K701 appreciation thread! - Page 2

Burn-in

So my K701 just arrived, and I felt like it was pressing too much my ears and the headband pressed my head too. So I invented this sophisticated burning method, all rights reserved.



1) A 25 DVD-R case opening the arches so that they get used to be in their open position;
2) A strap holding the headband all the way up so that the side elastics get softer and the headband don't press too much the head;
3) Many hours playing music while I'm away.



Is there a tutorial for DIY recabling?

I know it's a slightly old thread, but I'm bumping it up again!

So far, the order in which I've bought my 'audiophile' headphones has gone as follows (from 1st (top), to most recent (bottom)) :

Beyerdynamic DT431 (unfortunately no longer with us )
Sennheiser HD595 (still wear, in bed of all places!)
AKG K701
Grado SR325i (sold)
Sennheiser HD650 (sold)
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro (selling)
Sennheiser HD600 (selling soon)

... and I'm back with my old AKG K701s, which I've constantly been a bit unsure about. Well, I've just shortened the cable to 5ft, reterminated it with a 3.5mm (1/8") Switchcraft plug, and I've completely fallen in love with them.

Maybe it's my current amp (iBasso D2 Boa), maybe it's insanity, but they just sound so good. My main annoyance with the HD600 which I was using up until yesterday was with cymbals on all my recordings. They sounded too unrealistic, jittery. With the K701 they sound lifelike. I even thought they lacked bass last time I used them, but again I'm finding the bass to be so perfectly formed - not exaggerated and unclear like the DT990 Pro, just right. It's there, it's not in your face, it's just how it should be.

Can't believe I've tried so many sets and ended up with them being my favourite set again - I think part of the problem was reading reviews which call them bass-shy... but at least I can put my hand up now and say :

I've owned a decent selection of headphones, and I reckon the K701 is awesome!

I kinda agree to this statement when I am comparing my K701, RS1 and Re-cabled Woody MS1.

The soundstage is awesome.

They homogenize the music into a full measure of all octaves. Nothing really stands out, it just sounds good. Those who feel they lack certain qualities must like it colored. This little RS-1 has caught my fancy lately but when I slide back under the snug embrace of the 701s, I know I'm home. It's just that.......

k701 is the best dynamic headphone I've ever heard ( never heard r10, k1000, Qualia but they are just in another league ).
Properly amped and burned-in k701 gives 95% of the detail, speed, timbre delicacy and overall performance of Omega 2. What more can I say?

I've sold headphones twice the price, but the K701 manages to hit the big notes - sound space, articulation, all-around-ness - better than its competition. And when the K702 comes out, you can add good looks.

Everytime I think I like another can better, I listen to my K701 and the eargasms quickly convince me there was no comparison.
Poor Senn's didn't stand a chance and RS1 barely put up a fight

K701 wins here!

Because I know how good the K701s can sound is the only reason I still have mine. I experienced the wonderful synergy they have with a Darkvoice amp and enjoyed my time with it. But since selling it, I haven't had an amp to properly drive them so they have seen little use. Though this will be corrected soon, it is my one and only beef with them. I find they are so amp particular that they are rather confining. You can't just plug them into anything and enjoy - or at least, I can't. Though when you plug them into the right mix - oh, how they do sing!

How do you explain that when someone asks for the best $200 amp for the 701s and not hurt their feelings? These cans need a racing engine to run them like they are capable.

Woah, this is genius!

Love 'em. I think the K701 is the best <$1000 all-round dynamic headphone I've heard (or owned). Some other phones do individual things better but for the whole enchilada, it's the 701. It does not really have a sonic characteristic; just gives you the recording of the performance and basically stays out of the way. The dynamics are effortless and realistic. At first I thought they were a bit forward sounding until I realized that musical dynamic are forward sounding.

Tell them about this:

SoundStage! "All In Your Head" Back-Issue Article (5/2006)

Works great with the K701s and meets the price line. That's how.

The AKG 701 headphone is in some ways over rated. And it does have it's flaws.

That being said, with the right recording, the AKG 701 is truly amazing and a wonderful headphone. It's a keeper and a very very fine product. Big thumbs up! I love the K 701!

Beagle, you've hit the nail right on the head. The K701s are so neutral, so even handed, that most people dismiss them as boring. What those benighted folk fail to realize is that most other headphones are colored in one way or another, and that they like those colorations. However, if we truly want to know what a recording ( or any upstream piece of equipment) really sounds like, then the K701s are going to tell you - good, bad, or otherwise.

But use the right amp, with a well recorded piece of music and the K701s sing like nothing else I've heard.

I think this is very true. Their limitation seems to be in driving them. I think my LD MKV just isn't up to the task of doing it properly. Some music that really needs the deepest base to be strong doesn't suit them. They are also rather sensitive to ear position.

When I first got mine, I also found the headband to be unbearably tight. This was easily fixed with some firm finger-work on the headband.