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Amp for K701/K702 - Page 2

post #16 of 28
10/14/10 at 7:57pm

@fishki13 how much did the y2 cost to build?  Seems like a nice project.

 

also how do the k240 and k271 compare - hope I'm not hijacking this thread...

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

HeadRoom Micro Amp
AKG K701 Studio Headphones
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AKG K 702 Headphones
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post #17 of 28
10/14/10 at 7:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by meltdown100 View Post

I'm running a K.I.C.A.S. Caliente amp, being fed by a Gamma2, and it is absolutely a killer setup with my K701s, I mean killer.



Thus confirming my observations. Thank you.

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post #18 of 28
10/14/10 at 8:21pm

My first budget purchase after the K701s was a Millet MiniMax headphone amp with $25 in extra tubes that sound different from each other.  I have had a rather fun time comparing how the tubes change the music I hear.  The source is the 1/4 jack from an iPod.  VERY easy to operate and listen to.

 

http://www.diyforums.org/MiniMAX/MiniMAXoverview.php.

 

I can not compare the Millet to anything else yet.  I may build a DynaLow next.

 

I built a y2 full+++ also but it was much more difficult due to the Surface mount devices. 

 

DIY support is amazing around here so don't be too afraid (a little caution is always a good thing).

 

Good Luck!  

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post #19 of 28
10/15/10 at 7:55am
Thread Starter 

Well I ordered a Matrix M-stage for now, but I'm definitely still keeping these other options in mind (for the future) if this pairing doesn't appeal to my ears. I'll look into adding a dedicated DAC to my setup, but as of now I'm broke smily_headphones1.gif. Thanks for all the input!

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post #20 of 28
10/15/10 at 9:08am

Congrats on your decision and I think you'll enjoy it.

 

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post #21 of 28
10/15/10 at 10:19am

@XTTX - post your impressions for us when you get it. 

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post #22 of 28
10/16/10 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 

Will do. As of now I'm listening to the K702's from my FLAC -> foobar2000 -> Fiio E5 -> K702. When I first got them, I didn't appreciate the sound signature all that much (I had it completely unamped). They were too bright on the highs and light on the bass; mids are great though. Seems to be leveling out though - don't know if that's the headphones or me. I'm hoping that once the amp gets in, the headphones are gonna blow my mind smily_headphones1.gif.

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post #23 of 28
10/16/10 at 1:39pm

I think it's you as I notice it myself.

I've been A/Bing the k701 and 650 back and forth a lot. I forget about the low end after listening to the 701s for awhile. Once I put the 650s back on I notice immediately how much more rich and full the mid and lows are. Unfortunately the 650 sounds slow and sloppy in comparison to the 701s. I'm not a huge fan of either. I'm looking for something fast with decent low-end. I'm hoping the LCD-2 delivers without sacrificing too much of the sweet highs the 701s have.

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post #24 of 28
10/16/10 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 

For me right now, the highs are too piercing due to the relative brightness in comparison to the mids and lows. Not to say they're bad by any means (they sound great). For me to get sufficient immersion across the entire spectrum though, the highs just have too much volume to be comfortable. I'll definitely update my impressions as I listen more though.

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post #25 of 28
10/16/10 at 7:14pm

E5 is only good for IEM entry level, even sometimes I feel E5 can degrade the SQ

 

I guess you'll surprise what K701 will sound with M-Stage 

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post #26 of 28
10/16/10 at 7:19pm
The million-dollar question: are your k701s new? I'm a novice in this forum, but I already know that burn-in for new headphones is a very legit thing, and the k701s are known for needing a lot of burn-in time to loosen up the drivers. I bought mine used very recently (= already burned in) and the miss and highs are very nice, nothing is overpowering but everything is there to be heard. My amp seems to deliver good bass so maybe that's why I don't feel like my k701s are that bass-shy. Actually, as I have come to embrace my new hi-fi pursuits, I find myself drawn more to good accurate delivery, meaning the bass presentation will depend on the recording I'm listening to and not any 'boost' from my gear. Give those headphones and your amp some time to settle in before you really judge them, leave them running at a medium volume for a few days, see how it sounds then.
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post #27 of 28
10/16/10 at 7:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by drez View Post

@fishki13 how much did the y2 cost to build?  Seems like a nice project.

 

also how do the k240 and k271 compare - hope I'm not hijacking this thread...



tardy PM sent.

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post #28 of 28
10/20/10 at 5:12pm
Thread Starter 

Alright, so I received my amp yesterday, and I must say the pairing is quite good. As a side note, I tried my friend's ATH-M50's and they sounded pretty bad with the M-stage; on the other hand, the M-stage sounds great with my MS1's. Anyways, back on track. The addition of the M-stage between my source and the K702's seemed to even out the mids and highs, while improving the punctuality of both. I still find the bass a bit lacking, but it's still pretty good. I'll continue listening and update my impressions. I also just performed the class A biasing mod, and my initial reaction is that the sounds are much warmer. As a negative, though, the mod seems to have introduced some noise when there's a lack of sound. That's probably due to my source and/or cable (no noise when nothing is plugged in).

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

HeadRoom Micro Amp
AKG K701 Studio Headphones
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AKG K 702 Headphones
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