[loopfreak]

Probably you read that k701/2 are hard to drive , well k601 are even more harder to drive !
You should invest minimum twice as much in amp ! But they are great 'phones , except that they are akg and have unbelievable good mids by default they are pretty different than k702 in terms sound signature. They are detailed not as detailed as k702 which are stunning , still they reveal flaws in music with ease.

 

[Macdelaney]

I've been reading reviews about the AD900, and I even found one of the AD900 vs the K601, and I believe they might be up my alley, but the one thing that makes me doubt is that some have said that they may lack detail and that they soundstage may be a little small / "artificial". Another thing mentioned was that the AD900 are just a slight improvement from the AD700, is this true? and if so, would it still be a good idea to get these?

All in all I'm liking the AD900 as an option, and I have to admit the fact that I wouldn't need an amp with the AD900 is certainly a plus, since a nice one cost more than the headphones itself.

 

[MomijiTMO]

The AD900 improves on the AD700 on everything bar performance/price. As for the sound stage, well it is said to be rather big. Anyway, sound stage isn't everything

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[paulb09]

I wouldn't be too concerned with soundstage if you're not planning to use an amp / use a very cheap amp. I have found soundstage accuracy (in both size and placement) to be one of the largest improvements in amp upgrade with the K601, so I wouldn't expect there to be a huge difference between it and the Audio Technica models unamped from what I have read of the Audio Technica models (though I have not heard anyone compare them directly).

Back to the discussion about poor recordings, the K601 will quite easily show them up. Also bear in mind that the K601 doesn't exactly have the type of sound that will try and make boring recordings sound good.
Still, I personally do not let this put me off. If the music really has emotion, I find both recordings and equipment cannot stand in the way of this significantly. I know some may disagree, but with the amount of poorly recorded music these days you will be hard pushed to avoid all of it anyway. I would not let this bother you in your choice of headphone.

On comfort, the K601 is very good. My main gripe is the headband, that does cause a little pressure pain for me over long periods, but if I move it backwards of forwards slightly when this happens, the irritation clears. This usually occurs playing games anyway; for music I don't tend to wear the headphones for as long (it doesn't usually cause a problem over the length of a single album).