[DennyL]

I have a pair of AKG K501's which I am very pleased with. I'm currently using them with a Rockhopper Pimeta, and I have a tube amp on the way. I'm still trying to decide whether the K501's are base light or just more accurate. Anyway, I keep wondering what changes or improvements I might hear if I upgraded to K701's, and whether it would be worth it. I really want cans that are best for classical music.

Can anyone who's been down this route tell me what they think?

 

[Fitz]

The K701 is more of a sidegrade to the K501, not necessarily an upgrade. Some of the changes I've observed in the K701 compared to the K501: Slightly more bass, less emphasis on the midrange, less smoothness in the midrange, less sibilance in the highs, more balanced overall sound, less musical / more analytical, smaller and more headphone-y soundstage, easier to drive on more amplifiers, and better with more types of music. I still prefer vocals and acoustic instruments on the K501 by a large margin, although the K701 is a better all-rounder. I'd wait until you get that tube amp before even thinking about buying anything else, because I like the K501 on tubes way more than SS, more so than other headphones I own / have owned.

 

[billinkansas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz The K701 is more of a sidegrade to the K501, not necessarily an upgrade. Some of the changes I've observed in the K701 compared to the K501: Slightly more bass, less emphasis on the midrange, less smoothness in the midrange, less sibilance in the highs, more balanced overall sound, less musical / more analytical, smaller and more headphone-y soundstage, easier to drive on more amplifiers, and better with more types of music. I still prefer vocals and acoustic instruments on the K501 by a large margin, although the K701 is a better all-rounder. I'd wait until you get that tube amp before even thinking about buying anything else, because I like the K501 on tubes way more than SS, more so than other headphones I own / have owned.

Nicely put. Do try the K701's with th K501 pads sometime - very interesting I think.

 

[DennyL]

Thank you for your replies. You both seem to agree.

Fitz, the tube amp I have ordered is a DarkVoice 336. Can you reassure me that it drives the K501 well?

I certainly wasn't thinking of making a purchase until the tube amp is well settled in, and maybe I've tried different tubes.

Maybe owning Sennheiser HD650's in parallel with the K501's would be a more interesting way forward. The other cans I have (Senn CX300 and PX100) both have *MUCH* more bass than the 501's, but I'm not sure I prefer that or that I feel it is more accurate; that is why I wasn't leaning towards the 650's.

At the last couple of live classical concerts I've been to I paid attention to how much bass I was hearing, and I didn't feel is was that much, certainly not as much as I hear with my bassy cans.

 

[Fitz]

Both me and aznsensazian use the Darkvoice with the K501 with excellent results, although I do highly recommend replacing the stock tubes.

I've never heard the CX300 or PX100, but the HD650 is the extreme opposite of the K501 as far as bass goes: exaggerated, slow, and thick. On the Darkvoice I find the K501's bass to be very accurate and realistic. It's a really synergistic combination, you're sure to enjoy it immensely.