Having been inspired to do this by posts from the past, last summer I took on a little side project on my K-1000's. I love to use my imagination, maybe beyond the accepted norm, hopefully for an added benefit of some kind.
My idea was to remove the stock electronics and recable the whole works of my beloved K-1000's. I couldn't decide on whether to use solid silver or copper magnet wire so I worked out a compromise, use both in parallel but discrete of each other, to dual terminations.
The first step was to take the K-1000's apart. By removing the two screws on the bottom of the ear speaker you can carefully expand the metal frame. It seems as if it would bend easily with one wrong move. Once that was placed aside, I realized the wire mesh had been glued on in varying degrees to the plastic casing.
The wire mesh seemed even more delicate now that the edges were exposed. Using a razor, I slowly and carefully cut through the glue to where I could hinge the mesh to one side, leaving the glue for the hinge. No need to go into the back mesh. Once inside you can see the binding posts where the PCB attaches. Great care was taken not to break the super delicate and extremely fine coil wire.
The PCB is soldered on to the posts in two locations. They need to be desoldered first. Remove the two screws next and the PCB can be carefully slipped out with cable attached being extremely cautious of the coil wires.
Red dots show where PCB is soldered to posts, blue dotted line shows how posts run under the plastic.
I then snaked my wires through the stock rubber grommet/bushing and soldered directly to the binding posts where the PCB was previously soldered. Putting that side back together was fairly easy until the frame. That took a bit of wrangling and patience. Repeat on other side.
After cosmetically finishing the cable, I terminated the copper magnet wire to one 4-pin XLR and the silver to another, leaving a foot or so to a "Y" where the cable runs in the same sleeve to the "Y" nearest the headphones.
I couldn't wait to hear them without the PCB and my choice of either silver or copper cable.
That led to the next step. After crafting a hardwood box and drilling a series of holes, I was ready for the next phase. I wired in three panel mount 4-pin XLR's to a set of bananas to connect to my amps mains.
One XLR is silver wired, one copper and one to the stock PCB which in turn used the original cable in parallel with the others to the bananas. That gives me twelve different hook up options!
First impressions have dimmed slightly in memory but I noticed a distinct difference right away. I thought these cans sounded good before, this was like getting them new all over again.
I was most eager to hear them without the PCB in the signal. They seemed even more dynamically musical and involving than ever. It was like I cleaned away some midrange mud. I couldn't believe that PCB was even put in there by AKG, what's the deal here AKG? Later, I could tell why.
There is a certain note that if played continously, can shimmer on your nerves. Rare enough I found that it was insignificent to me. But that was fine, I still had the option of using the PCB too. I found that using it with the copper and the silver in either of the other jacks was all good.
I'll have to say that I really noticed the biggest improvement in piano related music or anything else that had been previously masked by the PCB. It now sounded fuller, natural, real, musical, involving and more amazing than stock ever was.
I was hoping the PCB had some sort of bass attenuating but found that bass improvement was mainly due to improved cabling.
Testing the PCB, I found that it produced 13 ohms of resistance and the cones themselves were 120 ohms. I assume that like mine, if tested, all K-1000's will show 133 ohms or so. A slight gain in volume can be experienced when the PCB is not in line.
Since it is easy to A/B the 12 different combinations, a definitive difference can be heard and appreciated.
Maybe this will inspire someone else to take the leap, use patience and caution... too expensive to trash!
Was it all worth it? Most definitely, I would even go out on a thick limb and say these may be the best sounding and most versatile K-1000's around, (amp of taste). Anyone doing a recable on these I would recommend taking out the PCB but still have the option to use it in line...
Note: Upgrade is not being offered for sale.
...Larry
Edit: Renewed pics
My idea was to remove the stock electronics and recable the whole works of my beloved K-1000's. I couldn't decide on whether to use solid silver or copper magnet wire so I worked out a compromise, use both in parallel but discrete of each other, to dual terminations.
The first step was to take the K-1000's apart. By removing the two screws on the bottom of the ear speaker you can carefully expand the metal frame. It seems as if it would bend easily with one wrong move. Once that was placed aside, I realized the wire mesh had been glued on in varying degrees to the plastic casing.
The wire mesh seemed even more delicate now that the edges were exposed. Using a razor, I slowly and carefully cut through the glue to where I could hinge the mesh to one side, leaving the glue for the hinge. No need to go into the back mesh. Once inside you can see the binding posts where the PCB attaches. Great care was taken not to break the super delicate and extremely fine coil wire.
The PCB is soldered on to the posts in two locations. They need to be desoldered first. Remove the two screws next and the PCB can be carefully slipped out with cable attached being extremely cautious of the coil wires.
Red dots show where PCB is soldered to posts, blue dotted line shows how posts run under the plastic.
I then snaked my wires through the stock rubber grommet/bushing and soldered directly to the binding posts where the PCB was previously soldered. Putting that side back together was fairly easy until the frame. That took a bit of wrangling and patience. Repeat on other side.
After cosmetically finishing the cable, I terminated the copper magnet wire to one 4-pin XLR and the silver to another, leaving a foot or so to a "Y" where the cable runs in the same sleeve to the "Y" nearest the headphones.
I couldn't wait to hear them without the PCB and my choice of either silver or copper cable.
That led to the next step. After crafting a hardwood box and drilling a series of holes, I was ready for the next phase. I wired in three panel mount 4-pin XLR's to a set of bananas to connect to my amps mains.
One XLR is silver wired, one copper and one to the stock PCB which in turn used the original cable in parallel with the others to the bananas. That gives me twelve different hook up options!
First impressions have dimmed slightly in memory but I noticed a distinct difference right away. I thought these cans sounded good before, this was like getting them new all over again.
I was most eager to hear them without the PCB in the signal. They seemed even more dynamically musical and involving than ever. It was like I cleaned away some midrange mud. I couldn't believe that PCB was even put in there by AKG, what's the deal here AKG? Later, I could tell why.
There is a certain note that if played continously, can shimmer on your nerves. Rare enough I found that it was insignificent to me. But that was fine, I still had the option of using the PCB too. I found that using it with the copper and the silver in either of the other jacks was all good.
I'll have to say that I really noticed the biggest improvement in piano related music or anything else that had been previously masked by the PCB. It now sounded fuller, natural, real, musical, involving and more amazing than stock ever was.
I was hoping the PCB had some sort of bass attenuating but found that bass improvement was mainly due to improved cabling.
Testing the PCB, I found that it produced 13 ohms of resistance and the cones themselves were 120 ohms. I assume that like mine, if tested, all K-1000's will show 133 ohms or so. A slight gain in volume can be experienced when the PCB is not in line.
Since it is easy to A/B the 12 different combinations, a definitive difference can be heard and appreciated.
Maybe this will inspire someone else to take the leap, use patience and caution... too expensive to trash!
Was it all worth it? Most definitely, I would even go out on a thick limb and say these may be the best sounding and most versatile K-1000's around, (amp of taste). Anyone doing a recable on these I would recommend taking out the PCB but still have the option to use it in line...
Note: Upgrade is not being offered for sale.
...Larry
Edit: Renewed pics
Do you have any more pics like behind the box?
