[Whitewind]

wow getting alot of input in this thread...and i thought that it would die out like most other threads

 

[Mrvile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whitewind /img/forum/go_quote.gif wow getting alot of input in this thread...and i thought that it would die out like most other threads

This was one of the most discussed topics in the "Official K501 Appreciation Thread."

 

[Don Quichotte]

I bought the K500 in 1996, they were "version 2". Then I bought my current K501 in 1998 - they were "version 1".

The next interesting thing to discover would be how the three (so far) versions of K501 differ soundwise, particulary - but not only - in bass. Fwiw, mine sound bassier, more relaxed (perhaps also a bit more detailed and dynamic, but I'm not sure, it's been quite a while) and with less upper treble than the K500 (too little actually, I would say), but the driver is also different.

 

[iQEM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whitewind /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are so far 3 versions of the K501 which have been presented on Head-Fi. The following versions are what I think is the order they came out as (oldest to most recent). Also these photos are not mine and do not remember who’s post I took these off of, but if these pictures are yours please contact me and I will give you credit for them. Now on to the different versions: First up is Version 1, this is the one I presume came out in the fall of 1996. Going from the inside of the driver out, there are 3 long openings out of a possible 6, and on the next level 4 smaller openings out of a possible 12. With a black dampening covering them. [size=xx-small]Courtesy of Asr[/size] This is Version 2, which is quite a significant difference. I have no idea when this one came out. There are 6 long openings and 12 smaller ones with a white dampening material which is thick. [size=xx-small]Courtesy of Fitz[/size] And lastly Version 3, which only has 6 long openings with no smaller ones with a white dampening material as well, but is thinner and more porous than the Version 2 one. [size=xx-small]Courtesy of Mrvile[/size] Now you might be wondering why I said 6 long/12 small opening combination was the maximum. If you look at adanac061’s Ver. 1 you can clearly see that AKG thought of making/testing different versions from the beginning, so my hypothesis is that the 501 was an experiment. [size=xx-small]Courtesy of adanac061[/size] Also another hypothesis is that considering that all the different versions have the same driver and that the black/white difference in sound is negligible that Ver. 2 can sound like both Ver. 1 and 3 just by blocking up the different holes. If you would like to check what version your 501 is, just twist the pad counterclockwise to reveal the driver and openings. I currently have Ver. 2 from rhester which I just received and am going to give them a good listen to when I get back home. Special thanks to Fitz, adanac061, Mrvile, Asr, and the whole K501 community EDIT: Under further investigation the order of the versions should be 2>1>3, I will keep the version numbers as they are to solve any confusions and change it when we have significant proof of the order of the versions EDIT 2: added the differences between the V2 and V3 dampening material

please re-upload/fix the image's, it didn't show up anymore...thx !

 

[pataburd]

Version 1 checking in here! : )

 

[edhamgtr]

Any chance of re-loading those pics??

 

[iQEM]

x2...

as you ppl can see this is the driver of my K501...

is this the latest production/version of K501 ? Fitz, maybe ?

 

[Fitz]

Yeah, that's the latest known version of the K501.

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yea, version 1 here too. I find the sound REALLY improves (both bass and low-mids wise) when they're paired with a good warm amp.

I got a Heed Canamp a few months back. Since then, anytime I've read that the k501s are bass-shy I shake my head in disbelief, yet I used to think the same thing. Actually, I found an inexpensive QED amp really opened up the bass potential even before the Heed.

Strange as it seems, I now find these phones sound more bass-balanced using my other amps, including my Wheatfield HA1 and even my tiny Go-Vibe v.2. How is this possible?

 

[iQEM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, that's the latest known version of the K501.

wow Fitz, thx for the confirm...

since we know that K501 LP are the bass-heavy version, how much's the different between my K501 to K400/401/500 or even to K501 MP & EP (i guess, except bass quantity) ? thx in advance...

 

[Shoewreck]

Small holes don't have much to do with soundstage/openness, they just steal bass. Seems like AKG first made all the holes open (V2), then closed some (V1), then sealed all bass-sucking small holes, opened headstage-improving bigger holes and changed the cushions, so for the three versions we have:
V2 - the oldest one, least bass, most open - probably the best headstage (though I haven' tried one).
V1 - Both bass and openness compromised - worst headstage expected (this one seems the most common version and this is the version I own)
V3 - The most wise configuration - widely known to have the most bass (partly due to new cushions) and probably having the headstage closest to V2.

AKG might have released the K601 just to make a major facelift to K501 and to point that there is no more bass lacking in the new version.

 

[iQEM]

aahhh, very reasonable explanation about the diff on white holes...but how about the diff on the driver ? and i read somewhere that the latest prod. have different pads that the older version use, more wider, softer and thinner...

 

[Shoewreck]

I've recently converted my V1 to V2/V3-alike - cut the three lacking inner holes. Not the best thing to try your first Proxxon or Dremel on, but I already had some experience, so I even managed to make it look decent. Further conversion would probably go on with Dynamat blocking outer holes, but I'm still unsure about that - I love AKG's "weightless" construction.
Sonic changes are guess what - huge headstage and sub-minimalistic bass (now it's too little even for an airhead like me). I haven't yet reinstalled damper rings, so the changes are probably going to be reversed to some degree.

 

[mbd2884]

Man, why did they discontinue the K501? All the reviews on em are so good!

Also was $250 about what they were, brand new?

 

[Shoewreck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Man, why did they discontinue the K501? All the reviews on em are so good!

I haven't yet touched K701, but they seem to be very similar, with (what's most important to me) same tweak-ability plus some extras.
Quote:

Also was $250 about what they were, brand new?

I read a 7-years old thread this week. They were 250-400 USD new and almost everybody mentioned how smooth did they sound (I can't disagree). Today they go for about 100-150 USD used and everybody finds them sounding thin (get away bassheads).