AKG K240 Studio Professional Semi-Open, Over-Ear Headphones, High Performance design, 3.5mm and 1/4" adapters, self adjusting headband - Black and Gold

I ordered these to replace my previous set which had broken. I paid about £125 for my originals; these were a steal at £85 so I was a little tense. They arrived when stated, well packaged, brand new, very pleased. (I have of course now seen them for £78!) . These are for use in my home studio. They are "closed back" to prevent the track you are listening to in them from being too easily picked up by the mic' when recording a second track. (Also know as "bleed" if you are new to recording here, searching for items AND guidance) . (If you are using headphones for editing/mixing, as opposed to overdubbing/recording, then you should also get a set of "open back" headphones, which allow the sound to escape through grilles in the ear pieces, giving a more natural sound for mixing. Basically; get a set of each, and use them as I describe. I have seen reviews on line by some people criticimg the "lack of punchy bass". These people do not understand the recording process; they are probably just LISTENING to music on band camp or you tube or whatever. You can use toy headphones or ear buds for that! These K271 are a professional tool. The whole point of these is NOT to have a too punchy "anything"! Not TO exagerate the bass, Mid, or treble.....so that your judgements when EQing are based on a sound that is UNBIASED as much as possible. Hope that helps folks. OH! And they have a grooooovy built in "switch". If you take the headphones off when recording, they automatically cut out the sound! Which means that if you put them down on the desk or whatever the sound will NOT accidentally be heard by the mic...because it has been stopped. Far out! ( man!) Hope that info is good for somebody, and good luck in all you do. Steve.

I had the original version of these headphones for many years until they eventually broke, so I'm already familiar with how they sound. This was a major reason for choosing them over the various similarly priced headphones by other companies (the main competitors for my money were the Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic models in this price range). I use these for recording, monitoring and mixing in my home studio — rarely to listen to music for pleasure, though they'd be great for that, I'm sure.What I'm after is a mix in headphones that's reasonably accurate when I play it back at volume through loudspeakers, and these pretty much do that job. I've used headphones with more low frequency detail and finer midrange etc, but not without spending a few more hundred quid. I find the K240 comfortable, both physically (I have small ears so the cans fit around them; might be different if you have massive lugs) and sonically — they are for me an ideal midpoint between "detailed" and "musical". (They don't flatter mixes too much, but aren't so honest as to be brutal.)Probably worth mentioning that they are semi-open — they can be heard by other people in the room, especially when monitoring at volume; also means they're not always the best choice for monitoring while recording quieter/acoustic material as there's a fair bit of bleed.For my mixing needs though, they're great. I trust them, and that's the most important thing for me with a pair of headphones. I prefer the new detachable cable on the MKii as well. I know the impedance rating has been changed for these new models but I don't feel able to make a qualitative comment on that; they can get pretty loud if you want them to, I suppose. Also I went to the toilet and read a few chapters of 'Red Dragon' and when I came back from the toilet the headphones were still there, so that was nice, too. Don't want them running away!For home/project studio recording and mixing, I highly recommend them. I also think they'd be superb for high quality music playback for enjoyment — lights dimmed, glass of malt, nice bit of Abba or Fleetwood Mac or early '70s Tom Dowd recordings on the hi-fi. If you want to listen to techno or Queen or Dead Meadow late at night in bed while your better half tries to sleep next to you, these aren't what you're after. (I didn't try and do that stuff; I'm just saying.)

I recently bought a pair of AKG K702 open back headphones for listening to my hi fi systems late at night, so I don't disturb the neighbours. Now, those cans leak like a sieve, and you can hear everything going around you. Very similar to the Grado experience. For the price, they have superb sound. No skull throbbing bass, but a double bass, electric bass and a kick drum actually sounds different.OK, get on with it, you are here for the K271 MK2 review after all...Well, I have owned a pair of AKG Y50 wired over the ear headphones for years, and been happy with them. They block out the sound around you, don't leak too much and have a microphone, and are aesthetically pleasing. Oh, and they have a bass in profusion. I used them to listen to music when the girlfriend is listening to stuff on her tablet.Now, after a couple of weeks I've got used to the sharp detail of the 702s, but I had to pull the Y50s on to avoid hearing background noise. They were indistinct, muddled, imprecise. I needed a closed ear alternative.Having read and watched a few reviews I decided a cheaper pair of AKGs might be in order. The 740s were in the frame, but semi open backed, a close relative of the 702. I reckon well worth looking at, but the backup had to be closed back..OK, the unboxing experience. They come in a box, you open the lid, the headphones are in a plastic bag. There's a 2nd coiled XLR replacement in there, alternative velour pads and a quality 6.3 to 3.5mm adapter and some paperwork guff. Phew, that was exhilarating.Pick the headphones up, and they feel very light. The earcups are plastic- what did expect, carved granite? Tap them and they sound like solid plastic. Now, do you want something heavy on your head, and do you really tap along to music on the side of your headphones!The earcups with the attached leatherette pads are comfy, I wore them for 2 hours straight without discomfort. The headband barely contacts your head, it's unpadded, but frankly it makes no difference. Unlike the 702, it's a more flexible vinyl. The whole thing just happily sits on your head without any heavy clamping. Not had a chance to try the velour earcups, but probably as good as those on the 702. Maybe something to move over to in warm weather.Sound... Really, really precise. Stereo imaging excellent. Percussion comes over really sharp with a solid attack. Bass is there. Not some deep booming like that leaking from a boy racer's blacked out Audi, real bass instruments. Overall not as open as the 702s, but obviously from the same family.Driving them... They are not ear buds, they have a reasonably high impedance. Serviceable on my Motorola phone, better on a tablet, perfectly fine on my Marantz amplifier at 11 o'clock.OK, the cons, those plastic earcups. If you touch them or catch them on clothes you notice. The earcups are larger than most, but not the whole saucepan lid look of the 702.Advantages. Excellent detailed sound. Accurate. If you want bass, just add a little with the tone controls. Remember you are actually hearing real bass instruments, not something that vaguely wobbles like a darts player's belly. Unlike the 702s they isolate you a bit.Appearance. Well, the larger earcups and the wires over the top make you look ridiculous. Think cyberman. If you want a fashion accessory go and buy some Beats or the colourful Y50.Conclusion. Better sound than the Y50, but not as well built. If you want a better sound, and have a bigger budget 702 or similar.Well, after a few days I returned them for a refund. I found that the earcups were nosy if they rubbed against clothing. Maybe it's the design of the plastic and their shape that amplifies the noise from every bit of abrasion. The metal shell of the Y50s doesn't do that. Amazon were doing an offer on the Sennheisser 560S for £119, so I decide to upgrade, and have a different brand as an alternative sound profile. I suspect that the grille design that makes them open backed will be similar to the AKG 702, and won't act as a sounding board when they run against clothing.