[Draulius]

I think I've decided to go with the Q701. Instead of the ODAC+O2 combo I think I'll get the Magni 2 & Modi 2. Seems like the best combination for price. My only concern is the Magni 2 has 1.5 gain and the O2 has 1.0 gain. Would have preferred the 1.0 gain for a little less distortion and more room on the volume control.

 

[cel4145]

I think I've decided to go with the Q701. Instead of the ODAC+O2 combo I think I'll get the Magni 2 & Modi 2. Seems like the best combination for price. My only concern is the Magni 2 has 1.5 gain and the O2 has 1.0 gain. Would have preferred the 1.0 gain for a little less distortion and more room on the volume control.

I would agree. I used to own the ODAC+O2, but if the Modi 2/Magni 2 had been available, I would have gone with it for the price. I don't get the impression that either is better than the other. One is more transportable because of it's smaller size, but I would have traded that to get away from the cramped front interface of the ODAC+O2 front panel (wasn't a fan of that).

If you look at the measurements for the Magni 2, I can't imagine that the low gain offers any audible distortion (seems to measure very well). Given that the Q701s are not too easy to drive, I would bet you'd have plenty of control over the volume (but of course, that is a subjective thing).

 

[sheldaze]

Have you considered the Vali vs. the Magni?
 
I think it was the user tdockweiler who wrote a review about both the Magni and Vali, with specific reference to the Q701 headphones. I have not heard the Magni. Based on his review, I bought the Vali to go with my recent purchase of the Q701. I absolutely love the pairing.

 

[Woodhouse]

If you've already bought the Q701, I doubt you'll be disappointed. If you're still mulling it over, I have heard both and can offer some insights into their differences. I tested both before buying the DT880 250ohm, but for the first half of listening I leant towards the Q701.
 
The Q701 has superb instrument separation and a huge soundstage, although I think the Beyer's imaging is slightly better. Its detail retrieval was about on par with the Beyers, but because of the better instrument separation I found myself discovering more new details in songs vs the DT880. Bass response was definitely weaker than the Beyers, although I understand the original Magni had excellent synergy with the 701s and vastly improved their bass response (it may be worth looking into the Magni/Modi 2 vs the original Magni/Modi, as I have heard some people prefer the originals). 
 
I eventually chose the Beyers, however, because I found them generally more enjoyable with music, which may come as a surprise to some. While slightly smaller than the 701s, they still had a huge soundstage and imaging was better. I love how attacking they can be, when you let loose it's so easy to be caught up in a great song, while the 701s I found a touch analytical (some people may disagree with this assessment, just IMHO). I personally find the the 250ohm model works really well with the Aune T1, and can highly recommend that as a combo. The DT880s also beats the 701s (and just about everything else bar the HD800) for comfort, which is superb.
 
Either way, they are both brilliant headphones and I think you'll enjoy either. Just be careful with the 701 in particular, because with some amps it can be less pleasant to listen to. Just FYI, both headphones work really well with the Meier Audio Corda Rock, which is an excellent amp for the price. Good luck!

 

[PDC3]

For the sake of others who may be mulling this equipment, I'll +1 that my AKG Q701 has paired well with Schiit Vali (via Sherbourn Pre-Pro); Magni 2 (via Pure i20 DAC from iPhone/Airplay) and, when I want a change from the bright punchy sound of my Grado RS-1, with the Asgard 2 from Modi optical DAC from iMac hi-rez and lesser file formats.
 
Because these systems are in different rooms, I haven't specifically A-B'd with the Q701.  I have the impression that it scales upward nicely with the desktop Asgard setup, but so much else is different, couldn't assert how much, of any, of that scaling up is strictly the Q701. (But I'll assert it has to somewhat due to the Q701 because neither the NAD Viso HP50 nor the Senn Momentum On-ear give me any sense of scaling up when I change equipment set-ups with those cans.)
 
I want to thank earlier post for the graph overlay of Q701 and Beyer DT880.  I was pondering the 880, but couldn't quite tell from comments whether to expect enough of a difference.  Since the FR of other cans I'm considering as next buy are substantially different from either the Q701 or 880, I guess I'll keep saving for a planar magnetic instead of an apparently redundant DT-880.
 
As to comfort on the Q701, I posted a couple of pics on the relevant thread on the K & Q model headbands with unhappy "bumps" that many of us find overly stiff & encroaching.  A (cut down) velour w/ velcro overwrap intended for auto seat belts works wonders for my baldy bean.  (And Quincy Jones himself is bald so you'd think the bumps would annoy him and whatever is THAT about?)

 

[Shaffer]

I own K7XX, K702 w/bass mod, along with the DT880 and AD900x. The K7XX sounds closer, very close actually, to HD650 than to Q701. Its tonal balance is not similar to Q701 and K701/2. K7XX doesn't have as much bass as the modified K702 nor does it go as deep. It sounds laid back and somewhat mellow, relatively speaking, and throws a much less encompassing soundfield than the previously mentioned models in the series. I would think this would be an important consideration for gaming.

If you like a bright, forward, grainy sound with little body, detail, and articulation by all means go for the O2. Add the Q701 and you'll have, arguably, one of the worst system matches possible. A Matirx M-Stage with its DAC option from the classifieds makes for a significantly more balanced presentation and will likely cost you less. You've already dismissed the 900x, by the sounds of it, so I won't discuss it. The DT880/600, which is the one I have, is more musically oriented. You do get a very encompassing soundfield, but the sense of its scope requires concentration. I assume you're concentrating more on the visuals while gaming, and some of the DT880's best qualities may not be immediately apparent in your situation. Good luck.

Edit:

 (And Quincy Jones himself is bald so you'd think the bumps would annoy himand whatever is THAT about?)

One can literally count the hairs on top of my head. The bumps on the headband don't bother me at all. Mr. Jones may feel the same way. That is, if he actually cares about the headphones and not the royalty checks.