AKG K340 modding thread

[jellybones]

Since Head-Fi has been down..I've been wondering around the internet aimlessly..like an orphaned child.

[nsuttitinagul]

postjack: Thanks. Good to be here.

Fitz: Interesting you did not like the velour pads. How did the sound signature change?

Although old and not necessarily the nicest looking, the K340s I sense have real potential in the way they deal with midrange and the overall balance and tone. Takes a little bit of getting used to coming from an open headphone.

[philodox]

I found the velour pads stiffer and less comfortable myself.

That's crazy talk!

[mapstec]

Question: has anyone of you ever tried running a K340 from a standard speaker amp (recabled of course)?

I tried that with a K280 but I assume due to the lower impedance got a bit of hiss.

I assume that the K340 (just like the K1000) could be nicely driven by e.g. an T-Amp, I just do not want to mess with my pair just to try.

Although I probably will have to if no one dissuades me...

[grawk]

Wouldn't it be easy to build a pigtail cable to try it with?

[robert1325]

Hi,

Another Head-Filess orphan \

Just snatched a pair of these k340's from a dutch internet market place. a 100 euro including shipping. They are in mint condition. (barely used) Owner told me he got them from a place he used to work. They are here tommorow.

I'm using my dads akg k500 ATM , sure hope these are a good upgrade. Might have to do some recabling if my NAD pre does not drive them properply. my modded trends ta-10 will be ok with these I guess.

Robert

[aerius]

Question: has anyone of you ever tried running a K340 from a standard speaker amp (recabled of course)?

I've tried it out of an old Technics receiver, it's not bad at all once I mess with the tone controls to get more bass. This is with a record player though, I have no idea how that particular setup would sound with digital since I haven't tried it yet.

[n_maher]

I'd be surprised if the NAD headphone jack had enough ooomph for the K340s.

[robert1325]

ah ok, it's quite a warm sounding HP output. Should perform around the level of a gilmore lite (NAD 1600 pre)

I'll have to reterminate them BLEH. What would be the easiest way of connecting these to a speaker amp? reterminate them with some flexible speaker wire?

I'll first have a listen to them in stock form. See if their tone is my taste. I might trade them for some other cans ... I like my mbquart qp55x which sound like better grado sr60+ a little soundstage.

[n_maher]

Should perform around the level of a gilmore lite (NAD 1600 pre)

What makes you say that?

I'll have to reterminate them

Again, what makes you say that?

[robert1325]

Read that on the temporarily defunct headphone forum.. someone compared them . ( Ofcourse it's just an impression ) It at least gave me an indication that I have a decent headphone amp. the pre-amp part sucks tough. It totally spoiled my speaker setup.

The grounds have to be seperated when using a speaker amp ? or not?

Thanks for your interest anyway

this forum is money .

[ojnihs]

this forum is money .

hell yes it is, although the other place being down, it's getting less money as time goes on

[n_maher]

Read that on the temporarily defunct headphone forum.. someone compared them . ( Ofcourse it's just an impression ) It at least gave me an indication that I have a decent headphone amp. the pre-amp part sucks tough. It totally spoiled my speaker setup.

So you think the preamp part sucks but somehow the headphone portion of the circuit will sound as good as a $300 dedicated headphone amp? I must be missing something .

The grounds have to be seperated when using a speaker amp ? or not?

I'd say you need to reterminate them then, I wouldn't bother with an entire recable just yet.

[robert1325]

Don't know Sounds good to my ears. But the thing I said was only based on some headfiers comment. In my speaker setup the sound is mucho better when connected straight from dac to amp .

I'll have to look inside this thing and see how this headphone amp is connected . It might not use the pre-amp part... it has tape-in tape outs as well so it could be connected to the same as these connections. I'm a very noobie diyer ( only changed some caps and volume pots etc. )

DAC

[philodox]

I assume that the K340 (just like the K1000) could be nicely driven by e.g. an T-Amp, I just do not want to mess with my pair just to try.

Although I probably will have to if no one dissuades me...

I tried mine with my T-amp and didn't like it, but others have had good experience with the Red Wine audio tripath amps, so who knows...

EDIT: You need to reterm your headphones to balanced though as the grounds can't be tied together. FYI

[robert1325]

Philodox, was your t-amp the stock one? hope the trends with oil caps and better pot is up to the job. sounds quite good compared to my dads rwa sig 30 soooooo

[philodox]

Philodox, was your t-amp the stock one? hope the trends with oil caps and better pot is up to the job. sounds quite good compared to my dads rwa sig 30 soooooo

It was, though it used an upgraded power supply.

[robert1325]

aha ok... thanks. Hope to join team k340 tommorow .

[mapstec]

Oops, quite a few answers.

robert1325, welcome to a never ending quest (at least for me).

I am very interested in what you have to say about the K340.

I got mine already heavily modded, and I am already afraid that quite possibly 20years from now they might die

Anyway, it looks like I need to reterminate mine to actually test them with a few amps.

But before that I have a few other AKG coming in (600Ohms) that I will recable and test before I start fiddling with the K340.

Having said that the idea of getting a second pair that I could mod myself... hmm ... the sound of a crying wallet in the background...

[philodox]

I got mine already heavily modded, and I am already afraid that quite possibly 20years from now they might die.

That's an unsubstantiated rumour. I wouldn't worry about it.

[spritzer]

That's an unsubstantiated rumour. I wouldn't worry about it.

It's not a rumor as the electrets will die with time. They should last a long time as the technology was pretty good, even in the 70's so no worries.

[philodox]

I've never heard of one actually dieing, so until then I will call it a rumour.

[Fitz]

I've never heard of one actually dieing, so until then I will call it a rumour.

I killed one by putting a pick through it. I don't know of any that have died from "natural causes" though.

[robert1325]

Just got my k340's. Their condition is not as good as I expected . So feel a little ripped of since he asked above my offering with the excuse of mint condition.

Also I cannot seem to get the headband adjusted properly. It's stuck or something . they are squint when wearing them.

The sound is really great out of my NAD 1600. Listening to some count basie Live at the sands . And the brass sounds so full and smooth. Big soundstage. Lots of audience detail etc. very warm musical sounding cans these. They sound like a speaker headphone combination. both strengths. I feel they can be a little tighter in the low-end, ( they are already) but they probably need some serious amping. my nad amp is at 12 oclock. compared to the 10ish I use with other cans. they go loud without sounding harsh or anything. No distortion. So Half half happy. I guess I'll have to reterminate these soon and get some t-amp oilcap juice flowing .

[robert1325]

Question before I cut of the plug . Are the wires inside color coded? so I know where the cables go on my speaker binding posts?

If not I'd rather wait and just recable them when I have a decent cable (probably some copper speaker wire of some Hi-Fi brand)

I love the sound so far, but I feel they need more power. they sound a bit closed in /muffled , especially with busy music.