[swt61]

I'd play around with the damping first. I seriously doubt that those short runs of silver could be the culprit.

 

[Blackmore]

Could that be the amp that you use

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander /img/forum/go_quote.gif Depends on the volume at which you listen, I believe. I can't hear it when I listen at lowish volume. However, turn it higher and listen with some 'modern' songs (which tend to peak a lot), and the highs turn shrilly.

 

[catscratch]

I have the same problem with my stock pair. Everything is beautiful except the highs, which are way overblown. On music with restrained highs it gives everything a somewhat artificial precision and shimmer, which is quite nice actually, but on shriller songs it's very fatiguing.

I'm also interested in finding a way to cut down on the highs. I'm already using one of the warmest sounding amps out there (MG Head OTL with stock tubes), and my CDP is rather warm sounding too (Rega Planet 2000) so I know it's not the system (or rather I hope it's not the system).

The K340, along with the ES2, is the headphone that has come the closest to my sonic ideal. But the highs have got to go...

 

[ojyarumaru]

Better source.

 

[threEchelon]

I have the same thing too. I haven't done the screen mod and I'm still using the pleather pads; they're in good shape, though. Also, my version is the bass-light version. What about you other guys with shrillness?

And why does everyone say it's a problem with the source

? All inexpensive sources sound shrill?

 

[catscratch]

I persume that I have the bass light version, but I haven't heard any other pair. It sounds rather bright and thin and it takes a very lush amp to balance it out. It also has nearly overwhelming levels of detail and pinpoint imaging, which is how I've heard the bass-light version described. Overall, I'd be very happy with it if not for the highs.

 

[Roam]

I find it odd that others are experiencing shrillness & brightness. Since many are already direct-wiring to the drivers, it shouldn't be too hard to pad down the electret section by putting a resistor inline with it while leaving the dynamic driver alone. Try a 1k resistor in series with the electret and adjust up or down from there.

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch It sounds rather bright and thin and it takes a very lush amp to balance it out. Overall, I'd be very happy with it if not for the highs.

Cat, have you done the socalled crossover mod? Did you bypass the resistors that pad down the electret?

 

[alpha80]

Cool sh!t boss.

 

[catscratch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wualta /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cat, have you done the socalled crossover mod? Did you bypass the resistors that pad down the electret?

Nope, mine is bone stock. I am thinking of modding it in one way or another, though. The elastics need to be replaced (substituted with rubber bands for the moment) and the pads are pretty worn out, though I still get a pretty good seal when they're positioned just right.

 

[wualta]

The socalled crossover pcb is actually a pad for adjusting the relative levels of electret and dynamic drivers. You could try adjusting the series resistance going to the electret, which someone has already suggested.

 

[KT88]

I wouldn't do that. The electret goes all the way up from 4kHz and even a bit lower. cutting down will change the sound completely. I would first try something like a small fabric screen on top of the electret, the thinner it is, the higher the frequencies it'll absorb. you can also try and play with the cotton in the cup replace the pads to velour which makes the sound a bit less bright.

 

[a1rocketpilot]

Just saw this thread bumped up, and after reading the last few posts, I guess I wasn't alone when I thought that on some "modern" songs, the K340's can sound somewhat shrill. The tone controls on my HA-2 MKII SE help tame some of that shrillness, but it hasn't quite left yet. However, I started my recable process this evening. I'm recabling it with Cardas 4x24 to the dynamics, and then some FIM UP-OCC 18ga to the PCB's, where the old wires used to go. I'm hoping that this will help to reduce some of the piercing highs and make things less fatiguing. I'll report back in a couple days with my findings on this combo.

Aditya

 

[philodox]

The K340 is sensitive to source brightness, and good amplification will give it a fuller sound and likely cancel out any shrillness you hear.

Mine don't sound shrill at all and could either be due to the above or the mods done to them. In case any of you want to replicate the mods I have to see if it helps:

Blackgold recable [one run of copper and one run of silver for each side of the driver, or signal and ground if not balanced]
No cotton, no bluetak, taped up cable entry holes.
K501 headband, velour pads, elastics tweaked [getting a good seal and a perfect fit with the K340 is critical]

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K340 is sensitive to source brightness, and good amplification will give it a fuller sound and likely cancel out any shrillness you hear. Mine don't sound shrill at all and could either be due to the above or the mods done to them. In case any of you want to replicate the mods I have to see if it helps: Blackgold recable [one run of copper and one run of silver for each side of the driver, or signal and ground if not balanced] No cotton, no bluetak, taped up cable entry holes. K501 headband, velour pads, elastics tweaked [getting a good seal and a perfect fit with the K340 is critical]

No shrill here either, except for that time I got the cord wrapped around my testicles, but that's another story.