[DavidMahler]

Quote:

Hi David
 
I was not disappointed with your assessment. As my long acquaintance with the KIK has never once yielded a rattle or buzz or for that matter any extraneous noise I was surprised  and perhaps a little indignant rather than disappointed
 
Your total review is a masterpiece - obviously a labour of love. And as you say at the very beginning one man's opinion.... You clearly state your preferences so it is relatively simple to extrapolate. I know nothing about headphones save my own but we share almost identical musical tastes ( I want Der Abschied from Das Lieder played at my funeral!) so I very much respect your views.
 
But to finish the K1K is very tactile. For example I have an unusually beautifully recorded Deutscher Gramaphon LP of Ravi Shankar (RIP) called 'East Meets East' and one can literally feel the strings through the K1 as well as hear them. I guess tactility is as much in the recorded as the transducer.

It's certainly more tactile than average.  And thank you for your compliments

 

[jeffreyfranz]

Great job, David; really fine work.

 

[FritzS]

Quote:

David
 
First, I have owned a pair of AKG K1000 for about 15 years. In all of that time I have not heard a single rattle, not once. not ever. And even as a newly retired headfier my hearing is very accute and I have the graphs to prove it.

 
Did you sell them? Why?

 

[kolyas]

Fritz
 
I still have and still enjoy my K1's. I did contemplate selling them but not because I did not love them.
 
I am retired and living on a small pension so my funds are now limited. I have a hearing problem - my hearing is still acute but one ear is much more sensitive than the other. I thought I would have to sell the K's to fund a dual mono passive pre to solve this problem. I bought a pair of AKG K701 to replace them - big mistake nowhere in the same league. Fortunately my family bought me a dual mono preamp so problem solved. I now have a redundant pair of K701!

 

[kolyas]

David
 
We both have clouded judgement regarding the K1's. Yours is clouded by bad experience - mine is clouded by good. I blame the Austrians: they sent all the good examples to the UK and all the bad examples to the US.
Ergo the Austrians love the British and hate you Yanks

 

[291079]

speechless. cant fathom the time, money and devotion it would need to come up with something like this

 

[cconnaker]

This is one of the best comparisons I've ever read. 

 

[reminiscist]

This is absolutely amazing! As I listen to a wide range of genres as well, just a small note that I found this review was missing an evaluation of electronic music - some house, lounge, etc., although I can see how some jazz or Tribe Called Quest could evaluate some of these components. Awesome, nonetheless, will definitely be revisiting this thread many times.

 

[xinhang]

This is a fantastic thread! Just out of curiosity how much money you spent on all the headphones! Probably cost more than my house!
 
After reading it, I think i'm going to go with either HD800 or the HE Audio Jade or the LCD 2. Thanks a bunch!

 

[x-silencer]

That is one awesome thread! Excellent review!
 
PS About the cost of all those phones ... if you sold them, you could probably gather enough money to cover the US national debt. 

 

[Takeanidea]

Thank you david aswell. The viewpoints are from a unique perspective in that you own and all these headphones and have had them for some time. So the objectivity is there.
You made me realise that its not about getting the latest and greatest by selling off all your kit to fund it. All the headphones have their own character. One isn't necessarily better than the other. One will appeal on a laid back easy listening day another on a steamy day in the summer having just come back from Glastonbury.
One will suit a punchy amp one will suit a tube amp. So to make your journey we have to start with a big empty rucksack which we gradually start to fill. So I have HD800S now but still have my denons ahd2000's westone um2s, , lcd2's, klipsch x10is . They are all getting used and enjoying a renaissance.
It'll be a long time before I have exhausted all the different permutations just with these and the other dacs and amps I have.
It's like having a different Ferrari in the garage for each day of the week. Well maybe 2 ferraris and 3 prius

 

[DavidMahler]

Quote:

Great job, David; really fine work.

Thank you
Quote:

David
 
We both have clouded judgement regarding the K1's. Yours is clouded by bad experience - mine is clouded by good. I blame the Austrians: they sent all the good examples to the UK and all the bad examples to the US.
Ergo the Austrians love the British and hate you Yanks

LOL!
Quote:

speechless. cant fathom the time, money and devotion it would need to come up with something like this

Thank you
Quote:

This is one of the best comparisons I've ever read. 

Thank you
 
Quote:

This is absolutely amazing! As I listen to a wide range of genres as well, just a small note that I found this review was missing an evaluation of electronic music - some house, lounge, etc., although I can see how some jazz or Tribe Called Quest could evaluate some of these components. Awesome, nonetheless, will definitely be revisiting this thread many times.

Thanks!
 
You're right there isn't all too much electronic evaluation, but its there.  Check out the Sony's.  I did use some electronic and dubstep and completely sampled music in this evaluation.  It isn't m general preference of music, but I enjoy it and its imperative to consider in this day.
 
Quote:

This is a fantastic thread! Just out of curiosity how much money you spent on all the headphones! Probably cost more than my house!
 
After reading it, I think i'm going to go with either HD800 or the HE Audio Jade or the LCD 2. Thanks a bunch!

The Jade is hard to find, but the other 2 are easily available! And thanks  There's a lot of money yeah... I will probably part with most of it one day in a big For Sale thread.
 
Quote:

That is one awesome thread! Excellent review!
 
PS About the cost of all those phones ... if you sold them, you could probably gather enough money to cover the US national debt. 

Thanks! And if only that were true!!
 
Quote:

Thank you david aswell. The viewpoints are from a unique perspective in that you own and all these headphones and have had them for some time. So the objectivity is there.
You made me realise that its not about getting the latest and greatest by selling off all your kit to fund it. All the headphones have their own character. One isn't necessarily better than the other. One will appeal on a laid back easy listening day another on a steamy day in the summer having just come back from Glastonbury.
One will suit a punchy amp one will suit a tube amp. So to make your journey we have to start with a big empty rucksack which we gradually start to fill. So I have HD800S now but still have my denons ahd2000's westone um2s, , lcd2's, klipsch x10is . They are all getting used and enjoying a renaissance.
It'll be a long time before I have exhausted all the different permutations just with these and the other dacs and amps I have.
It's like having a different Ferrari in the garage for each day of the week. Well maybe 2 ferraris and 3 prius

Thank you  And yes, there may very well never be a "best" or "greatest."  I spent some time with the HD700 very recently, and while it doesn't rank "high" on my list, I enjoy it nevertheless.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

This is one of the best comparisons I've ever read. 

 
Chris - nice to see you here on Head Fi..

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Quote:

This is one of the best comparisons I've ever read. 

 
Chris - nice to see you here on Head Fi..

 
+2!
 
HF & CA always makes my daily-double...

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
+2!
 
HF & CA always makes my daily-double...

 
 
Ha ha ha  Me to.  And the J. River forums..