AKG K701/K702 vs. AKG Q701? - Page 6

Based on sound memories, I would take the Quincy's.

Quote:Originally Posted by chromatiq 

"bumpin this thread because macbob never posted his review like he said he would and i'm on the verge of ordering either of the 3 models.  currently on amazon they're all the same price:  Quincy jones black (255$), the white being (279$)..  i read that they used something aluminum instead of copper on the quincy models, so i will probably be picking the white pair up.  i've never owned any high-end headphones though so this will be a new experience for me, hopefully the asus essence stx soundcard i have with the built in headphone amp will work efficiently.  i'll let you guys know"



The sound card will be a fair match at best. The AKG 70x need a dedicated headphone amp to get to their potential. Sound cards are not an ideal match.

I was gifted a pair of Q701's recently and they do sound different from the (heavily-used) K701 I used to own. I do not know if this difference can be attributed to new pads (though the pads on my K701 were in fine shape), changes in the manufacturing process, modified drivers, etc. but they are a pretty clear improvement over the K701 to my ears. The two most noticeable differences (vs the K701) that I've heard are:

-The odd ("plasticky") midrange coloration of the K701 is not present with the Q701 (this was my single biggest issue with the K701)

-The highs are a bit smoother. I know this because I do not have listening fatigue issues with the Q701 like I experienced with the K701

I'm not sure about an increase in bass, I'm not suggesting the Q701 has the same bass amount as the K701 but this change if present is more subtle to my ears than the other two changes I've described. I would describe the Q701 as having a more coherent and flat sound than the K701, though still very analytical and not the most fun to listen to. But with a bit of EQ applied in right area (a small bump centered around the upper bass/lower mid region) I find these to sound a lot more engaging, in fact they've become one of my favorite AKGs (I never though I'd say that about a newer AKG model, or any pair of celebrity-branded headphones for that matter, but there you have it). I like the K340 more, but the Q701 is surprisingly good.

no need to say..they are different for sure. as one can hear the difference by a moment of listening. 702 is more accurate as it is desinged for monitoring, thus less color compared to 701 and Qs.

701 is colored by AKG, and Q701 is colored by Quincy Jones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFabian 

I was gifted a pair of Q701's recently and they do sound different from the (heavily-used) K701 I used to own. I do not know if this difference can be attributed to new pads (though the pads on my K701 were in fine shape), changes in the manufacturing process, modified drivers, etc. but they are a pretty clear improvement over the K701 to my ears. The two most noticeable differences (vs the K701) that I've heard are:

 

-The odd ("plasticky") midrange coloration of the K701 is not present with the Q701 (this was my single biggest issue with the K701)

 

-The highs are a bit smoother. I know this because I do not have listening fatigue issues with the Q701 like I experienced with the K701

 

I'm not sure about an increase in bass, I'm not suggesting the Q701 has the same bass amount as the K701 but this change if present is more subtle to my ears than the other two changes I've described. I would describe the Q701 as having a more coherent and flat sound than the K701, though still very analytical and not the most fun to listen to. But with a bit of EQ applied in right area (a small bump centered around the upper bass/lower mid region) I find these to sound a lot more engaging, in fact they've become one of my favorite AKGs (I never though I'd say that about a newer AKG model, or any pair of celebrity-branded headphones for that matter, but there you have it). I like the K340 more, but the Q701 is surprisingly good.

This seems about right from the graph

Reduced upper mids and increased lower mids. The treble still seems etched.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wind016 

This seems about right from the graph

 

 

Reduced upper mids and increased lower mids. The treble still seems etched.

 

To you.

My favorite thing about the Q701s is that its the second revision of the K701 and after years of people complaining about the garbage headband with the annoying bumps, they STILL have the **** bumps in the headband.

What kind of crack are they smoking?  Even if you are one of the few who finds them comfortable, it still flummoxes me that they won't change it for all of the people who DON'T find them comfortable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krameriffic 
[…] its the second revision of the K701 and after years of people complaining about the garbage headband with the annoying bumps, they STILL have the **** bumps in the headband.[…]

These were exactly also my thoughts as I tracked the newer incarnations K702 and Q701. It was unbelievable to read the various workarounds K701 buyers tried and suggested to withstand the wearing pain caused by the lousy headband. I don’t understand why AKG didn’t offer a plain headband without bumps as an option, like they did for example by offering different pads (leatherette and velour) for the AKG K271.

After little more than two years of struggling with the headband and also with the sound signature I decided to eventually abandon my idea of liking these headphones and switched to another model from another manufacturer. A decision I do not regret.

Werner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbophead 

To you.

 

What's up?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wind016 

 

What's up?

 

Oh, nothin'.  You?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbophead 

Oh, nothin'.  You?
 

 

Just chillin. It's my birthday

No Sh*t?  Man, this is your day.  Have a Happy! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbophead 

No Sh*t?  Man, this is your day.  Have a Happy! 

Thank you sir!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper 



Happy birthday.

Any new music?

Yes plenty! Also bought Gradofan2's Stax SR323s amp and expecting it soon. Can finally listen to my 007s. It's a good day =)

OK, I won't get this OT anymore =)  If the Q701s drop in price, I might give them a try. I really liked the K701s, but the biggest problem was the upper mids and lower mids balance. It seems they changed those parts of sound. EQ can probably fix the treble issue since a 5 db bump in treble is easier to cure without phasing issues in a good linear phase EQ.

Q's - Very nice, punchy, more than the 702's with less penchance for the sibilance often present in the latter.  An open AKG also great for electronic, who would've thought?