Since you have a non-uber Modi 2, the Bifrost 4490 is essentially a significant upgrade. When I say significant upgrade, I mean on a small scale but very well worth it if you have the money to spare. I would say go for it, even more so since you have HD800s. If you can't hear a difference, like...

If the newer AKG 712 is similar to the older K702/701 then they are probably not what you want for rock. You end up with everything being so spaced out, with such an uninvolved, odd presentation. I've always listened to many genres but rock has always been very important to me. My very first...

I just got my Uber upgrade in the mail today. The installation went fairly smooth with a few notes:   It works great if you remove the metal chassis first, leaving the actual board attached to the aluminum cover with those middle bottom screws still in. This method is mentioned in one part...

Changes can be a shock initially, going from a certain sound to another. I do believe some things should be given time to adjust. I once thought I desired ultra treble because it "seemed more lively". I'm glad I got over it because all it does is fatigue my ears quickly and I'm left unable to...

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When I first got my HD-600s over 3 years ago the clamping force on the head was significant out of the box. I did the headband adjustment (metal band flexing). I believe there is a thread somewhere with some pictures describing the process. It made a huge difference, so they are extremely...

Actually had the HD555s there to compare to the AD700s.  It was a major relief to put the HD555s back on after hearing the AD700s.  Music was involving again.  I just couldn't ever listen to any rock, metal, pop, techno, any of that on the AD700s to be honest.  Classical is okay.  Others feel...

From my experience with the headphones, the AD700s sound distant.  They lack full, hard hitting bass; so if you like that then for sure look elsewhere.  They just didn't work that well for music, comparing them to other headphones I've heard.  I actually listened to some Metallica with the...

  Quote: I experienced the same thing with the K702s and my HD600s, before I got rid of the K702s.    The K702s require more power for sure.  They seem to like lots of power.

When I had my K702s,I ran them out of a receiver once.  They were weak compared to an actual headphone amp, but of course your situation could vary depending on receiver. 

Quote: I agree with that statement to extent, but unlike the AD700s, once you upgrade to a high end headphone, you actually can have great soundstage and 3d imaging, along with good hard hitting bass.  The AD700 is too low end to achieve that.  On the other hand, they could settle for a...

Haha, no wonder Mad Max likes to say the AD700 bass is better than the "slow and wooly" HD600.

  Quote:   Yeah I said it, and your point is?  Most people that boast about the AD700s as great headphones always mention gaming pretty quickly..  I made it clear up front that they should make sure the information they take in is based on music, and not gaming, if they wanted...

Quote: The bass on the HD600 is far superior, in all aspects compared to the AD700s bass.  Just for the heck of it, the K702s bass is far superior to the AD700s bass also.  But again, even if your opinion is that the AD700 is the "best kept secret of the headphone world" and destroys all...

Quote: How do you know it was mainly based on people's opinion with music? Did you somehow look at the number of votes for AD700 and magically read the minds of the people that clicked it?  I never said that all people that liked the AD700 were basing it on gaming, just a good chunk...

Quote:   Please, don't even think about the AD700s lol.  They aren't that great for music anyways.  Thought you wanted to go in the $300 or so range anyways, not $8X.  Another thing regarding the K702s, is that they are indeed harder to drive than the HD600s and most other headphones.  At...

The K702s can make some of the most intimate music sound distant and detached, especially coming from more upfront headphones.  This especially happens with a lot of electric guitars and such.  Bass is there but overall I found it to be lacking; it has the punch when it's needed in the song, but...

I'd rule out the K701/2s, and even more since you like the Grados.

It is easy to do, just be careful of course.  Don't drop the screws anywhere.  Try not to flex the headphones too much.  There is nothing to worry about with this mod.  Even if you think you didn't hear a difference, there would be no benefit of putting the foam back in.  I personally found the...

As has been mentioned already, the HD595 will be fine without an amp.  If you do end up with an amp for the 595s, then don't spend much money on it.

  Quote:     Okay here we go. I have no idea why people are recommending you AD700s, especially since you want a headphone that can deliver "much better sound quality.  The AD700s would just give you a different type of sound, and you may (as I did), find the AD700 as a downgrade...

ATTENTION AD700 owners:    

Oh and the AD700 is still one of the most over-hyped, confusing, over-rated headphones in existence     Here's a rule of thumb for anyone considering a headphone for music, or music + gaming.  If a headphone is often chosen by "gamers", then its most likely a good idea to stay away from it.

Quote: I agree that some people exaggerate how bad particular headphones sound without an amp.  I was surprised the K702s sounded semi-decent without an amp, after hearing everyone talk about the power requirements; but overall they lacked much bass including everything else sounding...

Quote: Let us know what you think of the headphone's audio and build quality, if you have the spare time.  Hope you like them.