[sxr71]

I don't know if I have a defective pair but I was listening to the song "Gaia" on James Taylor's Hourglass album on SACD. The signal path was SCD-1 -> LaRocco PRII (I didn't feel like using the Dared MP-5 and I don't have a better home headphone amp) -> K701. The song has some deep bass that even at modest volume levels causes the K701 to distort. It's basically what happens when a drive unit has excursions that overwhelm the driver. I can't imagine what would happen if I tried the song "Too Rich for my Blood" on Patricia Barber's "Cafe Blue" album. Even my Grados can handle this better.

This has been an issue I've had with headphones in general (except balanced armature IEMs), but it usually manifests on certain tracks at higher levels. It's made me feel like giving up on headphones sometimes. Is this how it is or am I doing something wrong?

BTW, absolutely no bass boost was dialed in on the PR-II. Also, just for the record, I get the same results with the Dared MP-5.

 

[jgonino]

Sounds like there are one of two problems:

1.The amps you have are not putting out enough current (the k701 is really power hungry)

2. You have a defective pair.

 

[Rednamalas1]

I have no problem with my Bada PH-12 mated to K701s...and I use FLAC from iAudioX5L for source!

I don't have problems with bass on 99% of music - I occasionally listen to stuff like Massive attack and bass is rolled off a bit... but that's really low bass

 

[sxr71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have no problem with my Bada PH-12 mated to K701s...and I use FLAC from iAudioX5L for source! I don't have problems with bass on 99% of music - I occasionally listen to stuff like Massive attack and bass is rolled off a bit... but that's really low bass

I've heard some great things about the PH-12 and I've recently begun to consider selling my Dared and buying a PH-12. Oh boy, this is going to cost me!

 

[jcx]

using batteries or AC?

looks like a regulated 24 Vdc @>250 mA external supply would be needed to push the most power into K701 with the PRII

and turn off the bass boost

 

[sxr71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcx /img/forum/go_quote.gif using batteries or AC? looks like a regulated 24 Vdc @>250 mA external supply would be needed to push the most power into K701 with the PRII and turn off the bass boost

I specified no bass boost in the original post.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

I've heard some great things about the PH-12 and I've recently begun to consider selling my Dared and buying a PH-12. Oh boy, this is going to cost me!

You dont have to spend megabucks (and neither is price equivalent to quality) to get amplifier that has good and fast current feed and can handle K701. Headamp Gilmore amplifiers are known to handle current hungry headphones easily, and my CIAudio VHP-2 does so too. (If something distorted, it has been on the song and apparent on all headphones.) On DIY world M^3 amplifier is known for its good current feed too etc... If its truly lack of amplification that is causing the distortion that is, I believe any of the earlier should fix it.

 

[Uncle Erik]

The distortion you heard was probably your amp clipping. Solid state can sound like that when it clips. If you had a driver problem, you'd likely hear it across the spectrum. Because it happens only during transient peaks, it's most likely the amp.

The K-701 can handle the low end - I just put on my bass track and it's doing fine. It's not the bassiest can, but there's no distortion down there.

I suggest a hairy-chested transformer pushing meaty triodes. You want octal tubes. Though Maza's recommendations are good if you like solid state.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

I agree with most comments. The K701s aren't bass champions, but they reach quite deep, and properly driven can do more than decent and enough bass. That distortion is probably due to a lack of enough current driving their lowish impedance. Moreover they're not as sensitive as other cans, hence require also more voltage to sound as loud as those other cans. This doubles the demands on the amp.
If you still get distorted bass using more capable amps, then think about having your K701s checked, they might be deffective, but I don't think this is the problem if you're having the same distorted sound on both channels.

Regards.

 

[jcx]

the standard GLite doesn't have the V swing that the PRII spec imply (with external supply) - see the original article for Gilmore's own suggestion to raise the suppy V - the Gilmore Class A was intended as a 32 Ohm headphone amp

it is possible to have headphone driver manufacturing defects that show up as rub/buzz only with large diaphram excursions (= low frequencies) - I had HD600 with obvious buzz on Cello at high Vol out of the box that went away after a few overnite burn in sessions

 

[carmatic]

the k701 is apparently an outstandingly demanding headphone to drive, perhaps both your amps werent sufficient ?
my k701's give me so much bass that i actually start turning it down on my eq, its responding to stuff like a generated wave as low as 10hz... teeth rattling stuff... but when i try to put low-passed brown noise to it, it gets nowhere near the amount of pressure on my ears before it starts 'clipping' , i figure its the amps on my sound card

 

[Stephen Murphy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by carmatic /img/forum/go_quote.gif my k701's give me so much bass that i actually start turning it down on my eq, its responding to stuff like a generated wave as low as 10hz... teeth rattling stuff...

Your K701s are putting out too much bass and have have to eq it down? You won't mind if I file this next to the "Damn, my HD580s are bright" post, would you?

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Murphy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Your K701s are putting out too much bass and have have to eq it down? You won't mind if I file this next to the "Damn, my HD580s are bright" post, would you?

Hahahahaha, many forum mates using the K701s would love knowing which amplifier and source is Carmatic using with them

Rgrds.

 

[dcstep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgonino /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds like there are one of two problems: 1.The amps you have are not putting out enough current (the k701 is really power hungry) 2. You have a defective pair.

I totally agree this. My 701s have exceptional bass when pushed with my Woo WA6. The DO need 100 hours for the bass extension to free up, but they shouldn't distort.

Dave

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Murphy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Your K701s are putting out too much bass and have have to eq it down? You won't mind if I file this next to the "Damn, my HD580s are bright" post, would you?

yea first time i've heard both.