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Audio Technica ATH-AD900 compared to AKG Q701/K701

post #1 of 5
12/29/11 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 

I am looking for desktop headphones that have a different sound than my Sennheiser 650s and narrowed my search to the above. My reading leads me to conclude that they are similar, but I have not listened with either. Their street price is very similar and I am a fan of open phones for home use.

 

If some members have heard both, I am very interested in your experiences and opinions about each from a comfort and listening perspective and which you prefer. 

 

Thanks to all who take the time and make the effort to assist me.

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post #2 of 5
12/29/11 at 8:48pm

I'm also interested in hearing opinions on the differences between these two.

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post #3 of 5
12/30/11 at 12:18am

Copied from another thread: (http://www.head-fi.org/t/582276/q701-appreciation-thread/75#post_8012330)

 

"Quick comparison is that Q701 is warmer/darker sounding, punchier, and has more body.  Q701s have punchier bass (Q701 can actually produce deep sub-bass pretty good).  AD900 is lighter, leaner and air-er sounding.  AD900 has more emphasis on upper mids/highs. 

 

Q701s sound more "natural" to me.  AD900s are very easily driven, but I don't find the Q701s to be as stubborn as everyone was claiming the K70x to be.  Soundstage is large on both, although I find the Q's to have a taller soundstage.   The Q701s sound like they have more separation, and I think this is in part because they have a less "air" (high frequencies) connecting the sounds to each other.  So sounds get outlined more with greater separation and are suspended around you. 

 

I found the AD900s to be a little congested sounding in the mids : \  Maybe it's that peak at 4khz on the graph..."

 

graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2931&graphID[]=3061

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post #4 of 5
12/30/11 at 12:23am

I prefer the Q701.  AD900 sounds too similar to the AD700 (AD700s can be practically EQ-ed to sound the same).

 

AD900 headband is more comfortable than the stock Q701 headband.  I have a cheap walmart seatbelt pad wrapped around the Q701 headband right now and it doesn't bother me anymore.  The ADxxx pads make my head itch a bit, Q701s don't and are a little deeper (my ears touch the drivers on AD900 which are more shallow than AD700).

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post #5 of 5
12/30/11 at 9:30am
Thread Starter 

Thank you, Chicolom. Very informative.

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