Bit of an AKG buying spree: electret-dynamic systems on the way

[deepak]

The K340

I will post impressions on arrival.

[humanflyz]

The K340

I will post impressions on arrival.

I hope you have something really powerful to drive them, because they are a bear to drive in my experience.

[deepak]

I will be able to try it with a friend's MMM (M3); my old amp. If I like them I'll be getting something more powerful since I'm accumulating quite a collection of dynamics...

[alfie]

I will be able to try it with a friend's MMM (M3);

Here a default M3/Step was not able to drive the K340 properly. I mean, yeah it seemed they were OK, but it was always it had something like a shortness of breath.

[grawk]

If my amp is ever finished, it'd be interesting to try the k340s on it. 32v/5a power supply balanced m3.

[philodox]

Nice, looking forward to hearing your impressions. We should hold off the AKG order because if you like them you might want to get some velour pads and maybe a K501 headband.

[deepak]

I PM'ed jpnumbers last night because I recall he was using his K340 off his speaker binding posts (RWA Sig 30), and he said it's doable with the K1000's speaker extension. He also said it sounded excellent, so I will probably end up recabling my K340 to a 4 pin XLR then use my Kimber Kable extension to the Pass Labs Aleph 30.

Hmm....wonder if it will be powerful enough

Nice, looking forward to hearing your impressions. We should hold off the AKG order because if you like them you might want to get some velour pads and maybe a K501 headband.

I think my K81DJ are going to be hitting the FS forum or ebay soon

It's not that they sound bad, it's just that I have no use for a portable closed headphone (and the KSC75 are more comfortable for movie watching). But if I end up liking the K340 I will be getting the velor pads and K501 band.

[philodox]

Hmm....wonder if it will be powerful enough

Will be an interesting combo... I am sure that the K340's will get more than enough current, but I am not sure about the voltage swing that speaker amps output. I am actually running my K340's off of my charlize at the moment since Peter is finishing up my amp. It sounds good now that it is burned in, but the soundstage is a little weird and the bass is sort of one note. This is an amp that is supposed to drive an 8ohm load though, so it is doing a pretty surprisingly good job with my 337ohm K340's.

[deepak]

Yeah the K1000 is 120 ohm, and so far the Aleph 30 is the best I've heard.

If it sounds good I will look into a more permanent solution, but that won't be for at least a year. I'm planning a speaker setup in the summer.

[philodox]

The K1000 may be 120ohm, but it sure doesn't act like a 120ohm headphone. Technically my custom McAlister amp should drive K1000's well, but it drives Grado's better for some reason. The K1000 really needs a speaker amp and the K340 really needs an over the top headphone amp. Or at least that has been my experience. Still, it is worth a try.

[deepak]

He had a SinglePower Extreme Platinum (w/ blackgate output caps) to compare it to so the Sig 30 was doing something right

But if I end up liking the K340 (I have read it may not be the best headphone for low volume listening, and I listen at really low volumes) I might spring for one of those Chinese tube amps that seem to be all the rage. Darkvoice or some other name they go by

[humanflyz]

He had a SinglePower Extreme Platinum (w/ blackgate output caps) to compare it to so the Sig 30 was doing something right

But if I end up liking the K340 (I have read it may not be the best headphone for low volume listening, and I listen at really low volumes) I might spring for one of those Chinese tube amps that seem to be all the rage. Darkvoice or some other name they go by

IME, the best low-level listening headphone is the GS1000, because if you turn it up, it's sibilance hell. Zing!

Okay okay, that was in jest. But when I had the K340, I actually liked them loud, or else they weren't dynamic enough for me.

[deepak]

GS-1000 lmao

So far the HD650 is my only headphone that has to be taken to a slightly higher listening level to be enjoyable

[n_maher]

I'm with humanflyz, with the K340's in order to get a balanced presentation I had to listen louder than I was comfortable. At that level I thought they sounded pretty damn good, but not so much better than my HD650s that I wanted to figure out how to make them sound good to me at lower levels.

All that said, hopefully we can get you both a K1000 and K340 audition with the beta22 when it's done. It should be a freakin' beast.

[DigiPete]

I'm with humanflyz, with the K340's in order to get a balanced presentation I had to listen louder than I was comfortable. At that level I thought they sounded pretty damn good, but not so much better than my HD650s that I wanted to figure out how to make them sound good to me at lower levels.

All that said, hopefully we can get you both a K1000 and K340 audition with the beta22 when it's done. It should be a freakin' beast.

Nate,

Really anxious to hear about your beta22 when its done.

Would love a comparo between it and the Dynamite and Zana Deux

[n_maher]

Nate,

Really anxious to hear about your beta22 when its done.

That makes two of us. The last of the components should ship tomorrow which means I can start in earnest casing it up in a week or so. Shouldn't take all that long as I'm keeping it fairly simple. I have been listening to it air-wired on my bench (hell of a soldering rig, let me tell you) and what I've heard so far does not bode well for my wallet. I see a source upgrade in my future...

[deepak]

Nate is your beta22 balanced?

[n_maher]

Nate is your beta22 balanced?

Unfortunately not, my wallet has limits.

[philodox]

He had a SinglePower Extreme Platinum (w/ blackgate output caps) to compare it to so the Sig 30 was doing something right.

Who had? [and are we talking K1000 or K340 here?]

That is not a good advert for the Etreme Platinum given that the Sig30 is just a tripath reference boards with a couple fancy caps and batteries that can be made for under $300 in parts.

EDIT: I've wanted to check out the Darkvoice for a while... given the price it is definately worth a shot. As for low level listening with the K340. I don't do much of that, but aerius does. Maybe he can chime in.

[philodox]

On a more positive note, apparently by putting a 5ohm resistor across the binding posts on the charlize you can get better drivability for headphones. Can't wait to try this on mine. Something similar might work for the Sig30 or Pass Aleph if you find it lacking in any way.

PS. Don't worry about me for the AKG parts order... I don't need the K501 headband anymore [unless they are really cheap] and I just realized that the velour pads people are getting for the K81DJ are actually from Sennheiser.

[deepak]

Who had? [and are we talking K1000 or K340 here?]

That is not a good advert for the Etreme Platinum given that the Sig30 is just a tripath reference boards with a couple fancy caps and batteries that can be made for under $300 in parts.

EDIT: I've wanted to check out the Darkvoice for a while... given the price it is definately worth a shot. As for low level listening with the K340. I don't do much of that, but aerius does. Maybe he can chime in.

The Florida crew had a couple of mini meets comparing K1000 and K340 with the 2 amps. I was refering to the K340 driven by Extreme/Sig 30.

I know there isn't a whole lot that goes into the Sig 30, but if it sounds good, it sounds good

And it won't burn your hand if you leave it on the amp for too long (or act as a heater for my bedroom in the winter)

[humanflyz]

And it won't burn your hand if you leave it on the amp for too long (or act as a heater for my bedroom in the winter)

My FirstWatt is a fine heater in my room thank you very much

[aerius]

EDIT: I've wanted to check out the Darkvoice for a while... given the price it is definately worth a shot.

There was a Darkvoice at the last Toronto meet, I don't know if you got to it before it died. I gave it a couple minutes of listening but the channel balance was completely fucked so I can't make any real judgements on it.

As for low level listening with the K340. I don't do much of that, but aerius does. Maybe he can chime in.

Maybe. I think it does just fine at low volume, much better than my Senn 580 or Grado 225. But that's out of my amp which I've custom tuned to the damn thing so results may vary etc. etc.

[philodox]

There was a Darkvoice at the last Toronto meet, I don't know if you got to it before it died. I gave it a couple minutes of listening but the channel balance was completely fucked so I can't make any real judgements on it.

I heard it for a bit with the K501's, but the power switch broke before I could hookup my K340s. I remember you commenting on the channel balance of the amp... that would be worse at the low volumes you listen at. Most likely just the cheap pot they used in the Darkvoice, but who knows.

[deepak]

Made in China for the win.