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recabling the k501...with pics!

post #1 of 34
2/10/08 at 4:33pm
Thread Starter 
i want to reterminate my k501 and put a 4-pin xlr plug. how do i determine the correct wires to the correct pins? should i just note where the L/R/G wires are going to in the SE plug end that i snip off? or is there some better way? or if anyone has done this and can give some info, that would be much appreciated. thanks!
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post #2 of 34
2/11/08 at 6:03am
Part of the trick is id'ing which ground wire is for the L and R channels if the stock wire is sleeved in a single line. You will need to expose at least one of the drivers and use a multimeter. Sometimes the L/R runs are sleeved separately internally which is easier to deal with.

As for the 4 pin assignment: I couldn't find a standard pinout but I have since learned that there is a layout for K1000 that at least one amp builder has used to wire up his balanced amp which uses a single 4-pin jack. I haven't sourced that pinout assignment but then I bought the aforementioned amp so I'll figure it out when I get my grubby little hands on it. Otherwise, if you plan on building an adapter to go from a 4-pin to two 3-pin XLRs to plug into a balanced amp, you can wire the 4-pin anyway you like which is what I did when I wired my DT990/600.

Hope some of that gibberish helps.
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post #3 of 34
2/11/08 at 6:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kugino View Post
i want to reterminate my k501 and put a 4-pin xlr plug. how do i determine the correct wires to the correct pins? should i just note where the L/R/G wires are going to in the SE plug end that i snip off? or is there some better way? or if anyone has done this and can give some info, that would be much appreciated. thanks!
I would personally go with the bolded part. Whip out that multimeter and, using the stereo plug as reference, work out which wire is for left/right signal/ground connections.

Cheers!
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post #4 of 34
2/12/08 at 1:01am
An archived copy of the AKG k1000 manual can be downloaded from the AKG website. i personally wire up my headphones to follow the same plug-outputs as the k1000.

If the wires are color coded (i think they are) then the idea of simply probing the 1/4" plug end that you cut off is an excelent method.
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post #5 of 34
2/12/08 at 1:05am
Finally, here's the right link.

And someone will want to double check me on this but I think the pin assignments for the K1000 go like this:

1 = L+
2 = L-
3 = R+
4 = R-
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post #6 of 34
2/12/08 at 1:07am
you can also strip the wires, use a meter to determine which wires make pairs, then send signal to determine which is left and right
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post #7 of 34
2/12/08 at 2:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by grawk View Post
you can also strip the wires, use a meter to determine which wires make pairs, then send signal to determine which is left and right
but then you may mess up phasing.
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post #8 of 34
2/12/08 at 9:48am
The problem with using a multimeter on the stripped wires and stereo plug is you won't be able to determine which ground wire is coming from which driver. You need to id this to wire up for balanced.
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post #9 of 34
2/12/08 at 9:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by n_maher View Post
Finally, here's the right link.

And someone will want to double check me on this but I think the pin assignments for the K1000 go like this:

1 = L+
2 = L-
3 = R+
4 = R-
Thanks much, Nate!

The pinout that Nate shows is correct according to the K1000 manual.

Makes sense to me to follow this for consistencies sake.
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post #10 of 34
2/12/08 at 10:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by warrior05 View Post
The problem with using a multimeter on the stripped wires and stereo plug is you won't be able to determine which ground wire is coming from which driver. You need to id this to wire up for balanced.
you ID which wire goes to positive L&R on the cut-off-plug side, then match up with the multimeter on the driver side.
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post #11 of 34
2/12/08 at 10:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by warrior05 View Post
Thanks much, Nate!

The pinout that Nate shows is correct according to the K1000 manual.

Makes sense to me to follow this for consistencies sake.
Yeah, I'm all over it. It only took me a week to get back to you.
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post #12 of 34
2/12/08 at 10:32am
It can be tough to figure out which wires go where, once you cut off the 1/4" jack and expose the wires. The best way is to get access to the drivers and then test for continuity from there. I've never been inside a pair of K501s so I don't know what you're going to see.


If the wires are color-coded it could be easy... typically, left and right are different colors and then ground is a color all its own as well.


Best this to do if you can't get inside the drivers first to test which is ground and which is signal is to cut the 1/4" plug off at an angle...that way you can only "put it back together" one way. that is, if you cut the wire at an angle, if you try to match the cut part up with the main cable it will only fit back a certain way, then you can see which wire mate to those on the plug end and test for continuity...it's a pain in the ass, but may be the only way.

You might want to talk to Highflyin9 as well, I think he's recabled some K501, so he might have a better idea of what to expect.

Cheers,
thrice
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post #13 of 34
2/12/08 at 11:04am
Quote:
It can be tough to figure out which wires go where, once you cut off the 1/4" jack and expose the wires.
No, things are easier when you think first and cut second.
If you just cut the plug it is a pita in to figure out which wire goes were but let's stop and think about it for a second.
The cable on the K501 has 4 wires inside of an insulated "tube" so if we simply remove a 1" section of that insulation and expose the wires we can cut them all different lengths.
Now the long wire on the plug end corresponds to the short wire on the headphone end, the next longest wire on the plug end corresponds to the next shortest wire on the headphone end and so on.
Once you figure which wire goes to the tip ring and sleeve on the plug the rest is easy.

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post #14 of 34
2/12/08 at 11:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nikongod View Post
you ID which wire goes to positive L&R on the cut-off-plug side, then match up with the multimeter on the driver side.
Agreed, as long as the L/R sets of wires are paired up. That's the key and my main point. If they aren't and the two grounds are the same color - which they usually are - then that's when you need to access at least one of the drivers and use a multimeter.

Um... I suppose I'm beating a dead horse though.
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post #15 of 34
2/12/08 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by warrior05 View Post
Agreed, as long as the L/R sets of wires are paired up. That's the key and my main point. If they aren't and the two grounds are the same color - which they usually are - then that's when you need to access at least one of the drivers and use a multimeter.

Isn't that just extra work?
If I hook up one "ground" and one "signal wire" to one xlr and plug it in the amp, it either works if I have the right "ground" wire or it doesn't. I have a 50/50 chance of getting it wrong the first time and if it is wrong it's only one wire to change.
No risk of breaking the earpiece taking it apart either right?
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