[flashgearz]

Right now I have

Amazon.com: Sennheiser CX300-S Earbuds (Silver): Electronics

and

Amazon.com: Sony MDR-V300 Monitor Series Headphones with Folding Design: Electronics


Is it safe to assume that the k701s are going to be better then both of them quality wise, even without the amp? Not like I'm not going to buy one. It's just that I'm not sure that I can afford both the Headphones and the amp, at this time.

It's going to be used for an Ipod, and straight from a mac. Older one. From like 05 ish.

 

[koven]

you can always get the amp later, but yes it does need one

it might sound good unamped (compared to what you have), but it'll be nowhere near full potential w/o a full sized amp

 

[Sherwood]

They sound pretty bad without an amp, to my ears. Not in the "cables make a huge difference" kind of way, either. I really enjoyed them amped, and could not enjoy them unamped. They're so underpowered as to be bland. I'd look elsewhere.

 

[flashgearz]

So pretty good chance it's going to be better?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Eh, maybe or maybe not. AKG headphones are picky about amplification and they absolutely need a stiff dose of power.

What kind of music do you listen to? You might be better served with a pair that'seasily driven from an iPod.

 

[flashgearz]

Rock and Electronic stuff.

I can wait until I have the money to get both at once, but what I really want is to get some open around the ear headphones.

I use the Sony ones for my computer, but the fact they go on my ear bugs me. They start hurting after a while, and get really hot.

The Sennheiser ones hurt the opening of my ear after about 2-3 hours, so I don'y like to use them too often.

 

[thechungster]

Haven't heard many people recommend the K701 for rock and electronic, instead I tend to see Grados recommended for those genres.

 

[flashgearz]

I also listen to a bunch of other stuff, so I wanted something pretty balanced, and these sounded like they fitted what I wanted.

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashgearz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also listen to a bunch of other stuff, so I wanted something pretty balanced, and these sounded like they fitted what I wanted.

What do you mean by balance?

If you mean neutral, where the phone relays more accurately what they are given, there are other easier to drive phones than the 701 that can do this.

 

[Stitch]

I got a pair DT880's wich dont realy sound that great umaped but it is acceptable if you are saving up for an amp. The K701 seems to be even harder to drive.
Also, i find the DT880 very neutral and clear and work pretty well with rock. Not as good as grado but they are not exactly neautral over the entire spectrum.

 

[AdamWysokinski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thechungster /img/forum/go_quote.gif Haven't heard many people recommend the K701 for rock and electronic, instead I tend to see Grados recommended for those genres.

Properly amped K701s are absolutely great for electronic (except some extreme genres, e.g. digital hard core) and for rock, if rock = Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Camel, etc. and not Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, AC/DC, etc.

For OP: K701 without dedicated amplifier are listenable, but with a good SS amp they are much, much better.

 

[oqvist]

K701 do great with electronica. Rock no I wouldn´t even dream of using these for rock. I mean loudness war and all is very apparent on them and it hardly headphones that grab you by the balls anyway

. I want sources that soften the high a bit on them already so no rock doesn´t work in general. Though rock for me is generally speaker material.

For some amazing bang for buck headphone that plays extremely well unamped the German Maestro 435S? 435S or 450 Pro is a bit like splitting hairs for me but the 435S is more efficient and certainly sounds more flat and neutral for my ears. 450 Pro is a proven allrounder for me and seeing they are so alike I see no reason why the 435S wouldn´t be as good but don´t have that much time with it yet just a couple of days.

I certainly like these a lot more then my K701s anyway and similarly priced.

 

[estreeter]

Gotta say that I'm kinda stunned by the number of people who are so keen to get the K70*, but wont accept that amp requirement. Would anyone here try to drive a Mac truck with the engine from a Mini Cooper ? Hey, its an *engine*, right ?

There are so many other choices in that price range and they don't all need a 12-cylinder diesel to get them off the start line.

 

[AdamWysokinski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Gotta say that I'm kinda stunned by the number of people who are so keen to get the K70*, but wont accept that amp requirement. Would anyone here try to drive a Mac truck with the engine from a Mini Cooper ? Hey, its an *engine*, right ?

I agree. People buy K701s, pair them with weak amps or power them from laptops/iPods and complain that K701s sound lean and bassless, while the truth is completely opposite

 

[tim3320070]

Your ipod will be at max volume running the K701 (I know, I've used them that way), and you won't be very satisfied. Plus, they are really big and not good at all for mobile listening. Nice headphones otherwise. Some kind of amp is really helpful to these.