AKG K340 Electrostatic Phones
Feb 12, 2022 at 5:47 PM Post #481 of 1,184
These points I also treated with an EQ. The frequency responses have actually already been recorded with the improvements I have just seen. But it is also more to show what the ear pads change than to show the frequency response of a K340, which in a post of mine before is also different for each model.

My EQ settings to try out:
- Peaking filter at 566 hz, +3 db, Q-Factor 5.0
- Peaking filter at 2400 Hz, -4 db, Q-Factor 5.0
- Peaking filter at 4000 Hz, +4 db, Q-Factor 2.8

The K340s are also too loud above 8 kHz, but if you lower this range, the headphones are dead and the details are missing. The electret probably wants to show what it can do here. Similar to a K240 (not a 340) the headphones are lifeless and muffled completely linear tuned with a highshelf filter.
I'll definitely give these eq settings a listen to. How do the K340'S stack up against the 240 Sextetts? I just picked up a pair of mint K1000'S bass light for $250..😀 I drove 7hrs round trip to get them. But well worth the trip (no eq needed) I'm really enjoying this AKG sound.
 
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Feb 12, 2022 at 6:10 PM Post #482 of 1,184
The price is really amazing. Here in Germany, the K1000s are incredibly expensive, sometimes 800€ to 1500€ are demanded for them. Just because it is called K1000, it does not have to cost 1000€ directly. The special thing about the old AKGs is that you get a pretty decent sounding headphones without spending much, which simply are special and have history.

Compared to the K240, the smoother highs are particularly noticeable. The K240 works very "coarse" and is absolutely not neutral, sometimes you put it on and are shocked at how much treble it has, but some days it is just right. Of all the headphones, the K240 is the one that sounds the most real. The K340 has more detail, better bass, sounds cleaner overall, and comes much closer to reference headphones.
 
Feb 12, 2022 at 6:25 PM Post #483 of 1,184
The price is really amazing. Here in Germany, the K1000s are incredibly expensive, sometimes 800€ to 1500€ are demanded for them. Just because it is called K1000, it does not have to cost 1000€ directly. The special thing about the old AKGs is that you get a pretty decent sounding headphones without spending much, which simply are special and have history.

Compared to the K240, the smoother highs are particularly noticeable. The K240 works very "coarse" and is absolutely not neutral, sometimes you put it on and are shocked at how much treble it has, but some days it is just right. Of all the headphones, the K240 is the one that sounds the most real. The K340 has more detail, better bass, sounds cleaner overall, and comes much closer to reference headphones.
The K1000's are going for over $1000 here also if you can find them. I could not afford them if paying full price. I just got them from someone who didn't know exactly what they had. I was very lucky and jumped on the deal. They came with the factory extension cable and box also. I have them hooked up directly to my Luxman R-113 35 watts at 8 ohm speaker terminals and it pushes them nice and clean. As awesome as the K1000s sound, I still find myself reaching for some K340 instrument separation magic for a lot of what I listen to. I have the green bass light driver but I find that they are very articulate, warm and not lacking at all. When the recording is correct they can sound better than the K1000s.
 
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Feb 14, 2022 at 3:57 PM Post #484 of 1,184
I'm also a bit surprised that the bass is often criticized here. Provided you have the ZMF Eikon ear pads, the bass is the most convincing thing I've ever heard from headphones. I've owned many high-end headphones, Elegia, LCD-2 Classic, Nighthawk, none have produced bass as realistic as the K340. The bass is very punchy, deep and incredibly textured, currently no headphone comes close. I assume that this is also related to the passive membranes, where one says that they are "closed" below 200 Hz, the other says that they are there to reduce the boomy upper bass (former AKG employee). Planar magnetic headphones resolve better, but their bass does not sound natural and as you would expect.

You can bring the K340 to such a high level with new real leather ear pads. With original ear pads, I also have to say that the K340 has massive problems with bass and seem very weak and thin below 50 Hz - but that's actually not the case, the drivers are able to produce enormous low bass without booming, unpleasant pressure or anything like that.

What I also find surprising every time is the dynamic range, the K340 is despite relatively deep bass (especially stuff from Boris Brejcha, Alec Troniq, Andreas Henneberg) still be able to show the finest details with a strength that I have not yet heard to such way. The 2-way system probably benefits, but the K240 does that also good. So I understand when people say that the K340 can attack today's top models.
 
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Feb 14, 2022 at 5:19 PM Post #485 of 1,184
I'm also a bit surprised that the bass is often criticized here. Provided you have the ZMF Eikon ear pads, the bass is the most convincing thing I've ever heard from headphones. I've owned many high-end headphones, Elegia, LCD-2 Classic, Nighthawk, none have produced bass as realistic as the K340. The bass is very punchy, deep and incredibly textured, currently no headphone comes close. I assume that this is also related to the passive membranes, where one says that they are "closed" below 200 Hz, the other says that they are there to reduce the boomy upper bass. Planar magnetic headphones resolve a bit better, but their bass does not sound natural and as you would imagine.

You can bring the K340 to such a high level with new real leather ear pads. With original ear pads, I also have to say that the K340 has massive problems with bass and seem very weak and thin below 50 Hz - but that's actually not the case, the drivers are able to produce enormous low bass without booming, unpleasant pressure or anything like that.

What I also find surprising every time is the dynamic range, the K340 is despite relatively deep bass (especially stuff from Boris Brejcha, Alec Troniq) still be able to show the finest details with a strength that I have not yet heard to such an extent. The 2-way system probably benefits, but the K240 does that also good. So I understand when people say that the headphones can attack today's top models.
Strange thing. But the sub bass improves if you have the back inside of the pads touch your ears. I've been doing a/b testing with k1000 and K340'S hold there own when equalizer is applied.
 
Feb 14, 2022 at 5:57 PM Post #486 of 1,184
Majoox, What are you using to drive the K340'S?
 
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Feb 14, 2022 at 7:19 PM Post #487 of 1,184
Look at my signature, in this case the Mullard tubes, which are not so treble-heavy. Plenty of power with 300 mW at 300 and 600 Ohm.
 
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Feb 15, 2022 at 7:57 PM Post #488 of 1,184
I recently acquired a minty K340 after selling my first pair several years ago. I remember really liking it at the time but ultimately sold it to try out other headphones but always wanted to give them another try.

It was a bit of a shock to listen to these again and hear how fast and clean they sound. Amplification plays a big role in these headphones and I learned they really need current to sound their best.

After testing them on several amplifiers I found my favorite pairing to be a Bakoon HPA-01 followed by my vintage Sansui Integrated amplifier. Both of these do an excellent job at providing enough current to get these cans to sing!

Below is a quick measurement comparing the K340 to a 6XX using a GRAS 45CA. The bass and treble extension are quite good such an old headphone.

AKG K340 vs 6XX.JPG
 
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Feb 16, 2022 at 1:16 PM Post #489 of 1,184
I'd like to see if there's a good after market pad that maintains a similar frequency response to the original.

I've seen some recommend the Brainwavz XL pads as a good fit. I would guess the sheepskin would be most similar performance but I'm open to other ideas of anyone has had good success.
 
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Feb 16, 2022 at 5:06 PM Post #490 of 1,184
I have 3 pairs of aliexpress sheepskin pads that fit my k240sextett and two k340. real bargain and posted somewhere in this thread.
Well i guess those are the OEM pads that are sold under different labels for much more money
 
Feb 25, 2022 at 12:03 AM Post #491 of 1,184
Cool! And that went fast for aliexpress!

And its great to hear that it was not some weird impression from me that they boost the bass.
Also i have worn out elastics on the headphone and its perfekt this way.

The thickness and firmness ist great and also the leather is very soft.
I will still have to order two pairs and hope they arrive this year :wink:

Did you remove/change the dampening wool inside and remove the grill or what else did you do?

Hey,

By chance do you remember if you ordered the sheepskin or protein skin earpads from that link you provided on aliexpress? Second question would be if you still prefer them today.

Would appreciate it,
Thanks an take care!

Edit: Apologies, saw the latest post in this thread haha.
 
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Feb 25, 2022 at 6:52 PM Post #492 of 1,184
I bought the K340 from another member here, and he put Brainwavz XL on them, I'm not sure if they are protein or sheepskin, they are comfortable, and the cans sound great!

Look Here
 
Feb 27, 2022 at 9:45 PM Post #493 of 1,184
I bought the K340 from another member here, and he put Brainwavz XL on them, I'm not sure if they are protein or sheepskin, they are comfortable, and the cans sound great!

Look Here
Just looked back through my Amazon history and those are the protein.
 
Feb 28, 2022 at 12:32 AM Post #494 of 1,184
Feb 28, 2022 at 1:51 AM Post #495 of 1,184
I've been looking into what drivers are in the headphones. The reason why the K340 sound different are the voltage regulators. My two were defective and created no matter with which electret (have several) a hole at 4 kHz, which I had to compensate by an equalizer with +7 db. When replacing the PCB, one of the grey drivers died, so the voice coil got too hot and it read 0 ohms on my multimeter. Overall, the AKG drivers are very susceptible to heat and soldering is better left altogether, rather put cable shoes on it or crimp. A voltage regulator from another K340 caused the frequency response (except 2,5 kHz) to become linear and the hole disappeared at 4 kHz.

Now that a grey driver has died, I started looking for models without having to keep buying a second, third, forth K340. The drivers are all called AKG DKK32.

Green driver
This one features black paper and a back that has many small holes and looks different. This driver comes from the K240 Sextett EP and MP models, but has a red plastic there. The only reason the two K240s sound different are changes to the passive membranes, not the driver. The same driver was also used in the K141 (silver version). I can verify this as I have these models here. The LP Sextett seems to have these drivers as well, but I could not verify this exactly. This matches the fact that the green drivers indicate the old first K340 model, where there is no AKG on the headband, which uses an old PCB design and definitely dates from 1979. The time from which also comes the Sextett.

Grey driver
This one has no black paper in front and has a back with less holes, overall a different back. The driver inside is also mounted deeper. You can find this 1 to 1 in the golden K240 Monitor, however there is also an EP and LP there. The K240 Monitor was available from 1984, the K340 was still manufactured in the 80s. These also differ in the number of holes. This was probably used by AKG for tuning, which can also be seen on the K240 DF.

The K240DF has one hole covered and is overall bass weak, but the grey driver is installed in its "basic" form. Just equalized according to IRT. Also, the K280 Parabolic has these drivers, but this one has 75 ohms and came in the late 80s. Probably the voice coil was smaller, sonically not comparable. The Parabolic has also weak bass.

The difference is that the passive membranes have also been changed. The old one has grey plates, the new one has black plates. This might be one reason why the grey one has "more" bass than the green one.
 
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