[philodox]

Never heard the 601 unfortunately. If they are much like the 701, I'm not all that interested anyways.

 

[CAMiasm]

AKG HAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER

I own K 501 and squashed the pads after falling asleep in them. I asked around and searched around the AKG site and contacted Mark Zucha. He was very kind, but said I he couldn't help me and referred me to Frank Rodriguez.

Frank Rodriguez is incompetent.

After 25+ emails (most of them me saying things like 'Hello?' trying to get a response) and FIVE MONTHS, my package arrived today. Containing one pad. I very clearly said that I wanted two. The package was shipped TWO MONTHS ago and Frank never filled me in on the carrier, a tracking number, what was being shipped exactly, or anything. So frustrating...

If you own AKG headphones, don't damage them because their customer service is TERRIBLE and you'll have a very hard time getting them fixed.

 

[Fungi]

I'm still waiting on that second K701 pad from Frank. If you want a set of K701 pads, get them from Headroom if you treasure your sanity.

 

[CAMiasm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fungi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm still waiting on that second K701 pad from Frank. If you want a set of K701 pads, get them from Headroom if you treasure your sanity.

They don't have K501 pads on HeadRoom or anywhere else. I looked...

Will K701 pads work with K501?

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freid77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif 601s anybody? compared with the 701 maybe? I've only listened to cheapo AKGs (the super tiny foldable, and like a K44 and a 141 i think all for really short periods of time) Can anyone comment who has heard the 271, 601, and 701?

I enjoy my k601 - it passed the initial "does it suck?" test, and I keep it for variety between my HD650 and DT-770. Austro-German phones in the house

I disliked the k701. k601 has less treble spikes and flatter bass, with essentially the same midrange.

 

[jrosenth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAMiasm /img/forum/go_quote.gif Will K701 pads work with K501?

Yes, and in my opinion they are an improvement.

 

[jrosenth]

For the record, the 501s improve very nicely from recabling provided you're using a descent source and amp.

Personally I prefer the 501s to the 701s. Recabling helps (thanks to Fitz) and the 701 pads bring a touch more bass.

Actually, I prefer the 500 to the 501, to my ears, it's more smooth.

All that's to say get a 501 used, get it recabled with some 701 pads and it's a very nice little gem that will scale very, very nicely and do midrange that will leave you happy destined to become a classic around here.

 

[CAMiasm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrosenth /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the record, the 501s improve very nicely from recabling provided you're using a descent source and amp. Personally I prefer the 501s to the 701s. Recabling helps (thanks to Fitz) and the 701 pads bring a touch more bass. Actually, I prefer the 500 to the 501, to my ears, it's more smooth. All that's to say get a 501 used, get it recabled with some 701 pads and it's a very nice little gem that will scale very, very nicely and do midrange that will leave you happy destined to become a classic around here.

How much is recabling and how do I go about getting it down? I know I can buy two 701 pads on headroom for $40, but don't know anything about recabling. I'd like to salvage this babies if possible.

 

[ph0rk]

I wonder how a recabled/repadded k501 compares to a stock k601.

 

[BirdRobin]

is it really that hard to get replacement pads for the 501?

 

[jrosenth]

I prefer the 501 to the 701 and 601 - all stock. I think the recabling makes the 501 even better. The 701 pads on it help too. It's a different sound - simply prefer the 501s midrange to those two. Repadding brings a bit more bas to it. Recabling helps all around. Of course different 501s sound different depending on their production.

I don't know if it's tough to get pads for the 501 (I have an extra set but use the 701s). To my ears the 701 pads sound better on the 501s - they are also more comfortable too.

Recabling varies cost-wise by folks who do it. I've used Fitz and Can't Sleep - AKZip and High Flying are supposed to be good as well (I don't know if Larry does AKGs). You should contact them for prices. But look at an after market senn cable to get a ballpark idea.

 

[fhuang]

i have k501 and k601 and i do perfer k501. i remember reading some veteran(sorry i forgot who that was) perfer the k701 to k501 and k601 and k601 being "the worst". to me, k601 has more bass(still not a lot) and darker. they're different but i do like k501 more

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fhuang /img/forum/go_quote.gif i have k501 and k601 and i do perfer k501. i remember reading some veteran(sorry i forgot who that was) perfer the k701 to k501 and k601 and k601 being "the worst". to me, k601 has more bass(still not a lot) and darker. they're different but i do like k501 more

The darkest of 3 bright phones still makes it my brightest phone

 

[dcstep]

I'm new to the game and jumped right on the 701s, driven by a Woo WA6, playing mostly vinyl through my Pro-ject RM10 with Sumiko Blackbird cartridge.

I'm a trumpeter and guitarist (avocation, not vocation) and I'm all about transparency, sound stage and accurate midrange. Way back in the 1980s I had a midrange Stax set, but gave up on them after two rebuilds and constantly getting zapped in the ears by static charges. (They sounded great when they worked, but were a little thin in the bass, but magical in the midrange).

I've only got around 100-hours on my AKG/Woo setup, but it's already incredibly smooth and transparent. The midrange is superior to the old Stax (sorry, but I can't remember the model, but they cost a couple of hunred back in the day). Bass is smooth an well rounded, with no bloat.

My great analog front end and Woo's beautiful single-ended tube amp are making the early hours on these cans very pleasant indeed, despite what I read here about the need for 300-hours on 701s. If they get better, I'll be overjoyed, because they're only fantastic as is.

BTW, I'm mainly a speaker guy, enjoying the more natural, almost holographic sound stage that I experience with my Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grands; HOWEVER, when I need to listen by myself, it's great to have a headphone system that matches the speakers timbrally and gives me most of the experience of the speaker setup in my main system. Despite the preference for speakers, it's occasionally magic when I hear a mono recording of Coltrane, smack in the middle of my head, sounding as natural as one of the sax players I've stood next to and played with. There's been a few times that I've heard the exact sound of a 1950s Selmer sax with a LaVoz #2 reed right in my head. Wow!

Dave

 

[Fungi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirdRobin /img/forum/go_quote.gif is it really that hard to get replacement pads for the 501?

With Frank, I'd say it's the luck of the draw. He got the first shipment (some small pads for some other headphone, not in the K line) to me within a week. The next week *one* K701 pad arrived. It's been a month since I first contacted him and I'm still without a pair of K701 pads.