txa
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2005
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Hello fellow enthusiasts!
I've had my K701's for about a week now and I've waited to post just so I could clear my head and make some valid comparisons with the 880 and 650.
I haven't posted for a while but I had some extensive things to say about the 880, 650, and other phones in the past (HD595, K501, SA5000).
Out of all the phones I've been fortunate enough to own, the 2 remaining were the 650 and the 880, and I purchased the 701 with some expectations that it may be the best blend of each.
Let me recap my opinions of the 650 and 880 as well as my epectations for the 701 and how those expectations have been realized or not:
HD650 and DT880
- What I love about both of these phones is their soft delivery. They are both very articulate and revealing, yet very, very easy to listen to and non-fatiguing.
- As noted, the DT880 has a more prominent high-end, but it's out of the presence region and mostly accentuates the air and ambiance in the recording. With overly-bright recordings, it can be fatiguing at louder volumes, but it's much more a matter of the recording. Everything about the delivery of the 880 is soft, with a sense of air. At low volumes it's delicious, and it scales very well with good recordings.
- The 650 has a midrange to die for. Liquid, smooth, with 3D body and excellent integration with the rest of the spectrum. Much better midrange than the 880. Although it lacks the 880's air, it has good detail througout.
- The one drawback for me with the 650 has been it's abundance of bass. I guess it's both a pro and a con. With my 70's rock and some other, poorer recordings, the bass fullness has been a boon. With rhytymic jazz (lee ritenour, joyce cooling, rippingtons, etc.), the bass is TOO full. I much prefer the 880s here.
- Based on these observations, I've used the 880s mostly with my good recordings and the 650's with bass-light jazz and poorer recordings.
My expectation for the 701 was that it could marry these 2 phones into a best of all worlds. In some cases it did, in others, it has not.
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The 701 is a happy marriage frequency-wise. It is the most neutral phone I have heard. Frequency-wise, IMO, it seems very much like an HD595, but with MUCH better articulation and space-between the notes. If you liked the 595 but listen to 650 due to articulation, you will be pleased with the 701.
The 701 has the greatest sense of balance everywhere. The bass seems to be a marriage between the DT880 and SA5000. Tighter than the 880, yet not quite as tight and powerful as SA5000. For the record, although I thought the SA5000 lacking in frequency integration and transition, I find it's bass to be the best in the business.
701 mids are liquid and well presented. But they do lack the 3D body that 650 provides. Edge Sennheiser.
Highs are detailed with good sense of air. Best blend of 880 and 650. Edge 701.
Biggest 701 con: This is a sharper, harder-hitting phone than the 880 or 650. Not as sharp as the SA5000 in the highs, but perhaps sharper in the presence region, which, at least for me, has me wanting for 880 and 650 traits. I am wondering if break-in is going to help with this.
As it stands, I've voted the 701 as best phone under $500, as it would be the one phone I would own if I could only own 1. And if break-in helps with the hard-hitting aspect, it will be. If not, I will probably sell it, and continue to own both 880 and 650 for their respective strengths.
For those who have owned the 701 for hundreds of hours or more, please let me know if this is the case. I will give them their due.
Thanks for reading! Hope this helps....
I've had my K701's for about a week now and I've waited to post just so I could clear my head and make some valid comparisons with the 880 and 650.
I haven't posted for a while but I had some extensive things to say about the 880, 650, and other phones in the past (HD595, K501, SA5000).
Out of all the phones I've been fortunate enough to own, the 2 remaining were the 650 and the 880, and I purchased the 701 with some expectations that it may be the best blend of each.
Let me recap my opinions of the 650 and 880 as well as my epectations for the 701 and how those expectations have been realized or not:
HD650 and DT880
- What I love about both of these phones is their soft delivery. They are both very articulate and revealing, yet very, very easy to listen to and non-fatiguing.
- As noted, the DT880 has a more prominent high-end, but it's out of the presence region and mostly accentuates the air and ambiance in the recording. With overly-bright recordings, it can be fatiguing at louder volumes, but it's much more a matter of the recording. Everything about the delivery of the 880 is soft, with a sense of air. At low volumes it's delicious, and it scales very well with good recordings.
- The 650 has a midrange to die for. Liquid, smooth, with 3D body and excellent integration with the rest of the spectrum. Much better midrange than the 880. Although it lacks the 880's air, it has good detail througout.
- The one drawback for me with the 650 has been it's abundance of bass. I guess it's both a pro and a con. With my 70's rock and some other, poorer recordings, the bass fullness has been a boon. With rhytymic jazz (lee ritenour, joyce cooling, rippingtons, etc.), the bass is TOO full. I much prefer the 880s here.
- Based on these observations, I've used the 880s mostly with my good recordings and the 650's with bass-light jazz and poorer recordings.
My expectation for the 701 was that it could marry these 2 phones into a best of all worlds. In some cases it did, in others, it has not.
--------------------------------------
The 701 is a happy marriage frequency-wise. It is the most neutral phone I have heard. Frequency-wise, IMO, it seems very much like an HD595, but with MUCH better articulation and space-between the notes. If you liked the 595 but listen to 650 due to articulation, you will be pleased with the 701.
The 701 has the greatest sense of balance everywhere. The bass seems to be a marriage between the DT880 and SA5000. Tighter than the 880, yet not quite as tight and powerful as SA5000. For the record, although I thought the SA5000 lacking in frequency integration and transition, I find it's bass to be the best in the business.
701 mids are liquid and well presented. But they do lack the 3D body that 650 provides. Edge Sennheiser.
Highs are detailed with good sense of air. Best blend of 880 and 650. Edge 701.
Biggest 701 con: This is a sharper, harder-hitting phone than the 880 or 650. Not as sharp as the SA5000 in the highs, but perhaps sharper in the presence region, which, at least for me, has me wanting for 880 and 650 traits. I am wondering if break-in is going to help with this.
As it stands, I've voted the 701 as best phone under $500, as it would be the one phone I would own if I could only own 1. And if break-in helps with the hard-hitting aspect, it will be. If not, I will probably sell it, and continue to own both 880 and 650 for their respective strengths.
For those who have owned the 701 for hundreds of hours or more, please let me know if this is the case. I will give them their due.
Thanks for reading! Hope this helps....