solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,882
|
Post by solderdude on Jan 5, 2015 20:53:55 GMT
You can 'upgrade' the v1 as discussed in the thread here (the bass rolls-off with the stock components) You can also easily change the output R of the V1 if you want. It has more than enough output voltage and should be able to drive the K240 as well.
The Sherwood can deliver at least double the output voltage of the V1 though.
|
|
sekar
quite active
Posts: 161
|
Post by sekar on Jan 5, 2015 21:08:57 GMT
Thank you, I've got almost all parts to upgrade my X-Cans v.1 and may be I'll begin new thread for this project, if it'd be interesting for anybody. As for me I have some questions concerned with the process of upgrading.
I just want to say that using powerful amplifier with AKG K601 gave some kind "mind blowing" effect. You need to be very careful to select proper volume level.
|
|
Crispy
very active
Madrigal music is playing - Voices can faintly be heard, "Please leave this patient undisturbed."
Posts: 776
|
Post by Crispy on Jan 5, 2015 21:18:32 GMT
Thank you, I've got almost all parts to upgrade my X-Cans v.1 and may be I'll begin new thread for this project, if it'd be interesting for anybody. As for me I have some questions concerned with the process of upgrading. I just want to say that using powerful amplifier with AKG K601 gave some kind "mind blowing" effect. You need to be very careful to select proper volume level. Hi Sekar welcome to the forum, Read this thread first as I am sure you will learn al lot - I have diyah.boards.net/thread/760/v1-winter-projectFrans (Solderdude) is our top guy who will tirelessly help you until you are satisfied.
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Jan 5, 2015 21:19:41 GMT
Hi Sergey, nice to see you writing out in the open. Especially since English isn't your main language. Same for Solderdude... English isn't his first language but I think he understands it better than me and I'm in England!!!!
I've often thought about driving direct from a power amp with an adapter of some kind. I did it a long time ago with a Nad 3020 amp as an experiment and I found the sound really full but full of noise. I guess there must be resistors in the adapter to be able to do this?
In those days, I used a Sennheiser hd414 (even to work with) but I also had another headphone that was pretty good but had volume controls on the outside of each earpiece. That meant that I could adjust them really low (making them very hard to drive like a 600 ohm headphone or perhaps more, who knows) and the amp could then drive them really well with no noise.
I can't remember what make they were - the same company made video players ... Got it, they were JVC headphones. The cups were like Grado bowls but you could change their resistance which was useful.
I did notice a fuller bass when driven like that as well.
I also used two Nad 6150 I think they were. I had them bridged into mono, so they were putting out an awful lot of power,driving some big floorstanders. Boy, was the bass good like that.
Then I went hi fi on the advice of a magazine called 'What Hi Fi' which I used to read. I got this Cyrus amp which had painfully low power and no bass, and then to a Naim amp which I found pretty much the same. Lovely and hi fi sounding but low power and thin.
K701 was a long battle for me. I tried so hard to like it but couldn't stand it any more in the end. I do have a K612 now though as well as many others!!
|
|
solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,882
|
Post by solderdude on Jan 5, 2015 21:22:17 GMT
As long as it isn't an 'ear blowing' effect ! If you want to improve the 'travel' on the volume control for the K601 it will be easy to make a 2 resistor output divider even with the desired output R. This is described here: diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/tutorials/power-amp-adapter/The K601 can only handle 0.2W. Even with a 120 Ohm output R in series the power amp can pump 4W into this headphone !
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Jan 5, 2015 21:35:15 GMT
Well, I did have to be careful with the volume, but there was something more 'full' about the sound. It was also very lively I remember.
I did all kinds of things in those days though and blowing headphones was the least of my concerns. I had bags of them!! Terrible waste of money and then I became a sensible hi fi nerd and went the Linn/Naim route, with possible one of the cartridges that Mick made, I think.
I had some Mission floorstanders as well, but they had no bass, so they went quick for something else. In bedrooms, I used some upside down Missions. The tweeters were in the middle or bottom of the speaker enclosure. Awful things. No bass. Like a K701!!
Ember and Polaris do supply bass on k612 though.
|
|
sekar
quite active
Posts: 161
|
Post by sekar on Jan 5, 2015 21:56:12 GMT
Yes, I need to admit that effect was rather "ear blowing" than "mind blowing" but ...... K601 provided so large and 3D scene that you felt sometimes real presence of singers ( female surely ). I heard special recordings where german engineers used special mikes inside the model of human head to provide effect of presence , but it was special disc. Sometimes you feel like you've get awoken in your dreaming , I forget exact name of this phenomenon. I had it several times, that was really mind blowing ! I forgot to note , i use SonicFrontiers Transdac and some reviewers wrote that this converter put singers close to listeners in such way like you are sitting in a first row .
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Jan 5, 2015 22:15:42 GMT
I think you're describing binaural recordings. Using dummie heads to place two microphones so that imaging on a headphone is truly 3d.
It would be nice to have more of them available for headphone users.
I have a binaural recording somewhere of Glenn should playing Bach. Just a piano, but it sounds really good with this effect.
|
|
sekar
quite active
Posts: 161
|
Post by sekar on Jan 5, 2015 22:39:07 GMT
Yes, it was surely binaural recording. I was sure that K701 provide some kind of "quantum leap" in quality of sound. I regret a bit that i bought GM 400 instead.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
AKG bass
Jan 6, 2015 10:15:51 GMT
via mobile
Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2015 10:15:51 GMT
Yes, I need to admit that effect was rather "ear blowing" than "mind blowing" but ...... K601 provided so large and 3D scene that you felt sometimes real presence of singers ( female surely ). I heard special recordings where german engineers used special mikes inside the model of human head to provide effect of presence , but it was special disc. Sometimes you feel like you've get awoken in your dreaming , I forget exact name of this phenomenon. I had it several times, that was really mind blowing ! I forgot to note , i use SonicFrontiers Transdac and some reviewers wrote that this converter put singers close to listeners in such way like you are sitting in a first row . I'm something of a collector of binaural recordings. The album you're thinking of is called the Space Sound CD and is from an outfit called Audio Stax. The intro in particular is the single best binaural demonstration I've ever heard. There's another track on the album which is astonishing - a stunning rendition of When A Man Loves A Woman, where the vocalist appears to walk around the stage whilst singing. Quite incredible.
|
|
sekar
quite active
Posts: 161
|
Post by sekar on Jan 6, 2015 11:30:16 GMT
2 Frans
Thank you. The main problem here is properly match your amplifier and headphones and better way in this case is to make some voltage divider. You need to calculate values of resistors to obtain more accurate results. I think it requires some additional project. As for me i almost don't hear any additional noise when listening 600Ohm K240 but during listening session with 120Ohm K601 additional noise getting more noticeable. 600Ohm K240 were proposed for professional use so people on the radio didn't hesitate to connect this cans directly to studio amplifiers ....
2 Crispy Thank you. I'm reading your thread. I think I'll use some of your tricks and add some mine !
2 solrighal Exactly ! No other recordings could be compared with true binaural. In some sense even obvious recordings being listened in K601 driven by power amplifier reminded me this binaural. There are many downsides or obstacles to overcome if you make decision to use obvious amplifier so it's not a piece of cake.
|
|
solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,882
|
Post by solderdude on Jan 6, 2015 14:12:51 GMT
2 Frans The main problem here is properly match your amplifier and headphones and better way in this case is to make some voltage divider. You need to calculate values of resistors to obtain more accurate results. I think it requires some additional project. As for me i almost don't hear any additional noise when listening 600Ohm K240 but during listening session with 120Ohm K601 additional noise getting more noticeable. 600Ohm K240 were proposed for professional use so people on the radio didn't hesitate to connect this cans directly to studio amplifiers .... The voltage divider is described near the bottom of that page for different output resistances as well. It will get rid of the noise for the K601 and protect it and your hearing. Lots of 600 Ohm headphones can be used in parallel and connected directly to power amps. in studios this was the norm. In the early days (K240 DF time) there weren't that many dedicated HP amps so power amps were used mostly. These days 300 and 600 Ohm HP's exist for another reason. The wires can be thinner and thus weigh less and this can improve HF extension and impulse speed. This is why the 'better' dynamic headphones still have high impedances.
|
|
|
Post by elysion on Jan 16, 2015 1:23:41 GMT
I own the K702's (as former/current RG members perhaps are remembering). They are simple not my cup of tea, although I've loved them a while when using them with a Mike-modded X-Can V3 with Pinkie. The modded V3 is so far the best match I've found with them, but this combo is still disappointing in the long term (lack of bass, annoying high treble). It also depends much on the tubes used with the V3. I've have Russian tubes in them (very good tubes), but before that, I've had Philips E88CC Special Quality (=> Amperex) tubes in it, which had much better bass. Hard to get such (Amperex) tubes today, even more two matched ones of them. The Russian tubes (don't remember the exact type at the moment) are also very good, but not as good together with the K702's. Although I do not like the K702's really, I still have them. There are a few advantages of the K702's however: - They are real beauties and look very good. Build quality is also top-notch. The detachable cable gives some additional options. In addition to the stock cable, I have also a coiled cable from AKG and a 2m VOVOX sonorus cable. - They are very comfortable to wear. From that viewpoint, they're still one of my favourites. - These beasts highlight EVERY flaw in a recording. They are exaggerating every flaw, so even a deaf man could hear them. Good 'phones to find flaws IMO. But, unfortunately, not for comfortable and amused listening. - The soundstage is TREMENDOUS. But this doesn't compensate for the problems. Sure, these ARE open-back headphones (obviously), but they're even more "open" than other open-back 'phones. Certainly, this is one reason for the lack in bass. (See for example the DT990 Pro's which are half-open and have MUCH better bass.) All AKG 'phones mentioned in this post suffer from this "openness" but some not as much as the K702/K701's. Other pads do NOT help the K702's (nor do they help with the almost identical K701's - only the cable is different). We've tried almost everything possible back then on RG (remember it Rabbit?). My main critic with the K702's is the sharp treble, which can make me sick and ear fatigue can be a real problem. The lack of bass isn't as much of a problem. Some say the K702/K701's do a good job with speech, but I don't see much advantage over other good 'phones here. I don't use the K702's much nowadays. But I won't sell them. It's strange, but I'm loving them still a bit, although they are not one of my favourite 'phones (No. 1: DT990 Pro's with 250 Ohm, No. 2: HD650 with newer driver variant and appropriate amp, No. 3: HD25-1/II's with 80 Ohms). I have also a pair of K501's, but I don't use them much. Some say they are one of the best AKG 'phones built, but I never could get too excited about them. These are nice 'phones and a real collectors item, but also not my cup of tea. Some say they are very hard to drive. Perhaps, it's more a question of the right amp. I also have a pair of K500's, which have been worn a lot by the former owner (the same one who sold me also the K501's, but he didn't like the K501's, so they were almost new). The K500's have also some minor damages, but they still work. IMO the K501's are much better than the K500's. But bass isn't a strength of all the mentioned AKG 'phones. In the last few years, I've worn almost only my three favourite 'phones mentioned above. The DT990 Pro's account for about 95% of the time spent. They're a perfect match for me. One thing about the HD650's too: We've discovered a few things about them back then on RG. There are two driver variants. I have the newer drivers in them. They are VERY "forgiving", even bad recordings played from bad sources sound "good". Quite the contrary to the K702's. Most critics with the HD650's can be invalidated by using an appropriate amp. For example Neco amps equipped with AD8610 opamps are GREAT for that. I've also found out that the built-in head-amp of the ASUS Xonar Essence STX PCIe soundcard gives also very good results (not only with the HD650's though). TBH, I've almost exclusively used the head-amp of the Xonar Essence STX in the last few years, mostly with the DT990 Pro's (250 Ohm). You can also choose from three settings for headphones with various resistance. This works also beautifully with the Linux drivers. The signal chain is also much shorter than usually since the amp is directly built on the soundcard. I use almost only Seasonic PSU in my PCs and some of the computers are connected to an online UPS system, which improves the current entry somewhat (according the Frans it's mainly because of the filters in the UPS). Jeez! I've missed writing such posts so much... Nice to be here on DIYAH now...
|
|
|
Post by elysion on Jan 16, 2015 1:31:37 GMT
I need to have a look on the current Beyer product range. I've missed so much and when not buying another DT990 Pro somewhen, it's quite likely that I will have a look on other Beyer's. Probably, I won't buy other AKG's soon. Spent already too much for the AKG stuff I have and there was simply no perfect match within that stuff. Need to test the K702's with the Xonar Essence STX though. Perhaps there's some hidden potential there.
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Jan 16, 2015 18:43:34 GMT
I very much like the Beyer dt990 Christian. Not a 'flat' headphone but very good.
The one AKG I seem so be getting on with better at the moment is the K551. I'm not sure whether a little bit of tweaking has happened, but just a tad more bass seems to be there in comparison to my old K550. I got a new 550 for an adult student and the one I got also had a little bit more weight!!
The portable closed headphones from AKG have too much bass. The Y50 and the little 450. The 551 seems to have got a really good balance imo.
If it were t for my experiences with the K701, I may well have got a 702 or 712, but I just couldn't put up with them.
I never heard a K501. I was on the verge of getting one when they went 'discontinued'. Probably for the best since I don't think I would have liked them.
I use the HD650 a lot nowadays. I had some cheap Chinese pads on them and just recently paid out for some new Senn ones. That altered their sound for the better actually. I like the hd650 a lot. Mine's an old one.
Frans has an HD650 'remedy' in the form of a filter, which raises the treble level and extends the bass lower while taking the hump down!! He seems extremely happy with that.
|
|