[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll know tomorrow how the K1000 sound off the new Eddie Current ZDT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by analogbox /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any news?

The K1000 sound fantastic off the Eddie Current ZDT - the best I have heard them sound to date. I was all ready to sell the K1000 if this amp didn't improve their sound to what I expected (and bring the K1000 closer to the level of my HD800), but it did it in spades.

The missing sparkle in the K1000 that I loved with Naamanf's B22 has now appeared, the vocals are more vivid and rich, macro and micro detail is noticeably improved, soundstage is more solid, and bass is as strong as before but now much better controlled. Plus they play as loud as I would like via the 4-pin XLR jack, when fed via RCA out of my PS Audio Digital Link III. So there is no advantage to using the stock K1000 speaker-terminal pigtail with them, and instead I can use ZDT speaker out for my Stax transformers (will try later this weekend).

None of my small 5-12 watt speaker amps can drive the K1000 as well as the ZDT (Travagans Red, Nuforce Icon, and Qinpu A-3), nor can my Single Power Square Wave XL balanced amp. The Sq Wave can play them loudly, but it cannot extract the same great sound from the K1000 like the ZDT, while Sq Wave XL is very nice with other normal headphones (like balanced HD600/800 or balanced/modded D2000).

My single ended HF-2, and balanced HD600/HD800 also sound quite good with the ZDT as well. The plan was to have the WA6 and GES in the living room rig for stats and dynamics, and the ZDT with Stax Pro transformer in the bedroom rig for stats and dynamics and K1000. But, the ZDT puts off so much heat that it may only be in the bedroom rig during the winter

 

[analogbox]

Thanks for your impression, Larry. The ZDT looks great. Hopefully, I'll get to hear it one day.

 

[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analogbox /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for your impression, Larry. The ZDT looks great. Hopefully, I'll get to hear it one day.

Yeah, me too...

Hey Larry, you free in two weeks?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, me too... Hey Larry, you free in two weeks?

Yah.

 

[GuyDebord]

#04158 Checking in!

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K1000 sound fantastic off the Eddie Current ZDT - the best I have heard them sound to date. I was all ready to sell the K1000 if this amp didn't improve their sound to what I expected (and bring the K1000 closer to the level of my HD800), but it did it in spades. The missing sparkle in the K1000 that I loved with Naamanf's B22 has now appeared, the vocals are more vivid and rich, macro and micro detail is noticeably improved, soundstage is more solid, and bass is as strong as before but now much better controlled. Plus they play as loud as I would like via the 4-pin XLR jack, when fed via RCA out of my PS Audio Digital Link III. So there is no advantage to using the stock K1000 speaker-terminal pigtail with them, and instead I can use ZDT speaker out for my Stax transformers (will try later this weekend). None of my small 5-12 watt speaker amps can drive the K1000 as well as the ZDT (Travagans Red, Nuforce Icon, and Qinpu A-3), nor can my Single Power Square Wave XL balanced amp. The Sq Wave can play them loudly, but it cannot extract the same great sound from the K1000 like the ZDT, while Sq Wave XL is very nice with other normal headphones (like balanced HD600/800 or balanced/modded D2000). My single ended HF-2, and balanced HD600/HD800 also sound quite good with the ZDT as well. The plan was to have the WA6 and GES in the living room rig for stats and dynamics, and the ZDT with Stax Pro transformer in the bedroom rig for stats and dynamics and K1000. But, the ZDT puts off so much heat that it may only be in the bedroom rig during the winter

I keep telling people that the K-1000 really needs the right amp. Otherwise it just sounds like a really good headphone. And really good doesn't cut it around here with all of the competition. The K-1000 scales incredibly well. Foo_me's amp made the K-1000s sound better than anything I've ever heard out of a headphone, but $14K is a bit out of my budget for an amp

People just won't listen though... being earspeakers they really are in a different category. Just as speakers can't really be compared apples to apples with headphones, the K-1000s can't either no matter how much I've tried. They are just different.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyDebord /img/forum/go_quote.gif #04158 Checking in!

Congratulations!

First time you hear one, or have you heard one before? In either case, any impressions?

 

[Blackmore]

Congrats! I have seen them, almost bought, ha-ha, hope you like them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyDebord /img/forum/go_quote.gif #04158 Checking in!

 

[GuyDebord]

A disclaimer before my mini review: I have been a music lover since I have memory, and for the last 18 years, this hobby has been helping me enjoy reproduced music more than I ever thought I would, step by step I have managed to assemble a very satisfying hifi system, however it is until the last 3 years that due to my operating environment I felt "forced" to seriously enter the world of headphones. I still prefer my hifi setup by a large margin, but I have learned to appreciate the joys of listening with headphones, or in this case, ear-speakers!

Related Equipment (attached photo):
SPEAKERS: Kharma CRM 3.2FE -> v/d Hul Inspiration
PRE: Lyngdorf DPA-1 -> Kharma Grand Reference XLR's -> AMP: Halcro MC20
ANALOGUE: Clearaudio Ambient CMB, Satisfy Carbon & Lyra Helikon SL, ASR Basis Exclusive phono pre -> Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II XLR’s
DIGITAL: Slim Devices Transporter -> Siltech Golden Ridge AES/EBU
AC: PS Audio Power Plant Premier, PS Audio Statement(PPP), ASR Magic Cord(ASR), Siltech SPX30 MKII's for the Lyngdorf, Halcro & Transporter

THE SMALL IMPRESSION

As I write Im listening to Arve Henriksen's album "Chiaroscuro" via my home hifi and into a recently acquired pair of AKG K1000's!!! for those of you who dont know the artist, here is a link:

Arve Henriksen – Discover music, concerts, & pictures at Last.fm

This record is one of my favorites for evaluating equipment, the way it layers and textures the analogue and digital notes holographically is always a challenge for testing resolution, dynamic range, midrange liquidity, speed, bass definition, soundstage and the sense of air in the high's.

As I already mentioned in the disclaimer, I love listening through my speakers, every time I grabbed any one of my headphones, Im always reminded about my speakers, I miss that soundstage, the natural presentation of music as if it was coming from musicians in a frontal space and not from my head. Sure, headphones are intimate, present more direct detail and erase your spatial background, they interiorize music rather than opening it into a surrounding space, all this are great specific attributes but for me, not great enough to make me forget about my speakers. This perception was completely turned around by the K1000’s.

The K1000’s have me in awe, Im confused! Permit me to explain my first experience. I was invited to audition them for the first time, by the now unlucky previous owner. He had a quad amplifier a Bel Canto dac and what seemed to be a pair of discontinued large Von Schweikert speakers playing Keith Jarrett, he unboxed the K1000’s and placed them in my head as he explained how to use them, suddenly I hear a small switch, and he said, do you like them? I swear I though I was still listening via his Von Schweikert’s, I was speechless!!! I immediately paid his asking price and brought them home...

The most serious headphone equipment I have is in my office, but this time, all this equipment was rendered useless in the face of the K1000’s. At the moment, the only amp powerful enough to drive them is my main hifi amp, a 400w Halcro MC20! After I disconnected the Kharma’s and plugged the K1000’s, I proceded to lower the volume of my preamp (Lyngdorf DPA-1), as I was afraid of those 400w of power. Then, the music playing began....

I must say that even though Im very impressed by the K1000’s, they are no match to my Kharma’s, there is nothing that the K1000 does that comes close to them, however, they made me travel into the past, I was suddenly reminded of a pair of monitors I used to have 8 years ago, the legendary Reference 3A Royal Master MKII’s. There was something about the K1000’s dark sound signature that reminded me of them, specially when I had them playing close to the back wall of the listening room, which made them lose their usual defined soundstage. The definition of the +50hz frequencies was amazing, darkly neutral and transparent, however, it is the way it renders bass that has made me think if im keeping them or not. The bass lacks of any authority, its laid back and week as if the drivers couldn't handle the lows, the amazing speed presented in the mids, mid highs and highs is lost once it starts playing sub 50hz notes. Take the fantastic record made by Alva.Noto (Carsten Nicolai) and Ryuichi Sakamoto, titled “Insen”, in this record grand piano notes are combined with minimal electronics that layer the acoustic notes into a liquid assemblage of precise and rhythmic impacts of sound that hunt your brain. In my opinion, this is one of those records that put speed and bass of any driver to suffer, only the very best can handle it and Im sorry to say that the K1000 was a poor performer. I guess one cant have it all!

http://www.last.fm/music/Alva%2BNoto...chi%2BSakamoto

I wish the K1000’s or any headphone would image like speakers, but the K1000’s are the closest we could strive for at the moment. For those of us that prefer a good pair of speakers, the K1000 are the substitute par excellence. They might not image like speakers, but they present a more realistic soundstage and most importantly, they engage with music the space around you, something that no other headphone can do. Would I keep this pair, I might. Since I will be listening to them in my office, I need to get myself a new amp for them, I have been looking at a Jadis, a Conrad Johnson or a Manley, Im curious to hear how they perform with tubes, what lies ahead is some interesting months of auditioning for the prefect match! Im expecting in two weeks the HD800’s I ordered, Im curious, but I doubt they will match the K1000 in their unique attribute of disappearing in space. Thanks for reading, this never stops......

 

[DannyB]

"Im curious to hear how they perform with tubes"

The K1Ks are scary great with tube amps. I have used them with
SET 2A3 (Wright) and 300B (home brew) monobloc amps (I have also used several excellent solid state amps-Red Wine, BAT VK75SE, etc). The solid state amps were very good but the SETs, in my experience, really brought the magic out of them. They just love all that current. Magical, just magical. I would hope no one would make a final assessment of these cans without hearing them on a nice SET amp.

 

[Donald North]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DannyB /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would hope no one would make a final assessment of these cans without hearing them on a nice SET amp.

I couldn't agree more

 

[Pyriel0]

GuyDebord you honestly have to listen to them on better amps(for the k1000) before making the final call. I listen to a lot of fast music (Liquid Tension/Trivium/Killswitch/Lamb of God) and I can tell you for a fact the bass drum hits with authority in my setup. Even in songs by Black Dahlia Murder that have blazing fast double bass, they don't blur together and each one has oomph behind it.

I haven't run test tones to see how low the bass goes with this amp so no idea about that. I know it does bass well for any music I listen to though (metal/rock mostly).

Edit: Just did test tones on this site http://www.realmofexcursion.com/downloads.htm 40hz seems to do pretty well but is a little weaker than 50. 35 is noticeably rolled off and 30 is very weak but I can still hear it.

 

[krmathis]

GuyDebord. Excellent write-up indeed.

Covering the pros and cons of the K1000, compared to other headphones and your speaker rig. They do not image like high-end speaker rigs, but then again no headphone does. As you pointed out.

All in all it sounds like you really enjoy them though, as headphones.

 

[GuyDebord]

Im adding the Leben CS300-SX, Manley Stingray and a Jadis Orchestra to the list of equipment to audition, this monday the search begins!!!!

Please, suggestions are welcome, however, since I want to listen to them, they must be brands that distributors carry, no diy's or home-made esoterics please...

 

[HiFlight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyDebord /img/forum/go_quote.gif Im adding the Leben CS300-SX, Manley Stingray and a Jadis Orchestra to the list of equipment to audition, this monday the search begins!!!! Please, suggestions are welcome, however, since I want to listen to them, they must be brands that distributors carry, no diy's or home-made esoterics please...

If you are able to locate one in your area, you might audition the German SAC K1000 Class A amplifier that was built especially for the K1000. They are not readily found, however, as it is no longer in production.