[PointyFox]

Everyone here raves about the K70x + Heed CANAMP combo: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/235122/anyone-heard-heed-canamp-with-akg-k701-s .  If it's really as wonderful as everyone says it is, and my STX sounds nearly identical, then my STX must be wonderful.  I don't have the opportunity to try any more amps with them; and feel like I'll be spending $1000+ to hear any difference.
I seem to like the bass now, though I'm hating the bumps on the headband more and more.   I'm thinking about getting the Denon AH-D2000, but I'm not sure.

 

[rhythmdevils]

I would recommend getting the ATH-M50.  It is cheap enough to be affordable, and it is essentially a much better version of the Triport.  All the strengths of the triport, but better in all ways and cheaper. 
 
Then you'll have two very different sounds- the open, airy, bass light, detail of the K701 and the closed back, balanced sound of the M-50.  That will be an in-expensive way to try 2 very different sounds, and provide a great place to move forward if you need to.  To something that is a middle ground, like maybe an HD600.  Or something that is similar but different to the M50 like the D2000. 
 
I personally prefer the M50 to do the D2000, but even if you don't, you can't say one is better than the other technically speaking.  I think the M50 is more balanced and so more likely to be like-able.  and cheaper, so it's not as much of a risk. 
 
I also would recommend not testing your headphones with soundwaves and high volume.  I just don't see the point.  You don't need soundwaves to tell if something sounds good or not.  If you like the K701 bass, then it's good, if you don't, then it's not good.  If you think it needs more sub-bass, then it does.  It's as simple as that.  Music is the best test.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

 I even tried mach3bass eq boost from my cowon to the woo; the akgs THUMP. They dont rattle so there maybe a problem.

Funny thing is that, at least with the Cowon D2 / D2+, that the sub bass roll off kills off the sub bass off anything. 

 

[wind016]

Quote:

Funny thing is that, at least with the Cowon D2 / D2+, that the sub bass roll off kills off the sub bass off anything. 

mmm... icic... i guess the Cowon S9 is the same? 

 

[chinesekiwi]

Dunno but from what I've read, no. Personalyl think the Cowon's suffer from FOTM here but hey.

 

[wind016]

Quote:

Dunno but from what I've read, no. Personalyl think the Cowon's suffer from FOTM here but hey.

I don't think the S9 suffers in the low end. I'd say it suffers from the high. I did kind of fall victim to FOTM. I kind wished I had gone with the Samsung P3 but the S9 still sounds great.

 

[m1abrams]

Quote:

Everyone here raves about the K70x + Heed CANAMP combo: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/235122/anyone-heard-heed-canamp-with-akg-k701-s .  If it's really as wonderful as everyone says it is, and my STX sounds nearly identical, then my STX must be wonderful.  I don't have the opportunity to try any more amps with them; and feel like I'll be spending $1000+ to hear any difference.
I seem to like the bass now, though I'm hating the bumps on the headband more and more.   I'm thinking about getting the Denon AH-D2000, but I'm not sure.

I have no experience with the CANAMP so can not comment.  I recommend watching the Meets Forum for a meet near your area and go to that if possible.  Bring your headphones and try them on every amp you can, great way to get a chance to listen to different gear.  Please though understand I am not trying to diss your soundcard, I have read great reviews on that card and plan to get one myself actually.  But you must understand that while the card has a great amp it must work within some pretty tight operating parameters, such as low supply voltage, small space which means minimum room for heat displacement and component size for items such as caps etc.  
 
Now here is the big catch.  The sound difference between your soundcard and a good desktop amp is not going to be a NIGHT & Day difference that it seems like you would expect from hearing people on these boards.  Things seem to get a little blown out here a little.  Your soundcard gets you pretty damn close, what the amp will do is fill in the places your soundcard can not handle such as the low freq response (sorry this is the part of music that just need power to work).  This will make some people say it is a million times better but for the most part it is a subtle change that while important to some (me included) may not be that important to you.
 
I feel you on those bumps, worse freakin design ever.  I will say that I do not notice them like I did when I first got the headphones.  So either my head got softer or the bumps got softer, not really sure which one .  NOTE I am pretty sure your K702s are blown so you may want to try and return them.

 

[PointyFox]

Yeah, the difference between amps isn't worth upgrading to me.  I am making a Morgan-Jones style amp though. If I end up not liking it enough I can probably make back what I paid for parts by selling it

 

[PointyFox]

Would a headphone like the AH-D2000 be able to put out bass more easily than the K702, without making it louder in comparison to the mids?

 

[Eric_C]

Hello PointyFox, have been reading this thread with some interest, particularly the bit about low frequency noises being easy/difficult based on the mass of the driver? Correct me if I'm wrong (as I'm not an engineer or a scientist, or even a DIY-er), but I thought that in speaker systems, subwoofers are necessary to reproduce those low frequencies efficiently, and that subwoofers are more efficient in that regard due to their drivers being large in diameter?
So, all other things being equal, comparing 2 drivers with equal mass but different diameters, the one with a larger diameter should more efficiently reproduce low frequency sounds?

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

 
Funny thing is that, at least with the Cowon D2 / D2+, that the sub bass roll off kills off the sub bass off anything. 

The sub bass roll off is only if you run low impedance 'phones straight from the hp out.  It's because it runs out of current into the load.  It gets it all back if you run high Z 'phones or hook it to an amp.
 
Quote:

Would a headphone like the AH-D2000 be able to put out bass more easily than the K702, without making it louder in comparison to the mids?

The mids are a little recessed on the D2000s.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

The sub bass roll off is only if you run low impedance 'phones straight from the hp out.  It's because it runs out of current into the load.  It gets it all back if you run high Z 'phones or hook it to an amp.
 

Which is the majority of portable DAP owners. i.e. it's unacceptable. I'm guessing it's the wrong use of class amp that's the issue. Amps in portable devices should always be AB. Also any graphs to show was you've said?
 

 

[PointyFox]

Quote:

Hello PointyFox, have been reading this thread with some interest, particularly the bit about low frequency noises being easy/difficult based on the mass of the driver? Correct me if I'm wrong (as I'm not an engineer or a scientist, or even a DIY-er), but I thought that in speaker systems, subwoofers are necessary to reproduce those low frequencies efficiently, and that subwoofers are more efficient in that regard due to their drivers being large in diameter?
So, all other things being equal, comparing 2 drivers with equal mass but different diameters, the one with a larger diameter should more efficiently reproduce low frequency sounds?

Yes, the larger the diameter of a driver, the further the driver can move, and the more air it can move with it, producing more sound pressure making it sound deeper.  It also takes more power to do this, since it's pushing more air.  The larger driver with equal mass should be able to reproduce lower frequency sounds at higher efficiency.
 

 

[PWilson]

Quote:

Which is the majority of portable DAP owners. i.e. it's unacceptable. I'm guessing it's the wrong use of class amp that's the issue. Amps in portable devices should always be AB. Also any graphs to show was you've said?

What maverickronin said is true. The roll off only happens with low impedence phones, and is cured with an amp. It was first brought up 12-18 months ago, from memory (about when I was last active here. As usual, head-fi was prompting me to continue spending money I didn't want to spend >_<). There should still be graphs in other threads that'll pop up if you do a search, though the forums have changed since the threads I was reading on it. I can confirm it with RL testing.
 
Cowon may or may not be FOTM (but if so, they've been that for a long time. I've had mine for over 2 1/2 years now, I think, and they were FOTM then), but I must say I'm quite happy with mine. Expandable flash, good quality sound, power for decent full sized cans, the ability to play FLAC. Gapless would be nice though .

 

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Which is the majority of portable DAP owners. i.e. it's unacceptable. I'm guessing it's the wrong use of class amp that's the issue. Amps in portable devices should always be AB. Also any graphs to show was you've said?
 

I can't find it, but dfkt posted a graph showing the bass rolling off as impedance dipped under 48 ohms or so.  I think the D2 was actually designed for high Z phones, so it's a better voltage source than a current source.  That's hardly the typical use of a portable player though.  I usually use my bithead between my D2+ and SE530s anyway.
 
At the moment my HD650s are sounding surprisingly good straight out the D2+.  It doesn't have all the dynamics it should, and its just a tad harsh, but I'm not really hearing any tiny little opamps screaming for mercy.