K701 and Total Airhead Combo - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

violeta88 · 04-11-2008, 01:06 AM

I decided to purchase my second Total Airhead (I sold my first one) because I was unimpressed with my Corda Move driving my new K701's (it could only power the K701's to moderate volumes without distortion). To be honest, I wasn't expecting much of a difference with the Total Airhead, but since I was on a limited budget, I decided to give the Total Airhead another try. To put it bluntly I'm actually quite impressed with the Total Airhead K701 combo. The Move is a bit more refined at lower volumes, but doesn't hold a candle to the dynamic range that the Total Airhead can produce with the K701 (especially while using the optional wall-wart adaptor, and the Airhead produces enough volume via battery power to provide for a satisfying listening experience. Not that the Move was quiet by any means, but it lacked the extra oomph that the K701's need to produce good bass tones. Best of all, even though the Airhead out of the box is a bit less refined in the mids than the Move, the Move costs 1.5 times as much and the Airhead has a better volume control IMO. It doesn't suffer the so-so tracking that my move has when changing volumes. The Total Airhead offers a good taste of HeadRoom's amps at a price most people can afford and it actually does a decent job of powering the K701's (which is hard to do for a portable amplifier). Good job HeadRoom!

Tyll Hertsens · 04-11-2008, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by violeta88

The Total Airhead offers a good taste of HeadRoom's amps at a price most people can afford and it actually does a decent job of powering the K701's (which is hard to do for a portable amplifier). Good job HeadRoom!

Actually, one of the best, most balanced, and reflecting of my own opinion of all the Airhead reviews I've ever read. Thanks Voileta!

Glad your liking it; a good product should grow on you, I'm glad the Total AirHead managed the task for you.

warpdriver · 04-12-2008, 10:57 PM

I agree with your assessment. People overlook the Airhead/Bitheads just because they have been around awhile and all the new competition is smaller, rechargeable and have spiffy cases that look like a million bucks, but the HR Total portable amps still do their job quietly and competently for a price that you can't complain about. I don't intend to replace my Bithead any time soon.

silverrain · 04-17-2008, 04:41 PM

I've been posting for years, that the Total Airhead is an "unsung hero" in the headphone-amp world -- a real bargain.

mikeg88 · 04-20-2008, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverrain

I've been posting for years, that the Total Airhead is an "unsung hero" in the headphone-amp world -- a real bargain.

You know what...silverrain is right in so many ways. I just reloaded ALL my music (god forbid) in ALAC to my MacBook, and it's now rockin' out my BitHead better than ever before. Holy smokes does it sound good! My Parents have a $3k Rotel CD player and Amp, and some Mission floor speakers that are wicked - but I think my BitHead playing ALAC through my shure's can match them for detail...and just overall it sounds not that far behind to say the least. Every time I go back to my iPod or computer speakers, I shudder: all these years I'd been listening away to my tunes with no idea what I was missing.
At least I got it figured out early - I have lots of catching up to do!

Good work HeadRoom.

M

Squirsier · 04-20-2008, 06:05 PM

I've owned the Total Airhead since 2006 and it has served me very well ever since. Right now they are driving Sleek Audio's SA6 earphones from my first gen iPod Shuffle (yeah yeah, birthday's coming, I want a Classic 160

) and it's really essential. I like the crossfeed, tho it is a very subtle effect, but with time you eventually "feel" it.

Besides, the amp actually got rid of most of the hiss from the shuffle as well as the "noise" I get when the shuffle switches from one song to the other. No clue how it did this but hey - won't complain

mikeg88 · 04-22-2008, 06:01 AM

Actually - with regard to the subject of this thread - what is everyone's take on the 701's when amped? I've tried them at stores using my bithead - and been surprised. Tons of detail, clarity, soundstage, and super smooth...BUT

...the bottom end? I was hoping for some "bottom end punch..."
is it just my bithead, or maybe my source? Don't get me wrong - it's a very appealing sonic signature, and I like it, but maybe is there more there that I just didn't get to hear because of my setup?

Now, I've heard they're not the most Bass-heavy can, and I suppose the ARE supposed to be a reference phone...but It was like my 32 and 64 Hz on my EQ were turned way down...

is this maybe the notorious K701 break-in time coming into effect?

anyone want to shed some light on this?

sschmeichel · 04-22-2008, 05:04 PM

I have a pair of k701s, and i felt the breakin effect if there was any. When I first got the k701s, they were very bass shy. But after half a year of playing them, the bass extends very deep, very tight, very controlled. It doesn't have the "punch"... that something like the HD600s would have, but enough to make you say "there is bass there"... a bass that doesn't steal the main attraction... but makes its presence felt. The k701s are plugged into an MD-10 DAC. I am sure a nice tube amp would make the bass even better.

JorgeC · 04-22-2008, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sschmeichel

I have a pair of k701s, and i felt the breakin effect if there was any. When I first got the k701s, they were very bass shy. But after half a year of playing them, the bass extends very deep, very tight, very controlled. It doesn't have the "punch"... that something like the HD600s would have, but enough to make you say "there is bass there"... a bass that doesn't steal the main attraction... but makes its presence felt. The k701s are plugged into an MD-10 DAC. I am sure a nice tube amp would make the bass even better.

Could not agree more!!

I also own a set of k701's which i usually run through a very nice tube stage -- After 'proper' break-in, the k 701's bass response is extremely tight and fully extended to the lowest tone; However, it's not a particularly rich or "punchy" bottom-end presentation when compared to, say, the Senn HD600/HD650 which typically will offer more heft in the bass response, although they can't quite muster the uppermost treble range openness of the k701s imho...

Cheers,
JorgeC.
HR Sales & Product Manager

violeta88 · 04-27-2008, 05:17 PM

I wanted to update my original post by saying that even though I have three portable headphone amps now, that for the K701's, the Total Airhead is the cleanest, most dynamic of them, and my collection of portable headphone amps consists of the Corda Move, Shek H1 and the Total Airhead. While the Move has a bit beefier bass, the Airhead is punchy and goes just as deep, especially with the Crossfeed turned on and is more vivid in its soundstaging. The Airhead is consistently cleaner than the Shek, and maintains the lower level clarity of the Shek, while adding a bit of warmth. The Airhead is cleaner to louder volumes than the Shek,yet at the loudest volume the Airhead can reproduce, is as clean as the Shek at lower volume levels. In terms of neutrality, it is a bit warmer than what I would call neutral, but not as warm as the Move, and in terms of overall transparency and resolution of fine detail, it is the best of the three. I have found that the Move is overrated in the transparency category, and isn't as good as the Porta Corda III in terms of transparency. The Airhead comes very close to what I remember of the Porta Corda III, but adds a bit of warmth that the Porta Corda III didn't have. I am still highly impressed that HeadRoom could produce such a high quality amp for $99.