[jjswami]

Hello Everyone,
 
My name is Jason and I'm new here on head-fi.
 
I would consider myself an audiophile although I don't have the level of in-depth knowledge of the terminology and technology that many of you do.  My appreciation of music comes more from genetics than knowledge of music theory (my father played tabla professionally throughout his life and my mother is quite musically inclined). 
 
The first pair of good headphones I had was the Sony MDR v600 around 1990-91.  In 1997 a good friend of mine in Germany gave me a gently used pair of AKG K280 Parabolic headphones which I love.  This year, the bass speaker on the left side has blown (or stopped working).
 
I would like to ask if these headphones are worth repairing or replacing, or if there is a similar (or better) model that AKG or someone else makes that would have similar performance characteristics (solid bass, etc.).
 
1) I really like the over-the-ear design of the AKG 280.  Not sure I would adapt well to on-the-ear headphones.
2) I listen to bass-intensive music about 50% of the time (electronica) and other types the other 50%, so I need headphones with a good bass response and range.
3) My budget is around $150-200, give or take.
4) I would like something durable.  I'm not rough on things, but I would like them to last at least 10 years, if possible.
 
Thanks both for your consideration and, in advance, for the kindness of your response.

 
Jason

 

[GREQ]

The 'bass speaker' probably hasn't blown since there IS no bass speaker in the K280 

The K280 has two identical speakers on both sides, but I guess if even one of these stopped working, you'd certainly lose bass impact due to the 'dead' speaker acting as a sound damper.
 
The most likely reason for these to stop working is that one of the small wires that connects to the speakers has simply snapped off after years of small fatigue movements.
Every time the ear-cups swivel, this causes the wire to move SLIGHTLY, so after 30 years or so, they eventually snap off.
 
Even for the amateur tinkerer, it's a surprisingly easy fix.
These old AKGs are modular, mostly screwed together and quite easy to disassemble, repair and put back together. 
 
Rough Repair Guide
 
(first look for signs of life by wiggling the cable near the headphone or plug  - if the sound does not 'crackle' then proceed with the following guide)
 
1 - Take off the name plate held down with glue.
• use a guitar pick to take it off without damaging the plate too much, 'digging' at it sideways as much as possible to keep it in good condition - NO LEVERING - this will bend the name plate 

 
2 - unscrew the screw shown on the photo above (the screw on the left)
3 - this will reveal a large brass screw/nut, the wires soldered to the headband and wires leading to the speakers (drivers).
• it should look something like this:

 
4 - unscrew the brass nut to gain access to the inner chamber where the wires connect to the speaker
5 -  re-solder any loose wires back to where they belong.
 
These are totally worth repairing. It's quite an oddity in the headphone world and you're not the only one who likes them.
They were never my cup of tea to listen through, but they were really interesting to take apart and have a look at. 
At the very least I can say that they have a very unique sound presentation, unlike any other apart from perhaps the K270 which I've never heard but is very similar in design. 

 

[jjswami]

Hi GREQ,
 
Thank you very much for your reply and troubleshooting guide.  It was extremely helpful.  I was able to open up the left side and you were absolutely right -the wire had come away from the solder.  There is a yellow wire on the left can that bridges the red and white wires on the earpiece to the red and white wires connected to the output cord (installed on the left side).  That bridge has become disconnected on the white side leading to the earpiece.  This seems to be the cause of the problem.
 
It looks like the wire needs stripped and re-soldered.  I don't have the equipment to do the soldering.  Have called around and am still trying to find someone to do it affordably (most places want to charge $50 just to diagnose).  Any thoughts on this? 
 
Thanks again for your help.  It is much appreciated.
 
Jason

 

[GREQ]

A cheap soldering iron and some solder will probably cost you around $10-15
 
That, or ask some friends, or friends dads who may have one lying around in a shed or something. Then hopefully it should be cheap as free, since you only need a tiny blob of solder.
It's not so uncommon to own one of these, and they're extremely easy to use even for first timers.
 
There's plenty of soldering tutorials online, some of them have very fancy equipment, but the basic principles are always the same. 
For headphone drivers though, you need to do solder joints quickly since prolonged heat will quickly damage the driver beyond repair. 
And if a joint fails, always let it cool down for 30 seconds or so before attempting the joint again.
 
Most tutorials only deal with basic electronics that can withstand higher temperatures for a bit longer. 

 

[jjswami]

Hi GREQ,
 
Thank you again for the advice.  I did purchase a soldering iron and basic wire strippers.  I think because the wires can be dealt with a good distance from the drivers, the possibility of damage due to heat is minimized.  Anyway, thanks for all of your help I appreciate you taking the time to leave detailed responses.  If there's anything I can do to reciprocate, please let me know.  Take care.