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New with K701's...amp suggestions - Page 2

post #16 of 32
3/9/08 at 5:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pataburd View Post
I've had very success with the Darkvoice 336i, and even better with the Bada PH-12. : )
X2 make that two votes for PH-12
I just need to upgrade my source though with a decent DAC...
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post #17 of 32
3/25/08 at 2:46pm
I've been using the Ray Samuels Hornet with my K701s for almost two years now. I have finally gotten tube upgradeitis. I am looking at the woo audio6, Headroom Millet Hybrid and the Bada PH-12. I am almost certain I will decide on the woo, but man the Hornet has been a workhorse. It powers the K701s super well on any gain setting without ever getting to 2 o clock even on the lowest setting. I am really interested to hear the K701s with a nice tube system and wish I could find a woo near me to audition.
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post #18 of 32
3/25/08 at 4:28pm
I had a similar thread for these phones and wanted something somewhat portable, believe it or not. I ended up getting the RSA predator. it arrived yesterday and I have been breaking in both the amp and the phones. Already i can hear marvelous things. I have not even used the DAC section yet. Only wtih headbanging rock do I find them a little loose. This might be a good solution for you.
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post #19 of 32
3/25/08 at 4:50pm
I used Heed CanAmp with my AKG-701s to great satisfaction. I think it's a solid choice for the 701s, has more than enough power to drive them & for SS headphone amp, very musical, too. I must admit, though, shop for a decent tube amp if you can. I did experience "fatigue" with 701s, but the situation got much better after I got my Leben CS600, and am running AKG-701s through them now. The sound is much more pleasantly musical, and the highs aren't as bright anymore. Have fun!
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post #20 of 32
3/25/08 at 6:42pm
Headamp products (solid state) work very well with K701s. I currently have both a GS-1 and AE-2 portable amp, and like the sound of both with my K701s. The GS-1, as to be expected, is the more refined of the two, but the AE-2 has a lot of the sound signature of the GS-1. It may be a long wait, but occasionally a used GS-1 shows up for sale here, which you might be able to get for a pretty good price. The AE-2 is around $350. There's a lot of talk here about the Pico -- it's very similar to the AE-2, so I expect it would sound pretty good with K701s.
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post #21 of 32
3/26/08 at 12:40am
xFIh2,
something from left field...start with your source - a s/h Benchmark DAC1. this superb sounding hi-fi bargain comes with a very underated hp amp that pairs very well with the K701. yes, my Cayin is better, but it's only as good as my source feeding it. down the road, you can improve/flavor the sound to your liking, knowing exactly what attributes your source will have on the final sound.

i prefer the DAC1/K701 over any Naim/Gilmore Lite/Grado/Senns/Beyer/Ultasone combo i had before. YMMV.

PACE
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post #22 of 32
3/26/08 at 5:43am
Can anyone tell me if the meier audio's Corda 2 move can power the AKG 701's? I know they won't drive them perfectly, but would the amp be sufficient or will it be too weak?
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post #23 of 32
3/26/08 at 8:29am
Just want to reiterate my endorsement of the Bada PH-12, which I hope to upgrade with both teflon and oil-impregnated V-Caps, together with Mills and Tantalum resistors in the near future. : )

FWIW, I used to own the MPX3--non-SLAM version--which, IMHE, simply could not adequately drive the K701 (refined, detailed and open, yes, but no umph/impact/dynamics).

The Bada, like the MPX3, utilizes 3x 6SN7 dual triode tubes (one of my very favorite tubes!), but unlike the MPX3, the Bada has solid state outputs (2x Toshiba 2SK1529 mosFETs), so you get the best of both worlds.

While the MPX3 SLAM might be another "tube route" to pursue, I just don't like the idea of sacrificing a 6SN7 or two (i.e., by virtue of employing the SLAM adapters) in the process.

As to Gilmore SS products, my experience with the V2-SE was not favorable: a cold, etched sound. But of course, I am heavily biased toward tubes, especially for headphones the likes of the K701. : )
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post #24 of 32
3/26/08 at 4:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fishski13 View Post
xFIh2,
something from left field...start with your source - a s/h Benchmark DAC1. this superb sounding hi-fi bargain comes with a very underated hp amp that pairs very well with the K701. yes, my Cayin is better, but it's only as good as my source feeding it. down the road, you can improve/flavor the sound to your liking, knowing exactly what attributes your source will have on the final sound.

i prefer the DAC1/K701 over any Naim/Gilmore Lite/Grado/Senns/Beyer/Ultasone combo i had before. YMMV.

PACE
I completely agree that the source is very important and certainly the DAC1 is superb in this regard. I do have a DAC1 and have used it with my K701s. Unfortunately my experience has not been so favorable, as far as it being a good match. Perhaps it boils down to exactly what sound you're looking for, but the DAC1's internal HP amp seemed to impart a rather dry and flat sound to the K701s with perhaps a bit too much upper treble emphasis for my taste. On the other hand, when I fed the DAC1 to my Headamp GS-1, the improvement was truly spectacular -- so my feeling is that if you want the very best possible sound, pairing the DAC1 with a good amp is really the way to go. In one respect, you can't really go wrong with a DAC1 - if it turns out that you like its amp, that's good...but if you dont', you still have a fantastic DAC that you can match with the amp of your choice and the K701s.
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post #25 of 32
3/26/08 at 8:05pm
DA100/DV336i combo

DA100 is very detailed, DV336i is a tube amp (which says it all). You won't want to listen to anything else.
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post #26 of 32
3/27/08 at 3:16am
I use a TALISMAN T-3HP. Drives 701's well. Sounds very nice, brings out the bass nicely, with punch. Good balance overall. Check headphonic.com.au. It's their favourite. I also read a great K701 review which was written using a GRAHAM SLEE SOLO amp. Google 'AKG K701 REVIEW' and you'll find it.
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post #27 of 32
3/27/08 at 9:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mmuse View Post
DA100/DV336i combo

DA100 is very detailed, DV336i is a tube amp (which says it all). You won't want to listen to anything else.
That's exactly my set up except for the SR325

Great sound indeed!
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post #28 of 32
3/27/08 at 5:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xFih2 View Post
Hey, I just registered but have lurked here for about a month so I've gotten a few ideas of what to get. Yes, my wallet is much lighter and will continue to be for a little while

Right now I have a HeadRoom Total AirHead amp, which definitely doesn't power my AKG K701's enough (I can hear distortion during high bass quite a bit), so I'm looking for one to buy, budget being 500-650ish. I listen to rock (slow all the way to metal, big spectrum), rap and hip-hop, and some electronic music. I also like the occasional other genres, but am looking for an increase amount and quality of bass, and of course all the other good things that come with a quality amp

I've read that tube amps work well with K701's, and that people seem to really like the Bada PH-12 amp, so that is definitely a consideration. I'm also looking at the HeadRoom Millet Desktop Hybrid amp. It cost's more, but I like how it's a very knowledgeable, helpful, and available company. It also seems to have more things I can play around with and is a lot more aesthetically pleasing, and it really seems like they know what they are doing. I'm willing to pay the extra money for it if it's really worth it. Are there suggestions (others are completely welcome of course) in what I should get? It seems really hard to get info on amps anywhere other than here really, and it's overwhelming with the available options, so it's hard to really find a place to start.

Also, might as well throw these in here:

DACs - I'll be playing my music from my laptop, and I've read DACs can help improve quality. Again, I've been looking at HeadRoom since they have such a large amount of info - I'm looking at the Micro DAC...is that fine for a college student on a budget? No, I don't need the best, just an adequate amount of improvement.

Power supplies - is the Astrodyne Switching power supply good on a budget? HeadRoom suggests their $400 power supply for desktop amps, but I don't have that much money to throw around on power supplies Would I need one for both the amp and DAC?

Sorry if it was a long post, I'm just trying to get a lot out of the way in one post. Thanks for the help in advance
Look for the threads describing synergy between Woo WA6 (especially max'd) and the K701. Also look out for thermal issues with the Bada discussed in other threads.
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post #29 of 32
3/27/08 at 5:40pm
I can't offer a whole lot of help since I don't actually have the amp yet, but I just researched my new amp purchase for my K701s for a month and decided on a Woo6. ordered it today in fact. I'm sure I will post impressions when it arrives.
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post #30 of 32
3/27/08 at 5:45pm
Make that a x3 for the Bada PH-12 with the K701. It was really just amazing. Oh, and look at that, I have mine up for sale at a really good price, isn't that convenient!
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