[metsfan421]

Hey, I know this post was from a few years back but I didn't want to start a new topic as this is exactly what I'm looking for advice on.  I just got my AKG Q701's in the mail today and upon plugging them into my Windows Phone and reading a few articles, found that I should look into getting a portable amp to plug them into to get better sound.  I read a few reviews and seems people have said that FiiO is a good company that offers decent amps at affordable prices.  I just ordered the FiiO E17 Alpen Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC from Amazon.  Does anyone have any experience with this particular amp?  Also would it sufficiently drive the Q701's? 

 

[fauxfreshness]

  Hey, I know this post was from a few years back but I didn't want to start a new topic as this is exactly what I'm looking for advice on.  I just got my AKG Q701's in the mail today and upon plugging them into my Windows Phone and reading a few articles, found that I should look into getting a portable amp to plug them into to get better sound.  I read a few reviews and seems people have said that FiiO is a good company that offers decent amps at affordable prices.  I just ordered the FiiO E17 Alpen Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC from Amazon.  Does anyone have any experience with this particular amp?  Also would it sufficiently drive the Q701's? 

 
I have the E17 and the Q701s, and the amp is great.  I use the amp daily at work with my Windows 7 PC since it has stock support for the USB-to-S/PDIF and I've used the amp with my Note 3, Note 4 (in USB/DAC mode), my PC (in USB/DAC mode), and with my FiiO X5 (using the line out cable from the X5 bundling kit).  I love the separation of the X5 with stuff I've made and other stuff that's a bit more exotic, and the amp fixed just about all my poor perceptions of the Q701s when I first got them.  I'm positive a warm-biased amp with low output impedance would make the headphones sound richer, but I just use the bass switch on the E17 and leave the EQ flat on any source driving it.
 
HTH

 

[metsfan421]

   
I have the E17 and the Q701s, and the amp is great.  I use the amp daily at work with my Windows 7 PC since it has stock support for the USB-to-S/PDIF and I've used the amp with my Note 3, Note 4 (in USB/DAC mode), my PC (in USB/DAC mode), and with my FiiO X5 (using the line out cable from the X5 bundling kit).  I love the separation of the X5 with stuff I've made and other stuff that's a bit more exotic, and the amp fixed just about all my poor perceptions of the Q701s when I first got them.  I'm positive a warm-biased amp with low output impedance would make the headphones sound richer, but I just use the bass switch on the E17 and leave the EQ flat on any source driving it.
 
HTH

Hey thanks for the quick reply!  I have no experience whatsoever when it comes to using an amp so this will be my first go at it.  Is there any rocket science for hooking up the amp and the headphones to my Windows Phone or a Surface Pro 3?  Not sure what you mean by the separation of the X5.  So there's a huge difference in sound when using the amp?  Anything else I would need, cables, adapters, ect. or will this take care of it?  Sorry for the 20 questions but like I said, I have no experience whatsoever, other than a great knowledge of computers and technology in general outside of this.

 

[fauxfreshness]

 
Hey thanks for the quick reply!  I have no experience whatsoever when it comes to using an amp so this will be my first go at it.  Is there any rocket science for hooking up the amp and the headphones to my Windows Phone or a Surface Pro 3?  Not sure what you mean by the separation of the X5.  So there's a huge difference in sound when using the amp?  Anything else I would need, cables, adapters, ect. or will this take care of it?  Sorry for the 20 questions but like I said, I have no experience whatsoever, other than a great knowledge of computers and technology in general outside of this.

 
On the Windows Phone you would just use the headphone out and play with the volume voltage to get a strong, stable gain out of it.  I'm not sure if WP 8.1 has DAC offloading via USB (I know the Nokia Lumias I have didn't do that when I was working for them).  With the SP3, I'd just use the USB out to the E17 and use its built-in DAC to drive the amp, and make sure to set the device in windows to use 96 kHz/24 bit support, since that's what the E17 supports natively and it seems very happy with those settings on the Windows PCs I've used.  I imagine it has more to do with its filter arrangement internally and the slopes involved.
 
The separation comment refers to the semi-dual mono arrangement of the DAC and the OPAMPs in the FiiO X5 digital audio player.  I use it for general listening and reviewing my masters for a while in both 48 kHz/24 bit and then 44.1 kHz/16 bit to see how they fare.  I love the player, but I'd also like to listen to an Ibasso DX90 and an Astel&Kern 240 at some point.  There might be an X7 added to the FiiO lineup in the next year, so that my change my mind too...  
 
As an aside, some DAPs like the X5 can also act as a DAC/Amp for computers with drivers just being installed.  However, I didn't find the stock gain options on the X5 "strong" ("matched" would be a better way to put it) enough for the Q701s.  However, the E17 on low gain and around 5 is enough for me with my stuff ranging from Ministry and 3TEETH to Aimon and "Budda Bar" stuff like Azam Ali.

 

[fauxfreshness]

  Hey, I know this post was from a few years back but I didn't want to start a new topic as this is exactly what I'm looking for advice on.  I just got my AKG Q701's in the mail today and upon plugging them into my Windows Phone and reading a few articles, found that I should look into getting a portable amp to plug them into to get better sound.  I read a few reviews and seems people have said that FiiO is a good company that offers decent amps at affordable prices.  I just ordered the FiiO E17 Alpen Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC from Amazon.  Does anyone have any experience with this particular amp?  Also would it sufficiently drive the Q701's? 

 
My apologies, but I have the E18, and not the E17.  I have other items I work with that are model number 17 and jacked this up.    In any case, I was under the impression that the E18 has a flatter response while the E17 might be a bit warmer.

 

[metsfan421]

Is the E18 newer than the E17?  Any features it has that the E17 doesn't?

 

[fauxfreshness]

  Is the E18 newer than the E17?  Any features it has that the E17 doesn't?

 
They're different, and the E18 has direct support in Android and Windows without the need for additional drivers.  That was the primary reason for this selection, and I fell in love with the effortless drive it provides any of my headphones.  I have a Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 I use for my music production, and it can't deal with my Q701s all that well (very bright, no lows, which is still good for testing reverb and instrument placement).  

 

[DejanM]

I have Q701 for about a year now and I do not like them. They sound closed, with poor dynamics to my taste. I am using them with Naim Headline 2 (powered by Naim Flatcap) and with heavily modded Musical Fidelity X-Can V2. Both of these amps are poor match for these cans. So now I am looking for something else (stronger) in order to be able to squeeze better sound out of these cans. I will give it another try but I have a feeling that these cans are simply not good .... BtW I am using on a daily basis Grado SR-320 and they really sing ... I also have AKG K-450 and they are also very good although not on the level with Grado ...

 

[Boogirl]

  The Schiit Lyr 2 with Amperex Fat Bottle tubes is an amazing combination for the Q701 as well as the K712. Deep powerful bass with a great sense of realism, very dynamic, awesome clarity, sparkling highs, smooth and non-fatiguing, and a great sense of soundstage and depth.

Hi, I am really interested in learning more of your experience using the Lyr 2 with the Amperex Fat Bottle 6DJ8 paired with the Q701s.  My Q701s are currently being powered by an Audio GD NFB 15, which unfortunately does no favours for the low end on these cans – the low end is lacking. 
My Cambridge Stereo Integrated amp 550a out-performs my Audio GD in terms of low end, put the overall sound presentation offered by my Cambridge is nowhere near as refined as the presentation on the Audio GD, so they both have their plus-sides.  
 
What you have written about the Schiit Lyr 2 makes me think there is a solution for my Q701s that will make them shine in the low end, yet also excel without any sacrifice elsewhere. Could you please elaborate regarding the Amperex Fat Bottle tubes? Are these something that need to be purchased separately, and would I need to install them myself, or is this tube pre-installed by Schiit? 

 

[jodgey4]

I'd look into the bass mod for the K70x/Q701 to help the low end, a physical change in the transducer's behavior is going to do much more than a tube swap could. The NFB-15 is neutral (warm if anything), so if you feel the bass is lacking, it's the headphone, not the gear .

 

[Boogirl]

  I'd look into the bass mod for the K70x/Q701 to help the low end, a physical change in the transducer's behavior is going to do much more than a tube swap could. The NFB-15 is neutral (warm if anything), so if you feel the bass is lacking, it's the headphone, not the gear .

I don't really agree that the lack of low end is a Q701 problem: When amped by my Cambridge 550a, the Q701s have a deep and satisfying low end. I'm therefore inclined to put the lack of low end down to the bad synergy between the Q701 and the NFB-15. Other than the low end, though, the Q701s & NFB-15 get on really well together  

 

[northerndude]

Hey

I was wondering about how well the Apogee ONE would be able to drive the q701.  From the apogee engineering team,

 
For the AKG q701:
 
Impedance: 62 ohms
Sensitivity: 105 dB/V (note this sensitivity is specified to volt, not power)
Max output level One: 3.9V
The output impedance of the driver will reduce output voltage to 2.62V
 
Which means SPL at 2.62V will be 113 dB.  
Again I would not recommend to listen at this level, as serious hearing damage may result.
 
So again no problem driving these headphones. 

 

[Head Injury]

  Hey

I was wondering about how well the Apogee ONE would be able to drive the q701.  From the apogee engineering team,

 
For the AKG q701:
 
Impedance: 62 ohms
Sensitivity: 105 dB/V (note this sensitivity is specified to volt, not power)
Max output level One: 3.9V
The output impedance of the driver will reduce output voltage to 2.62V
 
Which means SPL at 2.62V will be 113 dB.  
Again I would not recommend to listen at this level, as serious hearing damage may result.
 
So again no problem driving these headphones. 

Power's not an issue, but output impedance might be. If voltage is reduced from 3.9 Vrms to 2.62 Vrms at 62 ohms due to output impedance (as stated by their engineers), that suggests an output impedance of 30 ohms. A damping factor of 2 (headphone impedance divided by output impedance) is really bad, the goal is typically 8 give or take. I wouldn't recommend anything higher than 10 ohm output impedance for the K701 to be relatively safe.
 
Also, keep in mind the discussion of AKG's specs a couple pages back. Tyll measured a sensitivity of 100 dB/V, not 105 dB/V like AKG claims and what Apogee used. That gives you a max volume of about 108 dB, which is only 70% as loud as 113 dB. Still not half bad, though, so I'm sure volume will be okay. It's the output impedance I'm worried about.

 

[Boogirl]

I am Considering Upgrading From the Q701s to K712s for Better Low End Sound:
 
Should I just replace my headphone amp and keep my Q701s?
 
 
 
After all, the low end on the Q701s is affected by the amp which is driving them. I'm currently driving them via my Audio GD NFB-15, which is a beautiful sounding amp – but something about the synergy between it and the Q701s means there is a lack of low end in the sound. When I plugged the Q701s into my Cambridge Stereo Integrated 550a to see if this would make any difference to the low end, I discovered it did. Great bass, shame about the rest of the sound. 
 
 
 
I'm pretty happy with my Q701s – however I am looking for depth and bass.
 
I am therefore looking for a solution where I can obtain a sound with more low end... but I am not willing to mod the headphones.
 
 
I'm looking at alternative solutions, and some advice in regards to which might be best:
 
> To change the amp to one that has a better synergy to the Q701s? Synergy definitely makes a difference – paired with my Cambridge 550a amp, they create a really good low end. I've heard the iFI iCan is a good headphone amp for added bass on the Q701s. Another option might be to use the Schitt Lyr with some appropriate Tubes. If a new amp is the best way to go, could anyone advise or suggest the best amp(s) to boost the Q701s?
 
> Or perhaps I should get a new pair of headphones? The K712s have a great low end and may offer a better solution... However, I am concerned that because of the 3db bass increase offered by these headphones, I might loose the neutral sound that I have with the Q701s. Does the 3db bass increase make the K712 less neutral?

 

[Chris J]

Lots of people like the Matrix M Stage with the Q701.
Search, and you'll find many satisfied Matrix/Q owners.