[joe_seattle]

Well, the subject line sums it up. After much reading, reviewing, questioning and a bit of listening at head-fi meets in Seattle, I took the plunge and bought a pair of modded K340 phones from the sale section here. The seller was great to deal with, the phones are in good condition and the mods appear to be done well. I'm just finding the sound signature to not be for me.

I listen almost exclusively to music with prominent vocals: Sinatra, Michael Buble, Carpenters, Beatles, B52s. I really want voices to sound natural (which I know is highly subjective), so Sinatra's low-notes are low and present and Stevie Nicks can hit her highs. I know the compounding factor here is that the music I like doesn't have only vocals - there is also, in most cases, a big band with acoustic or electric instruments, or both.

Qualities I don't care for in the K340 include rolled-off/muted high notes, a lack of crispness in the treble sometimes, but also a certain shrillness (almost like a mild sibilance) that makes me flinch. The bass is ok, but seems a tiny but undefined. Vocals sound pretty much ok as long as singers stay in the lower registers, though there is still a small amount of haziness to the sound. It's really quite difficult to explain - vocals are sharp (bright?) while also kind of fuzzy. I listened through some Grados and could understand every word, but with the K340 the sound is less detailed, or perhaps lower resolution, so actually understanding what is being sung takes more effort.

One more factor to consider - I'm pretty sure I am under-powering the phones right now - perhaps if you've read this far you want to smack me now . I am running a pretty decent Denon DCD-970 CD player into an older Technics solid-state receiver. There is plenty of volume to spare, but I'm not so sure that the phones are getting all the juice that they need.

A few questions now. Could the "problems" I find with the K340 be explained entirely by them being underpowered? If so, I can certainly get an amp and am ready to order a Darkvoice 336i off of eBay. If these issues are inherent to the headphones regardless of proper amplification, what might be a better pair of headphones for me?

I liked the HD600, but found them a little perhaps too relaxed/laid-back for general use - though fantastic for certain artists (I also listened to them in a store for about a half-hour in a less than ideal noisy environment). I liked some of the higher model Grado phones like the SR-225, but comfort was an issue. I tried an amazing pair of Grados at a recent head-fi meet – I think they were the HP-1 or PS-1 (silver metal body with a little toggle switch), hooked up to a Lisa Amp. That combo was about as close to perfect as I can imagine for a headphone: balanced, even sound, clarity with just a slight smoothness to vocals, deep punchy bass, lightning-fast response. Of course, that combo runs for about $2500.

I would like to spend around $500 or so, but I will save up for something a little higher if it is the perfect match for me. I was also considering the DT880 600 ohm before, but haven’t heard them in person. I’m open to any suggestions that you can throw my way. I would also be very interested in loaning the K340 to someone who is curious to try them out in exchange for something interesting that I can try out. I would like to sample the HD600, DT880 600 ohm, and a Stax system for a week or so.

Thanks!

-Joe

 

[regal]

You just plan can't power the K340's with a stereo reciever HP jack. The receiver's headphone jack is brought down to lower power with resistors which change the frequency response of your headphones.

The K340's are one of the most amp demanding headphones ever made. They require high gain (voltage) and high current (due to low effeciency.) So buying an amp for these phones is challenging. The DarkVoice may not deliver enough current. You're best bet is to find someone who has good experience with these difficult headphones to recommend an amp they had success with.

 

[joe_seattle]

Thanks for your reply. I have read a bunch of reviews by K340 owners that the Darkvoice 336i is a very good match. Several people even mentioned that the two had the best synergy that had found so far, which is nice considering the fairly low price of the amp.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I still haven't quite warmed up to the K-340, either. I'll keep it for reference, but it isn't getting a lot of head time. Not every headphone is for everyone, so it might make more sense to get one you like than to spend a lot of money on accessories for one you don't.

The DT880 and HD-600 would probably be good choices for you. They sound great and are all-around strong performers.

If you really want natural sounds, however, give a listen to the AKG K-501 and the Beyerdynamic DT48. The DT48 is more forward and has less soundstage, but makes up for it with exceptional pianos, vocals and revelation of the tiniest details. Do not buy either expecting good amplified/electronic bass, however. Acoustic bass is amazing on both, though.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I still haven't quite warmed up to the K-340, either. I'll keep it for reference, but it isn't getting a lot of head time. Not every headphone is for everyone, so it might make more sense to get one you like than to spend a lot of money on accessories for one you don't. The DT880 and HD-600 would probably be good choices for you. They sound great and are all-around strong performers. If you really want natural sounds, however, give a listen to the AKG K-501 and the Beyerdynamic DT48. The DT48 is more forward and has less soundstage, but makes up for it with exceptional pianos, vocals and revelation of the tiniest details. Do not buy either expecting good amplified/electronic bass, however. Acoustic bass is amazing on both, though.

Yeah, but if the HP1 is his ideal sound, these phones are going to be way too bright and thin.

I would really suggest getting a better amp for them. you chose one of the hardest phones to amp, and Im just doubtful of that receiver. If you were using grados, i would say that an amp isn't going to change their sound signature, but mostly just enhance what is already there. but phones like the k340, and hd600 actually change with proper amplification.

if you like most of what you are hearing out of the k340, but have issues with a few things (this is what it sounds like to me) then get the darkvoice amp. you can always sell it here and make most of your money back.

but if you just think the whole thing sounds awful, then maybe try the hd600- but for me, that phone needs to be balanced on a world class amp to sound good.

you could also try an AKG K240 Sextett, because that phone is the closest to the HP1 that I have heard, and it can be had for relatively cheap

 

[joe_seattle]

Thanks for the advice. Do you think the K501 would reproduce the highs of, say, cymbals or electric guitar well? I don't need thump-thump bass at all, just something that sounds reasonably close to real life.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Yeah, the 340 is so finicky that I wouldn't bother dealing with them. A K501 or K601 is your best bet now.

 

[joe_seattle]

I will try to check out the Sextett. I'm leaning towards getting the Darkvoice and hoping it will resolve some of the K340 issues. It seem to be a fairly versatile amp, so I could use it with other phones I suppose.

How much of "good" sound simply comes down to what our ears are used to?

On a random note... I saw Cyndi Lauper and the B-52s in concert last night, so now I know what they DO sound like

note: listening to Cyndi talk to the audience reminded me of what I don't like about the K340

 

[smeggy]

Where in Seattle are you? I want to hear a 340 and I have some phones you can try to see what kind of signature (aside from HP2) you're looking for. I also have a power amp/headphone adapter which will easily let the 340 run at full power. That way you can see if you like them when fed properly.

 

[joe_seattle]

This weekend I was able to audition three very different headphones while I was in Portland, Oregon. I was really hoping to try the DT880, but the store had sold the demo pair and only had the DT660 and DT990 on hand. Even still, I figure the DT990 should give me a sense of the line's sound signature.

I found vocals in the DT990 to be recessed and thin, but the phones did have a nice extension in both bass and treble. High notes were not shrill and the sound seemed to be pretty balanced, without particular emphasis on any notes. Interesting headphones, and not for me.

My re-audition of the Grado 225 was pleasant. They presented a nice layering of sound and a fantastic clarity without being overly bright. I'm not sure if this qualifies as colored sound, but everything sounded like it had been bumped up an octave. Not an awful headphone at all, but I could imagine finding it fatiguing after a bit. The sound just had a high resolution quality to it that demanded attention, and that could be a drag after an hour or so.

The HD600 was great - more mellow than the Grado, more weight than the Beyer, fantastic vocals and full-bodied bass. Highs seemed natural and not rolled-off. The phones were comfortable too. I want to give them another listen to ensure I am really smitten, but I think they might be for me.

 

[scompton]

I've only heard K340s at a meet so it's not the best environment to judge things, but I was not that impressed. You may be able to run them off of the speaker terminals of your amp. You'd need an adapter like described in this article Headphone Adaptor for Power Amplifiers You may want to use the resistor values a step or 2 below what it says for your amp.

 

[catscratch]

1) it sounds like you don't have enough power in your system to open up the K340, which is an absolute power hog. I drove a pair straight out of a speaker amp, no impedance matching of any kind, and I had to crank even that. You do need a very beefy amp to get this headphone to sing.

2) it also sounds like you have a bass-heavy pair, and bass-heavy pairs in my opinion suck. The dark highs, the fuzzy mids and loose bass are definitely what I heard out of a bass-heavy pair, and that is not what a good bass-light pair sounds like. My pair has spectacular crispness and definition, but it's main blemish is an overly bright tonal balance, so it needs a lush, syrupy amp to balance it out. Properly matched to a synergistic amp, it has a somewhat bright tonal balance, but at the same time it has a very warm and euphonic midrange, and together, that is a stunning sonic combination. Well-recorded rock sounds absolutely magical.

3) mods don't always make this headphone better. I've heard headphiled pairs, balanced pairs, and still my bone-stock bass-light pair is the best one I've heard thus far.

Still, if you like the HD600, you should go for that. Start with a headphone that works for you and build a system around it, rather than taking something you don't like and trying to turn it into something it isn't.

Also, with a K340, you never know what you're going to get. I don't know if the difference between bass-heavy and bass-light pairs is an actual mechanical difference or is merely a difference in the deterioration of various components. These headphones are old, and they're two-way, so I can easily see how disintegrating electrets can account for a lot of the tonal balance difference. The fit is also crucial too, and without a good seal you won't get any bass at all, so when your chassis is really beat up, you could be thinking you have a (crappy) bass-light pair, but in fact all your bass is just leaking out without a good seal.

So, it's a bit of a dangerous investment. The HD600, on the other hand, isn't. Just get the newer version with the silver mesh, it's supposedly better sounding than the older version.

 

[kg21]

the differences are definitely mechanical (different parts inside) there is a thread about it somewhere. And yea the different versions are confusing I used to own 2 "bass light" ones (one modded and one unmodded) and the mods did improve the sound, the modded k340 was among the best headphones I've heard. Yes you need a good amp with the k340, I think tube amps with some juice suit them the best but I would think there would be other amps that are better than the darkvoice 336i for the k340 by now (mapletree ear+ hd sounded amazing with them fyi). Not that the 336i+k340 was a bad combo at all, but a lot of stuff has come out since then.

Op you should have someone check your k340 out if you aren't 100% sure they are working properly. I would describe the k340 sound as "smooth liquid mids, delicate detailed highs, and clean bass with great soundstage" and while it's fine for us to have way different impressions what you described sounds like there could be something wrong (and the k340 is old and complex so it could easily happen). I recommend scott from s2 audio if you don't know anyone that can help you, he did all the work on the one I had and he's a k340 pro. Just realized you should definitely get an amp before determining if anything is wrong with the phones, sometimes people exaggerate about headphones needing an amp but the k340 are really power hungry.

 

[moonboy403]

Although I don't know anything about the K340, but getting an amp is basically a necessity given that most, if not all, the better headphones need one to sound their best.

 

[musicman59]

I have a pair of K340 fully modded and recabled by Alex. These can are very difficult to drive. I ma driving them with a Rudistor RP7 Lite (hybrid amp) which has good power and even with it I have to take the volume past 12 o'clock to have a decent level of sound.

Additonally to Alex's mods I added some damping material to the inside of the plastic cups, driver assembly and the plastic hinge covers (where the K340 in silver is) to avoid some resonance and ringing of the plastic.

I bought the K340 after comparing a pair to the K701 both being driven by a RSA Raptor. IMO the K340 sounds a lot better than the K701 but again everybody hears different and has different taste.

Comapring my Rudistor to the Raptor I think the K340 has a better sinergy with the Raptor (all depending of the tubes of course) but I need to stay with the Rudistor due to my D5000 and Edition 9.