Great studio cans!
Written: May 22 '01 (Updated Jun 04 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent accuracy
Cons: Low sensitivty and high impedance make these headphones tough to drive
The Bottom Line: The AKG K240DF is an excellent pair of professional-grade headphones – particularly with professional-grade equipment or component A/V receivers.
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| LetItRut's Full Review: AKG K 240M Professional Headphones |
On May 22, 2001 I went to Sam Ash to demo the AKG K240DF headphones, hoping for something much better than the cheap closed headphones usually sold in mass-market superstores. But after demoing them on a studio-grade CD player, I ended up buying a pair of Sony MDR-7506 headphones that day (but almost two weeks later - on June 4, 2001 I did buy the AKG K240DF headphones).
The AKG K240DF headphones sounded accurate, for the most part – but there’s something missing. The bass on the K240DF sounded thin and lifeless. But that was due to either the CD player I had used to demo these headphones on or the CD itself being played at the time. Also, due to the relatively low sensitivity, the K240DF headphones require turning up the volume control of the audio device much higher than normal just to obtain adequate loudness, unless one uses a dedicated headphone amplifier. (In other words, the output loudness from the combination of the K240DF and either of my Panasonic portable CD players is barely adequate - but whatever little output the combination does deliver is of fairly high quality. I suspect that the built-in headphone amplifiers on my two portable Panasonics distort very little even at their maximum volume setting.) The mids and highs are accurate, clear and detailed. The K240DF’s impedance is 600 ohms – too demanding for most consumer audio devices. Home component A/V receivers will work decently with the K240DF headphones (due to the fact that the headphone jack on most home receivers has an output impedance of 120 ohms) – but for users of portables and component CD players, I’d recommend low-impedance headphones.
The AKG K240DF headphones have a self-adjusting headband, which makes them feel much lighter than their 9.1-ounce weight would make the user believe. The earcups are circumaural, but circular; some people’s ears may be pinched in use. But at least they exert less pressure on the ears than many other headphones. And despite the generous use of plastic the K240DF headphones are engineered to last for many years; in fact, the original K240 was introduced in 1974 – years before the advent of commercially available digital recordings. The straight (non-coiled) cord attaches to only the left earpiece, and is terminated with a 3.5mm gold-plated plug (on currently shipping versions). A gold-plated screw-on 3.5 to 6.3mm adapter is supplied.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
LetItRut
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Location: Melrose Park, IL, USA
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An audio enthusiast and a computer geek who loves bike riding.
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