AKG K 1000

Anyone here heard or has one of it? How does it compare to modern headphones? Are there any measurements comparing it to hd 800 or other headphones?

 

Offers unique qualities but it doesn't quite stack up to some of the better modern headphones in my book.

 

Reading reviews it seems its one of its kind and designed in between headphone and speakers.So with diffuse field frequency response and faster driver which can match speed of current flagship models.

 

I got to listen to the bass heavy version (if that's a real thing) for an hour at a meet off Yggdrasil-Rag via speaker taps. It's a monster, a truly overpowering phone. It noticeably lacked lows but didn’t sound bright. The soundstage is wider and deeper than anything I know of, but it lacks height in comparison and its imaging is not precise. I really enjoyed it, but I didn't come away feeling that I had to buy one; I'm just glad it exists so I can hear it from time to time.

 

I've been having a second hand model since 2004. (I think it is obvious...)
Not my everyday phones. But surely they have their own character.
I will be glad to shine a light if there is something you need to know.

To answer the op, I have compared them to the HE400 which I also own (I have not listened for long time with other modern hps). Of course I prefer the K1000 but not exclusively.

 

They AKG K1000s need a really good Class A amp to sound their best. It helps if used in conjunction with the BAP1000.

 

Isn't the conventional wisdom that they need 6W or something like that to sound their best?

 

Yup, I heard one at a Head Fi meet in 2005 i believe.

Only got about 6 minutes of good listening time in, then it started to get louder in the general area, and there wasn't much point in listening to the K1000's after that.

I almost bought a secondhand set on two different occasions this year alone but never end up pulling the trigger. probably too risky since it's my memory from so long ago.

I do seem to remember people would hook them up to small power amps or something like that. Again, my memory could be a big foggy...

 

the fact is, I get the best results with a Pass FirstWatt F5 diy amp.
But I listen also to other sources. It is not the easiest task to change speaker cables all the time.
As I have already said, their character remains the same, regardless of amp.
Also, there is no point to listen to them at levels higher than 100db

 

I've seen references to the K1000 running off the 1/4" output of the Schiit Lyr. 7W should be ample. Anyone here tried this set-up?

 

I have a pair that I listen to off of an ECBA. They're different than standard headphones, almost like if you held computer speakers to your ears. Obviously the quality is better then computer speakers, but they don't meet the performance of modern cans like Ojneg stated.

 

Righty ... so there was a pair in the market locally for over a year. Was very tempted when I first saw the ad in September 2015, but having just bought a pair of HD800's from the same seller I could not justify another (former) flagship at the time.

Time passed and I became increasingly intrigued by the K1000, its history, unique listening experience and similarly unique amplification requirements. So when the ad flighted again about six weeks ago I asked for right of first refusal, which I excercised when a French buyer showed interest. Promptly made payment and arranged courier collection.

When they arrived I was astonished by the seemingly brand new condition of the phones. It came triple boxed in the original tan presentation box. Entirely devoid of any dust, fingerprints, or any signs or wear and tear. Also they came hardwired with an 8 ft APureSound tail, the original XLR tail and a neat looking XLR to 6.35 adapter. Plus the coolest solid wood custom stand a couple of antistatic record sleeves "to protect them from dust".

So I contacted the seller ... turns out he bought four pairs NOS (serial number 107xx ... probably the very last production run) from Greek dealer many years ago. This was the last remaining pair after the others were sold to enthusiasts in Hong Kong, Iceland and Canada over the years. He had used this pair lightly before stowing them a couple of years ago when he stopped actively pursuing headphones as a hobby.

I havnt had time for more than cursory listening ... but the experience is truly unique as expected. Somehow these make HD800s sound a little muddled and LCD2s a little unrefined by comparison. Not perfect, but very glad to add this to my collection.

Pics courtesy of previous owner ...

 

Fun fact: we at Sonarworks have measured and calibrated a K1000. They're interesting, but overall I can't see them bringing much to table in absolute terms. Also - don't ask for measurements - they're highly dependent on the angling of drivers. There wasn't much going on below 100Hz, but midrange was pretty decent.

 

Indeed, they can get unpleasantly shouty in the mids if angled too close to the ears.

Also, new developments from the people behind the K1000: http://www.head-fi.org/t/819658/1989-vs-2017-m-e

 

I'm a little worried about that, personally. After reading some of the posts from one of the engineers behind the K1000 on HF, they seem to be so incredibly proud of the sound and he was convinced that the headphones had a flat response that I can't help but imagine the successor being made on the same basis.

Then again a lot of people love the K1000 sound so maybe a K1000v2 with minor changes to the sound signature would be appealing to them.

 

The people behind the K1000 also worked on the K240DF and Sennheiser HD250 II Linear. They can make a headphone sound extremely good when they have the resources.

 

They have the capability. Whether or not they can actually follow through depends on the bottom dollar gremlins.

 

Gregory Nomax just announced Mysphere 3.1 here http://www.open-end-music.de/vb3/showthread.php?s=6a76976fdf0acf376797ca3bc6213b32&t=9437&page=17

No idea what this is but will keep on following that thread ...

 

I want to see prototype specifications or a pre-production model with current or in development specifications.