[Evshrug]

Nec3,
I also enjoy my E12 + Q701! Glad to hear you're happy. Though I mostly use my tube amp (which is mostly like the Amber), I haven't been able to let go of my E12.

Your comments about a DAC upgrade re-whet my appetite to get a DAC separate... what are you using as a source?

 

[Smugsie]

Nec3,
I also enjoy my E12 + Q701! Glad to hear you're happy. Though I mostly use my tube amp (which is mostly like the Amber), I haven't been able to let go of my E12.

Your comments about a DAC upgrade re-whet my appetite to get a DAC separate... what are you using as a source?

I well I have two ways to play my music.

Sony Walkman E474 =(3.5mm L Cable)> FiiO E12 =(3.5mm)=> Q701

Asus Crosshair IV Formula-Z =(USB)=> FiiO E07K DAC =(Headphone 3.5mm Headphone Output)=> FiiO E12 =(3.5mm)=> Q701

As for tubes and such. I think I'll wait a year or two before I upgrade my sources.... Minimum wage sure is tough on my budget

 

By the way Evshrug, do you listen with the Bass Boost on with the E12+Q701, or with it off?
I know I'm being too much of a purist, but I'd like to listen to my music with a close as possible flat frequency response.

 

[Chris J]

I love you guys, and I hate myself for doing so.

I didn't want to fall into "theoretical" sonic differences when I upgrade my equipment. There are people out there who think audiophiles just buy more expensive equipment because they have the money for it, then justify their purchases by arguing them on headfi.


This is my first 10 minutes with the FiiO E12 and I already notice the differences.

First off, I always knew the q701 had two layers of soundstaging. However this second soundstage is no longer a fade off from the first layer, but a solid soundstage. Also, the E12 makes everything flat, solid, and a bit more fuller than the E07K.

The E07K however is warmer, but more spacious than the E12.


With classical music, it's night and day difference. With songs blaring constant vocals, not so much.


Put them together, E07K DAC and FiiO AMP? Warm, fullness, and a solid soundstage.

No problem!
Amps and DACs do sound different.
May as well argue whether different vintages of wine taste different. Some say yes, some say no, some don't care!

 

[Chris J]

I well I have two ways to play my music.

Sony Walkman E474 =(3.5mm L Cable)> FiiO E12 =(3.5mm)=> Q701

Asus Crosshair IV Formula-Z =(USB)=> FiiO E07K DAC =(Headphone 3.5mm Headphone Output)=> FiiO E12 =(3.5mm)=> Q701


As for tubes and such. I think I'll wait a year or two before I upgrade my sources.... Minimum wage sure is tough on my budget  


By the way Evshrug, do you listen with the Bass Boost on with the E12+Q701, or with it off?

I know I'm being too much of a purist, but I'd like to listen to my music with a close as possible flat frequency response.

I know you didn't ask me, but I'll answer the bass boost question any way.
With my Q701 and E12........ it depends. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Depends on the recording and my mood!

 

[gilsont]

Help!
 
Does anybody's Q701 produce creaking sound when moving your head?
Mine recently developed this problem and every single time I turn my head a little bit, I hear creaking. It's been super annoying!
 
Should I lube it or something?
Thanks!

 

[PleasantSounds]

  Help!
 
Does anybody's Q701 produce creaking sound when moving your head?
Mine recently developed this problem and every single time I turn my head a little bit, I hear creaking. It's been super annoying!
 
Should I lube it or something?
Thanks!

 
If the creaking comes through the drivers, then it could be a broken wire or a cold solder. Otherwise a silicon based lube may indeed fix it.

 

[Hairspray]

Has anyone by chance compared the modded Q701 (or K712) to the Utrasone Pro 2900?
I would be VERY interested to hear your comments...

 

[tdockweiler]

  Help!
 
Does anybody's Q701 produce creaking sound when moving your head?
Mine recently developed this problem and every single time I turn my head a little bit, I hear creaking. It's been super annoying!
 
Should I lube it or something?
Thanks!

 
Did you get new glasses?

Mine does this when it's at low volume and I'm moving around a lot.

 

[Pullo55]

So I'm planning to use a set of Q701 to listen to my vinyl LPs and computer.  I have two 2-channel stereo rigs (one main/living room and one bedroom/office) and I'd like to be able to use the headphones with both of them:
 
The bedroom setup is based around a circa-1990 Nakamichi 'Receiver 2' (55 WPC at 8 ohms for speakers) that has a headphone rated output of 129 mW into 40 ohms.
 
The main setup is based around a Yamaha CR-2040 receiver from 1979 (120 WPC at 8 ohms for speakers).  I've been poring over the schematics and service/retail manuals but I haven't been able to figure out what the rated output for headphones is.  The receiver has two 1/4" jacks ("Headphone A" & "Headphone B") which appear to be on the same circuit as the speaker outs.  FWIW, it seems pretty capable.
 
My first question is whether each of these is adequate to run the Q701 well (I know the CR-2040 is probably more of a guess ATM than anything else), or if I'm going to be better off running them off of something like a Magni or O2 connected to each receiver's Tape Out.
 
My second question is whether the Q701 can be used with a line splitter (either run off of the receiver or a dedicated headphone amp) in order to connect another set of headphones (either a second set of Q701 or something else entirely).  This isn't super-duper important, but it would be really nice so that my girlfriend and I could listen to records together without bugging my roommate.
 
Thanks for any advice!  It would be really appreciated!

 

[Ashade]

  My second question is whether the Q701 can be used with a line splitter (either run off of the receiver or a dedicated headphone amp) in order to connect another set of headphones (either a second set of Q701 or something else entirely).  This isn't super-duper important, but it would be really nice so that my girlfriend and I could listen to records together without bugging my roommate.

 
You can just use a Y splitter if the amp is powerful enough. I've done this with the O2 and two Q's and I didn´t hear any difference with it set up with one Q. Like this one: 
 

​

 
 
About the rest of your question... If they are not powerful enough (I don't know because I am not familiar with that equipment), you can always double amp with a portable amplifier (like the O2 for example

).

 

[gilsont]

   
Did you get new glasses?

Mine does this when it's at low volume and I'm moving around a lot.

I dont wear glasses!

 

[gilsont]

   
If the creaking comes through the drivers, then it could be a broken wire or a cold solder. Otherwise a silicon based lube may indeed fix it.

I have good confidence it isnt the wire or anything inside the headphone, it sounds liek some friction when i move my head a bit. 
 
That silicon based lube sounds interesting... may you suggest a brand I can check out? Thanks!

 

[PleasantSounds]

  I have good confidence it isnt the wire or anything inside the headphone, it sounds liek some friction when i move my head a bit. 
 
That silicon based lube sounds interesting... may you suggest a brand I can check out? Thanks!

 
Haven't tried it on headphones yet, but I have been using McNett Silicone Grease - you should be able to get it in scuba diving shops or online.

 

[Chris J]

So I'm planning to use a set of Q701 to listen to my vinyl LPs and computer.  I have two 2-channel stereo rigs (one main/living room and one bedroom/office) and I'd like to be able to use the headphones with both of them:

The bedroom setup is based around a circa-1990 Nakamichi 'Receiver 2' (55 WPC at 8 ohms for speakers) that has a headphone rated output of 129 mW into 40 ohms.

The main setup is based around a Yamaha CR-2040 receiver from 1979 (120 WPC at 8 ohms for speakers).  I've been poring over the schematics and service/retail manuals but I haven't been able to figure out what the rated output for headphones is.  The receiver has two 1/4" jacks ("Headphone A" & "Headphone B") which appear to be on the same circuit as the speaker outs.  FWIW, it seems pretty capable.

My first question is whether each of these is adequate to run the Q701 well (I know the CR-2040 is probably more of a guess ATM than anything else), or if I'm going to be better off running them off of something like a Magni or O2 connected to each receiver's Tape Out.

My second question is whether the Q701 can be used with a line splitter (either run off of the receiver or a dedicated headphone amp) in order to connect another set of headphones (either a second set of Q701 or something else entirely).  This isn't super-duper important, but it would be really nice so that my girlfriend and I could listen to records together without bugging my roommate.

Thanks for any advice!  It would be really appreciated!

I used to have a Yamaha CR-2020.
The headphone jack was just a speaker output with a 220 Ohm resistor in series ( or was it 120 Ohm?)
It could drive any headphone I owned to skull crashing volumes.

 

[Pullo55]

I used to have a Yamaha CR-2020.
The headphone jack was just a speaker output with a 220 Ohm resistor in series ( or was it 120 Ohm?)
It could drive any headphone I owned to skull crashing volumes.

That's great to hear (and honestly, I thought as much.  Not to sound like an Audiokarma poster or anything, but it's times like these where I definitely appreciate how they used to do things "back in the day").  
 
However, now I wonder if such a high output impedance would mess with the dynamics and soundstage.  Like, sure- I get that you're still capable of pumping 120 WPC into the phones (which would probably make them explode 

), so you've got near-unlimited overhead in that regard, but that doesn't change the fact that the output impedance is way higher (let's assume it's 220 or 120 ohms).  Surely the electrical dampening and dynamic accuracy would suffer.
 
And what about the Nakamichi (129 mW into 40 ohms)?  Its output impedance is a bit lower than the impedance on the 701s (by only 22 ohms, certainly nowhere near the "1/8 rule") but it doesn't seem powerful enough to drive them well (key emphasis on "well"- I know it'll probably make them loud enough but I don't want them to sound like a bag of butts).
 
I've been eyeing the Magni/Modi stack for a while and they're fortunately cheap enough where I might just pick up a set and see what happens.  I would just rather not be obligated to use another amp....