[Asr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgprater /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not to hijack the thread or anything, but you've anticipated a question I was thinking of asking: what desktop amp pairs best with the K701s? I like what I have, but I can't escape the nagging feeling that the headphones aren't being exercised to their full potential. That could just be audiophilitis, though.

I find that amps with tubes in them tend to be better paired with the K701 than solid-states. I personally have a fanatical love for solid-state though and prefer it with solid-state myself, but speaking as a recommendation for other people, most will likely prefer tubes for it. And there are plenty of affordable tube amps, just search this forum for "K701" and "tubes".

 

[dw6928]

ASR: how do you rate your Heed w the 701s, even though it is SS.

 

[Asr]

Have not been listening to the Heed lately so I'm unable to say.

 

[Morph201]

Wow, read between those lines.....

 

[ricmat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgprater /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just spent half an hour doing the same comparison (computer as source, Purcell's _Ten Sonatas in Four Parts_, a good mix of high highs and low lows). I came to the same conclusion. For portable use: Hornet + AKG701. The micro stack is a little too macro to be truly portable. For sedentary use with your computer: Micro DAC (or other DAC) + Hornet + AKG701. I found the Hornet was a better amp when matched with the K701s; the bass was fuller without being muddy, the detail was sharper, and the overall range seemed to be greater. It just felt fuller, not quite so flat. An argument could be made that the Hornet has a better synergy with headphones on the brighter, more analytical end of the spectrum: Ray Samuels designed the Hornet with high-end IEMs in mind, most of which lack in the darkness department, and need a little extra help down in the lower frequencies. So it's an amp that pairs naturally with brighter headphones, such as the K701s. Not that I'm unhappy with the MicroStack; it's served me very well for the past year, and I have no plans to retire it. But I've always had the feeling that its designers were thinking of the HD650 when they were building it.

so, but where to buy some DAC??

 

[sgprater]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricmat /img/forum/go_quote.gif so, but where to buy some DAC??

Check the computers-as-source forum, and the for-sale forums -- there are dozens of DACs out there. I have three different DACs: The Headroom Total Bithead (combo portable DAC + amp); the MicroDAC (also from Headroom); and the M-Audio Audiophile USB DAC. I'm contemplating getting a Benchmark DAC, too.

You only need the DAC if you want to pipe music out of your computer into the amp (and don't want to use the headphone out that comes with computer sound cards). I'd say that a DAC is practically a necessity if you're piping music from your computer to the Hornet to the K701s; otherwise, you might as well just listen to $5.00 earbuds.