Katun
Headphoneus Supremus
My very first "serious" headphone was the K701. I didn't really like it.
My current and most present headphone is the Q701. I absolutely love it.
Well, it kinda started out with the K601. One of the members here was kind enough to loan me his K601. Turns out, I actually really liked. And I mean, *really* liked it. Good enough to hit my Top 5, the K601 is just awesome to listen to. The soundstage is exceptionally nice, and I miss it from the good old days of me preferring it over any aspect of sound. But anyway, due to my renewed love of soundstage, and more particularly, these headphones, I wanted to venture back out into this AKG lineup. Q701 was the first and only stop. (Contemplated about the K701/K702 for a second, but ultimately wanted the Q701 due to the really cool "black" model as well as the possible chance that AKG did some unknown tweaking on the driver.)
So, I received them today. The black model to be specific.
First off, absolutely striking! I forgot how good some of AKG's headphones looked. But these were just amazingly good looking! Something about being nearly all black just looks really, really cool. Not to mention they are big and look nice and fancy. Putting them on my head (and playing games with them for about an hour) revealed the most shocking discovery yet. The bumps don't bother me anymore; well, at least not yet. In fact, up against the smooth headband of the K601, the comfort is about the same between the two (with the exception of the thicker and more fitting pads of the Q701). So that relief aside, I was eager to see how they sounded. Kinda put off by all the criticism they've been getting (K701/K702), I was a bit worried to say the least.
Driven by my new E9 amp, these are quite exceptional. The soundstage is incredibly wide and puts a new "ambiance" flavor on all music. Bass, midrange, and treble all come together really quite well, and nothing really sticks out or is obviously recessed. So far, I'm really enjoy vocals on these. The sound is actually quite full bodied and enveloping; more so than the K601. There is a nice weight to the sound, and everything had good space and involvement. And quite honestly, I don't recall enjoying a headphone this much for quite some time (with the exclusion of the K601). Briefly recapping on my Top 5, I honestly would say (at the moment, so to speak) these hit in my Top 3. Actually, besides the HE-500, I think these are my favorite, putting them at the #2 spot. Probably the most surprising twist I've taken or encountered on my headphone journey to be honest.
Oh, and on a random note, the Q701's packaging smells exactly the same as the MTPG's packaging. Interesting.
* Special thanks to tdockweiler for loaning me his K601 *
My current and most present headphone is the Q701. I absolutely love it.
Well, it kinda started out with the K601. One of the members here was kind enough to loan me his K601. Turns out, I actually really liked. And I mean, *really* liked it. Good enough to hit my Top 5, the K601 is just awesome to listen to. The soundstage is exceptionally nice, and I miss it from the good old days of me preferring it over any aspect of sound. But anyway, due to my renewed love of soundstage, and more particularly, these headphones, I wanted to venture back out into this AKG lineup. Q701 was the first and only stop. (Contemplated about the K701/K702 for a second, but ultimately wanted the Q701 due to the really cool "black" model as well as the possible chance that AKG did some unknown tweaking on the driver.)
So, I received them today. The black model to be specific.
First off, absolutely striking! I forgot how good some of AKG's headphones looked. But these were just amazingly good looking! Something about being nearly all black just looks really, really cool. Not to mention they are big and look nice and fancy. Putting them on my head (and playing games with them for about an hour) revealed the most shocking discovery yet. The bumps don't bother me anymore; well, at least not yet. In fact, up against the smooth headband of the K601, the comfort is about the same between the two (with the exception of the thicker and more fitting pads of the Q701). So that relief aside, I was eager to see how they sounded. Kinda put off by all the criticism they've been getting (K701/K702), I was a bit worried to say the least.
Driven by my new E9 amp, these are quite exceptional. The soundstage is incredibly wide and puts a new "ambiance" flavor on all music. Bass, midrange, and treble all come together really quite well, and nothing really sticks out or is obviously recessed. So far, I'm really enjoy vocals on these. The sound is actually quite full bodied and enveloping; more so than the K601. There is a nice weight to the sound, and everything had good space and involvement. And quite honestly, I don't recall enjoying a headphone this much for quite some time (with the exclusion of the K601). Briefly recapping on my Top 5, I honestly would say (at the moment, so to speak) these hit in my Top 3. Actually, besides the HE-500, I think these are my favorite, putting them at the #2 spot. Probably the most surprising twist I've taken or encountered on my headphone journey to be honest.
Oh, and on a random note, the Q701's packaging smells exactly the same as the MTPG's packaging. Interesting.
* Special thanks to tdockweiler for loaning me his K601 *
