[jaja]

So a little over a month ago my Austria made q701's broke.  One side stopped working all together and instead of going through the hassle of fixing it or possibly braking it I sent it in for warranty since it was within the 2 year period.  Well once that was taken care of I waited for about 2 weeks and they came.  To my surprise I got a brand new pair judging from the sealed box which was also different then before.  I had taken a pic of the older Austria model before hand and this is what it looked like.  The one under it is the new one I got which was made in China.  This was listed on the box and on the headphones themselves.  The serial number is also has 6 digits on the Chinese one vs 5 on the Austria one.  I used the same camera and the lighting is a bit different however it is pretty obvious the molding quality is not as good. 
 
Do you see the thin little ridges on the guard on the Chinese made one???  Not only that but there are random blotches and inconsistency where as the Austria model is all smooth.  The quality on the outside appears to be the exact same.  I feel the pads on the Chinese ones are a bit softer.  It is not pictured but the headband also has thicker and much softer padding which I will admit is better for long term comfort.  Another difference I noticed is the way the mini xlr slides in.  It feels more gritty plugging in the cable and does not have the same satisfying click sound when it is popped in.  As for sound I don't notice anything that off thankfully.  Although I need to get some hours on this pair as I had probably 1000+ on the other pair.
 
Hmm I also just opened up the papers in the box.  Warranty is now only ONE year on the Chinese made one vs two on the Austria one.  There is also a piece of paper that basically warns me of lead... interesting.  Old one didn't have that haha. 
 
Austria made

 
Chinese made

 

[1-MiC]

Well i just sent mine in for repair, and from your post i can't tell if a new set is a good or bad thing!

 

[zazex]

Interesting...
 
BTW, you do realize I'm sure that the version you refer to as 
made in Australia is/was in fact made in Austria.  A spelling 
error, perhaps.

 

[jaja]

Apparently they are both held to the same standards but who knows.  Of course they would say that.  But I think it is safe to say that their cut backs in production costs have not really changed performance in a obvious or negative way.  The headband is indeed better in comfort.  They don't dig into your head as much like before.  You just do not get the same association of them being made in Austria. 

 

[jaja]

  Interesting...
 
BTW, you do realize I'm sure that the version you refer to as 
made in Australia is/was in fact made in Austria.  A spelling 
error, perhaps.

lol TY.  Corrected 

 

[viralcow]

As long as it sounds the same... I don't mind.
Speaking of which, does it sound the same?

 

[jaja]

  As long as it sounds the same... I don't mind.
Speaking of which, does it sound the same?

 
The longer I listen the general sound characteristic is the same.  Something about the imaging might be a tad different not for the better but still satisfying.  The soundstage might actually be wider very slight.  The midrange to me feels a SMIDGE more recessed and slightly less revealing and detailed.  Something also tells me that the sub bass goes slightly lower.  The upper end still has good extension and detail.  Some sibilance.  Although these are very minor.  Still need to put some time on these.  I'm happy I have a working pair.  Hmm I also just opened up the papers in the box.  Warranty is now only ONE year.  Now there is a piece of paper that bassicaly warns me of lead... interesting.  Old one didn't have that haha. 

 

[Claritas]

It might be that there's no difference in the minimal lead content, but that new laws obligated AKG to add the warning.

Regarding the sound, AKG is a highly experimental firm (or was) and had been known to make mid-production changes without informing the public, so the driver might be tuned the slightest bit different. The likelier explanation for the difference is what you're thinking: burn in.

As to headband comfort, did your old one have the same number of bumps?

 

[jaja]

As to headband comfort, did your old one have the same number of bumps?

I believe that it did, however these new ones are much much softer. 

 

[zazex]

It might be that there's no difference in the minimal lead content, but that new laws obligated AKG to add the warning.

Regarding the sound, AKG is a highly experimental firm (or was) and had been known to make mid-production changes without informing the public, so the driver might be tuned the slightest bit different. The likelier explanation for the difference is what you're thinking: burn in.

As to headband comfort, did your old one have the same number of bumps?

 
Or possibly some bias effect, since the OP evidently did know which headphones
were manufactured in China vs those from Austria when listening to them.
 
I'm curious for a double blind listening test between the two at some point.
 
(Not that it will make much practical difference since it's most unlikely that AKG
will ever return the manufacturing to Austria...perhaps, though, those Q701's made
in Austria will now fetch higher prices on the secondary market.)
 
 
I remember when I sold my Q701's a few months ago here on Head-Fi,
I received from many people the same question > "Where were they made?"

 

[1-MiC]

Well i sent mine in for repair and they sent the same set back, however with new drivers. I'm glad i didn't get new headphones sent back to me, i wanted "mine" back. Sentimental value i suppose.

 

[hoverta]

Sorry to redig up an old thread. But did you ever figure out what the lead warning was in regards to? Are they using lead solder in the China plants? Or is it something else? I'm thinking of buying a pair but would rather not have lead issues if it is actually the case since they're made in China.

 

[zazex]

  Sorry to redig up an old thread. But did you ever figure out what the lead warning was in regards to? Are they using lead solder in the China plants? Or is it something else? I'm thinking of buying a pair but would rather not have lead issues if it is actually the case since they're made in China.

Probably a Proposition 65 notice.
 
Good explanation from M-Audio, equally applicable to AKG and other manufacturers (not only of headphones):
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.faq&ID=0d5da176eeec4eb9af1e8072df1fc267

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Perhaps this explains why my new Q701 is not uncomfortable to me at all. I was prepared for a veritable "torture device," as one poster characterized it. 

 

[willyvlyminck]

  So a little over a month ago my Austria made q701's broke.  One side stopped working all together and instead of going through the hassle of fixing it or possibly braking it I sent it in for warranty since it was within the 2 year period.  Well once that was taken care of I waited for about 2 weeks and they came.  To my surprise I got a brand new pair judging from the sealed box which was also different then before.  I had taken a pic of the older Austria model before hand and this is what it looked like.  The one under it is the new one I got which was made in China.  This was listed on the box and on the headphones themselves.  The serial number is also has 6 digits on the Chinese one vs 5 on the Austria one.  I used the same camera and the lighting is a bit different however it is pretty obvious the molding quality is not as good. 
 
Do you see the thin little ridges on the guard on the Chinese made one???  Not only that but there are random blotches and inconsistency where as the Austria model is all smooth.  The quality on the outside appears to be the exact same.  I feel the pads on the Chinese ones are a bit softer.  It is not pictured but the headband also has thicker and much softer padding which I will admit is better for long term comfort.  Another difference I noticed is the way the mini xlr slides in.  It feels more gritty plugging in the cable and does not have the same satisfying click sound when it is popped in.  As for sound I don't notice anything that off thankfully.  Although I need to get some hours on this pair as I had probably 1000+ on the other pair.
 
Hmm I also just opened up the papers in the box.  Warranty is now only ONE year on the Chinese made one vs two on the Austria one.  There is also a piece of paper that basically warns me of lead... interesting.  Old one didn't have that haha. 
 
Austria made

 
Chinese made

 
I think in terms of quality there will be no difference, it is not that the Chinese can´t handle such production, The problem however is the social issue as the Chinese workers, are slaves compared to the Austrian ones, second, if the selling price remains the same than the motivation is the optimal profit ,but such cost jobs on the AKG homefront, but who cares? For myself I won´t buy products like this, as there are enough alternatives, but this is strictly personal and everybody have to decide how important social issues are.