I honestly haven't seen much talk going around about this model in particular, so I thought I'd do it a little justice by posting a review about it here.
Per general description, the K242HDs follow the same bloodline as the K240s and it's subsequent offspring dubbed the "Mark II". Keeping in tradition with its superlux look-alike physique, the K242 sports a semi-open back design, circumaural, and retains the gimbal suspension and light weight frame as did its predecessors, and switches oot the detachable cable for a fixed 99.99% OFC cable to 3.5mm stereo jack. Essentially, it's a prosumer-oriented version of the more rounded K240s, coming in just under USD 200. I got mine at around USD 130 back in 2009 (Hong Kong is my bitch), so I wouldn't be surprised if you could find it cheaper. Unfortunately, I have yet to see these cans sold here.
For the purposes of this review, I ran these cans through my MacBook Pro > NuForce uDAC-2 setup, playing tunes off iTunes (per default). I tried several different genres to test the overall performance of these puppies. They've gone through well over 100 hours of burn-in, so I guess the sound is pretty much where it's supposed to be. So here's how it went...
VocalsSylvia Hotel - Cheryl Wheeler | 707kbps, Apple Lossless EncoderAudio notes: Ethereal, transparency, warmth
This song wasn't recorded with depth in mind, so Cheryl sounds like she's coming from inside my head. Otherwise, the guitar notes are spectacular with a distinct flesh to metal string quality. The vocals are quite breathy, but not as human as I'd like. Lows are well pronounced, but seem to lack a tad of warmth that I'm looking for in the track. The highs tend to be a bit too pronounced, especially at crescendos - but this is a problem I attribute to the uDAC2 in general.
Auld Lange Syne Bring It on Home to Me - Rebecca Pidgeon | 320kbpsAudio notes: Depth, Tonality, Imaging
I like this song in particular because it has both aspects of depth and imaging that the audio system needs to contend with. Listening to the track, It feels like I'm in one of those little pubs where they have jazz sessions - and I like that. The placement of the singers seems a bit too cramped, though. Despite this, the pianos have a nice background feel that doesn't overpower the vocals. The saxophone solo is also quite breathtaking, and the crispness of the highs is extremely clear. Again, I'm hearing a nice flesh to string quality in the guitars. A very pleasant track indeed.
ClassicalRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Main Titles) - Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra | Audio CDAudio notes: Imaging, Impact
The funny thing about listening to this track on these cans is that the song gained an added touch of warmth, especially on the lows. The tympani weren't that heavy (unlike on some other HPs I've heard them on). Highs are sparkling and don't sound painful to the ears, especially the cymbals. The open-back design of the headphones gives a good sense of depth and reduces the sensation of laterality for this orchestral track, which makes it sound more like I'm in a concert hall than in a small room. Placement could be better, though, as this track experiences the same trouble as with Auld Lange Syne in that the instruments sound a little clumped together despite the depth. Impact is there, but I feel the mids could come out a little bit more. A little too dark for my tastes, too. Could've sounded brighter.
Vocalise Op. 34, No. 14 - S. Rachmaninov, performed by Earl Wild | Audio CDAudio notes: Dynamic Range, Tonality
A very tough track to play, because of the large dynamic range - both in terms of tone and volume. Being an all-piano track, it's good that the tonal quality sounds like a grand piano. A bit muffled though, especially when it reaches the loud parts of the song. The highs are also a bit painful and don't really rest all that well with me. The lows sound drenched, and don't seem to jive well with the highs that are literally screaming. It almost sounds as if my head is inside the piano while the song is being played... Could've done better, honestly...
Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61 [Molto Moderato e Maestoso] - Camille Saint-Säens | Audio CDAudio notes: Dynamic Range, Tonality
Marvelous. Slight sibilance, but the highs produced by the violin are remarkably clear and almost "transparent". The strings in the background have a surprising amount of impact, even though they aren't supposed to. Lows are a bit too booming for me in this track, but overall it's quite engaging. Immersive.
RockPlaying God - Paramore [iTunes LP version] | 256kbpsAudio notes: Impact, Clarity
Surprisingly clear, but has a tad of laterality to it that makes me feel like the sound is being shoved into my ears. Still, the highs are crisp and the lows aren't as booming as I initially thought they'd be. The guitars sound a little laid-back though for a rock track. In fact, I'm appreciating the drums more than the guitars, which is kinda weird.
Get Back (LOVE Version) [iTunes LP version] | 256kbpsAudio notes: Tonality
Vocals are surprisingly centered and clear. The guitar distortion is clear and well appreciated. There's a florid amount of space in this song, giving it a nice "spread out" quality between vocals and instruments. Lows aren't as pronounced, but the mids and highs are there.
GuitarLayla - Eric Clapton (Unplugged Version) | Audio CDAudio notes: Depth, Imaging, Tonality
Imaging is a bit of a mess, as the sound stage isn't as clear as I hoped it would be - even more so that this is a live track. Still, the highs are crisp and the lows are full of warmth. Vocals tend to sound a little lateralized for my tastes, and Eric sounds a little too close to me that I'd hope for. The guitar sounds spectacular, though... for what it's worth. D:
The Dynamo of Volition - Jason Mraz | 320kbpsAudio notes: Tonality, Clarity
The lows sound a little muffled for my tastes, but the mids and highs are crisp with a tad of sibilance. Vocals are nice and breathy, giving Mraz a human touch. Despite this, Mraz sounds like he's in my face.
JazzBali Run - Fourplay | 192kbpsAudio notes: Clarity, Tonality
I honestly need to find the CD of this, again. There's an amount of distortion in the track that I attribute to the encoding, but nevertheless, the track is clean albeit with much sibilance. The mid to highs are a bit ear piercing as would be hoped, but the lows are lush and full of warmth.
対象a - anNina | 256kbpsAudio notes: Ethereal, Warmth, Presence
A bit flat for my tastes, but the vocals have a nice breathy touch which comes out surprisingly human. The track lacks warmth, though... sounding a bit cold and distant. The guitar is crisp and well pronounced. The lows tend to stick out too much instead of blending in with the track.
Techno (just because)
Thirty (KIWAMU Remix) - Hiroyuki ODA | 320kbpsAudio notes: Ethereal, "organic"
There are some "nature tones" in this track, which is why I gave it an audio note of "organic" (although strictly speaking, this is impossible). Immersive, and surprisingly, the bass isn't as overpowering as you'd expect. The entire tonal range is pretty much leveled out, and you can appreciate the onion strings in the mids quite well. There are breathy notes from the synth tones in the background which give it a nice warmth. Overall, quite impressive.
J-Pop (again... just because)
ストロボナイツ - kz(Livetune) feat. 初音ミク | 320kbpsAudio notes: are there any?
For a house track, you just need the voice to have presence and enough thumping to keep you dancing. Overall, it's immersive. Mikus voice has life and presence, which is a good thing. Listening to these on other headphones has her voice drowning in the sounds, but the K242s seem to bring out her voice much more. Highs aren't that ear piercing, and the lows are pretty laid back... surprisingly.
The VerdictPretty good overall and has a well-rounded sound. It amplifies imperfections in tracks (which is a good thing), but also tends to amplify its own imperfections in demanding tracks like Vocalise and Sylvia Hotel. Not really an audiophile's choice, but certainly a good above-the-top choice for a budding audiophile or a casual listener in general.
The Good- Lightweight, comfortable fit
- Nice design (if you like superlux)
- Well-rounded for most genre of music
- Nice sense of depth in live tracks
- Very "warm", if you like it that way
The not so good- Soundstage isn't as good as could be hoped for
- Makes imperfections in tracks all too obvious - which could be a plus, too
- Semi-open design means it's not good for use in noisy environments
- Highs can be a little frustrating on certain tracks
Overall, they're a decent set of cans for the budding audiophile. I'll hold on to them until I get the money to upgrade - but until then, these cans don't cease to crease a smile across my face.
