[SanjiWatsuki]

Yeah, it's not the op-amp that would mess up the deal. It may be something due an amp-headphone mismatch due to other reasons, but some op amps like that ubiquitous among good amps and sound fine. It's more due to implementation more than anything else. 
Quote:

Matrix M-Stage uses the OPA2134 opamp also believe it or not. If you check reviews, despite many desktop amps using the same opamp, they couldn't sound any more different.
My Micro amp uses this opamp also and sounds totally different than the E9 and far better.
 
I bet there's quite a few here who hate the E9, but are using the same OPA2134 in their more expensive amp (like me). Doesn't mean it's automatically makes the amp into a "POS".
 
 
 

 

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Yeah, it's not the op-amp that would mess up the deal. It may be something due an amp-headphone mismatch due to other reasons, but some op amps like that ubiquitous among good amps and sound fine. It's more due to implementation more than anything else. 


 

Synergy is key and it will make or break a rig. I actually want a nice tube amp to compliment my open-back denon 5000s. Tube amps tend to have some roll off in the highs and are more mid forward? Am I right on this?

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Matrix M-Stage uses the OPA2134 opamp also believe it or not. If you check reviews, despite many desktop amps using the same opamp, they couldn't sound any more different.
My Micro amp uses this opamp also and sounds totally different than the E9 and far better.
 
I bet there's quite a few here who hate the E9, but are using the same OPA2134 in their more expensive amp (like me). Doesn't mean it's automatically makes the amp into a "POS".
 
 
 

The M Stage also has a MASSIVE power supply and has a transistor buffer stage between the Op Amp and headphones.
 

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Synergy is key and it will make or break a rig. I actually want a nice tube amp to compliment my open-back denon 5000s. Tube amps tend to have some roll off in the highs and are more mid forward? Am I right on this?

A properly designed tube amp shouldn't roll off the highs, if it does there is something wrong with the design, for example a cheap output transformer.
As for the forward mids, some tube amps do and some don't. Some sound warmer than others.  Depends on the tube amp design, tubes used,etc.
 
I've never heard one, but a lot of these Head Fi guys say that the Schiit Valhalla almost sounds like it doesn't use tubes!
 
Having said all that, I really enjoy the sound of a good tube amp.

 

 

[rubberbozo]

I did serious research on an amp for the K701 a while back.  A great match (amp only) at a good price is the Shanling PH100.  It goes for about $200 to $250 new (ebay and HK sites).  I love it.

 

[Mellonhead3013]

I'm using the Graham Slee Novo amp my K702's and think they sound very nice together.  The GS drives them very well - but it's a bit on the expensive side.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

I did serious research on an amp for the K701 a while back.  A great match (amp only) at a good price is the Shanling PH100.  It goes for about $200 to $250 new (ebay and HK sites).  I love it.

I'm a big fan of my Shanling CD player, it has a tube line out (which I usually use into my stereo) and a tube headphone amp, which sounds quite good for my Q701. 
The headphone amp volume is rather limited though........for some CDs somethimes it's just not loud enough if I really want to crank it out.
 

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 I'm gutted the K701 and Q701 could not make my local audio store in time for my massive comparison review of the Fiio E9 today.
 
 The Beyer DT880 250ohm, LCD-2, HD650 and HD800 did though! It was quite surprising overall, I have no doubt that the E9
 would provide ample volume and grain free reproduction on the Q701 after what I heard today ~ but sound stage and detail
 could suffer if it followed in the same footsteps as the other big guns..
 
 Review is up in the amp section

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

 
 I'm gutted the K701 and Q701 could not make my local audio store in time for my massive comparison review of the Fiio E9 today.
 

Do you have both a K and a Q701?  Or they are on the way?  Could you do a comparison between the two if and when?
 
I know most people prefer the Q's, but I'm still curious to see if you reaffirm or deny the the differences between them. 

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

Do you have both a K and a Q701?  Or they are on the way?  Could you do a comparison between the two if and when?
 
I know most people prefer the Q's, but I'm still curious to see if you reaffirm or deny the the differences between them. 

I will definitely update the Fiio E9 thread with any new arrivals like the K701 and Q701 ~ only the K601 in my permanent collection
for now ~ it appears most retailers are waiting on a new delivery in from Austria ~ Australia might be on the bottom of the list! 

 
But as a standalone review ~ it could be good to find out whether Quincy Jones did indeed add his own spin to the K701 ~ tdockweiler
appears to have led the charge on that front.

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

I will definitely update the Fiio E9 thread with any new arrivals like the K701 and Q701 ~ only the K601 in my permanent collection
for now ~ it appears most retailers are waiting on a new delivery in from Austria ~ Australia might be on the bottom of the list! 

 
But as a standalone review ~ it could be good to find out whether Quincy Jones did indeed add his own spin to the K701 ~ tdockweiler
appears to have led the charge on that front.

Sounds good.  Also, a good place to post the K vs Q impressions would be tdockweiler's new Q701 appreciation thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/582276/q701-appreciation-thread
 

 

[Just The Doctor]

for a relatively cheap amp, Ive heard the objective 2 works very well, Ive been looking at either the FiiO EO7K, or a cmoy until i have the money for the objective, hope to be able to get something a little more high-end when i have more money, i have the K702s, and just cannot get them up to my listening level off of just my laptop, and on my ipod the volume levels are just laughable.  ive heard its hard to drive, but have also heard that thats an exaggeration, and that the difficulty is way overhyped.  could someone tell me if they are, and if so, why?

 

[Shazb0t]

I use the O2 with my Q701 and it sounds great.  Very good match.

 

[RAZRr1275]

I drive mine with an E9 sometimes which does well but most of the time I use my Little Dot I+ with a warmer set of tubes (usually mullards sometimes sylvanias or tung sols) to make the sound more alive and since the k702s are already absurdly detailed it doesn't hurt on that end.