[i_don't_know]

Basically, I listen almost exclusively to acoustic guitar music such as Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour, and the John Butler Trio. Because of this, I like something with excellent mids and highs, And I hate sibilance.

Basically, I want something with a general sound signature that comes as close to the Phonak Audeo PFE (with gray filters and silicone tips) as possible. That is my absolute ideal sound. I would describe it as having deep, extended bass with no midbass hump, a wonderfully natural midrange, and incredibly clear, sparkly highs (especially considering their complete lack of annoying sibilance). I would say they're just about perfectly balanced, and I want something that sounds like that. But I also want speaker-like soundstage, and from reading, one of these two AKG cans seems like a dream come true.

So, please help me decide, as I don't really know much about the differences between these two cans.

My source is a Sony S639F, but I plan on getting a warm desktop amp for use with the AKGs. The reason I use portable sources for home use is because it's less of a hassle not having to boot up my sluggish computer, and I can stow them away after listening. If neither of the AKGs can sound good from a portable source even when connected to a decent desktop amp, please tell me.

P.S. - I would have searched, but I can't find the search bar with this new layout. I did do a Google search, however, and found several things that were both on and off Head-Fi. Even with all those search results, I still can't really imagine what either of them sounds like in comparison to the other.

And if I go for the K702, I know where to get it for about $260 new (and I'm sure plenty of you know exactly the place I'm talking about!

), so don't worry about the price. I just want the best headphone for me.

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_don't_know /img/forum/go_quote.gif The reason I use portable sources for home use is because it's less of a hassle not having to boot up my sluggish computer, and I can stow them away after listening. If neither of the AKGs can sound good from a portable source even when connected to a decent desktop amp, please tell me.

Many here can't enjoy their headphones from portable sources, but you'd do yourself a disservice not to decide if what's true for others is true for you. I enjoy my K701 from pretty much anything I plug it into. YMMV.

 

[JaZZ]

My K 701 sounds really very good driven by the iAudio7. This may be a rare case of good synergy, though -- generally I wouldn't recommend the use of the K 701 with PDPs, even less so the K 601 with its higher impedance and lower sensitivity.

I own the Audéo as well -- and indeed they have some common traits (smoothness, detail, clarity), but also some differences (the K 701 having more lower treble, the PFE more upper treble; BTW, increasing the Audéo's lower treble around 4.1 kHz by 2-3 dB is ideal to my ears). The K 701 is more energetic, impulsive and of course more spacious than the Audéo, whereas the bass may be a bit leaner -- depending on your individual Audéo bass (which is tip- and seal-dependent).
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[i_don't_know]

Is the K701 sibilant at all?

 

[Acix]

Here we go...http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/thr...s-k701-213146/

 

[ciphercomplete]

^^^That is just one guy's opinion. I have owned both the K701 and the K501 for sometime now and I reach for the K501 over the K701 9 times out of 10.

 

[i_don't_know]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here we go...http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/thr...s-k701-213146/

Thank you, that helped.

Five more questions for my fellow Head-Fi'ers and I think I'll be ready to start saving up.

1) Does the K702 have the same amount of sparkle in the highs as the PFE with silicone tips and gray filters?

2) Can the K702 easily extend all the way down to at least 20hz, or does it start to roll off above that point?

3) Are issues with bad recordings thrown at you like a ton of bricks in a way that makes the song unbearable to listen to, or are they presented in a semi-forgiving manner like the PFE?

4) Does the K702 have so much less bass than the PFE that it may not sound good to my ears, or is it only a half-step or so down?

5) Before burn-in, how do these sound compared to fully burned-in, and what kind of rough spots, if any, do they hit along the way?

EDIT: Also, "open" opinions (a.k.a. not answering the above questions, but comparing K601 and K701) are still more than welcome. The more help, the better.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_don't_know /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is the K701 sibilant at all?

Not mine. Not the slightest.
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[bias]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciphercomplete /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^^^That is just one guy's opinion. I have owned both the K701 and the K501 for sometime now and I reach for the K501 over the K701 9 times out of 10.

It's widely recognized that the k701 has a fundamentally flawed and colored tonal balance that is tilted towards the top end. It does not make for an enjoyable listening experience for leisure. However, it a good open-backed, critical listening phone for the studio because of it's very strident and titzy top end. The k501 has a much more cohesive tonal balance which is far more enjoyable day in and out. It's strength is it's magical, effortless midrange and airy, open top. Compares favorably with the best there is for unamplified music. Do yourself a favor and stick with the k501. Or k1000 if expense isn't a consideration.

 

[Miths]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here we go...http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/thr...s-k701-213146/

I just read that review (again

) and I really think I'm going to love the K601 I ordered last night.
I had actually considered if it was time to try a pair of headphones twice as expensive as my current Sennheiser HD595 (which the K701 are here in Denmark, while the K601 cost almost exactly the same as the HD595), but it really sounds like the K601 will be an overall much better choice for gaming and movies, which I usually spend more time on than listening to music.

 

[i_don't_know]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bias /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's widely recognized that the k701 has a fundamentally flawed and colored tonal balance that is tilted towards the top end. It does not make for an enjoyable listening experience for leisure. However, it a good open-backed, critical listening phone for the studio because of it's very strident and titzy top end. The k501 has a much more cohesive tonal balance which is far more enjoyable day in and out. It's strength is it's magical, effortless midrange and airy, open top. Compares favorably with the best there is for unamplified music. Do yourself a favor and stick with the k501. Or k1000 if expense isn't a consideration.

Unfortunately, I'm a newproductwhore. Used things just don't appeal to me for some strange reason.

And why do impressions of the K701/K702 differ so greatly? I understand that everyone has different ears, but the impressions all seem almost contradictory in this case.

By the way, I was thinking of eventually getting the AD2K WAY in the future (it's way too much to spend right now). Would they be a good choice for a "be all, end all" headphone for me? I don't want to enter HD800 territory.

 

[bias]

New products are only more new than older products. First and foremost we must remember these are just tools we use to have an experience. If you want to maximize your chance of having a deep and honest listening experience, free from sonic distractions then you should choose the right tool. K501s <3 acoustic guitars.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_don't_know /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1) Does the K702 have the same amount of sparkle in the highs as the PFE with silicone tips and gray filters?

It does have sparkle, though of a different kind.

Quote:

2) Can the K702 easily extend all the way down to at least 20hz, or does it start to roll off above that point?

It rolls off earlier, like virtually all open phones, but 30 Hz is still very audible.

.

Note that frequency response reaches from 10 Hz to 40 kHz

Some more FR graphs for comparison here.

Quote:

3) Are issues with bad recordings thrown at you like a ton of bricks in a way that makes the song unbearable to listen to, or are they presented in a semi-forgiving manner like the PFE?

The K 701 is definitely quite unforgiving. The good thing is that you can easily discern between instruments and noise or distortion, so the ears aren't strained to hear the actual instruments as they were meant to sound. To me it is usable also with bad recordings.

Quote:

4) Does the K702 have so much less bass than the PFE that it may not sound good to my ears, or is it only a half-step or so down?

Hard to tell. The K 701's bass is more articulate and impulsive (to my ears), that's why I perceive it as more pronounced, even a bit more forward.

Quote:

5) Before burn-in, how do these sound compared to fully burned-in, and what kind of rough spots, if any, do they hit along the way?

My pair has sounded shrill and cold. This characteristic disappeared completely after ~350 hours, among them 180 with loud, bass-heavy music. I also took care for earpad break-in -- earpad softening brings the drivers closer to the ears, making for stronger bass (I have accelerated this process by casual sqeezing and pressing the earpieces against the head).
.

 

[i_don't_know]

Does the K701 sound closer to an Ety than the PFE? I don't like the Ety sound.

If not the K601 or K701, which headphone in the <$300 price range do you think best matches the sound signature of the PFE with gray filters and silicone tips (though of course with a much wider and more natural soundstage, and possibly better overall sound quality)? It must be a headphone that is currently in circulation.

P.S. - I can't stand slow drivers after getting used to the balanced armature sound, so please keep that in mind when making a recommendation.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_don't_know /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does the K701 sound closer to an Ety than the PFE?

Yes, to my ears it's closer to the ER-4. But still different. And I do like my modded ER-4P.

Someone else has found the Audéo to be similar to the K 701, though.
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