[grain]

Hi.

Ok, I just recently got a set of AKG K-701s for the purpose of mixing and mastering music over extended periods of time, convinced that they would be very comfortable to wear, along with of course being transparent and accurate reference class headphones...

The sound is beautiful.. no complaints at all there... but the headband, which features a row of raised bubbly pads on the underside of the leather band, actually makes a dent in my head after an hour or two of wear, which is very uncomfortable!!

Ok, I have a completely shaved head, and I reckon if I had hair, I might not have this problem, but I'm seriously considering taking a scalpel to the beautifully (but idiotically) crafted headband, cutting away the offending bubbles, and gluing some kind of smooth material to it!!

Anyone else have this problem? .. What I'd much rather do is get a replacement strap from AKG, of the same design as that found on the K-601s... which appears to be exactly the same except without the bubbles.... only, it looks like the rivets that hold the band in place would not be easy to open, or close... why did AKG decide that these lovely headphones needed a more uncomfortable strap than their younger brothers'? ..

(.... holding the scalpel inches away from a very expensive set of headphones, waiting for a second opinion!!.... )

 

[kramer5150]

Hat/cap perhaps?

 

[greggf]

As a bald guy, I, too, would love to hear from people who have modded their K701 strap. It hurts. It also hurts the rep of a good headphone.

 

[spinali]

While it's not a problem for me, I think I can point to some possible solutions to return the pleasure to your listening.

1. Rubber band mod. This one's used frequently, though not quite a mod. On the side of your phones, there's a self-adjusting mechanism. Push it all the way up, and slip a rubber band underneath to cinch it in place. Try it on both sides of the phone.

2. Tiltage. If you rotate the phones back or forwards somwhat, you may find more room available.

One or both solution is bound to work - I hope. Report back on your results.

 

[wae5]

Those totally unnecessary tumors drive me crazy too. I put Blu-Tack (http://www.glubie.com/01_Pages/Blu-Tack.htm) between the lumps to smoothe the surface and covered this with wax paper so it wouldn't stick to my hair. Any type of non hardening putty or clay may also work. I don't like such a "tacky" solution for these elegant phones but it works. The next step would be to replace the headband but to do it right may be expensive- $100. I've thought of carefully removing the contents of those lumps but this would greatly diminish the resale value of the phones. The strange thing is my K501s with K701 pads are my most comfortable phones.

 

[NiceCans]

Like any leather product repeated flexing will cause it to lose some of it's stiffness (think of new shows and blisters).
I held the two ends of the headband where it attaches to the rivets, then flexed it back and forth with a motion that mimiced a wave moving back and forth across the length ot the headband. This helped soften it consderably.

I recall reading of anothe rK701 ownwer that used some type of leather conditioner to soften it.

Still others attached additional padding to the underside.


Regardless, it will soften up with use.

 

[tbonner1]

You can sew a cotton cover for it. I have heard of people using hot glue to hold a heavy piece of soft cloth on the underbelly of the headband that touches your head.

 

[wae5]

Doesn't hot glue permanently "damage" the phones? Blu-Tack does the same thing and is reversible.

 

[kukrisna]

my headband only bugged me on day 1 - after that i never noticed it

i do wish it extended a bit more as at full extension it just barely gets to where it needs to be - my earlobes are almost pulled up by the bottom of the cups

 

[XENOPHOS]

i also read that you could reposition the pads and let the headband just rest on your shoulders. I havn't tried it but some others have said they liked it alot

 

[grain]

thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions... Glad I'm not the only one to have this problem... think i'll try the blu-tack option... definitely worth a shot...

Maybe I'll try softening the headband too tho.. also worth a try.. hmmm... if neither is satisfactory, i might just go with the scalpel tho.. realistically, I don't think i'm ever gonna sell em anyway, so not worried about resale...

anyway, thanks again everyone... hope you're all enjoying your music these days

oh yeah, tried the 'upside down position and it doesn't do it for me.. my heads not the right shape for that it seems.. too much of a gap behind the ears...

 

[Artguy]

Wait, dont touch that scapel! I know exactly what kind of pain you feel. For me it was just that one bump directly at the top of my head. Here is what I have done.

Remember when you were breaking in that new leather mitt, and you massaged oil into the leather, and shaped it by forming it around that baseball, with your hand in the glove? Well your head is the Ball, and the headband is the glove. You just have to break the leather in.

First, take some leather conditioner and massage it into the top and the bottom of the strap. Then, start to flex the leather, so that you soften it up. Start at one side of the strap and flex the band by pinching the leather into a "V". Move over 1/2 inch and do it again, all across the headband. Also, massage, and flatten with your index finger and thumb each bump by itself. All of this, using the massage oil of the leather conditioner. If you are like me, you will have enough energy to do this several times, as that little bump hurts, and was my motivator.

I also let the conditioner soak in as I left the HP at night, so that it really got some lubrication and softening. If you do this right, you should start to see some wrinkles on the top of the leather band, mostly between the bumps which are on the opposite side.

This made them VERY comfortable for me as I wear them all day. By the way, I have plenty of hair left, so that helps as well, I am sure. Now, follow the other posters advice and extend the little elastics to where you need them and put a small piece of tape carefully around the rod, so it wont go beyond that point, which loosens the pressure a lot.

Bottom line, my 701s sound great and now I dont have to pay for that perfection with a sore head. Yeah...

 

[HiFiRE]

I have a giant head and they were uncomfortable when I first got them. In fact I had a very similar post to yours when I first got them, right down the the bald head. I used twist ties to hold them open all the way. At some point I took the twist ties off and I was fine. I wonder if I developed a callous on my head or if the headband just became softer/less tight.

 

[Dutchess of York]

have the headband issues made you regret buying the 701s? Im debating getting 701s or HD650s and comfort is a big factor for me. Even though i would probably rather listen to the 701s, i wouldn't want to put up with them if they were a pain to wear.

also, anybody have any advice for amps with 701s?

 

[Artguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchess of York /img/forum/go_quote.gif have the headband issues made you regret buying the 701s? Im debating getting 701s or HD650s and comfort is a big factor for me. Even though i would probably rather listen to the 701s, i wouldn't want to put up with them if they were a pain to wear. also, anybody have any advice for amps with 701s?

The headband issue if it exists with your particular shape of head can easily be worked through with some massage on the band and some mink oil or leather conditioner. It would NOT persuade me AT ALL from these sweet cans, as to my ears and setup they are my kind of sound. As far as an amp, both the Heed Canamp (SS) and tube amps really work with the sound. I have the Heed and a Woo Audio 3 and they really work well for me. Dont let the effort to break in the headband stop you. You wouldnt let break-in stop you from buying a great pair of shoes would you? Right now, my 701s are very very comfortable and the ear pads are very soft on my ears. Most of all.... SONIC BLISS.