Hey all, it's me again, the op
What's up with the notifications from head-fi? I got an email just then for this thread, and realized that email is LATE on the ball, many replies...nvm I am here now, and it looks like I need to do some talking
Well since the first set of AB tests I have done some blind testing with my little brother to help set up the hp&, after I had level matched the 2 outputs.
No difference. Since then I have packed away the Meier Arietta, and stayed with the built-in hp amp of the Profire 610. I'd like to point out that I purchased the Corda Arietta specifically to power the AKG K-702's, and according to the specs they should do it perfectly, which they did. This proves that there is no difference in sound between a badly driven AKG K-70X and a correctly driven pair (I won't go so far as to say unamplified, because surely there are amp sources that are pure ****, like your laptops). Perhaps I'll give it to a friend who needs the amplification later.
I'd like to take this chance to stress that I do not appreciate amplifiers that 'color' the music - though it may sound 'nicer', it is not the original intention of the engineer, and rather like placing a pleasurable eq over the music (with some amps it IS an eq curve). An amplifier should do what it says it does, amplify the signal so that you can hear it audibly,
and not through a nice sparkly exotic curtain. After all these years of technological advance in order to be enable us ordinary consumers to have transparent and reliable signal paths, you would go back to coloring your sound with distortion and eq curves? Not only that, but shelling out more $ for backwards technology??? Sure, 40 years ago you couldn't design your equipment to deliberately add distortion, but then again, you had no choice. Everything had distortion. Why go backwards when you should be moving forwards?
If you, like some in this thread and many audiophiles, like changing your sound through an amplifier, I may be enclined to judge you as an audiophool. I believe this to be a stupid trend among music lovers like you, bolstered by uninformed reviews/comments on the internet on forums such as this, by people who don't understand the purpose of equipment and the value of their $. This is not helped by an entire industry being founded upon your perception of their products. In fact, this very test I just did was because of this mysterious 'potential' everyone keeps yappin on about in every thread I find about the K70X. Wake up guys, there is none, be specific about the difference or go home. You say you hear a difference but you never elaborate. And then you all say different things, such as the ones I talked about in an earlier post, eg. widened soundstage (how is this even possible, btw I also did a small test with a sweeping audiosource from hard left to hard right, looped, and then realized the impossibility of widening occuring), tighter bass, tamed highs, a 'smoother' mid-high, etc.
If you need the power, go ahead, but remember the amplifier should always only amplify, transparently.
If you want a different sound, don't spend the money on expensive amps for a diminishing/nonexistent return - buy another beautiful headphone. Or donate it
god knows audiophiles are the world's worst judges in regards to value for their money, big foolish wasters. As I look down the page of this subforum I feel very sad.
One more thing before I'm done, I want to speak about the power of placebo and its place in this industry. I'm sure I can do it quite well, but I think these guys can do it more justice