[J-Pak]

I'm just polling the K1000 owners that use speaker amps with these headphones- do any of you use the same amp with your speakers? If so how do you go about doing this?

Do you have a selector box for the two, or do you physically unplug the K1000 tail extension and plug in the speakers every time you want to listen? (I can imagine this getting tedious for anything but long sessions).

The reason I ask is I was set on an getting an Austrian K1000 selector box until I remember reading a German hifi site said that it decreases transparency of the entire system.

Thanks in advance, I look forward to hearing your solutions

 

[grandenigma1]

I went the physically unpluging the extension route. Worked just fine with no adverse problems. I left the extension wired to my amp at all times and just pluged in unpluged the K1ks as needed. I would avoid adding anything else to the signal path.

 

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandenigma1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I went the physically unpluging the extension route. Worked just fine with no adverse problems. I left the extension wired to my amp at all times and just pluged in unpluged the K1ks as needed. I would avoid adding anything else to the signal path.

So did you have a 2x XLR to 4 pin XLR adapter for your speaker wires? I don't understand how you could leave the K1000 extension plugged into the amp at all times. Or will a speaker amp allow you to have the speaker cables and K1000 extension plugged in at the same time?

The way I read that is you unplugged the K1000 from its 4 pin XLR end. And left the extension in the amp at all times.

 

[grandenigma1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pak /img/forum/go_quote.gif So did you have a 2x XLR to 4 pin XLR adapter for your speaker wires? I don't understand how you could leave the K1000 extension plugged into the amp at all times. Or will a speaker amp allow you to have the speaker cables and K1000 extension plugged in at the same time? The way I read that is you unplugged the K1000 from its 4 pin XLR end. And left the extension in the amp at all times.

I made a 4pin female to bare wire leads to my amp. For my speaker cables I made them with banana plugs so I could leave both always plugged in.

 

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandenigma1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I made a 4pin female to bare wire leads to my amp. For my speaker cables I made them with banana plugs so I could leave both always plugged in.

That makes sense. Thanks

edit: my Pass Labs amp won't accept banana plugs

 

[Jon L]

Switchboxes will inevitably introduce colorations, to both K1000 and speakers. That's why I used to just suck it up and switch manually, but the problem is you get lazy and tend not to switch, and the one you want to listen to never seems to be hooked up when you want it

This is why I custom-ordered and waited months for my Almarro with 4-pin XLR in front, with switch to select K1000 or speaker binding posts. This *little* extra thing is WON..derful

 

[CanMad]

Yes I use my Musical Fidelity A5CR poweramp for speakers and K1Ks. I have a pigtail and speaker cables with banana plugs, it takes less than a minute to swap them over.

It's a bit of a hassle but it means that I get to use my best set-up for my speakers and headphones(ear speakers).

Townshend 565 universal > EAR 864 preamp (Amperex tubes) > MF A5cr > K1k or Harbeth Super HL5 =

Not sure I really need 255w per channel for the K1Ks tho'

 

[robm321]

I used to switch back and forth. Now I use a separate amp with K1Ks and speakers. It was a pain. Recommend what grandenigma1 does.

 

[CanMad]

How do you stop sound from the speakers being heard when listening to the AKGs if both are plugged in?

 

[foo_me]

I keep the k1000s plugged in all the time since it's bare wire connected to the binding posts. I have banana plugs on the speaker cables and manually connect/disconnect them as needed.

When listening to speakers, why do people disconnect the k1000? Does it affect the sound quality coming from the speakers if the k1000 is connected too?

 

[CanMad]

I see. The A5cr has two sets of speaker terminals per channel, so I guess I could do this, I just thought it might not be a good idea. But I guess it wouldn't make much if any difference to my amp.

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanMad /img/forum/go_quote.gif How do you stop sound from the speakers being heard when listening to the AKGs if both are plugged in?

Quote:

Originally Posted by foo_me /img/forum/go_quote.gif I keep the k1000s plugged in all the time since it's bare wire connected to the binding posts. I have banana plugs on the speaker cables and manually connect/disconnect them as needed. When listening to speakers, why do people disconnect the k1000? Does it affect the sound quality coming from the speakers if the k1000 is connected too?

I have just been switching back and forth with my Moth, but I wish it had the ability to switch like Jon L's Almarro. I wonder if I could add another set of binding posts and a switch without messing up the Moth? Seems like a good idea to consider.

The two quoted questions raise interesting points. Like CanMad, I would have no way to shut off the speakers if both they and the K1K were plugged in simultaneously so listening to the cans would be kinda pointless. And given the foo-me and I both have hard-wired cans, they would be heard when listening to speakers. That would bug me because that little pair of speakers would not sound too sweet in between my speakers.

 

[J-Pak]

Ah good points Voltron. I was thinking about getting a hardwire eventually. I might just get a hardwire to 4 pin XLR then get the tail end.

Although using my Pass Labs amp with single driver speakers was only going to by temporary. Hmm...

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by foo_me /img/forum/go_quote.gif I keep the k1000s plugged in all the time since it's bare wire connected to the binding posts. I have banana plugs on the speaker cables and manually connect/disconnect them as needed. When listening to speakers, why do people disconnect the k1000? Does it affect the sound quality coming from the speakers if the k1000 is connected too?

Whaaat? You have the precious K1000 connected and making sound while listening to speakers? No, no, no.

First, it's akin to putting lots of mileage on your car even though you're not driving it. The 'phones and drivers will age needlessly.

Secondly, depending on the speakers' efficiency and music material, enough SPL's can go through the K1000, especially at certain bass frequencies, that *can* cause damage to K1000 drivers if at enoug SPL's repeatedly.

Thirdly, it is possible that the additional impedance of K1000 *may* change the total impedance your amp sees, resulting in some differences. For example, if you hook up a subwoofer amp to your amp using speaker-line input, this often changes the sound that comes out of your main speakers due to the impedance added by the input impedance of the sub amp.

It's fairly straight-forward to add a 4-pin XLR female jack to any amp with a toggle switch or automatic speaker shut-off, so this would be the way to go if you could DIY or find someone...

Another option is to leave a (good) K1000 pigtail connected to speaker posts at all times, but just disconnect the K1000 at the 4-pin XLR connection when not used. This wouldn't affect the speakers' sound.

 

[foo_me]

ok ok...you've convinced me...will not connect them simultaneously

But it's not like i listen to the speakers alot anyways...just given that my place doesn't allow for it much.

I'll probably get the k1000s reterminated with bananas then...it's too bothersome disconnecting and connecting the k1000 bare wares ...