[David58117]

About 6 months! 
 
I'm still amazed by them, but I listen to classical mainly, so no surprise..

 

[MikePio]

Over 2 years now! what a long journey, they are IMO the best phone in the mid-fi price range... Sure they can sound sterile, but with a powerful amp and a good source, everything is improved, including the bass... So a highly recommended phone, even more so for the money! The average person I show my gear to cannot distinguish between a K701 and a HE-5... Cheers,

 

[K_19]

Mine lasted about 1 years and 3 months before I ended up selling it due to purchase of HD800.  In retrospect, I enjoyed it very much, though I did have to deal with some frustrations of setting it up right and those god nasty bumps (which I eventually cut off; I enjoyed it so much more afterwards!). It's gone now because it honestly wouldn't be played at all with the HD800 is around, but when I look back I'll look upon it with fond memories and not with contempt like many of the people do here.

 

[audiofil]

Almost 4 years

 

[r_monk]

9 months now. Thought I really wanted a HD650 after I purchased the K701. Finally bought the HD650, just to find out I liked the K701 a bit more (sound stage).

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

I'am planning to get the WA6 for the K701, would it be nicer compared to SS or would you prefer SS.

I thought it was a big improvement over SS, but there are people who think the exact opposite.  If possible try to experience both and trust your ears.  One thing that really helps with tubes, I must say, is that you can adjust the sound through tube rolling.  I've got my WA6 complementing my K701s very well now, which wasn't the case at first.  SS does not have this advantage.  Tube rolling with the WA6 is not expensive either, and there are only a few good choices in drive tubes so you won't get overwhelmed with possibilities either.  Rectifiers..... that's a big open canvas since so may ones work in the Woo but if you are willing the spend a bit of money everybody pretty much agrees on which ones are the best. 
 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

@kunal, I would suggest going for the WA6 SE, that seems to be a good match with the K701. My WA6, not so much, I have a feeling that SS amps in the same bracket will do a better job.

I personally think all the rhetoric around here about the k701 needing tons of power (and tons of current specifically) is very overstated.  My wa6 drives the k701 much better than my VDA2 does, and sounds great at volumes that made my ears bleed on the SS amp.  Both amps are priced similarly so it's a very apples to apples comparison.  If anything the amp seems to get along better with the low impedance k701 than with my higher impedance phones.  They all have a soft and distant sound to them on the woo.  That is just my experience of course, everybody's mileage will vary.

 

[K_19]

Quote:

I thought it was a big improvement over SS, but there are people who think the exact opposite.  If possible try to experience both and trust your ears.  One thing that really helps with tubes, I must say, is that you can adjust the sound through tube rolling.  I've got my WA6 complementing my K701s very well now, which wasn't the case at first.  SS does not have this advantage. 
 

 
Well, to be totally fair, some SS amps do have the ability to tailor the sound through rolling opamps. 
 
Anyways, I've also had the K701 paired with WA6 and with the right tubes, they're indeed a great match.
 

 

[TheWuss]

i actually find my k702 pairs better with my caliente than wa6.
with the wa6, i rolled 6 or 7 different types of tubes, and nothing did it for me.
 
my general impression with the wa6 is that it brought the mids forward just a shade, and sweetened and rounded off the bass just a shade.
so the k702, already being bass shy and upper-mid strong, didn't sound great to my ears with the woo. 
 
i will say the treble sounded fantastic on the woo, though...
 
but, we all have different preferences in sound signature, that's one of the reasons this forum is so much fun...

 

[kunalraiker]

Quote:

@kunal, I would suggest going for the WA6 SE, that seems to be a good match with the K701. My WA6, not so much, I have a feeling that SS amps in the same bracket will do a better job.

I'am getting this used WA6 from someone here was feeling should I get it or not, how would it compare to my audio-gd C-2, also planning on getting the audio gd DAC 19 DSP with ACSS would it compliment better with the C-2

 
Quote:

i actually find my k702 pairs better with my caliente than wa6.
with the wa6, i rolled 6 or 7 different types of tubes, and nothing did it for me.
 
my general impression with the wa6 is that it brought the mids forward just a shade, and sweetened and rounded off the bass just a shade.
so the k702, already being bass shy and upper-mid strong, didn't sound great to my ears with the woo. 
 
i will say the treble sounded fantastic on the woo, though...
 
but, we all have different preferences in sound signature, that's one of the reasons this forum is so much fun...

What I can understand is you preferred SS as oposed to tube,I also feel since the K701's have lower impedance they would need more current which the tubes won't provide.

 

[Superfrag]

Well to be honest, I haven't tried much tube rolling with the K701. IMO, they're a better match with a SS amp, but take this with a pinch of salt as I haven't heard a K701 with a SS amp.

 

[baka1969]

I've had an AKG 70x for about 9 months or more total when you combine all the time I've spent with all the 70xs I've had.

Interestingly I picked up a Millet Starving Student Hybrid Tube amp from a fellow Head-Fi'er recently and have been surprised by how well it drives my 70x. I've listened to the AKG through quite a few SS amps so far and although the MSSH can't totally compete with my Gilmore Lite, it does a nice job and better than any portable I've heard the 70x through. A few other points, if you ever thought the bass was lean on a 701/2 or the AKG too bright, this MSSH I have seems to fix both. To some degree. There's a little roll off in the highs pls it has more bass impact. This amp isn't as refined and, to me, there is some slight sibilance. But if you buy one already made like I did or DIY, it's one amp on a budget that seems to do the AKG some justice. Color me a little surprised.

 

[TheWuss]

well...  i wouldn't shy away from getting the wa6, just because some people prefer SS with the k701.  actually, it's such a wonderful, versatile amp that if i lost my caliente tomorow i'd still be alright.

 

[sean3089]

2 years -- very happy.

 

[pekingduck]

3 months and they are just superb for classical music