[drewski]

So I got my K-1000's on Friday and I'm absolutely thrilled. My first reaction was WOW!!!

I don't know why I like them so much

After getting over the "wow" factor, I determined that: they don't image particularly well; you might as well be listening to your speakers because the sound that comes out is way beyond "leakage"; there's a bit of grainyness on the top end; they're a tad bit on the bright side- but at the same time, there was still something about them that makes them better than any other cans I've ever heard. Since I've got them, I stayed up late every night listening for hours (without any issues regarding comfort!)- none of my other cans have had me this excited. I really wish why I could explain why I like them so much from a technical standpoint- yes they have good natural sounding bass, instruments sounded very good (especially pianos and violins), and they were fairly detailed - but the bottom line is that I enjoyed these more from an emotional standpoint and really didn't try too hard to find a technical explanation!

I purchased these off of Audiogon a week ago, but the funny thing was that two days after, someone was selling another pair with a Norh amp and Stefan cable. I was lucky enough to be the first to respond, so I'm going to have two pairs of k-1000's! I was planning to sell off one pair, but now I may just keep them both! I just may have to buy another source because these things really point out weaknesses of cable and gear- more so than any other output components that I've used in the past.

I'm currently using a N.E.W. a-20.1 (20wpc class A) amp, a Superphon Revelation Basic Preamp, a Marantz CD player, connected with transparent musiclink plus cables and Virtual Dynamics power 3 cords for the components with IEC plugs. This setup is very good and I really like it, but when I hooked the a-20.1 amp into my music system N.E.W. P-3 preamp, with an Arcam FMJ23 cd player, and using Virtual Dyamics Audition interconnects and power, it made it even better. I now have to think about getting another source, preamp, and cables because I can't just add these onto my existing system because my main system is in the master bedroom and there's just too much sound leakage... when does the money drain end??? (please note that although I love the sound of the N.E.W. a-20.1, it's not the quietest amp in the world- I've found that most all the class A power amps that I've tried have a slight humming sound and don't have a black background compared to many solid state products- sometimes the noise goes away after warm up, but if this bothers you, this is not the amp for you)

I won't be able to listen to the Norh and Stefan setup for until the end of the month, but I'll be sure to post my comments when I have a chance to listen.

 

[LobsterSan]

drewski, you get all the cool toys

after hearing all the hubbub about the k-1000's at the meet, i guess you bit, huh? i'm glad they are meeting your expectations (and possibly more... 2 pairs!?)

congrats and happy listening!

 

[wallijonn]

drewski,

thanks for the N.E.W. tip. I just went through that with my Monarchy SM70. I'm sorry, but hum is unacceptable. So instead of buying a new amp for the K1000, I think I'll just upgrade the sound of the Crown D60. Tubes are not in my future. The idea of tube rolling doesn't appeal to me, especially at $50 a pop.

If you think violins sound great on the K1000, try acoustic guitars.

One of the worst problems with the K1000 is finding a quiet enough environment to listen to them. I suggest a closed door closet. When my neighbour upstairs decides to turn on his music I have to rip the K1000s off and put on another set of headphones.

btw, pull the pad tabs out to position them correctly on your head. and play with the headphone wings so that they swing out for better (less irritating) high end.

 

[drewski]

Quote:

Originally posted by LobsterSan drewski, you get all the cool toys after hearing all the hubbub about the k-1000's at the meet, i guess you bit, huh? i'm glad they are meeting your expectations (and possibly more... 2 pairs!?) congrats and happy listening!

I bit- hook, line, and sinker- even ate the bait while I was at it! Actually, I knew that I wanted these before, just was waiting a bit until I could find a used pair- as fate would have it, I'll have two used pairs! I just got my Equinox cable today for my HD600's in the mail today, so now all I need are your ATH-W1000 a pair of CD3000's, and a RKV and my empire will be complete!

 

[wallijonn]

But just like any other headphone, they are not for everyone. I lent Matt my K1000s for a week. A week later he knew that they were not for him.

 

[lan]

I've always wondered if one could build a contraption so you could wear both pairs of K1000s for some surround sound movie action.

It would look the most ridiculous though.

Anyway welcome to the club!

 

[drewski]

Quote:

Originally posted by wallijonn drewski, thanks for the N.E.W. tip. I just went through that with my Monarchy SM70. I'm sorry, but hum is unacceptable. So instead of buying a new amp for the K1000, I think I'll just upgrade the sound of the Crown D60. Tubes are not in my future. The idea of tube rolling doesn't appeal to me, especially at $50 a pop.

I figured it is unacceptable to many, so that's I wanted to be sure I clarified that. I've personally found that many of the Nelson Pass designed amps sound very tubelike, but unfortunately, all are class A and most do have some sort of hum (maybe just because of the nature of the class A circuitry and the amount of current that runs through it???). I can live with it, but I'm sure many people, including yourself, wouldn't put up with it. As for tube amps, I've always used tube preamps with a class A SS amp- I've always liked this combination. My preamp only has 4 tubes, so not too bad for now- I do plan on getting some Tele's though. Also, the Norh is a tubed amp, so I'm really curious to hear it.

Quote:

btw, pull the pad tabs out to position them correctly on your head. and play with the headphone wings so that they swing out for better (less irritating) high end.

I've been adjusting the "wind resistance" and the tabs all weekend. I've found that I prefer the sound with the drivers in the straight ahead mode. This gives me the best bass and focuses the main image better. I actually don't find the sound or fit irritating at all... It wasn't until I started looking for something negative before I found that these weren't absolutely perfect (for me at least). But anytime problems have to be searched for and not obviously apparent, I'm happy with that!

 

[drewski]

Quote:

Originally posted by lan I've always wondered if one could build a contraption so you could wear both pairs of K1000s for some surround sound movie action. It would look the most ridiculous though. Anyway welcome to the club!

Thanks! I hope another pair don't come up, or I'd have to stick it on my forehead for 5 channel surround!

 

[shivohum]

Quote:

I won't be able to listen to the Norh and Stefan setup for until the end of the month, but I'll be sure to post my comments when I have a chance to listen.

Please do. I'm very interested to hear what you have to say.

 

[drewski]

So I've now had the chance to listen to the k-1000's with the Norh and Stefan cable. A very nice combination, but not for everyone. This is one of the warmest sounding combinations that I've heard with headphones. The best part was that it was able to be warm, yet still have detail and handle transients well.

I used a Marantz cd player to do the testing. I have an Arcam FMJ CD23, but I decided to only focus on the Marantz since this is the CD player I'll be using for this setup. This player has a very laid back characteristic (almost dull) as with most Marantz cd players. With this player, I found the Stefan cable made this a bit too laid back for my taste. It still imaged well and still had decent detail, but a bit too heavy and rich sounding. I then swapped back to the stock cable and actually found that I liked the sound better with the stock cable over the Stefan cable with this setup. I preferred the leaner sound of the stock cable and felt that the imaging was wider and more spacious sounding.

I then swapped back to my original setup using a N.E.W. a 20.1 amp and a Superphon Revelation basic preamp. I used the Stefan cable and I found that I prefered this setup over the others. It definitely didn't have the warmth and lush sound that the Norh had, but I just found that I prefered the image placement, the detail, the spaciousness, and the overall sound of this setup better than the Norh. It's not that the Norh was bad in any way, but just a matter of preference with the integration with my source and musical preferences.

Overall, I loved the Norh and felt that it had a lot to offer for a $400 amp. It was nicely put together and decent looking. I didn't try it with speakers, but it really does pair nicely with the K-1000's (although in my opinion, better without the Stefan cable). It's also more convenient (and more cost effective) than my current setup because it's an integrated and doesn't require a preamp. The Norh/Stefan/K-1000 may be a little dull for some- if you're a fan of Grado RS-1's coupled with a Sugden Headmaster, this may be to the opposite extreme (although still very detailed and that's rare for something as warm sounding as this setup). Just keep in mind that my source is dull sounding, so a brighter sounding CD player like the Arcam or MF players may yeild a different sound.

So my final thought about this combo is that if you like to relax to nice soothing jazz, this setup will melt you to your chair!

 

[wallijonn]

actually, I like the idea of a darker source (marantz cdp) and the bright K1000. now you may want to try a passive preamp between the two (unless the Marantz has line out volume controls). i just find that a pre-amp puts walls up around the sound. my onkyo dvd is directly connected to my parasound amp - sans pre-amp. i'll be using the rear volume controls. someday i hope to get a Muse 2 DAC for it.

nice review of the nOrh SE9.

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally posted by drewski I don't know why I like them so much

Probably because you have not yet seen yourself wearing them.

Seriously, welcome to the club of the original crosstalk headphones.

 

[kwkarth]

Welcome to the club!

 

[MoLtoSoLo]

I just got my pair today, what a wonderful can.
Lack of bass? Not for me, I just love it.
by the way, I just bought a Fisher 400 today, cannot wait to try it on...

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally posted by wallijonn Tubes are not in my future. The idea of tube rolling doesn't appeal to me, especially at $50 a pop.

Think RKV Mk II; no tuberolling required and tubes are generally available for <$10 ea.