[Canman]

A quick search revealed that most people have found the RKV and the NORH se9 to be great amplifiers for the AKG K1000. What other amps have you guys tried that had great synergy with the K1000?

I hooked them up to my NAD C350 speaker outs and the sound was horribly bright and shrill. It sounds much better out of my Gilmore V2 headphone out using the Stefan cable but dynamics are limited compared to Hirsch's Fisher 400 at the DC meet.

So is the RKV / NORH Se9 the preferred AKG amp around here? Anyone ever try a Cary amp or other low power tube integrated with the K1000? A warm sounding solid state design perhaps?

I am using an Arcam FMJ CD23 and Cardas Neutral Reference cable. If I bought an integrated amp, I would cut up the stock cable and solder some decent speaker wire onto the 4 pin XLR.

 

[Hirsch]

My Melos SHA-1 works very nicely with the K-1000. I had thought about lowering the gain to make the stepped attenuator more friendly to more efficient headphones, but wound up leaving it alone, as it's just right for the K-1000.

 

[aeberbach]

At the risk of sounding like a parrot...

Squawk! Grace 901! Squawk!

 

[Orpheus]

i personally use a Tube City 300b amp.... heard amps based on the 300b are good... including the ASL 1005.

 

[SteeleBlayde]

Fisher 400 is supposed to be good from what I've heard people say.

Personally though, RKV is unbeatable with the K1000. Unbeatable, as in, this is as good as it gets.... *smirk*

 

[NeilPeart]

I tried the K1000 with two amps: the Antique Sound Lab AQ1005 and the AudioValve RKV - Mark II. Although the AQ1005 was pretty damn good, the RKV was better. I heard the RKV was the best, but I had to try at least 1 other amp with the K1000. Hirsch's comment makes me want to audition the Melos SHA-1, as the Carlo-modded one is said to be a dominant amp for many cans. I need to take a break from this place because my wallet is feeling sorry for ME!

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I'm listening to them right now, powered by the EAR HP4. I think the sound is good, but I'm biased because I haven't had a chance to do any comparison with other amps. I'd like to hear how the EAR would do against the RKV.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Papa Lazarou I'd like to hear how the EAR would do against the RKV.

The HP4 is on the edge of driving the K-1000 properly. A lot depends on the tubes in use. With high Gm tubes, it can work. With low Gm tubes, the HP4 can run out of horsepower. My own take is that the HP4 has got a big edge on the RKV in terms of detail, but the RKV has the wattage to make the K-1000 sing, while the HP-4 can sometimes strain. Even though I have an HP4, I still miss my RKV for use with the K-1000. Still, I've got the Fisher 400 very very close to what the RKV was doing.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

What are the symptoms of the HP4 running out of horsepower? I try to keep the volume down so as not to strain it too much. I'm also worried about my hearing. I never turn the volume beyond 11'o'clock, do you have any idea how loud this is?

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Papa Lazarou What are the symptoms of the HP4 running out of horsepower? I try to keep the volume down so as not to strain it too much. I'm also worried about my hearing. I never turn the volume beyond 11'o'clock, do you have any idea how loud this is?

My guess is that I listen at slightly higher volumes than you, so you might never need that little bit of extra juice. With K-1000, I run HP4 at 12:00 to 1:00 on pot. On material with a lot of low end, the bass doesn't seem to go all the way down the way it did with RKV, and dynamic peaks aren't as well articulated. It doesn't reach clipping, but I can hear the K-1000 asking for just a bit more juice to open up fully. This is right at the fringe of what the K-1000 needs, and lower volume levels might cure it completely.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Sounds simply superb out of my Musical Fidelity A3^CR separates.

I've tried it out of my Kenwood RD-VH7 micro-system, and the sound was certainly adequate.

As a matter of fact, I can't think of an amp out of which it didn't sound really good.

I still need to try it on my Manley Stingray and my Jolida JD102B...and a couple of old Pioneer receivers...

 

[Tuberoller]

I have been playing with amps for the K1000 for a while and I love a few. The PS Audio HCA2 is among the best,The Cary SLI-80 is right there as well but I got a special place in my heart for the unmodded Fisher 400. It just sounds "right" and i really love it. It is now the only amp I use with my K1000.

 

[john_jcb]

I have heard Tuberoller's Fisher 400/AKG1000 pairing at the last 2 Chicago meets and I can confirm that it sounded great. I have no other amp to compare it with though, but I do not think you could go wrong with it.

 

[jefemeister]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberoller I have been playing with amps for the K1000 for a while and I love a few. The PS Audio HCA2 is among the best,

Holy Hell, is the world coming to an end? Tuberoller likes a DIGITAL amplifier?

 

[Number9]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberoller I got a special place in my heart for the unmodded Fisher 400. It just sounds "right" and i really love it. It is now the only amp I use with my K1000.

Anyone try a Fisher 400-X with the K1000s?