[mmuse]

You'll definitely need a head amp to drive the K701. I got mine two wks ago, and I have turned the volume all the way up on my Denon receiver to hear decent sound.

I'm waiting for mine DV336i to arrive. I read it's wonderful pairing with both K701 and HD650 (also on its way) with some tube rolling.

I'll let you know what I think after a few days with it.

 

[walls]

Not o steal the OP's thread (congrats btw!) But would my LD2++ be able to drive the 701's to head fi bliss?

 

[Capunk]

Quote:

But would my LD2++ be able to drive the 701's to head fi bliss?

Based on LD MKII thread posts, esp Penchum comments.
Yes they can, with specific tubes.

 

[walls]

Well then...there goes the wallet again!

 

[Shiki]

I agree, you need an amp. I tried running the K701 from my Logitech Z-4 and it sounded terrible.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by earwicker7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've really got a feeling that the Logitech will start distorting before it is able to truly push them the way they need to be pushed. Just to bring up the B-52 thing again, most of my headphones will make my ears bleed if I turn the volume up more than 30%. I have to go past 50% to make the K701 really sing.

Hmmm, that makes me wonder because my ppx3 slam handled them very well. I never had to go near the 50% marker. Can anyone shed some light on this? I am looking at the B-52 as a future purchase but only if they can handle the k1000 in addition to other cans.

 

[Drumonron]

My heed canamp is at about 9 or 10 o'clock position most of the time(like now)-that's good enough for me(even a bit loud on busy portions of a track). This is feeding lossless from the computer to the DAC1 USB then to the heed. I love the k701s w/heed....sweeet! Give them plenty of time...you'll be greatly rewarded...just let em play for at least 500 hrs...don't listen until they've blossomed-the bass fills in nicely. When I first got them, hated 'em but thanks to head-fi's advice, I knew what to expect and remained patient. I could not believe how they changed from new-more than any other HP.

Congrats on the k701s!

 

[dcstep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...This is feeding lossless from the computer to the DAC1 USB then to the heed. I love the k701s w/heed....sweeet! Give them plenty of time...you'll be greatly rewarded...just let em play for at least 500 hrs...don't listen until they've blossomed-the bass fills in nicely. When I first got them, hated 'em but thanks to head-fi's advice, I knew what to expect and remained patient. I could not believe how they changed from new-more than any other HP.

With the Woo WA6 your not going to need hundreds of hours to enjoy them. They'll be great on day-one. The bass will fill out over time, but the mids will be great right from the start. If your source has problems, they won't hide it, but fed a good source they're wonderful in the beginning and get even more involving as the bass comes in.

Dave

 

[earwicker7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm, that makes me wonder because my ppx3 slam handled them very well. I never had to go near the 50% marker. Can anyone shed some light on this? I am looking at the B-52 as a future purchase but only if they can handle the k1000 in addition to other cans.

Well, keep in mind, what I consider to be "listening levels" could be vastly different from yours.

I haven't owned the K1000, but my understanding of general Head-Fi wisdom is that the B-52 is not nearly enough to power them. They were designed to run off speaker amps, not headphone amps. The B-52 should be able to handle pretty much every other dynamic can that I'm aware of.

 

[mike8787]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcstep /img/forum/go_quote.gif With the Woo WA6 your not going to need hundreds of hours to enjoy them. They'll be great on day-one. The bass will fill out over time, but the mids will be great right from the start. If your source has problems, they won't hide it, but fed a good source they're wonderful in the beginning and get even more involving as the bass comes in. Dave

Thanks for the replies.

Source is going to be harman/kardon DVD 37, anyone can say if thats going to be ok?

I bought the special cables for power and audio:
Power: Qed Qonduit Mains Power Cable

The QED Qonduit Mains Power Cable is a high performance BS tested Class 1 power cable for use in any device requiring an IEC plug.


* Uses 84 stranded conductors in each of the 3 cores
* 99.999% oxygen free copper
* Custom designed plug and jacket for increased durability
* Aluminised Mylar foil wrap for interference immunity
* British Standards Approved


Audio: Black Rhodium Prelude Interconnect:

BLACK RHODIUM Prelude will give you greater dynamics and more emotion in your music thanks to a special application of low noise instrumentation cable engineering. By special design techniques for reducing impact induced noise voltages, PRELUDE not only reduces your systems susceptibility to microphony, but also enables you to hear a much clearer rendition of your favourite music, with darker silences between more accurately formed notes. Finally the cables are bound together in stereo pairs to deliver a further audible sound quality improvement.


* Silver-plated Copper conductors for clearer mid and high frequencies.
* Low loss PTFE insulation for tighter control of the sound of bass instruments.
* Employs advanced instrument cable techniques to reduce microphonic noise.
* Attractive green finish adds appeal.
* Hourglass silhouette phono plugs for ease of insertion and extraction from equipment.
* Cable pairs are twisted together for extra clarity of sound and improved imagery

--------------------------

So I think that should do it, I've spent like 700 pounds for it all ($1400).

There was a question before if WooAudio 6 was modded, no it's not it's the stock version.

Did I miss anything?

So far I've got AKG 701, WooAudio 6, cables (power, audio), h/k DVD 37 so i believe that should amount to a decent listening setup.

Any suggestions, keep them coming.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Capunk]

Now you got a great setup.
I'm not sure about your CDP, but it should be alright.
For the power cable, as long it's shielded and has good quality connectors, all would be fine. And for IC cable, as long you can afford it... any boutiques cables is fine as well.

Low cost alternatives: www.bluejeanscable.com

 

[dcstep]

Mike,

I haven't heard the H-K DVD37, but I assume it's a universal player. I've had decent success with a much less expensive Oppo 981HD. I suspect your experience will be similar. Most stock "big name" universals are "ok" and should NOT make your 701s sound like frying eggs, but I suspect that down the road you'll want to upgrade. I'm having a Pioneer DV-58AV universal modded by Ric Schultz at Electronic Visionery Systems, upgrading the clock, input section and output section. You start with a $400 Pioneer and end up with a $1600 Pioneer that's out of warranty, but these units compete with units costing thousands more.

So, for now, I think you'll be happy. Given that you're tweaking wire already, I suspect you'll miss last bit of resolution and freedom from stress and start looking at higher end sources in a few weeks. The differences exceed what you'll hear with your IC improvements.

While on the subject, I'm in the universal player camp because DVD-A and SACD, when well done (a big IF) rival vinyl in resolution and organic life to the music, IMHO. Why limit yourself to CD? There are some exceptional CD-only players out there, but the higher rez formats are easily superior. Also, I've got a 1-bit, DSD hard drive recorder that records at 5.6MHz resolution, which is mind blowing, with 130 dB of dynamic range and frequency response into the stratosphre. I can down-convert those files to DVD-A and listen to them on my universal players.

I suggest that you hold off on further improvements until you've had your Woo and 701s in house for a few weeks. Do break everything in and try to hear some other systems, particularly those with high end front ends. The great thing with cans is that you can plug in with drivers that you really know. With luck, that'll tell you if the H-K is top drawer or holding you back.

Please report back after you receive your setup.

Dave

 

[mike8787]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcstep /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mike, I haven't heard the H-K DVD37, but I assume it's a universal player. I've had decent success with a much less expensive Oppo 981HD. I suspect your experience will be similar. Most stock "big name" universals are "ok" and should NOT make your 701s sound like frying eggs, but I suspect that down the road you'll want to upgrade. I'm having a Pioneer DV-58AV universal modded by Ric Schultz at Electronic Visionery Systems, upgrading the clock, input section and output section. You start with a $400 Pioneer and end up with a $1600 Pioneer that's out of warranty, but these units compete with units costing thousands more. So, for now, I think you'll be happy. Given that you're tweaking wire already, I suspect you'll miss last bit of resolution and freedom from stress and start looking at higher end sources in a few weeks. The differences exceed what you'll hear with your IC improvements. While on the subject, I'm in the universal player camp because DVD-A and SACD, when well done (a big IF) rival vinyl in resolution and organic life to the music, IMHO. Why limit yourself to CD? There are some exceptional CD-only players out there, but the higher rez formats are easily superior. Also, I've got a 1-bit, DSD hard drive recorder that records at 5.6MHz resolution, which is mind blowing, with 130 dB of dynamic range and frequency response into the stratosphre. I can down-convert those files to DVD-A and listen to them on my universal players. I suggest that you hold off on further improvements until you've had your Woo and 701s in house for a few weeks. Do break everything in and try to hear some other systems, particularly those with high end front ends. The great thing with cans is that you can plug in with drivers that you really know. With luck, that'll tell you if the H-K is top drawer or holding you back. Please report back after you receive your setup. Dave

Thanks for info Dave.

Further to my correspondence with Jack i've decided to throw in all the upgrades for the amp as well.

He said that it's a good investment, and performance wise more important than changing the tubes, what I think will be last step in enhancing of the amp.

So fingers crossed it's not gonna break flying across the world

I will report back when setup arrives, but I think i'll wait good 3-4 weeks before that will happen.

Till then,
may the sound be with you!

 

[dcstep]

Full-boat upgrades. That should be really, really nice. We'll be anxiously awaiting a report.

Dave

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgbiker1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can you make any recommendations on tube amps? I want to buy/build one but I don't know where to start. I've been looking at the Darkvoice 336i, or I might build a Millett Max (does this count as a tube amp?). EDIT: Now also looking at little dot MKII/MKIII.

I do not have extensive experience with several headphone amps as others here. My suggestion is based on trying to find a home amp for my speakers. I tried NAD, Carver, Rotel and finally B&K to get them to sound how I expected. Sure, I could have gone up the scale to make them sound even better, but I found satisfaction at that point.

When I was educating myself on an amp for headphones, I knew starting at the bottom of the price scale would not bring me the satisfaction I would be happy with. Re-sale value sux and I just didn't want to go that route again. I knew how much my home components cost and felt similar cost would bring me similar satisfaction. Many people on here having a system of comparable cost were using tube amps. I also figured I would get different headphones as I developed my taste so tube rolling was a criteria as well. This way I'm not stuck buying an amp to synergize only to one headphone. I was looking to buy a Woo 2, MPX Slam SE or a Zana Deux when Single Power came out with the Extreme Platinum and a 20% discount for pre-ordering. I knew the power supply was key in any amp and this amp looked to be solid. That Plitron transformer sold me. Quality parts are also worth the investment if you are going to keep it for a while. You can't find these items in a store to try out and there were no meets close by (that I was aware of) to try them. So I took the dive and am very satisfied. I am sure I would have been just as happy with the others I mentioned as well.

Can a lesser priced amp drive the 701s as good? Perhaps, but I didn't want to buy/sell, buy/sell, buy/sell to find out. I have maybe 20 years left to enjoy my music and didn't want to waste time and money finding happiness. So I spent what I thought would give me that satisfaction now and something I could live with for the rest of my life. Each person has to decide to how they want to travel the journey to satisfaction. Some don't want to be satisfied, they want to taste everything until the angels sing and they are smitten. Neither is right or wrong.

Don't be sold on throwing money unnecessarily on a product. But when you do finally decide on a purchase, be happy with it. I don't want to envy the person that can spend ten times what I can to get that extra bit of whatever is not in what I have. If I haven't experienced it, I won't miss it. (ignorance is bliss) Unless a perfect technology comes out that is in my budget, I am satisfied with what I have. Amps just don't develop like other components.

Of course once you find a component, you need to tweak it. I didn't think power cords would make a difference, wrong. And what do they mean by vibration isolators, tube dampers and ERS paper? Damn you Head-Fi!

Good luck in your search.