[blue4n3]

if there is anyone who ownes or heard both, can someone please tell me of osme of the differences/similarities? also, are the 701 as hard to drive well? It's just that time of the month that i feel like speding more on headphones. I want to start a collection so I can really get to hear these differences that many experienced people note about. What are some must haves (there is a prev post on this, but i want to know now that there are new options) that many experienced head-fiers suggest?

thaks

p.s. my earlier silly post.....just felt like typin

 

[MikeAKGGuy]

Yes - I've heard both of these headphones.

First of all, I should say that there are very few phones as hard to drive as your K240Ms with their 600-ohm impedance. Their combination of high impedance and low sensitivity require that you have an amplifier with some guts to play them correctly. The newer version of that model, the K 240 Studio, will deliver 12+ dB more level with the same electrical input.

Now - as far as the sound goes - the K240 M is designed for studio monitoring use. As such, it delivers midrange detail as its primary sonic attribute, but also has respectable bass and low-distortion highs. The semi-open ear cup design delivers reasonable bass extension, but doesn't block out ambient noise very much - you probably are aware of all these things.

The new K 701 is designed for audiophile music listening. It has much broader frequency response including better delineation of lows and highs. The completely open ear cups deliver much better imaging - indeed, its imaging puts it in a different class than other good headphones. The K 701's combination of accurate, detailed sound and truly out-of-head imaging make listening very interesting. Although the K 701 isn't super-hard to drive, it is so accurate that any shortcomings in your signal chain will be ruthlessly revealed, so make certain and play them with something good.

Give them both and listen - and let me know if you think the difference is worth the difference.

 

[2426]

Which k240 are you taking about? S/M/DF?

The k701 is in a whole different league as the k240. If you are thinking about either the 240 or the 701, I would take the 701 any day. Of course this is with decent amplification.

 

[blue4n3]

I agree. My 240 are SO hard to drive. They are my first high end cans, so I want to keep them forever. You are right, the midrange is AWESEOME....although the mainly stressed part. I actually find the highs quite nice too. they stick out too much sometimes, but maybe because my ipod is the source and b/c of its low level out (i think its like .3volts) i have to stress my amp too much. the 701 seem to have what I want then. I also wanted to try the HD650 since it seems to be the other reference can here at head-fi. How would the soundstage compare? the dark and gooey presentation sounds like something I would like for some of my recordings that are mellow (Mainly Indian classical, euro classical, and good 'ol bass oriented jazz.)

just to clarify from the earlier posts...I own the 240m and want comparisons with different cans based on the 240m as a reference. I am focusing on the 701 and HD650. I will ask about the DT880 once I get a tube amp (i auditioned them before at sound advice with a descent source, but for play volumes when im rocking out they seem to pierce through my brain).

 

[Iostream]

I have used K240Ms for several years now as my main headphone, and recently switched to K701s. Over the years with the K240Ms, they were unamped, using the headphone out of the Behringer mixer. I purchased a Corda Aria that arrived roughly a week before my K701s and used this amp to drive the 240M for that week.
First, the K240M is hard to drive, sure. I get more volume from my K701s unamped than I did from my K240M by a long shot. At the same time it does seem that amping adds a bit more to the K701 than it did to the K240. I am not sure how to explain it, the 240M have much more volume when amped, and do open up a bit more, but do not seem to have a ton more punch when compared to the K701s.
The K701s offer plenty of volume when unamped, but adding the Aria just seems to make them open up. This may well be the difference, as I could get enough volume unamped, I was not listening to them much louder amped. While the volume was similar everything just seemed much more controlled, much cleaner. It may just be that the Aria is not enough of an amp for the 240M (which says a lot considering people say the K701 is power hungry) and something with a bit more power would open them up as well.
As for the final comparisons between the sound of the two headphones, the K240M is a solid headphone for the price, the mids were great, everything was fairly clear, but the K701 has much more extension on both ends and just more detail throughout. I still use my 240M for assorted computer audio, but all of my critical listening is on my K701s