AKG K240 MKII review

Comfortable, and sound spacious, but you can do better for the money Tested at £100.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Always listenable, but you can do much better at this money

Pros

  • +

    Comfortable

  • +

    spacious, even delivery

  • +

    don’t leak as much as the fully open ‘phones

Cons

  • -

    Too soft to dig-up the finest details and dynamic nuances

  • -

    needs a bit more punch

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We see a fair number of AKG headphones here, but rarely models form the Pro side of the business, which is where these K 240 MK IIs come from.

There are a few little features that will please the musical professional and home enthusiast, like a quick release to change the 3m straight cable for a 5m coiled one (also included).

There are two pairs of earpads in the box, too, the relatively firm vinyl ones that are pre-attached, and bigger, softer velvet ones for those who are so inclined.

Leaky, but they're not the worst

Either way, they're very comfortable on your head: light and with enough pressure to keep them fairly well attached without pinching.

The line between open and semi-open can be a rather fine one, and the AKGs, which are described as semi-open have a series of fairly large ports on each can.

However, although they let enough sound escape for them to be a pretty irresponsible choice for a bus journey, they leak far less than the Grado models here.

Besides, they're not designed for bus journeys, but for serious listening at home. Thing is, their sonic performance isn't quite good enough for really serious listening.

Smooth, fluid performance

Play I Am Arrows' Nice Try and they're initially very pleasing, offering-up a smooth and fluid performance that bounces along to the chirpy tune.

The vocals are clear and direct, but there's a very pleasant airiness to the overall presentation, and the tonal balance is very even.

There are flaws, though: that smooth fluidity comes at the expense of the drive, punch and detail that the best are capable of producing, and they also lack the insight and dynamic subtlety to deliver the low-level nuances of a delicate analogue recording like The Road soundtrack.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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