Hey there friend, and Welcome aboard!!
Let’s start with a quick chart!
Before we get into the AKG K240 vs. Samson SR850 Comparison, grab a snack, sit back, and relax because…
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Table of Contents
Click to navigate the article!
Introduction
Specifications
Build
Comfort
Sound/Imaging
Video Comparison
Amplification
Genre Pairing
Closing Thoughts
Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!
Introduction
Back in 2016, I owned an AKG K240 Studio, which is the Chinese-made, 55 Ohm, easier-to-drive version of this legendary headphone. I recently bought one again, so click the article linked above for a review proper. Click this K240M (600 Ohm) review if you’re curious about the differences between them.
In 2017 I picked up a Samson SR850 for comparison to the 240, and today we’ll compare the 2 and learn which is a better purchase.
So strap on your seat belts, because this will be the best and most in-depth look at 2 classics that in my opinion will continue to stand the test of time. The 850 is an infant by comparison, but it hits above its price range when you consider everything it has to offer.
Let’s take a gander at specifications first…
AKG K240 Studio (Chinese)
Specifications
- Price: Check Amazon! | Check Sweetwater! | Check B&H! | Check eBay!
- Type: Semi-open.
- Fit: Circumaural (Over-ear).
- Impedance: 55 Ohm.
- Sensitivity: 91dB. What is Sensitivity in Headphones?
- Frequency response: 15hz to 25khz.
- Material: Plastic, Faux leather.
- Headband: Self-adjusting.
- Cable Length: 9.8 ft.
- Color: Black, some Gold.
Samson SR850
Specifications
- Price: Check Amazon! | Check Sweetwater! | Check B&H! | Check eBay!
- Type: Semi-open. Closed back vs. Open back headphones.
- Fit: Circumaural
- Impedance: 32 Ohm.
- Frequency Response: 10Hz – 30kHz
- Sensitivity: 98dB/mW
- Transducer Type: Dynamic
- Driver Size: 50mm.
- Cable: Straight
- Cable Length: 8.3 feet
- Plug size: 3.5mm to 1/4″ adapter (included)
Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, let’s get into the build!
Build
AKG K240
The K240 feels like a toy from your local Wal-Mart, and like Big Pun in his prime, there’s no getting around it. However, while it may be lighter than a long-distance runner on a diet of Rice Cakes and Powerade, it doesn’t necessarily feel cheap. Just very very nimble.
The shallow ear cups are made of faux leather, and you’ll find that both of your ears will touch the cloth that’s covering the driver.
This doesn’t bother me quite as much as the Grado SR325e disaster, but it’s something to keep in mind. We’ll go over comfort more later, so don’t fret!
The headband is a thin piece of faux leather/plastic and the mechanism itself is a hammock-style adjustment. I love this because I’m lazy and never have to worry about adjusting the headphones myself.
Just put that puppy on your head, sit the f back, and relax homie! The 2 rods act as the “tracks” as the attached headband moves up and down to easily accommodate most head shapes and sizes.
On each side’s headband adjustment, there’s a small round piece of plastic with “R” and “L” which are plenty big enough as I’m able to quickly give it a look and put the headphones on correctly without hassle.
Rounding out the semi-open design are 8 vent holes, “AKG 55 ohms” on the right cup, and “K240 Studio” in small letters on the left cup.
Samson SR850
Copycat!
The 850 pretty much rips off the entire design of the 240, which isn’t a bad thing considering it is a good design.
Even so, there are a few notable differences in build.
The 850’s ear cups are actually a bit deeper. Your ears won’t be hitting the drivers this time around, and if they are, it’s almost not even enough to notice.
Now, if you have Ross Perot or Dumbo-sized ears, that’s a different story. Tuck those bad boys in, will ya?!
In addition to that, the 850’s pads are velour vs. the faux leather on the 240.
Aside from those semi-big differences, there are some very small differences after an intense examination.
Plastic
Upon first glance, these look identical, but the round piece of plastic apparent on the 240’s headband mechanism is more of a rounded rectangle shape on the 850.
Further, the round piece of plastic just below the aforementioned piece is also a rounded rectangle. A subtle difference but should be noted.
Grill
The grill shape on the K240 is also a bit different: there are 8 small round holes and under those holes are 3 rings that reveal a semi-open design.
On the 850, instead of larger holes, there are countless amounts of tiny holes also indicating a semi-open design, surrounded by 4 odd-looking shapes.
What this amounts to is a simple aesthetic variation. To me, the K240’s design is more attractive. There are some gold accents on the outside of the cups that compliment the overall look of the unit quite nicely, and overall, it’s a much more attractive headphone in my opinion.
Other than that, both headphones have those small rods that run over the top of the headband and down to the ear cups. This provides the framing and support for both.
Neither cable is detachable, and both are very long. The SR850’s is 8.3 ft. compared to 9.8 for the K240.
I find the 240’s just a tad too long for music listening, but for Gaming, it’s ideal if you’re using an amp and sit far away from your PS4 as I do.
Lastly, you’ll find “AKG” stamped on top of the headband for the K240. There are no such indicators on the 850.
With that, let’s talk a bit about comfort!
Comfort
K240
Comfort on the 240 isn’t too bad, but it’s also nothing to write home about.
Because the cups are very shallow, you’ll be making some slight adjustments from time to time. I find that the headphones make my ears hurt slightly, as they tend to dig in and become a bit irritating. It’s a pretty minor amount of discomfort but this isn’t the type of headphone that you “set and forget.”
Other than that, the headphone rests very comfortably on your noggin, and because it’s so light it feels fairly good. Clamping force is pretty much just right, and the headband sits nicely without digging into the top of the skull.
SR850
Overall, the 850 provides a slightly better experience. Because the cups are deeper, your ears won’t be hitting the driver this time around.
Also, the velour padding is much more comfortable than the 240’s faux leather. I don’t find myself having to adjust quite as much, but you’ll still be fiddling with it from time to time. The 850 just feels more Snuggle Bunny on your head and clamps a bit better while still not feeling like a vice grip.
Sound
- Sources: Tidal, with FLAC/Lossless, and Master files.
- Amp/DAC used for original comparison: Oppo HA-2.
- Playlists: Here, and Here! My recent purchase of the K240 utilized a bunch of different songs and playlists, so have a gander at all of them.
Some of my findings were fairly obvious and straightforward, but some of the others have kind of varied from song to song.
Measurements
I also did a couple of measurements of both. Notice the overly bright treble on the 850. It’s juuuuuust a bit peaky. I’d probably go Metal571 here and EQ that bad boy down by A LOT. Lol.
And here are the averaged responses:
Treble
The most consistent discrepancy between these two is definitely the treble. The 850’s treble sounds more artificial, with more bite, and most certainly more sibilance.
On some songs, like Chon’s “Bubble Dream” for instance, these seemingly negative qualities actually work to the 850’s advantage. The song sounded much more lively, engaging, and exciting. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying experience, and the sibilance heard on other songs was somehow negated here. It didn’t have a harsh, forward quality to it which was rather interesting.
By contrast, the K240 didn’t do well with this same song; it sounded kind of muffled and distant. The 850 provided a more open affair, and this was one of the only times I preferred it outright over the 240.
Imaging/Soundstage
The second kind of major difference is Soundstage and Imaging.
On “Clark Gable” from the Postal Service, the K240’s Soundstage made me think there was something to my left about 15 feet away. I was sitting in the kitchen at Mom’s old house and it was coming from the living room to my left. It didn’t cause me to rip the headphones off, but it had me second-guessing myself.
On the 850 with the same song, I didn’t achieve this feeling and that surprised me considering the 850 has a great Soundstage in its own right.
The K240 outclasses the 850 in this regard. The overall separation of instruments, width/spacing, vocals, etc. is better on the 240.
On Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “Tears of a Clown” this is never more apparent. While the vocals seemed a tad more pushed back, the bass line was easier to distinguish and sounded more organic.
The song was more fun to listen to.
By trying less hard to be detailed, the 240 actually becomes more intricate and nuanced. It provided a masterful, stunning rendition of instruments and vocals. At 1:52 you can make out the exact riff of the instrument and it sounded so crystal clear and natural. I heard this song in a way that I haven’t before and it was a blast to rewind and take it all in multiple times.
On KRS One’s “Wannabeemceez”, the 240 provides this weird clarity going on in the background.
It’s micro-detail on steroids.
A lot of times Rap is recorded with a lot of vocal echoes and you can’t always hear this intended effect through other headphones. With the K240, it becomes immediately apparent; the headphone breathes and pulsates in a very organic and natural way.
Resolution
Another big difference between these 2 headphones is detail retrieval and overall resolution.
The 850 routinely tries very hard to be open, clinical, sterile, and detailed. Unfortunately, in comparison to the 240, it comes across as artificial at times. The hi-hats on the aforementioned Tears of a Clown just didn’t sound right. On the 240 they were much more organic and fit in better with the overall vibe of the song.
This detail reached a pinnacle for me in “(Love is Like A) Heat Wave”, by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. The K240 achieved door 3 status during the intro to this song. There was this ringing from one of the instruments at 3 seconds that I’ve never been able to distinguish in all my years of listening to this song.
The instrument took on an extra dimension, which for me hearkened back to the first time I heard Pink Floyd’s “Time” with a HIFIMAN HE400i and Bryston’s BHA-1.
With the K240, a raw but warm energy is derived from the music. There’s a reason this headphone is considered legendary, and listening to this song cemented exactly why.
Bass
Getting into some of the smaller differences, the bass on both is roughly the same.
I did notice that the SR850 has a bit more thump most of the time while remaining excellently detailed and natural.
The K240 is kind of “infamous” for having an almost painfully lean response down low, but I don’t mind it. I enjoy hearing the intricacies of the notes, and on the K240 I liked being able to discern individual plucks with absolute ease. The bass actually sounds sort of like a Jazz bass: light but right.
For instance, fire up Tears of a Clown 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.
Mid-Range & Vocals
I also noticed that I could make out the backing vocals a lot better than I ever remember in listening to other headphones.
The 850 does a pretty good job of this, but I think the 240 slightly outclasses it though it’s very close.
The best way I can describe the experience of a K240 is that of rediscovery with all of your old favorite music. It sounds new and fresh again, which is something that I haven’t experienced in quite a while.
You know it when you hear it. It’s that moment when you say to yourself, “This is what music is supposed to sound like.”
With the 850, you get a taste of that, but the 240 is more professional and elegant about it, while the 850 is trying a bit too hard.
“Baby Love” by the Supremes is another great example of this.
There’s a nice bounce to the track that triggers this desire in you to let go and enjoy the music. 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 much different than your average headphone with an average source file.
Overall, the mid-range of the SR850 is certainly more forward, but that doesn’t necessarily make it better. I think that, like the treble, it can be a bit too in your face/slightly honky05 at times and though the K240’s mid-range isn’t as prominent, it’s certainly better sounding to my ears.
Video Comparison
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I could keep going, but let’s get into some technical considerations real fast. 🙂
Amplification
This is another main difference between these 2 headphones. The K240 Studio at 55 Ohm Impedance doesn’t need a lot of voltage, but does require some current at its low Sensitivity rating of 91dB/mW.
By contrast, the SR850 is rather easy to drive at 32 Ohm/98dB and is much easier to get pumping.
An E10K is the absolute maximum I would ever need for a headphone like this. If you’re planning on purchasing a K240, I’d go for something like a JDS ATOM 2.
With that, what type of music are we talking about here?
Genre Pairing
I think the main takeaway from this comparison is a genre-specific consideration, coupled with source files.
As good as the K240 is, it won’t sound amazing with every genre and that’s something you’ll have to accept beforehand.
Both of these headphones do well with older music, specifically Rock/Motown, anything guitar/rhythm guitar, and generally anything a bit lighter in the bass regions.
With Rock, the bass is there but it’s not overpowered in any way. We also have to remember that the SR850 is basically a sub-$50 headphone. Don’t expect it to move mountains or raise Lazarus from the dead.
What I found interesting is that The 850 handles that “crunch” much better, so if you’re more into Metal/Hard Rock, and those types of more intense genres, it will fare better.
The K240 just kind of lost me at times with some of those heavier songs.
For instance, “Testify” by Rage Against the Machine is a song that’s just not going to sound as good through a 240
The separation is there, and the detail is heard, but it just doesn’t hit like it needs to. I think most of this has to do with the more laid-back treble. It works wonderfully on lighter genres because of its incredible way of presenting the instrument’s Timbre, but it lacks the punch required from a harder number.
For Classic Rock? I actually prefer the 240 over the 850 because of said Timbre. It’s more natural, more organic, and more realistic sounding.
While the 850 paired with Testify may be more lively, there’s still the problem of the treble being too bitey and sibilant. You’ll notice that it tends to sound kind of forced and a bit artificial. I noticed the bass hits harder than a 240 and helps to give the song some extra body.
It’s also important to note that the 850 doesn’t always give off this harsh/abrasive quality.
I think the source file, how it was recorded, mixed, and mastered are all better indicators than simply pointing to an Amp/DAC as the culprit.
I also wouldn’t rely on either of these for Hip-Hop, Rap, or any other heavy genres, but the 850 will fare better than a 240.
So what’s the final word regarding these two?
Closing Thoughts
In most circumstances, I would recommend the AKG K240 Studio. It sounds more true to life, more organic, more natural, and has a slightly better Soundstage with a more relaxed but still detailed treble.
There are a couple of things that the 850 does better; namely comfort and bass. Its treble sometimes excels better than the 240 because of pure excitement and air, but many times it’s short-lived due to its fairly brash character.
I think side by side with the K240, the 850 does get outclassed and sounds less refined, with a bit too much sizzle and a forced, unnatural type of sound in the treble area specifically.
Outside of that issue, it’s fantastic for gaming and still a great value overall.
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this AKG K240 vs. Samson SR850 Comparison.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
Marvin, what do you make of all this? Is the K240 a better purchase today? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
6 comments
very useful and interesting.
now we know in details where sr 850 came from.
i’m into music production so i’ll eq the high end “air” and will get quite good “neutral” headphone, i guess.
I ordered sr 850 !
I would love akg. but, for price and confort, the sr are unbeatable.
Thanks man! Please keep me posted on your impressions of the headphone! I’m on YouTube, you can hit me up here, wherever!
Hey thanks! I love the sr 850’s, I’ve had 2 pairs but sadly BOTH had issues with one of the wires becoming severed in the base of the jack. I don’t know how to solder and they were so cheap that I just bought another pair, however since it’s happened twice I’m reluctant to try again. (Though I am still planning to find someone to fix both pairs for me)
Before I had the 850’s I bought the AKG’s… they sounded so bad (to me!) that I sent them back and ordered the 850’s and was amazed at how good they sounded (for $30!?!?)
However, now I am wondering if the problem with the AKG’s was that I didn’t burn them in? I just listened for a few minutes out of the box and thought they sounded horrible.
My first 850’s sounded GREAT out of the box… my 2nd pair were very painful to listen to out of the box, the bass was very punchy and brutal… however after running a frequency spectrum through them overnight, they actually sounded much better, and more like the first pair, and I never had another problem with them soundwise.
All this is to ask: Did you burn in the headphones before the tests? You may have mentioned it, tbh I didn’t read this whole article, though I appreciate the effort!
I am tempted to order the AKG’s again and see if they sound any better after some time for them to burn in, since I don’t want a 3rd set of broken headphones.
Thoughts?
Hey man! Yeah all headphones were already burned in significantly as I bought both of them used. I would definitely reconsider the K240, as it’s a headphone that will blow you away if you give it some time to get warmed up. That, or you may just not really prefer it’s flatter sound. I personally think it’s one of the absolute best headphones I’ve ever heard with certain types of music: older Rock, Motown, Soul, etc. It’s just unrivaled for those types of genres, and provides some of the most revealing sound you will ever come across. I’m really sorry to hear about your 850 though. Great headphone, if a bit bright. Let me know what you think What is your budget like? I could always recommend something else. Have you seen my Philips SHP9500 vs. 9600 comparison? Either of those would be fantastic for you as well.
Hello! I have been researching about AKG K240. I’ve just read about the comment of this section that said that the AKGs sounded bad just after buying them and that it may be because they where not burned in. I have another theory. As I can see in the photos, the headphones you are testing for this review were the AKG K240 made in Austria. I have read in some Amazon reviews that a few years ago they moved the production to China and, although they say the sound quality is the same, it has changed a lot. If you look for these headphones on Amazon you can see that the “made in Austria” is no longer there. I was thinking about buying them, but I’m reading some bad reviews about them and I’m not sure if all the good reviews I read are based on the former Austria-made headphones. What do you think of this? Do you think the quality may have decreased?
Hey man! Nah, they sound nearly identical. I’ve owned a pair of K240S’ and 2 pairs of K240M’s so no worries. The build is a bit different, but they’re minor differences. The core structure of the headphone is more or less the same. I owned a pair of 240S’ back in 2016 and unfortunately didn’t take pictures for whatever reason, so forgive me! Check this article as well: Before YOU Buy A K240, READ THIS!!