Headphones for classical music.

[Goit]

For classical music, the smaller scaled pieces, what would be better? The Denon d2000 or the AKG k701?

I keep hearing people say that the K701 is great for classical, how so exactly?

Any other good headphones that you would recommend?

 

[Menisk]

I'd recommend you listen to K701s HD650s and HD600s. All 3 are very nice, it's just a matter of which sound signiture you prefer. I like the 650s personally.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I haven't heard the D2000, but they are very popular here. You should be able to find a lot of opinions on it.

The K-701 does well with classical, but my favorites for the genre are the AKG K-501 and K-1000, the Sennheiser HD-600 and the Beyerdynamic DT48. All of them have a more natural presentation than the K-701. I think the bes bet is the K-501. It has an expansive soundstage (second only to the K-1000), a very natural and accurate tone, and is fast. Some will tell you that the bass isn't very good, but don't listen. The bass response goes all the way down and is tight and accurate for acoustic material. It does not do amplified/electronic bass well, but it nails a tympani hit just fine. Best of all, you can find a used K-501 for half the price of a K-701.

The HD-600 is excellent all around if you want to listen to other genres. The DT48 doesn't have much soundstage, but it is spookily accurate, quick and lifelike. I prefer the DT48 for solo work and small chamber pieces.

 

[Rednamalas1]

I got my K501 for 85 CAD$

 

[lucky]

I like both my AD700 and K701 for classical music. The AD700 gives it a slightly more open, warmer, airier feel, while the K701 offers a narrower, brighter attack to the notes.

 

[Goit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't heard the D2000, but they are very popular here. You should be able to find a lot of opinions on it. The K-701 does well with classical, but my favorites for the genre are the AKG K-501 and K-1000, the Sennheiser HD-600 and the Beyerdynamic DT48. All of them have a more natural presentation than the K-701. I think the bes bet is the K-501. It has an expansive soundstage (second only to the K-1000), a very natural and accurate tone, and is fast. Some will tell you that the bass isn't very good, but don't listen. The bass response goes all the way down and is tight and accurate for acoustic material. It does not do amplified/electronic bass well, but it nails a tympani hit just fine. Best of all, you can find a used K-501 for half the price of a K-701. The HD-600 is excellent all around if you want to listen to other genres. The DT48 doesn't have much soundstage, but it is spookily accurate, quick and lifelike. I prefer the DT48 for solo work and small chamber pieces.

So is the K501 better than the K701 for classical then? Why did they make it worse?

 

[m0ofassa]

HD600 with a 650 cable seems to be a popular choice. I have not heard it myself, but intend to invest in a pair later when i get the $.

 

[s1rrah]

Having spent much time with the AKG701's and the HD650's ... I'd personally support the 701 option for classical over the HD650's ... bit better resolution and sound stage to my ear ...

That said ...

The Grado GS1000 kills them both in regards to sound stage and are a bit more resolving than the 701's though the AKG's sound stage is trying to close in on the GS1000's but is just a bit short of that goal (my humble opinion, mind you) ...

I've spent the past two days a/b ing my Stax, RS1's and GS1000's and the GS1000's are twice as huge in regards to soundstage than are the Stax ... and of course they are way WAY W A Y bigger than the RS1's ...

In my estimation ... detail/low-level resolution/sound stage are the main must-have qualities for classical (orchestral/symphonic/etc.) and the GS1000's are the best I've heard so far ...

That said ...

The RS1's/HD650's pull ahead quite nicely when moving down to the smaller room classical works (chamber/duets/quartets/quintets/etc.) ...

Good luck with your hunt, friend!

 

[Mercuttio]

I always liked the HD650 and RS1. The GS1000 is a little better with some recordings, but not as generally good as the other two. If you ONLY listen to classical, the K701 is excellent. Touch unnatural in places, but really surpasses others twice the price generally in that type of music.

 

[tintin47]

K701 or 501. I haven't heard the 501, but it is much cheaper and it is often noted that the 501 sounds less artificial than the 701.

 

[Goit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1rrah /img/forum/go_quote.gif Having spent much time with the AKG701's and the HD650's ... I'd personally support the 701 option for classical over the HD650's ... bit better resolution and sound stage to my ear ... That said ... The Grado GS1000 kills them both in regards to sound stage and are a bit more resolving than the 701's though the AKG's sound stage is trying to close in on the GS1000's but is just a bit short of that goal (my humble opinion, mind you) ... I've spent the past two days a/b ing my Stax, RS1's and GS1000's and the GS1000's are twice as huge in regards to soundstage than are the Stax ... and of course they are way WAY W A Y bigger than the RS1's ... In my estimation ... detail/low-level resolution/sound stage are the main must-have qualities for classical (orchestral/symphonic/etc.) and the GS1000's are the best I've heard so far ... That said ... The RS1's/HD650's pull ahead quite nicely when moving down to the smaller room classical works (chamber/duets/quartets/quintets/etc.) ... Good luck with your hunt, friend!

I listen to period performances, not big modern orchestral stuff. So which one would be better?

Quote:

I always liked the HD650 and RS1. The GS1000 is a little better with some recordings, but not as generally good as the other two. If you ONLY listen to classical, the K701 is excellent. Touch unnatural in places, but really surpasses others twice the price generally in that type of music.

What do you mean by "touch unnatural"?

The reason that I'm looking at the K701 is because that I don't use an amp and play them out of a pc, there is no way that the Hd600/650 can be drive that way. But there are threads here saying that the K701 can sound great out of an mp3 player. It's either the K701 or the Denon d2000.

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goit /img/forum/go_quote.gif The reason that I'm looking at the K701 is because that I don't use an amp and play them out of a pc, there is no way that the Hd600/650 can be drive that way. But there are threads here saying that the K701 can sound great out of an mp3 player. It's either the K701 or the Denon d2000.

I'll be the first to say my Macbook can drive the K701, but if you're going to be unamped, your best choice is the AD700 or the AD900. Both are far better suited to work unamped than the K701, while sounding very similar (and in my opinion, better, if you prefer a wider and warmer signature to a thinner and brighter one).

 

[Goit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll be the first to say my Macbook can drive the K701, but if you're going to be unamped, your best choice is the AD700 or the AD900. Both are far better suited to work unamped than the K701, while sounding very similar (and in my opinion, better, if you prefer a wider and warmer signature to a thinner and brighter one).

According to the headroom graphs the Ad700 doesn't do well, huge dips in amplitude all across the spectrum.

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goit /img/forum/go_quote.gif According to the headroom graphs the Ad700 doesn't do well, huge dips in amplitude all across the spectrum.

A classic mistake is to take the Headroom graphs over the perspectives of people who've actually listened to or owned the phones you're interested in buying.

 

[s1rrah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goit /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listen to period performances, not big modern orchestral stuff. So which one would be better?

Since your going unamped and since I think the GS1000's need a decent amp, even though they are low impedance ... then I'd say:

1. Grado RS1
2. AKG701
3. Grado GS1000

...

Again ... that's just my take on things.

Research as much as possible and even try and demo some of the above from Head-fi users in you area (something I've found invaluable before deciding on the purchase of new gear).

Best.