AKG K702 worth $229 brand new? - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by barleyguy 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan 

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

 

That's a bit of a stretch.  I would agree that they are worth $229, but there are many other 'phones in the $229 range I like just as well, such as the Sennheiser HD600 and  the Grado SR225i.

 

So, if they are comparable to other $229 headphones, what makes them worth $500?

They are extremely realistic with piano.

Perfect attack, great decay and exceptional damping.

Notes start and stop with razor sharp precision. Pitch of bass is very very accurate with no unneeded resonance. Perfect piston like bass... and that huuge soundstage! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan 

Quote:

Originally Posted by barleyguy 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan 

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

 

That's a bit of a stretch.  I would agree that they are worth $229, but there are many other 'phones in the $229 range I like just as well, such as the Sennheiser HD600 and  the Grado SR225i.

 

So, if they are comparable to other $229 headphones, what makes them worth $500?

They are extremely realistic with piano.

 

Perfect attack, great decay and exceptional damping.

 

Notes start and stop with razor sharp precision. Pitch of bass is very very accurate with no unneeded resonance. Perfect piston like bass... and that huuge soundstage! 

Ahhhhhhh Listening to etudes with this was heaven.

The Elekit TU-882AS ($380 and up, depending on whether you buy it in kit form or semi-assembled) makes my K702 sound better than the limited number of other amps I've tried. The Elekit takes a lot of the edge off the highs and the bass has a healthy kick, at least for rock and electronic music; haven't listened to much acoustic music with it yet.

I bought them used but only with a couple dozen hours of use on them by the previous owner, and straight out of the box the highs were intolerable. A few hundred hours of pink noise break-in helped the K702 a great deal but even on the Elekit these are still the most fatiguing phones I own. There's something off in the upper frequencies that I can't put my finger on. I'm experimenting with the Friend or Foe mod currently to see if that helps.

The 701/702 is a very accurate headphone, and every reputable reviewer in the business has acknowledgeed this fact. Check out the 6moons or stereophile reviews, along with many others. They were designed as mastering phones for audio engineers who need a very accurate presentation of their music. What they are not is bass heavy beats type cans. They give you what the music has, no more or  less, without any added sonic spice or flavoring. Many prefer their sound this way, and that's fine. But it's silly to claim the 701/702 are inaccurate. Also they do need a good headphone amp to get the most out of them. I use the tubed Schitt Vahalla to very good effect, and also the Burson HA-160 which seems made for the AKG. Check them out if you can.

I loved the K701 while I had it.  Amazing soundstage, and very good mids and highs.  The bass, while well extended, lacks some impact.  For amps, I recommend the Matrix M-Stage, Schiit Asgard, or the Fiio E7/E9 combo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardgedee 

The Elekit TU-882AS ($380 and up, depending on whether you buy it in kit form or semi-assembled) makes my K702 sound better than the limited number of other amps I've tried. The Elekit takes a lot of the edge off the highs and the bass has a healthy kick, at least for rock and electronic music; haven't listened to much acoustic music with it yet.

 

 If you upgrade the  4 X 0.1mfd PP caps with better caps (vcap( very pricy) or  vitamin-q  cap Toichi electric co.,ltd @$14.00, multicap  REL )  ,  TU-882  will jump to next level.  This upgrade will provide the absolute best sonic improvement.

 ..  . 

Quote:

Originally Posted by macbob713 

The 701/702 is a very accurate headphone, and every reputable reviewer in the business has acknowledgeed this fact. Check out the 6moons or stereophile reviews, along with many others. They were designed as mastering phones for audio engineers who need a very accurate presentation of their music. What they are not is bass heavy beats type cans. They give you what the music has, no more or  less, without ant added sonic spice or flavoring. Many prefer their sound this way, and that's fine. But it's silly to claim the 701/702 are inaccurate. Also they do need a good headphone amp to get the most out of them. I use the tubed Schitt Vahalla to very good effect, and also the Burson HA-160 which seems made for the AKG. Check them out if you can.

I'm sorry, but 'reputable' and '6Moons' ? You will forgive me if I roll around on the floor laughing - great audio pR0n, but the rest is an advertorial. Its the Entertainment Tonight of the audiophile press.

As for Stereopile (sic), you might be surprised to learn that many here view their efforts as a mixed bag - please disregard anything written by Sam Tellig. Personally, I find the guy entertaining, but apparently I am in the minority.

On a brighter note, I have contacted my source for NOS K501s - brand new, still in the box, complete with the dust accumulated over the last few years. They have sat next to his display case, completely ignored, since the day the local distributor talked him into stocking them. Its like finding that cherry 67 Camaro in a barn in 1980 and being told that the elderly owner stopped driving it when the price of gas skyrocketed in the early 70s.

Significantly cheaper than the 70* cans, and I regret selling my old pair but it all looks like it will work out. Happy days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by macbob713 

The 701/702 is a very accurate headphone, and every reputable reviewer in the business has acknowledgeed this fact. Check out the 6moons or stereophile reviews, along with many others. They were designed as mastering phones for audio engineers who need a very accurate presentation of their music. What they are not is bass heavy beats type cans. They give you what the music has, no more or  less, without ant added sonic spice or flavoring. Many prefer their sound this way, and that's fine. But it's silly to claim the 701/702 are inaccurate. Also they do need a good headphone amp to get the most out of them. I use the tubed Schitt Vahalla to very good effect, and also the Burson HA-160 which seems made for the AKG. Check them out if you can.

I'm sorry, but 'reputable' and '6Moons' ? You will forgive me if I roll around on the floor laughing - great audio pR0n, but the rest is an advertorial. Its the Entertainment Tonight of the audiophile press.

 

As for Stereopile (sic), you might be surprised to learn that many here view their efforts as a mixed bag - please disregard anything written by Sam Tellig. Personally, I find the guy entertaining, but apparently I am in the minority.

 

On a brighter note, I have contacted my source for NOS K501s - brand new, still in the box, complete with the dust accumulated over the last few years. They have sat next to his display case, completely ignored, since the day the local distributor talked him into stocking them. Its like finding that cherry 67 Camaro in a barn in 1980 and being told that the elderly owner stopped driving it when the price of gas skyrocketed in the early 70s.

 

Significantly cheaper than the 70* cans, and I regret selling my old pair but it all looks like it will work out. Happy days.

I lol'ed as well.

Don't worry