Topic: AKG 460 vs AKG 480

[jkoch]

hey guys, i was looking for some specs/place to buy the 460s and i guess they are no longer being made/sold? i didn't know that... anyhow, what's the sonic/price difference between these two? i've heard the 300s and 480s are night and day, but how about these two? thanks!

[Charlies]

Jon, The 480s electronic circuitry is said to have been cleaned up to reduce noise and graininess.  The caps are the same.  Comparing stock 460s to stock 480s, you will see a noticeable improvement with the 480s.  Some people like the modified 460s done by Jim Williams.  If you can find them, you can also use some AKG-made actives with the 460s.  

[recordista]

Yes, the C460B is a rather dated design.  It uses a TL062 opamp driving a transformer, where the C480B uses a more modern transformerless design.

I am one of those who prefers the modified C460B to the C480B.  The mod is pretty much a forklift upgrade.  Transformer is removed and the frontent FET is upgraded, most of the rest of the electronics are replaced as well.  About the only things left are the PC board and the DC-DC converter that biases the capsule.