[jaeming]

Maybe...I really like the K701's so far and I don't think I'll get rid of them even if I do get some new phones.
 
I've only got about 70 hours burned in on them but they sound really really good to me. Not enough bass...maybe...but I come from the days where reference monitors and headphones were supposed to sound somewhat flat and unbiased yet still let you hear all the frequencies.

 

[ocswing]

Yeah I think the K70X is a great headphone, but it does have a few weaknesses. Pretty much any headphone in the same price range does. It's nice to have another headphone to fill in the gaps I guess. At least if you can stay away from the upgrade-itis that normally hits everyone here.
 
Quote:

Maybe...I really like the K701's so far and I don't think I'll get rid of them even if I do get some new phones.
 
I've only got about 70 hours burned in on them but they sound really really good to me. Not enough bass...maybe...but I come from the days where reference monitors and headphones were supposed to sound somewhat flat and unbiased yet still let you hear all the frequencies.

 

 

[tdockweiler]

What are the weaknesses of the K701/K702? So far I've discovered they're fairly thin sounding and lack bass. I personally have zero issues with their bass. I've found that both of these problems can be corrected with specific amps.
 
People say a thinner sounding headphone is a negative, but I don't. Not always and it depends on preference. Some music sounds better on an HD-650 (that I like) and others on the K702. I prefer acoustic guitar music on the "thinner sounding" K702. Yes, really.
 
The only annoyance and negative for me is that often music sounds as if I'm listening to it on speakers. This isn't a bit deal, but I like more of an up-front experience and for that I have my K601 and HD-598. My amp makes the K702 have more of that slightly more up-front experience, but I'm not quite there yet. I do know that the K601 pads on the K702 help, but then I get too much treble.
 
OK, I guess there is more than one more negative for me. I've yet to tame it's treble. I'm only at hour 50-60 with burn-in and that could be why. I do  understand that specific tube amps can do this and maybe a specific solid state amp that rolls off the high end. One idea I had is to recable the K702/K702 with Canare. This REALLY seemed to smooth out the treble on my HD-650 and that's why I removed it. I want MORE treble on my HD-650 and not less! I will find out if it helps very soon. I HOPE that 100 hours of burn-in will help, but I might be only dreaming...
 
I tried a cheap Mogami cable the other day and the bass really improved a lot, but still nowhere near bass heavy. I was basically very impressed with how much better the bass was. With the Mogami I could never call it bass light anymore. Best of all, it only costs under $20 to make a Mogami Cable.
 
I guess all this have been gone over too much, but I do believe most the K702/K701 issues can be corrected with a lot of work, but won't totally transform them. I think some genres are not going to be great on the K702/K701 no matter what! Still fairly good.
 
I do have a feeling that in the future the K702 will be my most listened to headphone. Right now it's the K601, but the K702/K701 is technically the better headphone. K702 is the one headphone I keep going back to. I still wonder why I sold my first pair years ago. I think I've bought and resold at least 3 pairs. What a waste of money! This one finally is not going anywhere. I just wish I knew more about the Q701. Maybe it's really not all marketing. I wish and hope to know eventually.

 

[brasewel]

To me the K701 seems like a one-trick pony when it comes to listening certain genres of music. It does have good bass extension but lacks impact. Pairing it with a good tube amp does improve the bass a little but not enough in my books. Additionally, they seem to have sparkly treble (similar to the HD800) that can get extremely annoying after prolonged listening. They also seem to lack the resolution of higher end headphones. 

 

[GanjaCityStudio]

Bought some Qs hav'nt had time to really use them yet but they do look good just hung up.

 

[Napilopez]

Quote:

What are the weaknesses of the K701/K702? So far I've discovered they're fairly thin sounding and lack bass. I personally have zero issues with their bass. I've found that both of these problems can be corrected with specific amps.
 
People say a thinner sounding headphone is a negative, but I don't. Not always and it depends on preference. Some music sounds better on an HD-650 (that I like) and others on the K702. I prefer acoustic guitar music on the "thinner sounding" K702. Yes, really.
 
The only annoyance and negative for me is that often music sounds as if I'm listening to it on speakers. This isn't a bit deal, but I like more of an up-front experience and for that I have my K601 and HD-598. My amp makes the K702 have more of that slightly more up-front experience, but I'm not quite there yet. I do know that the K601 pads on the K702 help, but then I get too much treble.
 
OK, I guess there is more than one more negative for me. I've yet to tame it's treble. I'm only at hour 50-60 with burn-in and that could be why. I do  understand that specific tube amps can do this and maybe a specific solid state amp that rolls off the high end. One idea I had is to recable the K702/K702 with Canare. This REALLY seemed to smooth out the treble on my HD-650 and that's why I removed it. I want MORE treble on my HD-650 and not less! I will find out if it helps very soon. I HOPE that 100 hours of burn-in will help, but I might be only dreaming...
 
I tried a cheap Mogami cable the other day and the bass really improved a lot, but still nowhere near bass heavy. I was basically very impressed with how much better the bass was. With the Mogami I could never call it bass light anymore. Best of all, it only costs under $20 to make a Mogami Cable.
 
I guess all this have been gone over too much, but I do believe most the K702/K701 issues can be corrected with a lot of work, but won't totally transform them. I think some genres are not going to be great on the K702/K701 no matter what! Still fairly good.
 
I do have a feeling that in the future the K702 will be my most listened to headphone. Right now it's the K601, but the K702/K701 is technically the better headphone. K702 is the one headphone I keep going back to. I still wonder why I sold my first pair years ago. I think I've bought and resold at least 3 pairs. What a waste of money! This one finally is not going anywhere. I just wish I knew more about the Q701. Maybe it's really not all marketing. I wish and hope to know eventually.

How would you compare the bass of the K70X and the HD598, in terms of extension and impact? I get the impression the K70X extends further but the HD598 has a little more impact; would that be correct? These two headphones are currently my top choices for my next cans, with the amp-pickiness and  lack of impact of the K70X and the inferior detail resolution of the HD598 holding me back from either.

 

[jaeming]

I like the K701's for the wide soundstage and clarity. They definitely work well with classical and acoustic stuff. Sounded nice with some jazz and blues to me as well.
For the price and the age, I think they are gold.
But then again, me experience with modern headphones (in the last 10 years) are somewhat limited.

 

[Surruk]

Still enjoying mine ^_^
initially i thought i may trade them for something a bit more fun, but now i am used to them i cant believe i was considering that. All my favorite music works so well with them.
 
i would like some advice from anyone willing though. Basically most of the music i listen to is orchestral or small group classical recorded at live concerts (eminence symphony orchestra is a good example). unfortunately most of my favorite groups lack decent budgets, thus the recordings are not too crash hot. could anyone recommend (or better yet provide) a few really well recorded mixed and mastered songs that will really make these headphones sing?

 

[jaeming]

Quote:

Still enjoying mine ^_^
initially i thought i may trade them for something a bit more fun, but now i am used to them i cant believe i was considering that. All my favorite music works so well with them.
 
i would like some advice from anyone willing though. Basically most of the music i listen to is orchestral or small group classical recorded at live concerts (eminence symphony orchestra is a good example). unfortunately most of my favorite groups lack decent budgets, thus the recordings are not too crash hot. could anyone recommend (or better yet provide) a few really well recorded mixed and mastered songs that will really make these headphones sing?

I use Grooveshark. Get a client like Swingfish (mac) or the equivalent PC App to capture your feed. Search for artist and albums but the real gold is in searching other people's playlists. I was surprised that actually most of what I recorded from there was more than 128 kilobits. Most of it was at least 198 and if you found a fellow-appreciative person's playlist, you could easily enough rip 256kb. 
 
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Sorry, didn't see this post right away. You're exactly right. The K702 extends further down and the 598 definitely has more bass impact. HD-598 of course isn't even remotely bass heavy, but most people know that.
Quote:

How would you compare the bass of the K70X and the HD598, in terms of extension and impact? I get the impression the K70X extends further but the HD598 has a little more impact; would that be correct? These two headphones are currently my top choices for my next cans, with the amp-pickiness and  lack of impact of the K70X and the inferior detail resolution of the HD598 holding me back from either.

 

 

[tdockweiler]

I thought people may find this interesting. It's mostly for people that have a K702, but would apply to the K701 as well...
 
It seems like many people complain about the lack of bass on the K702 and K701. Then there is the issue of treble. As much as I love the K702, it's treble can be bothersome. I'm fine with the bass.
 
First off, recently I recabled my HD-650 and DJ100 with Canare Starquad cable. It added too much bass and rolled off the highs. Not a good match for these two headphones since they already have rolled off highs and more than enough bass. Adding these cables seemed to mess with the sound clarity on these two headphones.
 
I thought this Canare might be a good option for the K702. I can confirm that it's a great match for the K702/K701. It slightly tames the treble and adds a little warmth to the sound. There is also a bit more bass. The difference is quite large, but of course it doesn't make it bass heavy. Seriously, try a Canare cable and tell me if the K702 is still bass light! I never thought it was to begin with, but the extra bass is so nice.
 
Sadly, there is a bit of a loss of some detail, but it's not too bad. For lots of detail and a more neutral sound, I prefer the Mogami.
 
Best of all, to make a K702 cable it will only cost you under $20 including shipping. Making cables is quite fun. You need Canare Mini Starquad, a 3.55mm plug (1/4" is easier to solder), Mini-XLR plug and some heatshrink tubing. You can even get the cable in Smurf blue! That's what I'm using.
 
Of course if you don't believe in cable upgrades, feel free to ignore this.

I certainly do! Loving my HD-650 with Mogami and my K702 with the Canare!

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

I thought people may find this interesting. It's mostly for people that have a K702, but would apply to the K701 as well...
 
It seems like many people complain about the lack of bass on the K702 and K701. Then there is the issue of treble. As much as I love the K702, it's treble can be bothersome. I'm fine with the bass.
 
First off, recently I recabled my HD-650 and DJ100 with Canare Starquad cable. It added too much bass and rolled off the highs. Not a good match for these two headphones since they already have rolled off highs and more than enough bass. Adding these cables seemed to mess with the sound clarity on these two headphones.
 
I thought this Canare might be a good option for the K702. I can confirm that it's a great match for the K702/K701. It slightly tames the treble and adds a little warmth to the sound. There is also a bit more bass. The difference is quite large, but of course it doesn't make it bass heavy. Seriously, try a Canare cable and tell me if the K702 is still bass light! I never thought it was to begin with, but the extra bass is so nice.
 
Sadly, there is a bit of a loss of some detail, but it's not too bad. For lots of detail and a more neutral sound, I prefer the Mogami.
 
Best of all, to make a K702 cable it will only cost you under $20 including shipping. Making cables is quite fun. You need Canare Mini Starquad, a 3.55mm plug (1/4" is easier to solder), Mini-XLR plug and some heatshrink tubing. You can even get the cable in Smurf blue! That's what I'm using.
 
Of course if you don't believe in cable upgrades, feel free to ignore this.

I certainly do! Loving my HD-650 with Mogami and my K702 with the Canare!

I've been reading...okay, skimming, your posts on wrestling with the 600s, 650s and 702s for a few months now.  You went through quite a number of amps with the 650, now cables.  I know this is the K70x appreciation thread, but perhaps you should look ahead?  I just picked up the Hifiman 5LEs after auditioning them.  I like them quite bit beter than both the 650s and 70xs.  They fix the issues with both and keep their strengths, while improving outright in other areas like soundstage and resolution.  Good luck with the tweaks.  =]

 

[tdockweiler]

You're absolutely right about wrestling with those headphones! The HD-650 and K702 have been the pickiest headphones I've ever had when it has come to amplification. I already bought a new amp for the HD-650 and another for the K702. Luckily the second one was perfect for both. All this effort has been such a learning experience. Never really believed in amp synergy and cables until I've proven myself wrong recently.
 
I'm really too cheap for even more expensive headphones. I think $450 is my limit. Maybe someday I'll go higher, but I've spend more money in the last months on amps/headphones then I have in the past.
 
The good news is that I've now perfected the K702 and HD-650 to sound like I want. Took a lot of work, but i'm completely satisfied now. It's also cool to now been able to make my own cables. I had no clue even how to solder properly a few months ago.
 
5LE sounds interesting though and I'll have to check more into them. W1000X has interested me the most lately, but the K702 and HD-650 will be good for now. With the  on the K702 I've now tamed it's treble and it's so nice. Some will hate the resulting sound, but now it sounds more natural for ALL my music. K702 with a little extra bass doesn't hurt. Now it makes me wonder if the Q701 that supposedly sounds different just had a cable change to tune the sound a little. Doubt it, but it could be done!
 
Somehow the K702 with the Canare cable just doesn't sound like the usual K702 anymore. This is really bizarre. Sounds more like an HD-600 with more detail/clarity and a super huge soundstage

 
Quote:

Quote:

I've been reading...okay, skimming, your posts on wrestling with the 600s, 650s and 702s for a few months now.  You went through quite a number of amps with the 650, now cables.  I know this is the K70x appreciation thread, but perhaps you should look ahead?  I just picked up the Hifiman 5LEs after auditioning them.  I like them quite bit beter than both the 650s and 70xs.  They fix the issues with both and keep their strengths, while improving outright in other areas like soundstage and resolution.  Good luck with the tweaks.  =]

 

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

You're absolutely right about wrestling with those headphones! The HD-650 and K702 have been the pickiest headphones I've ever had when it has come to amplification. I already bought a new amp for the HD-650 and another for the K702. Luckily the second one was perfect for both. All this effort has been such a learning experience. Never really believed in amp synergy and cables until I've proven myself wrong recently.
 
I'm really too cheap for even more expensive headphones. I think $450 is my limit. Maybe someday I'll go higher, but I've spend more money in the last months on amps/headphones then I have in the past.
 
The good news is that I've now perfected the K702 and HD-650 to sound like I want. Took a lot of work, but i'm completely satisfied now. It's also cool to now been able to make my own cables. I had no clue even how to solder properly a few months ago.
 
5LE sounds interesting though and I'll have to check more into them. W1000X has interested me the most lately, but the K702 and HD-650 will be good for now. With the  on the K702 I've now tamed it's treble and it's so nice. Some will hate the resulting sound, but now it sounds more natural for ALL my music. K702 with a little extra bass doesn't hurt. Now it makes me wonder if the Q701 that supposedly sounds different just had a cable change to tune the sound a little. Doubt it, but it could be done!
 
Somehow the K702 with the Canare cable just doesn't sound like the usual K702 anymore. This is really bizarre. Sounds more like an HD-600 with more detail/clarity and a super huge soundstage

Well the journey is fun, even if expensive and draining.  I think the kicker though, is the fact that a 5LE rig costs less or the same as a K701 or HD650 rig.  =]  And beats the pants off of them in overall performance.  
 
It helps to look at your rig as one entity w/ one cost.  It doesn't cost much to amp the 5LEs since you pretty much have to stay away from the niche head-amp market, your Onkyo receiver might be just what the doctor ordered, with or w/o speaker taps.
 
Trust me, I know how picky those two phones you own are, I ended up selling both.  They really respond well to amplification, so you're always tempted to hit the next level, the only problem is that sometimes, your overall budget will hit a level where you can just move on to the next best transducer.  In terms of costs, the 5LEs is the best decision I made while here on head-fi.  Ironically, it's also an upgrade.
 
I notice you don't have a quality source yet though, that should be a priority.  I think when you decide to invest in one it will hit you like a ton of bricks how much of a difference it makes.

 

[tdockweiler]

 
Quote:

Quote:

Well the journey is fun, even if expensive and draining.  I think the kicker though, is the fact that a 5LE rig costs less or the same as a K701 or HD650 rig.  =]  And beats the pants off of them in overall performance.  
 
It helps to look at your rig as one entity w/ one cost.  It doesn't cost much to amp the 5LEs since you pretty much have to stay away from the niche head-amp market, your Onkyo receiver might be just what the doctor ordered, with or w/o speaker taps.
 
Trust me, I know how picky those two phones you own are, I ended up selling both.  They really respond well to amplification, so you're always tempted to hit the next level, the only problem is that sometimes, your overall budget will hit a level where you can just move on to the next best transducer.  In terms of costs, the 5LEs is the best decision I made while here on head-fi.  Ironically, it's also an upgrade.
 
I notice you don't have a quality source yet though, that should be a priority.  I think when you decide to invest in one it will hit you like a ton of bricks how much of a difference it makes.

Well, I've got an Oppo CD player (OPDV-971). People come up with this idea that my "audiophile" OLD Playstation 1 is equivalent to a $10,000 CD player and I don't understand that non-sense because my Oppo CD player sounds much better. Upstairs I listen to CDs a lot still. I also have a DAC connected to my laptop that has all my ripped Lossless files on it. Sometimes I use a docked Ipod Touch (line out) and can't tell a huge difference between my DAC and Ipod Touch (line-out) as a source. People can say I'm deaf all they want, but it's not too bad. My DAC is nothing special but gets the job done. I almost always prefer the sound of CD although it can be an annoyance. My weakest link is my DAC but I still prefer CDs on my Oppo, but the DAC will get upgraded sooner or later.