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Yuin PK1 VS PK3

post #1 of 14
2/17/09 at 5:27pm
Thread Starter 
I own the pk3 and am thinking of upgrading to pk1. I like the general sound of pk3 but overall quality doesn't match up to my D2000 and speakers. Does pk1 keep general sound signature of pk3 and improve upon it? pk3 is especially lacking in the mids department.
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post #2 of 14
2/17/09 at 5:34pm
you could try some impedance adapters, some guy makes business out of it and claims pk3 sound fantastic. as i remember it is some 100ohm. google
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post #3 of 14
2/17/09 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spike33 View Post
... pk3 is especially lacking in the mids department.
Hmmm... Very interesting. To me, I consider the PK3 to be quite strong in the mids, maybe too strong. Now, I don't have anything over $100 to which to compare their mids, so maybe you are speaking of a quality of mids that another phone has.

I know when I had the Shure SCL3 for a while, they were very strong and clean in the mids, but they were anemic in the bass and almost as weak in the highs.
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post #4 of 14
2/17/09 at 11:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kmhaynes View Post
Hmmm... Very interesting. To me, I consider the PK3 to be quite strong in the mids, maybe too strong. Now, I don't have anything over $100 to which to compare their mids, so maybe you are speaking of a quality of mids that another phone has.

I know when I had the Shure SCL3 for a while, they were very strong and clean in the mids, but they were anemic in the bass and almost as weak in the highs.
++ Where PK3s are really weak is highs quality and detail and bass quality and extension, but their mids are about the best I've heard from a headphone in that price range. Compared to PK3s, PK1s sound much better throughout the entire spectrum. The sound signature is quite similar with both, but PK1 does sound noticeably flatter (less colored, more realistic) than PK3. Also, PK1 has significantly deeper bass and MUCH better highs quality and extension. It also has more open sounding and much more detailed mids and much wider soundstage. Overall, I would say that PK1 is a more neutral, bigger sounding, more refined and detailed and better extended version of PK3 and definitely worth the price difference IMO.
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post #5 of 14
2/18/09 at 12:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pianist View Post
++ Where PK3s are really weak is highs quality and detail and bass quality and extension, but their mids are about the best I've heard from a headphone in that price range. Compared to PK3s, PK1s sound much better throughout the entire spectrum. The sound signature is quite similar with both, but PK1 does sound noticeably flatter (less colored, more realistic) than PK3. Also, PK1 has significantly deeper bass and MUCH better highs quality and extension. It also has more open sounding and much more detailed mids and much wider soundstage. Overall, I would say that PK1 is a more neutral, bigger sounding, more refined and detailed and better extended version of PK3 and definitely worth the price difference IMO.
Damn, now I want the PK1.
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post #6 of 14
2/18/09 at 1:22am

PK1 vs PK2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pianist View Post
++ Where PK3s are really weak is highs quality and detail and bass quality and extension, but their mids are about the best I've heard from a headphone in that price range. Compared to PK3s, PK1s sound much better throughout the entire spectrum. The sound signature is quite similar with both, but PK1 does sound noticeably flatter (less colored, more realistic) than PK3. Also, PK1 has significantly deeper bass and MUCH better highs quality and extension. It also has more open sounding and much more detailed mids and much wider soundstage. Overall, I would say that PK1 is a more neutral, bigger sounding, more refined and detailed and better extended version of PK3 and definitely worth the price difference IMO.
Interesting comments about the PK1, but I see that you list the PK2 among your current phones.
How do the two compare?
Thanks,
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post #7 of 14
2/18/09 at 3:02am
Ahhh my next purchase! Hopefully my PFE's last me another year..

Pk1 vs PFE anyone?? haha
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post #8 of 14
2/20/09 at 12:52am
I remember reading a while back that although the impedance adapters do "help" the PK3 catch up to the PK1s, they are using different drivers so they still sound different. :/

Don't know if that is right though, don't take my word on it.
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post #9 of 14
2/20/09 at 4:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spike33 View Post
I own the pk3 and am thinking of upgrading to pk1. I like the general sound of pk3 but overall quality doesn't match up to my D2000 and speakers. Does pk1 keep general sound signature of pk3 and improve upon it? pk3 is especially lacking in the mids department.

never had tried PK1.

But pk2 is way better than pk3.

If you go for pk1, put a decent amp into your shopping list.
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post #10 of 14
2/20/09 at 4:17pm
PK2 way better than PK3? Not in my experience. Just different. I sold the PK2s but kept the PK3s, as I like the latter sound sig more. So it's not a fact that one is better, to me anyway.
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post #11 of 14
2/20/09 at 4:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tstarn06 View Post
PK2 way better than PK3? Not in my experience. Just different. I sold the PK2s but kept the PK3s, as I like the latter sound sig more. So it's not a fact that one is better, to me anyway.
I have used pk3 extensively before I had a chance to get pk2.

now PK2 is my favorite non-IEM. Detailed but not fatiguing, very balanced, soundstage is great.
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post #12 of 14
2/20/09 at 4:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tstarn06 View Post
PK2 way better than PK3? Not in my experience. Just different. I sold the PK2s but kept the PK3s, as I like the latter sound sig more. So it's not a fact that one is better, to me anyway.
Ditto (except it was my friend who bought the PK2 on my recommendation ). I greatly prefer the PK3, because the percussion is noticeably airy on the PK2, and that never failed to throw me off.
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post #13 of 14
2/20/09 at 4:56pm
Personally, I agree with those who think PK2 is not really better than PK3 - just different. PK2 does have more detail in the highs and tighter bass, but PK3s sound more fun IMO. PK2 sounds kinda unnatural to my ears - the trebles are too prominent and the lack of deep bass extension is really noticeable. For some reason, I never really felt that PK3 lacked bass extension as much, probably because PK3s had more mid bass and it and so lack of low bass doesn't seem as bad.

BTW, I also noticed that PK3s benefit from a fast, neutral/slightly bright amp with good detail, like MiniBox E+ for example. It makes PK3 more detailed in the treble and more controlled in the bass. PK2, on the other hand, doesn't benefit form an amp at all, and may even sound worse with some amps.
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post #14 of 14
2/20/09 at 5:55pm
Good point about amping the PK3s. They do improve nicely with an amp, as you note, and I happen to have a MinboxE+ so I know exactly what you mean.
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