[DJ McFinnigan]

New, the combo costs around $179.95 at amazon. Used, it all depends if you can snag a deal. I got my combo for $130, but I bought each Individually. Since the E17 came out, the E7 has dropped in price. I've seen them sell used as low as $50 but a more realistic number is around $60-65. The E9 usally sells in the $80-85 range used. I'd say a used combo would cost somewhere around $150.

 

[obobskivich]

The E9 is around $100 last I looked, used I sold mine for like $65. $80 sounds reasonable too. I don't know about the E7. You might also consider the newer E17 or the iPod dock version of the E9, depending on your usage (the E17 has more than USB in, and there's the iPod version for your iPod, will not take the other Fiio products though).

 

[ytisawfulnow]

Okay, i'll get the E9 when i can find a reasonable price, then the E7 as a DAC...
Until so i'll just use them with the receiver.

 

[Lorspeaker]

i just had a session with the Q701 minus the inner foam...
extra clarity, kinda like a shure940, or MsPro,  guitars and strings took centrestage.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

i just had a session with the Q701 minus the inner foam...
extra clarity, kinda like a shure940, or MsPro,  guitars and strings took centrestage.

 
 
So what exactly did you do now?

 

[iamthem]

 They destroy the M50 on every front given proper amplification and a proper source.

Agreed.
 

That's a shame, the Fiio amps are very easy to purchase and be shipped to Australia while i can't seem to find this Audio-gd amp new anywhere, i even tried the official website and it didn't work...
What do you think of the Matrix M-stage?
 

My setup is itouch -> O2 via LOD -> K701. Very flat, very neutral. The O2 has enough power to bring out most of the K701's potential. Hopefully I'll get to try a balanced one some day but right now I haven't heard better. I don't really see a need for a DAC right now. Through a computer with a passable soundcard like a macbook (even most soundcards these days are alright such as my Dell inspiron sound card) the K701 sounds fine.

 

[roBernd]

Quote:

i just had a session with the Q701 minus the inner foam...
extra clarity, kinda like a shure940, or MsPro,  guitars and strings took centrestage.

quite a horrible idea to behold. They already suffer from problematic upper-mids and treble. This is why people add different cloth as additional dampening, removing the inner foam is making them more resonant and moves them closer to Grados (which is a bad thing)

 

[obobskivich]

i just had a session with the Q701 minus the inner foam...
extra clarity, kinda like a shure940, or MsPro,  guitars and strings took centrestage.

Yeah, I like them when modded like that for what you're describing, but the foam is something of a bass lens for that driver - I dislike that tweak for listening to bassy music as a result.

So what exactly did you do now?

If you pop the ear-pads off (they rotate like 45* and come off), there's a foam disc that will usually fall right out (it's between the pad fabric and the driver baffle) - you can remove that disc and it changes the sound of the cans. Tilts them brighter and thinner - I dislike the loss of low-end (because that disc is partly behaving as a bass lens; there's a thread somewhere about creating a modified disc to gain the treble benefits while still re-enforcing the bass slightly - what I remember of it is that you want the new disc to look like a radiation sign (a lot like the Germania mod for the ESW9 actually)). It's about 2 seconds to perform the operation, and worth trying if you're curious and have the cans on-hand. It's completely reversible too - no damage is done to the cans in the process (the fabric on the earpads stays to protect the drivers and all, it doesn't change comfort either).

 

[talisman42]

Doh - heard some rattling in what I thought was the left driver every time I boosted the bass on a movie soundtrack (Batman). I thought it was defective for a moment, then I fussed a bit with the headband assembly. Then the rattling was gone.  Anyone else experience anything like this?

 

[obobskivich]

Doh - heard some rattling in what I thought was the left driver every time I boosted the bass on a movie soundtrack (Batman). I thought it was defective for a moment, then I fussed a bit with the headband assembly. Then the rattling was gone.  Anyone else experience anything like this?

Explain "fussed with the headband" a bit more. It may just be creaking from the elastic or the "gyro" thing (where the cup can adjust front/back).

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

quite a horrible idea to behold. They already suffer from problematic upper-mids and treble. This is why people add different cloth as additional dampening, removing the inner foam is making them more resonant and moves them closer to Grados (which is a bad thing)

Man, you're such a party pooper. If you hate the Q701 so much, why are you here? The upper mids are problematic because they're too forward for you and the Q701 has too much treble? This makes no sense. Did you even own the Q701? Maybe that's why. How do you know removing the foam makes them more resonant? Unless you have proof, you're just guessing.
 
I also experienced the extra clarity when removing the inner foam. Didn't keep it off much, but I should try it more. Adding the K601 foam actually makes them much more harsh and fatiguing and slightly less clear (somehow).
 
Luckily for me the only time the Q701's treble gets to be a bit bothersome is with my garbage tracks. When I want to not have that issue I can use my DJ100, 598 or HD-580.

 

[Zombie_X]

Yo Travis,
 
I disagree with his point about resonance, but the Q701 and K702 both have funky mids. The mids are recessed on both models to a degree, but the Q701 doesn't have the recession that badly. I don't have any issues with the treble of either of them though. I find the treble of both to be bright but not harsh or strident.
 
The foam in the K701 and K601 is of the same material. You can easily obtain it from AKG directly if you contact them. The K601, K701, K702, and Q701 have the same part number for the foam. Now you should try some foam from the K240 as it's different and does make the sound warmer. You might like it a lot.
 
Quote:

Man, you're such a party pooper. If you hate the Q701 so much, why are you here? The upper mids are problematic because they're too forward for you and the Q701 has too much treble? This makes no sense. Did you even own the Q701? Maybe that's why. How do you know removing the foam makes them more resonant? Unless you have proof, you're just guessing.
 
I also experienced the extra clarity when removing the inner foam. Didn't keep it off much, but I should try it more. Adding the K601 foam actually makes them much more harsh and fatiguing and slightly less clear (somehow).
 
Luckily for me the only time the Q701's treble gets to be a bit bothersome is with my garbage tracks. When I want to not have that issue I can use my DJ100, 598 or HD-580.

 

[talisman42]

Quote:

Doh - heard some rattling in what I thought was the left driver every time I boosted the bass on a movie soundtrack (Batman). I thought it was defective for a moment, then I fussed a bit with the headband assembly. Then the rattling was gone.  Anyone else experience anything like this?

Explain "fussed with the headband" a bit more. It may just be creaking from the elastic or the "gyro" thing (where the cup can adjust front/back).

 
I basically put a bit of tension on the elastic bands and let go and pat the plastic guides and played with the gyro thing - I believe we're describing the same thing.  . I'll try the same track again with the sub bass - nice to know I can replicate it.. but haven't been a problem earlier today. The ratting sounded more like t rapid tic tic tic tic.. Not sure if that's typical for a driver..
 
edit. well, I can definitely replicate it again and at this point do know what to do since there is a slight ratting sound coming from inside I don't want to do any thing drastic to forfeit my warranty, Should I send back to AKG? By the way, the song that reveals this rattling is Hans Zimmer - Dark Knight Rises - Underground Army at the .50 sec + into the track...

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Yo Travis,
 
I disagree with his point about resonance, but the Q701 and K702 both have funky mids. The mids are recessed on both models to a degree, but the Q701 doesn't have the recession that badly. I don't have any issues with the treble of either of them though. I find the treble of both to be bright but not harsh or strident.
 
The foam in the K701 and K601 is of the same material. You can easily obtain it from AKG directly if you contact them. The K601, K701, K702, and Q701 have the same part number for the foam. Now you should try some foam from the K240 as it's different and does make the sound warmer. You might like it a lot.
 

 
This is actually wrong. I know because I looked this up a long time ago and posted part numbers in this thread.
K701 and K601 have the same part #. They're softer, smoother and have more holes in them.
The K702 and Q701 have the same part #, different than the above. They're more sparkly and more scratchy.
Are they the same, but with different part #s? Possibly, but they look totally different. Here's more info:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/564427/k701-vs-k702-vs-q701-which-one-considering-recabling-among-other-things/15#post_7755190
 
The Q701 foam does make the Q701 sound a bit different than when using the K701 foam. You can verify this when playing anything with ear piercing treble. Q701 foam takes the edge off. Smooths it a bit. Less clear sounding, but not enough for me to care.
 
I most definitely did feel that the K702 had rather thin mids and almost recessed sounding (except for it's upper mids).
 
My Q701 definitely has no part of it's mid-range recessed. Vocals are not ever shoved back a tad like on my old K702. Actually, the Q701 doesn't have the up-front mids of my other headphones, but more accurate than the K702.
 
Here's the part #s I found from another thread:
 
K701/K601

2458Z5801

Q701
2458Z58010
 
Could be really just variations in foam and all the same. I doubt it though. You can easily hear the difference. Hard to believe I know. Just have to know what to look for or else it's harder.

 

[Zombie_X]

Yo,
 
I've always found that even though the Q701 has more midrange than either the K701 or K702, it's still recessed. At least on my gear it is. 
 
That's good to know the foam is different, but AKG must have changed that. I ordered foam from them before and they said they used the same foam in all of those models.
 
Quote:

 
This is actually wrong. I know because I looked this up a long time ago and posted part numbers in this thread.
K701 and K601 have the same part #. They're softer, smoother and have more holes in them.
The K702 and Q701 have the same part #, different than the above. They're more sparkly and more scratchy.
Are they the same, but with different part #s? Possibly, but they look totally different. Here's more info:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/564427/k701-vs-k702-vs-q701-which-one-considering-recabling-among-other-things/15#post_7755190
 
The Q701 foam does make the Q701 sound a bit different than when using the K701 foam. You can verify this when playing anything with ear piercing treble. Q701 foam takes the edge off. Smooths it a bit. Less clear sounding, but not enough for me to care.
 
I most definitely did feel that the K702 had rather thin mids and almost recessed sounding (except for it's upper mids).
 
My Q701 definitely has no part of it's mid-range recessed. Vocals are not ever shoved back a tad like on my old K702. Actually, the Q701 doesn't have the up-front mids of my other headphones, but more accurate than the K702.
 
Here's the part #s I found from another thread:
 
K701/K601

2458Z5801

Q701
2458Z58010
 
Could be really just variations in foam and all the same. I doubt it though. You can easily hear the difference. Hard to believe I know. Just have to know what to look for or else it's harder.