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List Price: $289.00
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- Over-ear design maximum wearing comfort for long work sessions
- Advanced closed technology for high noise insulation, best possible sound reproduction
- Auto-mute feature mutes headphones when they are taken off
- Sealed design with lowest signal bleeding for vocal and instrument recordings without unwanted spill
- Self-adjusting headband for optimum fit and ease of use
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At first I hesitated to give these 5 stars. There are headphones that sound better, including this one's older, more sophisticated (and open) brothers, the k601 and k701. But here's where this one wins:
1) With a fairly high efficiency, it sounds great whatever you plug it into. This isn't so with most hi-end 'phones. Usually you need both a very high quality source and an equally expensive ($200+) dedicated headphone amp (not to mention a Digital-Analog-Converter if you use your laptop a lot).
2) It isolates sound very well. I live in a great apartment, but unfortunately others think so too, and so they're building an enormous rig outside of my building. I come home, pop these on, and I'm in my own listening sanctuary.
3) They have AKG's best-in-business mids. Since most of what you listen to is the middle of the spectrum, this is huge, especially if you like any kind of acoustic music, like jazz, folk, rock, or classical. I can't really speak about house or electronic or even rap, but they still sound good on my R&B, soul, and hip-hop charts.
4) 2 cables > 1. If you're on the go, they've got a great expandable, but relatively short cable. And if you need to reach across the room, they have a standard 3m cable that will get you most places.
5) They have a mini-plug. Since you'll most likely be listening to this from your laptop or mp3 player, this is good as it avoids unnecessary bulk.
6) I've compared these phones with a lot of others (including Senn HD595, K701, Grado, ATH A700) and at least for my musical preferences, these come in second only to the K701 (which at 300 for a pair, plus 300 for an amp, plus at least 500 for better source = a problem).
Buy em if you want closed, really good sound.
Buy AKG Pro Audio K271 MKII Channel Studio Headphones Now
The headphones are the most comfortable headphones I've ever bought. They are perfect to wear for long periods of time and don't irritate your ears like some previous ones I've had. The sound cut off switch works great in an office environment and nobody can hear a thing when I am listening to them. They don't get distorted at high volumes either. Great headphones.
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These headphones simply do not provide accurate bass. I could go on about the accuracy of the highs, the overall detail these reveal that wasn't there with prior headphones I've owned and how comfortable they are during long recording/playing/listening sessions -and it would all be true -but I would be compensating, in my opinion, for one glaring and significant shortcoming: that these headphones do not provide either adequate or accurate bass response(I truly hate to say this in print because I am concerned that it will further my disappointment, and I am a big fan of AKG based on past ownership; but if I am to review these honestly in the hopes of preventing others from spending a large amount of money on a product expecting mind-blowing results, it's necessary to be accurate in my review).
I record a wide range of instruments -drums, piano, keyboards, voice, etc. -using headphones both for tracking and mixing, both as a player and mixer; I also use them to listen to both my final product and commercial music CD's. I have the luxury of having both (2)pair of $40-$80 220M's and (2)pair of $100 K240's to compare these to, as well as my fellow musicians' Sony headphones. My 10-yr-old 220M's have more immediacy and realism in the mids, a more open (pleasing) sound, fuller (though muddier) bass, but less accuracy and detail in the highs than do the AKG271MKII's. My 15-20 yr-old K240's are more open (to be expected, considering they are a semi-open-back phone), with adequate bass, but strained at high volumes due to years of combat as a drummer's monitor phone. My new AKG 271MKII's? Again, while they provide a nice, detailed high, they are very shrill in the mids, lacking the fullness both there and in the lower frequencies. After 100 or so hours of use (break-in?) I am still waiting for the ability to hear/place a bass player accurately in the mix, recognize the fullness of the low-end of my grand piano, or be able to accurately discern each individual instrument's visceral impact during live playing sessions.
I sold headphones for 20 years. I have made and recorded my own music for 30 years. I have tried many headphones. These simply disappoint in the lows, failing to accurately reproduce not only the normal pleasing bass of a more 'colored' headphone, but the accurate bass a studio monitor-style headphone should deliver in this price range.
Bottom line -I wish I could get a refund or at least switch to another, fuller, more balanced headphone. It's hard to imagine someone who would be honestly satisfied with their bass response for any style of listening, provided they had heard other headphones with a more balanced sound.
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Sometimes the people next door make too much noise, thus making it hard to hear music through open back phones at a safe volume level. According to AKG parts lists, the 271 and 240 models use the same superb XXL drivers. In addition the 271 has an automatic cut out switch that mutes the phones if you take them off. This feature is vital in studio use but is somewhat annoying for home use. Like the 240, two sets of ear cushions and two cords are included. Cords for the 240 and 271 are interchangeble.
I used no equalizer or tone controls in this listening test.
After a 20 hour break-in, sound is very similar to the 240 studio version, as would be expected. Balance is very natural, like live music, rather than punchy or unnaturally bright. Bass seems more tight and the lowest notes seem more defined than with the K 240 studio phones. Female vocals sound very natural with both model phones, Male vocals sometimes sound a bit thin, especially operatic basses with the K 271 phones. The K 240 phones really shine with bass voices and choral music. Orchestral sound can be thin with the 271, especially when historic instrument recordings are played, On the otherhand, the K 271 studio is superb at cleaning up bass heavy orchestral sound. Having both reduces my desire to buy an equalizer, as most recordings sound ideal on one phone or the other. At this point you may want to read my K240 reviews if you are not familiar with the K 240 phones. UPDATE AUG 2012: I am just starting to test Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO phones (80 Ohm) which are more expensive. The DT 770 Has a cleaner midrange than either AKG 240 or 271, but is not as clean above 13 kHz. The DT 770 came from a person who is younger than I am, who now likes the AKG 240 studio better. For an older listener, like me, the DT 770 PRO may be a better choice. As my high frequency hearing declined I became more critical of midrange sound. Older recordings benefit the most from the DT 770 PRO phones, however many audiophile grade recordings sound better too, if I listen very critically. My father had the same experience of becoming more midrange critical with age. Sound isolation is the same as the AKG 271.
Here is the science behind what I perceive, the Headroom website allows one to compare headphone test data. The AKG 240 has a smooth rolloff from 13 kHz to 20 kHz while the the DT 770 PRO dip and then peak, in this frequency range. Harmonic distortion peaks at minus 50 decibels in the AKG 240 which is sometimes heard. On the otherhand, the DT 770 PRO harmonic peak is down minus 70 decibels. This is so low that any harmonic distortion products are masked by the slight background noise that is part of any recording.
Conclusion: If your hearing above 12 kHz is weak, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 ohms) is the best choice sonically due to it's super clean midrange and strong but accurate bass. You get the full sound of the AKG 240 with the isolation of the AKG 271. Unlike AKG however, Beyer offers no diagrams or parts, not good if you do your own repairs. If you damage the cord you may have to open the ear cup with no knowledge of what is inside. No spare ear cushions or cord is included.
The best headphones I've ever used are the AKG K701/702. They have excellent soundstage, refinement of sound and accuracy. I can't think of any closed headphones that matches the ideal sound of AKG K701/702 except the K271. Although the K701/702 are way better than the K271 especially after 150 hours of burn in but the K271 is the best neutral closed headphones I've ever used, it is highly recommended for classical music lovers and those seeking neutral uncoloured sound. These headphones are very comfortable, light and versatile. The sound is not excellent but very good, they have very good sound stage and seperation of instruments but they lack the refinement and accuracy of K702. They have the virtue of exclusing environment noise where you live in your own music without bothering others, or them bothering you. A good amplifier is certainly a need for these, otherwise they will perform poorly.
