[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know what the parts are called, but I removed the 2 screws on the back of the ear cup and pulled the parts apart slightly so I could see into the ear cup. One of them has orange backs to the radiators, the other has grey backs. I can't get the grill off of the one with orange backs, but looking through the grill, I don't see any orange showing. It's one of my work cans so I won't be able to look and confirm this until Monday.

It's not a ring of bright orange like the early version, just a hint of orange at the edge, almost like yellowing from sun exposure. The diaphragms are actually transparent (even on the early ones), so at the very edge where there is no paper pad, some of the color comes through. However, if yours truly is snow white all the away across, I'd like to see pictures of it.



Quote:

Originally Posted by mwallace573 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I figure this is the best place to ask this question. Are the screws you need to remove to open up the cups located underneath the silver badges? I just want to be 100% sure before I attempt to pry the suckers off. Also, can somebody recommend something to clean the metal rings on the cups, as water just isn't cutting it.

The screws are indeed under the silver badges. There's a notch on the left side that lets you slide something thin in, such as a hobby knife, and then you can work it around until the badge comes off. Don't try to pry hard or force it though, patience is key for avoiding any major bends in them. You'll want to make sure it's bent back completely flat before gluing them on; even a slight curve will make it stick up on one side.

Try alcohol for cleaning the trim rings, water is only good on the black plastic parts.

 

[mwallace573]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Try alcohol for cleaning the trim rings, water is only good on the black plastic parts.

Now why didn't I think of that?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[003]

Heads up... some shots of my balanced sextett:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...85#post3149985

I can't wait to get them! I have the silver name plates with me, I will put them on with elmers glue when I get them.

 

[swt61]

Those look great! Congrats 003!

 

[adamse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitemonkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think you'll regret it. I got mine a couple of weeks ago, going from SR80s, and I think they're fantastic. I found the Grados tiring to listen to, mainly because of the treble. To me, a lot of the much-touted detail of them was false detail. As a photographer by trade, I'd liken it to a digital photo that's been sharpened too much on the computer. At first glance, you think there's more detail there because the edges are more pronounced. In reality, though, it actually reduces the quality of the image. I hear more real detail with the Sextetts than I did with the Grados, although to be fair, the SR80s aren't a high-end Grado. The other nice thing about them is that there's plenty of bass present when it's called for. They're not boomy or overly bassy all the time, but when the music calls for bass, it's there. On the whole, I'm finding them a nice middle ground between the harshness of the Grados and the muddiness of Sennheisers. And, if in the end you don't like them, I don't think you'll have any trouble selling them here.

Are you using them with an Amp?

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamse /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you using them with an Amp?

You really need an amp. You might be able to get them loud from you're computer or DAP, but you'll have to turn the volume up loud enough to get distortion. You don't need an expensive amp. They sound fine with my sub $100 portable amps. They sound even better from the headphone out of my NAD 3155.

 

[003]

Being 600ohms the sextetts sound exceptionally good out of a nice tube amp

 

[infinitemonkey]

Quote:

Are you using them with an Amp?

Yeah, but it's a fairly modest amp. A lot of people in this thread have much better rigs.

I have a Firestone Cute Beyond (with OPA2107). It has a high/low gain setting. On the high setting it does fairly well with the Sextetts. It's a 24 volt amp. At least that's what goes into it from the power supply. I gather voltage is the determining factor in how well an amp can drive high impedance cans. I am not an expert however. Perhaps someone else can elaborate and clarify.

Some sort of an amp is definitely a necessity with these headphones, though. I previously had a CMOY and it didn't do very well with my old K141s, which are also 600 ohms. With the Firestone amp, though, they sounded much better, getting me started down the AKG path.

The Sextetts apparently scale quite well with better amps, but for now I'm sticking with what I have.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitemonkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, but it's a fairly modest amp. A lot of people in this thread have much better rigs. I have a Firestone Cute Beyond (with OPA2107). It has a high/low gain setting. On the high setting it does fairly well with the Sextetts. It's a 24 volt amp. At least that's what goes into it from the power supply. I gather voltage is the determining factor in how well an amp can drive high impedance cans. I am not an expert however. Perhaps someone else can elaborate and clarify. Some sort of an amp is definitely a necessity with these headphones, though. I previously had a CMOY and it didn't do very well with my old K141s, which are also 600 ohms. With the Firestone amp, though, they sounded much better, getting me started down the AKG path. The Sextetts apparently scale quite well with better amps, but for now I'm sticking with what I have.

I use a Practical Devices X4 at work. It's plugged in with a 12V wall wart. At home I was using a Xenos OHA-REP with a 12v wall wart. Now, at home I'm using the headphone out of a NAD 3155 integrated amp, which sounds much better than the OHA-REP. A Cute Beyond has always been on my list as a possible amp for work.

 

[Jeffreybar]

I think I asked this question ages ago in another thread but never got an answer, but I'll ask again in this one since it seems to be ongoing.

I love my K240Ms. I know the sextett sounds different. Could someone who has both compare the two for me?

 

[NoPants]

just got my sextetts, been listening to my gcha and my soon-to-be-shipped-off-to-florida(I think)-LDII++, I wonder if my ears have been permanently colored by the likes of more modern headphones...I definitely feel like there's some sort of veil over the mid and upper frequencies, but at the same time I can't deny that these headphones produce the best guitar I have ever heard. The presence of a veil (to my ears I guess) obscures a sense of airiness that I normally associate with AKGs; again I'm mostly accustomed to the 501s / 701s. After switching back and forth between these and 280s I can definitely make out some similarities, including a similar veiled feeling, maybe that's just the nature of headphones that are older than myself. The bass was pretty much a showstopper for me, at first I thought it was covering up everything else in the signature but I've come to the conclusion that that's just how they're presented, whether the monster bass is there or not. I'm sort of talking myself in circles so I'll move on to more physically pressing matters.

The pads were very stiff, and I had a pair of at w100 pads that were just lying around, so I took a good 15 minutes of hell to stretch them onto the cups. The comfort is quite a step up, but the bass becomes much more pronounced. I guess you could say the seal is "too good", I'll try to take pics is anyone's interested. If I stick with these pads, I'm going to try and take out the grilles to "free" the sound, at least physically haha

My MP pair came with a weird adapter, a 5 pin to 1/4" adapter. No one's mentioned this, so I'm wonder if this is normal? at first in pictures I thought it was a mini to 1/4", but then that wouldn't really make sense if it was an older pair of headphones.

Also, does anyone have any opinions on how the sound would change if k280 parts were used to revive this pair? I'm particularly interested in replacing the back (baffle?), because it's opened with 6 holes and I was thinking this would help tone done the bass and bring out the treble and mids. On a more superficial level I also like the non-holed headband. This is all assuming the parts are interchangeable of course.

So to sum things up, I was only slightly let down by these due to this nagging "in the box" feeling, but I can tell there's something there that doesn't make me want to sell them....yet

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoPants /img/forum/go_quote.gif My MP pair came with a weird adapter, a 5 pin to 1/4" adapter. No one's mentioned this, so I'm wonder if this is normal? at first in pictures I thought it was a mini to 1/4", but then that wouldn't really make sense if it was an older pair of headphones.

The 5 pin connector was pretty popular in at least germany and austria in the 70's and 80's. It's a pretty smart connector because unlike a TRS phono plug nothing has to short out when you plug or unplug, and you can do balanced and single-ended without having to change the connector.

But the obvious superiority of this teutonic interconnect did not win out, and it went the way of the betamax.

You can reterminate the cable with a nice 1/4" plug and save the adapter for any future purchases of old europhones that might not come with the adapter.

Quote:

Also, does anyone have any opinions on how the sound would change if k280 parts were used to revive this pair? I'm particularly interested in replacing the back (baffle?), because it's opened with 6 holes and I was thinking this would help tone done the bass and bring out the treble and mids. On a more superficial level I also like the non-holed headband. This is all assuming the parts are interchangeable of course.

You mean the earcup.

Those holes are covered with some fairly stiff paper, technically the openness mostly comes from the gap between the cup and the baffle.

I don't think that replacing the cup will do what you want it to do.

 

[003]

Check the sextett link in my signature, can you ID which version you have? Also if your pads are limp, brittle or both, then they will mess up the sound. You do need new pads. The sextetts are VERY sensitive to pads, even more so than grados. If you put leather pads on, they will turn into a pair of "fart cannons". I know, I tried. You also will more than likely need new elastics and new foam inside the earcups.

 

[NoPants]

ohhh I see that paper now, reminds me of the paper covering the (baffle?) of the k280, which I promptly poked out when I received it, I don't know why, just felt right.


I checked your links, it's a little hard to get the grilles out, I'm afraid I'll rip these headphones apart...after all they are older than me haha

It looks like I have the MP version, and yes the pads are a little stiff. I noticed that the drivers have to be pretty close to your ears to get a "correct" sound out, I think this is why I like them with the w100. I feel like I'm doing something blasphemous though heh

is there a service manual for these? and do they still make parts for this or would I be taking parts form the modern 240s and etc.? I originally wanted to take apart my k280 but I tried them with w100 pads and they became much more listenable

 

[003]

Whatever you do, do NOT poke out the paper behind the radiators

I had compiled a list of the most common parts that would have to be replaced in a sextett and provided the akg part number, here it is:

cable sleeve - 2040Z1001

earpads - 2058Z10010

elastics - 2040M0303

foam - 2073Z1502

housing - 2058Z0501

lid - 2058Z0201

outer headband - 2040M0209

inner headband - 2058Z0901

swivel - 2040Z0502

cardan - 2040Z0401

Unfortunately you are looking at a very long wait to get parts from AKG.

Here is the akg service manual for the k240 series:
http://www.akg.com/mediendatenbank2/...5d215ac91a.pdf