Audio-Technica ATH-6 electret?
May 27, 2013 at 12:24 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 10

takato14

Headphoneus Supremus
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Posts
3,056
Likes
656
Location
Hell, probably.
I just picked up a decent condition ATH-6 for dirt cheap... but without the energizer.
 
I know that some electrets can be driven without the energizer but as for these I'm not so sure. Anyone know anything about them? Can I reterminate them or fashion an adapter and use them with a regular TRS jack? Obviously I'd need a beast of an amp, I just wanna know if it's possible. They have a 4-pin DIN connector, which is also seen on some of the Russian/Soviet headphones from the time period.
 

 
If they can't be powered any other way, I can always use the (pretty) shell for a DIY project, but I'm still curious as to what these are like. 
 
Thanks.
 
May 28, 2013 at 1:59 AM Post #3 of 10
Fairly certain you will need one of the Audio Technica adapter boxes for sure.  Got a re-terminated to TRS AT-706 here , same thing basically but it had been terminated in a TRS jack and absolutely useless in my fullsized A-X55 Dynamic Super-A Amp headphone out. ( I got them for driver swaps into a project it wasn't me that did that
redface.gif
)
 
I JUST saw an adapter up on ebay a couple days ago ( a 706 box ) but could not find it again ( looked on .com,uk, .de). You see them from time to time though solo
 
....Unless these reterminated ones i have here are toast (usually if so they show imbalance these do not just very very low output on the TRS ) then the adapter box is a must ( and the ATH-7 has permissible input 500Vrms so....)
I see that those seem to have the same plug end as my 705's  so a 705 small adapter, or the next size up 706 model with 2 ports,   would be what you want judging by the look of your plug. ( smacks head here,, and of course the stock one that came with yours at one time )
Stax electret adapters use their 4-wire cable  + 5-pin Stax plugs so won't work unless you find a female receptacle for the box or rewire somehow. Only 4 wires so fairly easy.
 
 
Funny though there is a BACK ELECTRET series under the later ATH-8 ( and others???) designation which is a different type than 705/6. The earlier 705/6  had a charged stator on either side of the diaphragm, where the back electret does a slightly different charged setup explained here for kicks http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Electret_Driver_Principle
 
This back electret seems to be what yours looks like though the plug end looks like my older style as you can see here
Apparently the plugs are not compatible  between newer and older ( they changed them from a DIN  type to their own style )  but that plug is the same as my 705
 
 
I am trying to place your model it is not in the listings !
Have a peek here.
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/a-technica/technicaindex.html&usg=ALkJrhhr5Ds79GtKrGowPztQ9oi03BDm0g
 
 
If I get around to swapping out drivers into the project soon, or at least a fast rewire to test, I will let you know if these are simply shot though I doubt it will be any good off a TRS. He must have used them some other way, possibly the speaker terminal directly with a female TRS is about the only other way. But I would NOT want to do that , since these are permanently charged membranes and you can possibly ruin them if your amp is goofy , and without the adapter transformers to regulate any goofiness.
 
Hope this helps and it didn't add to the confusion.
 
May 28, 2013 at 2:12 AM Post #4 of 10
May 28, 2013 at 2:51 PM Post #5 of 10
I've read that any modern Stax adapter works with their old electrets. Shouldn't I be able to connect the ATH-6 to one of those?
 
But, anyways, unless I can find an adapter for cheap I'm just gonna use the shell for a DiY project. The frequency response was something like 20-12kHz...
 
May 28, 2013 at 4:04 PM Post #6 of 10
finding cheap would be the key
 
May 28, 2013 at 5:34 PM Post #7 of 10
Yeah I'll just hold onto the cable and electret drivers in case an energizer shows up. For now these will probably be the home for my spare KOSS PRO drivers.
 
Unless someone has a relatively cheap suggestion, a pair of drivers <=50mm?
 
Dec 1, 2013 at 10:54 PM Post #8 of 10
I have one of the boxes you are looking for and its been in storage since 1981.  Before you waste much time on this, how do you know the headphones are any good???  They were notoriously fragile, and couldn't handle much power without frying and turning into a distorted mess.  And that was just when you turned up the volume to a not unreasonable level.   AT rebuilt mine twice under warranty before I finally realized that although they sounded very good (still a far cry from Stax though) they were extremely fragile and not worth the effort.  
 
Anyway, I have the box and the phones if you are still looking... 
 
Dec 10, 2013 at 2:38 AM Post #9 of 10
I have one of the boxes you are looking for and its been in storage since 1981.  Before you waste much time on this, how do you know the headphones are any good???  They were notoriously fragile, and couldn't handle much power without frying and turning into a distorted mess.  And that was just when you turned up the volume to a not unreasonable level.   AT rebuilt mine twice under warranty before I finally realized that although they sounded very good (still a far cry from Stax though) they were extremely fragile and not worth the effort.  

Anyway, I have the box and the phones if you are still looking... 

I have an ATH-8 so I feel no desire for the lower end model, especially after hearing it out of the ATH-8 adapter box. I would be interested in using the headset in a DiY project, but only at the right price. Either way, thanks for letting me know, and yeah electrets just generally suck at power handling.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top