[milagu]

So i'm watching Casino Royale on my brand new K701s... every once in a while I catch a rattle in the left side. Slight, but annoying at the right frequencies... usually lower-end of course. It's most prominent in during sustained low frequencies, so I'm worried it'll get annoying with certain music.

Is there any known issue with items being occasionally loose in the 701s or did I just get the unfortunate pair? If not, any one have any clue what it might be? I'm very proficient at working on things myself, so I'm not too hesitant to take them apart. I took the ear piece off and it was remarkably simple underneath. Everything appeared tight, but yet it rattles. I suppose it might be on the outside of the ear piece (where the wire attaches).

I really LOVE these headphones though. They're miraculous! Even watching CR on them was incredible.

Much Apprec'd guys!

 

[Fitz]

40% chance it's a hair on the driver, 50% chance its the voice coil leads rattling, 10% chance there's something loose. One of my K240 Sextetts had a rattle like that, so I hit it on the table a few times, then the rattle went away and didn't come back. I try to fix most problems with my gear by hitting it, with a surprisingly high success rate.

 

[audiomagnate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif 40% chance it's a hair on the driver, 50% chance its the voice coil leads rattling, 10% chance there's something loose. One of my K240 Sextetts had a rattle like that, so I hit it on the table a few times, then the rattle went away and didn't come back. I try to fix most problems with my gear by hitting it, with a surprisingly high success rate.

How could there be a hair in there if they're brand new? How loud do you listen? I've never bottomed min out.

Hey Fitz, are you diggin' those K1000's yet?

 

[milagu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif 40% chance it's a hair on the driver, 50% chance its the voice coil leads rattling, 10% chance there's something loose. One of my K240 Sextetts had a rattle like that, so I hit it on the table a few times, then the rattle went away and didn't come back. I try to fix most problems with my gear by hitting it, with a surprisingly high success rate.

Man, I hit mine against the table and the left ear piece split open! The plastic is cracked!

JK... maybe if it comes to blows I'll take that approach. It probably wasn't hair because I made sure to get it out of the way when I put them on (the length is kind of right for it to stick thru the foam and touch the driver).

Supposing it is the leads, what is the key to taking the outside of the housing off without completely messing up the plastic? It's all so tight fitting I can't see any tabs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiomagnate /img/forum/go_quote.gif How could there be a hair in there if they're brand new? How loud do you listen? I've never bottomed min out. Hey Fitz, are you diggin' those K1000's yet?

Not that loud... no way should they have been bottoming out. Unless it is just the lower freq's making the driver move that much. Didn't quite sound like a driver bottoming out (I've heard plenty of those...

)

 

[Fitz]

The leads are inside the driver itself. If you don't already know how to service a dynamic headphone driver, then you probably shouldn't go poking around. I've done a lot of repairs and full rebuilds on headphone drivers, so playing with the voice coil leads doesn't phase me, but they are extremely thin, which means they break if you look at them too hard. Also, if the overall construction is consistent with AKG's previous 45mm driver construction, then to even access them would require partial disassembly of the driver (separating the diaphragm from the basket, or cutting open some of the damping paper to get into a slot on the back). Best to just return them for a new pair if this is indeed the case and it's not something else causing it.

As for why this happens, AKG doesn't tack down the voice coil leads onto the diaphragm, and leaves a fair amount of slack on them, so in some rare instances they can get in such a position that they slap against it or the basket on loud bass notes. Similar to the L3000/W5000 rattle issue, except with how the Audio-Technica drivers are designed it has a much greater chance of happening than on an AKG driver.

 

[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiomagnate /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Fitz, are you diggin' those K1000's yet?

Wait, you mean they're not just for lookin' at?