[Rondo]

Anybody try this combo?

I use an Audio Note Kit-1 (a 300B SET) to drive a pair of Stax Lambda Pros (among other things) via the SRD-7Pro transformer. They have served me well for many years.

But the upgrade fever has got me to thinking if I should give the AKG K-1000's a try.

Anybody have any experience driving these phones with a 300B in SET mode?

Great forum for this long time, closet headphone user!

Thanks!

Ron

 

[aeberbach]

Yes, same here - Welborne Laurel IIX amps. 300B TJ mesh plate tubes. K-1000s work just fine with these amps on the 8 ohm setting and I guess the Audio Note kit would do it just as well.

 

[Rondo]

Well, I think I am going to give them a try, although this is a bit of a leap of faith for me as I have never heard a pair.

Have you, by any chance, ever heard the Stax and, if so, how do they compare?

Ron

P.S. Also listening to Radiohead's Kid A and Tom Waits at the moment! Coldplay, Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello fighting for playing time as well.

 

[aeberbach]

No, never heard any Stax phones at all. I don't think you would be disappointed with K1000s, and they are probably not hard to sell if you are.
Looks like we have a lot of musical taste in common, but I don't have any Aimee Mann.

 

[darkclouds]

There's a few others on here that use 300B with the K1000.

They're my main headphone combo (ASL 1005DTI). I've heard the Stax 4040 briefly and only remembered liking them. It's hard to make a comparison. Though I would guess that you'll like the K1000 combo also.

Sorry I couldn't tell you more.

 

[Rondo]

I am beginning to believe that perhaps a 300B SET is among the best choices for amplification for these phones. Is this the prevailing opinion? Anybody ever try a 2A3 or 45?

I have another question. Does the open air design cause any problems when lying down, i.e. with head on a pillow? Please don't laugh, I'm getting old!

I am definitely going to give these a try. Any sources for them other than Headroom that I should know about?

Thanks again to all for the advice.

 

[mikeg]

I upgraded my ASL AQ-1005DT power amp. by replacing the Valve Art 300B tubes with TJ meshplate 300B w/ceramic base gold pin tubes. The sound improvement through my K1000 headphones was substantial. BTW, my preamp. is a ASL Passive TIDT, and my source is a Maranz SA8260 SACDP.

 

[aeberbach]

The K1000s aren't really very good for lying down, if you have your head on a pillow it will tend to squish up and touch the phones. Then if you turn your head they'll wipe right off of course. I think top quality sound while lying down is Etymotics or nothing.

I wish I could try a 45 amp! They seem to be about the rarest tubes there are. Morgan Jones seems to think they are great, as do most of the posts on the net. I'll be trying the 2A3 sooner or later as soon as my Bottlehead Paramours get here. It's been three months now I think, can't be far away.

 

[Rondo]

I figured that lying down with the K1000's would be a problem. I have ordered them anyway. The downside is that my next audio upgrade may have to be an Eames chair!

I have had my eye on a 45 amp made by Jeff Korneff to drive my Lowthers (and the K1000s).

I have heard many good things about the Paramours. Are you planning to use them only with headphones or with high efficiency speakers as well?

 

[aeberbach]

Just the headphones. Speakers are kind of pointless until I get a house, until then the Paradigm Studio 20s will sound as good as anything in this crowded apartment. Next year I'll be able to shop for speakers.

 

[jopi]

Good, so I'm not alone. My neighbor picked up my paramours the other day, but I'm still travelling and it will be a while until I'll have the time to put it together.

Let me know how it goes with your system, if you get done before me.
What are you using for a preamp?

 

[aeberbach]

My paramours are here too! It looks like quite good value for $400 - I better pick up some glue for the bases today. I'll be using the Melos SHA-1 as preamp.