[mektarus]

Does anyone have any opinions on these three headphones that they would care to share?

 

[lini]

The DT250/80 has less bass extension, a more pronounced midrange, rather severely recessed highs and slightly better efficiency. I prefer the K240S.

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[elliot]

I didn't like the K240s. I found that it lacked detail and energy, and everything sounded relatively muddy and unexciting to me. But thats just me. Other people love those cans, so you might too. You really have to trust your own ears.

I like the DT250-80 better. It may not have great extension, but overall its an okay portable headphone. I like the dt250 design much better than the K240s - it feels much better (there is a reason people use DT250 pads on Sony V6) and looks much better too.

 

[mektarus]

I realized that I should have included the A500 in this comparison. So, I did.

 

[slindeman]

I have both the A500 and K240S. I think the K240S is a better performer all-around if you have a headphone amp. If you won't be using a dedicated headphone amp or if you need the isolation, then the A500 is the one to get. The K240S has a smoother response, i.e. not as meany peaks and valleys as the A500, plus the soundstage is much better since it is open. The A500 isn't as bad as some closed headphones, but it does still have that closed in feeling. Both are above average in comfort and build quality. Both are great values at the $100 price point. I've tried the DT-250 but found it too uncomfortable to even consider the sound. But I am very picky about comfort and even the A500 and K240S annoy me at times.

 

[mektarus]

I've seen several people say that the K240s sounds fine without an amp but sounds better with a cheap amp and sounds great with a nice amp. Would you agree with this?

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by slindeman I have both the A500 and K240S. I think the K240S is a better performer all-around if you have a headphone amp. If you won't be using a dedicated headphone amp or if you need the isolation, then the A500 is the one to get. The K240S has a smoother response, i.e. not as meany peaks and valleys as the A500, plus the soundstage is much better since it is open. The A500 isn't as bad as some closed headphones, but it does still have that closed in feeling. Both are above average in comfort and build quality. Both are great values at the $100 price point. I've tried the DT-250 but found it too uncomfortable to even consider the sound. But I am very picky about comfort and even the A500 and K240S annoy me at times.

 

[pbirkett]

I ran it out of a not so cheap amp, and to be honest, I thought it sounded pretty poor. It sounded even worse out of my integrated amp.

 

[lini]

Paul: I still wonder why the K240S didn't work for you. But then again, the descriptions of the K271S (mine sounded rather weird to me) also seem to differ quite a bit (maybe even more than of the K240S). I'm really puzzled...

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: The new DT660 should be worth a try for portable use with isolation, I'd assume - efficiency should be at least on par with the semi-open DT440 (The Funkalizer), if one can trust the measurements in Stereoplay (though I'd suspect the frequency response graphs to look quite a bit different, if they has used a low impedance output...).

 

[slindeman]

I haven't had good luck with it unless I use one of my dedicated amps. Out of my vintage Marantz receiver it sounds hollow and muddy. Out of my computer speaker headphone jack it sounds boomy. Out of my Palm it sounds weak. I don't use it that often without an amp, however, so bear in mind that others will have more experience than me in that area. It matches very well with my Millet hybrid tube/ss amp, and that's an inexpensive amp! It also sounds nice with my META42s. I haven't tried it with any expensive amps. With an expensive amp you would want a higher resolution headphone like HD600/HD650, which have a similar sound signature to the K240S.

 

[mektarus]

Thanks for the feedback. If you don't like the K240's are there any headphones on the list below that you would recommend? Or are there others you like better? I don't really want to spend more than ~$120.

Thanks again!

AKG K240s
AKG K401
Alessandro MS-1
ATH A500
Beyerdynamic DT250-80
Pioneer SE-Monitor10r
Sennheiser HD280 Pro (or Silver, what's the difference?)
Sennheiser HD555


Quote:

Originally Posted by pbirkett I ran it out of a not so cheap amp, and to be honest, I thought it sounded pretty poor. It sounded even worse out of my integrated amp.

 

[pbirkett]

Mektarus, I havent heard any of that list except the K240S. Nevertheless, I'd *guess* based on what I have read and my own experiences that if you could stand the comfort, perhaps the MS1 is a good buy, or perhaps the HD555.

 

[lini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slindeman I haven't had good luck with it unless I use one of my dedicated amps. Out of my vintage Marantz receiver it sounds hollow and muddy. Out of my computer speaker headphone jack it sounds boomy. Out of my Palm it sounds weak. I don't use it that often without an amp, however, so bear in mind that others will have more experience than me in that area. (...)

I also wonder why some people seem to like the K240S for ampless use, despite that it still sounds ok through the 2x 15 mW headphone out my Grundig pcdp. The PortaCorda(II) already does significantly better, though.

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[slchang]

I own & enjoy both the AKG 240S and Beyer DT250-80. I think two important questions that haven't been asked yet are, what kind of music do you listen to, and is isolation important?

Sound -- AKG has a bit more extension, heavy on the bass side. It does sound a bit boomy unamped, but depending on your ears you migth not notice (you might even enjoy it). The Beyers have a very reasonable sound both unamped and amped, esp if you are not craving extreme high end. DT250-80 bass doesn't go quite as low, but they have a lovely, impactful mid-bass, and I don't mind the rolled off trebles for alternative rock and electronic.

Soundstage -- DT250-80 has a very narrow soundstage, with a sort of enclosed, studio-like (acoustically dampened) feel. The K240S soundstage is more open and natural.

So, that said, I think the DT250-80 are really good for electronica, (modern/alternative) rock, and other intimate, studio-y sounding recordings. I have never heard Crystal Method sound more fun and involving than on the 250-80. For music that requires a more natural acoustic quality (live rock, jazz, classical), the soundstage of the 250-80 is overly closed, and I prefer the AKG K240S.

Regarding isolation: DT250 has pretty good isolation for an indoor (dorm room, office) environment. They're really great for cutting out computer fan noise, even without music on. Once you turn on a little music the isolation improves. They don't isolate enough for a noisy commute, e.g., on a bus. AKG K240S provides relatively little isolation, which can be useful when you want to be more aware of what's going on around you. One nice thing about the 240S compared to other non-isolating headphones is they do prevent sound leakage pretty substantially--much more than they provide isolation from outside sound. This is useful if you are worried about annoying co-workers/roommates. (From what I understand, the A500 would provide isolation a cut above the 250-80.)

As for comfort, this is a *highly* subjective area (perhaps it's the ultimately subjective area in headphone evaluation), so don't think anyone's opinions here other than yours necessarily count for much. To me, both cans are pretty comfy. The AKG K240S feels lighter -- very little pressure on the top of my head. However, the larger earpieces interfere more with my glasses, which is annoying. The Beyer DT250-80 initially feels a little snug, but the earpieces fit nicely just around my ears, and they don't cause any problems with my glasses. My main problem is that I have a "tall" head and occassionally, the DT250-80 feels like it's pressing right on the top. (Sometimes, I can listen for hours at a time without noticing.)

Good luck!