What I hear in the K240, I can listen to for much longer.
The timber of the instruments also sounds SO natural and so beautiful, just like voices.

Another thing with my Beyerdynamic T90 and Sundara CB is that I cannot bear to listen to less than perfect audiophile quality recorded music. I get too involved with the poor recording quality to be able to enjoy the music. That means not being able to listen to geniouses like Bruce Springsteen on my main cans. HAPPILY this is MUCH less of an issue with the K240s, they just are not that analytical and they still sounds very GOOD :)

So now I am setting up one setup for audiophile nerding out with top class recordings and one for just simply enjoying music, with the K240 :)
 
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Jan 15, 2025 at 10:46 PM Post #152 of 153
Yes :)

When I see a picture or video with someone using headphones in it, I always check out what they are. I've seen a few conductors wearing k240's while working.

They really are a great headphone. They've got the treble to be detailed, but they're quite smooth as well. And they make electric guitars sound mean. The only thing you could criticise is a lack of bass, and there are sources which can bring it out anyway. Sound great on tubes. They're old-school pedigreed. They know music goddammit hahaha
 
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Jan 16, 2025 at 7:16 PM Post #153 of 153
Yes :)

When I see a picture or video with someone using headphones in it, I always check out what they are. I've seen a few conductors wearing k240's while working.

They really are a great headphone. They've got the treble to be detailed, but they're quite smooth as well. And they make electric guitars sound mean. The only thing you could criticise is a lack of bass, and there are sources which can bring it out anyway. Sound great on tubes. They're old-school pedigreed. They know music goddammit hahaha
I have no problem seing that people would use the K240 professionally. As long as isolation is not needed.

I am falling more and more in love with the way they sound. Very musical and loves voices. It really allows me to enjoy all my music. If I could only have one set of cans, this would be the obvious choice for me.
I have noticed the very enjoyable and quite impactful sound of the guitars with my favourite Dire Straits tracks :)

I have tested them with an old Stereophile test CD. I played the testtones from 100 hz down to 20 hz. I hear absolutely no difference in volume/SPL all the way down to 31.5 hz, then they drop of quite a bit down to 25hz. 20 hz is bearly audible, but is there, this could also be an issue with my 54 year old hearing.
This means that the bass is there, it is just not boosted in any way, but it is not muted down to 31.5 hz either, I get som real low bass in my test tracks for that, some impactful also.
This means that they cover the whole range of a double bass without roll off. There is a bit of roll off on the pianos lowest A0 though, but it is pretty much covered. So I'm good with this. When I want a church organ to rattle my scull under 25 hz or listen to Rammstein, I'll just use my Sundaras. This one shines with acoustic instruments and voices :)

With the shining, polite and still detailed mids of the K240, I can fully believe that it sounds great with tubes.

I'm still having problems with believing that this cheap gold blingy piece of plastic can produce this kind of sound quality...

Edit: The soundstage is also WAY wider and higher than my other much more expensie cans, it goes way on the outside of my ears and way above my head, there is good depth also. A fantastic opea scene just reminded me of this :)
 
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