[interface95]

  K702 is better in terms of soundstage, instrument separation and bass quality.

 
I have to disagree in term of seperation.
With that huge soundstage, there also comes worse seperation with it.
I really love working with my k702 but you can't "point" at the instruments like on my hd580, which is basically a hd600.
For working, I prefer good soundstage over seperation.
Of course seperation is not bad on the k702 either.

 

[Me x3]

   
I have to disagree in term of seperation.
With that huge soundstage, there also comes worse seperation with it.
I really love working with my k702 but you can't "point" at the instruments like on my hd580, which is basically a hd600.
For working, I prefer good soundstage over seperation.
Of course seperation is not bad on the k702 either.

I would use the word "imaging" in that context. K702 tends to project bigger objects than HD600 and you need some Source/DAC/Amp matching in order to make its (big) sound focused.
 
With separation I mean that, separation. As in big orchestral pieces, each part of the orchestra is presented with more layering in the K702, while the HD600 appears as more cohesive and intimate, you might be able to point the first violin more easily, but the sense of layers of instruments distributed in space is not recreated as well on the Senns. The difference in separation is also clear in the bass region, while K702's bass is tight and has extremely low levels of distortion, HD600's bass has a slight boost in the mid bass (and higher levels of distortion as well) and it's significantly less layered (woolly and monotonous, some would say).

 

[U-3C]

I would use the word "imaging" in that context. K702 tends to project bigger objects than HD600 and you need some Source/DAC/Amp matching in order to make its (big) sound focused.

With separation I mean that, separation. As in big orchestral pieces, each part of the orchestra is presented with more layering in the K702, while the HD600 appears as more cohesive and intimate, you might be able to point the first violin more easily, but the sense of layers of instruments distributed in space is not recreated as well on the Senns. The difference in separation is also clear in the bass region, while K702's bass is tight and has extremely low levels of distortion, HD600's bass has a slight boost in the mid bass (and higher levels of distortion as well) and it's significantly less layered (woolly and monotonous, some would say).

I actually find the layering terrible on the-

Ah what do I know with my terrible ears? Carry on.

 

[thelonious58]

Hey Thelonius! I've had a lovely Christmas, thank you! I'm so pleased you've found a perfect (for now) set of headphones! I didn't remember this conversation until you posted but I do now. Interestingly, since then, I myself have also acquired an amazing set of vintage and rare AKG headphones, the K500. They are incredible and do things that none of my other cans do. I'm very pleased with them. So neutral, slightly bass light compared to more modernly tuned cans but the most amazing soundstage and a wonderful, musical presentation that really draws me into the emotion of the music, not just the details. Happy listening! What music have you been listening to on them?

BTW I still have my Cayin C5 but it's not seen much use since I got the Chord Mojo.

Hi Matt. I've been listening to all sorts of music, from Bach to Xenakis, no exaggeration! These headphones really show how good or not so good a recording is, but even not so good recordings are listenable. Mingus plays it cool sounds great, as does Perpetual Emotion by Flora Purim, especially the song Crystal Silence. Xenakis Music for strings (Syrmos and Aroura especially) sounds very realistic, and any acoustic or percussion instruments sound superb with natural reverberation and decay. And that is via my supposedly unsuitable and underpowered Topping Nx-1 via LOD L9 from an iPod classic! From my Cambridge Audio C651 CA651 stereo system they sound even better. So you're not using your Cayin C5 much these days? The price keeps hovering around £100 which is putting me off, just waiting for a lower price like one of those Black Friday deals. Happy New Year and happy listening!

 

[Me x3]

Listening to "Sessions from the 17th Ward" album by Amber Rubarth (Binaural - Chesky Records)
K702 paired with the FiiO X5 3rd Gen. Superlative SQ.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

Can anyone compare these to the Audio Technica ATH-AD700s? I've had the AD700s for around 5 years now. I'm not actually that desperate for an improved sound. I've just always been irritated by the original ear pads without modding them. The modded pair of pads has now worn. Since this is the last pair new of original pads I have (I bought several pairs), I feel that if I sold them now, I could sell them for far more then if I left it.
 
I have actually been wondering for the past few years what I could get if my AD700s gave up and I've often wondered what these would be like. At the moment, the K702s are £115 on amazon.co.uk. My AD700s were £87.
 
The most important thing for me with the sound is the treble. The AD700s are known for having very sharp or even harsh treble for some. But if it wasn't there, I really would miss it. The mid range is also excellent on these. The bass is lacking and I wouldn't mind a bit more but I wouldn't want so much more that it ends up messing up other frequencies. Treble then midrange are what I'm most bothered about. The AD700s seem to have such an airy and open sound that I just don't seem to hear on anything but them, but then I haven't heard that many headphones. I just love the sound they have when listening to string and wind instruments. I have the AKG K550s and I like their sound and they sound very spacious and airy considering they are closed. They also have that spike in the treble that I like that makes them stand out.
 
Someone else told be that the Philips SHP9500s were very close to the AD700s but one of the differences being that they have a wider soundstage and more noticeable bass. Issue with them is that they look to be discontinued.
 
 
I would much appreciate if anyone could compare the AD700s with the K702s.
 
Thanks.

 

[thelonious58]

Can anyone compare these to the Audio Technica ATH-AD700s? I've had the AD700s for around 5 years now. I'm not actually that desperate for an improved sound. I've just always been irritated by the original ear pads without modding them. The modded pair of pads has now worn. Since this is the last pair new of original pads I have (I bought several pairs), I feel that if I sold them now, I could sell them for far more then if I left it.

I have actually been wondering for the past few years what I could get if my AD700s gave up and I've often wondered what these would be like. At the moment, the K702s are £115 on amazon.co.uk. My AD700s were £87.

The most important thing for me with the sound is the treble. The AD700s are known for having very sharp or even harsh treble for some. But if it wasn't there, I really would miss it. The mid range is also excellent on these. The bass is lacking and I wouldn't mind a bit more but I wouldn't want so much more that it ends up messing up other frequencies. Treble then midrange are what I'm most bothered about. The AD700s seem to have such an airy and open sound that I just don't seem to hear on anything but them, but then I haven't heard that many headphones. I just love the sound they have when listening to string and wind instruments. I have the AKG K550s and I like their sound and they sound very spacious and airy considering they are closed. They also have that spike in the treble that I like that makes them stand out.

Someone else told be that the Philips SHP9500s were very close to the AD700s but one of the differences being that they have a wider soundstage and more noticeable bass. Issue with them is that they look to be discontinued.


I would much appreciate if anyone could compare the AD700s with the K702s.

Thanks.

The K702 has a mixed reputation but judging by your description of the AD700 could sound quite similar. Personally I prefer the cheaper K612 which is only £87.95 on amazon.co.uk. It has more bass than the 702 and better imaging but is very similar but more natural and musical sounding. The bass doesn't bleed into the midrange but gives great rumble when the recording has it. Having said that, the current price for the 702 is not likely to stay that low for much longer!

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

The K702 has a mixed reputation but judging by your description of the AD700 could sound quite similar. Personally I prefer the cheaper K612 which is only £87.95 on amazon.co.uk. It has more bass than the 702 and better imaging but is very similar but more natural and musical sounding. The bass doesn't bleed into the midrange but gives great rumble when the recording has it. Having said that, the current price for the 702 is not likely to stay that low for much longer!

Well, I know for a fact that the K702s have a fair bit more bass that the Ad700s so I feel that going for something that has even more than the K702s may be a bit too much. But then I guess i do boost the bass of the AD700s with my FiiO E11 amp so I may well like a lot more. But the sounds of the AD700s is something I really want to have. So if the K702s have a lot less treble, I wouldn't want them. I'll probably have to ask a few more questions elsewhere.

 

[thelonious58]

Well, I know for a fact that the K702s have a fair bit more bass that the Ad700s so I feel that going for something that has even more than the K702s may be a bit too much. But then I guess i do boost the bass of the AD700s with my FiiO E11 amp so I may well like a lot more. But the sounds of the AD700s is something I really want to have. So if the K702s have a lot less treble, I wouldn't want them. I'll probably have to ask a few more questions elsewhere.

You might want to check out the K702 threads here on head-fi. Someone on there should be able to give you advice

 

[U-3C]

Personally I love my AD700x way more than my Q701 stock for stock.

With some DSP and modding (for the Q701), they are at around the same level for me. It's mainly preference. AD700X has less bass, more air in the highs and the mids and upper mids are really nice, especially female vocals. I love these things.

My Q701 has more bad, less air, and I don't quite like how they handled the mids. Kinda hate all of these, but when I EQ the crap out of them, they are saved and can be somewhat in par with the AD700x for my tastes and my tastes only. I also modded them (removing the little sticker), cut the foam bumps and said the pads with done HM5 pads. The AD700x still wins in comfort, weight and build quality for me, but...well, we have all heard the hate towards the Audio Technica design so again all this is subjective to my head shape only.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

Personally I love my AD700x way more than my Q701 stock for stock.

With some DSP and modding (for the Q701), they are at around the same level for me. It's mainly preference. AD700X has less bass, more air in the highs and the mids and upper mids are really nice, especially female vocals. I love these things.

My Q701 has more bad, less air, and I don't quite like how they handled the mids. Kinda hate all of these, but when I EQ the crap out of them, they are saved and can be somewhat in par with the AD700x for my tastes and my tastes only. I also modded them (removing the little sticker), cut the foam bumps and said the pads with done HM5 pads. The AD700x still wins in comfort, weight and build quality for me, but...well, we have all heard the hate towards the Audio Technica design so again all this is subjective to my head shape only.

The thing is, I have the AD700s, not the AD700Xs and it is the K702s not the Q701s that I am looking into. I'm not sure how different each of them are though. What I do know though is that Amazon.co.uk is extremely easy to return things to so I could just return them if I don't like them. I've read that the K702s have a less warm sound will less bass and I think the treble is sharper too. I just hope the treble is one of the main things that stands out with the K702s. I tried asking a couple of years ago for a comparison between the K702 and AD700 but didn't get many answers. It may be hard to answer though. Many think the K702s are way better. But I really LOVE the treble on my AD700s.
 
There are several things that are very different about the AD700Xs to mine too. One thing - they are made in China, not Japan!

Hopefully it doesn't affect the sound but I've read that the built quality is a huge amount worse in most areas. Apparently, the AD700s have been known to have one of the best quality cables on any headphones. The jack is just rock solid metal. The cable is very hard and thick but at the same time extremely flexible. Where as what I've read when people compare them to the X's, the cable on them tangles really easily and the plug is no longer a lovely well made bit of metal. Such a shame. The comfort could well have been improved though. The X's don't have angled drivers so the ear pads are quite different I think. It may make them even more comfortable than mine. I have no issue with comfort exactly, it is just irritating the way the material covering the driver rests against your ears. I must just be sensitive. Every time there is any bass, I feel the material vibrating and my ears just seem to get hot an bothered.
 
The deal on amazon.co.uk for the K702s at £115 doesn't look bad at all. I remember looking just after I bought my AD700s and they were well over £200 then and they had been in my mind ever since. But I just feel that there may be something about the AD700's sound that these lack. I don't know. It would certainly be nice having more bass than my AD700s have as I almost allways listen to them with my FiiO E11's bass boost on 2 which boosts it quite a lot. As they will already have more bass, they'll sound like they are not trying as hard and it won't mess up the rest of the sound so they may well work out better.

 

[viralcow]

   

 
Question - what modified pads are you using with the AD700? I have an AD900 with W1000Z leather pads, which completely changes the sound.
 
To answer your question, the K702 for me is the more engaging headphone. I know it gets a lot of flak for its diffuse, artificial soundstage, but I think that's what makes it exciting to listen to. The treble on the K702 rivals that on the AD900 in terms of detail, so I think it might be worth trying out.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

   
Question - what modified pads are you using with the AD700? I have an AD900 with W1000Z leather pads, which completely changes the sound.
 
To answer your question, the K702 for me is the more engaging headphone. I know it gets a lot of flak for its diffuse, artificial soundstage, but I think that's what makes it exciting to listen to. The treble on the K702 rivals that on the AD900 in terms of detail, so I think it might be worth trying out.

I used the original pads. What I did was cut out the material covering the driver. I then put a loop of thick cable tied together with duct tape and put it under the ear pads. It didn't change the sound at all. But it helped them stay on my head better and my ears then didn't touch anything. I tried my K550s pads with my AD700s ans it made them sound bass heavy and horribly muddy.  I'll just wait and see if there are any different views on them. But as I said, Amazon are very easy to return to. One thing I may as well ask is about burn in time. I hear some people say headphones need 1000 + hours. That seems just madness to me. Will just leaving them playing over 2 or 3 nights make a difference? So it will add up to around 30 hours. Or will more than that be better, or is it even necessary? I read different views everywhere.

 

[viralcow]

 
I used the original pads. What I did was cut out the material covering the driver. I then put a loop of thick cable tied together with duct tape and put it under the ear pads. It didn't change the sound at all. But it helped them stay on my head better and my ears then didn't touch anything. I tried my K550s pads with my AD700s ans it made them sound bass heavy and horribly muddy.  I'll just wait and see if there are any different views on them. But as I said, Amazon are very easy to return to. One thing I may as well ask is about burn in time. I hear some people say headphones need 1000 + hours. That seems just madness to me. Will just leaving them playing over 2 or 3 nights make a difference? So it will add up to around 30 hours. Or will more than that be better, or is it even necessary? I read different views everywhere.

 
Yeah leather pads make them sound dramatically different. I kinda need that though, since I've got mild tinnitus and I was told to go easy on the treble.
 
The K702 and its variants do change through burn-in, as Tyll showed with his little experiment. Nowhere as dramatic as people say, though. 

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

I'm getting closer to buying these now. But I just keep reading different views about the treble. I even read that people say the bass is lacking. I don't need to worry about the bass at all though because I very much doubt they will have less than the AD700s and I certainly wouldn't mind more. People's view on the treble seems to be so different all over the place. Some say that is has a sharp spike in the highs and that they sound harsh. I feel that since I'm used to the AD700s, that may be what I'm after. But others have said that these are fairly relaxed up there and it is more the midrange that is more pronounced. I just don't know what is true. The treble is very sharp and is easily what stands out most on the AD700s. The Midrange may be just a little thin but it is incredibly clear. So long as the midrange is just as clear on the K702s and the treble is also similar, they should do fine. I'll probably just have to try them by buying them.
 
Something else I'm a little confused about is that I keep seeing different pictures of them. Some have bumps on the headband and some don't. Some places say they are made in Austria, some say made in China. So many headphones that used to be made elsewhere are now made in china. My K550s say designed in Austria, but of course, made in China. My AD700s which are pretty old now were made in Japan, but the AD700X's are now made in China. I don't understand why basically the same headphones seem to start getting made in another country. Hopefully the sound won't be any different on the K702s now.