AKG Pro Audio K240 STUDIO Over-Ear, Semi-Open, Professional Studio Headphones.
Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 10 customer ratings
(10 customer reviews)
69.00$
SKU: akg-pro-audio-k240-studio-over-ear-semi-open-professional-studio-headphones
Category: HeadPhones
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Description
- Professional studio headphones
- Semi-open
- 3 m replaceable cable
- Audio Interface type: Stereo plug – 3.5mm (1/8-inch) with 6.3 mm (1/4”) screw-on adapter
Additional information
Size | K240STUDIO |
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10 reviews for AKG Pro Audio K240 STUDIO Over-Ear, Semi-Open, Professional Studio Headphones.
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Jonathan Cohen –
I chose these headphones after doing quite a bit of internet research about high-quality, affordable headphone options. This maker used to be one of the highest-reviewed headphones with its combination of great sound quality and affordability, however, recently the company was apparently acquired by a Chinese company. Some reviewers felt that the quality had dropped off after the acquisition, however, I decided to give the product a try based on the previous reviews. I have not been disappointed with these headphones. I primarily use the headphones for watching movies or playing games on my laptop when the kids are sleeping, however, I have used them to watch movies on my home theater system, and to play my digital piano. The sound quality is always top-notch and the headphones stay really comfortable even after a few hours. They have an over-ear design so they cancel out a lot of other noise, and the padding is quite comfortable on my head. These are a great option for somebody looking for good sound quality but who doesn’t want to drop $100 or more for Bose or Beats.
dorkthrone –
I use sonarworks reference and they have a profile for these. It does make it sound way better but that is my opinion.Oh I also bought the supralux clones and the Sampson ones. These are def better than any of those, don’t listen to the reviews. The Supralux and Sampson’s can’t be used out the box for mixing. They are very colored and kinda crappy l. Well you could use them. The reviews on those two will be glowing but it is uneducated amateurs imo who would review those two highly. I found them unusable for working, even with a sonarworks profile.I use these for general use but also for mixing at home. They work fine for mixing with the sonarworks reference.Really any headphones can be used for mixing if you know their sound compared to your monitors. However, neutral headphones are gonna be easier. These are pretty good and comfortable but liek I said, out the box probably aren’t super great for detailed mixing unless you use them so much you have em dialed. For general use they sound pretty good tho.The sound stage is pretty open, compared to something liek senn HD280 or Sony V6. However, even though both of those are closed, the detail is better in those headphones imo. You don’t always need the bigger soundstage. Sometimes more detail and separation is better for mixing imo. In particular for editing. When editing I want precision and to be able to hear phase alignment issues. Drums in particular but also multi mic guitar. And like I said, if you are chopping stuff and editing bad takes lol you need to be able to hear any errant pops or clicks.Overall… these are good. For the price? Yea. I wouldn’t imaging that similar phones in this AKG line that are twice as much are actually twice as good. So for a return on investment or for an extra a/b source just get these. I haven’t used the higher end ones tho. Just you have to know that these probably get used by 10x the amount of people so will be refined. For entry level these seem fine
Jason M. –
Needing a pair of decent cans for hobbyist mixing projects and casual listening, but not wanting to kill my meager piggy bank (ie, looking in the $50-$100 range), I sought suggestions from various corners of the interwebs, and most consistently mentioned was this pair, the AKG-K240, Studio variant. After a couple of weeks using them I’m comfortable adding my voice to the chorus of praise. They’re comfortable and light enough to wear for hours at a time. They seem to be quite capable monitors in terms of accuracy; I got nice translations to various listening environments from a few problematic mixes I tested on. They’re detailed enough to dial in subtle reverb effects and such, but they sound pleasant enough in their own right as well, with little hint of listening fatigue after a couple of hours of casual music consumption. They’re not intended to wow you with brain-rattling bass or to artificially surmount your high-frequency hearing loss with excessive treble amplification, so if that’s what you want or need, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But for a modestly-priced workhorse set of cans, there’s a good chance these will fit the bill.Some caveats: build construction reflects the price-point–don’t sit on them or step on them, etc. They probably won’t survive. The cord is thin, and possibly too long for certain use-cases (and, because of its thinness, prone to damage). Fortunately the cord is easily removed and replaced if need be. It does feed into the left can, which is something to consider (I’d have rather it feed on the right, but it’s a very minor issue for my use case).Final verdict: Jack of all trades, master of none? Maybe, but incredible value all the same.
Timothy Ernst –
I’m going to start with the cons because there are so few that it’s easier to say what these do wrong compared to everything else.Cons- no rumbling bass. I personally like this, as I find heavy sub-bass such as in Beats Solo 2 headphones or most other consumer sets to be a bit grating after a while, to the point that I have a headache. These headphones are definitely not for bass-heads in any way. You’ll be able to tell the rumble is there, but it’s not nearly as prevalent as in other headphones. As a result, if you are a bass-head, you’ll probably think these are a bit weak. Instead, you’ll be hearing the tone and the notes of the bass a lot more than you would with other headphones in the same price range.- sound leakage/isolation. These are semi-open headphones, meaning sound can get in and get out easier than in a closed-back headphone. Again, I personally haven’t had a problem with this yet, but it does limit where you can use them. I found that 50% volume on my laptop was both perfectly loud enough for the music to ring through with power and clarity, while also not bothering those around me. As for sound coming in, I could hear my parents and the TV, but not enough to make out any words. These allow you to be aware of your surroundings, but at the same time they wouldn’t work for a train or air travel, as the lack of noise cancelling allows the sounds of the engines and track to overpower the music.Pros- the sound. Thanks to the semi-open design, the highs and mids in these headphones are beautiful. You can see for yourself how the semi-open cups change this by covering them with your hands while you’re listening, doing so makes the music a bit more claustrophobic with harsher treble. Everything I’ve tried with them, whether it be Kendrick Lamar, Dying Fetus, Miles Davis, or Nirvana, has sounded better than I’ve ever heard. These are designed for studio recording, and as a result have a very flat and even sound that doesn’t emphasize any particular frequency. They’re bright, but not ear piercing. They have bass, but it doesn’t drown out the rest of the music, even on an insanely bass-heavy album like 21 Savage & Offset’s “Without Warning.” Since these are made for studio recording and production, you’ll naturally get as close a sound as possible to how the music is supposed to sound, without modifications to any particular. I’ve been able to hear details in some songs I had no idea were there, and it’s a wonderful experience to relive some of my favorite albums with this more studio accurate sound.- comfort. These headphones are very, very light, with soft leather cushions and a leather headband. While it’s a bit odd for headphones that sound this good to be so light initially, it’s actually quite nice and allows for extended listening without discomfort. No adjustment is needed when putting these on; instead of having the locking sections most headphones do for adjusting them, these have springs in the headband. This allows them to fit comfortably by just putting them on, without figuring out exactly where each cup needs to be to make it feel right. I personally found the cups to be big enough for my ears to fit almost completely inside of them, but I’ve seen some complain that they are too small, so take note of that. One of the other benefits of the previously mentioned semi-open design is allowing some air to come through as well; my ears did not get nearly as hot as they did with Beats or Sony Gold or any other closed back headphones I’ve used, which is something I have been dying to have for a long time.- looks. Of course this is completely personal taste. I think these headphones look awesome, but I can understand if someone else doesn’t. AKG makes another model that is a bit less retro looking called the AKG M220 which might be more someone’s style. They’re pretty much the exact same headphones, except with a white and black color scheme and a price point that’s about $2 higher than these.- wire. The wire this thing came with is long, longer than I’ve seen in most stores outside of Fry’s or Best Buy. That works great for me, as I’m going to mainly use these in my dorm where I need to move around. You can also buy a replacement wire if this one isn’t long enough that’s 25 feet. Speaking of replacement, yes, these headphones have a replaceable wire, meaning it’s not really a big deal if the wire breaks. It might be a bit difficult to find a cable for them though, as instead of a normal aux cord, these have a 35mm plug on one end and a mini XLR on the other that plugs into the headphones. It’s a stronger fit than other headphones I’ve used with removable wires, but also a slightly confusing design choice. These also come with an adapter for larger plugs such as those you’d find on the headphone port of a receiver, not something I myself needed but welcome nonetheless.- price. I got these for around $68, an insanely low price for how good these are. You can easily go over $100, $200, or even $300 to try to find headphones that are better than this, but if you’re just looking for something to listen to music or even do some of your own recording, these are perfectly fine. As well, that removable wire and other reviews I’ve seen from trusted source means these are insanely durable; you may never need to buy another pair of headphones again.In short, these are the best headphones I have ever come across. The sound leakage and lack of sub-bass could be a problem for some people, but personally they weren’t massive enough to bring the score down. If you’re on the fence, absolutely get these or their sister product the AKG M220’s, you won’t regret it. Samson makes a model that is clearly based off of these, and from what I’ve heard they’re slightly heavier on the bass, though I personally went with these because of the removable wire and trust I have with the reviewers that recommended these.
JB –
My review will be based on a lay-person’s perspective. I only have two other headphones to compare it to, a Philips SHP9500 and a Skullcandy Crusher (the older ones). In terms of:Sound: it’s definitely in the middle. It’s not as clear as the SHP9500, but it definitely stomps than the Crusher. When gaming with this, I could actually tell where sounds are coming from and their distance. You couldn’t do that on the Crusher. It also muffles environmental sounds better than the other two like a white noise. The sound is there but it does not bother. Although, the K240 loses to the Crusher when it comes to the bass.Size: again, in the middle. The SHP9500 is just so huge that it makes the K240 comparative to the Crusher, even though K240 is bigger.Design: the SHP9500 makes the K240 feel and look cheap (it should since the former costs more). The over-the-ear pads are uncomfortable after an hour or so of use. Even the Crusher’s cushions feel much more comfortable. The pads on these are detachable and replaceable. I found out about it when I was wiping to clean it. The thing that bothered me though was the band that’s allows it to adjust its height. To me, it looked like cheap ponytail hair ties (see the pictures attached). Like, really?Despite my complaints, I rated the K240 5-stars because I was surprised on how good it sounds for the money and how easy I can wipe the oil and sweat on it after use.
JV –
This set is better for people that have at least 4 headphones and are looking for a treble detailed set. Not recommended as the only headphone to have. The bass is there but it is not the emphasis and not pounding as some may prefer. Crisp and clear highs, better suited for analytics than “fun”. Some music productions and genre benefit from these headphones, some others do not.These need an amplifier to get the best sound. I am using a schiitt magni2 at high gain, the low gain does not produce as much brightness and the lower ranges were barely noticeable, the high gain improves on that and produces very nice detailed sound.Change the pads. The ones out of the box are terrible, I am using the XL brainwavz velour and they are fantastic.
r3dlin3r –
I purchased these back in April 2014… three years later they are still fantastic for open/semi-open headphones. The low ohms (55) make these head phones easy to drive for mobile (though since they are semi-open they tend to sound quieter). I use have used these from the beginning with the Fiio E10k which has a +Bass switch that I utilize when listening to certain types of music. These headphones are neutral enough for mastering YouTube videos and singer-songwriter tracks, but I would stick to closed backs such as the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x if you do that kind of work often.These headphones have held up very well to daily, desk-use, for two to ten hours a day… for three years now. I did purchase the “Cosmos” velour earpads for longer listening sessions (have to clean with a lint-roller monthly) and a shorter cable (personal preference, I do not recall a difference in sound).I’ve not had extensive time with any other audiophile type open headphones other than the Sennheiser HD600; I’d say the AKG K 240 Studio (55 ohms) headphones are a bargain if you are looking for open/semi-open headphones… The soundstage is more than good enough, though crisp mids and lows require more volume, but for the price I can live with that! If you want a more-neutral sounding pair for long-listening sessions, this is probably the cheapest and best bet. I paid around $80 for mine and today they cost around $55… I’d pay $100 readily, though I might try grado or another similar brand first.
Thom Bone –
I grew up recording and monitoring with these. My ears are as tuned to them as they are to the Yamaha NS-10m’s (which they are, very much hehe).A great set of cans. Perfect for monitoring for long periods because they are also extremely comfortable.The size conversion adapter is also included, so you can plug these into anything not Apple (grrrr! I am still mad about that because bluetooth is laggy and is no good for even mundane audio work on an iDevice so great, another expensive dongle to lose–but that is another review for another day).The audio quality of these hasn’t changed in all of the years I have been using them. My old set sounds just like this new one. That is no small feat, considering, well, you know… ummm, modern manufacturing techniques let’s just call it.They are also accurate. Not too much of anything, nor too little. Mids are clearly defined which is all important when mixing especially. I would only use them to monitor and “check in” with a session while mastering though, they aren’t good enough for “in the box” mastering, of course. Not much is. Nothing is at this price point. But for what they are – workhorse studio monitors, this is the “go to” set, I believe. I’ve tried just about everything, and while decent Senns DO come close, I always seem to find my way back to these.
Nick –
Great sound quality, replace your gamer headset.Disclaimer: I am not an audiophile, nor do I have a mass of experience in studio quality headphones. I mainly play games and casually listen to music.Pros:Comfort- These headphones are incredibly lightweight. I seriously barely feel these when they’re onmy head, they squeeze just enough to stay on your ears, so if you’ve got a big head like me, you should be fine. I can wear these for hours.Sound- these sound great and offer much better sound quality than I’ve had with typical gamer marketed headsets from brands like razor and Logitech.Detachable cord- the audio cable is detachable and there is a small button where it connects to the headset to release it. In my experience, the cable is always what dies first so it is nice that it’s detachable/replaceable.Cons: can’t really think of any, met all expectations.
Simon –
Great cans – The bass is good, the low end drops off a bit and there’s a slight mid-bass hump, but it feels clean, punchy, and taut otherwise. The mids are clear and the instrument separation is great. However, some higher pitched female vocals can sound recessed and quiet at times, although this is only a minor concern. The highs are clear and crisp, although a bit more subtle than some cans I’ve heard, as the high end rolls off a bit early for my taste. The soundstage isn’t particularly wide, but seems precise and has a very clear sense of space.My favorite part about these headphones is that they sound great for almost any type of music. My old cans, Grado SR-60i’s, were brilliant with rock, acoustic and folk music, but were lacking in the electronic and hip hop departments. On the other hand, I have used my friend’s Audio-Technica M50’s, which sounded great with electronic, but sounded flat and congested and lacked detail with any guitar driven songs. These are neutral enough to pull off almost any genre – guitars are clear and open, and heavy bass lines are punchy and fun.The headphones themselves are nice, too. Construction is mainly plastic, but it’s thick, high quality plastic that has a nice texture and finish to it. Everything feels well put together, and they are comfortable, although the pads are a thick leatherette that is a bit firmer than it could be. I haven’t had a chance to try the velour pads, but they might be worth checking out if you wear headphones for hours on end. My favorite part honestly is the removable cables. I bought these because my SR-60’s (RIP) had the left side cut out, and my DIY cable job ended up melting the drivers, as the only way to separate the plastic is to either dip them in boiling water or use a heat gun on them. But when (if) the cable cuts out, it’s a matter of replacing it, instead of buying a whole new pair of headphones. The cable on the k240’s does seem a bit thin and flimsy, by the way, so if you can embrace the extra cash and hideous color scheme of the MK. II’s over the Studio’s, it might be a good time to splurge.These headphones have some flaws, but for the absurdly low price, these are a great value. They beat out $200+ cans without batting an eye. If you’re a headphone junkie, these are a must-have. And if you’re a newbie who has been using iPod earbuds, Skullcandies, or Beats all of your life, you will be utterly shocked at the sound of these things. Also keep in mind that an amp is helpful – they sound fine on their own, but the bass and soundstage stand out a bit more with a good amp. I have a Topping NX1 which is quite nice, and also recommended.