[Warbeast]

Hi there!
I'm new to this forum.
 
I just inherited an AKG K340 in an unopened box. Just opened it first time, and it's a very beutiful vintage headphone I think.
I plugged it in my Yamaha Amp, and the sound was very poor and crappy, like very old and small pc speakers or similar.
What should I do?
Thanks for your help.
Looking forward to get myself into hi-fi headphones, so if somebody have some experience with theese headphones, I will appreciate it.
Cheers!
 

 

[Warbeast]

 

[DjAmTraX]

You should sell it to me for cheap.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Sounds like there might be something wrong with them.  I'd recommend you plug them into your amp and let them run for a few hours at normal volume and see if they come to life.  If they sound like small PC speakers, that suggests maybe there's a connection problem and a driver isn't working.  I have a hard time thinking someone new to HIFI would think they sound downright crappy, but it's hard to say without knowing more about your history with audio and your tastes.  Do you own any other headphones? 
 
Describe their sound more, describe the bass, midrange and treble if you can.  You can refer to the Glossary of terms if that helps give you some ideas.  http://www.head-fi.org/wiki/describing-sound-a-glossary

 

[jackwess]

Try from another source...if still unsatisfied, sell them. 

 

[Warbeast]

Holy xxxx!
I left theese headphones up on my amp for about 4 hours, put them back on, and they sound just screwng awesome!!!
It seems that they needed some time to burn-in, and now they are fantastic.
I was planning to sell them, but now I'm in a big trouble, and thinking to keep it. I will listen to them for few hours and if they are comfy for my left ear (all headphones caused hurt for my left ear after 2 hours of listening), than they stay.
 
There is a bloke who will come to my place with some other headphones (AKG K240, AKG K340 "low bass", and a limited Sennheiser HD680) for some listening tests tomorrow. I will post my experience with those, and make the verdict.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Give it more time than just a day if possible.  You can always sell them.  But finding another pair in that condition will not be easy.

 

[Libertad]

I agree its very hard to find them let alone in as good condition you've acquired your in. That said they are very well regarded phones and if you let them you go you may find yourself regretting that decision, I'd hold on to them for a few.
 
Quote:

Give it more time than just a day if possible.  You can always sell them.  But finding another pair in that condition will not be easy.

 

 

[dyl1dyl]

You are one very lucky guy

 

[Warbeast]

Hi guys. Thanks for the comments.
The man just left from my place.
We made a big listening contest over our headphones.
He brougth all the headphones I mentioned before (HD680, K240, K340 balanced)
He got a headphone amp, sadly I forgotten the brand, but I'm pretty sure it was some professional equipment.
 
So, my expreiences are:
 
The K340 that the guy brought was almost the same for me like my K340, but we spotted and agreed on those very tiny differences, after an hour of testing. My K340 had little more better highs, and its sounded just a tiny better in any point than the guys K340, but the style and everything else was the same. We don't know why, because we are sure that the 2 headphones are identical type. 2nd.
The HD680 is very comfy and light, but it's "too much" for me. I felt that it is too sharp, too much high, and some kind of uncontrolled bass I heard, but I'm sure it is just not the headphone for my ears, because it is much more pro than the K340, but I think it was the 3rd.
The K240 was too small, and it reproduced almost the same style of sound that the K340, but it's smaller, and there is much less room for the sound in it, and it's uncomfy for me. The low frequencies are a bit buffy I think, I don't like it, it's like it's trying too much to sound good, but the tech parameters don't let it to shine. 4th.
 
If I can put the sound of the K340 into the HD680s comfy case, I never put them down.
 
Sadly, after a long listening for the headphones, my left ear started hurting. The K340 is just touching my left outer ear (it needs to get the driver forther from my ear about 3mm or so, than it will be perfect, but I don't want to mess with its originality), and I have to put them down after about 2 hours of listening. I will soon decide what will I do with it.

 

[dazedbus]

Warbeast, I suggest that you look at the mod thread from KT88 http://www.head-fi.org/t/214619/k340-kt88-mod-guide.  You can get new earpads for the K340 and removing the plastic grill will allow your ears not to touch the plastic grill (it can possibly touch the electret though but you can put a mesh on it that I haven't done in the below picture).  I feel that the K340 has a really different sound signature than the K240.  I'm not sure what version that you have next to you, but I have a balanced K240M sitting next to my K340, and I feel that the low-end is much less present with more punch and better control and decay giving the overall k340 a warmer sound; however, the K340s benefit very much from a good source and amplification while I feel the K240Ms do not benefit as much from it.  If in the end you still don't like the sound, I wouldn't mind picking up a pair to mod and gift to other people .