[cel4145]

I've just pulled the trigger on the Q701's in black. They should be here tomorrow so we'll soon see.

That's fast

So do you think I'd have been better going for something like the HD650? I know that's a popular choice but I've never really enjoyed the Sennheiser sound. I did consider Beyer's DT880 in 600ohm guise but I don't think I'd get away with using the E18 as an interim amp. Hi-fi man's range may be good but I know little about them and sourcing them is not easy.

I'm on your side. I'm not that big a fan of Sennheiser sound. Never have been. It doesn't sound bad. Just doesn't excite me.

You could have gotten the DT880 Pro 250. That your amp should have handled fine. I found the DT880s to be more clinical/analytical than the Q701s and with a much smaller soundstage.

But no sense second guessing yourself. You have the Q701s on order. Demoing good headphones are fun, even if you don't end up keeping them. It's like trying a nice wine. You can enjoy the experience even if it's not the one you want to buy two cases of

 

[Solrighal]

They're such a bargain right now for some reason - and they're a classic design. It'll be good to have them as a comparator. As a bonus I also get half of Head-Fi to hate me. If I'd went for the green ones it might have been 90%.

 

[cel4145]

They're such a bargain right now for some reason - and they're a classic design. It'll be good to have them as a comparator. As a bonus I also get half of Head-Fi to hate me. If I'd went for the green ones it might have been 90%.

I think that neon green looks very cool. I just think I might get tired of it after a couple of years. Of course, makes 'em easy to find

 

[Byrnie]

I think you will be fine with any of the ones mentioned and you picked well too.  The DT880s can be overly bright if you don't pair them with a warm amp.  I just sold my DT880s and haven't looked back since.

 

[Solrighal]

Totally O/T here for a minute guys...

I'm reading up on the Q's in various threads - actually, not just about the Q's, others too through time - and surely it's just a wee bit illogical to criticize a hi-fi component for being TOO revealing of a poor source? I mean, isn't that what it's all about? To get the very best sound you can? I hear a lot of people these days (particularly youngsters) who simply don't appreciate the garbage in, garbage out ethos. I think it maybe stems from the car audio market and the bigger the sub the better the sound attitude. It's nonsense.

Sorry. Rant over.

 

[cel4145]

I'm reading up on the Q's in various threads - actually, not just about the Q's, others too through time - and surely it's just a wee bit illogical to criticize a hi-fi component for being TOO revealing of a poor source? I mean, isn't that what it's all about? To get the very best sound you can? I hear a lot of people these days (particularly youngsters) who simply don't appreciate the garbage in, garbage out ethos. I think it maybe stems from the car audio market and the bigger the sub the better the sound attitude. It's nonsense.

I agree.

Well, except there is some truth in the bigger the sub, the better the sound--only the people you are talking about aren't looking for SQ.

 

[Solrighal]

I'm guilty of going overboard with car gear but I'd never call it hi-fi. And 12" IS enough!

 

[cel4145]

I'm guilty of going overboard with car gear but I'd never call it hi-fi. And 12" IS enough!

Oh, I'm not talking about in a car. My car has an IDQ10 in a sealed enclosure. But definitely doesn't have the SQ of the dual 18" sealed subs in my living room

 

[congle]

I'm guilty of going overboard with car gear but I'd never call it hi-fi. And 12" IS enough!

Unless she's an adult film star....
 
Sorry I couldn't help myself!  If comfort is really important to you, I think the Beyers headphones are extremely comfortable.  If you're worried about bright trebles you can always pair it with a tube amp.

 

[Solrighal]

Aye, you're right about the Beyerdynamic. When I bought my Shure SRH840's a few years ago I considered going down that route but it was going to be a tad expensive and at the time I couldn't justify it. Anyway, the Shure's replaced my Sennheiser 595's and lifted me onto another level. I was happy.

When I bought the V-Moda's it was in an attempt to find a closed-back can that sounded good but didn't make me look like a **** when I'm out & about. I think I succeeded on that front and am happy with the results. The only down-side to them was that, as I now use a phone as my source (rather than my Cowon D2) it was eating valuable battery power. So, rather than go into a cul-de-sac with a new player source, I bought the Fiio E18 DAC/amp (which of course is self-powered) and I'm sticking with the phone as my software player.

The Q701? Pure indulgence. It's my birthday on Sunday and I've been off my work this last month with a slipped disk in my back which, ironically, means I don't really get to use the V-Moda's out in public.

Also, by buying the E18, this allowed me the luxury of buying headphones that really need amplification to shine. I know the Fiio isn't perhaps the ideal amp for the AKG's but I think of it as a gateway drug to the high-end world of private listening. Hell, it's preferable to real drugs.

Speaking of which, I gave up smoking last New Year (after 32 years) so the money saved is being put to good use.

There's some method in my madness.

 

[cel4145]

How are your new Q701s?

 

[Solrighal]

How are your new Q701s?

They're absolutely brilliant! At first I was amazed at the detail but then they seemed a bit thin. It's just such a different sound signature to the M-100's. However, when you actually listen to the bass the detail therein is beautiful. At home I only really use the Q's and now I consider them "normal".

I think I'd like a better amp though. I'm using the Fiio E18 and there's no problem with volume level but I think the sound could be smoother. Only today I tried the Q's connected to my Marantz PM6004 and they were far smoother and if anything produced more detail. Generally integrated stereo amps don't have the best headphone outputs. That's playing the same files but from my Mac mini via a cheap plastic £30 DAC.

I've thought about the JDS Labs C5D because I would prefer to stay portable as I listen in bed a lot. Trouble is I'm yet to find anyone who's used both the E18 & the C5D and ideally driving the Q's.

Sorry for the lack of brevity there. In short, the AKG Q701's are a real high-end product IMO and a bargain at the price they're commonly sold for these days

 

[davidsh]

Glad you like them!
 
So the marantz has a good headphone out? I'm kinda surprised.
 
Soon you'll be ready to get something proper, something hi-end 

 

[Solrighal]

Glad you like them!

So the marantz has a good headphone out? I'm kinda surprised.

Soon you'll be ready to get something proper, something hi-end 

"hi-end" is relative, my friend. I have sound quality from a portable I could only have dreamt of 10 years ago. I couldn't find any info on the headphone output of the Marantz at all.

Are you able to suggest the next step with these cans? I feel valves may be the way to go sonically but that's obviously not a portable option.

 

[davidsh]

 

Glad you like them!

So the marantz has a good headphone out? I'm kinda surprised.

Soon you'll be ready to get something proper, something hi-end 

"hi-end" is relative, my friend. I have sound quality from a portable I could only have dreamt of 10 years ago. I couldn't find any info on the headphone output of the Marantz at all.

Are you able to suggest the next step with these cans? I feel valves may be the way to go sonically but that's obviously not a portable option.

Yet, most people tend to agree on what's hi-fi, mid-fi, etc. In my opinion k701 is mid-fi, not that it matters much really.
 
Amping q701 is a little tough, as it's fairly insensitive and not high nor low impedance - making many tube amps not optimal, though some are still good with enough output... Many tube hybrids and solid states with decent power will probably do fine as well.