AKG K1000 questions (did search)

[JJ15k]

Hello, I am thinking about buying the k1000 because of it s uniqueness and great soundstage(I really would like to get rid of the feeling that only one ear is hearing some songs) but I am concerned about a few things:

First(most important): comfort, I have seen a few people complain about it and it s worrying because If I bought them I am going to use them for extended periods of time.

Second: What kind of amp would I need to do them justice? I really am not looking into 500$ amps since I would spend quite enough money to buy the phones. I currently have a gari ali P2V2 portable amp with DT880.
I listen to about everything but I really like songs with hypnotic female vocals like Yuki Kajiura, Eva Cassidy and stuff.

Thanks
PS: Comments about my foolishness for wanting this headphone welcome

 

[tkam]

I doubt your amp would drive the K1000s very well if at all. For something under $500 your best bet would be to contact Rockhopper audio or another builder and have them build you an M3 tweaked to drive the k1000s or find a decent used power amp. I briefly tried out the k1000s at a meet and didn't find them uncomfortable but they could be if you have a large head as it doesn't look like the headband is very adjustable.

 

[JJ15k]

Well, I don t think I have a very big head, I m kind of small so this shouldn t be an issue(or maybe the other way around

)

 

[Banfi T.]

Hi,

if you did a search you know probably by now that these headphone needs a lot of voltage because of their low sensibility. Furthermore they need a very good amplification. If you plan to use a solid state amplifier for it you might look into much expensive things then a humble $500. The K-1000 was demonstrated for me with Electrompainet monoblocks (not known for a harsh sound) and I still felt that metallic sound signature some complain about. (Although you can try the T-amp, it cost only a $30 or so and some reported that it is up to the task) So, I would go for tube amplification, and I certainly would not buy anything unheard. Simply put these cans are very picky. Since I do not know tube amps in this price range I leave this to others to clear up.

About comfort: I have a rather small head and I did not felt any unpleasant press or something like that. However it did not felt secure on my head I always had the feeling that they will fall down at a sudden move.

 

[gsferrari]

the K1000 is a weird headphone...it sometimes performs exceedingly well out of a low power amp...and then it sucks out of a high power amp...and at other times it completely turns around on you.

Yeah...synergy is EVERYTHING...

The T-Amp had me impressed...

And I am getting a K1000 too

gs

 

[JJ15k]

Well,looks like the cost of ownership of this headphones surpasses it s price...
awaiting more comments on the comfort as this is really the no1 consideration here, no point in getting a headphone I m not going to hear.

 

[Xanadu777]

With a T-amp for $20-30 and Todd selling K1000's new for $529, that's a lot of bang for the buck, like an explosion actually

I was able to wear them all night with the temple pads adjusted all the way open without noticing any real discomfort other than an occasional minute or two rest from them. For that crazy price, I would think one could figure out a way to make them more comfortable if need be and with the T-amp so cheap too, that makes K1000's a viable solution for a lot of folks. You can always get another amp "someday"...

 

[Beauregard]

I'm not a big experimenter like the regulars here but I did audition the K1000s earlier this year. I used the T-Amp based on the recommend of experienced Head-Fi types.

I ended up returning the phones because of the comfort thing. BUT I think there's no way for you to predict how comfortable you'll find them from anyone else's experience. These weirdo headphones sound marvelous and certainly offer a unique experience in headphone listening - I returned mine with regret.

My advice - pick up the T-Amp for $20 and the phones from Todd or someone else with a 30-day policy. IMO, the possible cost of paying for shipping if you return them is worth the risk to experience this one-of-a-kind headphone! And even if they go back, you'll have a very nifty little amp that I bet you'll find a use for.

Good luck... And keep us posted about your decision.

Best,
Beau

 

[JJ15k]

Well, I live in france, and the problem would be finding a place with a good return policy. Maybe Meier audio would be Ok.
By the way, I m new here, where could I get a T-Amp exactly? And who s Todd ? 529$ seems like a really good price
Also what is the average resale price of the K1000 around the forums?
Thanks for the info

 

[elrod-tom]

Best value I've seen for the K1000 is the nOrh SE9. It's got just enough juice to do a pretty good job driving them. The amp itself is $400 new, which is a bargain IMHO. I know you're not into $500 amps, but it's sort of the price of entry IMHO as far as those cans are concerned (they need tubes!!)

 

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ15k Well, I live in france, and the problem would be finding a place with a good return policy.

Ebay Germany usually has good deals on the AKG K1000. You should be able to find one under 300 Euros and resell it for a similar price if they turn out to be too uncomfortable. For example, here's an auction on ebay.de

Personally, I can't wear them for more than an hour or so but I have a relatively big head. Nevertheless, these headphones are so special in what they offer that even if I could wear them for 20 minutes only, those 20 min would be very much worth it. I still use the HD 650 more often due to practicability and comfort reasons but as a secondary headphone, the AKG K1000 is absolutely fantastic. As you said it yourself, unique and a great soundstage.

I also use the T amp at the moment but just ordered a Blackmax cable from Headphile to run the AKG out of normal 1/4 headphone jacks. I don't exactly know how much better the AKG sounded in conjunction with the more expensive amps I've tried but considering the price point, the K1000/T-amp combo is a very good audio bargain. The T-amp is not the end of the road but for $30 a piece, you can't really go wrong.

 

[UAndy]

My K1000 is about 14 years old and I use them more than ever although I had bought a lot of other cans in the meantime (CD3000, Grado RS1, Ety 4S and P, UE10Pro). Reason is the unique response to transients that almost no other headphone performs. Amplification: Parasound 2200 power-amp (great bass, slightly less resolution, comfortable sound) and Meier-Prehead (great resolution, nice with voices, less bass, sometimes a bit hard on the hights. Maybe the new Prehead with treble-rolloff would be ideal...). When sliding the leather-cushion into the outmost position, I can listen stressless for hours and they are rather stable in keeping their position.

 

[JJ15k]

Allright, Thanks for the heads up on the auction, it s new so I hadn t found it before...
About the T-amp, where should I get one?(I ll look into better amps later)
Thanks to everybody who contributed

 

[greenhorn]

Let's not forget that the K1000 are made to be used with regular amps (as opposed to headphone amps). As tkam said, a decent used one might be the ticket

 

[tkam]

I think Todd probably has one of the best prices at $529 I would definetly recommend getting them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ15k Well, I live in france, and the problem would be finding a place with a good return policy. Maybe Meier audio would be Ok. By the way, I m new here, where could I get a T-Amp exactly? And who s Todd ? 529$ seems like a really good price Also what is the average resale price of the K1000 around the forums? Thanks for the info