[Nihility]

now, i know this may seem odd, but by far my greatest musical influence on my life has, and always will be, In Flames


i even have an in flames Tattoo lined up for when i finally have money to buy one (headphones come first though

)


currently my only good headphones are:

Ety ER4's and Beyerdynamic 770 Pro's

now the beyers sound great, but the bass is slightly overpowering in some songs, muddying up the deep vocals that is Anders' (lead singer) genius.

i happen to KNOW that he swears by AKG k240's for his vocals to get the perfect sound that he is looking for.

i have heard him live and i know that my beyers are not quite getting what i want out of the midrange that is a LOT of my metal collection.


i sorta rushed on my decision, though i do love my beyerdynamics for trance, drum and bass, etc. that i also listen to (ala Pendulum esque music) but my melodic death metal - my true musical love, is lacking a bit.

im looking for a more open, crisper, more accurate pair of cans that will still have strong lows and good mid/highs.

for example my er4P's are too bright for me, and my Beyer DT770 pro's are a tad too bassy and a bit muddy on the mids for me, if those provide any reference.



now with the knowledge of the EXACT pair of cans that he uses and the fact that they are relatively cheap and within my price range, would they be a big enough upgrade over the beyers for what i am looking for? if not, what else should i consider?

 

[LostOne.TR]

I don't quite have advice for ya here.
But Free Fall is such a good song.

 

[rhythmdevils]

all of the good akg's have some of the best vocals of any headphone. try a k501, thought you may think they are too bright, as i do.

the k240 is probably a good bet for you. go for it!

grados are also famous for their midrange, and paired with flat pads aren't too bright. the bass gets a bit boomy, but nothing like the dt770. it is just strong, but would probably be great for metal.

i don't know what your budget is, but go for an allessandro ms1, they are 99 shipped brand new. then go to TTVJ, Todd The Vinyl Junkie and get a pair of flat pads for 35 dollars.

 

[Seidhepriest]

Which K-240?

Monitor or Studio?

Or any other version? DF, Sextett?

The Studio and Monitor are quite different in sound. Not worlds apart, there're similarities, but they illustrate very well the advantages of 600-ohm impedance.

The K-240 Studio (current production version, 55-ohm) need three fixes... Cushions, defoaming, and a good cable.

The DT770 cushions, they say, fit a K-240S. Stock cushions are sweaty (and sometimes itchy) artificial plastic leather.

Foam pads suppress high frequencies and dull down the sound. Hence they should be removed.

Stock AKG cable is rather poor quality (dulls down the sound), there're several expensive options, but there's also cheaper cable sold by Sweetcome on the World's Greatest Flea Market. His is star quad cable, and it makes the K-240 sing (especially with the right source).

 

[rhythmdevils]

wait, the dt770 pads fit the k240? i always wondered about this. how do you get them to stay on? and how does it sound?

 

[Seidhepriest]

There should be some threads about that around here.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif wait, the dt770 pads fit the k240? i always wondered about this. how do you get them to stay on? and how does it sound?

I put the DT770 pad on a K271, which is basically the same design.
It works just like the original pad. You fold the plastic round the edge .
Don't know how it sound on a k240. Bear in mind that the DT770 is a closed phone, the K240 isn't, as far as I know.

 

[Seidhepriest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif I put the DT770 pad on a K271, which is basically the same design. It works just like the original pad. You fold the plastic round the edge. Don't know how it sound on a k240. Bear in mind that the DT770 is a closed phone, the K240 isn't, as far as I know.

Cushions affect seal, that's all. They say the Beyerdynamic cushions seal better than the stiffer pleather AKG cushions, so the sound might improve a bit, too.
The K-240 and K-271 share cushions, so what fits a K-271, fits a K-240.

 

[Nihility]

well considering i own beyers i could just throw em on there and see if i like the difference, im looking a the studio one, because i will be running these mainly through my laptop, computer, and ipod.

i realize that for $120 ish (what ive seen it for around online stores) the AKG isnt going to be top of the line when it comes to wiring, etc. but my budget is pretty much in that range, my graduation is coming up in a week so im considering the next pair of cans as a graduation present for myself

 

[Seidhepriest]

They're surprisingly good for the money, but they won't be showing what they're really like with the stock cable. When they start sounding dull, it'll be time for the cable upgrade.

 

[Nihility]

well, how much is/will be a cable upgrade? oh wait.. they have replaceable cables i forgot!


i was thinking i'd have to get it done somewhere, lol.



what type of cable do you suggest?

 

[Seidhepriest]

There were lots, Stephan Audio and Moon Audio being the most expensive. The one here is Sweetcome, the seller's listed out there on the World's Largest Flea Market Site. A 3.5 metre cable (AKG's 3 m. long) should cost in the region of $50. It's star quad cable, so it uses twice the amount of wires of regular cable, and it's screened, so the price is quite good for what it is (AKG's stock 3m. cable costs some $25-30).

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nihility /img/forum/go_quote.gif well considering i own beyers i could just throw em on there and see if i like the difference, im looking a the studio one, because i will be running these mainly through my laptop, computer, and ipod.

And then try the AKG pleather pads on the Beyers. I did. Sound and comfort improved a lot to my opinion....

 

[Seidhepriest]

Now that is funny...

The pleather cushions are fine indoors, but they get sweaty (and sometimes even itchy) outdoors or when it's hot.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seidhepriest /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now that is funny... The pleather cushions are fine indoors, but they get sweaty (and sometimes even itchy) outdoors or when it's hot.

True, but I can't stand the feel of velour on my head. Too warm and itchy.
And after all, it's not so often hot in the Netherlands.