[palindrom]

Quote:

(...) Would the AKG 240MKII need a headphone amp for use with the Vox Tonelab ST? 
 

 
Yes, You'll drive 55ohm version from anything with good results but amp would make them fly.

 

[arcticTaco]

This is an old old thread, but the OP didn't post his results so I thought I would. This thread was the top Google result for my search, at least, so I think it will help someone 

 
I used this thread in making my decision about amp-replacement headphones for my pending move into an apartment, and I ended up going with the K240MkII's. I'm driving them from the headphone output on my Digitech RP355 DSP, I planned on having no guitar amplifier is in the circuit at all. The DSP has decent amplifier emulators so I will not be missing much in the way of tone.
 
I start out this story on a negative note, but know that I did get this setup working very well and I am pretty pleased with the headphones.
 
In this setup (without a guitar or headphone amplifier), it sounded terrible, both clean and distorted. Especially on distorted effects. I'm a bit of an audiophile, but this was so bad that no guitarist would use it. All tone was gone - you can tell what you are playing, but you will NOT appreciate how it sounds. Garbage.
 
I tried throwing a friends guitar amp in circuit (MKII's plugged into headphone out on the MG30DFX). There was an improvement - I could stand it, but I would never enjoy it like I would playing through the cab.
 
I purchased a Fiio E6 headphone amplifier. Now everything sounds incredible and I do not miss the open-air amp at all. This is the sound you want when you are practicing, you will not miss a single mistake. On the amp, you can get away with adding a string to a chord or accidentally muting a string. Not so with the Guitar->RP355->FiioE6->K240 setup. I hear everything, it sounds amazing, and I catch my mistakes. Couldn't be more pleased with the sound! I've also used the 4 channel bidirectional USB interface for recording into CuBase provided by the RP355 and I've been pleased with the quality through the headphones (still plugged into the DSP), though there is a slight latency apparent. Additionally, I tried RP355->Marshall MG30DFX->FiioE6->K240. Still sounds good, but I thought the (admittedly low to mid range) guitar amp actually hurt the tone, overall.
 
As far as comfort - These are remarkably comfortable headphones for listening. I could sit at my computer and listen all day without issue. Playing guitar, they are less ideal because of the loose semi-open design. You've got the cord running through a myriad of potential catch-points on your setup - feet, chair, body, guitar, guitar stand, wah pedal, etc. If it catches on any of them, these headphones will start to slide off slightly. I'm thinking about running a 3.5mm extension up my chair behind me so I can plug in with a minimum of catch points. It would be better to have tighter fitting closed headphones (though the problem would still exist), but it would hurt the comfort level and it is not a deal-breaker. I am very pleased with my sound and setup!
 
Another great reason these are so great is the replaceable cables. You and I both know the volume or wah pedal could destroy a headphone cable in an instant, which will permanently damage an expensive pair of headphones. Not only is the cable replaceable, but it comes with two (straight and coiled) so I have complete peace of mind. The battery operated headphone amp may be a negative in the long run, but I was trying to minimize my cost since I didn't know if it would fix my sound. If it gets annoying, I'll buy a decent desktop amp.

 

[Chris_Himself]

John Mayer likes Alessandro headphones for practice actually and he's known to use their guitar amps too

 

[SolomonPierce]

AKGs used to be the go to cans for studios, but recently, it seems that people are leaning towards Sony and Beyerdynamic.  You could get some dt770s, they're not too pricy, very comfortable, and durable!  Not the best for guitar music, at least for listening, but they are popular in studios, and you won't have to worry about breaking them.
 
Grado is wicked uncomfortable imo, way too annoying the use for a long duration.  Plus they're open, which isn't great for studio use usually.  They're good for listening to rock but idk about recording with them.