[richard51]

Yesterday i listened to the sextett all day....

All my others headphone lack in holography and naturalness of timbre compared to the sextett....

But the sextett anyway sound as my other headphones like "an headphone" , not like speakers full body sound in a room then with a very accentuated solid 3-d holography as the K340....The King of AKG....

As Majoox said already, i think that the major problem for an optimal listening of the K340 performance relate to amplification of the highest possible quality.... The K340 is too sensitive, not in an electrical way but in an acoustical way, sensitive to any change in alimentation among all the other changes affecting the end result....The sensible optimal balance between these 2 coupled drivers may shift for the worst easily with bad amplification, bad pads, bad source, vibrations and too high electrical noise in the house grid too...

I will never be able to listen to most headphones artificial sound timbre without body after the K340.... I will listen to the sextett if my K340 die on me or just to remember the differences electret and dynamic drivers well coupled together could do over one singular driver cell and at least the sextett sound is relax and very natural and i can enjoy it ...

It was revelatory to enjoy the sextett all day but at the same time i missed the full body sound of the K340 a lot....Really the sextett sound as some K340 which would had lose his firm 3-d body....An ethereal K340 instead of an incarnated and embodied K340....

I understand perfectly why some could love the sextett so much, it is the little twin short brother, but if we own the K340, the sextett is dispensable....And sorry, no, the mids of the sextett so great they are and they are good, better than all my other headphones, save for the Stax SR-5 gold which mids are the most beautiful i heard, are the shadow of the K340 body...

AKG created the sextett not because the headphone is better than the K340, but because it is more comfort, less costly, less complex to make and easier to drive and they own the sound personality of the K340 anyway if only without the body ....It is so good headphone that i feel not so enthusiastic to buy another AKG or any headphones at all , because i risk very high probable deception....

Perhaps the DF ?

His soundstage and his "neutrality" is perhaps something to experiment, as said Majoox i think, it is the " poor man" K1000 or the poor man Sennheiser 800 ....

 

[xeizo]

I have the Sextett at home, they where in pretty good shape, only obvious fault is the elastic headband is not so elastic anymore. It's loose, a standard fault on these which I have to fix. But drivers are fine, and the resonators are fine, even the 45 year old pads looks good. Been playing a few hours, sound is great, no distorsion or rattling. Even the cable is in good shape.

Anyway, full circle, Philips 6330 was my first headphone and this is virtually the same even the original as Philips was the clone.

 

[GREQ]

I would argue that I am somewhat an appreciator of the vintage AKG.

Previously owned:
K1
K140 (x2)
K140 WL
K141 Monitor (gold) (x2)
K240 Monitor
K240 Sextett (EP)
K241 (red button version and world's first DF tuned headphone, not the French K240 sextett version)
K250
K280 Parabolic
K340 (x2)
Realistic Pro50

Currently owned:
K1
K4
K141 (original silver)
K240DF
K501 (v1)

The only vintage AKG that truly impressed me so far was the K501.
All the hype surrounding it's ability to perform well with classical music are entirely justified.
With any other genre, with it's subtle bass and big soundstage, they make for excellent low-volume late-night relaxation listening.

Every other vintage AKG has had their great charms, but more often even bigger drawbacks.

 

[richard51]

It seems we will differ about the sextett and the K340.... If they had heavy drawbacks at all they dont have any for me, its seems to me compared to my 8 others headphones, that all my other headphones did not even compare to these 2... But no headphone own a perfect score, not even the King K340 nor the K501 for sure ....

The K340 modded and properly amplified, trash hifiman He 400, my 2 Stax, the K701...and all the others ...

Then the K501 beat the K340 and the sextett? why not.... i must try it then... I am curious of others opinions...

By the way thanks for your participation to the discussion, you know better than me the AKG stable for sure....

 

[Davidzak64]

I would argue that I am somewhat an appreciator of the vintage AKG.

Previously owned:
K1
K140 (x2)
K140 WL
K141 Monitor (gold) (x2)
K240 Monitor
K240 Sextett (EP)
K241 (red button version and world's first DF tuned headphone, not the French K240 sextett version)
K250
K280 Parabolic
K340 (x2)
Realistic Pro50

Currently owned:
K1
K4
K141 (original silver)
K240DF
K501 (v1)

The only vintage AKG that truly impressed me so far was the K501.
All the hype surrounding it's ability to perform well with classical music are entirely justified.
With any other genre, with it's subtle bass and big soundstage, they make for excellent low-volume late-night relaxation listening.

Every other vintage AKG has had their great charms, but more often even bigger drawbacks.

I can appreciate your input to this thread. Can you give an example of the amplification that was used during your listening sessions with the K340 and Sextett? I don't listen to classical music but I do know that you need plenty of power to make these HP'S sound good. I also own some pretty reputable HP'S and I can honestly say that I enjoy the K340 and Sextett more than the others.

 

[richard51]

I would argue that I am somewhat an appreciator of the vintage AKG.

Previously owned:
K1
K140 (x2)
K140 WL
K141 Monitor (gold) (x2)
K240 Monitor
K240 Sextett (EP)
K241 (red button version and world's first DF tuned headphone, not the French K240 sextett version)
K250
K280 Parabolic
K340 (x2)
Realistic Pro50

Currently owned:
K1
K4
K141 (original silver)
K240DF
K501 (v1)

The only vintage AKG that truly impressed me so far was the K501.
All the hype surrounding it's ability to perform well with classical music are entirely justified.
With any other genre, with it's subtle bass and big soundstage, they make for excellent low-volume late-night relaxation listening.

Every other vintage AKG has had their great charms, but more often even bigger drawbacks.

I forgot to say that if your K340 was unmodded, and you listened to it right of the box without a dedicated system around it, i approve your opinion, my own K340 was not so spectacular in the beginning....But it is not at all the case now....

 

[Davidzak64]

I forgot to say that if your K340 was unmodded, and you listened to it right of the box without a dedicated system around it, i approve your opinion, my own K340 was not so spectacular in the beginning....But it is not at all the case4 now....

That's only because you don't own the precious green driver K340 that many of us adore in it's Stock form.

 

[richard51]

I am so happy with the bass version that i did not dream about the green one....

 

[Davidzak64]

I am so happy with the bass version that i did not dream about the green one....

I think you may have modified your bass heavy 340 to replicate the green driver's without even realizing it.

 

[richard51]

I think you may have modified your bass heavy 340 to replicate the green driver's without even realizing it.

Probably.... I read a post , i dont remember who it was, but it was someone knowing the K340, and he said in spite of apparent difference, once modded properly the K340 green and the bass one sound a lot alike.... He was certainly right, i dont think that the various K340 differ so much.....A flavour in the tuning of the acoustic resonators perhaps, and some different electrical component inside, i dont know.......


One thing is certain for me.... The sextett is very good, in fact my best headphone, save for the K340.... But the K340 S.Q. is way over the sextett... Than, drawbacks or not, i am pretty sure the K501, if he beat the sextett, and i know it is not so clear between these two , reading all reviews, i am pretty sure though, the K501 cannot even compare to the K340... One this is said, all reviews claimed probably rightfully that the K501 is one of the best AKG.... Some other claim the sextett.... Some other claim the DF.... Myself i dont doubt one second it is the K340....

 

[Davidzak64]

Probably.... I read a post , i dont remember who it was, but it was someone knowing the K340, and he said in spite of apparent difference, once modded properly the K340 green and the bass one sound a lot alike.... He was certainly right, i dont think that the various K340 differ so much.....A flavour in the tuning of the acoustic resonators perhaps, and some different electrical component inside, i dont know.......

I do use an EQ (no shame here) for my K340 and have plenty of power to drive them. I haven't heard anything to my liking that sound as good as they do.

Oh no! I'm starting to sound like you.

 

[richard51]

I do use an EQ (no shame here) for my K340 and have plenty of power to drive them. I haven't heard anything to my liking that sound as good as they do.


Oh no! I'm starting to sound like you.

You assume something completely wrong here my friend .... Using E.Q. with an headphone so sophisticated as the K340 is not the sign of a defect... It is a sign of his delicate balance RELATIVELY TO OUR SPECIFIC ears/brain and the necessity to control at best this delicate balance determined by the meeting of two new technology ...

Then using EQ. to optimize it is not proof of a defect at all to begin with... There is no sound quality so perfect in headphones and speakers right ou5t of the box which did not ask for acoustic, mechanical, and electrical tuning and embeddings.... Equalization is not a tool to correct a defect but more a tool to adapt to our perception a complex and sensitive design... Even speakers cannot work optimally in their room without equalization...

With the right amplification, but with no other modification, someone can like his K340 for sure as it is right out of the box...

But for example myself i cannot even compare the sextett i like to the K340.... Other people with a non modified K340 think also that it is a question of taste to chose between the sextett and the K340.... But sorry with a modified and optimized K340, the sextett dont compare at all, even if the timbre flavor is the same yes.... No comparison between the sextett and the modified K340 is possible at all for me.... Then perhaps if your K340 was modified optimally to begin with , perhaps you will think too, that in spite of their similarity in timbre and imaging, they did not compare at all....
Then i dont think that my K340 was inferior to the green version at all....And i dont think that equalizing an headphone is the reflection of some innate defect....

The main defect of the K340, his Achilles heel, is his sensitivity to any changes inside or outside his shell, and the meeting point of these two technology : the passive resonators and the hybridation of the dynamic and electret drivers create so much sensitivity and reactivity that optimizing this headphone for our specific ears filtering biases is MANDATORY, beginning with the more powerful and cleanest amplification possible... But this is only the beginning.... For example the volume of the acoustic chamber coupled to the right pads materials and dimensions is of the utmost importance ... Etc

 

[Davidzak64]

You assume something completely wrong here my friend .... Using E.Q. with an headphone so sophisticated as the K340 is not the sign of a defect... It is a sign of his delicate balance RELATIVELY TO OUR SPECIFIC ears/brain and the necessity to control at best this delicate balance determined by the meeting of two new technology ...

Then using EQ. to optimize it is not proof of a defect at all to begin with... There is no sound quality so perfect in headphones and speakers right ou5t of the box which did not ask for acoustic, mechanical, and electrical tuning and embeddings.... Equalization is not a tool to correct a defect but more a tool to adapt to our perception a complex and sensitive design... Even speakers cannot work optimally in their room without equalization...

With the right amplification, but with no other modification, someone can like his K340 for sure as it is right out of the box... But myself i cannot even compare the sextett i like to the K340.... Other people with a non modified K340 think also that it is a question of taste to chose between the sextett and the K340.... But sorry with a modified and optimized K340, the sextett dont compare at all, ev3en if the timbre flavor is the same yes.... No comparison between the sextett and th3e modified K340 for me.... Then perhaps if your K340 was modified, perhaps you will think too, that in spite of their similarity in timbre and imaging, they did not compare at all....
Then i dont think that my K340 was inferior to the green version at all....

At the end of the day it's all preference.
Some headphones excel with specific genre's of music. Others like the K340 just excel for all.

 

[richard51]

At the end of the day it's all preference.
Some headphones excel with specific genre's of music. Others like the K340 just excel for all.

You are right....

I bought the sextett by curiosity.... I like them... As the K340 they excel in all genre too, save electronica music with 20 hertz bass .... But i already even know before buying them that they will never rival the K340... Nothing i ever listen to touch them.... After all the Stax SR-5 gold model is not a trash headphone and it did not compare at all like the sextett or the Hifiman He 400 or the K701 or the two Fostex and the two Beyerdynamic i owned, to the mighty K340 .... Holography, timbre, transparency, bass, details, dynamic etc....

I know why people criticize the K340 now... They never listen to it to begin with.... Sorry but nobody know the K340 without building a system for them and optimizing them... I remember well how they sound the first time when they were improperly installed in my audio system at the time... ....They did not beat my other headphones at the time... Now they trash them...In the bin... The only reason why the sextett will not go on the bin trash is because his timbre and imaging are similar to the K340... But not equal...On any acoustic counts...

I doubt then that the K501 will beat the K340.... No reviews on the web push me in this beliefs.... It is the opposite, people hesitate between the DF, the sextett and the K501 as king of AKG ... It is a question of taste to chose between them because they are, even if they are very different, on the same level + or - ..... The K340 is not on this level, instead it compare to some other TOTL....

It is simple to understand, because the sextett, the DF and the K501 are all singular dynamic driver, the K340 is the most successful hybrid ever designed.... Now add to that the 5 passive Helmholtz resonators tuned for them , and they are one of the rare headphone to be acoustically improved compared to all the crowds of singular drivers, dynamic or planar, glued in an empty shell...With a beautiful wooden cups though...

Now i hesitate between the DF and the K501 for testing.... But i have no doubt that none of them can touch the feet of the K340 though .... A dedicated Stax Omega system perhaps will beat the K340 , KT88 claimed that the K340 rival the best Stax under the Omega....But neither the DF nor the K501 optimized or not could beat a high level Stax, sorry...I dont even need to verify that by buying one...

The scalability of the K340 is such that i think it is possible with the right source dac ( the BACCH purifier dac ) and the right amplification, the Berning ZOTL, the K340 could improve even OVER the Omega Stax... Read my posts above for the reasons... Anyway this will prove the K340 scalability, but the price will be the triple of the Omega system...

 

[richard51]

What is scalibility ?

It is the property for an headphone to improve his S.Q. by electrical, acoustical and mechanical improved additions to the system out of his first measured characteristics toward a highest acoustic perceived experience ...Amplification is only one of these electrical factors.... The dimension of the second acoustic chamber in the K340 shell is only one of these acoustical factor... The righful damping of the shell is only one of these mechanical factors... ETC....

Now most headphone dont change much if we change the amplifier, the pads or anything else, their scalability is relatively fixed by the limit of their singular driver and the acoustic passivity of their shell and their immunity to external changes ....The K340 change way much at any of these modifications .... It is a very delicate headphone sensible to any modification and we can hear it clearly , thanks to Dr. Goerike for his coupling of acoustic resonators, making the K340 shell an active shell, with electrical hybridation here... ....

Most headphones dont scale very high, because they dont own a sensitive and reactive balance between two powerful drivers working together ( the electret in the K340 is not a tweeter only as in the Dharma case the other hybrid) and most conventional headphone are not acoustically tuned with passive resonators or drivers which not only improved bass but the relation between bass and the mids and help the ears/brain to localize the sounds by some timing of the back wave of sound with the direct wave, this is the reason why the volume dimension of the second acoustic chamber matter ... The K340 may scale greatly because of that.... Then the crowds of singular driver with a passive empty shell dont match and cannot rival the K340.... They are all variations on the same non holographic marketing theater...

The K340 dont rival other headphones by merely a more "tasteful timbre" for example, it is way more than that, but by a 3-d very dynamic and transparent and detailed never heard before soundfield...

How many headphones will be a cult object in 50 years as the K340 ? As the Omega Stax is too ?

The K501? Let me smile with a bit of doubt here ....I dont need to buy 80 headphones to know that....

Most headphone choices are subjective taste choice yes.... But there is also objective acoustic criteria to class headphones.... Almost no one will chose a Beats headphone over the Omega Stax , save a teen on a rolling plank....

No AKG model rival the K340, save the mythic K1000.... So good it is the K501 compare probably here with the sextett and the DF yes but not to the K340 or the K1000 flagships which are not classic headphone at all ...

I apologize for being a bit too enthusiastic ....