[EternalEmpire]

I posted another thread a while ago but I didn't really find the answer I was looking for, I hate posting these kinds of threads and I know others don't appreciate them so in advance I apologise.
 
I like my V6 but I'm looking to upgrade to something without the following flaws I've noticed in the V6s sound:
- I find them to be overly bassy.
- The treble, as many have said before me, is bordering on harsh at the best of times, with the wrong recording it can be a downright painful experience.
- I'd like more sound stage, I don't feel that there's enough separation with the V6, everything feels 'closed in'.
 
Does anyone know of a can that would remedy these 3 issues (and is maybe a bring a more 'intimate' feel to the vocals too)? Preferably under £150 (around $200), and not highly dependant upon an amp (although I do intend on buying an amp at some point, I'm not in the best position to buy one now as I'm searching for a car and need to be saving my money up).

 

[ktsai1283]

Try the AKG K 271 MKII or the 272 HD (same headphone; marketed towards different people).
 
I think they fit all of your criteria.
 
Good luck!

 

[EternalEmpire]

Thanks for the response.
 
I've been looking at the AKG K271 and I really like what I've read about them, I'm just concerned by the apparent lack of bass on them. I know I complained about there being too much for my taste in the V6 but I don't want there to be too little either 

 
Would the lack of bass be something which could be remedied by proper amplification? If so, the lack of bass shouldn't be too much of an issue as I intend on getting an amp at some point and this would give me a good reason to get one.
 
Curse my indecisiveness.
 
Edit: You mentioned that the K271 and K272 are marketed towards different people, what kind of person would each be marketed towards? From what I understand, the K271 comes with extra cables and extra ear pads, while the K272 doesn't.
 
Quote:

Try the AKG K 271 MKII or the 272 HD (same headphone; marketed towards different people).
 
I think they fit all of your criteria.
 
Good luck!

 

[tdockweiler]

271 and 272 are still going to need an amp. They will still sound OK out of a larger portable at least.
 
For some very stupid reason the 271 and 272 HD are overpriced at most websites.
 
Those are a closed version of the AKG K240 Studio. The studio is only $99!
 
The MK II version price is terrible and usually an extra $50-$70! The only difference is that it seems to have a slightly different design and comes with an extra pair of pads that are velour and also includes an extra coiled cable. Sound is the same. FYI the K240 cable is straight and removable.
 
I highly suggest saving some money and getting the K240 Studio for $99. It's far better then the MDR-V6 to me.
 
Don't listen to peoples comments that say it's bass heavy. The bass is very well controlled and I don't find it too have too much bass. Not even a lot of mid-bass.
 
I guess you could say the k240 is just like a 271/272 with more bass. It's semi open, but doesn't seem to leak sound too badly at all.
 
The mids/vocals are also very, very good. Right now it's one of my favorite headphones and they're extremely comfortable and light.
 
My DJ 100 has way better vocals, but the k240 does most everything else slightly better and is better for more genres. It's soundstage is also better and the highs are less rolled off.
 
EDIT: Sorry, forgot to mention that despite being 50ohms, the K240 needs an amp. It even makes my Total Airhead complain sometimes and that's a very good portable amp.
A good amp also seem to also make the bass a little more controlled. I still can't figure out why so many people say it has so much bass. Maybe it gets toned down after burn-in or something.
It reminds me of the very well controlled bass of the DT-770 32 ohm.
 
BTW I also found the MDR-V6 to be too bassy (which doesn't seem to make sense!) and there was something missing from the vocals. Someone in another thread posted what this was, but I've totally forgotten! The highs of the K240 are about the same as the SRH-840. Not fatiguing really and just about perfect. It's not a laid back headphone like some Sennheisers though. The k240 seemed to have a lot more bass right out of the box, but not so much after burn-in.

 

[Kukuk]

I went from V6 to K271. I wouldn't say it disappointed me, but I don't feel the jump was entirely worth the money, at least running these unamped (haven't got my amp yet).
 
With bass boosted I think the K271's have very nice bass actually. Overall lighter than the V6's, but at times it seems like it can hit a bit harder.
 
They also don't isolate as well or offer the same confidence of build quality the V6's offer.

 

[mibutenma]

Sony must of changed the MDR V6.
I have a pair I guess you could call it vintage mdrv6 Made In Japan.
 
They are pretty bass light almost no bass.
Just tons of treble and severely lacking mids as well.
 
 

 

[myscoobysti]

Quote:

Sony must of changed the MDR V6.
I have a pair I guess you could call it vintage mdrv6 Made In Japan.
 
They are pretty bass light almost no bass.
Just tons of treble and severely lacking mids as well.
 
 

 
My V6 is also made in Japan and it's almost 10 years old. It's pretty much like what you described, lots of treble and almost no bass.
 

 

[mrbrad]

My V6s are about 20 yrs old, have plenty of bass. Clarity is not great and at times, I get what seems like an echo.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Have you considered a used Sennheiser HD-600? They usually sell around $200/£150 used. Read the reviews - the HD-600 might be a good fit for you.

 

[bvzxa3]

Well I jut got my MDR-V6 today, and to say they don't have bass is crazy. They handle bass quite well. in an amped source, My Aiwa Shelf system and my OTS turntables EQ have gone through a revolutionary change. I like the sound but my brain has to get used to them. The treble is high, but it can handle bass very well. I actually like them better coming out of my Sansa e260 Rockboxd.
 
I even recessed the bass on the EQ on OTS Turntables, and put the Aiwa EQ to flat. They still had bass even with the low end spectrum going from 0db to -14db. I may sell these and follow this thread closely to make another purchase down the line, or use these with my portables for now. That may happen since I like the way they sound on the portable.

 

[EternalEmpire]

 
I've heard some people say that the K240 are worse than the K271, I guess that's all down to how subjective this all is in the end, but from how you described them they sound like they'd be a better fit for what I'm looking for.
 
With them being quite a bit cheaper than the K271, this might mean that I can spend the money I saved on them and get an amp.

Quote:

271 and 272 are still going to need an amp. They will still sound OK out of a larger portable at least.
 
For some very stupid reason the 271 and 272 HD are overpriced at most websites.
 
Those are a closed version of the AKG K240 Studio. The studio is only $99!
 
The MK II version price is terrible and usually an extra $50-$70! The only difference is that it seems to have a slightly different design and comes with an extra pair of pads that are velour and also includes an extra coiled cable. Sound is the same. FYI the K240 cable is straight and removable.
 
I highly suggest saving some money and getting the K240 Studio for $99. It's far better then the MDR-V6 to me.
 
Don't listen to peoples comments that say it's bass heavy. The bass is very well controlled and I don't find it too have too much bass. Not even a lot of mid-bass.
 
I guess you could say the k240 is just like a 271/272 with more bass. It's semi open, but doesn't seem to leak sound too badly at all.
 
The mids/vocals are also very, very good. Right now it's one of my favorite headphones and they're extremely comfortable and light.
 
My DJ 100 has way better vocals, but the k240 does most everything else slightly better and is better for more genres. It's soundstage is also better and the highs are less rolled off.
 
EDIT: Sorry, forgot to mention that despite being 50ohms, the K240 needs an amp. It even makes my Total Airhead complain sometimes and that's a very good portable amp.
A good amp also seem to also make the bass a little more controlled. I still can't figure out why so many people say it has so much bass. Maybe it gets toned down after burn-in or something.
It reminds me of the very well controlled bass of the DT-770 32 ohm.
 
BTW I also found the MDR-V6 to be too bassy (which doesn't seem to make sense!) and there was something missing from the vocals. Someone in another thread posted what this was, but I've totally forgotten! The highs of the K240 are about the same as the SRH-840. Not fatiguing really and just about perfect. It's not a laid back headphone like some Sennheisers though. The k240 seemed to have a lot more bass right out of the box, but not so much after burn-in.

__________
 
I have considered them but I'm very weary about buying used gear. The owner might not describe the item as it really is, and even if they do and there truly are no problems with it, an unknown problem could still crop up with them and then you're in quite a bit of trouble.
 
Quote:

Have you considered a used Sennheiser HD-600? They usually sell around $200/£150 used. Read the reviews - the HD-600 might be a good fit for you.

 
 
Thank you both for the responses, I'll look into the K240 some more, it sounds like a good fit for me 

 

[drez]

k272 sounds very upfront, bass is tight and has great impact, when amped properly it has heaps of bass.  My only concession is that it is a bit expensive, but I cant personally think of a closed can with better, more natural, yet engaging presentation for less money.
 
There should be plenty of shops that stock akg, sony etc. where you can demo.  I havent tried the v6, but have tried the v700, and the bass on that was terrible, absolutely no detial or definition, just a big continuous fart.
 
PS: Ultrasones would definitely be worth considering also, apparently they have awesome bass, and they have both closed and open designs, the open designs having better soundstage.

 

[tdockweiler]

I've also seen posts saying the 271 is better. It seems to all be divided 50% on which is best. I think for plain studio monitoring, maybe the 271 would be best due to being slightly more neutral. I think I also read somewhere that they had slightly more detail, but vocals were not quite as good overall. Perhaps this person had a k240 that had more bass then mine does.
 
I still want to try out the 271, but I don't feel like paying $160+. Since i'm such a huge fan of the k240 right now I probably will anyway within the next 6 months. Somehow it seems that I like closed headphones more, because it feels like everything is more upfront and closer to me. The k240 is like this, but not quite as much as i'd like. With my DJ100 I feel like i'm closer to the music and I don't know how it does this. Almost feels like an IEM in a way.
 
The only negative of the k240 I can think of is that the imaging is only "good", but not great. It's actually worse then my Pro DJ 100. Does anyone know if this is a negative of open designs? I think this is why, but I'm not sure. At the same time though the soundstage is very good. It's just hard to pinpoint specific sounds. My DJ100 does a far better job of this and that's closed. I guess everything can't be perfect with my k240.

 

[EternalEmpire]

I heard the K271/2 had very little bass impact (though the bass is said to have a lot of detail). I can't seem to find a K272 anywhere, even online, in England.
 
In regards to the bolded bit - not in England :/
 
Quote:

k272 sounds very upfront, bass is tight and has great impact, when amped properly it has heaps of bass.  My only concession is that it is a bit expensive, but I cant personally think of a closed can with better, more natural, yet engaging presentation for less money.
 
There should be plenty of shops that stock akg, sony etc. where you can demo.  I havent tried the v6, but have tried the v700, and the bass on that was terrible, absolutely no detial or definition, just a big continuous fart.
 
PS: Ultrasones would definitely be worth considering also, apparently they have awesome bass, and they have both closed and open designs, the open designs having better soundstage.

_____________
 
Would you recommend the Studio over the MKII model of the K240 (or even one of the old versions, provided I can actually get a hold of one)? The Studio will set me back around £87 ($140) whereas the MKII is going to set me back around £95-100 ($160). Unfortunately prices are a lot more expensive over here.
 
Also, as for the bolded bit, I don't quite understand. How can the K240 be worse than the K240? Were you talking about one of the other versions of it?
 
Quote:

I've also seen posts saying the 271 is better. It seems to all be divided 50% on which is best. I think for plain studio monitoring, maybe the 271 would be best due to being slightly more neutral. I think I also read somewhere that they had slightly more detail, but vocals were not quite as good overall. Perhaps this person had a k240 that had more bass then mine does.
 
I still want to try out the 271, but I don't feel like paying $160+. Since i'm such a huge fan of the k240 right now I probably will anyway within the next 6 months. Somehow it seems that I like closed headphones more, because it feels like everything is more upfront and closer to me. The k240 is like this, but not quite as much as i'd like. With my DJ100 I feel like i'm closer to the music and I don't know how it does this. Almost feels like an IEM in a way.
 
The only negative of the k240 I can think of is that the imaging is only "good", but not great. It's actually worse then my k240. Does anyone know if this is a negative of open designs? I think this is why, but I'm not sure. At the same time though the soundstage is very good. It's just hard to pinpoint specific sounds. My DJ100 does a far better job of this and that's closed. I guess everything can't be perfect with my k240.
 

 

 

[tdockweiler]

_____________
 
Would you recommend the Studio over the MKII model of the K240 (or even one of the old versions, provided I can actually get a hold of one)? The Studio will set me back around £87 ($140) whereas the MKII is going to set me back around £95-100 ($160). Unfortunately prices are a lot more expensive over here.
 
Also, as for the bolded bit, I don't quite understand. How can the K240 be worse than the K240? Were you talking about one of the other versions of it?
 

 

 
I don't think the MKII is worth the extra $50 or $60 (the price difference is a lot more in the USA). If you're using them for a studio, then maybe. I think the only difference is that they have a slightly different design, include an extra cable (coiled) and some velour pads. Luckily the difference isn't as much where you are, so it may be worth it if you really want the velour pads and need a coiled cable. The sound quality is going to be the same. I read somewhere that the velour pads improve the bass due to a more secure fit, but I'm not sure if this is true.
 
Sorry for the typo. I meant to say that my K240 has worse imaging then my DJ100 that is closed. In my experiences, closed headphones always seemed to have better imaging and i'm not sure why.
 
The 272/271 will probably have better imaging, but the soundstage will not be as good as the K240 I'd imagine.