I have had a pair of AKG 240's for 12 years and find their sound to be excellent. 4 1/2 stars

Very clear, speaker-like sound
Lack of "ringing" resonances

Ill-suited for portables
Perhaps a bit weak on the bass (but that was compared to Sony headphones mentioned in "Similar Products Used" below)

This is an update of my review of the AKG K240DF headphones dated 5-22-01:

Almost two weeks after that review had been posted, I finally bought myself a pair of the K240DF's, and I have been running them in intermittently since. These K240DF's have been sounding better with each use (they were thin and lifeless when I first heard them). One caveat: I don't recommend using these - or any other 600-ohm pair of headphones, for that matter - directly with a portable audio player without an add-on headphone amp. When I used them directly from my Panasonic SL-SW850 and Sony D-EJ721 portable CD players, the sound from either player was barely loud enough for listening in a quiet environment (at the players' maximum listenable power output) - but whatever little output from the combination was decent in quality. On the other hand, my 11-year-old Pioneer SX-2600 receiver that I bought for $200 had no problems whatsoever with the K240DF's - I only had to turn up the SX-2600's volume control to a slightly higher setting than I would with most other headphones in order to obtain equally loud audio. The SX-2600 - which made almost all of my other headphones (even my Sennheiser HD-590 open-air headphones) sound muddy and laid-back - proved to be near-perfect with the K240DF's. :)

And since the K240DF is semi-closed, there is virtually no "ringing" in the sound, very unlike most of the fully closed Sony headphones that I had listened to.

There is a downside to them: The bass - while clear and detailed - may be too weak to satisfy the bass-freak in us (which, unfortunately, accounts for an overwhelming majority of the American listening population). I, however, stand in the minority - IMHO most of us are too used to listening to too much boomy, muddy, bloated, fatiguing bass! What the f*** are we becoming? "Duh!-m-Bass"es?

My overall rating for the AKG K240DF headphones is now 5 stars. I still stand by my value rating of 4 stars, however. The original 4-star overall rating really applies to the K240DF's cheaper (and darker-sounding) sibling, the K240Monitor (formerly the K240M). :)

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-7506, MDR-CD1700, MDR-V6, MDR-V600, MDR-V900

Excellent accuracy, lack of ringing

Low sensitivity and high impedance painfully reveals the limitations of most headphone jacks

This is a review of the AKG K240DF headphones.

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. Here’s why:

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 then I found out that the output impedance of the headphone jack on most component CD players (if there is any) is as low as that of the headphone jack on most portable audio devices. (In other words, the K240DF teamed with a mediocre amp will sound like crap!) 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. 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.

The AKG K240DF is an excellent pair of professional-grade headphones – particularly with a professional-grade amp. If you have equipment to match, I’d recommend it without reservation. But if you intend to use it with portables or with most consumer-grade components, then you will find it crappy-sounding.

*Note that the value rating is based on the $160 selling price at Sam Ash.

Weak trebles

I'm reviewing AKG-241.
Lightweigth and comfortable. They're quite undestroyable, excepted for the inner earpads, which blown up after 2 years or so (I can't find a replacement, grr!!). Sound is natural with good bass and the drivers are well matched, but high trebles are cut off (that's why I bought a sennh).
241's are excellent for everyday use, but I don't suggest them to audiophiles.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD600

NONE!

Just got my new pair of K240M's to replace my old pair. I still believe these are the BEST headphones value for the money! Although they are a bit toughter to drive than most (they're 600 ohms) and not recommended for portables, most good stereo receivers should do fine. They are very "natural" and "even" sounding to my ears, like a good pair of stereo speakers. They are also VERY comfortable!
The Sennheiser HD580's and HD600's may be rated a better headphone, but I don't believe one should have to spend over $100 for good headphones unless you own a pro studio, or if you can just afford to spend :)
I still prefer these headphones over any others, even the K240DF and K270S (although they're great too but more expensive!).

There is something to be said about the K240M's being seen and used in nearly every recording studio worldwide. Do yourself a favor and try these out!

Similar Products Used:

AKG K240DF & K270S, Sennheiser

comfort, long term listening

harder to drive than most low impedence headphones

I have been using the AKG 240M and 301K for several months
now. First off I cant understand why most people claim
the 240m's have little bass. They have plenty of bass,
both in extension and volume. What most people dont want to
accept is the accuracy of the bass. Its not a fat, bloated,
one note bass. Its very quick, no overhang and plenty of detail. They also have a more forward sound that others. Most headphones sound like they are at the end of a long tube, distant and dark. The 240m's have good detail w/o
being overly etched. I once heard a set of Sony 7506's and was impressed by its low bass performance. So much that I went to a local guitar store to audition them further. After a while that bass was too much, always there, rumbling, and masking the music. In short, I didnt like them after 30 minutes. Like everything else in audio, this is my subjective opinion. Yours may and probably will be different. The 240m's have been around a long time and for good reason. Dont get sucked in by those bass heavy, distant sounding cans. They're good for a few minutes. Try
the 240m's or the 301k's and listen to a more accurate
tonal representation with much better comfort and great long term use.

Similar Products Used:

Grado, Various Sony's (including 7506), Koss (electrosatics included), Panasonic, AIWA, Yamaha,