[tdockweiler]

Listening to the K702 65th Anniversary now with O2 and Modi and sounds nearly identical to the Q701 in frequency response. What the heck is going on. I hate headphones..
Weirdest thing i've ever experienced. No audible difference in bass at all now. Does sound like the soundstage is compressed. The O2 doesn't seem bright at all, but does seem to have a tad more treble than my Micro Amp. The Magni DID seem bright and thin with the Q701.
 
Maybe that guy from China who said the Annie was thinner than the Q701 had this setup?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

You have weird ears.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

You have weird ears.

 
You lie!
I can hear from 80hz to 5khz. Don't know what you're talking about.

 

[PassiveO]

Quote:

 
You lie!
I can hear from 80hz to 5khz. Don't know what you're talking about.

Cool avatar.
 
While I don't know if you have weird ears or not, this I know: The bass response of the Annies vs chinese K702s is vastly different (unlikely just pads). The Annies definitely have better impact; to the point of obscuring the lower midrange.
 
On another note, the Annies outperform (IMHO) the 702s I had for two weeks (200 hours of break-in at time of comparison) by a substantial margin. My posts regarding the 702s I purchased, ending with a brief comparison to the Annies appear here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/430984/akg-k702-impressions/180#post_9726575
 
Just look for my first post on that page and read forward.

 

[tdockweiler]

I was thinking the only differences in THIS example of mine is variations in gear etc that makes the headphone sound different. Maybe the Modi + O2 makes the Annie much more trebly. So this could be what gives me this impression. Maybe O2+Modi is like a double whammy and not so good for the Annie. Whatever it's doing it actually sounds OK. What's weird is that the Q701 sounds like it always has on the exact same setup.
 
Hey, maybe the memory foam pads are breaking in. LOL just kidding.

If you had this exact setup you might hear it this way too. Could be I need amp burn in still...just kidding..I think.
 
Right now I have maybe 2 hours of use on the O2 and I really like it. Seems far better than the Magni (so far).
 
I do wonder if these memory foam pads can get softer after time and sort of break in. I had a memory foam pillow once that was amazing the first two weeks but then it just went flat. These pads do feel a bit softer than before, but doubt that is causing any changes. Hard to know for sure.
 
EDIT: Well, i'm stupid. I'm switching between the O2 and Micro and not much difference between how the Annie sounds. Ultra subtle differences.
 
EDIT 2: It's also like a million degrees in my apartment. Maybe that has something to do with my memory foam pads playing tricks on me. In a cold room memory foam gets rock hard. Maybe I can put my Annie pads in the fridge to turn my Q701 into a bass monster!!

 

[PassiveO]

Ya, system matching would make a difference, perhaps so in your case. I'm driving mine with a Lyr.
 

 

[Murder Mike]

Quote:

You have weird ears.

 
I agree. I appreciate Tdockweiler's posts, but I take everything he says with a small grain of salt.  

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

 
I agree. I appreciate Tdockweiler's posts, but I take everything he says with a small grain of salt.  

 
IMO you should take EVERY review/impression with a grain of salt. Not just mine.
After getting my O2 I think i'll do this more often.
 
Sound differences between different amp/dac combinations or pad break in really isn't too hard to believe.
There is no reason to not believe the sound of the Annie could be slightly different when the pads warm up and compress. I bet it's somewhat measurable.
Someone should measure the sound with the pads from a cold room and then after they warmed up. No, i'm not kidding!
 
I never did think there was much of a difference in bass between the Q701 and Annie anyway. A little...

 

[Thujone]

A little different in what way? Honestly, I couldn't decipher what you were trying to say about the similarities. They sound the same or not?

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

A little different in what way? Honestly, I couldn't decipher what you were trying to say about the similarities. They sound the same or not?

 
Yeah last night they sounded like 95% identical. Not a joke. I think maybe it was due to my apartment being kind of hot and the pads really soft and compressed. I also was using the O2+Modi which could have given a slight impression of more treble and a clearer sound.
 
The only difference I could remember was that maybe the mids were a bit fuller on the Anniversary. Smaller soundstage. A little less open and airy sounding, but still pretty good. I actually never heard the Annie sound that good before! My guess is that it's more due to the pads than the gear differences. The treble on the O2 sounds a bit different than on the Micro, but still measuring the same I imagine.
 
When doing A/B comparisons between the O2 and Micro Amp it was kind of tough to hear any differences. Micro seems to have a bit more body to the sound (barely audible) and is smoother. O2 seems a tad clearer somehow, but everything sounds a little more forward, but that's impossible! I'd probably failed a blind test between the O2 and Micro unless it was a track i've heard a hundred times. The O2 is really impressive so far. Especially since it can hold up very well to my Micro amp. The E9 and Magni never could.
 
The bass on the Micro does seem to be a little better but that's probably my imagination..
 
I also noticed that some detail seems more "in your face" and much easier to spot on the O2. I guess for those that want the clearest sound possible from their Annie, try the O2+Modi!
 
EDIT: So IMO it seems the Annie sounds best to me when the pads are really warm, soft and very well compressed. I can't wait to see how bad they sound in winter when stored in a cold room. Maybe they're not as bad as memory foam pillows.
 
It really is interesting how much harder those pads feel when you have left them sitting all day.

 

[Thujone]

Thank you for clarifying. I've never used the Modi, Micro, or O2, so I can't comment on them. I'm working with a Maverick D1>Maverick A1/Magni setup.
 
So you are using the Q701 with Annie pads and Annie stock?

 

[Zoldar]

Hi all, Has anyone tried K702 65th Anniversairy pads on a K701. I'm content with it but if I can add some bass punch with the new pads it would be a worthwile tweak. I play wit a Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear head amp and Sony SCD-555es player or Metrum Octave DAC.

 

[vid]

Quote:

To be honest, I think it's not a good idea to buy Akg headphones that are made in China. I've heard about so many problems with chinese Akg K242/240mk/270/271MK (something wrond with the plastic) but when they made them in Austria those headphones were some kind of reference headphones in terms of durability.

 
My made-in-Austria K 240 DFs have garbage for plastic, while my made-in-Austria K 241s have nice thick durable plastic with metal reinforcements for screws. Also, my made-in-Austria K 271s had the worst plastic I've seen.

 

[Zoldar]

No one tried this?

 

[Zoldar]

Hi all, Has anyone tried K702 65th Anniversairy pads on a K701. I'm content with it but if I can add some bass punch with the new pads it would be a worthwile tweak. I play wit a Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear head amp and Sony SCD-555es player or Metrum Octave DAC.

Am I the first one to try annie pads on an k701