[chicolom]

My replacement iCan had a looser volume knob than my original one, but I fixed it it by putting a rubber gasket type thing underneath it that adds friction when you turn it.  Now it feels fine.  The scraping knob sounds kind of annoying though :\

 

[NamelessPFG]

The SB-Z and SB-Zx, use a different headphone amplifier (cheaper?), then the ST(X) and ZxR and E9/E09K

 
Oh, so it's just the ZxR. I hate ambiguous manufacturer spec sheets that just say "up to 600-ohm".
 
Still, it feels like the TI TPA6120 is practically everywhere these days...

 

[Evshrug]

One last thing, you said the only Xonar thats good enough for K702 is the STX. Is there any soundcards like creative or any other brand that has better soundcards then the STX for the k702 ?

Let's just get one thing straight: the K702 (and Q701, and other variants) is a very good headphone, and you'll probably be impressed with whatever you plug it into. When I first got my Q701 and compared it to the AD700 I had already, I could tell the Q701 was immediately a bit more refined, with better bass prominence, and a good bit more engaging sound – even when they were just plugged into an old iPod Video (older version of an iPod Classic). That said, it's performance scales up with better parts in the rest of your system, too.

So, straight into my iPod, the Q701 was already better than the AD700 in almost all technical respects, but to hear a good listening volume I had to have the iPod volume turned up much higher. And even without having heard a better amp (and already sounding better than the AD700), it felt like there was something holding the Q701 back. After adding a better amp, the benefit was more control against loud sounds clipping or distorting, more solid bass impact, less "glare" or harshness to the treble, and better instrument separation and soundstage. I've bought better amps and now even a better DAC, and I continue to hear improvement with the same headphone.

If I knew then what I know now, spending less money on a surround processor and more on a separate DAC or at least a separate Amp provides the best value. I have been happy using Creative's Sound Blaster "Recon3D USB External" and "Z PCI-E Internal" sound cards with a tube hybrid amp connected to the headphone-out jack to sweeten the sound, but I could also send the surround-processed signal out from the Z to an external DAC if I wanted. I use Creative's products because I prefer their surround processing, but plenty of people prefer Dolby Headphone (like Mad Lust Envy). If you want DH, then the Asus Xonar U3 (for PC) is the cheapest way to get DH surround processing and you can use the optical out port to connect different DACs that are even better than the decent ones used in the STX and ZxR (or you could just plug an amp straight into the U3's headphone port, but the U3's built-in DAC is nothing special). The good part about separate pieces is you can upgrade one part and keep using the rest.

Oh, so it's just the ZxR. I hate ambiguous manufacturer spec sheets that just say "up to 600-ohm".

Still, it feels like the TI TPA6120 is practically everywhere these days...

Yeah, the Z uses an opamp from Maxim.

 

[Evshrug]

Hehe, thanks conquerator2 - that's the kind of encouragement I need when I'm doing late night online shopping!

The closed ones do look nicer, but from what I've read the open ones are better for FPS games?

I had closed A700 and open AD700 headphones back to back, and what you gain which is particularly useful for competitive surround gaming is greater ease telling sounds apart even amidst chaos (separation), a wider and more round "out of head" sound experience (soundstage), and less emphasis on bass more emphasis on details.

Unless you just think built-in mics are cooler, headsets are overpriced compared to just buying headphones and a ModMic or a cheap lapel mic like Mad's DX or my cheap Neweer lapel mic I found in a 3 pack on amazon for $4. I also think a separate lapel mic is more straightforward to adapt to console use, and it's easy to keep it neat by coiling it around the headphone cable.

If you just want a gaming headphone, IMO an AD700 or the paint-job AD700x are all you need, especially with something like a Creative Recon3D USB to process surround and tweak bass. The Recon3D USB works with computers and consoles that use Dolby on their optical outputs, and come with all the cables and adapters you need. The Turtle Beach DSS is a nice barebones option for consoles (game sound only) and the Asus U3 is the PC barebones option, and the Astro Mixamp is a console option if you can't use game-audio settings to balance game and chat volume (halo4, don't NEED this feature with CoD games because you can turn down game volume in options).

If you like music too, keep in mind my response to Hoffen.

 

[kman1211]

Let's just get one thing straight: the K702 (and Q701, and other variants) is a very good headphone, and you'll probably be impressed with whatever you plug it into. When I first got my Q701 and compared it to the AD700 I had already, I could tell the Q701 was immediately a bit more refined, with better bass prominence, and a good bit more engaging sound – even when they were just plugged into an old iPod Video (older version of an iPod Classic). That said, it's performance scales up with better parts in the rest of your system, too.

So, straight into my iPod, the Q701 was already better than the AD700 in almost all technical respects, but to hear a good listening volume I had to have the iPod volume turned up much higher. And even without having heard a better amp (and already sounding better than the AD700), it felt like there was something holding the Q701 back. After adding a better amp, the benefit was more control against loud sounds clipping or distorting, more solid bass impact, less "glare" or harshness to the treble, and better instrument separation and soundstage. I've bought better amps and now even a better DAC, and I continue to hear improvement with the same headphone.

I had a similar impression going from the MA900 to the K612, I like it better than the MA900 straight out of the ipod. The K612 was just more refined and the better the system I plugged it in, the better it gets.

 

[Evshrug]

Kman1211,
Thanks for backing me up. The MA900 is a solid headphone and good all-rounder, but I found my AKGs more involving. I'd like to try a K612 (and K240 studio), even though I don't really have to. I feel like there's good value to be had there.

 

[kman1211]

Kman1211,
Thanks for backing me up. The MA900 is a solid headphone and good all-rounder, but I found my AKGs more involving. I'd like to try a K612 (and K240 studio), even though I don't really have to. I feel like there's good value to be had there.

True, it's a solid headphone, but not quite at the K612s or K7xx series level of sound. I found AKGs more involving too, I always found there is a certain euphony to their sound I could never truly describe and I've heard it to varying degrees on every single AKG I have heard. I liked the K612 better than the Q701 personally, found them more neutral and natural sounding, the two headphones are actually on par sonically just a bit different and which you like better comes to preference. The K240 studio is a tier or so below sonically compared to the Q701 and K612, it's heavily emphasized in the mid and upper bass and has a treble spike, it's what I consider a more fun headphone.

 

[Change is Good]

Chat's workin through the mixamp now with the 1.51 update on the PS4

Sony > MS

 

[Evshrug]

Sha-weeet!

 

[chicolom]

I'd like to try a K612 (and K240 studio), even though I don't really have to. I feel like there's good value to be had there.

 
The K240 is a decent headphone, but the K712 really does everything better.  Similar warmish signature but better extension on either ends, better technicalities, and much better soundstage.  Also, the K240s shallow pleather pads are no match for the K712s roomy velour pads on comfort.
 
To be fair the K712 costs slightly more 

 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I blew both my KSC35's drivers... I didn't realize they were plugged into my laptop, and my laptop doesn't lower the volume when things are plugged into the headphone jack. I tend to run my laptop at max volume when using the built in speakers. Long story short... yeah...

Better send them in to Koss... again. Gonna try and see if I can send both my KSC35s in one package. Thank god for the Koss lifetime warranty. Hopefully get two headphones fixed for the price of just one shipment.

Of course, I NEVER plug my real headphones to my laptop this way, as I use my E17 at home. Only my Koss clip ons at work.

I wanna cry. But at least my Kossheiser PX-175 Frankenstein is working well.

 

[chicolom]

I blew both my KSC35's drivers... I didn't realize they were plugged into my laptop, and my laptop doesn't lower the volume when things are plugged into the headphone jack. I tend to run my laptop at max volume when using the built in speakers. Long story short... yeah...

 
Holy crap!   How powerful is your laptop?!
 
My laptop can only dream of blowing drivers.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The drivers on the 35s are super loud at like 25 volume on my laptop. The laptop was at 100%... So it was a HELL of a lot of sudden power pushed to the Koss drivers, which you know aren't the strongest drivers out there. They are prone to rattle for any reason, and with this incident... well... yeah.

I take special care of all my headphones, though I'm a bit abusive to my Koss clip ons, but not THIS abusive.

They are my basically 8 hour a day workhorse headphones, so it hurts me a LOT that they're damaged, and I have to wait. My original KSC35 has been messed up basically all year (left driver doesn't work, and exposed wire on the same side), but I was waiting for either the KSC75 or my Sportapro to mess up. Now's the time to get them fixed... though obviously, the 75 was gutted for parts for my PX175.

I sent Koss an email to see if I just have to pay to ship once for both cans, or if I have to pay for both. Still, $18 for two KSC35s (one being sent as a Sportapro) is nothing.

 

[Hoffen00]

So if i got K702 together with the STX soundcard and EHP-O2 amp would that work nice or do i still need something else ? Also would i need the STX or could i get a slightly cheaper soundcard like the Asus Xonar DX ? And how big is the difference between k712 pro and the k702 ? In swedish stores the k712 pro costs like 200$ more then the k702 would the 200$ be worth it ?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

So if i got K702 together with the STX soundcard and EHP-O2 amp would that work nice or do i still need something else ? Also would i need the STX or could i get a slightly cheaper soundcard like the Asus Xonar DX ? And how big is the difference between k712 pro and the k702 ? In swedish stores the k712 pro costs like 200$ more then the k702 would the 200$ be worth it ?

Buying the STX and the O2 is moot, as the STX already has a powerful amp, and the O2 isn't exactly a good match for the K702 FWIH. If anything, you don't need the STX. Since you're using an external amp, buy something like the DG instead. Also, it'd be best if you bought an external dac with an optical input, that way you don't have to double amp from the soundcard to your amplifier.

Something like the DG -> optical out -> dac with optical input -> amp