AKG K701 vs K702 for mixing

Heya,

Unpowered source can't damage your driver. It just doesn't get as loud or as dynamic. Nothing more.

"PRO" doesn't mean anything. It's a marketing term. The K701 and K702 are so similar that it really doesn't matter. The K702 has a detachable cable. I would go for it just for that reason alone.

But really, I wouldn't use a K701/K702 for mixing. But that's just me.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalVeauX 

But really, I wouldn't use a K701/K702 for mixing. But that's just me.

Is it not neutral enough, or is there another reason?

Quote:

Originally Posted by cactus_farmer 

Does anyone know if the K702 has more power handling or durable drivers than the K701 in order to handle pro audio?

 

Or are they literally exactly the same apart from color and that detatchable cable?

Pro Audio? What does that even mean.... ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by McNuggetsPie 

Is it not neutral enough, or is there another reason?

Personal preference. I think the K701 has too much artificial sound stage and is too anemic, with a dry analytical sound. I would rather mix on something that doesn't hide mid-bass from you and doesn't sound like you're 3 or 4 rows away but rather, closer, and only make it sound that way if you want it to. But again, that's purely preference.

Very best,

I got the K702 for mixing and mastering in 08, I'm still using those hps and update my studio pro system with the Phonitor hps amp. Here if more info: http://www.head-fi.org/t/393139/k702-in-the-studio

Since 08 I've try out most of the high end hps that can be considered as pro studio monitor hps, like the Stax 4070, Sony Qualia 010, HD-800, and the T1.

I was very impress and with the Stax 4070 for studio use, but a pro system for the 4070 can be very expensive, around 4K, not including a pro DAC machine.

Some audio card can drive the K70X nicely, but will be better to get some entry level SS hps amp to go with the DAC... like the Meier headfive, or the Matrix M-stage. 

I'd say go for dt880 pro which is quite neutral, save for a very slight mid recession

But if you are adamant on getting a k series headphone, then go for the 702 based on the detachable cable alone.

Pro audio isn't actually a thing that exists. I could plug in .50$ earbuds into an interface of sorts and start working, but i would cringe in doing so. Any neutral headphone with good imaging would do the trick.

For an amp the objective 2 would be great for your uses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cactus_farmer 

What I mean by pro audio is that there are often peaks and clipping in the material that haven't been removed because the material is raw and hasn't been mastered. This clipping could potential damage the drivers of headphones. Consumer headphones may not be 'tough' enough in their drivers to handle these peaks and may be damaged by them. The crinkling of one of the drivers of my K701 back when I had it may be because I exposed them to unmastered recordings. Hopefully the K702 will not also develop this problem...

 

Because the K701 is apparently the 'consumer version' and the K702 is apparently the 'pro audio' version - I thought maybe the K702 would have tougher drivers, or more power handling to be ready to withstand the peaks and clipping of unmastered recordings, whereas the K701 might not be able to handle it - even if they sound absolutely identical...?

Hi

I have K702s and in fact I am listening to music with them now as I type :)

I don't think the K702s are in any way different from the K701s apart from colour and detachable cable.

AKG do make headphones for use in studio environments but they confuse things by using the term "Pro" for a many of their headphones and the ones they seem to really intend for actual Pro use are a subset of that.

AKG headphones you will see used in a professional environment are the K 271 MK II and the K 171 MK II. I have a pair of  K271 Mk IIs. I use my K271s "in the field" to monitor audio channels on my video camera, and indeed to monitor audio recording with an audio recorder from time to time. The K 271 Mk IIs and the K 171 Mk IIs are closed back in design and have a neat cut-out switch so that if you remove them in a studio they cut-out the sound.

Looking at the "Pro" website for AKG I see they have some entry level headphones which they consider to be suitable for studio use, these are the K 121 Studio. These are not closed back however. They do describe them as being "designed for ambitious and rugged use".

K77 Perception and K44 Perception look like they sort of consider them suitable for mixing etc. and they are cheap enough that if you did break them it wouldn't be too bad.

Here is the AKG Pro website:

http://www.akg.com/site//powerslave,id,2,nodeid,2,pcategory,33,_language,EN,country,EN.html

If you read the descriptions of the headphones you can get an idea as to which are intended for studio use and which are not.

The other headphone I know of which is sold for studio use is the Beyerdynamic DT100. I used to work in radio for the BBC in the UK and I saw them in use in BBC studios a lot.

I do use my AKG K 702s for editing and mixing audio for use in video and I haven't ever worried about damage, however the material I am working with maybe kinder than yours.

In the UK, the K701 are literally £100 less than the K702. The K701 is only £150 which seems a great bargain for a headphone of its quality. That's like the same price as the M50.

If the K702 really are no more resistant to driver-damage than K701, is it advisable just to go with the K701?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassophile 

In the UK, the K701 are literally £100 less than the K702. The K701 is only £150 which seems a great bargain for a headphone of its quality. That's like the same price as the M50.

 

If the K702 really are no more resistant to driver-damage than K701, is it advisable just to go with the K701?

Apparently all the KQ-70x have the same drivers, and yet members here claim for sound differences between the models...go figure.

The other issue will be the cable SQ, here more info: http://www.head-fi.org/t/378255/akg-k702-build-your-own-cable

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix 

 

 

Apparently all the KQ-70x have the same drivers, and yet members here claim for sound differences between the models...go figure.

The other issue will be the cable SQ, here more info: http://www.head-fi.org/t/378255/akg-k702-build-your-own-cable

I would advise cactus_farmer that it is extremely unlikely for there to be an improvement in sound quality of the K702s by changing the cable for something else. The cable they come with is absolutely fine.

If the cable is changed for a different cable and the sound quality changes, then that would be because the sound quality has been damaged most likely. Signal loss in reasonable quality cables is so negligible as to be difficult to quantify in any meaningful way, so the cable they come with really is absolutely fine.

I will now retire from this thread because I find this nonsense about pointlessly changing cables to be tedious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by p a t r i c k 

 

I would advise cactus_farmer that it is extremely unlikely for there to be an improvement in sound quality of the K702s by changing the cable for something else. The cable they come with is absolutely fine.

You're probably talking from experience, right?