Unleashing the AKG-702 - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by livewire 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorspeaker 

can  i link my macbook into the burson direct via a usb cable?

 

and can i still use my udac2 in between the macbook and the burson?

my udac has two rca output socket i think.

 

@?#1 - yes if you were to buy the new Burson with integrated dac ~$1000.

 

@?#2 - yes if you were to get the regular HA-160 model. Used ~$500 New ~$700

 

Either way aint cheap, but the Burson is renowned for driving the K70X series.
 

thanks for the reply bro..much appreciated... and the budget laid out is EYE opening..lolz

btw, i just bought the NUFORCE usb A-B cable..29bucks..n plugged it into the macbook n udac2...

kinda open up the congestion quite significantly. Tot i hear more DEPTH thru the k702...and appreciating the udac2 much more.

Before this, i was not exactly awed by the udac2 vs fiioE7...

anyone here with a udac2 should consider buying the nuforce usb cable. IMHO.

I've had great success driving k702's with the Purity Audio K.I.C.A.S. caliente.  Awesome amp for the money.  I've even used it in conjunction with a uDAC (uDAC+KICAS calient=$400ish), using it's analog outputs and it's more than I could hope for.

I'm having great time with Head -direct EF-1 and AKg701.

Look out for them in sale forums,The newer EF-5 would be great too going by the several posts here and as it is improved version of EF-1.they are also very good with Denon D2000

I think you need to be looking at spending a little more if you want the most from your headphones. A good USB DAC is going to cost you around £300. HRT Music Streamer ii+ is a good choice. Then you'll need a good powerful head amp to get the best from them. Don't be tempted to scrimp on the amp or you could be dissapointed.  I'm using the Burson HA160 at around £500. The AkG's sound great.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris 007 

I think you need to be looking at spending a little more if you want the most from your headphones. A good USB DAC is going to cost you around £300. HRT Music Streamer ii+ is a good choice. Then you'll need a good powerful head amp to get the best from them. Don't be tempted to scrimp on the amp or you could be dissapointed.  I'm using the Burson HA160 at around £500. The AkG's sound great.

X2

I agree with Chris, if you get the HA-160 you'll get a powerful amp that drives perfectly AKG headphones. But also, if you plan to upgrade on harder to drive hp's you will be fine with that unit. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by metalh3ad 

 

X2

I agree with Chris, if you get the HA-160 you'll get a powerful amp that drives perfectly AKG headphones. But also, if you plan to upgrade on harder to drive hp's you will be fine with that unit. 

I'm new to Headfi but I also agree with chris 007 and metalh3ad, I'm using the new Burson HA-160D to power my AKG 702s.  All I can say is that they sound fantastic together.  It's nice because its an all in one box solution Amp/Dac/preamp out.  I'm currently breaking everything in and the Burson can really deliver lots of power and manhandle the AKGs.  I think that using a Burson amp will really bring out the full potential of the 702s.  If the Burson can drive the AKGs no problem, then it should be fine with anything else except electrostatic headphones. The DAC section of the amp isn't the most refined DAC out there on the market, but for the price you get a lot.  Also if you have the money, an aftermarket cable really is necessary in my opinion because the stock cable is simply laughable.  I have the ALO Audio SXC cryo cable and the 702s sound way more detailed.  Everything sounds full, nothing is hidden, it's like all the performers on stage were playing in the dark with the stock cable.  Now everything sounds lit up, concert lighting on all the instruments!  acoustic guitars sound amazingly real as well.  The differences are on the small side but in the end I wouldn't go back to the stock cable.  If you make a bunch of small improvements it adds up to a big one!

I'm using the new Q701 with the Burson HA-160, with a NAD 565BEE CD player. The results have been stunning. The Q701 is one of the finest dynamic headphones you can buy. I started with the K702 but could'nt resist the Q. Sounds slightly fuller than the 702, with a little more bass and slightly softened top end.  Mids  are warmer .The overall effect makes for hours and hours of listening pleasure. I also own the HD800, but when comparing the Q701 directly, I find I mostly prefer the Q701. The HD800 sounds slightly veiled by comparison, and the bass is a little deeper, but I like the tighter  bass and better soundstaging with the AKG. The Burson and the Q701 fit hand and glove. I have also read here on head-fi that the new Schiit Lyr amp is a fantastic match for the 701/702.

A basic DAC + Schiit Lyr should go a long way toward unleashing the K70X.

C-2.1 is great too with K702 but many are happy with LYR + K702 :p

K702 with my previous m-stage + opa moon was also very nice , but C-2.1 is above :) .