[omigawsh_lollercoaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some more info about the SAC K1000 amplifier here: AKG K 1000: Amps , Die Homepage der Firma SAC, Special Audio Components. Price = 649€

Love the all over heat sink look.

 

[progo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekbmn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Weird...not really...angled all the way open ,the drivers are simply firing past the ears with no natural crossfeed. I would be suprised if anyone listened to them this way for any amount of time.

What? I've always used my K1000s wide open. It simply sounds best and most natural. I do not experience the two-blob field when I use listen to them. When I keep the drivers close, I feel the sound is compressed, lacking blackness.

 

[progo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's a class-A amp and I don't have a lot of information about it. It is quite powerful, and I suspect I could even damage the K1000 if I turned it up all the way for a while. It has a bit better bass control and definition than my EC ZDT amp, and while the treble was better when I had a GE 5751 tube in the ZDT, now that I have a Sylvania gold pin 5751 in the ZDT the treble is pretty close now (but maybe too bright for the HD800 now). It has balanced inputs, and universal 110-240v power supply with european plugs that needed an adapter to US plug. It actually stays warmed up all the time, and the power switch only turns on the headphone jack. It's a little bright with my re-cabled balanced HD800, but very nice with my balanced HD600. I have not tried it with my Grados or Denon yet, and also need to try my SFI woodied orthodynamics as well.

And here I was thinking that the little black box like this couldn't be any good. In the light of searching a decent amp for K1000s, I might try to start looking for the SAC then. The only problem with dedicated K1000 amps is that they usually feature only a 4-pin XLR plug and I find the cord too short to be used without the 'pigtail' extension.

 

[rosgr63]

Has anybody tried the K1000 with the Eddie Current Balancing Act?

 

[Quaddy]

i find, annoyingly that the k1000 wings cannot be set in stone at one setting to appease all sounds, all music, all the time, i often have to adjust inward a little for some albums but mainly listen nearly all the way open

but i guess thats the flexibility of them, that they allow that so you can be bespoke and suited to each style and album, unique in that way

have spoken with other owners who do this also rather than adopt one setting for all time.

@headphone addict - i am suprised to see you declare HD800 more detailed and transparent than k1000 - for me those two distinct areas are exactly the polar opposite here for me and the k1000 takes those awards with my particular setup - but, as always, highlights the differing results and opinions people will have with different ears and setups

Quote:

Originally Posted by progo /img/forum/go_quote.gif What? I've always used my K1000s wide open. It simply sounds best and most natural. I do not experience the two-blob field when I use listen to them. When I keep the drivers close, I feel the sound is compressed, lacking blackness.

 

[mopps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's a little bright with my re-cabled balanced HD800, but very nice with my balanced HD600. I have not tried it with my Grados or Denon yet, and also need to try my SFI woodied orthodynamics as well.

Balanced headphones aren't required necessarily with the K 1000 Amp since the amp is NOT balanced internally and so does NOT drive the K 1000 or other headphones balanced unfortunately, according to SAC's information.

 

[mopps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD800 seem to have more detail and transparency, speed and energy, with a more neutral tone and believability than my K1000 which seem a little colored in the midbass and less sparkly in the highs. The HD800 also seem to have more extension in the bass and treble. With the wrong amp the K1000 bass can be more "one-note" or a bass cloud with poor detail and definition in the bass, and the amp needs to be brighter for the K1000 but making it too bright for the HD800. It's easier to find an amp that drives the HD800 nicely than it is the K1000. The SAC beats my ZDT and wiatrob's EHHA with K1000, and I'm told the next step up is the RWA Signature 30.2 or a Firstwatt F1. The HD800 soundstage is still pretty big with good imaging and instrument placement, while the K1000 image is a little more nebulous like the Stax Lambda or Sigma. It's weird but when I open the K1000 all the way, then the soundstage becomes more like "two blobs" with a hole in the middle (which shouldn't happen) and I have to close the wings to half-way to fill in the center with a good L/R spread. I have tried it with the pads extended as well, with no difference.

Re comparison K 1000 / HD 800 I agree mostly with HeadphoneAddict. Except for a slightly colored midbass which I hear with HD 800 (# 02xxx) not K 1000 (# 11xxx).

 

[mopps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekbmn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Weird...not really...angled all the way open ,the drivers are simply firing past the ears with no natural crossfeed. I would be suprised if anyone listened to them this way for any amount of time.

For best soundstage and tonal balance I angle the drivers only to one third of maximum. But certainly result and angle depend on one's ears, particularly the concha.

 

[rosgr63]

mopps, does that mean that the SAC is not the best amp for the K1000?

 

[West726]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mopps /img/forum/go_quote.gif For best soundstage and tonal balance I angle the drivers only to one third of maximum. But certainly result and angle depend on one's ears, particularly the concha.

Conversation 5 minutes ago with teenager:
Her: Why do they go out like that?
Me: So they sound bigger. Think of them as earspeakers.
Her: Everybody can hear.
Me: Only if they come in the room.
Her: They're obnoxious.

End.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by progo /img/forum/go_quote.gif And here I was thinking that the little black box like this couldn't be any good. In the light of searching a decent amp for K1000s, I might try to start looking for the SAC then. The only problem with dedicated K1000 amps is that they usually feature only a 4-pin XLR plug and I find the cord too short to be used without the 'pigtail' extension.

You saw my photo right? Mine has the 4-pin and a 1/4" jack, which is better than two 4-pin like the most recent photo someone posted.

HiFlight says his RWA modded Teac amp, and then his RWA Signature 30.2 are a bit better than the SAC, hence selling it to me. Still, for K1000 this little amp is a little better than the EHHA which was a little better than the ZDT with K1000. Craig Uthus at EC says he expects the 300B Balancing Act to do K1000 better than the ZDT.

I've heard K1000 on a balanced Beta22 and they sound pretty good on that too, but I have only heard it once back in February and have not compared side by side like I did the ZDT, EHHA and SAC amps.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif @headphone addict - i am suprised to see you declare HD800 more detailed and transparent than k1000 - for me those two distinct areas are exactly the polar opposite here for me and the k1000 takes those awards with my particular setup - but, as always, highlights the differing results and opinions people will have with different ears and setups

I was at the point where I thought something was wrong with my K1000, but at RMAF my K1000 sounded pretty close to another pair of K1000 that Sherwood brought. The K1000 just seem to be quite picky about the amp you use.

Sherwood is using a 3-watt MOTH tube amp for his K1000, which was slightly better in tone and balance with K1000 than my ZDT with a GE 5751 tube (when we compared them at RMAF). Later the ZDT did improve noticeably with K1000 by using a brighter Sylvania gold pin 5751, but not enough to make me impressed. And, the MOTH isn't good enough to have Sherwood convinced he will keep the K1000 - he bought a used Firstwatt F1 for them but I think it was broken or something.

I know the K1000 can sound better with the right amp, because Naamanf's sounded good enough back in February on his Beta 22 to make me trade my Stax O2 Mk1 for a pair of K1000 for myself. I didn't spend enough time with Naamanf's rig to recall the details of the sound, but I was impressed by the sound. After I got my K1000 I tried them with many of my amps and I could not replicate the experience I had with Naamansf's rig. Somehow I thought the ZDT amp would fix all that, and with the right tubes it is better than my other amps with K1000, but it still wasn't a match made in heaven like the ZDT with HD600/800, RS-1, HF-2, LA7000, ATH-A900, ESW10, etc...

 

[Maxvla]

Those of you in the know on these, would you consider K1000 to be especially fast or fairly standard? Thinking about trying these out to be my rock/metal can companion to my HD600 I use with folk/classical/jazz. Speed isn't a high point for HD600, even balanced on a 5W amp...

Might have a chance to listen to these in a couple months at a meet depending on who shows.

 

[gomincha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was at the point where I thought something was wrong with my K1000, but at RMAF my K1000 sounded pretty close to another pair of K1000 that Sherwood brought. The K1000 just seem to be quite picky about the amp you use. Sherwood is using a 3-watt MOTH tube amp for his K1000, which was slightly better in tone and balance with K1000 than my ZDT with a GE 5751 tube (when we compared them at RMAF). Later the ZDT did improve noticeably with K1000 by using a brighter Sylvania gold pin 5751, but not enough to make me impressed. And, the MOTH isn't good enough to have Sherwood convinced he will keep the K1000 - he bought a used Firstwatt F1 for them but I think it was broken or something. I know the K1000 can sound better with the right amp, because Naamanf's sounded good enough back in February on his Beta 22 to make me trade my Stax O2 Mk1 for a pair of K1000 for myself. I didn't spend enough time with Naamanf's rig to recall the details of the sound, but I was impressed by the sound. After I got my K1000 I tried them with many of my amps and I could not replicate the experience I had with Naamansf's rig. Somehow I thought the ZDT amp would fix all that, and with the right tubes it is better than my other amps with K1000, but it still wasn't a match made in heaven like the ZDT with HD600/800, RS-1, HF-2, LA7000, ATH-A900, ESW10, etc...

Hi HeadphoneAddict,
Your experience with headphones is much larger from mine but i think you must give your K1000 a chance to shine. For two years now i've been reading about them and their capabilities..
I also have a pair but i don't have proper amplification yet..
But from what i was able to figure out by spending many hours of reading is that they need specific speaker amplification to really shine, so i'm not surprised that your zdt and K1000 combo isn't a match made in heaven..
If i were you i would definitely try to find a FirstWatt F1 and pair it with the zana to see what's what!
If your budget permits a RWA signature 30.2 is also an excellent amp for them..
Then again so is any 300B intergrated amp (such as the Zanden, the AirTight, the Cary 300SEI, the Moth etc) or a very high quality tube amp like the EAR Yoshino V20...
The only bad thing with these phones is that you must spend a fortune to have them properly amplified but if you do you are there for a big treat...

 

[krmathis]

The K1000 certainly need the "right" amplifier top shine!
I have heard it through a handful amplifiers (Signature 30.2, 4-board β22, Audion Silver Night 300B, Doxa 70 Signature, plus a couple more), and they all make it sound different. My favorite might be the Audion Silver Night 300B with the Signature 30.2 as a really close second.

Definitely worth trying different amplification before abandoning them.