Question regarding AKG K140;

Oh, you are a lucky guy. I absolutely love my K140s.

The reason for the confusion is that there are two cup styles, vented (the ones you have), and non vented (without slits). I got my pair from a head-fier (BoilermakerFan), and he listened to both and preferred the sound of the vented K140s, and was so kind enough to send them to me, as well as replace elastics and other refurbishings.

It doesn't necessarily imply that it's a late edition, because I'm pretty sure if you find non-vented covers, you can swap them out somehow. From what I hear though, swapping it doesn't improve sound quality or anything else, really.

they have one of the best midranges of any headphone.

Hopefully boilermakerfan will come along soon and tell us what he did to make them even better....

I have the non-vented K140 and considering their age, they sound pretty damn good on certain records.

They are a bit power hungry so the Little Dot I+ can't handle them at all, but my Audio-gd C2C delivers all the power they need. Highs are a bit recessed compared to my Grado HF-2 (of course they have about 35 years in between them).

When I listened to some rock 'n' roll recorded in 1974 (Hurriganes - Roadrunner) they deliver an experience that takes my mind to the atmosphere of 1974. Of course my signal chain is pure modern technology (FLAC - DAC - C2C) but it's fine for me.

These have been in my closet for 1,5 years but I will definately take them out more often when I want to have the 70's feeling.

iPoodz or rd, you guys should have tipped me off about this thread. I really never leave the ortho roundup or eXStata threads...

There are older, vintage K140s which are what iPoodz and rd had. I bought the non-vented K140s from rd, then bought the vented ones off eBay.

I need to clarify a little, the vented K140s are easier for me to tune, hence why I sent those to iPoodz. Stock the two cans are so similar age and wear are bigger factors to their sound than cup style. The pads on the vented K140s were softer and sealed better. The solid K140s from rd were nearly mint too, but the elastics were shot from age and the pads were just a little more stiff from aging. Simply a variation in manufacturing or caused by them having less wear over time.

So iPoodz received the vented set. I still have the solid back set, but haven't done anything with them. Just no time to order replacement pads and make pad adapters for them or replace the elastics.

I modded iPoodz with my usual tricks, but like all magicians, I don't give away my best tricks.

The caveat to the K140s is that they are small cans and tricky to reassemble. The driver is attached to the black front bezel and it pivots freely. Replacement pads from AKG are unavailable, but Koss R/10 pads work great and can be double-sided taped in place, or a pad adapter can be made to hold the wider R10 pad.

They are good cans stock and will certainly need their plug cleaned with DeOxit and then polished/protected with DeOxit Gold. However, they are great cans modded, by far a true under dog headphone and more worthy of a Fitz Black Clover recable than a K701. I will put the vintage silver backed K140s in the same category as the K240 Sextett MP and K400/401s.

thanks for chiming in there BMF. You should come around and visit us common folk who can't even replace a lightbulb more often. We need tough soldiers like you!

I agree about those K140, really special. It's amazing what AKG was able to accomplish 30 years ago. Makes you realize that more than any technology advancement, the way a headphone is voiced is the most important part. There's really no dynamics that can do vocals like AKG's old beasts. Well under 1K anyways

You know where to find me.

The only headphones I have that compare are Fostex T10s, NAD RP18s, and the Stax SR-Lambda. Hmmm... all vintage, all from '75-'79. Coincidence? But none have the style of the vintage AKG K140/K141s.

yes, if you want the babes, you gots to be wearing the vintage silver K141. yikes that's a gorgeous phone. But don't say yikes if there's babes around...

So what's up with the 70's? Why

Clean the tip of the jack. You'll pick up some of the highs just from that. If you can't find DeOxit at a local Guitar Center or other local music shop with a Pro Sound section, even Mother's polish can help. If you want more highs than that, they need to be modded. The foam dampening is shot, simply a factor of time and plasticizer migration. It will look intact until you touch it. Then dust.

Eh, I like the dual dot sliders of the K140/K240 better. Just MHO.

I think the designs were strong, their materials for dampening just sucked and the capacitors couldn't stay within tolerance. Then the companies started chasing flat frequency response curves and low THD numbers, so there went the real musical enjoyment.

Just something really special about those AKGs in the K140/K141/K240 Sextett/K400/K401 time period. I need to clear out some more of the heard, but I may add a K400 back to the family, though it will be some time before I do.

Does this can worth $50? How does it sound compared to the K240 Sextett LP (which I own 2 pairs)?

IMHO, $50, is a little high unless the stock pads are mint and soft (they harden easily over time) along with good elastics. All of my pairs have been $35, then I have to mod them to get the best out of them. If they have been modded already with new elastics and great pads, then $50 is a bargain.

They won't sound quite like LPs. They have a little less impact in the bass, and tuned, the mids will be more forward with better extended highs. Again, all my comments are WRT modded cans. Stock, they sound underdamped and muffled do to the fact that the original foam dampening will have dry rotted to oblivion.