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I say the K1000 is THE best headphone for the money!! - Page 3

post #31 of 112
12/28/05 at 7:18pm
If you ever want an education in "form follows function", download and read the owner's manual for the K 1000.

In it the chief engineer describes exactly what he wanted the product to do and tells how he manipulated each and every facet of its performance to achieve exactly what he was looking for.

You're right - the K 1000 wasn't styled by a industrial designer, it was put together by a group of people who knew what they wanted it to sound like and every aspect of the design was a means to that end.
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post #32 of 112
12/28/05 at 7:23pm
Just to throw in my 2 cents. I don't like the approach of matching K1000 with warm, forgiving tube amps (some SET's) to overcome its famous quarkiness. K1000 virtues thrive on extremely resolving, detailed, neutral amplification, which allows K1000 to climb to extraordinary specialness.

Some will say, "That'll be too bright!" I think the solution to THAT preconception is the recabling. If PS1, RS1 dare to challenge K1000 only after balanced recabling, perhaps K1000 recabling, all the way to the drivers, should be in the cards as well, as shown here:
http://www.sixmoons.com/audioreviews...2/k1000_2.html
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post #33 of 112
12/28/05 at 7:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGhostWhoWalks
But seriously, the RS-1s didn't sound like the same headphones I'd had for the past 5 years or so. They sounded like a completely different headphone through the SDS-XLR. It really was amazing.
I think the ones who love the RS1 sound would fear such a dramatic change
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post #34 of 112
12/28/05 at 7:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGhostWhoWalks
The K1000s are very finicky and require very careful system matching. So much so that it's not such a bad idea to build an entire system around them. You can't just run them out of an ordinary headphone amp, which right there adds to their cost (not directly, but indirectly) as most good amps cost more money than good headphone amps.

[...]

But best bang for the buck? I completely disagree. I think that honor would have to go to either:

1) The ever popular Grado SR60 (is there a more popular introduction to high(er) end headphones?)
2) HD580
3) SA5K
4) K701s
5) HD650

All cost less and are easier to build a system around than the K1000s.
The K1000 sound at least impressive with any decent integrated amp.
A vintage amp from the '70's (~$100-150) + AKG K1000 would be a comparable if not better system than a similarly priced system based on any of the 5 headphones you have listed (SR60 left apart ;-))
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post #35 of 112
12/28/05 at 8:37pm
I never could get around the strong rubber-ish smell of new K1000s.
My headphones have to smell nice
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post #36 of 112
12/28/05 at 8:50pm
Google "Headphone Girl" and click on Images and you'll be presented with this fine specimen!
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post #37 of 112
12/28/05 at 9:22pm
Thread Starter 
lol nice "luggable" rig. you are hardcore sir!

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post #38 of 112
12/28/05 at 10:38pm
Weren't there more photos in that series, including some amusing ones of the unfortunate protagonist attempting to talk to _real_ women?

btw, the "form follows function" argument would have more weight with me if the bars weren't red. To my knowledge the red colour produces no benefits to the musical qualities of the headphones, from which fact it can only be concluded that they were some poor misguided soul's attempt at style...
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post #39 of 112
12/28/05 at 11:11pm
Just because K1000 shows the weakness of the cable and rest of the system doesn't mean it's bad and other cheaper (more forgiving headphones) are better!

K1000 should be paired with a solid-state amp for best performance, however, tubes in the path makes it sound a bit more natural, with my Cary CD player I can choose tube or solid-state .
The brightness will be solved with the Stefan AudioArt Hardwired cable and power conditioning. My HD590 are now brighter than K1000, even when both use the same power conditioning setup, I believe this is because of the cable and plugs of HD590, it doesn't make as good connection as the bare wire of K1000.
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post #40 of 112
12/28/05 at 11:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fmplautus
My two cents...

Look at the design of the K-1000, and the research and care taken to accomodate human ear anatomy and related aural cues. There is no hint at compromise for marketing, comfort or the "you-look-like-a-fool-wearing-those," factor, let alone the fact that you need to drive them with a real, balanced amp. There was no reliance on conventional high end audio wisdom...no chrome, precious metals, organic varnish over rare woods, no tubes, or any of the other male jewelry that usually appeals to those at a certain price point. Nope. These things are red, and metal grilled and damned ugly on your head.

In short, I don't think there is any transducer on this earth that rivals the K-1000 for being a balls-to-the-wall radical assault by engineers, who knew what they were doing, on the conventions and compromises in other, um...headphones...earspeakers...transducers...what ever you want to call them.

If they sounded like cardboard between doughnuts the K-1000 would still be notable for the fanatical devotion to doing something radically and market defyingly different. That they sound closer to music than just about anything out there makes it all the more the shame that they are going out of production.

Your ears and mileage may differ of course.
All correct, sir! And, I should take this opportunity to say that the K-1000's are the only "headphone" that I could live with exclusively. And, might I add that they are the only headphone that allows me to easily hear and follow the music if I take them off and set them down, if I go roaming around the room without them on? And, might I also add that the K-1000's comfort factor is especially apparent when you compare them to wearing standard, sweaty-ear headphones on a warm summer day?
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post #41 of 112
12/29/05 at 3:51am
If the criteria includes the "OMG" factor, I agree with the OP's assessment of the K1000. There is no other headphone I've heard lower in price that made me think, "OMG, this sounds different, amazing, and incredible."

The L3000 also sounds amazing in very different ways, but costs more than the K1000. The RS-1 and AD2000 are competitive with the K1000 on price and are impressive in their own ways, but ultimately have a lower "OMG" factor.

The K701 is priced relatively low, and could be the favorite headphone of many people. As good as it is, it isn't as special as the K1000. For example, I think the DT880 and HD650 are somewhat similar to the K701, but don't consider them to be comparable to the K1000. Maybe no other headphone is.
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post #42 of 112
12/29/05 at 6:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by spacemanspliff
I dare anyone to tell me there's a more dynamic, impactful, totally OMG! headphone out there at or below the K1000's price range.

Hmm... Sony MDR-CD3000?
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post #43 of 112
12/29/05 at 8:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamWill
btw, the "form follows function" argument would have more weight with me if the bars weren't red. To my knowledge the red colour produces no benefits to the musical qualities of the headphones, from which fact it can only be concluded that they were some poor misguided soul's attempt at style...
The original target market for the K1000 was professionals in studios and the red color has a purpose.
It makes it easier to find them in a congested studio.
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post #44 of 112
12/29/05 at 9:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by greenhorn
I think the ones who love the RS1 sound would fear such a dramatic change
It still sounded like the RS1... Just the RS1 on major performance enhancing steroids. And the culprits name wasn't Balco, it was Singlepower.
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post #45 of 112
12/29/05 at 9:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by greenhorn
The K1000 sound at least impressive with any decent integrated amp.
A vintage amp from the '70's (~$100-150) + AKG K1000 would be a comparable if not better system than a similarly priced system based on any of the 5 headphones you have listed (SR60 left apart ;-))
I'm going to disagree here as I've heard the K1000s out of cheap, integrated amps. I don't think they're all that impressive. I'd really like to hear it with a great cable out of a great amp though. I really wish someone would put the time (and money) into finding them a great system. Maybe and EAR V20 is what the doctor ordered? Now that's an awesome amp! And doesn't even cost what an SDS-XLR does. Ahhhh, the crazy world of high end audio!
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