AKG K240 Studio

There’s been plenty of development behind the scenes at AKG since the debut of these headphones, however, with refinements inside and out. However, it’s the crisp, punchy sound of these headphones that demonstrate the biggest evolution. The new Varimotion system, with its 30 mm XXL transducers, has been engineered to deliver more precise sound with richer dynamics. The first auditory impressions are certainly good.

Appearance and Feel

The AKG is designed with studio use in mind and is therefore unlikely to impress too much with its appearance. That being said, the technical aspect of the headband design hits high notes. The slim design has two suspended earpieces for flexibility, while the headband has been designed to withstand a great deal of wear and tear. In fact, even when distorted after rigorous use, these headphones can return to their original shape. As such, these headphones will hold up well to more demanding studio use. The earpieces themselves sit comfortably on the ears, with imitation leather padding and coverings that can be replaced easily if required. In all honesty, these headphones aren’t particularly eye-catching, with an outward appearance that’s a little old fashioned. However, if you’re seeking sound performance as a priority, these superficial notes are nothing to worry about. A quality feature of these headphones is the detachable cable which connects to external sources via mini-XLR to the headphone base itself, or other devices via the included jack adapter. With older models in this AKG series, a common gripe was the upkeep of these headphones, with the connector points in particular requiring repair. With the AKG AK240, this is no longer something to concern yourself.

Sound Characteristics

When it comes to studio use, headphones have tended to fall into two distinct camps: those headphones that are neutral with technical specs tuned to the task, plus those headphones that are all about audio enjoyment. The K240 Studio have always belonged to the second style of headphone. That’s not to say you can’t expect analytical prowess with these headphones, only that the crisp and powerful sound character tends to distract from more subtle background elements. In short, these headphones present the bigger picture, sometimes at the expense of the finer details. Musicians using these 240 Studio headphones during recording, but sound engineers and producers working behind the scenes will have to pay closer attention during monitoring and recording. In the mids and highs, these AKG headphones are resolved and reliably reveal weaknesses and strengths in the spectrum, as well as in the spatial resolution of the sound. There are undoubtedly other headphones out there on the market that do this better, but the luxury of such enhanced function comes with a premium price tag to match.
With an impedance rate of 55 Ohm, the K20 Studio is an ideal choice for use with smartphones and media players, with plenty of powerful sound to look forward to for everyday listening.

Applications

As the model name and package notes suggest, the AKG is an ideal choice for the studio. Thanks to its semi-open design, it’s a fine choice of listening companion for almost every type of musician who record material alone in the recording room. These headphones are suitable for almost every musician bar drummers, transmitting sound from the instrument to the ears well. In instances where several acoustic instruments play concurrently, differentiation performance is relatively poor, which is why it doesn’t make sense to use these if you’re at the drum kit, for example.
The 240 Studio, despite the limitations outlined above, performs very reliably during recordings.