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post #16 of 60
9/6/07 at 1:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackmore View Post
Very interesting found Nik, thanks. I mean match between GS1K and Yamamoto HA-02.
Begin of June I was sending an e-mail to Mr. Yamamoto and have asked him about possible GS1K match, but unfortunately he wasn't able to say anything, cos he never tried GS1K himself.

But if this true than we have another amp for sensitive baby GS1K
LOL that's what I was thinking. The fact that the Air Tight sounded great with the K1Ks was not really news me but nice to know. The great news in this thread was the fact that there is another GS1K combo
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post #17 of 60
9/6/07 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Pak View Post
Nik can you list all the tubes you have in your Air Tight? It would be much appreciated, thanks
A couple of months ago he was using Mullards everywhere bar the WEs of course. I still use the stock EH 12U7As and 12BH7As, a NOS RCA 5U4GB rectifier and new production WEs.
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post #18 of 60
9/7/07 at 7:20am
Thread Starter 
The tuberolling on my Air Tight was something incredible... why? I never tought that just one only tube (I'm referring to the rectifier one), can tune the sound, trust me !!! I have tested a very BIG quantity of tubes, as power the new production WE are the best (I have also AVVT c-37). Mullard 12au7a NOS cryo 1955 long plate are the very best. RCA 12bh7a are the very best, and Tung Sol 5u4gb is the very best.

BUT:

These tubes are selected with Shunyata Anacondas power cords... If I change the power cords, I need to put others tubes, especiallly the rectifier one. And more... these tubes are the best with the Air Tight dumping factor to the 2 position and after the internal regulation of the hum trimmers.
These tubes are selected with THIS K1000, (I had 7 K1000 at the same time) and this SN 11316 is the best of all the others).
I tried the TOP Acrolink power cord, but the Anaconda are the very best for the K1000. The best IC is the Acrolink (TOP), I tried the Shunyata Antares, but the Acrolink goes much better.

About the BAT integrated, as I told, is very good, but in my experience the K1000 needs a bit of negative feedback and you can regulate this on the Air Tight, (dumping factor), this is the reason I think that even the Zanden (but I never heard it), can't match the Air Tight ATM-300 (for the K1000).

I can't remember another sound like this... no any other headphones , no speakers... it's a different way to listen and enter IN the music !

Nik
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post #19 of 60
9/7/07 at 8:44am
you had 7 k1000s?!? i thought you said in few older threads that the older SN 2000 k1000 sounded the best? could you elaborate more on this "dumping factor" of the airtight?
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post #20 of 60
9/7/07 at 9:01am
Thread Starter 
The older series are also very good, they have a more cohesive sound. After that old one I bought the last new K1000 and I found this the very best, rich and detailed sound at the same time.

The dumping factor is a negative feedback, so you can regulate the gain and the impact of the sound, a perfect mix I can have with the knob positioned in the middle (2).

Nik
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post #21 of 60
9/7/07 at 9:56am
Nik is it dumping or damping???

According to the website is "damping", what means, more or less some kind of control to adjust the ratio of the rated output impedance of the amp in reference to the heapdhone...another way of tunning the amp to the heapdhone...It is used in some speaker amps, but as the K-1000 works like an small set of speaker, maybe for it, it is very effective...
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post #22 of 60
9/7/07 at 9:57am
Hi Nik,

I know that this is bit out of topic, but would you be so kind and give us some more details about Yamamoto and GS1000 combo please.

THX

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nik View Post
The older series are also very good, they have a more cohesive sound. After that old one I bought the last new K1000 and I found this the very best, rich and detailed sound at the same time.

The dumping factor is a negative feedback, so you can regulate the gain and the impact of the sound, a perfect mix I can have with the knob positioned in the middle (2).

Nik
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post #23 of 60
9/7/07 at 10:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by foo_me View Post
I think I can relate to how Nik feels!
I demoed the Air Tight and it was an immediate improvement over the singlepower extreme at that time...Think they are at a similar level of performance, but given it was only a brief demo, can't say which amp is better...

Still, since they're both SET 300b amps, it tells you how great 300b tubes amps are with the k1000s and definitely worth it for anyone who thinks the k1000s are their sound.

Nik...you're rig can still be improved!
You really need to get it hardwired (if you haven't) and get the cage modded for added bliss!
I have to agree, the K1000 have alway sounded the best through a 300b amp and in particular ones that include WE 300b tubes. Below that would be the F1/Zana Deux combination which is no slouch but not quite the level of the 300b amps I've heard (Zanden, WA5, Moth).
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post #24 of 60
9/7/07 at 3:54pm
Thread Starter 
DAMPING is the word (sorry for my mistake). As I can read on the manual owner, is a negative feedback adjust: o - 4 - 6 db.

Air Tight ATM 300
Output power: 8wpc, Class-A
Input sensitivity: (adjustable negative feedback): 230mv w/0db, 300mv w/4 db, 450 mv w/6 db
Input impedance: 100 k/ohms
Output impedance: 2.8 at 0 db feedback, 1.8 at 4 db, 1.4 at 6db (amp has adjustable feedback).

About GS1000/Yamamoto, I find the combo very synergic. The amp is not a monster for extremes (hi and lowest frequences), but has a great mucality, especially for the med (WE 408A tubes). The GS1000 has a well known Grado bass and is very detailed, so the two objects work fine together, very recomendable !!! I prefer this setup respect to the W5000/Yamamoto.

On the other side, the Yamamoto cannot drive properly the K1000...

Nik
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post #25 of 60
9/7/07 at 4:09pm

Have you tried the First Watt F1?

Are you a dedicated tube man? Have you any experince with the First Watt F1 and the AKG K1000?
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post #26 of 60
9/7/07 at 4:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by complin View Post
Are you a dedicated tube man? Have you any experince with the First Watt F1 and the AKG K1000?
With the right preamp, the F1 is an excellent amp for the K1000.
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post #27 of 60
9/7/07 at 4:14pm
The output impedance is 2.8ohms with no feedback? Nice...
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post #28 of 60
9/7/07 at 4:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by complin View Post
Are you a dedicated tube man? Have you any experince with the First Watt F1 and the AKG K1000?

I have experience with the BAT hybrid (pre tube with 6h30 NOS !!!) that is a monster integrated of 150 watts.

Yes, I love tubes... but the K1000 loves tubes more than me and they love so much 300B tubes...

Nik
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post #29 of 60
9/7/07 at 6:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Pak View Post
I know Nik likes the WE300B, but with 12BH7 driver tubes I'm told the driver tube will impart a lot of their signature, so I was curious what the rest of his tube compliment was. This is of course second hand information but I trust it.
It will, that is, if you can hear it over the non-linearities of the 12AU7's.

Quote:
Voltron another one that looks interesting is the Wavelength Audio Cardinals which has received favorable press though I doubt anyone has heard them with the K1000.

I'm pretty certain my next K1000 amp will use 300B's
My K1000 tube amp is based on the Cardinals, but with some improvements in the power supply and transformers along with a couple minor changes to the circuitry.

I did own the Cardinals many years ago and yes I did hook them up to my K1000 at times. It's a very nice combination, though I'd advise placing a 15 Ohm or so resistor in parallel with the headphones to prevent excessive phase shifts in the bass. Of the commercially available 300B amps, it's about the only one I can actually recommend with a clear conscience.
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post #30 of 60
9/7/07 at 6:29pm
i have heard the ProAc Response One SC in a very modest bookshelf setup using SONOS as a source and they were indeed impressive.
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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Summit-Fi (High-End Audio) › High-end Audio Forum › K1000/Air Tight... nothing can touch, but ...