AKG K702 worth $229 brand new?

It is a good deal. However, you must buy a very good amp to power these properly. Otherwise you are just wasting money.

A used CanAmp or X-CANV8 will do the job. I lean toward the V8 as I love mine a lot and it pairs very well with the K702.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gorgatron 

 

I see. Is there such a amp you would recommend?

Purity Audio currently have a sale on the K.I.C.A.S and its sister amp, the Caliente. I seem to recall that several K70* owners gave good feedback on these amps.

 http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/526167/purity-audio-s-sale-on-the-kicas-and-caliente

Amp plus headphones for under 500 USD - add a dedicated DAC/secondhand CDP and you (potentially) have a rig which should make you happy, assuming you like the K702, for well south of a thousand USD. Believe me when I tell you that many here have spent a lot more for a lot less. :)

And if you have a nice budget for amps, you can also consider the HA-160. (probably you can find an used one for a good price)

the k701 pairs good with the M3 or Dynalo imho.

The K701/702 pair extremely well with both the Schitt Asgard($249.00) and Schitt Vahalla($349.00). If your budget permits, spring for the Burson HA-160 for $699.00, which seems to me to be the optimal combination with the AKG.

FiiO E9 gets good reviews as a match for the K701.

I haven't heard the Filo, but there's always more than one way to skin a cat.

I'm not a huge fan of Deckhand Davy's 'talking hand' vid style, but if you want to see and hear the K701 with the E9, knock yourself out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/deckhanddavy#p/u/1/KpXOZNmkORo

Among the best values for amps that are highly synergistic with the AKG K701/702 are the Shanling PH100 and PH300. The former is a fully discrete design whereas the latter is a hybrid tube amp with the highly regarded TPA6120A as the headphone driver in dual configuration adding a preamp on top. PH100 can be found new on eBay for as little as USD 200, PH300 for less than USD 300.

The Headroom Micro Amp pairs well with the 70x series. I believe at that price and the price of several decent amps to PROPERLY amp the AKG K-70x, it's a great rig for under $500.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gorgatron 

I have been wanting the k701/2 for a while. I like the darker color though. I do not have a amp yet, but if it makes any better I did buy the Asus Xonar DX sound card.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/AKG-K-702-K702-Open-Back-Headphones-/320636297778?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa769a232#shId

The K-702 while not absolutely flawless is well worth $229. I feel that it is good enough to cost $500.

Not really, if it was my money I would take a 20 year old receiver from a family member, then buy a Stax headphone and transformer box or HD-580. Under $200 for the whole package, as opposed to $400-500 for the K702 and amplifier.