[Audiopotamus]

So I just bought a pair of AKG K702 and I was wondering if I should upgrade the cable and the cousins. I play them through my sound system with my Zune HD connected to my receiver and I can move around my room with the 3 meter cable length so that is not a problem. It would be awesome if anyone could respond to this.

 

[Uncle Erik]

What do you mean by "cousins"?

Don't bother with a cable upgrade, unless you want a longer one or if it gets damaged. The aftermarket cables don't help.

Not a single person has ever been able to tell cables apart with their eyes closed. If you hear the difference, then why do you need to see the cable?

 

[lejaz]

 
Quote:

What do you mean by "cousins"?

Don't bother with a cable upgrade, unless you want a longer one or if it gets damaged. The aftermarket cables don't help.

Not a single person has ever been able to tell cables apart with their eyes closed. If you hear the difference, then why do you need to see the cable?

So no cable upgrade could pass a double blind test then? Interesting. Never knew that, though I kind of assumed it might be so. If cables were a crucial element to the sound of their phones companies like AKG and Senn would have paid more attention to the high priced ones. I guess their engineers can't tell them apart from the stock cables that they are using now, eh?

 

[Audiopotamus]

 
 
Quote:

You have good source to sound ? PC-DAC-amplifier ?

My source sound is lossless playing out of my Zune HD into a Kenwood reciever that my speakers are hooked up to.

 

[Acix]

Yep, looks like you need some nice SS amp.

 

[Audiopotamus]

Is a headroom micro amp a good amp?

 

[macbob713]

Try the Schiit Vahalla tube hybrid amp. Goes for $350.00 direct from Schiit. I'm listening to the Vahalla with my AKG Q701's as I write this. Sounds thrilling.

 

[Audiopotamus]

I wanted to get the Q701 but they were way expensive. what kind music do u play out of it.

 

[ACDOAN]

Quote:

So I just bought a pair of AKG K702 and I was wondering if I should upgrade the cable and the cousins. I play them through my sound system with my Zune HD connected to my receiver and I can move around my room with the 3 meter cable length so that is not a problem. It would be awesome if anyone could respond to this.

Cabling upgrading is the last upgrading I would recommend. GIGO is a golden rule of the Audio God if there is one. If you are using the MP3, why don't you start with a better D/A converter AKA. DACs and then maybe a better amp than the receiver HP jacks
 
Cousins of the 702 maybe the 701 and the Q701.

 
 

 

[Audiopotamus]

What kind of amp/DAC would you suggest?
 
Quote:

Cabling upgrading is the last upgrading I would recommend. GIGO is a golden rule of the Audio God if there is one. If you are using the MP3, why don't you start with a better D/A converter AKA. DACs and then maybe a better amp than the receiver HP jacks

 

Cousins of the 702 maybe the 701 and the Q701.

 

 

[Bevo]

 
Quote:

Cabling upgrading is the last upgrading I would recommend. GIGO is a golden rule of the Audio God if there is one. If you are using the MP3, why don't you start with a better D/A converter AKA. DACs and then maybe a better amp than the receiver HP jacks
 
Cousins of the 702 maybe the 701 and the Q701.

 
 

Woulda thought you'd go for the amp before a DAC though. I'm sure most DAC's are good to begin with and the K70x require an amp anyways

 

[winma]

With a nice SS amp you'll discover a new side on your Akg's. 

 

[jeust0999]

When I first got my AKG's, I used them off a Pioneer stereo receiver.
 
Then I got a dedicated headphone amp.
 
The sound quality b/w the two is significant, but not drastic. I got a bit of hum off the receiver, and the bass is better on the KICAS. Albeit, the Pioneer amp gave it more than adequate power and bass. The sound does change b/w these two amps, and they are apparent to me because I have spent a lot of time discerning both.
 
My old Pioneer stereo never needed to go past 11 o' clock; with the KICAS I usually listen at least at 12 o' clock.
 
I wrote a review here...
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/540545/review-akg-k-701-kicas-caliente-w-pictures

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

What do you mean by "cousins"?

Don't bother with a cable upgrade, unless you want a longer one or if it gets damaged. The aftermarket cables don't help.

Not a single person has ever been able to tell cables apart with their eyes closed. If you hear the difference, then why do you need to see the cable?

Because we want to be sure to pass the test.

I thought you'd give it a couple pages before bringing the fire and brimstone, so how goes the crusade Unc?

 

[ACDOAN]

Quote:

When I first got my AKG's, I used them off a Pioneer stereo receiver.
 
Then I got a dedicated headphone amp.
 
The sound quality b/w the two is significant, but not drastic. I got a bit of hum off the receiver, and the bass is better on the KICAS. Albeit, the Pioneer amp gave it more than adequate power and bass. The sound does change b/w these two amps, and they are apparent to me because I have spent a lot of time discerning both.
 
My old Pioneer stereo never needed to go past 11 o' clock; with the KICAS I usually listen at least at 12 o' clock.
 
I wrote a review here...
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/540545/review-akg-k-701-kicas-caliente-w-pictures

 I haven't tried the Pio Elite SC05 which comes with Wolfson Dacs but I have been using the lowly Pio Elite A 35r in direct mode with good result. I never have to go past 11 o' clock. It's true there are much better dedicated HPamps outhere but I do not want to reach the audio nirvana to soon to early. I want to take time to enjoy my journey so there is no rush here. Plus the Pio Elite intergrated give me warm mid-range and smooth HF and plenty of LF. It would not be an understatement to call the A 35R a very good intergrated amp from the performance/ price point ratio.
 
 The Pio Elite intergrated amp also responds well with inter-connect cables so I also have a chance to tweak the sound of difference headphones accordingly. Call it a band-aids approach if you will but no cans are created equally so there is nothing wrong with using Hero ICs with cans like AKG 702 to have a smoother high and a better bass or to use the Silver Streak to have brighter and more open sound but less heavy on bass on the Senn HD 650 when I listen to a small piece of Jazz or a silky vocal of Diana Krall.
 
 My source used to be a Rotel CDP but now I prefer the Pio BDP 51 FD with Wofson dacs.
 
 One day, I wil get a dedicated HPamp either SS or tubes or both types but for now I am okay with the Pio A 35R intergrated amp, so my $$$ go to HPs as many as I can have time to try them out.
 
 There is always all kind of snake oil in Audio and I do not want to have any endless confrontation within this forum. This is just one man opinion and yours maybe contradicted to mine. So YMMV.
 
 Happy listening and enjoy your journey to Audio heaven.