Decision time! (Sony MDR-F1 vs. AKG K701)

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by troymadison /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K501s have a bigger soundstage than the F1. I actually like the K501 more than the F1 personally.

But the F1 has better SQ right?
I would like the best mix of soundstage and SQ. I don't twant to sacrafice one for the other too much

 

[vdub]

Go with the K701's, the F1's sound "dry" as all sony's do.

 

[troymadison]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif But the F1 has better SQ right? I would like the best mix of soundstage and SQ. I don't twant to sacrafice one for the other too much

I would say that there is more clarity on the K501. Same with the K701 but in a plasticy/analytical way.

 

[troymadison]

I would rank them as:
K501 > F1 > K701

 

[chinesekiwi]

I would like an all-round headphone though and others have stated that for electronic genres, the AKG's arn't too good....

 

[troymadison]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would like an all-round headphone though and others have stated that for electronic genres, the AKG's arn't too good....

I don't mind the K501 for electronic music, but honestly it isn't my first pick for that genre.

 

[chinesekiwi]

So the F1's is a better all-round 'phone?

 

[Caribou679]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdub /img/forum/go_quote.gif Go with the K701's, the F1's sound "dry" as all sony's do.

Making such a comment is not constructive at all. Better to say nothing than non-substantiated remarks.

regards,

 

[troymadison]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif So the F1's is a better all-round 'phone?

I personally think so. Some may disagree with me and I could see why since they don't have a heck of a lot of bass. In fact, in terms of quantity, they are one of the most bass lite headphones I've tried. However, I love the bass quality on the K501.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by troymadison /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K501s have a bigger soundstage than the F1. I actually like the K501 more than the F1 personally.

How can that be?? One owner said his F1s have a bigger soundstage then his 701's? So the 501s have a bigger soundstage then the 701's? How are the 501's/F1s soundstage different?

 

[troymadison]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif How can that be?? One owner said his F1s have a bigger soundstage then his 701's? So the 501s have a bigger soundstage then the 701's? How are the 501's/F1s soundstage different?

Well, the K501 does something different with its sound presentation. I would say that the bass is inverted and the overall sound is distant which makes me interpret the soundstage as larger. The MDR-F1 is more forward and intimate. But by the nature of the F1's design, the soundstage is pretty big anyway. When a headphone is brighter, chances are that the soundstage would also increase. The F1 isn't generally a considered a bright headphone but the K501 might be. You could say that the K501 has an artificially huge soundstage due to these sound presentation tweaks while the F1 has a large natural soundstage due to its design. Generally, I like the F1 better for movies/games and the K501 for easy listening or classical music for when I do grab and listen to them.

 

[wae5]

Why would you want either one of these as your first phone? I have and like both but I listen to my DT880, K501 and SR325i much more. Both are very refined and have much to offer but listening to either one is like choosing to drive your MGB rather than your Mercedes to work every day.

 

[chinesekiwi]

After reading more on the F1's, argh, my quest of finding the best headphone for my needs continues...*sigh*

 

[chinesekiwi]

Although if a person wants a gaming headphone unamped, these are definitely a contender with the AD900's. Looking at the DT880's vs. AKG K701's atm. (I know both are sonically very different).

 

[StanleyB1]

The K701 gets a minus score from me when used for gaming. The few music I use it for is Jean Michael Jarre. When used for gaming the total lack of bass makes games like GTA etc sound like a normal day crossing a busy motorway, whilst heavy machine gun fire sounds more like pot shots from a .22. Explosions sound like cheap Chinese fire crackers.