[Rick Hunter]

I recently bought a pair of K240 studio, mostly for curiosity, since they have been on the scene for over two decades now, and they have been used extensively in most recording studios worldwide... plus I kinda like their retro look...

These are NOT first impressions. I've had these cans for over two weeks, I have done burn-in with pink noise and extensive listening...

Well, I love them. They have less soundstage and less dynamic punch than my HD650, they are also less comfortable to wear for prolonged time, but they simply sound more right to my ears.

I'm speaking about tonal balance here: on my HD650 everything sounds smooth, too smooth in fact... acoustic guitars sound a lot full-bodied but lack that sparkle, cymbals are smooth, almost soft like silk, but they lack harshness... ever heard a cymbal crash live? it sounds a bit metallic/harsh, not smooth & silky. To make a long story short HD650 are too dark to my ears, every sound from drums to guitars to cymbals gets colored by the HD650 tonal balance. Yes it gives body to instruments, but also (imho) takes away from them some of their distinctive characteristics....

On the other hand while not provoding you with a huge soundstage or a bass punch that you can also feel and not only listen (this is HD650's territory) the K240 studio makes an excellent job at giving a natural, enjoyable, less coloured, more true sound.
Bass sounds thick and full like it should, electric guitars are crunchy like they should, acoustic guitars are sparkling like a guitar should, and cymbals have that metallic sound... I just think they give a more faithful and less colored sound than my sennheisers.

Opinions welcome.

 

[Chri5peed]

You like cheaper 'phones!

So its you who'll bring an end to this world?

 

[Agnostic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chri5peed /img/forum/go_quote.gif You like cheaper 'phones! So its you who'll bring an end to this world?

Sshhhhhh! I hear the sponsors are already talking about taking out a contract on his life...

I think his only chance of survival is hoping this thread disappears down the forums.

P.S.
Sorry to bring it up again...

 

[luidge]

Are you driving them with your hornet or do you have a desktop setup too? I had them 240S but didn't have good setup to run them with. I believe that cans like the K240S might be interesting if they upgrade with system upgrade since they have been in the music industry for soooo long. I sold my friend my pair since a year or so, next time he come by i will ask him to bring them to try with my new setup.

 

[luidge]

Also what rig are you using for the HD650, they are said to become faster, stronger, better with an upgrade in the system.

 

[003]

Not surprising, Sennheiser's current dynamic flagships, well, suck.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 003 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not surprising, Sennheiser's current dynamic flagships, well, suck.

No they don't.

Quote:

ever heard a cymbal crash live? it sounds a bit metallic/harsh, not smooth & silky.

Perhaps at a rock concert, but not so much in a concert hall, especially in the back rows. Personally, I think my HD650s render cymbals much more realistically than any AKG or Grado I've heard so far.

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Hunter /img/forum/go_quote.gif I recently bought a pair of K240 studio, mostly for curiosity, since they have been on the scene for over two decades now, and they have been used extensively in most recording studios worldwide... plus I kinda like their retro look...

The K240 has been on the scene for more than 3 decades, but the current incarnation of the K240 Studio with the "XXL" drivers is relatively recent.

See if you can try out a K240 Sextett or a Very Old K240 Monitor.

 

[cantsleep]

perfectly possible. i prefer 600 over 650 and... rs1..

 

[jpelg]

The 240S's are an underrated can, imo. Most people don't use them with proper amplification or really good sources.

Thank you for feeling comfortable voicing an opinion that flies in the face of convention. Kudos!

 

[GreatDane]

I did own the K240M and K240S which I liked but not as much as my other 4 cans, in other words, I simply had too many to enjoy...but the K240M is very nice considering their cost.

For me though the HD 650 is so much more engaging. I used my Woo Audio 3 as my favorite amp for both.

 

[m11a1]

Sorry to bump in but.......Is the K271 really worth more than the K240?

 

[Rick Hunter]

Yes, I use my Hornet to power both of them... but the K240 sounds decently even unamped from the hp-out of my tablet pc.

It's hard to express my exact thoughts, english not being my first language, but I'll try my best anyway.
I KNOW that the HD650 is a more competent headphone, with its much wider/deeper soundstage, with rumbling dynamics, with that bass thump that you also feel, not only hear, but at the same time I think it colours the sound a bit too much.
This coloration can be great for some kinds of music, but at same time can be out of place for others. Now I can easily see why there are lots of folks that prefer the HD600 to the HD650... because it's less colored...
Sound coloration can be somebody's cup of tea, but not everybody's
My K240 might be less competent in terms of soundstage and dynamics (even though I feel they're slightly better than 650s at detail resolution) but they simply make my music sound more "real"
I prefer their less coloured presentation of the sound, it feels more realistic to my ears and it makes me enjoy more my music, that's what counts in my book.

 

[fkclo]

I once have a K240 Anniversary Edition which I owned over 10 years ago. It still has a character that is unmatched by current, more expensive, top of the line production cans. Yes, at 600 ohm it is very difficult to drive, but couple with my then Little Dot II it sounds execellent - especially for classical pieces.

The K240 is actually a AKG legend. Only that many thought they were outdated and outclassed.

F. Lo

 

[MaZa]

Seems like you prefer AKG soundsignature over Sennheiser? Now, all we need is Fitz to give you a marketing speech for superiority of AKG headphones.