The K240 has long since been a quintessential studio headphone, and for under $100, it sounds like it should cost a lot more.
You can listen to them for hours without fatigue, as they have a fantastic mid-range and a smooth, detailed treble that never gets out of line.
Still, they are a bit flimsy, the ear cups are rather shallow, and the bass rolls off quite considerably.
Many people coming from bass-heavier headphones will be taken aback by this and like Big Pun at his heaviest, there’s no getting around it.
However, they still receive a spot rather easily because listening to music with a K240 is a revelation in every sense of the word.
Why is that?
Stick around like Scotch tape and let’s find out!
Specs, box contents, and pricing at the end!
Introduction
I first bought a pair of K240 Studios from my local Sam Ashe back in 2016 but ended up selling them for some quick cash.
I still vividly remember the moment I put them on my head. I can recall exactly where I was, where I was sitting, how I was sitting, the time, the forecast, literally the entire day spent driving around with Mom, the trip to the store, the trip back, how they were sitting on my lap like a cat I just found in a knapsack, the beloved and dearly missed Oppo HA-2 I used them with, etc.
A few years later, I found a K240M 600 Ohm Austrian model on eBay for $35 shipped and couldn’t resist.
Unfortunately, the seller forgot to mention that one of the drivers had malfunctioned, but a year or so later my mom’s husband just so happened to have another Austrian K240M that was in a box collecting dust since about 1988. He was nice enough to give them to me, and to this day they’re still in great shape.
If you were unaware, there have been quite a few versions over the last few decades +:
History.
I’m not sure when the K240 Studio was officially released, but in 2024, I decided to purchase another one so I could refresh my memory on how it sounds and also give this article a much-needed overhaul.
Build
Coming in at a measly 240g, the K240 Studio is rather gorgeous but feels like something you’d find in the toy section of your local Wal-Mart.
Regardless, these headphones have been known to hold up incredibly well over time, and outside of the older 600 Ohm model I purchased from eBay, I haven’t had any issues with structural integrity/drivers, etc.
This semi-open back headphone utilizes AKG’s famed “hammock-style” adjustment, which contains 2 small, cylindrical plastic pieces that make up the headband support, and a thin, somewhat flimsy pad underneath.
This piece is essentially the headband adjustment, attached to the frame with a couple of circular plastic pieces (screwed in) that also happen to be your right and left indicators.
Below that is another set of round plastic pieces (labeled K240 STUDIO) that act as facilitators, moving up and down the frame freely to achieve a proper fit.
The faux leather pad material is stitched, wraps around the cups, and isn’t held together with any sort of adhesive. This means you can pretty easily replace the pads when they inevitably flatten out and wear down over time.
As far as replacements, these seem to imitate the stock pads quite well, but I don’t have any experience yet with them or other various velour varieties.
The cup depth is rather shallow, so expect your ears to touch the fabric covering the drivers a little. This can become a minor annoyance over time as the pads flatten out with extended use, so keep that in mind.
Thankfully, AKG updated the Studio version with a new detachable Mini-XLR straight not gay cable coming in at an extra long 3m or 9.8ft. Rounding out the sparse box contents is a 1/4″ (6.35mm) adapter and some miscellaneous literature.
Because these are meant for the studio, the length is fine although I have tripped over it a couple of times already. xD
That’s… what she said?
Meh, I don’t think it fits.
Comfort
Comfort is pretty phenomenal overall, but the shallow pads will become a minor annoyance over extended listening sessions, causing you to make some small adjustments from time to time.
I found myself giving each cup a small tug to give my ears a breather, but your mileage may vary here.
These large, circular pads ensure that most auricle sizes will fit inside decently well, but if you have ears the size of Minnesota, I don’t know what to tell you.
Heavens to Betsy look at the size of those things!
Clamping force is excellent, and because they’re so light, you’ll seldom even notice the flimsy headband pad. It almost disappears up top, and that’s certainly Good News For People Who Love Bad News.
As a hip-hop producer who EQs sound (and a lot of bass), I completely understand that some folks will find the bass too lean here. I get it, I really do.
It does bother me from time to time but mostly depends on the source file.
That said, yes, the bass rolls off considerably below 40-60Hz or thereabouts, but that’s mostly fine since we can’t hear frequencies much below 40.
Could the K240 use some extra slam around 60-90Hz?
Absolutely.
There are times when it simply doesn’t have enough impact, and certain songs do suffer because of it. Again, pay attention to how tracks were recorded, mixed, and mastered.
With some songs, the bass sounds perfect, and that mostly has to do with the way it was EQd.
A great example is a modern Indie Pop song like “So Far So Good” by Great Good Fine Ok. The track thumps beautifully and the bass, because the K240 doesn’t overly boost it, sounds sublime.
And because the K240’s bass follows a trajectory that makes sense, most songs that are boosted sound really good. This also makes the K240 fairly easy to EQ if you want to play around with it.
Thankfully, the mud/bloat regions around 200-300Hz aren’t boosted into oblivion either and sound rather neutral all things considered.
Overall, you’ll be able to hear bass lines a lot better, follow exactly what they’re doing, and enjoy the texture and articulation of them a lot more.
You’ll start to appreciate the actual notes rather than feel them rattling your brain into oblivion.
For instance, fire up “Tears of a Clown” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and just listen to the bass.
You can hear every individual pluck while being able to follow it with that proverbial microscope in your head.
What you’ll also notice is that the bass is articulate; there’s texture to it. There’s nuance.
It sounds like an actual bass guitar you’d hear in person rather than a digital rendition of a bass.
Mid-Range
There are a lot of things the K240 does incredibly well. The mid-range is perhaps the most impressive, sounding incredibly natural and realistic in the presence regions around 2-3kHz.
Expect vocals and guitars to sound lively, engaging, and also very realistic.
Likewise, the Timbre of instruments feels more true to life and tonally accurate as well.
Instead of you simply hearing the songs through a device, there’s a sense that the artists are actually performing the song for you.
Don’t get too carried away thinking it’s going to feel like a live show, but it certainly can feel a lot more realistic than you may expect.
For me, this has always been the goal.
I want the instruments and vocals to sound as natural and organic as possible, giving off the impression of a certain amount of realism.
The K240 does this incredibly well.
Treble
Likewise, the treble never gets out of line while still sounding detailed enough. Could it use a bit more sparkle? That depends on who you ask.
Tuning treble has always been a delicate balancing act, since, too much emphasis can result in sibilance, while not enough can render the headphones dark and dull.
The K240 does a very good job of finding a happy medium between the 2, avoiding the pitfalls of overly boosting 9-10kHz which can result in a disaster if you’re not careful. Instead, there’s a bit of a boost at 7, and some air after 10kHz which helps give the headphones (specifically hi-hats and cymbals) a crisp/lively flavor without sounding like someone’s hissing sweet nothings into your ear.
Trust me, listen to a Grado. It gets old REAL fast.
Resolution, Soundstage & Separation
Perhaps the most important consideration here is just how good the resolution is, especially for a headphone well south of $100.
I picked up an open box pair on eBay for around $48 shipped, and for that price, the K240 runs circles around a LOT of other headphones; out of its price range or otherwise.
You’ll not only hear everything that went into the track, but it sounds correct and tonally accurate. There’s no honky, nasally, or otherwise weird shenanigans going on, and the separation of sounds is also rather exemplary.
For years I tried to hone in on the voices panned right and left. Yes, you could technically hear them, but they always seemed layered and it was much harder to discern their distinct tone, cadence, and inflection. The K240’s excellent separation makes it incredibly easy to hear exactly how she sounded through the mic from all angles: incredibly clean, realistic, and true to life.
This is where the K240’s magic lies. The headphones have insane Timbre for being so cheap. It almost seems criminal that these have remained under $100 for this long.
On Santana’s “Everything is Coming Our Way” every strum of the rhythm guitar is rendered clearly and vividly to the point where you may feel as if you could reach out and touch it.
The K240 achieved door 3 status during the intro to this song, with a ringing from one of the instruments at 3 seconds that I’ve never been able to distinguish in all my years listening to the track.
“Baby Love” by the Supremes is another great example of this.
There’s a nice bounce to the track that triggers a desire in me to let go and enjoy the music all the more.
At 2:11, her voice trails off beautifully, with a remarkable sense of release.
Instead of cutting off or sounding lost, it’s fleshed out in a way that sounds so much different than an average headphone with an average source file.
All in all, I can’t say enough good things about the overall sound and resolution here.
To quote Alex Rowe from Medium.com:
Vocals sound perfect. Guitars sound perfect. Cymbals and wind instruments sound perfect. Speed and detail resolution on high notes are both exceptional, mirroring the performance I’d expect from much more costly products. Imaging is great and airy thanks to the semi-open design, and the Soundstage floats gently around your head.Alex Rowe
Speaking of, Soundstage is slightly above average, as you’ll start to hear things that seem outside of your head, but don’t go expecting K702 levels of immersion and openness. The width, depth, and height simply aren’t on that level, but you’ll still appreciate the extra layers of immersion nonetheless.
Genre Pairing
The K240 works well for anything and everything, but if you’re used to Beats by Dre type bass, you may be disappointed. That said, these are fantastic for Jazz,Classical,Rock,Hip-Hop,Pop, Ambient, Folk, and mostly anything else you may enjoy.
Metal and Harder Rock may not sound all that great at times, but again, this is mostly due to the source quality and not the headphones.
That said, if there’s one thing that will always stand out in my mind, it’s how they sounded with Motown specifically. Like the HD25 and Metal, or an HD600 with Rock, it’s like the K240 was specifically made for Motown, Soul, Doo-Wop, and all the other oldies of the era.
All the stuff we just discussed regarding resolution? With Motown, it ascends to new heights. You’ll be astonished at just how much you missed before with other dog-shit headphones of the past.
Guitars and voices trail off and have a life to them, and there’s an effortless portrayal of the sound that’s hard to argue with.
In short, you can hear why this headphone has remained legendary for so many years.
It’s one of the quintessential studio headphones, and will likely remain so for a long time.
Amplification
With a 55 Ohm Impedance and 91dB Sensitivity, the K240 is rather inefficient and does need a bit more juice from an Amp, but it still doesn’t resist power all that much.
All thangs considered, this makes it fairly easy to drive in my opinion but do plan on at least investing in something like a FiiO K5 Pro, K7, or JDS ATOM to start.
If you have any questions, leave them below. I’d be happy to help!
Closing Thoughts
There’s something about these headphones that makes you stop and admire music you’ve long since forgotten about. In other words, they make you want to go back and rediscover old favorites that you thought you knew like the inside of your old Jock Strap.
Constantly evaluating tracks can become overwhelming and stale after a while, but the K240 reminds me again why I love music so much. Why it’s so hard to live without. Why I bother to create it.
It’s that moment when you say to yourself, “This is what it’s supposed to sound like.”
And it’s glorious.
For a sweet, sweet, vocal performance with the K240 Studio, check out “Detleft Schrempf” by Band of Horses.
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this AKG K240 Studio Review and came away with some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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Any experience with any K240 variant? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
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AKG K240
4.5
Sound
4.6/5
Build & Aesthetic
4.9/5
Comfort/Fit
3.8/5
Soundstage
4.5/5
Imaging
4.9/5
Pros
Great Soundstage
Perfect for Reference
Incredibly natural, lifelike sound
Built well despite it's Playskool feel
Cons
Bass is a bit anemic
Ear cups are rather shallow and comfort may worsen over time
Stu is determined to help you make sound decisions, and strives to deliver the best and most in depth content on the internet! In his spare time, he likes to fish, paint, play guitar, pray, rap, make beats, take photos, record videos, graphic design, and more. His sense of humour, coupled with a knack for excellence and strict attention to detail are what allow him to stand out in an crowded industry.
Yeah these would be very good for that purpose actually. You may try out the Philips SHP9500 though. I consider it the best budget option. The 240’s are a great headphone, but their build quality is lacking. They feel very cheap, and comfort is a bit hit and miss. The 9500 has great build, great comfort, and a very revealing sound. You can’t go wrong. Check out my article: https://homestudiobasics.com/philips-shp9500-review-impressive/
Will a Headphone with a sensitivity of 91dB/mW and an impedance of 55 ohms benefit from a headphone amp? If so I was thinking about getting the Motu M2 and using the headphone amplifier from the interface since I am in the market for an audio interface anyways, will this be sufficient enough to drive the headphones and bring out their full capabilities?
The chart above is wrong on the k240M timeline. I bought my K240M in the mid-1990s in Nashville at Mars Music and they were made in Austria. I recently got the K240S to have a lower impedance version and they still share a lot of the same quality as well as sound.
Not sure what you mean. Just because you bought them in the 90’s doesn’t mean they were made in the 90’s. Also it clearly says on the graphic “Austria.” Am I missing something?
I ordered the K240S for 49 € (because the SHP9500 currently go for 230 € here, unless ordered from AliExpress), based on your reviews. I tried some “random” DJ one before for 30 €, but quickly noticed that voices fell behind instruments and they didn’t convey any emotion. Over the holidays I had the chance to listen to a DT880 (155€) on my notebook and was hooked. Looked up the frequency spectrum and identified that gentle slope downwards from low to high mids. So when I stumbled over your web site the K240S was already on my radar. Your personal review and direct comparisons ultimately made me buy it though. Sounded like the right deal for me!
Despite the lack of sub-bass, many base instruments actually play surprisingly loudly. It is really only the rumble that’s missing: synthetic bass, explosions, dinosaur foot steps – that kind of stuff. As with other headphones with a slight color, you hear some things more clearly than others, so your old and tried music archive will reveal other nuances now and is worth another listen. (That’s probably why people with many headphones have a K240 floating around somewhere.) I tried it on a Yamaha RX-397, and mainboard sound (ALC892) with headphone amp toggle. They all make the K240S sound differently. The receiver added some body to the base, the line-out sounded nice and flat, the onboard amp sounded more fun, albeit subjectively a little distorted. I listened to different genres and there was no distinct winner. I feel a bit silly for getting the clearest advice from a video game, who’s environmental sound clearly urged me to use that headphone amp (2Ω output, 1.1V @ 32Ω load) if I didn’t want to continue with this tinny sound.
No matter how you drive it, it will sound great with Alternative/Indie/Progressive Rock and doesn’t have any shrill frequencies as far as my hearing goes (and my old ear plugs were killing me in this regard). Some people mentioned a peak at 10kHz, but that frequency sounds normal to me.
Yeah I love the K240 with older Rock music specifically. I think out of all the genres, it handles Rock absolutely brilliantly. Incredibly lush and musical sounding, fantastic resolution and instrument Timbre, and an overall incredibly revealing quality. I simply couldn’t believe the detail retrieval this thing was capable of a times. As you said, there’s a reason it’s remained relevant for so long and is now a staple in my Budget Kings.
I’ve owned both a K240S and K240M (600 Ohm), but just recently purchased a K702 and love it as well. Could be a step up for you, you never know! Be on the lookout for a K702 vs. HD600 comparison in the coming weeks. I’ve been listening to the 702’s and gaming with them pretty much non-stop since Dec. 21st, and just can’t get enough.
I also agree: The only real thing lacking in a 240 is excitement, slam, etc. It just doesn’t “hit” quite as hard as you’d like, but it’s a minor gripe in an otherwise fantastic sounding headphone. For instance, I probably wouldn’t ever recommend it for Hip-Hop to another person, but I did personally enjoy the nuance present within the genre.
I also did a measurement awhile back of the K240 and you’re right: There’s no peak to speak of in the high treble. The presence bump comes at around 5k. You could never accuse a K240 of being bright, that’s for sure. I don’t know what headphone those people were listening to when they said “10k peak”, but it certainly wasn’t the 240. Lol.
Thanks for your review. I bought AKG K240 MK2 assuming it sound similar to AKG K240 I completely agree with you .. it sounds very different very magical, after listening to them if you immediately switch to any other favourite headphones of yours you feel something missing. As you mentioned brain gets used to this different sound signature and you start loving it
You’re welcome! Thank you for stopping by. Hope you continue to browse the site.
Yeah, normally I’d say that’s a bad sign. I’m of the belief that, for the most part, your first impression of a headphone is likely the correct one.
So if it sounds bad to you, it probably is. That said, the K240’s sound, objectively, is most certainly not bad – from a graphical standpoint or otherwise. I firmly believe it simply accentuates a different part of the mid-range/low treble and therefore sounds a bit foreign to us the first time around. But, as you mention, this is one of the best headphones ever created. I really believe that. If it’s not, it’s certainly the absolute best headphone for Motown, Oldies, Soul, etc. Bar none. The K240 is resolving in a way that’s simply unbelievable for a headphone at its price point.
Will a Headphone with a sensitivity of 91dB/mW and an impedance of 55 ohms benefit from a headphone amp? If so I was thinking about getting the Motu M2 and using the headphone amplifier from the interface since I am in the market for an audio interface anyways, will this be sufficient enough to drive the headphones and bring out their full capabilities?
Yes, the K240 (I’m assuming you’re referring to that) does benefit greatly from an Amp/DAC, but in my opinion (Read my ethos here) you don’t have to go ape shit about it like most of the audiophile bozos online claim.
For instance, I have a K240M 600 Ohm here and it’s actually not as hard to drive as you would think. So the K240 Chinese 55 Ohm, as you can well imagine, isn’t that hard to drive either. I will say that yes, I like to pay attention to Sensitivity more than Impedance as I believe, from quite a lot of personal experience, that it’s a better indicator of whether a headphone needs a bit more juice.
Inefficient headphones tend to be a bit harder to drive, but again, it’s not something you should lose sleep over. That said, it would depend on the Motu’s power output but generally speaking, Audio Interfaces are excellent for driving headphones and I’ve never had any issues. I run a Universal Audio Volt 2 for music production btw and it’s way more than enough for any headphones I have including inefficient homies like the 400se,K702, etc.
11 comments
Hi,
I was thinking about these for electric guitar practicing. Would you recommend it over others, or do you have another preference?
Thanks, regards,
Peter
Hi Peter!
Yeah these would be very good for that purpose actually. You may try out the Philips SHP9500 though. I consider it the best budget option. The 240’s are a great headphone, but their build quality is lacking. They feel very cheap, and comfort is a bit hit and miss. The 9500 has great build, great comfort, and a very revealing sound. You can’t go wrong. Check out my article: https://homestudiobasics.com/philips-shp9500-review-impressive/
Let me know what you decide!
God bless,
-Stu
Will a Headphone with a sensitivity of 91dB/mW and an impedance of 55 ohms benefit from a headphone amp? If so I was thinking about getting the Motu M2 and using the headphone amplifier from the interface since I am in the market for an audio interface anyways, will this be sufficient enough to drive the headphones and bring out their full capabilities?
The chart above is wrong on the k240M timeline. I bought my K240M in the mid-1990s in Nashville at Mars Music and they were made in Austria. I recently got the K240S to have a lower impedance version and they still share a lot of the same quality as well as sound.
Hey Samir!
Not sure what you mean. Just because you bought them in the 90’s doesn’t mean they were made in the 90’s. Also it clearly says on the graphic “Austria.” Am I missing something?
Regards,
-Stu
I ordered the K240S for 49 € (because the SHP9500 currently go for 230 € here, unless ordered from AliExpress), based on your reviews. I tried some “random” DJ one before for 30 €, but quickly noticed that voices fell behind instruments and they didn’t convey any emotion. Over the holidays I had the chance to listen to a DT880 (155€) on my notebook and was hooked. Looked up the frequency spectrum and identified that gentle slope downwards from low to high mids. So when I stumbled over your web site the K240S was already on my radar. Your personal review and direct comparisons ultimately made me buy it though. Sounded like the right deal for me!
Despite the lack of sub-bass, many base instruments actually play surprisingly loudly. It is really only the rumble that’s missing: synthetic bass, explosions, dinosaur foot steps – that kind of stuff. As with other headphones with a slight color, you hear some things more clearly than others, so your old and tried music archive will reveal other nuances now and is worth another listen. (That’s probably why people with many headphones have a K240 floating around somewhere.) I tried it on a Yamaha RX-397, and mainboard sound (ALC892) with headphone amp toggle. They all make the K240S sound differently. The receiver added some body to the base, the line-out sounded nice and flat, the onboard amp sounded more fun, albeit subjectively a little distorted. I listened to different genres and there was no distinct winner. I feel a bit silly for getting the clearest advice from a video game, who’s environmental sound clearly urged me to use that headphone amp (2Ω output, 1.1V @ 32Ω load) if I didn’t want to continue with this tinny sound.
No matter how you drive it, it will sound great with Alternative/Indie/Progressive Rock and doesn’t have any shrill frequencies as far as my hearing goes (and my old ear plugs were killing me in this regard). Some people mentioned a peak at 10kHz, but that frequency sounds normal to me.
Hey man!
Yeah I love the K240 with older Rock music specifically. I think out of all the genres, it handles Rock absolutely brilliantly. Incredibly lush and musical sounding, fantastic resolution and instrument Timbre, and an overall incredibly revealing quality. I simply couldn’t believe the detail retrieval this thing was capable of a times. As you said, there’s a reason it’s remained relevant for so long and is now a staple in my Budget Kings.
I’ve owned both a K240S and K240M (600 Ohm), but just recently purchased a K702 and love it as well. Could be a step up for you, you never know! Be on the lookout for a K702 vs. HD600 comparison in the coming weeks. I’ve been listening to the 702’s and gaming with them pretty much non-stop since Dec. 21st, and just can’t get enough.
I also agree: The only real thing lacking in a 240 is excitement, slam, etc. It just doesn’t “hit” quite as hard as you’d like, but it’s a minor gripe in an otherwise fantastic sounding headphone. For instance, I probably wouldn’t ever recommend it for Hip-Hop to another person, but I did personally enjoy the nuance present within the genre.
I also did a measurement awhile back of the K240 and you’re right: There’s no peak to speak of in the high treble. The presence bump comes at around 5k. You could never accuse a K240 of being bright, that’s for sure. I don’t know what headphone those people were listening to when they said “10k peak”, but it certainly wasn’t the 240. Lol.
Thanks for your review. I bought AKG K240 MK2 assuming it sound similar to AKG K240 I completely agree with you .. it sounds very different very magical, after listening to them if you immediately switch to any other favourite headphones of yours you feel something missing. As you mentioned brain gets used to this different sound signature and you start loving it
You’re welcome! Thank you for stopping by. Hope you continue to browse the site.
Yeah, normally I’d say that’s a bad sign. I’m of the belief that, for the most part, your first impression of a headphone is likely the correct one.
So if it sounds bad to you, it probably is. That said, the K240’s sound, objectively, is most certainly not bad – from a graphical standpoint or otherwise. I firmly believe it simply accentuates a different part of the mid-range/low treble and therefore sounds a bit foreign to us the first time around. But, as you mention, this is one of the best headphones ever created. I really believe that. If it’s not, it’s certainly the absolute best headphone for Motown, Oldies, Soul, etc. Bar none. The K240 is resolving in a way that’s simply unbelievable for a headphone at its price point.
Will a Headphone with a sensitivity of 91dB/mW and an impedance of 55 ohms benefit from a headphone amp? If so I was thinking about getting the Motu M2 and using the headphone amplifier from the interface since I am in the market for an audio interface anyways, will this be sufficient enough to drive the headphones and bring out their full capabilities?
Hey there!
Yes, the K240 (I’m assuming you’re referring to that) does benefit greatly from an Amp/DAC, but in my opinion (Read my ethos here) you don’t have to go ape shit about it like most of the audiophile bozos online claim.
For instance, I have a K240M 600 Ohm here and it’s actually not as hard to drive as you would think. So the K240 Chinese 55 Ohm, as you can well imagine, isn’t that hard to drive either. I will say that yes, I like to pay attention to Sensitivity more than Impedance as I believe, from quite a lot of personal experience, that it’s a better indicator of whether a headphone needs a bit more juice.
Inefficient headphones tend to be a bit harder to drive, but again, it’s not something you should lose sleep over. That said, it would depend on the Motu’s power output but generally speaking, Audio Interfaces are excellent for driving headphones and I’ve never had any issues. I run a Universal Audio Volt 2 for music production btw and it’s way more than enough for any headphones I have including inefficient homies like the 400se, K702, etc.
Hope that helps! Let me know.
-Stu