[revolink24]

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OK, I am at a loss.    I am still pretty new here.  I started up the Grado ladder, auditioning the SR60i and SR80i at a dealer.  Bought the 80's.  Had them for a week and loved them, moved up to the SR125i's.  Had those for a year.  Love them.  Moved up to the SR225i's a few weeks ago.  Love them. 
 
I use the 225's with the comfies.  I don't like the comfort or brightness of the bowls.  In spite of washing them and yes, wearing them correctly more forward on my  ears, still don't like the bowls.  I have G-cushions and the flats from TTVJ on the way right now though.  But I *really* like what I hear with the 225's and the comfies.
 
Tried the SR325is's.  Too bright IMO even with comfies.  Trying the Alessandro MS2i's right now.  I kinda like these.  (Also with comfies.)  Still haven't decided between these and the 225i's for the long term.  The MS2i's are a bit mellower than the SR325is's.  (And I am looking for HF2's too ...)
 
 
OK, so I read a lot here, and I figure to "branch out" a bit, I need to try some AKGs and Beyers just as a check on the competition for the Grados that I have tried.
 
 
I just got a used pair of K701's, so burn in isn't an issue, listened to them last night, and I'm thinking, woah, and people think Grado's are bright?  I really don't like these.  Grado has better bass (more punch, and more impact), and the K701's are just too bright IMO.  There seems to me to be a kind of tilt to the freq spectrum.  Not enough bass, pretty fine mids, and then too much treble.  I think, more treble than with Grado.  
 
I also have K601's, and while they aren't as bright as the 701's, so I like them in that regard, their treble is kind of mushy and indistinct, and could use a bit more detail and resolution IMO.
 
I still have the K501's on my radar, and I have a set of K240DFs here that I can't properly drive yet.  (And I have the 240 Mk II's in the back of my mind too.)
 
So I'm really surprised I didn't like the K701's.  I love the comfort, and build quality, but their sound quality just doesn't do it for me.  Am I missing something here?

See my sig. 
 
hehehehe.....
 
Call me crazy, but Grados sound MUCH more natural than 701s to me.

 

[Kevin Brown]

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Call me crazy, but Grados sound MUCH more natural than 701s to me.

 
I ordered HF2's 10 days ago, but I have no idea what the queue is like.

 

[Deep Funk]

The K240 DF could be a nice addition. It is very very neutral and brightness is not very apparent in my opinion. For those who call it bass light, bass is not emphasized therefore it can sound bass light. The DF presents the music in a very very neutral way. 
 
I use the DF for the first listens with new albums. 

 

[Kevin Brown]

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The K240 DF could be a nice addition. It is very very neutral and brightness is not very apparent in my opinion. For those who call it bass light, bass is not emphasized therefore it can sound bass light. The DF presents the music in a very very neutral way. 
 
I use the DF for the first listens with new albums. 

Bingo.    I have been concentrating on the 601/701 to Grado comparison.  Next up is the 240DF's and Beyer 880/250's.
 
Takes time to do proper comparisons !!

 

[Deep Funk]

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Takes time to do proper comparisons !!

How right you are. I use mine powered by my CD-player, I hardly listen to my ripped music anymore. Good luck with your quest...
 

 

[Kevin Brown]

Wholely crap. 

  I am comparing the K240DFs with the DT880/250's to the 125i's that I have here at home.
 
I think ... I think ... I think the DFs completely blow the 601's and 701's away !!  Here goes my description of the DF's compared to those two:
 
The DF's have a similar *level* of high freq content as the 601's (which I preferred over the 701's), but the DF's have the detail and resolution of those highs that the 701's have (which I liked) that the 601's don't.
 
I think the DF's could use a hair more bass, but maybe that's because Grado has that boosted slightly and that's what I'm used too.
 
Still figuring out the DT880/250's.  Quick impressions is that they have a hair too much bass IMO, and it's not quite as punchy and impactful as Grado bass, but I like the mids, and the highs sound good too.  But the highs sound boosted slightly.  But overall, the slightly boosted highs work well with the boosted lows.  I need to post this is a Beyer thread and see if there's a pair of Beyer's a little bit more accurate and neutral than these.  [Or, I can just change the title and get some Beyer expert opinions here.]
 
Interesting comparisons !!  (Now I wonder about the K501's, *and* the Sextetts as well, and why the heck AKG quit making the DFs ...)

 

[Kevin Brown]

So I have been listening more to the 880/250's.  I have to admit, they are growing on me.
 
The AKGs are gone, but I'm keeping these for now. 

 

[rocknrolldoctor]

I have K-702s and those on my system where to bright but I use my PC as a source and Foobar has a EQ and I lowered the highs about -5db's to lows set at 0 db's on a straight slope and they now sound awesome and I love them more than my HD600s

 

[Kevin Brown]

Ahhh, I don't want to have to EQ headphones though.  I don't feel the need with the Beyers, for example.

 

[drez]

yeah you need a mega powerful amp for the k701, but the sound signature doesn't really warm up any unless you go to a tube amp apparently.  

For reference I used a Burson headphone amp (SS) which had plenty of juice, but seemed to only really "refine" the k701, not transform them!
 
I ended up selling the 701's, as they were just too dry and unforgiving.  It's like going out with a historian - interesting, but not fun...

 

[p a t r i c k]

Quote:

yeah you need a mega powerful amp for the k701, but the sound signature doesn't really warm up any unless you go to a tube amp apparently.  

For reference I used a Burson headphone amp (SS) which had plenty of juice, but seemed to only really "refine" the k701, not transform them!
 
I ended up selling the 701's, as they were just too dry and unforgiving.  It's like going out with a historian - interesting, but not fun...

I've had my K702s for a couple of weeks now.
 
I try not to comment on hi fi things for at least a month of ownership.
 
However your experience has prompted me.
 
I use mine with my Sugden Headmaster which is a neutral and natural sounding amplifier.
 
I don't think the K702s are dry or unforgiving but simply neutral, which I really like.
 
The K702s get out of the way and let you listen to the music.
 
You mention that it is like going out with a historian, but with the K 702s you go out with the music itself, they don't come along at all. That's what good hi fi should be like.

 

[Kevin Brown]

Different ears and preferences I guess.  I don't find the 701's neutral.  Subtle tilt of not enough bass, nice mids, but emphasized highs.  I think the 601's are more neutral than the 701's.  If the 601's had a hair more bass ...
 
 

 

[paulb09]

If you really mean a hair, rather than a bunch of hairs, try the K701 pads on the K601. You may find them to add a slight bit of bass, but at the expense of a slight bit of treble sparkle too. Also, you can try and get some denser foam rings to play around with the sound. The original foam rings that came with my K601 are considerably more dense than the ones I ordered at the same time as my K701 pads, and they do change the sound a little as well, but I don't think they perhaps provide as much difference as the pads do alone whilst using the same foam rings. Still, if you have the right kind of foam and can cut the relevant shape, you could theoretically dampen the sound as you please with either pads.
 
[edit]I say treble sparkle, but actually when I listen it's almost like it's removing some of the hollowness to the sound rather than sparkle, and I don't find I really notice the treble less, or feel that there is a lack of detail in comparison. As I say, it's a fairly slight tweak in my opinion. Either way, it's worth a try yourself if you have the pads available.
 
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Different ears and preferences I guess.  I don't find the 701's neutral.  Subtle tilt of not enough bass, nice mids, but emphasized highs.  I think the 601's are more neutral than the 701's.  If the 601's had a hair more bass ...

 

[Kevin Brown]

Shoot, the 701's are already gone.  Didn't seem to be a big difference in the pads though, but I'll keep that in mind if I decide I want to tweak the 601's.
 
I did open up the 701's before I sold them.  Someone had them open prior to me (I got them used).  That little foam donut circle was off-center on one of the drivers, so I recentered it.  Didn't change the sound much, but I actually had the thought that if that circle didn't have a hole in it, might take away some of the brightness I heard.  Though about trying with some felt, but ...  Oh well. 

 

[drez]

you raise a fair argument, and you are 100% correct.  

In the end whether or not you like the k701 is probably down to whether or not you like the level of transparency/lack of coloration they bring.  

I guess also whether you find the level of detail distracting (eg. people coughing)
 
But yeah they do sound amazing on well recorded classical music (without people coughing)

This unfortunately is really hard to decide without trying them out for an extended audition =(
 
Personally I prefer something more flattering/more romantic, which I never would have guessed before...