arteom
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2006
- Posts
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- 149
I started working at this stereo shop in Denver, and in the back I saw two pairs of these hanging. I took a pair to listen, the elastics were gone, the headband in not too good shape, but whatever. Got it home, one driver worked, other dead. So I went back for the other pair next day, headband in good shape, though the two guides that are above the headband were bent, elastics gone, again one driver working one dead. Disappointed I put them aside, telling myself I would do a transplant soon. So a bit more than a month passed, I finally got some of those elastic bands for hair, and got to work on frankensteining a pair. From two broken headphones came one working pair! My major worry was the drivers being used for a different amounts of time also being different drivers altogether. But these were side by side at the shop, and probably not used for a long time. I got lucky in that the drivers were the same white-gray drivers, and they sound the same if not very similar.
When I got them going out of my little CTH my jaw just about dropped. I expected these to have a sort of vintage sound, muffled, no detail. They are perhaps slightly compressed, definitely don't have the open sound of the K501's. They aren't overly extended in the top end. What surprised me is the detail retrieval, maybe its the tube I'm using (a Mullard 12AU7), but I do not feel as If I'm missing any bit of the music. The midrange is something to be heard, and these kick like no other AKG's that I've heard before!
Listening to a good recording of Vivaldi's Four Season I could hear pages being turned, feet shuffled. Imaging is superb on these phones. You can tell just where each instrument is, separation is very good and not artificially enhanced. The demanded your attention.
For female vocals I listened to Zulal - Notes to a Crane. The vocalists came through clear, and the energy in their voices were conveyed in a way I hadn't heard before.
Listening to David Holmes - Gone, off K&D Sessions. These things do go low, they don't leave you wanting more bass like the k501, but I wouldn't really use the k501 for bass heavy music. I also listened to some other electronic music, synths sound great. Analog synths sound.. analog
I can't believe I have been in this hobby this long and never heard these. for their going rate of ~$100 stock they are THE headphone to get. They just sound natural, and still maintain a touch of that elegance that is characteristic of AKG headphones. Keep in mind you are going to want to plug them into something decent. Out of an MP3 player they sound like complete crap, this CTH is doing a pretty good job though. Your headphone journey will not be complete until you hear a pair of these, trust me.
When I got them going out of my little CTH my jaw just about dropped. I expected these to have a sort of vintage sound, muffled, no detail. They are perhaps slightly compressed, definitely don't have the open sound of the K501's. They aren't overly extended in the top end. What surprised me is the detail retrieval, maybe its the tube I'm using (a Mullard 12AU7), but I do not feel as If I'm missing any bit of the music. The midrange is something to be heard, and these kick like no other AKG's that I've heard before!
Listening to a good recording of Vivaldi's Four Season I could hear pages being turned, feet shuffled. Imaging is superb on these phones. You can tell just where each instrument is, separation is very good and not artificially enhanced. The demanded your attention.
For female vocals I listened to Zulal - Notes to a Crane. The vocalists came through clear, and the energy in their voices were conveyed in a way I hadn't heard before.
Listening to David Holmes - Gone, off K&D Sessions. These things do go low, they don't leave you wanting more bass like the k501, but I wouldn't really use the k501 for bass heavy music. I also listened to some other electronic music, synths sound great. Analog synths sound.. analog
I can't believe I have been in this hobby this long and never heard these. for their going rate of ~$100 stock they are THE headphone to get. They just sound natural, and still maintain a touch of that elegance that is characteristic of AKG headphones. Keep in mind you are going to want to plug them into something decent. Out of an MP3 player they sound like complete crap, this CTH is doing a pretty good job though. Your headphone journey will not be complete until you hear a pair of these, trust me.
