[gbx2006]

I just purchased a pair of k701 headphones, and while I absolutely love the sound of them, they distort as soon as I turn the volume up to a normal listening level.

I thought perhaps it was just a problem with this pair of headphones, but now I see after the purchase that this is a problem with quite a few people on this forum.

Has anyone had a chance to compare HD650's to K701's and did you notice that the HD650's had any distortion like the K701's do?

Also, I am running a PS Audio DLIII DAC connected to a RSA Raptor. I have tried 3 other pairs of headphones that I own, (DX1000, Edition 9, D5000) and there is no distortion that I can detect at a normal listening volume level with any of these headphones, so I do not believe it could be coming from my source or amp.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

[EnOYiN]

I don't think distortion is something any headphone is supposed to do at normal listening levels. Hence I don't think AKG intended to make it distort just for the fun of it.

I'm not really sure what level of distortion you are talking about here, but if it's as horrible as what my Boss distortion guitar pedal is capable of then I can safely tell you that my HD650 doesn't sound like that.

 

[gbx2006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnOYiN /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think distortion is something any headphone is supposed to do at normal listening levels. Hence I don't think AKG intended to make it distort just for the fun of it. I'm not really sure what level of distortion you are talking about here, but if it's as horrible as what my Boss distortion guitar pedal is capable of then I can safely tell you that my HD650 doesn't sound like that.

It kind of reminds me of listening to a 10" subwoofer that was removed from its speaker box. At a low volume the speaker would sound fine, but as soon as you turned up the volume, the speaker would distort since it is not sealed in it's speaker box. I almost get the feeling that if I was able to seal up this pair of k701 headphones, the distortion would go away.

Does this make since?

 

[EtherealApril]

K701s are inefficient cans with relatively low impedance and thus require fairly large current swings to sound their best. I don't have any experience with the amp but I think the distortion may be occurring because the K701s aren't cooperating with your Raptor. The Raptor has an OTL design, which is said to be better suited to high impedance cans. You could try some different tubes in the amp, which may solve your problem.

Because of their higher impedance, the HD-650s should work well with the Raptor.

 

[cotdt]

all the headphones i've heard distort at high volumes, especially in the low end. k701's distort earlier than most other headphones though.

 

[EnOYiN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cotdt /img/forum/go_quote.gif all the headphones i've heard distort at high volumes, especially in the low end. k701's distort earlier than most other headphones though.

In case of the HD650 you are talking about volumes which will make you deaf in about 2 hours. (just guessing - never really tried) I can turn my amp up to the max without any noticeable distortion and I wouldn't want to listen to it for a very long time.

K701s shouldn't be distorting at normal volumes though? Should they?

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnOYiN /img/forum/go_quote.gif K701s shouldn't be distorting at normal volumes though? Should they?

Definitely not. I've had the K701 play and extraordinarily loud levels (basically as speakers

), and they don't distort. It's either the amp/tubes not being able to handle the power - unlikely, or something wrong with the headphones themselves (eg loose driver) - more likely. I'm not very tech-savy as far as my understanding of amp designs go, but it would seem unlikely that the Raptor cannot provide enough voltage or current to drive the K701. It could be a bad tube, but you would probably hear problems with your other headphones. Have you been able to replicate the problem with another source/amp?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Are you sure your amp isn't clipping? I just cranked up the K-701 (off head) to an unlistenable level and didn't hear any bass distortion. The K-701 is a fairly difficult load to push, anyhow. 62 ohms and requires a bit more voltage than most.

 

[cotdt]

Give it about +6dB of bass boost and any headphone will distort at normal listening volumes.

 

[b0dhi]

The K701 are a lot like a subwoofer outside of its enclosure. They have a very open design, and rely moreso on diaphragm displacement than enclosure resonance to generate bass, unlike many other headphones. If you're using an EQ to apply bass boost by ear until you get satisfying bass, you could easily cause it to reach its maximum excursion (i.e., distort). If you aren't EQing them, you probably have a faulty headphone, or you might have damaged the drivers in the past.

 

[EnOYiN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cotdt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Give it about +6dB of bass boost and any headphone will distort at normal listening volumes.

Unless I was trying to improve sales I don't think I would ever do that really...

 

[MatthewK]

I owned the K701 for a short time and found it to EASILY distort boosted bass, much more so than the D2000 or HD650. However, there wasn't an issue if I didn't boost the bass, but then it sounded very plasticy and cold.

 

[olblueyez]

To answer the OP's question, the 701 does not mate well with the Raptor and you should ditch the 701 and get the 650, you will be amazed, I promise you.

 

[ph0rk]

Amplification is likely the problem. Feed them with a solid state amp with some grunt and they will not distort - Mine don't, and I have HD650's to compare them to directly.

 

[djay1948]

I agree. I can put a 30hz tone at a fairly high volume through my 701's with absolutely no distortion, using my solid state (NAD) amplifier.