[size=12.0pt]Hey, this is my first comparison between two different headphones as it's the first time I've ever had two proper headphones to compare. I'm sorry if I'm not good at explaining the differences that well or using proper terms as I'm new to the audiophile world. Note I don't have an amp currently, nor the funds for one. I'm going off my PC with a ASUS Xonar DX soundcard with UNi Xonar driver version 1.51(I noticed an improvement in sound quality over the official drivers) and directly from an 4th gen iPod Touch, so this is purely based off comparisons without a dedicated amp and on a portable source. I bought the Sennheiser HD 555 back in June, 2011 for $85 and they have hundreds of hours of use, I did the 555->595 foam mod almost immediately and the soundstage mod two months later. The AKG K240 Studios I just received Tuesday and I paid $90 for them.[/size]
[size=13.5pt]Impressions of a soundstage modded Sennheiser HD 555[/size]
[size=12.0pt]The most notable thing about these headphones is the soundstage and imaging, It seems like the sounds are coming from far away in some instances and the separation of sounds is also quite good, I found this gives them quite a Wow! factor in many cases. I found after the soundstage mod the bass has improved a bit in terms of quantity and quality, it's quite a bit punchier, more detailed and less muddy. The highs on this headphone are quite good, I have no complaints about them as they aren't harsh to my ears or anything. Now for the midrange, I personally find this is where the headphone is lacking the most, not in terms of presence but midrange clarity and detail, they also have a bit sibilance in the mids, something that came to light once I got my AKG K240 Studios. I also noticed they are on the slow side, it seems they just can't keep up with some faster paced songs that well. I also find they are a bit bright as well. I personally don't find them that enjoyable on a fair amount of music and they sound really good on very few songs, usually they sound good or okay in music for the most part, but they are great for movies and games. I find these headphones very comfortable, I do notice a slight clamping but it doesn't get uncomfortable, the pads are very comfortable, and how open they are feels really nice. Overall I find they are a nice pair of headphones, but seem a bit weak in a lot of music, it does very well in songs that take advantage of a good soundstage but I find them alright for just about everything else. When on the computer they have quite strong bass but not overly emphasized and are quite full sounding, on the iPod they are noticeably weaker in bass and are less full in sound, they do get loud out of the iPod. The volume seems to stop increasing once I hit around 50% volume on my computer, which is really loud. The bottom line is that these headphones excel at games and movies, but they are only alright for music as whole. [/size]
[size=13.5pt]Initial impressions of the AKG K240 Studio[/size]
[size=12.0pt]When I first put these on what I first noticed was the midrange and how laid-back they were compared to the Senns. The midrange and detail of the midrange is where these headphones shine, I can hear things on these I never ever heard on my Senns or it sounded slightly muffled, not very well defined, and unnatural on the Senns. Vocals, instruments, and electronic beats all sound better on the AKGs. These are very laid-back but that improves quite a bit if you increase the volume, but they are never as forward as the Senns, although they get just as loud on my computer as the Senns, they don't stop increasing in volume at 50% volume like the Senns do. The soundstage is good, but nothing impressive, the imaging on the other hand is quite good. The highs seem a little recessed of soft, but all the detail is there, it just causes these headphones to sound a bit dark. The bass on these is interesting to say the least, it's detailed, punchy, clear, a bit realistic, yet fat and a little weird, it's nothing like I've heard before in bass. Overall I find they sound more natural and detail than the Senns, also able to handle faster paced songs better, I found these are already much better for music listening as it sounds more natural and detailed to my ears, but not quite as good for movies and games, but still really good at movies and games. Only differences I noticed between the computer and iPod is that it sounds fuller and gets louder on the computer, otherwise no big change. The Senns change a lot more sonically from the PC to iPod. I find them very comfortable headphones, earpads get a little sweaty at times and were a bit uncomfortable at first, but they are slowly breaking in and becoming more comfortable. So far these are my preferred headphones because I think they simply sound better than the HD 555. [/size]
[size=13.5pt]Impressions of a soundstage modded Sennheiser HD 555[/size]
[size=12.0pt]The most notable thing about these headphones is the soundstage and imaging, It seems like the sounds are coming from far away in some instances and the separation of sounds is also quite good, I found this gives them quite a Wow! factor in many cases. I found after the soundstage mod the bass has improved a bit in terms of quantity and quality, it's quite a bit punchier, more detailed and less muddy. The highs on this headphone are quite good, I have no complaints about them as they aren't harsh to my ears or anything. Now for the midrange, I personally find this is where the headphone is lacking the most, not in terms of presence but midrange clarity and detail, they also have a bit sibilance in the mids, something that came to light once I got my AKG K240 Studios. I also noticed they are on the slow side, it seems they just can't keep up with some faster paced songs that well. I also find they are a bit bright as well. I personally don't find them that enjoyable on a fair amount of music and they sound really good on very few songs, usually they sound good or okay in music for the most part, but they are great for movies and games. I find these headphones very comfortable, I do notice a slight clamping but it doesn't get uncomfortable, the pads are very comfortable, and how open they are feels really nice. Overall I find they are a nice pair of headphones, but seem a bit weak in a lot of music, it does very well in songs that take advantage of a good soundstage but I find them alright for just about everything else. When on the computer they have quite strong bass but not overly emphasized and are quite full sounding, on the iPod they are noticeably weaker in bass and are less full in sound, they do get loud out of the iPod. The volume seems to stop increasing once I hit around 50% volume on my computer, which is really loud. The bottom line is that these headphones excel at games and movies, but they are only alright for music as whole. [/size]
[size=13.5pt]Initial impressions of the AKG K240 Studio[/size]
[size=12.0pt]When I first put these on what I first noticed was the midrange and how laid-back they were compared to the Senns. The midrange and detail of the midrange is where these headphones shine, I can hear things on these I never ever heard on my Senns or it sounded slightly muffled, not very well defined, and unnatural on the Senns. Vocals, instruments, and electronic beats all sound better on the AKGs. These are very laid-back but that improves quite a bit if you increase the volume, but they are never as forward as the Senns, although they get just as loud on my computer as the Senns, they don't stop increasing in volume at 50% volume like the Senns do. The soundstage is good, but nothing impressive, the imaging on the other hand is quite good. The highs seem a little recessed of soft, but all the detail is there, it just causes these headphones to sound a bit dark. The bass on these is interesting to say the least, it's detailed, punchy, clear, a bit realistic, yet fat and a little weird, it's nothing like I've heard before in bass. Overall I find they sound more natural and detail than the Senns, also able to handle faster paced songs better, I found these are already much better for music listening as it sounds more natural and detailed to my ears, but not quite as good for movies and games, but still really good at movies and games. Only differences I noticed between the computer and iPod is that it sounds fuller and gets louder on the computer, otherwise no big change. The Senns change a lot more sonically from the PC to iPod. I find them very comfortable headphones, earpads get a little sweaty at times and were a bit uncomfortable at first, but they are slowly breaking in and becoming more comfortable. So far these are my preferred headphones because I think they simply sound better than the HD 555. [/size]
