[regal]

FWIW I had a pair of K501's and hated them, They just threw the center of the soundstage a 100 yards down the hall. The AKG Sextetts are my favorite phones though, funny hing is Fitz likes both. So I guess what I am saying is you won't know the answer to your question till you audition.

On the other hand if you are unhappy with your 501's now, don't be deluded into thinking a cable will change that.

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by regal /img/forum/go_quote.gif FWIW I had a pair of K501's and hated them, They just threw the center of the soundstage a 100 yards down the hall. The AKG Sextetts are my favorite phones though, funny hing is Fitz likes both. So I guess what I am saying is you won't know the answer to your question till you audition. On the other hand if you are unhappy with your 501's now, don't be deluded into thinking a cable will change that.

When the dust settles from this thread, I'll probably take the plunge and audition the K340, if for no other reason than to say "I did".

As to your closing comment, see my previous posts on this thread: I definitely like the K501 in their stock configuration better--by an appreciable margin, in fact--than the K701. So an investment in a good recable seems like a logical next step for the K501 in that respect.

No delusions--at least none I'm conscious of--here. But that's the caveat with delusion: we're most convinced that we are not deluded when in fact we most are. : ] (<--wry, cautious smile)

This is my third pair of K501: the first was probably ill-matched with my headphone amp at the time; the second was the APS V2 recabled version (which piqued my interest in the worthwhileness of an APS V3 or RAL recable).

However, I am content with the RAL recabled K701 for the time being. STAX are still looking like a nice experiment right now! : )

 

[philodox]

Ummm, I think you know what my advice is.

 

[pataburd]

Thank you, philodox, fitz, riceboy et al.

I've just e-mailed jesselussier and commited to his pair of ("mostly stock") K340. It turns out that both Jesse and I have big heads! (I already kind-a knew that about myself, but now I have empirical evidence to substantiate what's been rumored all these years.)

: )

Thanks again, folks. God willing, I'll revisit this forum with a stock showdown between the K340 and the K501 (admitting a pre-showdown bias for the latter).

 

[philodox]

Great! I hope the pair is in good shape and has the sound you're looking for. I generally prefer the 'basslight' [a misnomer if your amp is up to the task], but there are many people that prefer the 'bassheavy' version.

 

[Ricey20]

Well for those that were wondering, I just got my K400s. I have to say I like these 2x better than the K501s. They sound more balanced and the midrange is awesome. They almost sound like a airy/crystal clear mix of K340 and K240s. It would be a toss up, I love my K340s and I instantly fell in love with these K400s. There isnt as much bass like my K240s but they have a really nice balanced sound

 

[jellojoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricey20 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well for those that were wondering, I just got my K400s. I have to say I like these 2x better than the K501s. They sound more balanced and the midrange is awesome. They almost sound like a airy/crystal clear mix of K340 and K240s. It would be a toss up, I love my K340s and I instantly fell in love with these K400s. There isnt as much bass like my K240s but they have a really nice balanced sound

I like the K400 so much that I actually bought 3 of them.

 

[pataburd]

One could more compellingly say that "I like the Kxxx so much that I absolutely refused to buy even a single pair of them!"
: )

 

[pataburd]

Hey, persevering thread-hounds!

Jesse Lussier's K340 arrived this morning. Short review: "I like 'em!" They're getting along famously with the Bada PH-12 (this is furthest I've ever had to crank the volume knob, BTW--14:00 hours). : )

But more later, God willing . . .