What are the Best Vintage Headphones? Pre-1980

[Trance88]

Vintage is right up my alley! I'm gonna have to say look for the Lafayette F990 cans! They pop up quite a bit on ebay. Produced from 1968 or so to through the early 70's. They use 3 1/2" loudspeakers for the transducers. Great soundstage! These headphones are very comfortable too. Really nice thick pads!

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dclancy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Been listening to my DT 480's (not 48's) and think they sound truly excellent, considering they're roughly circa 1972. In fact I'm putting together a little mini review/comparison for the hell of it, seeing as I couldn't find any info on the them online.

They look a lot like the DT150.....

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pioneer was a great deal in the 70's I love my monitor 10, the best FR balance...

x2!
Don't forget about the instrument separation and isolation. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out.

(btw, acix, do you know how to take them apart? I'm curious as to what they look like inside...)

 

[ISALULA]

AKG K340's

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidhunternyc /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I have never heard these headphones but the Pioneer's are what inspired me to start this thread. I mean they are stunning looking. Do any of these models have sound quality equal to the best dynamics of today?

Yes, The Monitor 10 still the best FR balance in today's studio monitor headphone standards. Even compare to the RS1 and the K702. Monitor 10 are a treasure in the studio...

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DefectiveAudioComponent /img/forum/go_quote.gif x2! Don't forget about the instrument separation and isolation. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out. (btw, acix, do you know how to take them apart? I'm curious as to what they look like inside...)

Well, I haven't forgotten, the isolation is the best that I've had the chance to experience. About the instrument separation, the things changed a little since I got the K702. But yes, they still have great instrument separation compared to most studio headphones that I've experienced. It's more easy on the Monitor 10 to hear the separation because of the balanced frequency response. People will say they probably have no bass, but they've got great bass, too.

If you gently move the outer edge of the padding around the bezel, you will see four screws, two on each side, which will open the can. The pads are glued, so don't try to take them off. They'll just lift off with the grill panel. These headphones have a huge driver inside. If you open them, please take photos, so we can all enjoy the view.

 

[davidhunternyc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I haven't forgotten, the isolation is the best that I've had the chance to experience. About the instrument separation, the things changed a little since I got the K702.

I think this would be a great opportunity to get a real comparative review of the Monitor 10 vs. the K702. The best of the old world vs. the best of the new world. Could you indulge us here and write something up for us?

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidhunternyc /img/forum/go_quote.gif The best of the old world vs. the best of the new world. Could you indulge us here and write something up for us?

Yep, it's a great idea. I will probably do it in the near future. For your topic, I would be happy to compare the Monitor 10 to the K340. Or maybe another member could do that, too.

 

[scompton]

I seem to remember reading that the current Monitor 10 is not as good as the one from the 80s. I've seen old ones go for quite a bit on eBay.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I haven't forgotten, the isolation is the best that I've had the chance to experience. About the instrument separation, the things changed a little since I got the K702. .

I suppose that the comparison is a bit unfair to the old monitor 10s, but I'd still like to know how they compare!

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I seem to remember reading that the current Monitor 10 is not as good as the one from the 80s. I've seen old ones go for quite a bit on eBay.

I haven't heard the current version.... but it might be out of production as well now. (I can't find it on the Pioneer site anymore.)

 

[Nocturnal310]

hey ..can anyone what headphones was Heywood (William Sadler) wearing in Shawshank Redemption in the Prison Library while listening to vinyl records?


i hope some of u have that movie


in the movie he is listening to Hank Williams

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you gently move the outer edge of the padding around the bezel, you will see four screws, two on each side, which will open the can. The pads are glued, so don't try to take them off. They'll just lift off with the grill panel. These headphones have a huge driver inside. If you open them, please take photos, so we can all enjoy the view.

I wanted to see if any damping materials or old dirt needed to be replaced. But there are no damping materials inside of these. Nothing to see, nothing to fix.

(But the cups are covered with leather on the outside.)

The inside of the cover (the pads are on the other side)

The inside of the cups, and the driver

The driver is attached with two screws to the cover

I wonder, would it be a good idea to add damping materials? Or would it mess things up?

 

[davidhunternyc]

I love these Pioneer's too. I would like to know how these Monitor 10R's compare to the Monitor 10's. Which has better sound quality?

 

[Donzelague]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidhunternyc /img/forum/go_quote.gif By the way, is it the same person who posted on my thread his SE-L40 and also put them up for sale on ebay? http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/wha...37/index3.html

No, it"s not me. I don't want to part from these, even if they sound quite so-so: they are so beautiful:

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DefectiveAudioComponent /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wanted to see if any damping materials or old dirt needed to be replaced. But there are no damping materials inside of these. Nothing to see, nothing to fix. (But the cups are covered with leather on the outside.) The inside of the cover (the pads are on the other side) The inside of the cups, and the driver The driver is attached with two screws to the cover I wonder, would it be a good idea to add damping materials? Or would it mess things up?

Amazing. Thank you for the great pictures. Funny! The drivers look like AKG drivers. It's surprising that there are no damping materials. There's probably a reason for that, but maybe you could try some sort of cotton fiber. The Monitor 10 doesn't really suffer from overemphasized bass that needs to be controlled, so it may not be necessary.