[DaveNote]

In recent months my audio tastes, which for a while rambled into "warmth,' have reverted back to what they used to be - accuracy.

I have long had electronics designed for accuracy, and recently I became (re)enthralled by accurate speakers. 

In my "warmth" period I got rid of accurate headphones (HD800) and a headphone amp (Grace Designs m902). Got LCD2 headphones. Lovely and warm. Tried a hybrid tube amp (Lyr). Warm, but incurable hum.

In my exploring accuracy in headphone gear, I've ordered an Objective 2 amp, and I began to look at headphones known for their accuracy, but at a more modest price than the HD800. This took me to researching the AKG 701.

While I was doing this, my wife was cleaning out the storage area and asked me if I wanted to keep headphones that had been buried there - the AKG K141. Naturally, I wanted to revisit them given the research I started on the K701. 

My K141 is a very old headphone, probably 20 years old. It most definitely is not a K141 MkII. And it probably does not have more than a few hours of use because I never quite took to it years ago; hence its relegation to the depths of storage. 

On my iPad I had to crank the volume up to the max. On my Marantz receiver, no need to do this.

First (re)impression: better than I remember it to be. Very nice high end. Clear, well articulated. Beautiful cymbals (I love cymbals). The high end seems better than I remember the HD800 to be. Less harsh. The bass is tight and perhaps a little lean, but it seems to be accurate. Midrange is also well articulated, but on the lean side as well.

But I don't know anything about these ancient headphones. I've tried researching them and hope someone on this circle can answer these questions:

1. Does this original (or at least I think it is original) K171 need a lot of break-in as does the K701?

2. Does anyone have the specs for this old K141?

Dave

[charmerci]

Old is right. I bought mine in '81, I think. (They're long gone.) I do remember that thin, rubberized covering eventually wore out exposing the foam underneath after a few years of wearing. I used to like them - oh so many years ago! 

[charmerci]

Wait a minute - ancient???  I'm not that old....am I? Noooooo!!!

[DaveNote]

Old is right. I bought mine in '81, I think. (They're long gone.) I do remember that thin, rubberized covering eventually wore out exposing the foam underneath after a few years of wearing. I used to like them - oh so many years ago! 

The covering went on mine too, but there is a fabric underneath over foam.

You may might not be old, but I sure am.

Do you remember if yours needed burning in?

Dave

[Noseyears]

2. Does anyone have the specs for this old K141?

Dave

You can always try the Akg site, good to see they have info on discontinued models:
http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,254,pid,254,nodeid,2,_language,EN.html

[DaveNote]

You can always try the Akg site, good to see they have info on discontinued models:
http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,254,pid,254,nodeid,2,_language,EN.html

Thanks. i tried and even wrote to AKG. They sent me specs, but I think for the wrong model. I'm writing again.

Dave

[charmerci]

Do you remember if yours needed burning in?

Dave

Those were the days of my Pioneer>Kenwood moving up to Yamaha listening through Large Advents and Koss Pro 4AA headphones. Klipschorns were the end-all for me. Those were days before I discovered Stereophile magazine. So no, I don't remember.

These are the K141 monitors - which probably aren't the same - but close, I guess.

http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,430,pid,430,nodeid,2,_language,EN.html

[DaveNote]

Those were the days of my Pioneer>Kenwood moving up to Yamaha listening through Large Advents and Koss Pro 4AA headphones. Klipschorns were the end-all for me. Those were days before I discovered Stereophile magazine. So no, I don't remember.

These are the K141 monitors - which probably aren't the same - but close, I guess.

http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,430,pid,430,nodeid,2,_language,EN.html

Thanks for looking up this model. I think it is the same one mentioned to me by AKG. Mine are plain Jane. Black. Red lettering. No screw-on adapter.

I guess it will continue to be a mystery.

Dave

[eclein]

Wow...I remember them, dam I am old...?? is 54 old?? LOL.

[DaveNote]

Wow...I remember them, dam I am old...?? is 54 old?? LOL.

You can't be old at 54! If you are, then I'm ancient. Far more ancient than my AKG headphones.

An AKG service technician assures me that despite minor differences, the specs of my K141 are:

Sensitivy: 98 dB SPL/mW
Frequency response: 20-20.000 Hz
Rated Impedance: 600 Ohm
THD: <0.4%
Max. input power:  200 mW
Net. Weight (without cable) 225 g

Makes sense. They seem power hungry, they are light and they don't have a lot of base extension.

He also tells me they don't need any burn-in.

Dave

[DaveNote]

I did a little test on with my Ancient AKG 141, thanks to Alex.

He told me that his LCD2 sounds better to him engaging the gain button on the O2 amp. I checked and it has the same effect with my LCD2.

Then I got thinking that my Ancient AKG 141 is a supposed to be a 600 Ohm headphone. I had listened to it with the O2 at high volume, but hadn't engaged the gain button.

I tried it with the gain on, and wow, what a difference. After all these years, I had never powered these headphones enough. The Lyr had too much hum and distortion in it to crank up the volume. But the O2 has the power and the gain, and most of all absence of all hum and distortion, to give these headphines their due.

There is plenty of bass, although, of course, not with the extension of the LCD2. Good resolution and linearity, but a touch harsh in the high end. And not surprisingly, it is not very airy being closed backed. Nor is it as sweet and as balanced as the AKG 550. The Grado RS1 bests the K141, but is not as comfortable.

The K141 certainly wouldn't be on the top of the list of the headphones I own or have owned, but if it had been properly powered when I bought it a couple of decades ago, I'm sure it wouldn't have spent 20 years or so in storage.

And I probably would not have had a bias against AKG headphones because I hadn't heard the K141 as they were supposed to be heard.

I'm very pleased with the K550 and the K141 is better than I ever knew. So I'm more curious than ever to get the AKG Q701 I ordered a week ago. I'm looking for high resolution, linearity and accuracy. I'm very anxious to hear how the Q701 will meet these goals and when compared to my other cans.

Dave