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Author Topic: King Sound KS-H3?  (Read 857 times)

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maverickronin

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King Sound KS-H3?
« on: May 16, 2015, 03:09:59 AM »

I did a quick search but didn't see anything around here.

I listened to these at Axpona and though they had a pretty interesting sound to say the least.  On their M20 tube amp  It smooths out all the rough spots, as well as all the detail and imaging.  You might as well be drowning in syrup.  The M10 solid state amp cleans it up quite a bit, but still sounds characteristically smooth and tube-y but with improved imaging and separation.  Probably a good sound sig for all day listening like I used to do with my SE530s at my last job.

Besides that, they're darkish, have very smooth treble, and their sound stage is decently wide but without much depth.  I can see a lot of people liking these, at least on the M10.  They're pleasant, relaxing, and make hot and compressed recording sound better than they really are without killing too much of the detail.  I wouldn't touch the M20 though.  If you want more clarity without being as bright as a Lambda I suspect you'd be better of pairing them with a Stax amp, but I can't really confirm that though.

Unfortunately the guy manning the table didn't know anything about the headphone market.  I asked him if they were compatible with Stax amps and he said, "No, because they're electrostatic".

 walk the plank2

I unplugged them, and noticed they have a Stax plug, but without some more conformation I didn't want to run off with them down to the HeadAmp table to see if they got any clearer on the BHSE is case I blew something up.  Later I found out their bias is 550V which should be close enough and saw a post from KG saying that they were pin compatible as well.

PS:  Anax can now pick his jaw up off the floor after hearing that I said it sounded different on different amps.
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Anaxilus

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2015, 03:31:00 AM »

I commented on them in the Canjam thread. Some liked them on the tube amp. I didn't like them at all on anything. Way too ethereal, fuzzy and relaxed. The SS amp I heard them with made them so shrill and harsh with no bass I couldn't stand it. The tube amp helped a little with that. Maybe the sources and tracks were different than at Axpona. I personally hated them, no nice way to put it. Their signature kind of reminds me of a more refined electrostat version of the Fostex TH500RP
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n3rdling

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2015, 03:49:04 AM »

Not a fan of these at all.  They sound very bland, blurry, and unresolving.  Kinda like a LCD2 with way less impact.  The tube amp sounded really bad, the SS amp sounded bad.  I've tried mine from Stax amps and I still don't like them, so they probably can't be saved without severe modding.  I've made some suggestions to them to improve the HP as I've seen a few 'no-no's, but I'm not sure they'll listen to some random dude.  They also feel cheap.  They're really comfy though.  I know there were people here that thought these would be a Stax killer, but I'm not sure Stax has released a HP worse than this.
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Anaxilus

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2015, 03:54:26 AM »

I know there were people here that thought these would be a Stax killer, but I'm not sure Stax has released a HP worse than this.

I'm not a Stax aficionado, but no, Stax has made nothing that sounds as bad as these. I'd take an SR002 or my ESP950 over these any day. Hell, I'd easily take a Creative Aurvana Live over these.
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maverickronin

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2015, 04:02:02 AM »

Maybe the sources and tracks were different than at Axpona. I personally hated them, no nice way to put it.

The source they had at Axpona was an old looking Marantz SACD player.  I had my own tracks on a burned CD.  Did you get to listen to your own music on it?

It has the kind of sound I can see you calling lo-fi, but thin is about the last word I'd describe them with.

I'm not a Stax aficionado, but no, Stax has made nothing that sounds as bad as these. I'd take an SR002 or my ESP950 over these any day. Hell, I'd easily take a Creative Aurvana Live over these.

You really hated them huh?  I think my modded Lambdas kill them, but I think the King Sounds would be be good at maybe half the price or so.

I wish I'd heard the ESP950 so I had more 'stats to compare.
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Anaxilus

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2015, 04:21:50 AM »

Yeah it was really bright, thin and shrill on the SS amp that was there. It was much fuller on the tube amp they had but yeah, fuzzy and non-resolving.
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maverickronin

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2015, 04:40:02 AM »

Yeah it was really bright, thin and shrill on the SS amp that was there. It was much fuller on the tube amp they had but yeah, fuzzy and non-resolving.

Mystery solved.

Quote (selected)
Bass Boost     +9dB at 20Hz, +3dB at 100Hz

If they need that built into the amp to sound warm then I don't think I want to hear them off my T1S...
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maverickronin

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2015, 04:48:50 AM »

Also, Steve Guttenberg is unintentionally hilarious.

Astonishing headphones with clarity like you've never heard before
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Anaxilus

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2015, 06:13:19 AM »

From a matter of subjective preference to just pure shamelessness it seems. I suppose clarity=removing as much bass as possible.
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kothganesh

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Re: King Sound KS-H3?
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2015, 10:25:15 AM »

I own the KS-M10 (HP + SS amp)... you may ask why...guess I was punch drunk at that time and wanted my first set of electrostats. After I bought the real Stax, packed it carefully and never used it..test it once in a while to make sure it works...anybody want to buy the pair at USD 300...lemme know
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