Costas
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Has anyone tried the HD-600s with the SAC amp (designed originally for the K1000). If so, what is the verdict?
HD-600 and SAC Combo
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squirt
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The SAC amp is a dedicated amp for the AKG K1000 headphone which has unique amp requirements so you can't use the HD600 or any other "typical" headphone with it.
Costas
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Supposedly the SAC is compatible with all dynamic headphones. Check out Jan Meier's website for further information.
http://home.t-online.de/home/meier-audio/
http://home.t-online.de/home/meier-audio/
Jan Meier
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Costas,
The SAC K1000 amplifier was explicitly made to be used in combination with the K1000 headphone. It can not be used with a normal headphone. An adapter to connect a regular headphone jack to the 4-pins XLR connector will not do (short-circuiting of two outputs)
Sorry,
Jan
The SAC K1000 amplifier was explicitly made to be used in combination with the K1000 headphone. It can not be used with a normal headphone. An adapter to connect a regular headphone jack to the 4-pins XLR connector will not do (short-circuiting of two outputs)
Sorry,
Jan
eeyssjr
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Well, surely you could use a simliar thing to the blockhead. 2 jacks for each ear of the headphones, wired correctly to an XLR for the SAC.
Although the SAC was designed for the K1000, it's still just a SS amp amp heart. So it should drive any headphones ok, just with bags of power headroom. Might aswell plug your headphones into an amp designed for speakers really, say a 7Watt valve amp or whatever, and then you start opening up a whole new world of amp/headphone combinations. If this is the case, why are people simply interested in the SAC. Try all the other low/medium power amplifiers out there designed for speakers, with your headphones. Just dontturn the old pre-amp to high!
In fact passive pre-amps are ideal. ones with a stepped/fixed resitor pattern. You can make these to your own tailor made steps, with the maximum output only ever, say, 25% of the input,. That way even if you turn it right up, the output after the power amp is still not enough to blow ure headphones. With the pre-amp as it is, the danger is that you knock the volume a little and this is enough to blow ure headphones through a 10Watt power amp. You know what i mean? Making a passive + stepped attenuator is a very pure way of controlling volume. They sound incredubly fresh and open, unlike a carbon tracked type. Tailor it to your volume requirements, and start using all those power amps out there. Of course they are usually designed for 8ohms, but with the extra power headroom avaiable i should think they can cope easily 32Ohms like gardo and sony's. Of course, its an experimental thing.
Anything can be done...
Although the SAC was designed for the K1000, it's still just a SS amp amp heart. So it should drive any headphones ok, just with bags of power headroom. Might aswell plug your headphones into an amp designed for speakers really, say a 7Watt valve amp or whatever, and then you start opening up a whole new world of amp/headphone combinations. If this is the case, why are people simply interested in the SAC. Try all the other low/medium power amplifiers out there designed for speakers, with your headphones. Just dontturn the old pre-amp to high!
In fact passive pre-amps are ideal. ones with a stepped/fixed resitor pattern. You can make these to your own tailor made steps, with the maximum output only ever, say, 25% of the input,. That way even if you turn it right up, the output after the power amp is still not enough to blow ure headphones. With the pre-amp as it is, the danger is that you knock the volume a little and this is enough to blow ure headphones through a 10Watt power amp. You know what i mean? Making a passive + stepped attenuator is a very pure way of controlling volume. They sound incredubly fresh and open, unlike a carbon tracked type. Tailor it to your volume requirements, and start using all those power amps out there. Of course they are usually designed for 8ohms, but with the extra power headroom avaiable i should think they can cope easily 32Ohms like gardo and sony's. Of course, its an experimental thing.
Anything can be done...
Sugano-san
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Quote:
I have, and it sounds excellent. Also with the HD-650s. It is possible to replace one (or two) of the female 4-pin XLRs with a 1/4" jack, which will allow you to connect "normal" headphones to that amp. It is even better to use a headphone cable that is terminated with a male 4-pin XLR. I used to have such a cable (custom made by StefanAudioArt) for my Sennheisers. I sold it to another head-fier together with the amp. Lucky him.
| Originally Posted by Costas Has anyone tried the HD-600s with the SAC amp (designed originally for the K1000). If so, what is the verdict? |
I have, and it sounds excellent. Also with the HD-650s. It is possible to replace one (or two) of the female 4-pin XLRs with a 1/4" jack, which will allow you to connect "normal" headphones to that amp. It is even better to use a headphone cable that is terminated with a male 4-pin XLR. I used to have such a cable (custom made by StefanAudioArt) for my Sennheisers. I sold it to another head-fier together with the amp. Lucky him.
kwkarth
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Quote:
The SAC K1k amp is easily converted for use with conventional headphones. I have been using mine in this fashion for years. You simply need to make sure you have it phased properly. It particularly shines when used to drive the AKG-K501, providing punch and foundation like no other amp I've used.
| Originally Posted by Jan Meier Costas, The SAC K1000 amplifier was explicitly made to be used in combination with the K1000 headphone. It can not be used with a normal headphone. An adapter to connect a regular headphone jack to the 4-pins XLR connector will not do (short-circuiting of two outputs) Sorry, Jan |
The SAC K1k amp is easily converted for use with conventional headphones. I have been using mine in this fashion for years. You simply need to make sure you have it phased properly. It particularly shines when used to drive the AKG-K501, providing punch and foundation like no other amp I've used.
Sugano-san
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How would you rate its performance with the 501 against that with the 1000?
| Originally Posted by kwkarth It particularly shines when used to drive the AKG-K501, providing punch and foundation like no other amp I've used. |
How would you rate its performance with the 501 against that with the 1000?
kwkarth
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Frankly, I feel the K-1000 is a great "fun" and "novelty" headphone, and I'm sure it was an absolute sonic revelation in its day.
The K1k does some things very well, particularly imaging & soundstage. Male vocals, pianos, & acoustic guitars, small jazz ensembles are great on the k1k.
In terms of pure sonics, overall, I actually prefer the K-501.
When comparing the 501 and the K1k directly, my K-1k sounds slightly peaked in the 6kHz region compared to the k501, yet not as extended. The bass of the k1k down to about 40-50Hz is wonderful, very tight, well defined, very "on-pace." The k501 bass goes about half an octave lower, has that little bit of bloom, but is also very well controlled and on pace compared to my Senn HD-600/Cardas, which has slightly wooly bass by comparison.
The K501 sounds great from top to bottom, more extended at both ends of the spectrum than the K1k, but with a very slight mid-bass bloom compared to the K1k. If I HAD to get rid of one or the other, I would keep the K-501.
| Originally Posted by Sugano-san How would you rate its performance with the 501 against that with the 1000? |
Frankly, I feel the K-1000 is a great "fun" and "novelty" headphone, and I'm sure it was an absolute sonic revelation in its day.
The K1k does some things very well, particularly imaging & soundstage. Male vocals, pianos, & acoustic guitars, small jazz ensembles are great on the k1k.
In terms of pure sonics, overall, I actually prefer the K-501.
When comparing the 501 and the K1k directly, my K-1k sounds slightly peaked in the 6kHz region compared to the k501, yet not as extended. The bass of the k1k down to about 40-50Hz is wonderful, very tight, well defined, very "on-pace." The k501 bass goes about half an octave lower, has that little bit of bloom, but is also very well controlled and on pace compared to my Senn HD-600/Cardas, which has slightly wooly bass by comparison.
The K501 sounds great from top to bottom, more extended at both ends of the spectrum than the K1k, but with a very slight mid-bass bloom compared to the K1k. If I HAD to get rid of one or the other, I would keep the K-501.
After comparing the SAC K-1000 amp and the Prehead using the Sennheiser HD600 headphones (connected to the Prehead via a Cardas cable and to the SAC via a Stefan Audioart Equinox cable), I was surprised to realise that, to my ears, the SAC seemed to sound even better than the Prehead. I underline the word "even", because the Prehead sounds fantastic with the HD600 - as it does with most of the headphones I tried on it. But the SAC is a true revelation to me.
Jan Meier
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Hi Greenhorn,
I guess you should try the Prehead MkII !!
Jan
I guess you should try the Prehead MkII !!
Jan
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