[baka1969]

They need an amp. On a budget the Millett Starving Student Hybrid Tube amp is a decent choice. Under $150. Why waste their potential? If you decide you don't like them and you don't properly amp them then it's not the 701's fault. Do the right thing, get the amp. The 701 is NOT a budget headphone.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

They need an amp. On a budget the Millett Starving Student Hybrid Tube amp is a decent choice. Under $150. Why waste their potential? If you decide you don't like them and you don't properly amp them then it's not the 701's fault. Do the right thing, get the amp. The 701 is NOT a budget headphone.

 
Agreed! I would also recommend a hybrid or SS amp. I would stay away from tube amps with the K701/2s. I found this combo never really worked.
 

 

[Bilavideo]

Yeah, there is always a way to "improve" sound isn't there. But at the current moment, I am not in the financial position to improve it any further. I'll have to hear what it sounds like after burn in, and see if I'm satisfied with the results. I already really enjoy the sound "out of the box" which is quite surprising, as I've heard "out of the box" sound isn't very impressive.
 
Amps have always been kind of strange to me. They seem pretty debatable. I wouldn't doubt if they improved the SQ, but by what margins are we talking about? Some users claim the difference is subtle, and most ears wouldn't really pick up on too much difference. I have never tried one, so I can't really comment.

If you're happy with what you've got, there's no reason to feel pressured to "upgrade."  That upgraditis is a sickness that will devour your wallet.  Enjoy what you have for as long as you can.  There's always time to blow your hard-earned money on more equipment.  But if you're asking what difference a good amp makes, it can make quite a difference in terms of getting all that you paid for.  The K701 has more bass in it than you'll hear unamped or off a cheap amp.  If you want all the bass it has to offer, a decent amp may be worth the money.  
 
I had fun with my K701 right off an iPod, though I liked natural instrumentation better than electronica.  Where the music is already bright, a bass-lite can is going to feel about as out of place as Susan Boyle on a stripper pole.  With the right amping, the K701 has the balance to sound great with all kinds of music.  There are "better" cans, but you can't beat the value.

 

[Katun]

It was hard enough as it was to get headphones this expensive, so I'm not going to clutter up my mind with *more purchases* to improve the SQ of these, if you know what I mean. As for the time being, I have absolutely no plans in getting an amp that costs *as much* or more money. I'm sure it would improve the SQ, but I don't think it would enough to justify the price. Besides, who said an amp will improve the SQ, besides everyone who *thinks* it will?

 
Quote:

If you're happy with what you've got, there's no reason to feel pressured to "upgrade."  That upgraditis is a sickness that will devour your wallet.  Enjoy what you have for as long as you can. There's always time to blow your hard-earned money on more equipment.  But if you're asking what difference a good amp makes, it can make quite a difference in terms of getting all that you paid for. The K701 has more bass in it than you'll hear unamped or off a cheap amp.  If you want all the bass it has to offer, a decent amp may be worth the money.  
 
I had fun with my K701 right off an iPod, though I liked natural instrumentation better than electronica.  Where the music is already bright, a bass-lite can is going to feel about as out of place as Susan Boyle on a stripper pole.  With the right amping, the K701 has the balance to sound great with all kinds of music.  There are "better" cans, but you can't beat the value.

Thanks for that, I feel a bit more relieved.
 
I think I'll just enjoy them as they are, straight from my iAudio 7. Like some users in the link I gave last page stated, the iAudio 7 (D2 as well perhaps) has some kind of magic with the K701's. They tested, experimented, and compared with multiple amps, and said running straight from the Cowon was nearly the same. I'm not sure how that works, but I take it from people who know a lot more about this stuff that I do. If you (or anyone) is interested in what I'm talking about, you should give that thread a skim. It's fairly short (about 10 pages) so it wouldn't take you long if you decided to do so.

 

[Katun]

This is one of the most helpful things I read when purchasing the K701 for the iAudio 7 with no amp. This is a quote from JaZZ in the thread I posted last page:

"I thought I give double amplification a try and just tried the following combination: iAudio7 --> Corda Opera --> K 701. I'm puzzled about the result. Actually I didn't know what to expect. But I certainly didn't expect the i7 --> K 701 combo to downright outclass the i7 --> Opera --> K 701 combo. Yes, that's the clear verdict of my test. The amp, connected to the headphone out, offers not one single advantage compared to the direct connection; the K 701 on the i7's headphone out sounded clearer, fuller, rounder and cleaner. And actually very good."
 
Reading that gives me great confidence and great relief...

 

[baka1969]

I've had two 701s and a 702. I've had many amps and sources. I've listened to the 70x out of my iPod and computer. My experience says using a quality amp makes a large significant improvement. They don't come even close to their potential without it.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I've had two 701s and a 702. I've had many amps and sources. I've listened to the 70x out of my iPod and computer. My experience says using a quality amp makes a large significant improvement. They don't come even close to their potential without it.

 
^^^ Ross he said x2 for me.
 
They sound thin with no bass without amplification. You don't need to blow your budget for an amp. For about $150 you can get something that will reasonably drive them. These are not headphones that you buy at Bestbuy. They are serious audio gear and need proper amplification, source, etc...
 
Overtime they will scale nicely if you decide to build a system around them.
 

 

[debitsohn]

hmm k70x vs HF2... what to do! i already know Ross's vote.

 

[Katun]

Quote:

^^^ Ross he said x2 for me.
 
They sound thin with no bass without amplification. You don't need to blow your budget for an amp. For about $150 you can get something that will reasonably drive them. These are not headphones that you buy at Bestbuy. They are serious audio gear and need proper amplification, source, etc...
 
Overtime they will scale nicely if you decide to build a system around them.
 

I'll take as many recommendations as you can throw out! (I know, I know. Most of you will just say, "Save your money for a better one")
 
(I thought about the Total BitHead at one point, but I've heard it doesn't really do much for the sound, just volume)

 

[fallingreason]

Quote:

This is one of the most helpful things I read when purchasing the K701 for the iAudio 7 with no amp. This is a quote from JaZZ in the thread I posted last page:

"I thought I give double amplification a try and just tried the following combination: iAudio7 --> Corda Opera --> K 701. I'm puzzled about the result. Actually I didn't know what to expect. But I certainly didn't expect the i7 --> K 701 combo to downright outclass the i7 --> Opera --> K 701 combo. Yes, that's the clear verdict of my test. The amp, connected to the headphone out, offers not one single advantage compared to the direct connection; the K 701 on the i7's headphone out sounded clearer, fuller, rounder and cleaner. And actually very good."
 
Reading that gives me great confidence and great relief...

 
This is because dual amplification causes distortion in the signal.  There are a number of threads on this.
 
If you used i7 Line Out > Amp > K701 it would be remarkably better than the i7 > K701.
 
For kicks I just tried my K701 driven by my X-series, which has a pretty decent amp for a portable DAP.  The sound is nowhere near the Headroom micro stack.  I would say maybe it sounds better than the d1001's I had for the X a while ago, but the bass was definitely lacking much more.
 
The biggest difference I heard between the X and my amp is the bass, and soundstage.  It really is an entirely different sound.

 

[baka1969]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Katun  

" I'll take as many recommendations as you can throw out! (I know, I know. Most of you will just say, "Save your money for a better one")   (I thought about the Total BitHead at one point, but I' ve heard it doesn't really do much for the sound, just volume)"



A portable amp for the 70x will a best do very little, if anything. At the worst it will clip the amp and distort.


You have to understand that at the level of headphones like the K-70x, it's part of a system. None more or less important than the rest of the chain. You have to have high rez music, a good source, a good DAC, a quality amp to go with the AKG. One can't reasonably expect to get anywhere near the potential out of a headphone like the AKG K70x without an amp.

 

[Katun]

Quote:

You have to understand that at the level of headphones like the K-70x, it's part of a system. None more or less important than the rest of the chain. You have to have high rez music, a good source, a good DAC, a quality amp to go with the AKG. One can't reasonably expect to get anywhere near the potential out of a headphone like the AKG K70x without an amp.

 
Okay, I think I understand now. But does the setup require a DAC and and AMP? If I run it through: iAudio 7 > AMP > K701, is that sufficient, or do I need to through in a DAC somewhere? I thought DAC's where just for computer music.

 

[fishski13]

Quote:

 
Okay, I think I understand now. But does the setup require a DAC and and AMP? If I run it through: iAudio 7 > AMP > K701, is that sufficient, or do I need to through in a DAC somewhere? I thought DAC's where just for computer music.

if you have a line out of the the iAudio 7 that bypasses an amp/volume control, you can just run that into an amp.  if not, you can still set the volume on the DAP and run the output directly to an amp.  a dedicated amp will give you more voltage and current swing than the Cowon.  that being said, the Mini3 portable amp can drive the K70x no problem without clipping and sounds good too.  

 

[H22]

+1 for the mini3. While I dont have a set of K701's, I use a mini3 and can confirm that it is a little powerhouse that sounds verry good. I own both versions, the HP and long run time, I like the HP better. Killer little amp and very affordable.

 

[baka1969]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Katun  
"  Okay, I think I understand now. But does the setup require a DAC and and AMP? If I run it through: iAudio 7 > AMP > K701, is that sufficient, or do I need to through in a DAC somewhere? I thought DAC's where just for computer music."


I have to guess if you loaded your DAP with music you have a computer with music on it. If you're going to use a desktop amp, then portability isn't an issue. You'll get better results if you use the computer and an external DAC.


Yes you can use the DAP, but again you're at the mercy of the iAudio 7's internal DAC and poor headphone jack and using the internal amp. All of which will not give optimal results. Using the computer and an external DAC such as the uDac plus an amp like the Millett SS will give you a nice rig.


I know the AKG K-70x seems like a great idea when you pick it up for a great price. To me. It's the best headphone you can get for typical street prices. The issue isn't the headphone, it's understanding that the AKG is just one piece of a system.


The AKG isn't like a Grado SR-80(i) that can be plugged right into a DAP and get close to sounding it's best. The 70x is not like the D1001, M50 or 840. The AKG K70x is a high quality reference headphone. It needs what it needs.