[mmq2404]

Amazing cans. The detail retrieval is so good and so much better than Beyerdynamic DT770 or Autio Technica ATH-50 (although I love both of those cans). You can definitely hear stuff buried deeper in the mix better with these cans (like toms in some recordings). They lack highs a bit, although I would not call them dark, and you can clearly hear it on tracks like Deftones' Digital Bath (around 1 sec, when heavy guitars kick in, the hi-hats disappear in the wall of guitars, while it is clearly heard on other reference headphones), same with other congested mixes. This and the relatively narrow soundstage for an open headphone are about the only downsides of these headphone to my ears. I found one little trick that helps with my pair in regards to highs: when I swap left and right cables (put left channel cable into the right can and vice versa), turn over the cans (put the left can on my right ear and the right one on my left ear), I get more highs, while everything else stays the same. Probably to do with the shape of headphones and how they sit on my head. Might not work in every instance, but try it out, it might do the trick!

The soundstage is the strongest weakness of these cans.
Regarding the the highs, as I tried many DAC/Amp combo, the R70x may not need very much power to drive but they quite picky in DAC/Amp pairing, some would be very bright, even harsh sounding, some would be dark and mellow sound.
Compared to other reference cans I think the R70x's highs are lack in quality rather than quantity, they do lack in highs a bit but this is heavily depends on what DAC or Amp you are using .
I love my R70x very much because my hearing is very sensitive to upper frequencies, especially 8KHz~15KHz, I can hear the sound in those frequencies very clearly, such as CRT TV sound

 

[generick]

Great cans, I've been using this very much over the last 2 months, while it doesn't touch the technical ability of my higher end cans, it has the advantage of being incredibly light and a FR that is almost exactly neutral for me without messing with eq like I do with the HD 800. Should be in the discussion along with the dt880, q701 and hd600/650 as best among mid fi.

 

[llysender]

I've had this set for about 4 months now and I'm in love with it.

Initially I was looking for HD600 alternatives due to it being outside of my budget and used copys weren't very much lower. Then I stumbled onto this thread which had nothing but parse for the r70x and decided to buy it after a month of trying. I must say they really feel like a upgrade to the AD500x were everything is so clean and defined.

Also I have a question, Ive be trying a few high power amps(ifi micro black label,fiio K5,JDS atom) for awhile now and besides a very slight increase in bass and trebble presence it sounds identical to the fiio K3. Is it that the r70x doesn't need alot of voltage to drive properly?

 

[generick]

I've had this set for about 4 months now and I'm in love with it.

Initially I was looking for HD600 alternatives due to it being outside of my budget and used copys weren't very much lower. Then I stumbled onto this thread which had nothing but parse for the r70x and decided to buy it after a month of trying. I must say they really feel like a upgrade to the AD500x were everything is so clean and defined.

Also I have a question, Ive be trying a few high power amps(ifi micro black label,fiio K5,JDS atom) for awhile now and besides a very slight increase in bass and trebble presence it sounds identical to the fiio K3. Is it that the r70x doesn't need alot of voltage to drive properly?

It doesn't need that much, but I'm sure there are people here who will froth at the mouth and draw out knives if you don't pair everything with something less than 3w a channel with higher that 0.0005% distortion numbers. Its designed for professional use and mixing consoles aren't exactly beasts in terms of headphone output.

 

[llysender]

It doesn't need that much, but I'm sure there are people here who will froth at the mouth and draw out knives if you don't pair everything with something less than 3w a channel with higher that 0.0005% distortion numbers. Its designed for professional use and mixing consoles aren't exactly beasts in terms of headphone output.

Thanks I thought I was going crazy when I didn't hear any significant change.

 

[generick]

Thanks I thought I was going crazy when I didn't hear any significant change.

Solid state I didn't hear that much of a difference, except with perhaps high end gear, however, if you do want to get a different experience tube amps can do that.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

The soundstage is the strongest weakness of these cans.
Regarding the the highs, as I tried many DAC/Amp combo, the R70x may not need very much power to drive but they quite picky in DAC/Amp pairing, some would be very bright, even harsh sounding, some would be dark and mellow sound.
Compared to other reference cans I think the R70x's highs are lack in quality rather than quantity, they do lack in highs a bit but this is heavily depends on what DAC or Amp you are using .
I love my R70x very much because my hearing is very sensitive to upper frequencies, especially 8KHz~15KHz, I can hear the sound in those frequencies very clearly, such as CRT TV sound

Spot on. I tried to used the R70x go get my friend into the game. “Ok so these are studio headphones with much higher impedance than crap gaming ones so you need dedicated amp”, I told him. He plugged it into his Macbook. It got loud.

 

[Hooster]

Still loving my R70x cans, more than I have enjoyed others in the same price range. I have changed the pads to these https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/accessories/hpaec1540 and I am liking them very much.

 

[cursive]

Still loving my R70x cans, more than I have enjoyed others in the same price range. I have changed the pads to these https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/accessories/hpaec1540 and I am liking them very much.

I love the sure ear pad, but I wonder if there’s any fitment issues putting them on a round driver like the r70x. Did you have to stretch them or anything beforehand?

 

[Hooster]

I love the sure ear pad, but I wonder if there’s any fitment issues putting them on a round driver like the r70x. Did you have to stretch them or anything beforehand?

Not at all, just be patient, take your time, work your fingers inside the pad's ear cup pushing out and it will fit nicely with no stretching needed.

 

[maggiesbrother]

Question on amplification - i see some folks have used the Valhalla with success and other reviews say these are better paired with a beefy solid-state, has anyone done an A/B comparison of OTL v Solid State (assuming both have enough power for them)? I'm specifically thinking of Valhalla 2 v Burson Soloist, but curious on other impressions too

 

[zazex]

Ok,
How would you rank R70x among K712 Pro, K702, SRH1840, HD650, HD700?
They're all in 400 dollars price range (HD700 is 400 dollars as used on Ebay).

This caught my attention while I was cruising along to another post -

I like the R70x over the AKG 712
it seems more neutral and more natural
I think it does better handling dynamics
comfort maybe goes to the 712, but the difference
is small anyway.

I think the 702 is a great deal with recent pricing, but again
I feel that it's outdone by the R70x. Distinctly better definition,
bass is deeper and more clearly defined. Superior build quality
too.

For some reason it appears that many do not know or realize,
whatever, that the R70x is Made in Japan. Anyone buying
finished products of almost any type know that Japan produces
some of the best. or very best. Optics, cars, cutlery, audio disc
pressings - a whole wide variety of stuff!

Not saying here of course that Japanese mfg will guarantee a better
sounding product - but most probably one that will last a long time
and come from the factory actually and fully "to spec".

With regard to the 650, I favor the R70X once again. It's clearer,
livelier, faster, with a better ability to handle dynamics. Also, again,
lighter and more comfortable overall,

The Shure 1840 has been one of my favorites for a long time,
maybe 4 years. (I also have the closed back 1540). I find it
tough to choose between it and the Rf70x. But, with push
coming to shove, I'd opt for the 1840's. Not quite as well made
as the R70x, but somehow fit better (at least on my head - normal
hat size and all that). Shures have a larger soundstage, the sound
is more enveloping overall. Shures are very easy to drive, and produce
a weirdly "natural" sound palette regardless of the type of music.
They can do violins, bells, castanets, steel drums...as well as the
"ripping" guitar sound on albums like "Fun House", Never Mind the
Bollocks, Hendrix - you know, "noise". They handle that stuff
really really well - maybe a testament to all the studio mikes and
otherwise they've made for so long, and so well.

So, yeah - the 1840 over the R70x. By a short nose.
(And BTW, the 1840 fortunately lack the gratuitous mid-bass
bump heard in the 1540.

Finally, (breathe), I've never heard those 700's.
And now they're OOP, as I understand.

So these are my opinions, of course.

Regards,

 

[eimis]

i re-bought the r70x after my previous pair developed some weird channel imbalance problem. apparently this doesn't bother everyone; the guy who bought it from me finds it fine.

I hear so much more through the r70x and it sounds faster to me than hd650, it doesn't congest sounds into a blob like the hd650 kinda does. and doesn't choke on music at all, it doesn't get overwhelmed. but, the hd650 holds its own, its character is just something.

r70x =

 

[eimis]

Amazing cans. The detail retrieval is so good and so much better than Beyerdynamic DT770 or Autio Technica ATH-50 (although I love both of those cans). You can definitely hear stuff buried deeper in the mix better with these cans (like toms in some recordings). They lack highs a bit, although I would not call them dark, and you can clearly hear it on tracks like Deftones' Digital Bath (around 1 sec, when heavy guitars kick in, the hi-hats disappear in the wall of guitars, while it is clearly heard on other reference headphones), same with other congested mixes. This and the relatively narrow soundstage for an open headphone are about the only downsides of these headphone to my ears. I found one little trick that helps with my pair in regards to highs: when I swap left and right cables (put left channel cable into the right can and vice versa), turn over the cans (put the left can on my right ear and the right one on my left ear), I get more highs, while everything else stays the same. Probably to do with the shape of headphones and how they sit on my head. Might not work in every instance, but try it out, it might do the trick!

Surprise! That doesn't swap channels on this headphone. In fact, channels aren't even labelled on the cable.

 

[rayjuodas]

You are right, Eimis, and I realized this since then