Please help with headphone choice...

[jasonc]

I am going to sell my K240DF's and get another set that YOU guys recommend for my specific use, which is to act in place of (as much as possible) real studio monitors (Genelech's?) in a music mixing and mastering studio (whew).

I've got $400 'studio monitors', so I'm looking beyond just getting clean sound - I need an accurate reference to mix music too! My current monitors have no bass, and my 240DF's (I have just recently learned) are for a different application.

I've heard nothing but praise for the 240's but I don't know the difference between the 240M and the 240's. But I'm leaning at one of those two since I've heard them mentioned the most.

thanks in advance.

jason c

[Michael Yoder]

Jason,

I was in a similar situation recently: seeking a pair of headphones that could be accurate enough for mixing, in those cases where using studio monitors is not feasible.  At the time, I owned the K240M but decided it had two slight problems: the high impedance meant that it could only be fed by a mixer output or headphone amp and not the headphone output jack of a recorder, and some frequencies in the midrange have a little bit of colouration that sounds a little unnatural.  But their "tonal balance" is phenomenal and they are the most non-fatiguing headphones I have ever used.  Therefore, I use them for tracking.

I decided to buy a pair of K240S for mixdown purposes, and am 100% satisfied.  The bass is a tiny bit fuller than the K240M, which to me means they are more revealing of detail.  It's not an artificial boominess, like the Sony MDR7506.  It's an accuracy in the bass.  If the music sounds bass-heavy with the K240S, then it is bass heavy.  The midrange is uncoloured, and the highs (things like cymbals) are reproduced better with the K240S than with the K240M.

In short, for your application, I recommend you try the K240S.

Sincerely,
Michael Yoder

[jasonc]

thank you! thank you! thank you Michael!! I was *this* close to getting the 240M's but I still hadn't gotten a response on this thread so I was holding out. I'm so glad I could rely on your experience (and ears) in this area. It is MUCH appreciated.

Jason

[jasonc]

thank you! thank you! thank you Michael!! I was *this* close to getting the 240M's but I still hadn't gotten a response on this thread so I was holding out. I'm so glad I could rely on your experience (and ears) in this area. It is MUCH appreciated.

Jason