donthuang
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2006
- Posts
- 524
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- 79
The K702 isn't like his "love or hate" brother K701, and very few impression or discussion about this "studio ref headphone" . I guess that's because people always think K702 as a "datachable cable K701"
Recently i wanna a headphone to complement my DT990'05,because i find my 990 (about 2000 hours) sometimes too "sensitive" about environment, especially the voltage droping of home electric , Indeed 990 sounds fantasy,but it's too cosseted, i need a headphone more "stable" with more Immunity. So, i got one pair used K702.
Before i become a beyer fanboy (lol), i am a AKG fan, own one pair
AKG K240DF long term, and always dream about AKG would produce
a flagship can merge both strengths of K240M and K240DF, K701 is good, but not the headphone i expect.
When i got my K702 ,at first it sounds very horrible,Unnatural at all.
No Highs, no airiness, midhighs bumps, make vocal too "loud" like some bad horn speakers, midbass has strange "Plastic-like" colors. It's lucky
that i own a headphone that sound even bad than K702 when brand new, out of box- DT990, So i know K702 still lack burn-in, Just let this headphone burn-in with my amp one week.
After one week burn-in, K702 sounds really changed,very good, i feel
it's time can try to investigate my equipment to pair up K702, My headphone amp is something different: it has Gain "variable" switch, not only high gain or low gain , so i must try to find the best "gain-volume-bias" setting. DT990 need very very high gain (26dB)
and voltage swings, but K702 seems "like" much lower gain (8dB)setting, it's sounds better than average gain setting (18dB with HD650).Because My benchmark DAC1 output is setting to 0dB, so i can got enough volume when my amp setting lower gain.
Ok....here is my equipment list
Benchmark DAC1 > Amtech HA1 > K702 with stock cable/DT990
digital cable use supra cable "trico",interconnect cable use supra cable "DAC".
SO, how about K702 ?
At first i find it sounds slight "dry" than most "home-used" flagship, like DT990、HD650、K701, and somehow make the "contrast" lower, Maybe people would think this is "dark", but this is not brightness relate , just lower the contrast.
I also find K702 has very best dynamic,that's really amazing. IMO K702's dynamic range not wide as DT990, but far better than HD650,the same as K701. But in this dynamic range, K702 doing really good- very few dynamic compress, better than DT990、K701 and Old HD650.
People may think the "studio ref " is the most transparent, is "equipment's mirror" . I don't think K702 is the most transparent headphone i heard - at least a well-drived HD650/990 can beat K702 in transparency. Indeed K702 is very clarity, but the "glass windows " still here, not disappear like DT990, HD650, even K701 - i guess that's because the "dry" characters of K702.
About the sound quality....i am tired of describe this, just simply sum up.
1. Highs: Not extend as HD650, Not bright as K701, very close DT990:Glass-like, not crystal-like, no sparkly,just solidity. DT990 s' more delicate, K702 more sweet.
2.Mid :Balance , simple , rich texture, dynamic, clarity.
Not as smooth or hugh as DT990 that with velvet-like lush tone, just
rich of tension and texture. IMO K702 has more rich midbass-bass amount than K701, close a well controlled HD650.
3.Bass: Rich and punch bass, but not deep as DT990 and HD650.
Not like K701's bass that somehow i expect more .K702's bass just enough for most music.
4.Head stage: Average. Not as huge as DT990, not as 3D-like as K701,bigger than HD650 , very accurate and stable.
(IMO, HD650's head stage really not as good as those "2005 flagships")
5.Compare with K701 : I can confirm the two headphone's ear pad、damper in front of driver is different
No sure the housing's(especially "Skirt") material is different.
To my ear the two sounds really different. i prefer K702 more than K701.
Conclusion
Compare my another favorite DT990, K702 not has the same ability "to bring you to The Village Vanguard or Große Saal"
but just honest play back what has been recorded.
When listens K702, I knew K702 still not the headphone that mix up K240M and K240DF, indeed they are all studio use, but K702's tone more natural and neutral than K240M/DF. It's the "new" Akg sound, just like K701, although i am very satisfied, because even "new", AKG is Akg, not changed much, Not "perfect sound like good student" , just no compromise to it's own ideal.
Recently i wanna a headphone to complement my DT990'05,because i find my 990 (about 2000 hours) sometimes too "sensitive" about environment, especially the voltage droping of home electric , Indeed 990 sounds fantasy,but it's too cosseted, i need a headphone more "stable" with more Immunity. So, i got one pair used K702.
Before i become a beyer fanboy (lol), i am a AKG fan, own one pair
AKG K240DF long term, and always dream about AKG would produce
a flagship can merge both strengths of K240M and K240DF, K701 is good, but not the headphone i expect.
When i got my K702 ,at first it sounds very horrible,Unnatural at all.
No Highs, no airiness, midhighs bumps, make vocal too "loud" like some bad horn speakers, midbass has strange "Plastic-like" colors. It's lucky
that i own a headphone that sound even bad than K702 when brand new, out of box- DT990, So i know K702 still lack burn-in, Just let this headphone burn-in with my amp one week.
After one week burn-in, K702 sounds really changed,very good, i feel
it's time can try to investigate my equipment to pair up K702, My headphone amp is something different: it has Gain "variable" switch, not only high gain or low gain , so i must try to find the best "gain-volume-bias" setting. DT990 need very very high gain (26dB)
and voltage swings, but K702 seems "like" much lower gain (8dB)setting, it's sounds better than average gain setting (18dB with HD650).Because My benchmark DAC1 output is setting to 0dB, so i can got enough volume when my amp setting lower gain.
Ok....here is my equipment list
Benchmark DAC1 > Amtech HA1 > K702 with stock cable/DT990
digital cable use supra cable "trico",interconnect cable use supra cable "DAC".
SO, how about K702 ?
At first i find it sounds slight "dry" than most "home-used" flagship, like DT990、HD650、K701, and somehow make the "contrast" lower, Maybe people would think this is "dark", but this is not brightness relate , just lower the contrast.
I also find K702 has very best dynamic,that's really amazing. IMO K702's dynamic range not wide as DT990, but far better than HD650,the same as K701. But in this dynamic range, K702 doing really good- very few dynamic compress, better than DT990、K701 and Old HD650.
People may think the "studio ref " is the most transparent, is "equipment's mirror" . I don't think K702 is the most transparent headphone i heard - at least a well-drived HD650/990 can beat K702 in transparency. Indeed K702 is very clarity, but the "glass windows " still here, not disappear like DT990, HD650, even K701 - i guess that's because the "dry" characters of K702.
About the sound quality....i am tired of describe this, just simply sum up.
1. Highs: Not extend as HD650, Not bright as K701, very close DT990:Glass-like, not crystal-like, no sparkly,just solidity. DT990 s' more delicate, K702 more sweet.
2.Mid :Balance , simple , rich texture, dynamic, clarity.
Not as smooth or hugh as DT990 that with velvet-like lush tone, just
rich of tension and texture. IMO K702 has more rich midbass-bass amount than K701, close a well controlled HD650.
3.Bass: Rich and punch bass, but not deep as DT990 and HD650.
Not like K701's bass that somehow i expect more .K702's bass just enough for most music.
4.Head stage: Average. Not as huge as DT990, not as 3D-like as K701,bigger than HD650 , very accurate and stable.
(IMO, HD650's head stage really not as good as those "2005 flagships")
5.Compare with K701 : I can confirm the two headphone's ear pad、damper in front of driver is different
No sure the housing's(especially "Skirt") material is different.
To my ear the two sounds really different. i prefer K702 more than K701.
Conclusion
Compare my another favorite DT990, K702 not has the same ability "to bring you to The Village Vanguard or Große Saal"
but just honest play back what has been recorded.
When listens K702, I knew K702 still not the headphone that mix up K240M and K240DF, indeed they are all studio use, but K702's tone more natural and neutral than K240M/DF. It's the "new" Akg sound, just like K701, although i am very satisfied, because even "new", AKG is Akg, not changed much, Not "perfect sound like good student" , just no compromise to it's own ideal.
