I *have* returned my K701.

Might be a dumb question, but what amps did you use with the K701?  I've heard them at meets and I've either been underwhelmed or somewhat impressed, depending on the material and the amp.

I'd stick to your AD700 or maybe get a pair of Grado SR60i until you get an amp.

I gave the k701s a short 20 minute listen at yodobashi while i was in tokyo and they seem like a really polar phone.  the highs were just way too in my face, and i didnt find the listening experience pleasureful in any way.  Especially for the price difference.

I would recommend the DT880/600's simply because well. .they are the headphone I ended up deciding on and I absolutely love them, but I can't do it since you say you don't have an amp yet.  I'm running them with no amp from my asus xonar ST which is rated for 600 ohm phones and they NEED more power.  

I'm going to agree with drewjp partially, stick with your AD700 and do some amp research.  I wouldnt look into the grado's though, especially not around the same price as your current phones, but I'm terribly bias against grado because they feel like brillo pads on your ears IMO

I think your idea of getting a quality pair of IEMS is a good one; there would be plenty of choice at the price of the K701, and if you don't have a amp it would suit your set up better.

Alternatively you could invest in amplification, see a minor improvement in some of the stuff you already have, but open up the doors to a much broader range of choice of headphones in the future.

yes.  i'm certain they sound pretty similar from a sansa clip or a cowan.

and, if you have no plans of feeding the beast (amp), then you might as well have two AD700s on your hands.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katun 

Well, that's just the thing. I didn't use any amp at all. I ran them straight from my iAudio 7.

 

Thats the problem...

If you dont plan to buy a nice amp for the next years, then get something different. Headphones who work well unamped, or like you said...Iem's. 

If you don't planing to built a system around the 701 better for you to save your money : )

Bummer about the K701 not working out, but at least it sounds like you're armed with the info you need to go forward.  Good luck on your continuing quest. 

Dont forget to post a thread asking for recommendations on what to get. 

My impression was kinda different than most peoples. I first got a pair of k702 's that were almost new. It had over 500 hours of deliberate burn in. I kinda liked the sound. It definitely sounded good when the source wasn't bright. I got rid of it due to comfort and it sounded slightly thin. I then tried to find a replacement that was comfier and had more body. Turns out nothing had a similar sound to it so I decided to get another pair. The second pair (k701 this time) is absolutely magical. This one i bought for $160 and was a 2-3 years old and well used. Enough so the pads were softer and more compressed. The sound on this one is waaaay better than the newer k702's I had.  I read later on that the well used pads make a large difference on the sound. The highs are far from harsh and the sound is fuller. The bass is slightly better but I wouldn't say it has any real impact. It seems more recording dependent. The last thing that solidified me keeping my pair was the audio-gd fun Im using. The dac and various other parts are swappable. The new dac for it is neutral (old was thin sounding and harsh) and made a huge difference to the way the k70x's sound.

It doesn't look like you have an amp or dac for it?

If you don't want to be disappointed in your headphones purchases, at least buy a good DAC and amp. K701 will sound wonderful after this. If you cannot afford it, just return them and stick with your AD700.