[smeggy]

the K1k can do perfectly fine with the Compact Tube Hybrid so I'd think it'd be fine with the Max too. Not ideal of course but will tide you over until you get a more suitable amp. Finding a K1k at a decent price is far harder than buying an amp to run them.

 

[tintin47]

It is, and that is because all of my other experience with SE vs. Balanced has shown me very small differences. The k1k may be different, so forget that comment if you like. The facts that I stated about the power that it takes to drive the phones are true, and you can take my opinion on the actual sound for what you will.

 

[Blackmore]

From my search up here or else I found some short list of amps that suppose to be the best with K1000. Of course everything is subtle and a matter of taste, but all of them were speaker amps. That's why I suggested it to look for some budget T amps, which to my ears, for their price, cant be beat it by any other, but can drive K1000 with ease and deliver quite musical sound. I cant suggest anything else where I don't have any experience, yet, include the founded list, so I dont post it to avoid wrong impressions from my side.

Once again, I tried K1000 with EAR HP4 and they were far away form loosing their dynamics or anything else, its just for that kind of money, or even less, you better be of with the speaker amp, imo.
I am going to check some amp, integrated tube speaker, and if I like it will post some later.

p.s. Guys, if you have the expiriance with general SE headphone amps, which can drive K1000, why wouldnt you post the list.

 

[tomb]

I've listened to Fitz's K1000's on one of my Millett MAXes. It seemed to handle them fine.

 

[myinitialsaredac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've listened to Fitz's K1000's on one of my Millett MAXes. It seemed to handle them fine.

A ray of light?


Thanks for all the input guys, keep it coming please.

Dave

 

[smeggy]

Right now I'm listening to the worlds hardest to drive headphones with the CTH and it's getting close to it's limits but still doing very well, even harder to drive than the K1k. If the general spacs of the Max are close to the CTH you should be fine.

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I suspect most people put a lot more consideration into finding the right speaker amp for the K1000 than they ever did with any headphone amps. I find many headphone amps don't sound very good at all to my ears (not just with K1000), does that mean we should just eschew headphone amps altogether? I don't understand why people are always quick to voice opposition to the thought that the speaker amp they love with the K1000 sounds as good as it does because it's simply a better amp in the first place rather than just because it's a speaker amp.

I didn't make any claims as to why speaker amps work better. I just said in my experience they do.

The fact that they were made to hook to binding posts might mean they were designed for speaker amps too. Who knows, but if I was the OP. I'd use the amp he's got which I'm sure will still sound very good with the K-1000s, and then upgrade to a speaker amp down the road.

 

[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've listened to Fitz's K1000's on one of my Millett MAXes. It seemed to handle them fine.

No surprise, considering the Millett Max has an output stage nearly identical to the Total Eclipse, and your Max's sounded worlds better than the original Millett Hybrid I'd built a while ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't make any claims as to why speaker amps work better. I just said in my experience they do. The fact that they were made to hook to binding posts might mean they were designed for speaker amps too. Who knows, but if I was the OP. I'd use the amp he's got which I'm sure will still sound very good with the K-1000s, and then upgrade to a speaker amp down the road.

That's just it, there isn't any fundamental difference between the two, it was "designed" for speaker amps in the sense that it needs more gain than the typical headphone jack. A speaker amp will generally have more gain, voltage swing, significantly more output current, and be stable into much more complex loads. It's just extending the operating parameters to a much further extreme, while the fundamentals are the same. Look at the Gainclone for example... it's a very well known speaker amp design, but the circuit is the same as a CMoy (as in little 9V powered altoid-tin beginner DIY amp CMoy), just using a power op-amp instead.

The point I'm trying to make is not for people to blindly recommend just a "speaker amp" for the K1000, when it's not that simple. I'm not saying the best amps for the K1000 aren't speaker amps, perhaps even the top 10 amps for it are all speaker amps for all I know (no way for me to thoroughly audition everything made), but it's not because they're speaker amps, and just because an amp is a speaker amp doesn't mean it's going to be any good with the K1000. What I'm trying to say is I wish people would recommend specific speaker amps (or head amps or magic toasters or whatever), and not give the impression that any speaker amp is going to be better than any headphone amp.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Good point Fitz.

As for recommendations, while my K1000 does pretty well on my Single Power Square Wave XL balanced with more than enough power for loud volumes as well as delivering good sound, I cannot recommend Single Power at this time due to poor customer service.

The K1000 also sound very good with a 5-watt Travagans Red or 8-watt Qinpu A-3. My 12 watt Nuforce Icon is not as good as the others with the K1000, even though it is very good driving a Stax via transformer (lacks synergy).