[n_maher]

I recently aquired a pair of modded 340s and have to say that my PPA V2 with a gain of 4 just isn't up to the task of driving them very well. I'm at the peak of the stepped attenuator's adjustment and they're just starting to come into their own. I will be ramping up the voltage of my PPA along with adjusting the gain (probably 8 based on recommendations) since I tried them with a friends PPA and they sounded fantastic.

Nate

 

[philodox]

Nate, nice to hear you are part of the club.

Jahn, K340's... Dark??? That's weird.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox Nate, nice to hear you are part of the club. Jahn, K340's... Dark??? That's weird.

LOL! That's what i was thinking, but didn't have the nerve to say it! I mean it's Jahn, so i'm sure they did sound dark, just can't imagine it.

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox Jahn, K340's... Dark??? That's weird.

Might've been a stock one of the version I have. Before mods it was definitely on the dark side.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerius Might've been a stock one of the version I have. Before mods it was definitely on the dark side.

I'd sure like to hear all the different versions. Hard to believe they'd be so different, but from what i've read i guess they are. Mine have never had a quality even the most inexperienced headphone user would ever describe as dark. I'm wondering if Philodox and i have the same version, as we both describe them similarly. I wish you and Philodox were closer, i'd love to compare.

 

[swt61]

P.S. Kudos to Philodox and Aerius! I've owned my K340's since 1985, but it wasn't 'til i had a short in the cable in September that i discovered a thread on this cool site called Head-Fi, written by Philodox about K340 mods. He and Aerius had so much to say about how these phones could be improved upon so much. Now i own, IMO a truely reference set of phones thanks to them and Larry! I'd love to here the story of how you guys discovered these and their potential someday.

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 I'm wondering if Philodox and i have the same version, as we both describe them similarly.

From the way you've described yours I would say they are probably the same version.

At times I'd like a smidgeon more bass, but all in all this is my 'preferred version'. If the velour pads [picking them up today] increase the bass the slightest bit they will be perfect.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox From the way you've described yours I would say they are probably the same version. At times I'd like a smidgeon more bass, but all in all this is my 'preferred version'. If the velour pads [picking them up today] increase the bass the slightest bit they will be perfect.

My reupholstered pads did increase bass a bit. I used the same stock foam, but i believe i compressed them a bit more. Hope you get similar results, let me know!

 

[humanflyz]

After modding them, will there still be a big difference between the two stock versions?

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 I'd love to here the story of how you guys discovered these and their potential someday.

Well, most of the credit is actually due to a long standing head-fi member that has not been around much lately Number9. His post about the mods that he did on the K340's is really what started it all. I spoke with Larry after I bought a set from another head-fi'er and had them sent to him direct. Larry and I worked out all of the mods and I gave him a good month to work out the best combination. I lived with that pair quite happily for a while when I heard that Larry got a pair of NOS K340's. I managed to tempt him with my old Dynahi and took advantage of the experience that he has gained doing the 'Philodox Mods' since I first asked him to take care of my first pair. He tailored them to what I was looking for and I am quite happy with the result.

When I got my first pair, aerius was quite impressed, so when he managed to secure a pair of his own we 'reverse engineered' what had been done to my set and he performed the mods step by step. This allowed us to get a better idea of what each mod in fact does. This is why I usually forward any specific questions about the mods to his expertise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by humanflyz After modding them, will there still be a big difference between the two stock versions?

Yes, though the gap is closed a bit.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox Well, most of the credit is actually due to a long standing head-fi member that has not been around much lately Number9. His post about the mods that he did on the K340's is really what started it all. I spoke with Larry after I bought a set from another head-fi'er and had them sent to him direct. Larry and I worked out all of the mods and I gave him a good month to work out the best combination. I lived with that pair quite happily for a while when I heard that Larry got a pair of NOS K340's. I managed to tempt him with my old Dynahi and took advantage of the experience that he has gained doing the 'Philodox Mods' since I first asked him to take care of my first pair. He tailored them to what I was looking for and I am quite happy with the result. When I got my first pair, aerius was quite impressed, so when he managed to secure a pair of his own we 'reverse engineered' what had been done to my set and he performed the mods step by step. This allowed us to get a better idea of what each mod in fact does. This is why I usually forward any specific questions about the mods to his expertise. Yes, though the gap is closed a bit.

Good story! His thread was very interesting, and he mentions them being dark in stock form too.

 

[bobbyk]

The Graham Slee Solo has been widely reviewed in the UK, and I am aware of at least one review of it on the forum.

At it's price point, here in "Old Blighty", it has been very highly acclaimed for it's ability to drive all headphones (Including Grado's), it's ability to retrieve detail from recordings, it's sound staging (Which reviewers claim appears to extend beyond the headphones) and it's natural yet precise sound.

Certainly worth a look if you have access to a good local dealer who stocks one.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher I recently aquired a pair of modded 340s and have to say that my PPA V2 with a gain of 4 just isn't up to the task of driving them very well. I'm at the peak of the stepped attenuator's adjustment and they're just starting to come into their own. I will be ramping up the voltage of my PPA along with adjusting the gain (probably 8 based on recommendations) since I tried them with a friends PPA and they sounded fantastic. Nate

That should do the trick, as i play mine at 1/4 volume or lower.

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox Nate, nice to hear you are part of the club.

I was helpless to resist, the look combined with the sound simply overwhelmed me...

Quote:

Jahn, K340's... Dark??? That's weird.

On my underpowered PPA setup they definitely sounded off, mostly in the highs with less separation than I expected based on all the reviews. However, once properly amped it was a whole different story. My pair has all silver wiring (Moon Audio's Silver Dragon cable + rewired internals w/ solid silver) so if you buy into that whole "silver is brighter" thing the high end should shine on these babies. Now I just need to figure out how to replace the shagged elastics.

Nate

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher Now I just need to figure out how to replace the shagged elastics. Nate

Find an attractive woman with a ponytail. Ask if you can borrow her hair elastic.

Seriously, that's what I use. Except I got mine from a drug store.