[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally posted by RVD I am also interested in this amp, but can't seem to find anybody that sells them. Does anybody know where to purchase them?

ASL 1005

Try above!!!

 

[RVD]

Thanks for the link ServinginEcuador, but Headroom is no longer selling the ASL.

 

[88Sound]

I just had to throw my 2 cents in on this one.

To my ear the RKV has an absolutely silent backround when used with the K1000 without the impedancer, if you're going to use any other phone you need the impedancer for the RKV to sound it's best.

The Grace 901 is an outstanding solid state amp but is at it's upper power reach driving the K1000, about 3/4 of full out. With the RKV you not only get more headroom but the slightly rolled off top and a tad overemphasized bass (hey, didn't kelly say that!

) work very nicely with the K1000's.

As far as tube rolling goes the RKV sounds very similar if not identical to me with the four brands I've tried so far (Polamps, Mullards, Telefunken, & RCA). Also the tubes for the RKV are inexpensive (around $6 a piece) compared to exotic NOS tubes for other amps.

 

[Old Pa]

My smurfed HD600s also enjoy a silent background on the RKV. If you are concerned about tuberolling, I think the RKV has the clincher; none needed! It uses an inexpensive and readily available tube and has solid state feedback circuitry which monitors the tube slew current and conditions keeping all four matched throughout their lives. I stocked up with twelve NOS tubes for $50! You'll just have to find something else to worry about!

 

[RVD]

Here is my revised list:

Below budget:

RKV

I contacted Jan Meier and he recommended the RKV over the Prehead for the K1000. I am heavily leaning toward the RKV, because the K1000/RKV combo costs less then both of the amps listed below.

Around my budget:

PS Audio HCA-2
Tube City 300BC

I took of the Grace, because it will probably sound close to the Melos with the K1000. The Melos is at about 3/4 volume with the K1000's, too. The Melos actually sounds excellent with the K1000, but I imagine an amp more suitable for the K1000 would sound better.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally posted by RVD Thanks for the link ServinginEcuador, but Headroom is no longer selling the ASL.

Sorry'bout that Matt!! I wonder if they should update their web site to reflect changes to their stuff they no longer sell!!!

 

[darkclouds]

For the ASL AQ1005DTI, you can try to pm Joe Lau or go here:

http://www.divertech.com/antiquesl.html

and contact Tash.

 

[RVD]

Thanks for the info darkclouds I just sent him a pm.

I know Headroom likes the ASL a lot has anybody ever compared the 1005 to the RKV with the K1000?

 

[Orpheus]

i think mikeg had a thread comparing the 1005 and the Wave 8's... and he concluded he could hear no difference.

personally, i think 8wpc @ 8 ohms is too low (the 1005 and wave 8's are both 8wpc.) i think it would drive the headphones to a moderately loud volume, good enough for everyday listening, but not enough for the k1000's 1watt max power rating.

my Tube City outputs 15wpc, and sometimes i still turn the dial past the 1:00 position. of course, it depends on the line level that it's running off of, but i still believe that 15wpc is perfect. 8wpc is barely adequate... and you won't have much spare headroom.

but if you never listen to loud music... the ASL 1005 is hard to beat. it's moderately priced (compared to other 300b amps), and it has a large following.

the RKV on the other hand has plenty of power for your phones... though i heard that pure headphone amps are inappropriate for the K1000's since their output impedance is too high. supposedly the k1000's were designed for power amps, which have much lower output impedances. there are responses and articles discussing this problem on this site written by Mr. Millet (founder of wheatfield amps.) there is also a respnse written by the headroom president saying that even though some of their amps have enough power to drive the k1000's, he believes they are inadequate, also probably due to this impedance problem (hence recommending the ASL 1005 rather than their own products.) sorry, i don't have the links... you'll have to search. but all were recent... within the last month or two.

hope this helps.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Orpheus the RKV on the other hand has plenty of power for your phones... though i heard that pure headphone amps are inappropriate for the K1000's since their output impedance is too high. supposedly the k1000's were designed for power amps, which have much lower output impedances.

Hence, Impedancer.

 

[RVD]

Thanks for the info Orpheus. I have decided to knock the ASL and the Tube City 300BC off the list. The Tube City is a little more then I want to spend right now. Now it is between the PS Audio HCA-2 and the RKV. I am thinking the PS Audio amp will be better then the RKV beings it is a power amp. Something that just dawned on me is that I would need a preamp with the HCA-2, right? If that is true it would put me over budget with the HCA-2 and a good preamp.

Something that is really surprising me is how good the Melos/K1000 combo is sounding. It really sounds amazing. Has anybody tried the K1000 with the Melos?

 

[darkclouds]

Orpheus,

FYI, the 1005 can play quite loud, too loud for normal listening actually. Hence 8 wpc with the 1005 is more than adequate for just about any kind of listening.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally posted by Orpheus the RKV on the other hand has plenty of power for your phones... though i heard that pure headphone amps are inappropriate for the K1000's since their output impedance is too high. supposedly the k1000's were designed for power amps, which have much lower output impedances. kelly: Hence, Impedancer.

Actually, the RKV is set-up to run high impedance stuff, so the impedancer is only for running the RKV with low impedance cans!! Since the K1000s have a resistance of 120 ohms, I think it would be better to run the RKV directly into the K1000s.

 

[Orpheus]

servingecuador, "Actually, the RKV is set-up to run high impedance stuff, so the impedancer is only for running the RKV with low impedance cans!! Since the K1000s have a resistance of 120 ohms, I think it would be better to run the RKV directly into the K1000s."

this is only half true. the k1000's are not normal headphones. yes, their impedance is 120ohms, but they were designed to be powered by low impedance power amps.... you can read Millet's posts for specifics.

.......hmm, perhaps i'm getting deaf?...heh he..i dunno, but it is my experience that 15wpc is optimum. i haven't tried the other 8ohm amps yet. i know power output isn't always perfectly linear in comparison with impedance.... so it's possible that those 8wpc amps actually output more than expected at 120ohms. but one thing for sure--my amp works perfectly well with the k1000's. i have no complaints.

oh, RVD, so you know... both the ASL and the Tube City can be had at used prices for just a couple hundred more than the RKV new OR USED. so, i say, don't limit your choices too much... i know someone here got the ASL for $800 used, and I personally got my Tube City for significantly more than that, but not an unaffordably large difference. and those 300b tubes sure are beautiful with the lights turned off... especially those Sophia mesh plates....

 

[RVD]

I got to thinking about what you guys were saying about output impedance of amps and the K1000. Now I don't know much at all about the technical side of audio, but the K1000 seems to mate well with low impedance output amps from what you guys were saying. The Grace 901 goes great with the K1000 from what everybody says and has an output impedance of one. I really love the sound of the K1000/Melos so much that I am wondering if I need another amp for the K1000. I checked the specs of the Melos and the output impedance of it is .5. So does this mean that the Melos could really be a good amp for the K1000?