AKG K702 bass problem.

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yklee118 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read many of this person's forum postings. Ranging from some of the stuff I have posted in the past till now. I use either the C&C XO+ or the Little Dot MKI+ to drive the AKG K701 that I still own since October of 2008. It is a great reference class headphone like with the Sennheiser HD650. The benchmark has been set a little higher with the latest offering from the company and now I something to look forward to in the headphone audiophile world. I am still considered to have an unbiased ear. Returning those headphones is purely based on feelings rather truth. Listening to one of my CDs "Dream of an Opera" as reference since I purchased this disc while actually listening to the Chinese Orchestra perform about three years ago. I can say that after reaching the settling phase with these headphones (now 3000+ hours), the higher frequencies are much more rounded (silkened), mid-range is much smoother than when new, and the bass tones are much fuller and deeper. However I have changed the stock foam rings with a mod that uses a synthetic chamois like drying cloth cut in a similar fashion with 1/4 cut out to maintain the level of openness while enriching some of the tones. Now the AKG K701 is much more comfortable for long listening periods than when using the stock foam rings. Mr. Olblueyez Negative vibe states that a burn-in won't help this headphone to the degree of his liking, however I think that everybody has his or her own preference of what kind of listening experience they are seeking (words are jumbled - I am grading student's finals right now). I have a rather sizable collection of headphones ranging from my first expensive Sennheiser purchase of the Orpheus BE/HE90 tube amplified electro-static headphones to the most recent purchase of HD800. I have a total of eight headphones and six amps (excluding the BE90 for the HE90 setup - or is the other way around, can't remember) complementing the range. I like each and every one of these headphones and all are staying in my collection. To the original member of this thread: Give it some time. Purchase a headphone amp to compliment your setup and see if anything changes. Take your time. Listen and understand. Balance between listening preferences and what are you willing to spend. I personally don't buy headphones based on what other people say. I read forums and reviews carefully, but I also let my ears do the judging. Mr. Negative against the AKG K701 is right to a limit degree about the headphones, however there in lies a problem with what is being said. When brand new, the K701 was not a very good headphone, however I understood that with a long burn-in period, the drives will begin to settle. Using the Sennheiser Orpheus and the HD280-professional as the basis for my argument, when I first purchased my new Orpheus (yes I purchased the first Orpheus brand spanking new and the second one used through Audiogon), the amplifier began to sound its best around 300-hours while the headphone reached its settling point around maybe 2000-hours after the amp's initial break-in phase. When new, The Sennheiser BE/HE90 was harsh to the point of unbearable (purchased new in 1997 through Katli Audio), so I let the amp and headphones go through a long burn-phase (using Telarc's 1985 release of the 1812-Overture conducted by Erich Kunzel). To make the long story short, let your ears decide what is best. I would say the cheapest two part of the purchasing phase (less than $250.00 USD) is get an amplifier and a decent interconnect (I use Moon Audio - interconnects) just to bring out the potential that the AKG K701 is capable of. Then read the forum postings about the bass problem with the K701. After the mod that I have posted, my K701 phones are very much close to what my BE/HE90 sound like. Deep tones, silky mid-range, and into the roll of smooth upper frequencies. Surprisingly to my ears, sounds very good with an overall excellent presentation of the soundstage. No additional emphasis in any one particular frequency. This is just my observation. Got to get back to work. Hope this helps for those looking for an unbiased ear. Thanks and everybody take care. Even you Mr. Negative Vibe (no-offense I hope - Be Happy)

You own them and I owned them, yet I am biased?

 

[intoart]

The problem with K702 bass is very simple: they don't have any.
This is a fundamental design flaw, and neither amping nor burn-in will fix it.

 

[SleepyOne]

I don't know about you but my 701 has very good deep bass, as good as DX1000's, but lack a little in quantity. Mid bass is where there should have been a lot more though. But it is good with natural instruments. And I do like it.

 

[boomana]

My god, guys. These declarative statements that polarize may be fun, but aren't helping the op.

The K701s are excellent headphones, but are also known to be difficult to drive, needing quite a bit of power in order to bring out their best qualities. If not given enough juice, they can sound thin and lifeless, lacking in dynamic response and, yes, the bass, along with everything else, is affected by underpowering.

The K701s are not bassy headphones. Period. You can look at any frequency response graph. No amount of burn-in will increase the bass response. You can eq, try recables, mess with different tubes, etc, but they're never going to be bass heavy. I have heard the bass sound quite full and nice with a recabled pair that was also properly sourced and amped, and I happen to like it as is, but if you want a headphone with bass emphasis, these headphones are not for you.

It sounds like you are seriously underpowering your headphones. Your soundcard may be giving you a hint of what the K701s sound like, and if you like what you hear for the most part, stick with them and do some research around here for what you need to make them shine. You don't have to buy everything all at once, but consider it a journey. If you like lots of bass or deep bass, don't like the general sound signature you're hearing now, or if you don't want to venture into amps and dacs, etc., I recommend that you look for other headphones that will make you happy.

 

[Morph201]

^^ Well said.

 

[Almoxil]

^^ Agreed.

 

[gilency]

When I started looking for headphones I was torn between the 701, DT880's and HD650. I picked the Beyers and I am happy with them. I have since listened to 701 and 702's and the lack of bass ( with good amplifier) was not for me. The 650's were muddy and dark (also with a good amp, a HeadRoom Ultra. Its of course a mater of taste. Thats why they sell well. (the 3 of them).

 

[mbd2884]

HeadRoom Ultra Micro? Or HeadRoom Ultra Desktop. Notice the MICRO part.

Just be honest here.

 

[silverskull]

Thanks guys for all your opinion.today i managed to grab an amp.which really made my akg sound a lot better. i am also not a total basshead myself,to me clarity and warmness would be the KEY to my audiogasm,and i have solved the bass problem.Problem was caused by turning the volume panel on my pc too loud as before today,i do not have an amp,thus the bass sounded totally distorted and baddddd.now,its so sweet and i will slowly burn in and listen to it.i believe i have not made a wrong choice as its pretty much what i am looking for all these while(DARN U HD800,wonder if its good...too bad there isnt anything like these for me to try in australia,or not that i know of)

yes and i will slowly start this journey to the west as i slowly upgrade and upgrade,but yes most importantly now is that i grab a nice amp first,then slowly the cables and DAC etc.

i have decided to not let go of my child,and i will slowly do what it takes to make it shine.thats the point of being a head-fier!

cheers everyone and i really appreciate every1's opinion and time spent.

 

[bhanja_trinanjan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverskull /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks guys for all your opinion.today i managed to grab an amp.which really made my akg sound a lot better. i am also not a total basshead myself,to me clarity and warmness would be the KEY to my audiogasm,and i have solved the bass problem.Problem was caused by turning the volume panel on my pc too loud as before today,i do not have an amp,thus the bass sounded totally distorted and baddddd.now,its so sweet and i will slowly burn in and listen to it.i believe i have not made a wrong choice as its pretty much what i am looking for all these while(DARN U HD800,wonder if its good...too bad there isnt anything like these for me to try in australia,or not that i know of) yes and i will slowly start this journey to the west as i slowly upgrade and upgrade,but yes most importantly now is that i grab a nice amp first,then slowly the cables and DAC etc. i have decided to not let go of my child,and i will slowly do what it takes to make it shine.thats the point of being a head-fier! cheers everyone and i really appreciate every1's opinion and time spent.

I also drool over the HD800...

 

[Landis]

I don't see how the K701/702 on-going crapfest poured over into this thread as the OP never said he didn't dislike the signature of the 'phones nor did he say that the bass quantity was an issue, he said it was bass was distorted.

Glad to hear you're enjoying your headphones now, Silverskull!

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoart /img/forum/go_quote.gif The problem with K702 bass is very simple: they don't have any. This is a fundamental design flaw, and neither amping nor burn-in will fix it.

lol, how did you get to this conclusions, you probably have a vast experience working with the K702 in the studio.

 

[Frank I]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverskull /img/forum/go_quote.gif i just received my pair of akg k702 from the usa,and when i plug it into my pc,im surprised to hear that the bass was terrible.im new to these high end headphones so im wondering if this is normal as it takes time for it to burn in or is there something wrong with the headphones?i am planning to get an amp soon but im also wondering is this because that the headphones are underpowered?

The AKG 701 has ample bass and the 702 are the same as the 702. They need 300 hrs to burn in however mine sounded good with enough bass that is tuneful and greatly detailed.

 

[parhelictriangle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverskull /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks guys for all your opinion.today i managed to grab an amp.which really made my akg sound a lot better. i am also not a total basshead myself,to me clarity and warmness would be the KEY to my audiogasm,and i have solved the bass problem.Problem was caused by turning the volume panel on my pc too loud as before today,i do not have an amp,thus the bass sounded totally distorted and baddddd.now,its so sweet and i will slowly burn in and listen to it.i believe i have not made a wrong choice as its pretty much what i am looking for all these while(DARN U HD800,wonder if its good...too bad there isnt anything like these for me to try in australia,or not that i know of) yes and i will slowly start this journey to the west as i slowly upgrade and upgrade,but yes most importantly now is that i grab a nice amp first,then slowly the cables and DAC etc. i have decided to not let go of my child,and i will slowly do what it takes to make it shine.thats the point of being a head-fier! cheers everyone and i really appreciate every1's opinion and time spent.

Please don't let anyone convince you that you need to spend on cables at this point in your journey. And don't listen to the crap about upgrading to a dedicated CD player. You're using your computer as a source, and that's perfectly fine. Double amping, like you're doing now, isn't going to get you great results (although glad to hear you solved your problem).

You have nice headphones if you like the sound signature. What you need is a good external USB DAC and a headphone amp. The DAC will bypass your soundcard and deliver a nice, clean signal to the amp at the right line level. Maybe look around at amp/DAC combos. Headroom has a few, and there are plenty more out there. By most accounts, the k70X series is pretty power hungry, so it might be best to avoid the really cheap portable solutions. Although feel free to try-- I have no experience with your headphones, but the negative effects of not spending 10 grand on your setup are greatly exaggerated around these parts.

I honestly can't believe how many people are quick to suggest dumping thousands into cables, interconnects and an expensive CD player for someone relatively inexperienced. It's frigging disgusting.

Get a USB (or firewire, if you have it) DAC and an amp. You don't have to break the bank. If you want to tweak things later, nobody will stop you (and most, apparently, will encourage you), but don't drown in snake oil and relatively inconsequential tweaks before you even get started.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif lol, how did you get to this conclusions, you probably have a vast experience working with the K702 in the studio.

This is the problem here, people go around implying the 701 is not bass deficient and newbies buy into it and get put in the ditch. If you like your 701's then that is fine but outright lying to members who are seeking advice is so slimy. This is especially true for people who have listened to other headphones (without all the problems).