[Solrighal]

  What about a baby diaper will it work?

Aye go for it. That won't look ridiculous, not a bit.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 

  What about a baby diaper will it work?

Aye go for it. That won't look ridiculous, not a bit.

Maybe i should.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 

  I'am happy with my Bottlehead CRACK and S.E.X. amps. they both drive the Q and 650 very well.

Hmm.  I just don't wanna build something and I already own and trust Schiit and of course I'm one of those guys that cares about looks so that my DAC and Amp match.
But sounds like it runs well on tubes, unless the Bottlehead Crack has some lower impedance though, hopefully someone with the new Valhalla 2 can get back to me on this one.

The SEX can drive most HP but then they are not the prettiest amp out there and it's a DIY  that don't bother me i go for the sound not the looks.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 I looked at the Valhalla 2 they look nice and the price i think it's reasonable but to tube roll with that amp 4 tubes will leaved a big dent on your pocket.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

The Val 2 will work well with the Senn but wont be ideal for the AKG. You could email Schiit and ask. They reply very quickly, and frankly there would be noone in a better position to answer that. If I were you, I would go for thr Val2 for your Senns anyways. Well worth it imo.

 

[jodgey4]

   I looked at the Valhalla 2...

 
 

The Val 2 will work well with the Senn but wont be ideal for the AKG. You could email Schiit and ask. They reply very quickly, and frankly there would be noone in a better position to answer that. If I were you, I would go for thr Val2 for your Senns anyways. Well worth it imo.

Straight from the site:: "While most tube OTL amps are really only designed for 300 ohm Senns and 600 ohm Beyers, Valhalla 2 stretches to include headphones that you’d never expect to use with a tube amp. Go ahead. Use it with Grados. Run it with AKGs."
 
It should run about 200 mW maybe into the 62 ohm cans. These probably want more like 0.5 W, but that's only like 4 dB different. Probably not the best pairing, but it's got a lower output impedance than many OTL's. The Q701 impedance curve lifts with high treble, so this might cause for a slightly bloated treble.

 

[Chris J]

Straight from the site:: "While most tube OTL amps are really only designed for 300 ohm Senns and 600 ohm Beyers, Valhalla 2 stretches to include headphones that you’d never expect to use with a tube amp. Go ahead. Use it with Grados. Run it with AKGs."

It should run about 200 mW maybe into the 62 ohm cans. These probably want more like 0.5 W, but that's only like 4 dB different. Probably not the best pairing, but it's got a lower output impedance than many OTL's. The Q701 impedance curve lifts with high treble, so this might cause for a slightly bloated treble.

Q701s don't want 500 mW.
Why would they want 500 mW?
You probably typically run 1-10 mW into a pair of Q701s.

 

[jodgey4]

Q701s don't want 500 mW.
Why would they want 500 mW?
You probably typically run 1-10 mW into a pair of Q701s.

To reach high enough overhead peak levels. Q701's are pretty inefficient! According to Tyll's measurements, to reach 120 db peaks, you need ~1.7W. For NwAvGuy's recommendation of 110 db peaks, that's closer to 200 mW.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

To reach high enough overhead peak levels. Q701's are pretty inefficient! According to Tyll's measurements, to reach 120 db peaks, you need ~1.7W. For NwAvGuy's recommendation of 110 db peaks, that's closer to 200 mW.

So which amp would be capable of that output?

 

[TsukiNick]

The Val 2 will work well with the Senn but wont be ideal for the AKG. You could email Schiit and ask. They reply very quickly, and frankly there would be noone in a better position to answer that. If I were you, I would go for thr Val2 for your Senns anyways. Well worth it imo.

Oh it would most definitely be for the HD650s primarily.  I just want to know if I'm just gonna have to still use the Magni for the Q701, it might be interesting to feed pre's from the Valhalla to the Magni.  Sorta like making a hybrid xD?

 

[Chris J]

To reach high enough overhead peak levels. Q701's are pretty inefficient! According to Tyll's measurements, to reach 120 db peaks, you need ~1.7W. For NwAvGuy's recommendation of 110 db peaks, that's closer to 200 mW.

Yeah, but, Who actually listens that loud?
An average of 90 dB is loud, you need 20 dB of headroom?
I don't think so!

 

[i luvmusic 2]

Bottlehead SEX have 2 Watts.

 

[Smugsie]

Created a review of the AKG Q701's! Includes measurements of the bass port mod and a little history of it involving my time with these beasts

http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-q701-premium-class-reference-headphones-quincy-jones-signature-line/reviews/11822

 

[Enginigmatic]

I've been using these for a few days, and so far, I'm not that impressed.
 
One of the bigger issues is that the headband has started to give me a headache. When I first put it on, it felt just fine -- in fact I could hardly feel anything. But after about 30 minutes to an hour, it just starts to hurt. I've positioned the band on several parts of my head, from closer to the forehead to the back of the head, and no matter what, it begins to hurt pretty quickly now. If anything I've become more sensitive to it
 
My intention was to upgrade from a set of MDR-V6, but so far the difference in quality is not as a day/night as I imagined. The Q701 have a superior soundstage, but every time I go back to the MDR-V6 I feel like I prefer them overall. I can't perceive a noticeable qualitative difference in instrumental/vocal detail. I almost want to lean on the side of the MDR-V6; certain parts of music sound "hollow" on the Q701. One thing about the Q701 is that I feel like vocals sound better, or more realistic -- there's a "presence" to them -- almost like they're coming from a person rather than coming out of the headphones. Basically, they sound a little more life-like and less recording-like. On the other hand, the MDR-V6 bring it more on the bass side. I have the bass on my amp/dac set to +4, and this for me make the Q701 decent, but the MDR-V6 deliver the bass at this setting even more potently. The Q701 also has a really aggressive treble -- snares and cymbals are bordering on obnoxious in certain songs. There's pros and cons to either set.

 
I prefer the coiled cable that my MDR-V6 have. The variability to the length means I don't have to wrangle a long cord, but it also means that if I get up and walk across the room, they don't fall off my head. The other aspect of a coiled cable that might be underestimated is that there's a tactile indication of how much length is left in the cord, because the cord "tugs back" as distance increases. With a straight cable, you walk too far, and the thing just falls off your head because you walked the length of the cord. I wrapped the cable up to be shorter so I wouldn't roll over it with my swivel chair, but then when I got up to turn the light off in my room, the headphones promptly fell off my head.
 
If nothing else, given the price difference between the two (I've payed as little as $68 and as much as $80 for the MDR-V6 [Amazon]), I don't feel like there's $110+ worth of additional value in the Q701. It feels more like a step sideways to me, they haven't replaced my MDR-V6 as much as they've become an option. They do some things better and some things worse.
 
I don't know, maybe it's a mere matter of becoming accustomed to the MDR-V6 for so many years that they will always sound "right". Maybe my ears are no good. Maybe I just have poor taste. Maybe I picked a poor choice of amp (Fiio E17). The source right now is Google Play Music; but I've always tried FLAC 24bit/96KHz vinyl rips for comparison as well.
 
For $190, I'm not sure if I want to hold on to these as a weapon in my arsenal or if I want to send them back and try something else. They're not bad...I'm just not sure they're for me.
 
Sorry, most of this thread seems positive toward these headphones, but I must say that I am underwhelmed.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

  I've been using these for a few days, and so far, I'm not that impressed.
 
One of the bigger issues is that the headband has started to give me a headache. When I first put it on, it felt just fine -- in fact I could hardly feel anything. But after about 30 minutes to an hour, it just starts to hurt. I've positioned the band on several parts of my head, from closer to the forehead to the back of the head, and no matter what, it begins to hurt pretty quickly now. If anything I've become more sensitive to it
 
My intention was to upgrade from a set of MDR-V6, but so far the difference in quality is not as a day/night as I imagined. The Q701 have a superior soundstage, but every time I go back to the MDR-V6 I feel like I prefer them overall. I can't perceive a noticeable qualitative difference in instrumental/vocal detail. I almost want to lean on the side of the MDR-V6; certain parts of music sound "hollow" on the Q701. One thing about the Q701 is that I feel like vocals sound better, or more realistic -- there's a "presence" to them -- almost like they're coming from a person rather than coming out of the headphones. Basically, they sound a little more life-like and less recording-like. On the other hand, the MDR-V6 bring it more on the bass side. I have the bass on my amp/dac set to +4, and this for me make the Q701 decent, but the MDR-V6 deliver the bass at this setting even more potently. The Q701 also has a really aggressive treble -- snares and cymbals are bordering on obnoxious in certain songs. There's pros and cons to either set.
 
 
I prefer the coiled cable that my MDR-V6 have. The variability to the length means I don't have to wrangle a long cord, but it also means that if I get up and walk across the room, they don't fall off my head. The other aspect of a coiled cable that might be underestimated is that there's a tactile indication of how much length is left in the cord, because the cord "tugs back" as distance increases. With a straight cable, you walk too far, and the thing just falls off your head because you walked the length of the cord. I wrapped the cable up to be shorter so I wouldn't roll over it with my swivel chair, but then when I got up to turn the light off in my room, the headphones promptly fell off my head.
 
If nothing else, given the price difference between the two (I've payed as little as $68 and as much as $80 for the MDR-V6 [Amazon]), I don't feel like there's $110+ worth of additional value in the Q701. It feels more like a step sideways to me, they haven't replaced my MDR-V6 as much as they've become an option. They do some things better and some things worse.
 
I don't know, maybe it's a mere matter of becoming accustomed to the MDR-V6 for so many years that they will always sound "right". Maybe my ears are no good. Maybe I just have poor taste. Maybe I picked a poor choice of amp (Fiio E17). The source right now is Google Play Music; but I've always tried FLAC 24bit/96KHz vinyl rips for comparison as well.
 
For $190, I'm not sure if I want to hold on to these as a weapon in my arsenal or if I want to send them back and try something else. They're not bad...I'm just not sure they're for me.
 
Sorry, most of this thread seems positive toward these headphones, but I must say that I am underwhelmed.

 
It happens. It sounds like you should return them. I am surprised you were caught off guard by the bumps because they must be the single-most discussed issue, in nearly every review I've read, about these headphones, often appearing in reviews of the AKG K712 pro as well (because they latter don't have the bumps). I was very prepared, then, for discomfort before I picked these up, but I was surprised they weren't that bad for me. A couple of posts ago I linked a 10 dollar wool headband on ebay that completely solved any issues for me. But it sounds like you don't really enjoy the sound either, and if that's the case, I would return them for something else. Why did you go with the AKG in the first place, I wonder?
 
Best of luck to you