Did Jacob call Pete DannyB or something? Vague memory of laughing a lot.

Umm, you could say that.

and he never would have been, if a certain person hadn't introduced red vodka into the ecosystem.

Clearly you would've been stone cold sober if not for that red vodka.

Oh come now, it may have been cheap vodka, but calling it vodka-ish is just being elitist.

I think he meant stone cold sober(-ish)

Quiet you, I'm being Dusty here.

I'm too stone cold sober right now to have realized

Then FIX THAT! you know how.

http://cdn.head-fi.org/0/07/0729c360_headfi_002.jpg

The link for the K1000 set up. A bit large but the settings you can make with such devices are amazing.

and he never would have been, if a certain person hadn't introduced red vodka into the ecosystem.

Pffft, sure blame the foreigner for all of this...

Now just wait for what I'll come up with next time around...

jvlgato and Horio, that's mean! Hahahahaha but unfortunately I really cannot afford to swing 5K right now ... too much money!

Synchro Belt Drive, BIG setup! But it looks fantastic!

I thought so too, and I'm me.

Guys, I'll be honest. I have to say that I'm sort of afraid of the responses I might get, but given you've all been so kind helping me, I feel I should tell you what I've done regarding this situation.

Well, I looked a lot at many alternatives for amplification and although I came across some very good options, such as a few Alephs on Audiogon and even a DIY Firstwatt F1, they were all CONUS and I hadn't sold my integrated amp anyways. I found two pretty good deals on two sets of tubes and dediced to try them, both to check whether it would help (despite the LD hate that seems to exist around here) and also because, worst case scenario, it would allow me to sell the LD at a larger profit here in Brazil. So I took the plunge. If I didn't like it, I'd at least get some more money from selling it.

I'll just say that for now the K1000 isn't going anywhere. It's not that the problems were solved – the midrange is still considerably proeminent for rock (less so than before, though), but now the bass has definitely appeared and the highs seem to have found a home. And mostly, the hardness I was hearing is seriously attenuated, if not gone. Before this, taking the Stax off and going straight to the AKG was a shock, they were too opposites, one extremely musical and mellow and the other agressive and harsh. Now, it's a really smooth transaction!

I can't comment on how it compares to running the K1Ks off my Marantz since I'm too lazy to go upstairs and plug it there, but I'll do that soon. However, it's miles better than with the previous tubes and with my bedroom's integrated.

Just to let you guys know, after all your help, I think it's nice to update the situation. But please, be nice!

Guys, I'll be honest. I have to say that I'm sort of afraid of the responses I might get, but given you've all been so kind helping me, I feel I should tell you what I've done regarding this situation.

It is wise to be fearful.

Well, I looked a lot at many alternatives for amplification and although I came across some very good options, such as a few Alephs on Audiogon and even a DIY Firstwatt F1, they were all CONUS and I hadn't sold my integrated amp anyways. I found two pretty good deals on two sets of tubes and dediced to try them, both to check whether it would help (despite the LD hate that seems to exist around here) and also because, worst case scenario, it would allow me to sell the LD at a larger profit here in Brazil. So I took the plunge. If I didn't like it, I'd at least get some more money from selling it.

I'll just say that for now the K1000 isn't going anywhere. It's not that the problems were solved – the midrange is still considerably proeminent for rock (less so than before, though), but now the bass has definitely appeared and the highs seem to have found a home. And mostly, the hardness I was hearing is seriously attenuated, if not gone. Before this, taking the Stax off and going straight to the AKG was a shock, they were too opposites, one extremely musical and mellow and the other agressive and harsh. Now, it's a really smooth transaction!

I can't comment on how it compares to running the K1Ks off my Marantz since I'm too lazy to go upstairs and plug it there, but I'll do that soon. However, it's miles better than with the previous tubes and with my bedroom's integrated.

Just to let you guys know, after all your help, I think it's nice to update the situation. But please, be nice!

So, like we said, better tubes would probably help a little, but the LD still sucks raw eggs, at least as a K1000 amp. No surprises there.

Guys... any thoughts on the Meier Audio Eartube?

There's a very good deal on one here in Brazil now, and I'll have the opportunity to listen to it in August, but I just wanted to see if I could find anything about it with the K1K – and I can't. Does anyone here have any experience with this combo?

Probably not. You could count on one hand the number of people that own an eartube, minus those that have even heard one. Not saying there is anything wrong but it never really caught on.

isn't it basically a RKV with crossfeed?

I believe so, there might be a couple of other tweaks thrown in there as well. But you are basically dealing with a tube hybrid that uses a chip buffer. With cross feed.

The AudioValve RKV is a SS front end (the chip op amp) with a tube output stage.

link, in german - google translate works well enough on this page

Post 25 (by jan meier) says the eartube has output transformers.

head-fi can never fail!

In post# 50 jan says the amp was designed by audio-valve, but with output transformers. It cant be anything like the RKV.

Edited June 30, 201114 yr by nikongod

well then, i have no idea how it would sound with the K1000s.

Obviously you must lower your self esteem and pine for Supremus status more...

Well, I'll get to listen to it in August anyways, so if anyone is interested, I'll let you know what happens!

Still, thank you all once again

Hey everyone,

Sorry to bump this thread, but it seemed the best place for this.

First, I just bought an Eartube, it should be here next week, and if anyone's interested I can give some feedback about this pairing!

Second, I have a Burson HA-160D here from the loaner program, and was surprised to find out that it's perfectly capable of driving the K1000. While it doesn't make the AKGs do anything I've never seen before, it doesn't miss on anything significant either. What puzzles me is that it only outputs 120mW at 120 ohms. How on earth is this possible? I listen to music at pretty normal levels, so I don't think my "volume bar" is set too low. Why are its 120mW enough, then, given that the recommended power for the K1000's is a full W? I apologize if this is a stupid question, but it got me really curious.

Where did you get those numbers?

IIRC, the Burson dumps 760mW into 120 ohms.

Curiously, it now reads on their website that it outputs 250 mW into an unknown impedance. I also read a few months ago something different - around 800 more or less (I don't precisely remember). That's weird IMHO.

I'm starting to think their is something very fishy with Burson's specifications. This is a far cry from Violectric specification page.

Curiously, it now reads on their website that it outputs 250 mW into an unknown impedance. I also read a few months ago something different - around 800 more or less (I don't precisely remember). That's weird IMHO.

I'm starting to think their is something very fishy with Burson's specifications. This is a far cry from Violectric specification page.

Maybe that's a rating for 300Ohms, but yeah- Burson has really ascetic specs page. Don't know about the HA-160DS, but I remember HA-160/160D putting about a watt in 32Ohms. And reports are that it plays well with orthos.

Maybe that's a rating for 300Ohms, but yeah- Burson has really ascetic specs page. Don't know about the HA-160DS, but I remember HA-160/160D putting about a watt in 32Ohms. And reports are that it plays well with orthos.

The funny thing is that it's now reported that all their amps (HA-160, HA-160D and HA-160DS) outputs the same 250 mW into THATSABIGMYSTERY ohms, not just the newer HD-160DS. So it's been changed for some reason. That doesn't seem serious to me. And that seems even less sensible from a marketing point of view to downgrade the rated power.

Anyway, I suppose in theory 250 mW should be enough for most high-impedance dynamic headphones below 600 ohms. Not so sure about the K1000 (still, in theory).

i also read rather good reports about pairing it with the LCD-2 or Sennheisers HD6XX, but not so with the HD800 and more demanding orthos. Could it be possible that it's now underrated for lower impedance headphones ?

I took my K1000 out (have not listened to them for a month or so) and currently listening to Joe Pass and boy is this fun and just pure pleasure.