In a previous post, I was recommended to purchase AKG K240 headphones for $99 at Sweetwater. Since I can't really try out headphones and I need to go on faith and recommendations, I would like to hear if anyone else has anything to say on these.

It seems that step 2 after buying a keyboard is to get good headphones. Step 3 would be to find a good way to amplify it for small gigs. I best get step 1 right first.

Sprout

I have the K271s, which are similar but sealed. I would have bought the K240's but needed sealed phones for recording. They sound very nice, flat frequency response, accurate bass.

The K240's most likely sound even better as they are semi-open, and for $99 I'd be all over them if I needed phones.

The K702's look super sweet, I wish I could find a reason to buy them! Nothing like having a pair of high end phones, the closest you'll get to heaven without dying (or maybe ever, if you're a bad boy like me).

The auto-adjusting fit of AKG's is really nice. Their phones with vinyl ear cushions are a bit sweaty if you wear them for long periods, but that's about all I can really say bad about them.

Step 4 is to discover the sound generator in your expensive shiny new DP is a piece of crap.

Step 5 is to cry a lot.

Step 6 is to MIDI into your PC and use Pianoteq or a good sample, whereupon the good headphones come back into play.

Hmm... Dewster, that doesn't sound good. Did I really just pay a lot of money for a "piece of crap"? The reviews here for it were mostly positive (some don't like the Roland piano).

I think you shouldn't take Dewster too seriously, Sprout.

He's just being tongue-in-cheek funny, that's all.

He's harmless, and means no ill will towards you, or your headphones.

It's just his way.

Snazzy

Uh oh. I'm sure your shiny new DP is just fine - as these things go.

I think Dewster was joking and it's only funy because it's true. Every time you upgrade something it only serves to exposure how weak the rest of the system is so you start a never ending upward spiral of the most dreaded condition that ever can afflict a musician: "GAS" There is no cure, it's terminal.

In a convoluted way he is saying the headphones are great.

I was one of those recommending people here to take advantage of the current discount. I'd say the only reason not to buy them are if you need more sound isolation. It you are recording with a mic sound can spill out of these open headphones and be picked up and also these will not block external sounds while you practice.

actually, I play and sing, so I want less isolation. Those sound perfect. I think I'll order them tomorrow.

AKG K240 is what I've used for years. Nice and flat response.

Lawrence

What about the K240 MKII?
I'm thinking about buying those.

If you can get them for the same price, I'd maybe go with the MKII as they are phasing out the original model and it may be harder to get spare parts later.

Otherwise I'd go with the originals - they are a very well known quantity and tons of people swear by them. The dumping price of $99 is pretty fantastic.

If you really want to go crazy, get the AKG K702 for ~$280. Then you won't have to sit around for the rest of your life wondering what a world-class headphone sounds like.

There are good Sennheiser cans out there too, look for headphone review sites on the web.

Sprout, I asked my buddy Zeke what he'd recommend, as he is a studio rat and all, and he said you can't go wrong with the AKG K240.

Snazzy