Amp recommendation for Akg q701
Jan 20, 2015 at 1:36 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 18
Heiku

Heiku

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Hi I'm new user here. I'm looking for an amp to drive my q701 but I'm quite clueless of amps and what would make the q701 sound great. I can spend max. 770 euros (890usd) for an amp. Musical Fidelity M1 HPA?
 
Jan 20, 2015 at 9:17 PM Post #2 of 18
Do you also need the DAC in the M1 HPA? If you already have a DAC or CDP I'd suggest you get the Meier Jazz or Classic instead. I have the Cantate and compared to the original M1 HPA on the Q701, K701, and HD600, the older Meier won hands down. The original M1 HPA lacked oomph on the low end; unless someone chimes in on how much better the new version is I wouldn't pay that much for it.
 
Jan 20, 2015 at 9:23 PM Post #3 of 18
Why not just outright replace your headphones with that kind of money? If youre looking for a good match, look no further than the matrix m-stage. But if you want the greatest sound quality improvement per money spent, you're better off spending your entire budget on a better headphone and worrying about an amp later.
 
Jan 20, 2015 at 9:47 PM Post #5 of 18
I'm pretty confident that something like the hifiman he560 plugged into a computer headphone jack would be better than an q701(or a similarly priced headphone up to $200) + $700 amp. They are just tier (or two) apart.
 
Imo a separate amp and dac is the last 10 or 20 percent towards getting to a headphone's full potential. The majority is the headphone itself
 
Jan 20, 2015 at 9:55 PM Post #6 of 18
Fine.  But you're concluding the OP doesn't like the Q701 in the first place.  Seems a bit inconsiderate to me.  Some people study and try out many models before settling on making a major purchase.  Once doing that, trying to maximize that investment is a logical next step.
 
Recommending a different headphone at that point is a bit like telling someone to give up and start moving in a different direction.
 
Jan 20, 2015 at 9:58 PM Post #7 of 18
tomb said:
  Fine.  But you're concluding the OP doesn't like the Q701 in the first place.  Seems a bit inconsiderate to me.  Some people study and try out many models before settling on making a major purchase.  Once doing that, trying to maximize that investment is a logical next step.
 
Recommending a different headphone at that point is a bit like telling someone to give up and start moving in a different direction.
Click to expand...

 
Well if you put it that way, then yes you're right.
 
But I always just assume that people buy gear for an improved listening experience. And I'm merely showing the most cost effective way.
 
Jan 20, 2015 at 10:10 PM Post #8 of 18
OK.   I maybe agree with you if it was a mid-tier or run-of-the-mill headphone.  However, regardless of current pricing (as in "low"), the K701 family is a world-class headphone with the proper equipment.
 
Jan 20, 2015 at 11:27 PM Post #9 of 18
protegemaniac said:
Do you also need the DAC in the M1 HPA? If you already have a DAC or CDP I'd suggest you get the Meier Jazz or Classic instead. I have the Cantate and compared to the original M1 HPA on the Q701, K701, and HD600, the older Meier won hands down. The original M1 HPA lacked oomph on the low end; unless someone chimes in on how much better the new version is I wouldn't pay that much for it.
Click to expand...


+1

Meier makes good amps, and they are a German company, so in the EU.
 
Jan 21, 2015 at 6:41 AM Post #11 of 18
protegemaniac said:
  Do you also need the DAC in the M1 HPA? If you already have a DAC or CDP I'd suggest you get the Meier Jazz or Classic instead. I have the Cantate and compared to the original M1 HPA on the Q701, K701, and HD600, the older Meier won hands down. The original M1 HPA lacked oomph on the low end; unless someone chimes in on how much better the new version is I wouldn't pay that much for it.
Click to expand...

I do not have dac. I'm considering buying the M1 HPA, meier is another option as long as I can find some
 
Jan 21, 2015 at 9:51 AM Post #12 of 18
heiku said:
  I do not have dac. I'm considering buying the M1 HPA, meier is another option as long as I can find some
Click to expand...

 
It's easy enough to order from Meier, just go to their website - they only have dealers in select areas like Australia, otherwise they sell direct. AFAIK, shipping and EU taxes included in the posted prices. As for the DAC, if you're using a computer, just get a Schiit Modi or any version of the ODAC. 

Just looked at Meier's site and they're on sale right now.
 
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