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lejaz said:

The specs for the LD mkV doesn't show 'bandwidth', AFAIK. Here's what you get from the manufacturer: http://www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=142&start=0  According to his specs it should be flat to within .5 dB. But wouldn't that depend upon the headphone used?
Here's the e9 specs....nothing about bandwidth here either: http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=19 Will the specs for either show how well they will pair with the phones in question, the Q701? The E9 has a fairly high output impedance according to navguy's review....he claims it's not ideal for low impedance headphones. The mkV manufacturer refused to answer when he was questioned about the output impedance of the MKV on the LD forum. I wonder why that is. 


 

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Yes, the bandwidth is the frequency response:   10 Hz to 100 kHz,  -0.5 dB.
The frequency response quoted refers to the output voltage of the headphone amp.
You are correct, though.
If the output impedance is high relative to the headphone impedance and the headphone impedance varies with frequency then you will get a reaction between the amp and headphone which causes variations in the actual voltage applied to the headphone.   Basically the signal actually applied to the headphone would no longer be within their quoted spec.  It would depend on the headphone.   So if you are worried about this, get an amp with low output impedance, less than 3 ohms should be good enough even for Grados. 
 
Little Dot refuses to answer?   Must be "Top Secret" and "Highly Classified" in the interests of National Security. LOL!
I asked Schiit, guess what?  they answered my question!
And who says output impedance is a meaningless spec?  LOL!
 
 

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liamstrain said:

Ok - once again, you are suggesting products 3-5x more expensive than the requestor (or anyone else thus far but you) has ever indicated being willing to deal with or suggested.
 
He's going with the 02 as an amp, my guess is he does not want to top $300 for an amp + dac combined. 

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I'm suggesting the best option in my experience, for me first will be the sound quality. As well you can buy those DAC's as used for a good price.
 
The more cheap options will be,
 
1. NI Kontrol 1 (good bass).
2. Presonus firebox, (good upper mids).
3. Echo indigo ( I hope the IOX version is better).
4. Lexicon omega (nice but not as good as the Kontrol 1).
 
I had all those sound cards and much more and they are okay-to-good, but I'll highly recommend to save more money and buy a used one from the my list above. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I want to ask about amping on Q701 too.
 
Currently I use Fiio E10, will adding an headphone amp such as Fiio E9 help to get better sound from my Q701? It sounds pretty lifeless at the moment (new unit, used for just 14 hours), especially on low volume.

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obobskivich said:

 
Regarding the Q701 - a new amplifier won't change their soundstage, positioning, any of that - it will also not be a tone control for them. It will either drive them well or it won't. The 1120k probably does a very good job, so any amplifier you get will probably just replicate that; they'll still be Q701s - dumping a ton of money into a fancy box does not make them "better" or "worse" than Q701s. 
 

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Well I believe you now.  I spent some time listening to my new Fiio E10 and I'm underwhelmed (comparing it to my receiver).  I'm beginning to thing that when reviews boast of huge improvements in soundstage between amps there's a little exaggeration going on.  Either that or I don't have golden ears. I used to occasionally run audio for a tv studio I worked at a long time ago - so I'm not totally inexperienced.  Even compared to the laptop headphone jack there's not an astounding change - mostly more volume and a little more bass (with eq).  
 
Overall I'm satisfied.  I'm done for a good while.  Maybe some day I can demo some HD800's and see how much difference I can hear.  I remember one time I listened to some $4k towers in a very special audio room and was underwhelmed (in comparison to my Polk Rti12's).   So far the biggest difference I've personally experienced in headphones was the first time I listened to the HD280's I bought.  Every improvement since that one has been marginal.  - HD 518 ->   Q701 -> amping Q701     

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ivantoar said:

I want to ask about amping on Q701 too.
 
Currently I use Fiio E10, will adding an headphone amp such as Fiio E9 help to get better sound from my Q701? It sounds pretty lifeless at the moment (new unit, used for just 14 hours), especially on low volume.

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Heya,
 
Nope. The E10 powers the Q701 pretty well. The Q701 is not a fun headphone, it's pretty reference, with a touch of warm. I have one and greatly prefer it to basically every AKG I've heard, as they tend to all sound lifeless, thin and boring to me. The Q701 has that hint of fun, but isn't anything like a really "fun" headphone (ie, DT990, HE-400, DT770, Denon 2K/5k, A900X) to me. I've put my Q701 on several different sources, and really, it doesn't take much to amplify them. Adding monstrous power, I've put several watts into mine (Lyr) and it doesn't pick up magical new low end bring it to life and making it sound less lifeless. AKG just sounds that way. Everyone has their signature sound. Perhaps you're not an AKG person. Maybe look into swapping up to something else. I'd put you on the Beyer DT880, Sennheiser HD600 or Hifiman HE400 as a direct swap.

Very best,

Quote:

malveaux said:

Heya,
 
Nope. The E10 powers the Q701 pretty well. The Q701 is not a fun headphone, it's pretty reference, with a touch of warm. I have one and greatly prefer it to basically every AKG I've heard, as they tend to all sound lifeless, thin and boring to me. The Q701 has that hint of fun, but isn't anything like a really "fun" headphone (ie, DT990, HE-400, DT770, Denon 2K/5k, A900X) to me. I've put my Q701 on several different sources, and really, it doesn't take much to amplify them. Adding monstrous power, I've put several watts into mine (Lyr) and it doesn't pick up magical new low end bring it to life and making it sound less lifeless. AKG just sounds that way. Everyone has their signature sound. Perhaps you're not an AKG person. Maybe look into swapping up to something else. I'd put you on the Beyer DT880, Sennheiser HD600 or Hifiman HE400 as a direct swap.

Very best,

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Hahaha, actually I'm okay with it and I don't want to swap it to something else. It gets better after 25 hours of burn in though and I was just wanted to know how it supposed to sound and whether better amp can bring more life to it Thanks for your answer

malveaux said:

Heya,
 
Nope. The E10 powers the Q701 pretty well. The Q701 is not a fun headphone, it's pretty reference, with a touch of warm. I have one and greatly prefer it to basically every AKG I've heard, as they tend to all sound lifeless, thin and boring to me. The Q701 has that hint of fun, but isn't anything like a really "fun" headphone (ie, DT990, HE-400, DT770, Denon 2K/5k, A900X) to me. I've put my Q701 on several different sources, and really, it doesn't take much to amplify them. Adding monstrous power, I've put several watts into mine (Lyr) and it doesn't pick up magical new low end bring it to life and making it sound less lifeless. AKG just sounds that way. Everyone has their signature sound. Perhaps you're not an AKG person. Maybe look into swapping up to something else. I'd put you on the Beyer DT880, Sennheiser HD600 or Hifiman HE400 as a direct swap.

Very best,

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Very true.
They do not require a lot of power or current to drive them!

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chris j said:

Very true.
They do not require a lot of power or current to drive them!

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I don't know if I'd go that far. Maybe it's possible that AKG made it possible for them to being slightly easier to drive. Would be easy for this to happen and there was a rumor that Sennheiser did this with a silent revision of the HD-650. Nobody confirmed it. Of course, we're only talking volume levels really mostly I guess.
 
Wish someone could compare volume levels between a K701 and Q701. I remember when I had my old K701 my Airhead would nearly always give me the red blink (over-voltage/clipping) light. It was very frustrating. Never get that at all with my Q701 ever. Wonder why?! Can't get it to blink with any source yet. Maybe if I crank it to max. With my K601 it's very easy.
 
I doubt an E11 or any portable amp will sound as good as a regular desktop amp with the Q701. Does anyone actually have a huge soundstage with a portable amp with the Q701? It'd be interesting to know.
 
 

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tdockweiler said:

I don't know if I'd go that far. Maybe it's possible that AKG made it possible for them to being slightly easier to drive. Would be easy for this to happen and there was a rumor that Sennheiser did this with a silent revision of the HD-650.
 

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I doubt...they're still 62 Ohms. The K-70X series are the most sensitive hps on the market, the HD650 and 800s are more easy to drive. In my experience many sound cards and amps will drive the K-70X, and the only question is how good, I mean how good as for your preference/satisfaction.

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acix said:

 
I doubt...they're still 62 Ohms. The K-70X series are the most sensitive hps on the market, the HD650 and 800s are more easy to drive. In my experience many sound cards and amps will drive the K-70X, and the only question is how good, I mean how good as for your preference/satisfaction.

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I think you mean the most insensitive HPs on the market.
 
 

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chris j said:

I think you mean the most insensitive HPs on the market.
 
 

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NO! I meant what I saiddd...show me, or just name it hps that are more sensitive to amp as the K70X.
 
 
Q/K70X are mid fi price, with high end sound...you can get a $100 amp/dac combo device and get done with that like the Kontrol 1, but if you really want to drive them to the top you'll need a 2-3K rig system, and this will be true for most of the high end hps.
 
 
 
 

Quote:

tdockweiler said:

I doubt an E11 or any portable amp will sound as good as a regular desktop amp with the Q701. Does anyone actually have a huge soundstage with a portable amp with the Q701? It'd be interesting to know.
 
 

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Heya,
 
Was just testing the Q701 on an E11 (set on high-power output), compared to an Asgard & Lyr. The E11 actually powers it fine. For my listening level, I rotated to notch 5 on the E11, so it still has a lot of overhead even. And the bass lover in me has the EQ set to 2. The sound stage was wide open, was just enjoying some Rostropovich, Robyn, Louise Rogers and Ayreon and it sounded pretty much what it sounds like when I'm on my Asgard (though the Asgard is a touch brighter in signature I find). The Q701 seems relatively easy to drive. I definitely like it better than my K701. The K701 was boring and lifeless to me, but the warmth of the Q701 makes it fantastic. The Q701 drops low too, so it satisfies the bassy needs I have. And it responds well to minor equalization for taste. Great headphone.
 

 
Very best,
 
 

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acix said:

 
NO! I meant what I saiddd...show me, or just name it hps that are more sensitive to amp as the K70X.
 

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I think this is a confusion over the use of the word sensitive. Acix - you are meaning that the headphones are picky about which amp they are connected to - sensitive to the change. Chris J thought you were talking about the specification/electrical property - the "sensitivity" measurement of how much power is required to reach a certain db level. 

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liamstrain said:

I think this is a confusion over the use of the word sensitive. Acix - you are meaning that the headphones are picky about which amp they are connected to - sensitive to the change. Chris J thought you were talking about the specification/electrical property - the "sensitivity" measurement of how much power is required to reach a certain db level. 

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I was confused about that as well. With a microphone....a mic with low sensitivity has a lower output than one with high sensitivity....given the same level of input.  AFAIK the 70X has low sensitivity according to the specs. Normally a headphone with low sensitivity is harder to drive than one with higher sensitivity.

Quote:

liamstrain said:

I think this is a confusion over the use of the word sensitive. Acix - you are meaning that the headphones are picky about which amp they are connected to - sensitive to the change. Chris J thought you were talking about the specification/electrical property - the "sensitivity" measurement of how much power is required to reach a certain db level. 

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Yes... I meant sensitive as picky, sensitive to the change. Sorry Chris.