[Swizz]

Hi guys..first post here

(lovely smileys you got here

)

I wonder if the AKG 242 HD (which are the replacement for the K240 MKII right?) are studio headphones? I mean the old K 242 were marked as studio headphones weren't they?
I saw them today in a big electronics store and they looked quite nice (could have them for 200$). Unforunately I couldn't listen to them because they still were boxed and sealed. Did anyone of you already make any good (or bad) experiences with those? I just want to use them on my Yamaha RX-797, my iPhone or my iMac. I listen to a lot of acoustic guitar stuff and rock in general: Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Seether, Kings Of Convenience, Kiss, Days Of The New, Mark Lanegan, Screaming Trees, Jethro Tull, Nirvana, Air, Agalloch, Tantric...to only mention a few =)

I had the Sennheiser HD 205 and the AKG 518DJ..the Sennheiser were ok from the sound point of view, but they were ugly and too tight. The 518 are absolutely uncomfortable and have way to heavy bass. Im sick of buying 50-80$ headphones, just to realise how they don't match my expectations, so I just want to buy something "proper" this time

So what do you think about the AKG 242 HD? Would you recommend them for daily use in a non studio environement?

Greez from Switzerland

PS: Yes, I searched for a thread regarding the 242 (really hard) but didn't find anything.

 

[Swizz]

So nobody of you guys have tested or listened to the new AKG HD Headphones so far? Or do they really sound like the old 240 (gold edition) ones?

Unfortunately I cant test them anywhere, so I would be really glad if someone could say something about those 242 HD or 141 HD.

To whom would you recommend those AKG HD headphones? Are they ok for personal use on home hi-fi amps and portable devices?

Chers

 

[cerbie]

The mark II and HD both appear to be new (I went to find the plain K271S, and many stores didn't yet have the mkIIs yet, just ETAs). Go to "professional audio" from AKG's main site to find the mkII cans.

The HD series do not have detachable cables, appear to have fewer parts, come with one set of pads (not the pleather, though!), and look awesome (charcoal and beige really works for them). They have a gallery. They also are cheaper.

The mkII phones have detachable cables, come with a coiled and straight cable (at 3m and 5m, they beg for custom cables), have the, "I was designed in the 60s," all black look, come with both kinds of pads (but, who wants pleather?), and claim to be made for stage, studio, and broadcast use. They have a service parts list. They are a little more expensive.

Sound? Can't say. I would hope they sound the same as the S models, just built in a way that makes them more aesthetically accessible (most people want their gadgets to be pretty, and the HD cans are).

P.S. Love the avatar.

 

[Swizz]

Hi cerbie and thanks for your thoughts! The HD headphones from AKG appear to be on the market for 8 months or so..but I cant find one lousy review on them anywhere

What I read, is that they're overprised for what they sound..but they look so damn sexy

What I also read somwhere else, is that the 240 MKII have the exact same technology inside as the 242 HD..so it goes like AKG K272 HD = K271 MKII = K271; K242 HD = K240 MKII = K240 etc

Im not going to buy them unless I can test them..I see what I can do in an other store on saturday...

 

[cerbie]

In that case I can only second the opinion for the K240S. I didn't find them bad, but not that much better than my lowly Kosses, and that was at $80 USD.

And yes, the K271 mkII I have on the way (the cable thing was enough to make my decision to spend a hair more) to me would look fitting next to a full 17" rack, but the HD could aesthetically hold their own in an Apple store.

 

[Mark Spitz]

This may be too late, but if you are considering dropping 200 quid on any of the 240 line, you should most certainly instead buy a pair of 271 mkiis from amazon, where they can generally be had for around $150 plus shipping and handling (roughly 50% off MSRP). I would recommend the mkii over the 272 because it has the detachable cable which allows for upgrades later, or god forbid, easy replacement if you somehow mangle it (vacuum cleaner horror stories anyone?). If I recall, the 271 is easier to drive, and I know for a fact that it has better sound presentation.

 

[Lagatp]

lol, its more than a year ago

 

[estreeter]

Dead thread, but I think it was also poorly titled - he misspelt 'stupid'.

 

[jp_zer0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dead thread, but I think it was also poorly titled - he misspelt 'stupid'.

?

 

[Mark Spitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagatp /img/forum/go_quote.gif lol, its more than a year ago

Guilty as charged. It is the kind of thing though that I would have found helpful though when shopping for my 271 a few months back. So more for posterity than anything else. That said, unless the OP is an EXCEPTIONALLY indecisive purchaser, merchandise has likely already changed hands long ago.

 

[DPeezy]

I registered with this website to tell you that I was about to purchase AKG's, and I found your comments helpful, Mark Spitz.

 

[Arvan]

I got the K242 HD and i love them!
 
You need a good dac and a good headphone amp to get the full potential..They are suppose to give you an uncolored sound which i prefer. 
 
Very pure sounding cans, very very comfortable..I use them every single day for 1-4 hours without any pain.
 
cons would be that you need dac/amp with at least some quality and power...Ofc the quality of the music that you play will make a difference since they are very revealing.
 
And yes, very old thread =)
 
 

 

[ZetsuBozu0012]

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dead thread, but I think it was also poorly titled - he misspelt 'stupid'.

?

Okay, super bump from a new K242 owner.
 
I think estreeter was implying that only "stupid" people would buy the 242s. Considering that the MKIIs come with a detachable cable (let's face it, that's practically a necessity nowadays, what with a lot of people adopting cats 

), they've better practicality. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dead thread, but I think it was also poorly titled - he misspelt 'stupid'

Okay, super bump from a new K242 owner.
I think estreeter was implying that only "stupid" people would buy the 242s. Considering that the MKIIs come with a detachable cable (let's face it, that's practically a necessity nowadays, what with a lot of people adopting cats 

), they've better practicality. 

I bought the K242HD over the K240MKII because of the color.
 
 
 

 

[roBernd]

Quote:

Okay, super bump from a new K242 owner.
 
I think estreeter was implying that only "stupid" people would buy the 242s. Considering that the MKIIs come with a detachable cable (let's face it, that's practically a necessity nowadays, what with a lot of people adopting cats 

), they've better practicality. 

congrats, they are good cans... a detachable cable is IMHO just a gadget for people who can't solder OR have to carry them a lot.