AKG K1000-For lack of a more intriguing title

[Tenson 0]

N@Z Wrote: Tenson, AKG K1000. They are more ear speakers rather than headphones but this is what you are looking for ultimately. Etys are more about detail & neutral sound. Like you mentioned, it has headstage rather than soundstage but the sound plugs you directly into the music, "immersing" you or placing you right up front or in the music itself.

If you're still unsure open a new topic as I don't think this was discussed in great depth before. So that this thread won't go OT.

 

Okie dokie, will do!

 

I have seen these mentioned here and there. You have got me interested! Are they not discontinued?

 

They are a bit out of my price range, but from what I read they use a normal stereo amp? If that’s right then I can up my money a bit as I can use my Cyrus to power them, rather than spending another £300 or so on a headphone amp.

 

Have you used them? Can you describe the sound?

 

On the AKG site it says $916 and EUR-916 as well! I'm hoping it would be more like £580 in the UK. But I doubt they are that fair

 

Where can I get them in the UK!?!?!?! Or go to listen. Second-hand would be best (for cheapness), do any of you know a good 'resource' for second-hand headphones in the UK? Even somewhere cheeaap I could import from? How muchare they in Singapore?

 

What other headphones are there with speaker-like soundstageing? Good tonality is importiant too me as well. So many questions..

 

On my travels I also noticed these little (well..big..) gems, Sennhesier Orpheus. Anyone got a pair?

http://www.stoneaudio.co.uk/stoneaudio/pro....asp?product=31

 

BTW Ablaze, great site ya got here! Found it through www.echoloft.com Where did you get the emoticons?

 

[lengcm 0]

Which part of UK are you in?

[Tenson 0]

Kent, England

[Wortel 0]

Welcome Tenson. The smiles are wicked huh?

 

I've heard only good thing about the K1000s.

they leak quite a bit and need alot of power are the only bad things I've heard.

 

and you look kinda silly wearing them

 

Senn orpheous is a limited thing. Rare to find them. One may popup on ebay.

 

I may have to check out this echoloft place. any good?

 

[Mackie 0]

If U wish to pursue audiophilia in the advanced stage, echoloft is a good forum to join. It's also known for their group of hardcore DIYers.

 

However, if one posts a simple or silly question, there might not be any response at all. So be mentally prepared.

Edited July 31, 2003 by Mackie

[N@Z 0]

I had the good fortune to be able to buy these earspeakers from headroom for a clearance price of about US$360. At the moment you can get them from HeadRoom for US$549 (excluding FedEx international shipping) or from Meier-audio (scroll to the very bottom) for US$680/Euro620 (shipping within EC incuded)

 

I used them with my Naim Nait 2 integrated amp (sold of a few months back) quite successfuly albeit not to my taste probably due to lack of system synergy.

 

These earspeaker take a very long time to burn in I think I had it run in for about 50 hours & my colleague also burned it in a further 70 hours or so on his high end system. My impressions here are based on his Krell CDP, Audio Alchemy DAC & McCormack MID Pre & DNA poweramp.

 

The sound is very open, in both sense, it is airy & had 3D depth & anyone in the same room as you will hear & know what music is playing. Also not recommended for noisy conditions as it will interfere with the sound you are listening to. There is soundstage similar like speakers but it is closer infront of your face. You can adjust the soundstage positioning by moving the adjustable drivers to angle further or closer to your ears. I like the very detailed sound but at the expense of being bright (most people recommend using tubed amps to smoothen out the sound, some just play around with their other components, mainly interconnects). The bass is akin to the K501 & etys. Lean for people used to bass heavy headphones but it has very good bass extension & resonances are psychologicaly felt like on speakers as opposed to heard on headphones. Presentation is forward like the Grados.

 

I sold mine off because I couldn't stand prolonged listening sessions due to the bright & forward nature. They make my Grado RS-1 using the same gear sound tame!

[Tenson 0]

N@Z can you give me some references as to what you consider bright? What music would you say they are suited too? I have a very broad range, anything from Linkin Park to Rachmaninoff.

 

OK, I have emailed Meier-audio to see what they say about returning them if I don’t like them. I still don't know anywhere I can go to listen to them so what I will probably do is buy them and try them. If I don't like them I can return them at the expense of postage.

 

They work out at £377 and I would expect about £400 with import tax. Which is well within my budget of about £600.

 

I currently listen to music on my Monitor Audio Gold Reference 10 loudspeakers, a Cyrus 3 amp and an Arcam Alpha 9 CD player. Except for recoding sessions when I use phones. Now the idea is to sell my speakers and switch to headphones because I'm fed up of people complaining that I listen too loud. Also if I go to university in a year or so I can't really play a system like that.

 

I think if I do get these I may spend the other money building a nice valve power amp for them. I have built amps before, but only for loudspeakers and I know with a valve amp you need an output transformer to convert the impeadance down. So my question is - Is it possible to skip out the output transformer because of the high impedance of headphones? Sorry if its a bit of a hardcore DIY question.

 

Thank you all!

[N@Z 0]

I don't remember playing any Linkin Park on them as I do have their debut album. Don't have any Rachmaninoff. At that time I was listening more to jazz, blues, rock, country rock & pop. Can't recall whether I tried classical.

 

Some CDs are bright but the brightness I experienced was apparent in nearly all CDs, even Diana Krall - The look of Love, Eric CLapton - Reptile & The Best of Chris Botti, which leads me to believe it is not the software that's causing the problem as using my present main headphones rig it is not bright with those CDs. I felt it had a very edgy & forward sounding top end.

 

Can't help you with the DIY tube amp part. Maybe someone else here can.

 

The only other option I can think of for you to audition besides the AKG K1000 for headphones with supposedly good soundstage (I haven't heard them myself but have read their numerous recommendations) the Sony MDR-CD3000, Sony MDR-R10 & some of the high end Audio Technica headphone models. I think it has something to do with the drivers being slightly angled inside the enclosures.

[Mackie 0]

On a side note, I think only those who have a good understanding of tubes and DIY skills should consider building a tube amp. A major problem ie. humming is very difficult to troubleshoot.

[Wortel 0]

Thanks for the waring on echoloft mackie. Ill regester next week when I have the time.

 

 

Tenson what other headphones have you heard yourself?

 

[Tenson 0]

No problam with the tube amp part. Will enlist the help of ma dad lol He has lots of experiance building tube gear. Besides planning to use Cyrus as a pre hehe..

 

Headphone I have heard.. Grado sr60, AKG K55 & K66, Beyer dt100, Audio Technica hm30, Sennheiser HD 25 .. thats all i can think of. I must have used others but I dont remeber them.

[N@Z 0]

Tenson, can you describe the sound of the DT100 & what gear you used it on? Is it in any way similar to the DT150?

[ablaze 0]

just noticed your comments on the site Tenson. thanks. so my spamming the other forums DID pay off

[Tenson 0]

I have not heard the 150's. But as far as I can see they are the next step up from the DT100's.

 

I'd say the DT100 have quite an un-exciting sound to be honest. Good tight and low bass, you can feel the impact. (well when the volume is up high) The highs are fast/crisp, but to me they are also tinny. The midrange is what makes me say they are un-exciting, they lack transparency and detail. However having said that, I think they are designed for studio use much much more than home. The DT100's have very good isolation so that mic's don't pick them up, they are extremely durable, and they can go to frighteningly high sound levels. The gear I feed them with was a computer with a pro soundcard digitally connected to a Yamaha O2R digital mixer desk and then through a MTR 2way headamp.

 

Hope that helps.

 

[Wortel 0]

This guy needs more help than my meager exp. can give.

Give him a hand guys.

push him down the road to sonic Nirvana.