[bowei006]

Im asking on the appreciation thread but here will work too. I nee a cheap approx $100 desktop amp to drive the Q701s. My E17 has just enough. O2 or E9 or something else?

 

[lejaz]

O2 is amazing value if your budget will stretch to $140 or so. But fwir, the E9 shouldn't be too far behind..

 

[bowei006]

If i dont want to dual amp with something other than the E9 than I need the L7 and more stuff so E9 is looking good. O2 i have heard is better though but it is also portably and it may not have as much power as E9 not that it should matter. Im going to go say the O2 prob doesnt have as much driving power of E9 but has more than enough for Q701. Anyone confirm this?

I would get E9 but the true sucessor and combo buddy with my E17 the E19 has a comming soon date later this year maybe.

So hard :/ so expensive too. I might just wait for E19 as their is only just not enough power full oldies songs.

 

[LizardKing1]

I can't find the correct measurements (there are at least 3 articles on the O2 on that blog, they are wildly confusing, and could use a general article with quick info like output voltage), but I'm amost sure the O2 has more power than the E9 and can drive the K/Q701 to painful levels on low gain.

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

I can't find the correct measurements (there are at least 3 articles on the O2 on that blog, they are wildly confusing, and could use a general article with quick info like output voltage), but I'm amost sure the O2 has more power than the E9 and can drive the K/Q701 to painful levels on low gain.

Yeah the website is also where my problem comes in and I have other stuff to do right now. 
I know you can have more power on the O2 if done right but it's just the idea of it you know. Portable O2 and E9..... however in the back of my head with no info on those two I still believe E9 is more powerful...not that it matters. A review on the E9 said that driving HD600 series Sennheisers got to very loud on 1/3...less of the volume knob..that's...a whole lot of power.
 

 

[lejaz]

Somehow I think you're confusing an amps output power with it's ability to produce the most accurate, and and true to the source, sound. There's no doubt that the O2 has more than sufficient power for the 70X....plus if you go by reviews, it will provide the most 'flat'/accurate sound you can get for an amp in that price range....and a lot higher. If you want to spend a bit less, go for the E9. 'Power' is a non issue with either of those amps and the 70X. You won't even need to use the high gain setting on the O2 with the Q70X....the low gain will give you more than enough 'power'. 
 
Quote:

Yeah the website is also where my problem comes in and I have other stuff to do right now. 
I know you can have more power on the O2 if done right but it's just the idea of it you know. Portable O2 and E9..... however in the back of my head with no info on those two I still believe E9 is more powerful...not that it matters. A review on the E9 said that driving HD600 series Sennheisers got to very loud on 1/3...less of the volume knob..that's...a whole lot of power.
 

 

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

Somehow I think you're confusing an amps output power with it's ability to produce the most accurate, and and true to the source, sound. There's no doubt that the O2 has more than sufficient power for the 70X....plus if you go by reviews, it will provide the most 'flat'/accurate sound you can get for an amp in that price range....and a lot higher. If you want to spend a bit less, go for the E9. 'Power' is a non issue with either of those amps and the 70X. 
 


 

I did mention that both the amps probably had enough power to drive both my headphone's..if not then I did on the appreciation thread as I asked in both places. My first question would of course be if the O2 has adequate amounts of power and it seems it does. Now I move on to a synergetic amp that will perform well with my new buys that is also priced well and not too expensive. The O2 seems to have the ...win here.
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Fiio E9 is really quite good for the Q701. Has no trouble driving it at all. It makes me sad that people are more likely these days to get a portable amp for the Q701 than the cheap Fiio E9 (or similar).
The thing about the E9 for me is that it definitely doesn't do anything to change the sound of your headphones. It's not very warm and won't suddenly make your Q701 sound as full sounding as the HD-600. Sure glad about that!
With every full sized headphone I've tried with it, it never messes with it's signature like some amps do. I think the Q701 deserves even more than the E9 though, but it gets the job done.
 
With the E9 you don't even need to go past 40% on High Gain with the Q701. I don't think i've ever had to go past 50% with any headphone. Sure, volume doesn't always mean much, but it still sounds good.
 
IMO a good computer DAC is just as important as the amp for the Q701.
 
BTW what's amusing is that my Micro Amp has 3 gain settings. Low, Medium and High. The low setting is more like Ultra Low and should only be for IEMs I think. The Q701 actually gets very loud if I max the volume on the low setting.
If I connect my DJ100 to the same gain setting it's TOO LOW and barely enough volume. On my Q701 and Micro Amp the volume stays at around 30% on high gain. Lately i've been using medium gain though.
 
You know what..it's weird using the DJ100 for 4 days straight and going back to the Q701. My Q701 was sounding very very bad yesterday and after an hour of messing with things I figured my ears were just fatigued or I had some bad allergies making everything sound harsh.
Ever had that issue? It's rare. Sometimes when your headphones don't sound good it also due to stress or being way too tired.
 
I might buy the E11 to try with the DJ100 again. Maybe it will actually be enough to make the Q701 sound good while using it around the house.

 

[bowei006]

Thanks for the reply. I am definatley looking at the E9 of course, but i may just wait for the E19 as a pairing buddy.

Do you dislike a fuller sound?

Ive had the same problems. Sometimes my headphones felt that way as well but it was due to stress and my ears being weird or wrong placement and what not.T

I have always wondered/worried but what about accidental volume boost? Like I accidently hit my hand on the E9s dial while listening? Thats a whole latta power in that second!

I got someone to say the O2 can output 70X more power than what the Q701s need. So ill be basing this off AKG's website of 200mW @64 ohms. So the O2 has up to 1.4W @64 ohms? Doesnt sound right.

 

[Ahzari]

Can anyone compare the Q701s to the Grado RS2i in general sound presentation (I'm considering both)
 
Also, in terms of soundstage; some of the best headphones I've heard to date closed or open have been my D7000s, for those who have heard or own both with the soundstage of the Q701 trump the D7k or will it be only slightly better?

 

[Kevin Brown]

^^^
 
I can try. 

  Remember, this is my opinion.
 
Personally, I do like the RS2i's more, but they are probably my favorite headphone out of everything that I've heard.  Very well balanced, and they don't do a lot of things wrong.  Keep in mind that I think most Grados with bowls are too bright, so I use comfies with them.
 
Grado has the "soundstage in your head" effect, which I don't mind at all.  The Q701's are probably more of a typical headphone soundstage where there is some distance between you and the music.  (More like speakers, IOW, but also more detached too IMO.)
 
The RS2i's do have more of a low end.  Maybe not as deep, but more apparent mid-bass.  I just got my 2nd pair of Q701's, and I am still struggling with whether I think they have enough low end or not.  But that's me.  (Still doing some initial burning in too.)
 
So in the end I think the Grado's are more immediately likeable, but check back with me in a few weeks about the Q701's to see if my opinion changes or not.
 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

i personally enjoy my K701 with my WA6-SE
 
i definitely find grado more enjoyable at first though.

 

[Ahzari]

Quote:

i personally enjoy my K701 with my WA6-SE
 
i definitely find grado more enjoyable at first though.

 
lol what does that mean.. at first? long term wear becomes fatiguing? I was actually wondering how you felt about the Grados / 701s with the WA6SE, does it warm it up enough to dissolve some of that treble harshness (I've read both cans have a tendency to be sibilant - to some, and tube amps may help). Thanks Dubstep Girl, your setup is actually pretty similar to mine.

 

[Ahzari]

 
Quote:

^^^
 
I can try. 

  Remember, this is my opinion.
 
Personally, I do like the RS2i's more, but they are probably my favorite headphone out of everything that I've heard.  Very well balanced, and they don't do a lot of things wrong.  Keep in mind that I think most Grados with bowls are too bright, so I use comfies with them.
 
Grado has the "soundstage in your head" effect, which I don't mind at all.  The Q701's are probably more of a typical headphone soundstage where there is some distance between you and the music.  (More like speakers, IOW, but also more detached too IMO.)
 
The RS2i's do have more of a low end.  Maybe not as deep, but more apparent mid-bass.  I just got my 2nd pair of Q701's, and I am still struggling with whether I think they have enough low end or not.  But that's me.  (Still doing some initial burning in too.)
 
So in the end I think the Grado's are more immediately likeable, but check back with me in a few weeks about the Q701's to see if my opinion changes or not.
 

Hey Kevin, I think I PM'ed you too thanks for the response on this thread though (I figure someone else out there may have the same question).. I was trying to stay away from headphones I would have to mod to get to the right sound. I'm wondering when you use the comfies do you cut the center out as well? Just based on comfort the comfies seem like the right route to go anyways. Thanks for the info, I have some thinking to do.. 

 
Did you ever try the G-cushions on the RS2i?
 

 

[Kevin Brown]

^^^
 
Just straight comfies.  Someone sometime let me borrow comfies that had the centers cut out, but I didn't like them, but I can't remember why.
 
Also had the big salad bowl G-cushions.  These are easily the most comfortable Grado pads out there, but they really sucked the life out of the midrange for me.  But there are a lot of people that like them with different Grado models.
 
In the end, I think all Grado owners should try each and every pad combination out there, because some of them really change the tonality, and it's like getting a completely different headphone for not much additional money.