[bik2101]

i think it's somewhere in the 300-400 range? there are a few listed in the FS forums. just do a search.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f42/fs...int-uk-421884/

that's one..looks like most of the others have been sold already though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tswise /img/forum/go_quote.gif how much does the Canamp even cost? I cannot find anything about it on the internet.

 

[robko]

well, a little more research...
so the xiang shen seems to be not so great, and need mods and tubes right off the bat.
and the mk2 doensn´t have such a great option for rolling. but, on the other hand, i will probably do very little of that, if at all...
my eyes hurt

 

[jcx]

have you been totaly brainwashed by the tube fanboys? - they do write great subjective impression ad copy - despite some of the combinations raved about being clearly technically flawed

its difficult for cheap tube amps to meet the K701 current drive requirement - much easier for SS

if you want "tube like" lower damping factor just add a series R attenuator to the HeadFive

 

[robko]

i think you're confusing the head five and the headroom. the headroom is portable.
personaly, i'm really ok with either tube or solid body, but i do live in a part of the world where i wont be able to swap out tubes that often, i'd have to plan months ahead to get them... etc. i'm heading to the states shortly, thus my interest in ordering something now.
anyways, i cant find a headfive on the market anywhere... anybody know of one?

the shandling seemed really exciting till i found that you really need to buy a DAC with it if you plan on going through a computer as source. the common head fi set up is around 400 dollars with shandlig and DAC. but with that amount i'd just buy something else!

does the LD MK 2 really not support the AKG k701? it seems there's some subjective experience in the reviews that state otherwise. but maybe the technical specs dont lend the objective agreement. i'm a little bit stupid when it comes to numbers so i'll have to trust others on this.

i might just have to save up for the heed canamp, very juicy, but going for 450 on ebay.
or, i can beg my wife to loan me 120 and get the EF1 (actually not so likely

thanks all!
robert

 

[robko]

so, conferred a little bit more with some high fi-ers,
i think i need an amp with a dac because i´m going through my computer.
that brings me back to the hifiman EF2...

 

[Dominat0r]

I used a DV336i for as long as i had the 701s. The amp is more then enough to push them...even gave them some much needed bass =)

I would certainly go with tubes for the 701...give it alittle warmth.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FirebottleRon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok so if you want tubes with more low impedance grunt then how about something like this. Viewing a thread - Little Dot I+ Hybrid Headphone Amplifier

That amp is pretty much only made for Grados. Low impedance and low power taken into consideration of what kinds of 'phones it can drive.

 

[Zombie_X]

Hybrid amps seem to mate very well with the K701 given they have high current and a bigger voltage swing.

 

[robko]

Thanks all.
i ordered the hifiman ef2´s. and a replacement set of tubes. (thanks to firebottle ron for all the excellent feed back on tubes!)
in a few years, maybe i can go for a more dedicated costly system, but think this will do just fine for me now.
Really appreciate all the input. learned a lot!
Regards
robert

 

[AmanGeorge]

Good luck Robert! I hope you love your new amp

 

[RonMiller1]

Has anyone used them with the Little Dot MKIV? I was thinking the hybrid nature might be a good thing to pair the 701s with.

 

[robko]

here´s an update (edited due to much vagueness) to anyone who might follow up on this thread in the future with a similar question.

after an appropriate burn in i´m enjoying the ef2 with NOS Raytheon 6AK5 tubes/akg701.

you will need to pay attention to your source, in this case, what kind of music files you will use on your computer. mp3 files sound ok but they force you to turn the volume to the highest position just to get a decent sound. i tried converting my cd´s to flac and that worked very well.

regarding volume (as there is the concern with akg´s that you won´t get enough volume out of them). with the flac files playing through Cog as the music player on a powerbook laptop (had to switch computers)... at 11 o clock, great background, not much detail. at 12 to 2 o clock, great for attentive listening. 3 to 4 oclock detail really comes out, but can be a strain on the ears depending on the music. you´ll really hear static in the bass area if the recording is older.

i do notice at times a certain muddiness in the music, or that the instruments seem set to far back. at other times there´s just the tiniest hint of a tinny sound in an instrument. it´s not a deal breaker, and it could be for some unknown reason other than the amp, but i assume that´s the cost of going the budget route.

through a cd player (i tried a marantz cc3000) it sounds almost as good, but lacking a degree of smoothness. an external dac would really improve the sound.

again, if you are following this post, considering on getting a cheaper, budget solution for your akg´s. this has worked for me. of course, in some years i will aim for the dacmagic coupled with heed canamp as i´m sure i haven´t fully realized the potential of these phones. but am very happy with my more humble set up for now.

best
robert

 

[caceledon]

Would you recommend the k701/ EF2 combo? I´ve been looking around, and decided that on my budget is the best option, but everyone is telling me that the EF2 is not powerful enough to power the k701, and that the bass is the most likely to suffer from this, since the bass is very amp dependent.
How is the bass form the k701/ EF2 ? Do you own anything else to compare with?

 

[AP3X]

I use a Darkvoice 3322 and absolutely love it with my K701's. 32-600ohm rating with 600mW of power. AKG K 701 is rated at 200mW. Pretty good tube amp for 399.00 and you can get tubes that really warm up the sound like the Mullards or tubes that are a good bit cleaner like the LM Ericssons. the K701/2's are very detailed cans are not very forgiving of the source so warming them up with a tube amp that can handle them really makes them sound great. Allot of people also like the pairing of the DV336se with the K701. Very tubey sounding amp, the 3322 is the next step up and is a good bit more refined and less tubey.

I have heard great things about the EF2 in general. Hope you enjoy that amp. Please let us know how it goes. Oh, burn the am and the cans in well. They really benefit from them.

 

[Rainbow Randy]

I just ordered an EF2 for my HD600, D5000, and SR60, but I'm still interested in what you have to say about its pairing with K701. Headphone Addict said in his EF2 review that the DAC improves quickly from burn-in (mostly the first 30 or so hours?).