Rob80b
Headphoneus Supremus
How to they scale to amping, Rob80b?
All quality headphones appreciate clean amplification, but the K712s along with its previous stalwarts like the 702s. 701s and K501s do not really open up to their full potential, especially with regards to the bass, unless given enough wattage and current. The best I’ve heard them was using my Bryston BHA-1 as a pre powering a Bryston 2BLP pro for amplification or even an old vintage receiver where the headphone out was just a headphone socket powered from the speaker amp but with a resistor in place to lower the output.
The HD700s on the other hand are IMO more dependent on the quality of the source to reveal their capabilities, garbage in garbage out and as long as the amp can supply enough clean power they should be fine and as where the K712s sound great off an old vintage receiver the HD700s will tell you...... it’s an old vintage receiver.