Beau Cauchemar
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2016
- Posts
- 72
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- 48
I've been very happy with my bass port modded Q701 for quite a while now, however, last night when I put them on for a listening session I was horrified to discover that the right driver had given out. Given out as in the right side only producing a very low, choppy signal and pops/distortion. At first I thought it was a cable/connection issue, but after some cable swaps (and trying different cans on the amp) I knew it must be an issue with the Q701s. After taking the ear pads off, sure enough the right driver had indents and looked visibly damaged. Considering that they had worked fine after my last listen and had gone untouched, the only guess I have is that my habit of laying them on top of the amp at the end of a listen (a very warm, Class A desktop amp with top vents) had damaged the driver via heat. This was especially unfortunate, since this is my second pair of Q701 after the previous pair had a blown driver due to a poorly constructed burn-in playlist with some unknown huge volume spikes (which I felt very foolish/sad about.) The Q701 was just too good not to buy again though (2nd pair were used at a good price to help lessen the blow of the burn in mistake) and I've been using that pair for about a half year since.
With all that being said, despite really enjoying the modded Q701 sound (also modded with a flat headband), I'm not sure if I can really trust buying yet another pair of K-family AKGs. This has me wondering what other options I should consider.
What characteristics I'm looking for:
- High level of detail (prefer analytical to warmth)
- Good soundstage and imaging (wide/tall/deep) / holographic
- Not noticably dark even with presence of detail (a la HD650)
- Balanced yet with enough bass impact/tightness to qualify as full-sounding
Music I listen to (in order of preference):
Jazz, electronic, indie rock, metal, hip-hop, and classical
Cans I've tried:
AKG Q701m - loved the detail, huge soundstage, bass punch after the mod / didn't like the overall comfort (even with flat headband) or how hard they were to drive
Sennheiser HD6XX/HD650 - loved the comfort/build quality, mid sweetness / didn't like the dark signature compared with the exciting Q701 (sold them as a result)
Cans I'm considering:
Hifiman HE-400i: These are my top consideration right now based on feedback of overall SQ, comfort, decent soundstage, and slant towards being detail-oriented
AKG K712 - If I do decide to buy another pair of AKGs, these will be it. Trying to decide though if they are more of what I'm after even more so than the 400i
Money to spend: $200-350 (new or used)
Equipment Chain: (See Signature)
So this is where I'm stuck right now. Given my very mid-fi-oriented budget, I feel like for my desired sound these are generally the top picks. Please help me decide or perhaps cast another choice into the contention. Thanks!
P.S. - It's worth mentioning that I won't bother dealing with a warranty fix with AKG since the first pair I had (new) were blown as a result of my usage and the previous, most recent pair being purchased used on eBay
With all that being said, despite really enjoying the modded Q701 sound (also modded with a flat headband), I'm not sure if I can really trust buying yet another pair of K-family AKGs. This has me wondering what other options I should consider.
What characteristics I'm looking for:
- High level of detail (prefer analytical to warmth)
- Good soundstage and imaging (wide/tall/deep) / holographic
- Not noticably dark even with presence of detail (a la HD650)
- Balanced yet with enough bass impact/tightness to qualify as full-sounding
Music I listen to (in order of preference):
Jazz, electronic, indie rock, metal, hip-hop, and classical
Cans I've tried:
AKG Q701m - loved the detail, huge soundstage, bass punch after the mod / didn't like the overall comfort (even with flat headband) or how hard they were to drive
Sennheiser HD6XX/HD650 - loved the comfort/build quality, mid sweetness / didn't like the dark signature compared with the exciting Q701 (sold them as a result)
Cans I'm considering:
Hifiman HE-400i: These are my top consideration right now based on feedback of overall SQ, comfort, decent soundstage, and slant towards being detail-oriented
AKG K712 - If I do decide to buy another pair of AKGs, these will be it. Trying to decide though if they are more of what I'm after even more so than the 400i
Money to spend: $200-350 (new or used)
Equipment Chain: (See Signature)
So this is where I'm stuck right now. Given my very mid-fi-oriented budget, I feel like for my desired sound these are generally the top picks. Please help me decide or perhaps cast another choice into the contention. Thanks!
P.S. - It's worth mentioning that I won't bother dealing with a warranty fix with AKG since the first pair I had (new) were blown as a result of my usage and the previous, most recent pair being purchased used on eBay
