[ShiroKen]

Hi guys.
Let me start off by saying that I am a little green when it comes to things like amps and DACs, so I wanted to post here to get a more general idea of things.
 
First up, I'll be wanting to burn these in.  One really good review I read said he noticed improvements as much as 450 hours into the burn in process.  What I'd like to ask is what is a safe procedure for burning in?  I intended hooking them up to a source and leaving them running for the duration, but I read something elsewhere that suggested long periods of play (maybe 5 hours plus at high volume), will damage the drivers.
 
With that in mind, I'd like to get opinions of a safe way to burn in.  Would something like 4 hours play with 15 minutes downtime be Ok, or should they be left a bit longer?  Also do you think burning in with specific types of music makes a difference at all (for example if I burn in with bass tracks, will it assist bass reproduction)?
 
 
The other thing I'd like to ask is concerning my source.  I'm using these on a laptop, and the onboard sound (as you might have guessed), is noisy, lacks dynamic range and is weak.  I understand that these headphones are tough to drive and that I pretty much need a headphone amp.  The impression I got from reading around was that some of these amps still aren't adequate to drive the K701 properly; so I'd like some input on or which amps people have had good experiences with, or what to look for in an amp.  I appreciate that amps can affect the tone too, so anything with a pinch of extra treble and bass would be great.
 
Now although an amp is pretty much required from what I gather, it would be no use plugging the headphone out of my laptop into an amp.  I need some way to get better quality audio from my laptop, before it makes it's way to the amp.  I gather I have 2 options, a USB DAC or a new soundcard.  I had an X-Fi Elite Pro for one of my old PCs (going back 5 years now) and I was pleased with the quality, so something I was looking at was the X-Fi HD USB.  Does anyone know if it's any good?  The only thing I noticed was the 114db SNR which seemed pretty good, but I'm sure there's more to good sounding sound cards than SNR alone.
 
Failing a new soundcard, what about a DAC?  To be honest I know pretty much nothing about them.  What are the pros and cons of using a DAC vs a soundcard, and can you change sound EQ in software with a (USB) DAC like you can with a soundcard?
 
My budget is somewhat flexible.  I'd like to spend £200, but I'm happy to go to £300 (eg £100 for DAC/soundcard and £200 for amp) or maybe a little bit more if it means the difference between something that is a 5/10 or a 8/10.  As I said before, this is my first time looking into things like DACs and amps, so I'm not sure how much you are expected to spend to get a good DAC/amp combo.  All I know is that £200 gets you some pretty good headphones, and £400 gets you an entry level DSLR, but I have no such knowledge of DACs, soundcards or amps.  I don't mind spending the majority of my budget on the headphone amp, as I'll be able to use it with a few different devices, but obviously a USB DAC or soundcard will be tied to my computer.
 
Something that seemed to suit my needs was the Maverick Tube Magic D1, but at £120 I'm guessing it's pretty low spec.  If there was a similar device available for £200-300, I think that might be the way to go.
 
Apologies that the post is a bit of everything, but I didn't want to go posting 3 or 4 different threads.
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[Dibster]

Heed Canamp goes hand-in-hand with a K701. Excellent synergy, just don't ever change headphones or you'll probably be changing the amp too. It smooths out the roughnesses of the K701 a bit and brings a lot of oomph downstairs.
 
As for DACs, the Musical Fidelity V-DAC improves the lower midrange presence of the K701's nicely, though you'll probably lose some PRAT compared to cleaner DACs. The Xonar Essence STX is excellent if you just want a very transparent DAC. It measures like 1400€+ DACs and you'll also get a good quality software equalizer in case you want to tone down the upper midrange or lower treble of the K701's, things that most users who don't like in the K701's complain about.
 
I don't recommend using the STX's amplifier with the K701's. I personally feel the K701's need some "analogue touch", like tube amps and the Heed Canamp or V-DAC, to make them sing.

 

[iunno]

Get a decent amp and source, and wear them so your ears are in the back of the earcups. Also, try the "Friend or Foe" mod.

 

[TheGhostWhoWalks]

As for burning in, someone once sent me a burn-in disc that's merely a CD-R that has recorded frequency sweeps on it. There's no music, just a steady stream of electronic noises meant to hit every frequency. When I was burning in gear I would simply turn my amp up to listening level and leave it running 24/7 with my headphones. I don't know where you could get such a disc, but they probably wouldn't be hard to find.

 

[singh]

 
Maverick D1 pairs nicely with my K702, but its worth 120-180 GEB only, if you can afford a DAC+amp combo , by all means go for canamp (great with K702 ) and a good DAC that's mid centric/flat.
but really if you are looking for a DAC/amp ina box then D1 is a good choice with K702.
 
Mind you, maverick D1 and Canamp pair nicey with only a few headphone (702/1 is one of those ), so if you hav a large collection of HPs then go for something else.

 

[ShiroKen]

Thanks for the info so far guys.  When looking for an amp/DAC, how important is SNR?  I noticed on the Canamp that it's SNR is 85db which is actually lower than the SNR on my laptop's onboard audio.  The K701 are rated at 105db, so presumably I wouldn't feel any benefit above 105db?
 
Anyone have experience with ibasso stuff?

 

[Acix]

Check out the Apogee duet, or the mini DAC.

 

[ShiroKen]

Oh by the way guys, I wanted to ask something.  The arches (two bits above your head) on mine are (quite cheap feeling) plastic.  Is this right?  I was under the impression that they were supposed to be metal.  Could these be otherwise convincing fakes?

 

[Dibster]

I wouldn't put much faith in specs since they're usually measured in whatever scenario is absolutely optimal to the device, especially on cheaper products. You really can't compare an integrated line-out to the Heed Canamp. Most importantly, one is a DAC lineout, while the other is a full-fledged amplifier. They're simply different devices for different purposes.
 
The Canamp isn't clean by any means, though. That's it's point when it comes to the K701's. Whatever it does to the sound is beneficial to the K701's in so many people's opinion. It makes the K701's seem more like a painting with wide strokes and pleasant colors instead of an oversharpened digital photograph. Do read the Canamp thread for many impressions from K701 users.
 
EDIT: Unless mine are fake too, cheap plastic is what they're supposed to be.

 

[BournePerfect]

I know I've read a couple people claiming the D1 is a good pairing, but I definitely did not. It didn't seem to drive them ANY better than my uDac-1, and I preferred the dac portion of the uDac better for them as well. I believe it drives them okay, but for $200 for the D1, you can stretch your budget $48 and get a much much much better amp for the k702s- the M-Stage. There is no contest in my opinion between the two.
 
-Daniel
 
Quote:

 
Maverick D1 pairs nicely with my K702, but its worth 120-180 GEB only, if you can afford a DAC+amp combo , by all means go for canamp (great with K702 ) and a good DAC that's mid centric/flat.
but really if you are looking for a DAC/amp ina box then D1 is a good choice with K702.
 
Mind you, maverick D1 and Canamp pair nicey with only a few headphone (702/1 is one of those ), so if you hav a large collection of HPs then go for something else.

 

[ShiroKen]

Been giving it some thought and so far I've arrived at:
Matrix M-Stage
Matrix Mini i DAC
 
Any comments regarding this combination, or is there anything that could be swapped out for a better fit?  As I mentioned earlier, I'd appreciate a little extra treble or bass too.

 

[BournePerfect]

I haven't tried the Mini i, but the consensus is that it's amp section is simply not on par with the M-Stage's. If you already hace a decent dac, save money and get yourself one of the best amps available for the AKGs-the M-Stage.
 
-Daniel
 
Quote:

Been giving it some thought and so far I've arrived at:
Matrix M-Stage
Matrix Mini i DAC
 
Any comments regarding this combination, or is there anything that could be swapped out for a better fit?  As I mentioned earlier, I'd appreciate a little extra treble or bass too.

 

[ShiroKen]

Sorry, I should have explained.  I need both a DAC and an amp (DAC because my soundcard sucks).  I'd be using the mini for it's DAC and the M-Stage as the amp.  I gather you can't go wrong with the M-Stage and that it's practically on par with the Lehmann linear, so it sounds like a safe bet.  Just need to figure out which is a good DAC to go with the M-Stage.

 

[geetarman49]

if u do not intend to go balanced, i would suggest the matrix cube (just for the dac stage). but check out the cube thread.
 
as an alternative to the m-stage amp, & if u don't mind some diy, there is the 'lovely cube' and the panda, both of which are also reputed to do justice to the k701.
 
hth,

 

[Jibbie]

To get the most out of the K701, you definitely need a good DAC and a strong amp.  Like BournePerfect suggested, the Matrix M Stage has excellent synergy with the AKGs, giving them punchy bass and a wider soundstage.  It also has multiple gain settings to play around with, making them good for future, higher impedance cans.  Without an amp, the K701 sound a little lifeless.  With a good one, however, they truly come alive.  If you wanted to go all the way, you could get a super powerful balanced amp, DAC, and recable them balanced, but thats thousands of dollars.  I think you'll be happy with the 270 dollar Matrix M Stage.
 
Also, the comment that suggested that you wear the K701 forward on you face, so that your ears sit at the upper-back region is really good advice.  Soundstage is at its biggest there, as well as bass.