[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by quikgp /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess the point of this thread was to say I don't think these phones deserve to be flamed as much as they are. They are good headphones, but not for everyone.

Yep, they are indeed nice phones at a great price point. I'd use them at work if I could get away with them but being open presents a bit of a problem. Good to see the resurgence of interest.

 

[Drumonron]

K701 purchase = no buyer's remorse...they were my first open headphone and they will never leave my stable. The headband was never a problem for me and the 701s well they age like fine wine...after the 600hr mark I stopped counting and just enjoyed them! They are my monitors and with the 701s your getting, imho, a taste of the HD800 magic at wholesale cost...that's right, I said it....AKG 701<-> Senn 800 comparison...let the flamers fire up the torches!

Hey, I only said your getting a bit 'o taste....a sip of the 800 sound...not a gulp!

Enjoy.

...and...what would you do if the akg k010 rumors were true?

 

[Ducks_own]

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif DO, what amp are you going to use with your 701s ?

Heh, I didn't realize you were asking me at first... I'm used to being referred to as "Ducks" or "Ducky" or something like that

Anyways, I have an Emmeline P-51 as of now.

 

[dcpoor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...and...what would you do if the akg k010 rumors were true?

wait, i haven't heard any k010 rumors. please enlighten me.

 

[fman]

I got mine about a month ago, they now have 100+ hours on them but I can still hear a soft hissing sound accompanying some female vocals (such as Dixie Chicks - A Home). But perhaps some tube rolling on the EF1 could help.

On the other hand, for instrumental acoustic music I love them - the instrument separation and sound stage is great!

Anyway, congratulations on your new cans!

 

[Arctia]

I've had mine for 15 minutes, literally. Straight out of my prelude at 60% volumn, with no amp. I'm seriously enjoying the soundstage on this thing. Guess I'll wait til after 200 hours to see if sound improves. Even at this stage, I can already identify more detail in the mids compared to my AD700.

 

[stuge(original)]

congrats .I hope you will love them :

 

[pumin]

hi..

Will $700 sound card, RME HDSPe AIO, be able to drive this AKG K701s ? or do I still need an amp?

RME: HDSPe AIO

Specs:
- Low impedance headphone output (30 ohm)

Quote from tech support " It (30 ohm) equals a fixed resistor which is included in the audio path for short circuit protection. So no impedance, but real resistance. The quoted value simply means that the AIO has an edge when used with lower impedance headphones, and can in total generate more output power. "

RME User Forum / The impedance for headphone output of HDSPe AIO

thx!

 

[Yikes]

I love my K701's to me they are vastly superior to the latest FOTM the HD800's (and at 1/5 the cost). between the 701's and my Denon AH-D7000's I've got my dynamic bases covered.

Over the last couple of years the 701's have been one of the most maligned headphones. I have a theory about this.

There is no such thing as a headphone that will be perfect for everyone, between the sound signature and the fit tastes will vary greatly. So when the 701's came out and people raved about them being Great Reference caliber headphones they quickly became a major FOTM. The issue is that because they could be had heavily discounted (As little as $235 new) many many members purchased a set without first auditioning them. Not surprisingly the 701's didn't suit many who purchased them (Many also didn't give them the 500+ hours that they take to break-in). The many people who purchased them and ended up being disappointed had to sell them (Potentially at a loss) and have since become a very vocal group of detractors (701 haters).

Any headphone that becomes a major FOTM will eventually experience a backlash. The issue with the 701's is that they were inexpensive enough that a lot of people purchased them, hence the larger than usual backlash. Mark my words even the vaunted HD-800 will experience a backlash, although due to its much greater cost the backlash will be significantly smaller.

The 701's are among a select group of headphones that I would call reference caliber (Not all of which I like, but I understand why some would). Any of these headphone may, depending on the listeners tastes trip their trigger. The best advise is to always try and audition before buying.

The 701's are IMHO the best value in high-end headphones, but YMMV.

 

[Zombie_X]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yikes /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love my K701's to me they are vastly superior to the latest FOTM the HD800's (and at 1/5 the cost). between the 701's and my Denon AH-D7000's I've got my dynamic bases covered. Over the last couple of years the 701's have been one of the most maligned headphones. I have a theory about this. There is no such thing as a headphone that will be perfect for everyone, between the sound signature and the fit tastes will vary greatly. So when the 701's came out and people raved about them being Great Reference caliber headphones they quickly became a major FOTM. The issue is that because they could be had heavily discounted (As little as $235 new) many many members purchased a set without first auditioning them. Not surprisingly the 701's didn't suit many who purchased them (Many also didn't give them the 500+ hours that they take to break-in). The many people who purchased them and ended up being disappointed had to sell them (Potentially at a loss) and have since become a very vocal group of detractors (701 haters). Any headphone that becomes a major FOTM will eventually experience a backlash. The issue with the 701's is that they were inexpensive enough that a lot of people purchased them, hence the larger than usual backlash. Mark my words even the vaunted HD-800 will experience a backlash, although due to its much greater cost the backlash will be significantly smaller. The 701's are among a select group of headphones that I would call reference caliber (Not all of which I like, but I understand why some would). Any of these headphone may, depending on the listeners tastes trip their trigger. The best advise is to always try and audition before buying. The 701's are IMHO the best value in high-end headphones, but YMMV.

Nicely said there! I believe these are a very good headphone when properly amped. I also agree that most people buy before they try and don't like them.

 

[carledwards]

All interesting and well-put points, Yikes. I suspect you've hit on something with your backlash theory. In any case, the K701 pleases me more the longer I listen to them. That's excellent by my standards!

 

[bhanja_trinanjan]

Hi,
A question to my fellow K701 lovers: How does the K701 midrange compare with that of your other cans?

To my ears, they have an enjoyable midrange, but with a distinctly different tonality that differs from that of the Shure E4C's mids. (I have the Shure E4Cs too!)

The difference narrows down as I crank the volume on the AKG... very interesting, indeed.

I really like the K701 sound... but ideally I would have loved a bit more saturation and fullness in the mids.... especially at low to moderate volumes.... the K701 needs to be cranked up to let its midrange blossom and for the harmonics of strings and woodwinds to express themselves.

Any ideas as to why these phones need to be played louder than others to sound natural.. (They sound pretty natural when cranked up... but at low volumes they sound lean, lacking harmonic richness and the soundstage collapses)


Do the HD800/other reference cans exhibit similar tonal characteristics?