*' –.– '* Help: Is there a "higher quality" AKG K701? *' –.– '* - Page 11

Small thread resurrection:

I ended up settling down with the K702, of all things.  For my needs (ear damage) and tastes in headphone listening (vocal trance), and my budget, they are the very best for me.  (If I had unlimited money, I would try the T1 - sounds like the ultimate for my tastes).  

It's an interesting story:  

As posted in another thread (which I started, I think...), I sold my K701 because I was hoping to find something that addressed the areas which it fell short to me:  small bass impact, vocals a bit too recessed, and uncomfortable pads with loose clamping pressure.

I tried several other cans, and ended up sticking with the DT880/600.  However, I got an offer to move, and to raise money and lighten my load, I sold my amp and cans.  Then... I didn't move.

So then what?  Though I loved the DT880/600, I decided the headphones I missed most, honestly, were the K701 flaws and all.  I ordered a new pair I found for a good deal on B-stock.  And lo and behold, the company accidentally shipped me a pair of new K702.  

First off, I noticed they aren't a dark shade of steel blue, like all the phones seem to show them.  They are, indeed, black.  Not important, but interesting to note for someone who's never seen them close up.  OK, but the important stuff:  they have none of the flaws of the K701.  

They have slightly better bass, and less recessed vocals.  Not an overwhelming difference, but impactful enough to be a huge improvement, for me.  The K701's sound quality in these areas was often distracting.  The K702's is decent enough to just be a pleasure.  They also have stiffer, less fuzzy and therefore (to me) more comfortable pads, and a better clamp to hold them on your head.  That way I can lay down without then sliding off.

I've always considered the two models the same as far as sound signature; that's what I heard.  But one thing I noticed when I exchanged my K701's pads for a pair of K601 pads, the pads actually make a huge difference in the sound.  Strange enough, but true.  (When I put the K601's pads on my K701, they sounded terrible in comparison).  Maybe it's the pads that do the trick with the K702.  Maybe, something internal in the design.  But either way, the K702s are a total winner.

Now every time I listen to my K702, I thank God and think how lucky I am that these showed up by mistake.  It's like having my beloved K701 back again, but improved in all the three ways I had trouble before. It's like it went off to basic training, got in shape, and came back.

Totally, totally awesome!  

The K701 specializes in a super-wide soundstage.  That's the bottom line.  That's what they're famous for, and for good reason.  Once you break them in, which takes a long, long time, and if you amp them with a good quality amp, you'll be rewarded with huge soundstage, and really awesome instrument separation, in comparison to most other headphones.  The long break-in period helps them to relax and soften up, eliminating the "plasticky" sound they have fresh out of the box, and making them sound warmer and softer, less analytical.

I listen to Vocal Trance mainly when I listen to headphones.  It is extremely complicated music, with many individual layers all dumped on top of each other.  With any other headphone, the many layers and effects can get plastered together when things get complex, resulting in a muddy sound in some passages.  When this occurs, you lose a lot of the special effects present in this type of music.

This never happens with the K701.  It has an airy, spacious sound, with an ultra-broad soundfield and perfect balance.  The highs are also wonderful, it is a bit on the treble side which I like, but without being sibilant or shrill in any way in my opinion, and I'm pretty sensitive to that kind of stuff.  (For example, I can't even listen to a DT880/32 because of it's shrillness).

Where the K701 lacks, to most people, is that the bass is not very punchy at all.  It does go very deep!  You will hear very low lows produced very well, better than a DT880/600 for example but without its punch.  But similar to the ER-4, the bass simply has little impact or "pow" effect.  It's blended well into the rest of the frequencies, but lacks excitement.  This is perfect for me, because as you know Trance has tons of bass and I get sick of it, plus I have hearing damage which starts my ears ringing when the bass is too strong.  

The other area, which really does matter to me, is the vocals.  Contrary to what you've heard, I don't think the K701 emphasizes vocals, and in fact they are a little recessed.  Another member suggested that they are simply blended well into the music, and that may be.  However, when you listen to a DT880, M50, AD2000 or HD650, for example, you'll notice that the vocals are very close to your ears, and very intimate.  I really like that, especially with Vocal Trance as it focuses on female vocalists who are all extremely talented.  The big drawback of the K701 for me, was that it loses the intimacy of the vocals.  The vocals are all produced very well, but are too far away for my tastes.

Now, the K702 improves on those two things, the bass and the vocals, not a lot but just enough.  The bass has more impact, and the vocals are more intimate.  Again, not enough to really change the nature of the AKG K70x sound, but enough to be a definite improvement which makes all the difference for me.  I no longer miss those things now that I'm listening to the K702, like I did when I owned the K701.  The compromise of a headphone sound signature that I love, with all the special qualities I adore (soundstage, separation), and a little less impact on bass and little less intimacy on vocals that I'd really rather have, works for me with the K702.  While I went looking for a better headphone with the K701, I'm happy and domesticated with the K702.

Make sense?  If ultimate soundstage, separation and clarity are what you value, and you're OK with a more airy and treble sounding headphone without huge bass impact, then the AKG K702 is your headphone, hands down.  I've found nothing at all in the sub-$600 range that compares to it.  

(The DT880/600 for example was awesome, had far more bass impact and vocal intimacy, but again got muddy in more complex passages and did not have that amazing spacious soundstage which I love with Vocal Trance.  The ER-4 in comparison has a very similar sound, with a good soundstage and no muddiness, and more intimacy on vocals, but the AKG just takes it all to another level.  It's unparalleled and amazing.  Every listening session is like an experience. My amps for the year I've owned the two were a Glow Audio Amp One tube amp, and a BSG CMoy solid state portable).