[pataburd]

Hey philodox, Jay, Jan et al,
After finally heeding your advice, I took the K340 home and ran them from my A/V rig, consisting of: RAM-modded HD-841 universal player, Denon AVR-1905 receiver, MAC AgQ IC (analogue), Millersound digital coax, MA Source and HC PCs, DakiOms everywhere, quasi-Cloud Nine isolation platform (beneath HD-841), RDC Cones (beneath AVR-1905) and MA Rollers under the PowerVar conditioners. This rig is not as refined as my office gear, but still holds it own.

You were right, the K340, now being better driven, sound much more open and immediate, not constrained or sluggish in the least. In fact, the high frequency response is quick and detailed, somewhat reminiscent of the 325i, but more refined and not as forward or overly commandeering (as treble can be with the Grados). Very nicely balanced from top to bottom, too. The K340 strike me as everything I wished the 325i and MS-2i could have been in a perfect hybrid, only with more midrange detail, low end extension and detail, and expansive soundstage: the K340 are everything (IMM*, and it's both excited and tired at the moment) the 325i/MS-2i aspired to be and more, much, much more.

On the CD, In the Digital Mood, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, (Track 2: "Chattanooga Choo-Choo"), the drum hits were solid and tight, bass was better controlled (making me think more certainly that these K340 are the bass-light version). Back up female vocals were very well resolved. Horns were rich and tonally accurate. Still not as textured in the transients and chiseled at the edges as the K501, but very graceful, elegantly detailed, transparent and well-ordered, nonetheless. The K340 are very different in their own right and, apparently having found a more compatible (SS) amplifier, have really come into their own--really. It looks like they'll be my "home 'phones" for a while. : )

Thanks again, Jay, for persistently pressing the point. While still primarily identifying myself as "a K501 kinda guy," the K340 have shown themselves a worthy, at-home compliment!

PAB

*Key:
IMM = in my mind

 

[pataburd]

That landmark late night of listening, that qualifies a set of headphones (and their wearers) for the pivotal "rites of passage," occurred with the K340. I've scrawled some notes while spinning Natalie Cole, The Kentucky Headhunters, Ray Conniff and The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Tomorrow, God willing, I'll get these notes in order and revise this review just a bit! : )

(Suffice it to say that the Interest Check on the K340 will be suspended indefinitely from the FS thread. : )

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pataburd /img/forum/go_quote.gif After finally heeding your advice, I took the K340 home and ran them from my A/V rig, consisting of: RAM-modded HD-841 universal player, Denon AVR-1905 receiver, MAC AgQ IC (analogue), Millersound digital coax, MA Source and HC PCs, DakiOms everywhere, quasi-Cloud Nine isolation platform (beneath HD-841), RDC Cones (beneath AVR-1905) and MA Rollers under the PowerVar conditioners. This rig is not as refined as my office gear, but still holds it own. You were right, the K340, now being better driven, sound much more open and immediate, not constrained or sluggish in the least. In fact, the high frequency response is quick and detailed, somewhat reminiscent of the 325i, but more refined and not as forward or overly commandeering (as treble can be with the Grados). Very nicely balanced from top to bottom, too. The K340 strike me as everything I wished the 325i and MS-2i could have been in a perfect hybrid, only with more midrange detail, low end extension and detail, and expansive soundstage: the K340 are everything (IMM*, and it's both excited and tired at the moment) the 325i/MS-2i aspired to be and more, much, much more.

Nice, glad to hear you found a combination that works better with them. The next step is getting some more powerfull amplification in your [more refined] office gear. I'm sure the K501's wouldn't mind a little more current or voltage swing either... so it wouldn't be *just* for the K340's.

 

[JadeEast]

I see the K340 are back on the market I guess they lost out to the magic 501s in a late night show down?

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JadeEast /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see the K340 are back on the market I guess they lost out to the magic 501s in a late night show down?

Jade,
The cost of modding/recabling the K340 and the added effort and expenditure of better system matching (read: finding and acquiring a more suitable amp) proved too ambitious a project for me. On top of all that, yes, I still did/do prefer the K501 in the final analysis--they gained the tonal, transient and musical edge, IMHO--and given my listening preferences.

The proceeds from the sale of the K340 will fund the APS V3 re-cable of the K501 (an option to which I left myself open when first being tangentially diverted--and pleasantly, I readily admit--by the K340). In an ideal world, I had lofty plans of adapting an Aoila PST 11.01 pre-amp to drive the K340, which would have been additionally modded and re-cabled by Alex.

I may have been subconsciously balking at the "all my eggs in one basket" prospect of forsaking every other headphone (at least for a while) for the sake of the K340, too. Or I'm too much of a romanticist to actually risk despoiling the contented musings of an "end-all" system that more suitably resides in fantasy than in factuality. Who knows? : )

Unquestionably, the K340 warrant special attention and expenditure, but both of which I am without, practically speaking, at this time. Actually, it was a late night session with the K340, alone, that brought me almost--but not quite--to the tipping point. I have yet, God willing, to revise and post the drafted notes to that landmark session, and to pen a summary of why, in the end, I did what I did.

: )

PAB

 

[JadeEast]

I look forward to the tale.

 

[ciphercomplete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mypasswordis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you are both right, in a certain way. One Head-Fier described it as like having large speakers blaring from a far distance away; of course it's not that extreme, but the idea is right.

Thats was me. I wasn't really describing the 501s sound signature per se. I was defending them against people who were describing them as laid back. I guess it was a terrible attempt to simply say that the 501s manage to have a large soundstage without being laid back. To my ears that is what makes the midrange so special. The sense of depth and space without the loss of immediacy.

This is why my HD580s and my K-501s are joined at the hip right now. They are complete opposites in approach but both do great justice to the midrange.

 

[mr.khali]

I am reviving an old but very interesting thread. Did you ever re-cable the 501's, Pataburd? If so, how did you feel it improved them?

 

[pataburd]

The UP-OCC solid silver recable improved/further stabilized the soundstage (better sense of instrument placement and overall spatiality), added detail across the entire frequency spectrum and brought improved tonal clarity and purity compared to the stock cable. Right now I have the K501, K240 Sextetts (stock), the DT880 (stock) and the D5000 on hand. God willing, I'd like to do some a/b/c/d-ing, once the Bada PH-12 returns from its latest round of mods.

Thanks for asking! : )

 

[Davidzak64]

More merry misadventures with the K340 and K501 (the RAL/K701 are getting shipped off today).

The Burning Bush: The Best of Yiddish, Klezmer and Sephardic Music (Arc Music)
(Track 3: "Cuando el rey Nimrod")
Well, I prefer the openness, treble edge/attack and coherency of the K501 over the K340 on this track. Strings, clarinet, concertina, drums and vocals simply sound more "finished" with the K501. Where they lag the K340--and not by too much, IMHO--with respect to absolute levels of detail, the K501 more than compensate with holistic realism. The whole equals the sum of its parts with the K340, but exceeds that sum with the K501.

(Track 7: "Una noche al borde de la mar")
This female vocal is nigh flawless with the K501. And, although admittedly very smooth and alluringly warm, lacks that ultimate "reach" and involvement with the K340.

As enjoyable as the K340 are, I must say that the K501 continue to win me over to a more satisfying listen.

15 years later. Do you happen to remember which k340 version you had?

 

[pataburd]

15 years later. Do you happen to remember which k340 version you had?

Will have to do some digging. They were modded, I believe.

 

[Davidzak64]

Will have to do some digging. They were modded, I believe.

Thanks for the reply. The green driver model is the bass light. I've been reading through your detailed impressions of them and was just curious which model you were describing. I have the bass light model and should be receiving another pair (model?) on Saturday .

 

[pataburd]

I don't believe my pair had green drivers. They had the screen mod and velvet pads.