[Acix]

At the last NorCal Meet, I did a blind test with my girlfriend between the HD 800 and the K702 on the SPL Auditor with the Ayre's QB-9 USB DAC.

I started with the 800, which she immediately disliked and found them hard to listen to. She thought they were one of the cheaper models, and was complaining that the highs were too harsh on her ears. She was shocked when I told her they were the HD-800...and she was even more shocked when I told her how much they cost. When she heard the 702, she said that the sound was much more smooth and rounded and more fun to listen to. She's not an audiophile, but she's the one that carries the classical collection in the house. She she grew up playing classical piano and has incredible musical perception.

My girlfriend and I don't agree on everything, but on this we can be sure that we're on the same page. This is her first official contribution to Head-Fi. Thanks, Laura!

 

[MacedonianHero]

Acix: Wow, how much does AKG pay you for such quotes?

Well, here's one, my wife hated the K701s thought they sounded tin like and thin (we actually disagreed over this) and she was absolutely amazed on the HD800s. What the heck does that prove?

 

[Sophonax]

Interesting perception...I had the K702s, but sold them to try out a pair of Beyer T1s. As neutral and detailed as the T1s are, I sometimes find myself missing the wider soundstage of the K702s. I also loved the way that the K702s sounded for acoustic guitar -- they were great for a lot of the tracks on my favorite album, Jethro Tull's Warchild, particularly Skating Away and Only Solitaire.

I guess that this really just goes to show: to each his (or her

) own. Just because a pair of headphones is more expensive doesn't mean they'll universally sound better to everyone.

 

[Sophonax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacedonianHero /img/forum/go_quote.gif Acix: Wow, how much does AKG pay you for such quotes?

Haha yeah Acix, I do see you pushing the K701/702s a lot around here

 

[wali]

You can't be serious, K702 has a wider soundstage than T1?

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacedonianHero /img/forum/go_quote.gif Acix: Wow, how much does AKG pay you for such quotes? Well, here's one, my wife hated the K701s thought they sounded tin like and thin (we actually disagreed over this) and she was absolutely amazed on the HD800s. What the heck does that prove?

It's not personal and I don't need you to close this thread, too. You can start your own thread and your wife can rant about whatever she wants.

This was just my girlfriend's experience at her first meet. She came along for the ride, but I thought it was pretty cool that she wanted to be there and it was interesting for me to hear her perspective, since she has fresh ears and has no knowledge or opinions about any of the products.

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophonax /img/forum/go_quote.gif Haha yeah Acix, I do see you pushing the K701/702s a lot around here

It was just interesting because she doesn't know the difference between the brands. It cracked me up when she told me that she thought the HD-800 looked like they must be a cheap pair of headphones. You should have seen her jaw drop when I told her what the price tag was.

 

[EYEdROP]

Thanks for your blind test reports OP. I am a fan of blind testing and using average joe test subjects on my headphones. Usually my tests arent blind, but I give no pre-concieved notions on sound, price, etc... I just ask them which one sounds better. Sometimes its hard for them to describe what they are hearing. But Ive noticed some other people can easily describe what they are hearing in an honest and simple way. Yet, they arent really interested in audio...

 

[Sophonax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wali /img/forum/go_quote.gif You can't be serious, K702 has a wider soundstage than T1?

Dead serious, my friend!

In fact, I've often heard the K702s described as having an almost artificially wide soundstage. The soundstage on the T1s is great and very natural-sounding, but I'd definitely say the K702s have a wider one.

Beyerdynamic actually describes the architecture of the T1s as semi-open, so I don't think it's much of a stretch to imagine that the fully-open K702s would have a wider soundstage.

 

[Sophonax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif It was just interesting because she doesn't know the difference between the brands. It cracked me up when she told me that she thought the HD-800 looked like they must be a cheap pair of headphones. You should have seen her jaw drop when I told her what the price tag was.

Yeah I can understand that entirely. I'm all about putting sound first, but I do think that Sennheiser went a little overboard with the sci-fi-ey look of the HD800s.

 

[wali]

So, you're saying that not only K702 is better than HD800 but its even better than current fotm T1?

but seriously, I bought a K701 recently (which is better than K702 lol) and I'm truly amazed by it.

 

[jeremyzone]

interesting thread, acix. obviously it's just one person's opinion, but how long did your girlfriend listen to each can? did she try them each on a wide variety of music or just one song? it almost sounds like she didn't hear either can for too long.

anyway, i have found that it's hard to get too much of a feel for headphones based only on a listen at a meet. or maybe it's just because i'm a bad audiophile! this should be a fun thread though

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophonax /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting perception...I had the K702s, but sold them to try out a pair of Beyer T1s. As neutral and detailed as the T1s are, I sometimes find myself missing the wider soundstage of the K702s. I also loved the way that the K702s sounded for acoustic guitar -- they were great for a lot of the tracks on my favorite album, Jethro Tull's Warchild, particularly Skating Away and Only Solitaire. I guess that this really just goes to show: to each his (or her ) own. Just because a pair of headphones is more expensive doesn't mean they'll universally sound better to everyone.

I agree with you about the money. Every company can charge whatever they want. I didn't get a chance to listen to the T1 at the meet. I was more impressed with the SPL Auditor and wanted to hear how the HD 800 really sounds on a professional high end amp.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's not personal and I don't need you to close this thread, too. You can start your own thread and your wife can rant about whatever she wants. This was just my girlfriend's experience at her first meet. She came along for the ride, but I thought it was pretty cool that she wanted to be there and it was interesting for me to hear her perspective, since she has fresh ears and has no knowledge or opinions about any of the products.

Nothing personal...just kidding around. I realize this is your ranting thread.

It is impressive that your girlfriend WANTED to come along for the ride. Sadly my wife really doesn't get this hobby.

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremyzone /img/forum/go_quote.gif interesting thread, acix. obviously it's just one person's opinion, but how long did your girlfriend listen to each can? did she try them each on a wide variety of music or just one song? it almost sounds like she didn't hear either can for too long. anyway, i have found that it's hard to get too much of a feel for headphones based only on a listen at a meet. or maybe it's just because i'm a bad audiophile! this should be a fun thread though

She listened to my new CD with them. This CD covers the full spectrum of sound and has a great imaging. Full bass which goes nicely under 30 HZ, it's my reference CD. She sampled several, maybe 6 tracks over about a half an hour time period. The funny thing is that her reaction was in the first few minutes. But this is probably what stood out the most for her. I tried to point out the the HD 800 has more bass under 30, but it apparently wasn't her thing. After I told her that they were the 800, she had to go back and listen more closely and took it even more seriously.