[morphsci]

Well I have the K340 squared away (as long as I can wait 7 weeks

) and the Senn 650 so it's time to start thinking about having the K701 recabled and balanced. My options are ALO Audio, aPureSound or Moon Audio. What I am looking for are impressions that people have for K701's recabled by any of the above vendors. I do not care if the impression is SE or balanced but some reference to K701 with the original cable would be helpful. If someone has heard more than one of the above that would be tremendous. Thanks.

 

[vcoheda]

black dragon

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...10#post3099010

if i remember there are other threads on this as well.

this one for example.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...lack+dragon%22

 

[LowPhreak]

Have you considered the Equinox recable from SAA? The K701's I heard with it sounded great, so that's what I decided to go with for mine.

Stay away from silver conductors with 701's. Good on Senn's but too zippy for the 701's.

 

[morphsci]

Bump for improved title

 

[dw6928]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcoheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif black dragon http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...10#post3099010 if i remember there are other threads on this as well. this one for example. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...lack+dragon%22

you have seen my posts on my recabled 701s (Moonaudio Blackdragon). If you need more feel free to pm me // Wayne (dw6928)

 

[jtevol1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by senns&nonsense /img/forum/go_quote.gif ALO is also now recabling K701s. The cost is about $400 (from a similar thread)

That's way too expensive for a headphone cable, considering that's way more than you pay for the headphone itself.

I'd skip ALO (if you don't mind the dough), and go with the Equinox or the Blackdragon.

 

[Zorander]

I don't know how much he charges but I understand that AK[Zip] does recables on the K501/K601/K701 phones as well (and he has great reputation here to boot). You might want to enquire him about this.

Cheers!

 

[senns&nonsense]

But the Equinox is at least $225 and that is not installed. I mailed the 2 suggested installers and they are around $150. Add in shipping and ALO is the same. Moon may be less.....that may be a good option especially considering the positive experiences detailed in the threads above.

 

[LowPhreak]

The Equinox is supposed to be a fairly easy DIY install if you can wield a soldering iron. You can save the $150. fee.

 

[pkjames]

is recable necessary even I am using non-balanced amp?

 

[Zorander]

You can recable to single-ended too. The upgraded wires should bring about some noticable changes.

Cheers!

 

[LowPhreak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pkjames /img/forum/go_quote.gif is recable necessary even I am using non-balanced amp?

Of course it's not necessary, but I'd highly recommend recabling the K701. In fact, I'm surprised they sound as good as they do in stock form, given that the signal goes through the thick steel suspension wires, the crappy dielectrics, etc.

This was a plot by AKG to give us an excuse to upgrade...

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowPhreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Stay away from silver conductors with 701's. Good on Senn's but too zippy for the 701's.

The Silver Dragon V2 recable, done by Drew at Moon Audio, did very, very well with the K701; NOT zippy or tizzy or any such thing, in my experience. The SDV2 brought out not only more detail and extension, but also more ease and delicacy from the K701. ZERO ZIP or TIZZ here!

Brad Vojtech at Revelation Audio Labs (RAL) also recables the K701 (using solid core, cryo-treated, silver wire), removing the jumper between L/R and running a separate wire to each channel. Based on my experience with RAL's HD650 and Proline cable upgrades, I'm definitely considering Brad's Cryo-Silver Reference for my K701.

 

[LowPhreak]

Well that's your experience pataburd, and is probably totally valid, but it's not been mine. The 701's I heard with silver-conductored cable was a bit too glassy and uptilted in tonal balance, although detail retrieval and low end/midrange clarity and attack was improved over stock.

I did not hear that set on my rig, but at a dealer's rig so it may have been just the difference upstream. (?)

 

[Leoseller7]

morphsci,

Well with a recommendation like this, I too would be weiry of silver cable

"701's with silver cable was a bit too glassy and uptilted in tonal balance, although detail retrieval and low end/midrange clarity and attack was improved over stock"

I have been in contact with a fellow headfier ("KT88") and he does re-cableing with pure copper wire & silver wire but said he would use pure copper for the AKG K701's