[Acix]

 
Quote:

I just don't like how the AKG K70x's lack of sub-bass makes percussion sound plastic-y and makes vocals cover up the bass.

This is hilarious, looks like you prefer bass cover up the vocals.

 

[lejaz]

But, that's the way a lot of head-fi'ers like it!

 

[m1abrams]

Quote:

Sorry, was just looking at the ghetto oscilloscope pics.  Found the RMAA tests.  The STX has ~35dB less noise, ~20dB more dynamic range, and 3dB less total harmonic distortion.
 
STX datasheet: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_Essence_STX/e4253_Xonar_Essence_STX_Audio_Test_Report.pdf

 

 
Do you know the difference between testing the line out unloaded and testing a loaded amplifier?  As I already stated comparing specs and test results that do not have matching test parameters is pointless and no meaning can be had from the comparison.
 

 

[K.I. Unlimited]

Wake up your idea.
 
A soundcard can't amp many things properly. You'll need an external amp.
 
If you think your "powerful high quality soundcard" is made to be a powerful amplifier, you've a long way to go.
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Quote:

Yeah, people keep telling me my amp can't power the AKGs correctly, yet they've never used the amp or have any clue what it actualy is.  Same with the Triports. The only people bashing them are people who've never listened to them.  The thing about them is that they're NOT "audiophile" a.k.a. studio headphones.  They're not designed to reproduce music such that it's completely flat and all the flaws are shoved in your face.  They're designed for music enjoyment, not analysis.

Why not you actually go plug your silly hardware into an amplifier at one of those head-fi or audiophile meets before you complain some more.
Or better yet, plug your 'amp' into a pair of satellite speakers. 
 
If specs mattered all that much, then ER4P's wouldn't need amplification. Unfortunately, they do.
 
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[TheWuss]

the k702 has improved with every improvement i've made up the chain.
better dac?  they sound better.
better amp?  they sound better.
 
and i've still got a long way to go...
 
so it disappoints me to see people dismissing the 'phones without feeding them the right stuff first. 

 

[K.I. Unlimited]

We're talking to a know-it-all here, it can't be helped. Another victim of raw data that doesn't make any sense.

 

[khaos974]

Regardless of whether the amp in his soundcard is powerful enough, it should be able to produce a 20Hz without distortion and have a flat frequency response with a -1 dB tolerance at the maximum.
I tested the K701, it had no issues, even the output a my motherboard.

 

[PointyFox]

I think my K702s are actually defective.  I'm using a Heed CANAMP now btw.  I have to crank it up to a deafening volume to get it to produce 20Hz, but the left driver starts making a higher pitched plastic-y flapping noise.

 

[Seamless Sounds]

It's not defective. That's the K70x's sound signature. I wouldn't be surprised if a basshead called them defective. Unfortunately K702 does not meet your expectations. Not even the holy grails of all amps and sources will help it. Just sell them and move on.
 
If you read about the equal-loudness contour, you'll see that you have to increase the SPL in order to hear it, but this also increases the other frequencies proportionally as well, which results in deafening levels. If you want to hear that sub-bass, then you'll need subwoofers or headphones that are bass-biased to compensate for the human's lack of ability to hear those low frequencies. Blame evolution if you will, but it doesn't change the fact we can't hear frequencies that low assuming SPL is held equal.
 
In fact, open your music file in Audacity. Next apply a low-pass filter so it only plays 20hz and under so that you can crank it up all you want until you can hear it. note at these levels, SPL is very high! but it will be perceived as "comfortable" levels by the human auditory system. Do you understand?
 
There's a reason why the K70x were made to sound that way. They're used for monitoring in studios. They reveal everything (or most if not all), even flaws. Over-coloring these headphones will mask those flaws, which is not what an audio engineer wants. For my purposes I bought these because my hobby involves transcribing musical works as well as checking for any hiccups in a recording. It appears you didn't do your research before pulling the trigger on these.

 

[wind016]

I find the K701s horrid for monitoring, having done some in my university for my band and student associations.
 
I'm also an intense basshead, but I love my AKG K701s. I love their low end when amped properly. You can feel the physical vibrations of acoustic guitar strings when a guitarist strums. It's quite entrancing.

 

[PointyFox]

Yeah I know that, but is the odd flapping noise only in the left diaphragm normal?  What's odd is that between yesterday and today, the bass increased a lot on the K702s, it sounds a lot like the triports now, though it still has the same trouble playing below 30Hz as it did yesterday. I have no idea how it did that.

 

[wind016]

Please try a Woo Audio 6 SE with your AKGs...  I just got mine today and they just blew my mind.  Woo Audio 6 was kinda pathetic but the SE... It's got the low end impact of good hybrids but the massive sound stage of tubes.  Absolutely wonderful... smooth, detailed, incredibly spacious.  layers in music tracks are easily discerned

 

[PointyFox]

I think my amp is nearly as good as it will get.  I just did an A-B comparison of the Heed CANAMP vs. the Asus Xonar Essence STX using AKG K 702 and Bose Triport; and using the RCA out of the STX's DAC for the CANAMP.  Both are able to drive the K 702 easily, and both sound nearly identical.  There is a little more clarity in the STX, probably due to less noise, but there's a little more bass with the CANAMP.  It's really hard to tell the difference, so just go with the $180 STX instead of the $450 CANAMP.
I don't think I'll be spending $680 to see if I like the sound of tube distortion.
 
The K 702s somehow acquired more bass (maybe due to burn in?) and sound very close to my triports now.  The K 702s are a little more detailed and have a better soundstage, but I don't think the doubling in price is worth the benefit.  There also seems to be a problem with the left driver where it makes an odd flapping noise at low frequency, so I'll be returning it.  I'm still trying to decide if I should waste my time trying out another headphone.  I'm considering the DT990 or AH-D2000, but they don't seem like they'd be much better than the K702s overall.

 

[wind016]

Tube distortion gives a very bad connotation. Plus the Woo Audio 6 SE is not $680. It's $1050 and I added Sophia Princess Rectifier.
Expensive? Hell yea... But I am absolutely certain that this amp may be my end of my amplifier search journey that started years ago.
 
The sound is anything but distorted. It is very smooth, very detailed. Not forgiving.
 
This is my thread on it. You can see that I complained about AKG low end also. I will give more impressions later on.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/498370/new-woo-audio-6-w-pdps-vs-woo-audio-6-se/15

 

[maverickronin]

Well you probably broke the driver by driving your amp into clipping.  If you want a large soundstage with more bass (and treble as well) go with the 990s.  The D2000s also have plenty of bass (but its not as tight or accurate as the 990s) and just a little bit of top end sparkle, but not as much soundstage.  The Denons will do better from your soundcard if you don't keep the amp.