[chicolom]

Quote:

I've been using the K712 for several weeks now and it is not bright or thin sounding. It is warmer than the Q701, but still presents a large soundstage. This is not a repainted 701.

 
 
When you put the same pads on each headphone do they sound the same or different?

 

[jmsaxon69]

So i got my pads for the K702 for my Annies today, put them on listened to about 5 or 6 "go to" tracks, put the memory foams back on listened again then promptly decided to NEVER put the angled pads on again! Wow what a difference.  Imagine the Annies with even LESS warmth and bass impact.  I thought i might hear this "better soundstage and transparency", I did not.  Just sounded cold and sterile and uncomfortable for good measure...
 
Anyone want to buy some barely used K702 pads? Haha!

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

So i got my pads for the K702 for my Annies today, put them on listened to about 5 or 6 "go to" tracks, put the memory foams back on listened again then promptly decided to NEVER put the angled pads on again! Wow what a difference.  Imagine the Annies with even LESS warmth and bass impact.  I thought i might hear this "better soundstage and transparency", I did not.  Just sounded cold and sterile and uncomfortable for good measure...
 
Anyone want to buy some barely used K702 pads? Haha!

 
It's definitely there. Q701 is a lot more airy sounding too with the right music (not like the K400/K702). Sounds like you didn't listen to them long enough or are too used to the Anniversary sound (which IMO is more colored, not really any smoother..maybe with some tracks). The Q701 (which yours would be with K702 pads) is nowhere near cold and sterile. That's more like the DT-880 or K701 IMO. My HD-650 isn't really all that much warmer than the Q701.
 
Well, can't say it enough..you either like the Anniversary sound or the Q701 sound. I'll take the Q701 sound any day, but just due to music and sound preferences.
 
Q701 pads also have more forward upper mids too IMO. Female vocals also seem to sound better on the Q701 by far. Maybe nobody cares about that..I do!
 
Oh and are you sure you had the angled (large) side facing BACK?

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

So i got my pads for the K702 for my Annies today, put them on listened to about 5 or 6 "go to" tracks, put the memory foams back on listened again then promptly decided to NEVER put the angled pads on again! Wow what a difference.  Imagine the Annies with even LESS warmth and bass impact.  I thought i might hear this "better soundstage and transparency", I did not.  Just sounded cold and sterile and uncomfortable for good measure...

 
 
I think you'll have to use them longer than that to get used to the sound.  You're already used to the memory foam pads, so you've adjusted to them and consider their sound "normal."  If you use the angled pads for a few days then switch back then the memory foam pads the latter will sound a bit intimate, dark, and muffled. 
 
 
Point is, you can't just use one headphone most of the time then briefly switch to another and compare.  You'll be biased towards whichever headphone you've been using the most since you are adjusted to its sound and consider it normal. 
 
I've experienced this on both sides using the Q701 and the Anniversary. 

 

[jmsaxon69]

I don't know guys, it was pretty dramatic and obvious to me.  I didn't seem to see ANY benefit or sonic improvement.  I have a kinda crappy iPod boom box in my bathroom, I've been listening to it for 2 years, almost every day. You know what? It still sounds like crap!
 
I must say that I do prefer a darker more rich sound, always have.  I've sold audio for like 25 years or at least have been in the business one way or another in that time.  I've listened to A LOT of stuff.  Maybe if the K702 pads were all I had I'd get used to it, but i have the memory foam pads that just smoke the angled pads in EVERY way, why wouldn't I listen to them exclusively? Why listen to something thin and lifeless and then call it "airy and transparent"? Not buying it...

 

[Change is Good]

My angled pads have a name, actually. I call them my "Battlefield Pads" -_-

Don't be so down about em. They may not be good for your taste but to me they are exceptional for competetive gaming... and classical music... and jazz.

But yes... for everything else I too prefer the memory foam pads.

 

[tdockweiler]

I sometimes use those Annie pads when I need more bass. Did well for me with Far Cry 3. Then I realize I have an HD-650 and don't really need to bother with pad swapping.
HD-650 and the Anniversary are possibly the worst pair of headphones to have together. No point really. Just pick whatever one sounds best.
Now the Q701 and HD-650 gets my approval

Keeping both forever. Really!
 
My ears must be bad but the Annie sounds warmer/bassier than the HD-650.
 
BTW you know what else is a bad combo? MDR-SA3000 and K702. Too similar! SA3000 was kind of addicting though.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

It's fully understandable that he prefers the Annie pads. If you want more bass and warmth, no amount of testing the K702 pads will make them better.

 

[jmsaxon69]

Thanks MLE.
 
One last question as I listen to some Esperanza Spalding in 24/96 on the Annies is why would a lack of warmth and bass make jazz sound better? 

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmsaxon69 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
I must say that I do prefer a darker more rich sound, always have.
 
I've sold audio for like 25 years or at least have been in the business one way or another in that time. 
 
Why listen to something thin and lifeless and then call it "airy and transparent"? Not buying it...

 
 
Well, if you prefer a darker sound, and the memory foam pads are darker sounding....there you go. 
 
Not everyone does though.  Some people like the angled pads because they sound more open, airier, clearer, more separation, etc.  You can negatively oversimplify and call it thin and lifeless.  On the flip-side, some people don't like the sound coming from the memory foam pads and have some negative associations with them as well.
 
The point is, audio is very subjective, and everyone has different preferences.  No offense, but someone that's been in the audio business for 25 years should know that.

 

[joebobbilly]

Quote:

I sometimes use those Annie pads when I need more bass. Did well for me with Far Cry 3. Then I realize I have an HD-650 and don't really need to bother with pad swapping.
HD-650 and the Anniversary are possibly the worst pair of headphones to have together. No point really. Just pick whatever one sounds best.
Now the Q701 and HD-650 gets my approval

Keeping both forever. Really!
 
My ears must be bad but the Annie sounds warmer/bassier than the HD-650.
 
BTW you know what else is a bad combo? MDR-SA3000 and K702. Too similar! SA3000 was kind of addicting though.

 
I disagree. For me, they are great because I do prefer a darker sound... they are similar enough to fulfill that role, yet different enough to offer varying strengths. The Annies, certainly add a bit of sparkle and more detailed sound... much more "monitor-like" through my setup. The HD 650s initially lost to the Annies for soundstage when running them single-ended through my E09K... but then running them balanced here, they just simply put the Annies to shame in terms of the soundstage depth, and also much easier to listen to for long sessions. I'm very sensitive to spiky treble, so yes even the Annies will fatigue my ears after an hour or 2.
 
In summary, on my setup... Annies provide a more intimate, detailed and "your head is the mic" sound, so I prefer them for guitar/acoustic and music that has more sparkle or when I'm lookin for minute details. But the HD650 basically has an immersive depth in the soundstage that gives you the feeling like you're @ the concert hall... I can even get a good sense of the acoustics in the room of the recording... here any symphonic pieces (Beethoven's Symphonies come to mind) are simply superb. Consequently, the HD650s get more head time... cause they're just so much more natural sounding and musical.

 

[emertxe]

Quote:

Like I said, its about perception. The biggest soundstage have almost more or less have come from thinner sounding headphones.

AD700, K701, HD800, Electrostats, out of all I have ever tried, thinner headphones have always had the larger sense of space and best instrument separation, imaging, etc.

It's not a golden rule, but it helps. Stronger treble emphasis is also a benefit. This is why the Q701 sounds more spacious than the K702 Annie.

 
This is definitely true from my experience. It's not that you LOOSE soundstage width with added bass/mids in relation to treble but you SUBJECTIVELY feel that with more bass/mids you are getting thicker presentation that is more focused on center than super-wide presentation. Depth is a bit more difficult... Many consider orthos with deep bass as DEEP-SOUNDING but once I acquired HD800, I realised that TRUE depth is connected with quality soundstaging that only a very few cans can offer... But yeah, with more bass, music is subjectively getting nearer to you.
 
As for imaging and separation, I also agree. Too much bass just cause "leaking" of those low frequencies into the rest of spectrum ( = scene in front of you), causing a definite degradation primarily in instrument separation. Imaging is also influenced, though not as much as long as treble response stays completely the same, remaining its image-supportive character. Of course, imaging is not only about FR but I am just mentioning it because of the same driver in the whole x70x line.
 
I can definitely see a lot of people prefering more bassy cans (and Annies over x701)... But to enjoy the best soundstage/separation/imaging, you just have to grab a pair of really neutral cans, rip one of your favourite live concerts into the highest possible quality and have a listen, also focusing on base response. You will then realise that phones like HD800 or x701 are REALLY CLOSE-TO-NEUTRAL even though many consider them as treble-focused. I can really enjoy having a strong bass for fun but its not what you hear live or in a recording studio... To be fully convinced, engage your warm LCD-2 or similar and listen to the same live record. Can you hear that lack of realism due to shelved down treble (in relation to bass/mids)? There is no feel of realistic air and stage with a band playing. Of course, you should compare only within genres you are aware of how they sound live in reality (so primarily rock and metal for me). I am not saying that those I mention as neutral are the best - but they are definitely more neutral than a lot of people would think. I think that the Battle of the flagships article is definitely spot on in terms of what headphones are near to neutrality and which are not.

 

[Salvatore]

Quote:

So i got my pads for the K702 for my Annies today, put them on listened to about 5 or 6 "go to" tracks, put the memory foams back on listened again then promptly decided to NEVER put the angled pads on again! Wow what a difference.  Imagine the Annies with even LESS warmth and bass impact.  I thought i might hear this "better soundstage and transparency", I did not.  Just sounded cold and sterile and uncomfortable for good measure...
 
Anyone want to buy some barely used K702 pads? Haha!

 
You probably shouldn't post so hasty impressions (I've done that mistake many times myself). With K702 pads the anniversaries definitely sound more transparent and refined. Also the bass is very tight and have great resolution but doesn't have as much sub bass and overall bass quantity as compared to the anniversary pads. Anniversary pads make these cans sound louder so be sure to match the volume levels before switching pads. Like I said in my pad comparison I truly think the standard pads make anniversaries sound more hifi. If I was to mix and master, I would choose K702 pads (well for some obvious genres I'd choose anniversary pads). This being said I use the anniversary pads 99% at the time because they just feel so damn balanced and make it so much more fun to shuffle through my playlist. Occasionally, when I get some new jazz records, I change the K702 pads on and roll in Amperex 7308 = ultimate jazz experience. IMO of course
 
Quote:

HD-650 and the Anniversary are possibly the worst pair of headphones to have together. No point really.

 
In my comparisons I found both similarities and differences between these two and in the end they were different and complementary enough to justify owning them both. Not the wisest duo to own, I admit, but if you have loads of money lying around and you love either one of these headphones, you'll probably find use for both. For example, black keys sound absolutely fantastic with HD650. Definitely better match than the anniversaries. With Adele and such I found it to be the opposite.

 

[musiclife]

Quote:

 
I think most of us expected or knew it wasn't just going to be just another K702/K701 since it uses the memory foam pads. It would be impossible almost.
Most of us are probably wondering more if it's a clone of the K702 Anniversary OR a much improved version of that.
 
I just hope it's not warmer/darker than the Anniversary.
 
What's actually on my radar a little more is the K612. I definitely don't expect anyone to be comparing that to the K601. K601 was never very popular to begin with it seems. I always preferred that to the K701/K702 but not the Q701.
 
I bet K612 with memory foam would be very interesting.

I am simply getting confused by all the Kxx versions of AKG. Seems even more complicated to me than the HD lineup of sennheiser.

 

[macbob713]

Comparing a jazz trio recording, Whirlwind by the Fred Hersch Trip on the Q701 and the K712. On this recording, I prefer the Q701. Very open, greater treble detail, light and airy with solid bass support. The 712 sounds bass heavy and obscures the nice cymbal work on the recording. Previously I played the newly remastered CSN cd with Shadow Captain on it, and I preferred the 712. Instruments were fleshed out better, nice bass and great vocal presentation. The Q also sounded very good with this, but to my ear the 712 was preferred.