AKG · Open-back · 1989–about 2004
AKG K 1000
The K 1000 isn't a headphone in the usual sense. AKG called it an earspeaker, with drivers that hang beside your ears on swiveling mounts instead of pressing on them, which you can angle to suit your own hearing. It came out in 1989, won Austria's state design prize for 1989 and 1990 with the design firm Peschke+Skone, and stayed in AKG's high-end range until about 2004. It's also very hard to drive. At 74 dB per milliwatt it needs real power, and AKG put a cable in the box for wiring it straight to a power amp's speaker terminals. Wikipedia describes it as AKG's unique fully open flagship.
Spec at a glance
Before you plug in
What it needs, and what wears out
- Drive it fromRuns off a speaker amp
- Very low sensitivity means it needs real power. AKG supplied a cable for wiring it straight to a power amp's speaker terminals as well as one for a headphone amp. Start with the volume all the way down.
- Pads
- No ear pads in the usual sense, since the drivers sit beside the ears without touching them. AKG fitted a leather headband, so check its condition.
- Cable
- 2.5 m Y-cable ending in a 4-pin XLR, plus an AKG cable with a 4-pin XLR and bare leads for loudspeaker terminals.
Should come with it
- The 4-pin XLR cable
- The speaker-terminal cable
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
What to check
No fault is well documented. It's an open, exposed design, so look closely at the earpieces and their swivel mounts, and make sure both cables come with it.
- 01Cables: Check that the 4-pin XLR cable and the speaker-terminal cable are in the photos. Missing ones are hard to replace with the right connector.
- 02Both sides: Ask the seller what amp they tested it on and whether both sides play at the same volume. A pair heard only on a weak headphone jack hasn't really been tested.
- 03Earpieces: Look at the earpieces and their swivel mounts for cracks or bent parts. They should hold any angle you set.
- 04Headband: Check the leather headband for cracks and the adjustment for slipping. It should stay where you set it.
- 05Amp: Plan your amp before you buy. It needs a power amp's speaker outputs or a very strong headphone amp.
New to used headphones? How to check a used pair covers pads, cables, channel dropouts and fakes, and impedance and your amp explains what will drive it.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for close photos of the pads, the headband and both ends of the cable, and pass on any seller who won’t send them.
Search “AKG K1000” on eBay ↗eBay searchCompare with
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- Years made
- 1968–1990s
- Impedance
- 2,000 ohms
- Drive it from
- Wants a headphone amp
$160–$200 typical ask
Stax
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- Years made
- 1977
- Impedance
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Specs and what to check →
AKG
Open-backAKG K 240 Monitor
- Years made
- 1984–2004
- Impedance
- 600 ohms
- Drive it from
- Wants a headphone amp
$80–$210 typical ask