[fishski13]

Quote:

Um, I don't think the K701s have a detachable cable.  Only the 702s or Q701s.  
 
Edit: never mind, I thought you were looking for a plug and play solution.

edit:  i read your edit too late

.

 

[willthong]

Sorry, but I'm going to BUMP my request
 
Thanks in advance
 
Quote:

Alright, I've had the K701s (7-bump arrggh gonna try the sock) for a while, but I still haven't found a desktop amp. Could anybody help me? I didn't want to start a new thread, because we already have enough of these
 
I've been running through the iBasso D4 Mamba running DAC/Amp duty, so obviously not enough ooomph there. I'll still use it as my DAC and portable amp, so it'll go Laptop -> USB -> D4 -> mysteryamp -> K701. Criteria as follows:
 
- Desktop amp
- 200USD / 120GBP budget
- No DIY
- Tube or SS, either way I don't mind, I realise tubes are more 'personal' but require more upkeep
 
Candidates:
- MP-301 Mk1 if I can find one
- Fiio E9
 
Thanks a lot in advance!

 

 

[Happy Camper]

Your budget will keep you in the used ss market. $500-1000 will get you into a good amp for them.

 

[Napilopez]

So like 50% of new posters in this thread, I wanted to ask about amps. I already have on the amp forum, but I figured this might be a better place to ask specifically for the K702. Note that I haven't bought one yet.

Decent warm amp for the K702 under 150? The cheaper the better. Obviously I won't be getting the full potential of these headphones through such amps, but after hours upon hours of research I'm pretty confident I could get enjoyable results with something cheap until I can upgrade later down the line.

Right now I'm leaning towards either the Indeed G2 or the Bravo V3, as it seems almost everyone who has tried one with a K70X has liked them, and they don't seem to have any issue powering them. They seem tobe nicely synergistic. I've heard of a couple of other amp options that seem like a decent option, but I'm quite sure I would need either a warm SS or a tube/hybrid in order to get a sound I'd prefer from the K702.

I'd really appreciate more info on either of the two I've mentioned!

Thank alot in advance! I know this questions appears tons of times, but as a budget-conscious buyer I do like to know what the most recent info is.

 

[obazavil]

Yeah...
 
How is the K702 with the Lyr? Anyone has it?

 

[ocswing]

I was able to hear the K702 out of a Lyr this weekend and liked it a lot. The Lyr has more than enough power and it adds some nice warmth to the sound. I heard the K702 out of the Fiio E7/E9 as well and preferred the sound out of the Lyr. Nice thing about the Lyr is that if you think you'll scale up in the future it should still work well.
 
Quote:

Yeah...
 
How is the K702 with the Lyr? Anyone has it?

 

 

[Napilopez]

Does anyone by any chance know whether it sounds better through a Mini3 or a Starving Student? Those two seem like my most likely DIY projects and I'm curious as to which would be the better fit. I'm guessing the Starving Student but I like the idea of a portable amp.

 

[menchi]

Quote:

I was able to hear the K702 out of a Lyr this weekend and liked it a lot. The Lyr has more than enough power and it adds some nice warmth to the sound.

Have you ever tried any other tube amps in the similar price range? Such as the WooAudio 6? I'm curious for impressions with the K701s against various higher-end tube amps.
 

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Have you ever tried any other tube amps in the similar price range? Such as the WooAudio 6? I'm curious for impressions with the K701s against various higher-end tube amps.
 

WA6 > Lyr w/ K701s.
 

 

[brasewel]

The WA6SE >> Lyr for the K701 IMO

 

[menchi]

Well, I already knew previously that you two held that stance. I was hoping to get feedback from other members, and with other tube amp experiences in general.

 
The reason being is someday I do feel I want to try experimenting with higher-end tube amps, and I want one that will give me just as good if not better syngergy than the current CanAmp.

 

[ocswing]

Unfortunately I haven't heard the K701 paired with higher end tube amps than the Lyr. I've heard it on some higher end SS amps and some lower end Tube Amps. I would probably trust the others that the WA6 is better than the Lyr with the K701, but how much better I don't know. 
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by menchi /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
Have you ever tried any other tube amps in the similar price range? Such as the WooAudio 6? I'm curious for impressions with the K701s against various higher-end tube amps.
 

 

 

[brasewel]

Quote:

Well, I already knew previously that you two held that stance. I was hoping to get feedback from other members, and with other tube amp experiences in general.

 
The reason being is someday I do feel I want to try experimenting with higher-end tube amps, and I want one that will give me just as good if not better syngergy than the current CanAmp.

Oh did we? 

 Must have been the other thread since there are countless K701 appreciation threads floating around. Asking people is not really going to help, you're going to get varying opinions. You will either have to attend a meet or experiment. Start off with something relatively cheap like the WA6 and if you don't like the Woo Sound get something else like the DNA Sonnet.
 

 

[SP Wild]

Quote:

Quote:

This was the post that inspired me to chase tubes for my K701s.  So far, I'm VERY happy with my purchase of a used WA6.  I don't want to be redundant but SP's impressions here are spot on for what tranformer-coupled tubes do for the 701s.  I've never enjoyed my K701s as much as I do now, with a wider range of music as well.  Will post more impressions once my NFB-2 DAC arrives.
 
 
 

Yes, I think the K701 is a lot like the HD800...it seems to have very specific amping requirements to match my tastes.
 
IMO, this "plasticky" midrange as I hear it, is an upper mid peak (upper ranges of females vocals and where a lot of transient information takes place) - a strength because of the details but for my ears, also a flaw.  Even when paired to a warm and bassy amplifier, this flaw still occurs, but less aggravating.
 
The total solution for me was not a "warm" amp, but a "midrangey" amp...in that an amp with a specific peak in the central midrange eradicated the upper mid peak (a peak is only a peak comparatively, if we boost the neighbouring frequency that the peak is peaking from, we no longer have a peak).
 
Lean tube amps is what the doctor ordered for me.  Incidently, when I hear that Jason Stoddard believed that the inexpensive Schiit Valhalla synergised the best with K701, and then reading that the Valhalla was not warm, but rather lean, I was not at all surprised.
 
The K701 and the Ming Da amp (not warm but very midrangey and a little dark) did the trick for me.  I also switched it to the solid state Lehmann Black Cubed amp...and the K701 sounded a trace warmer with the Black Cube amp...but that upper mid peak was very noticeable, and the added warmth did not actually help in this case at all.  The Black cube was not a warm amp, but also a little lean overall.
 
I don't have either amp anymore, but these days, I run the K701 balanced with the Phoenix and Reference 7, outright, the Ming Da was still slightly better (I picked mine up for just over 300 bucks brand new from ebay).  The Ming Da was something special, it didn't matter what source I had it connected to, it was so colored in its own distortions, that any source differences are just about overuled by the tube euphonics.  Source was a non issue with the Ming Da amp, very unique in my travels, I pod worked just fine.  But whatever strong flavour the MD had it just matched the K701.
 
I use my K701s exclusively at low volume listening, where it gets a majority of my head time, only the LCD2s can claim more overall head time from the K701s.  This time around, it is used exclusively with a free crossfeed plug-in called headfit, which absolutely solves the midrange glare, whilst at the same time warms up the sound - the MD amp couldn't do this, nor can my warm amps.  Imaging and instrument separation becomes very exact with this crossfeed.
 
One does not need to spend a lot to amplify the K701 correctly and satisfactorily.  My belief system also goes that the midrange glare I heard may well be non present to someone else which happens to have a HRTF that corresponds well with these nice cans (but compared to other cans its always there regardless - or other cans are too surpressed at the upper mids).  The K701 makes some of the best trebles to my ears....comparatively rolled off after about 12 khz.
 
My HD650s were superseded by the LCD2s, but I have yet to supersede the K701s...the HD800 could have been....but I found it too bright in the treble - the HD800 scarred me from its signature after using it exclusively for many many weeks.  Often I just wanna hear all the details in the music and enjoy music from a different distance.  I still can't see how anyone could only use one headphone.  The HD650 with a bright recording sounds the same to me as the K701 on a warm recording.
 

 

[brasewel]

Quote:

 
I don't have either amp anymore, but these days, I run the K701 balanced with the Phoenix and Reference 7, outright, the Ming Da was still slightly better (I picked mine up for just over 300 bucks brand new from ebay).  The Ming Da was something special, it didn't matter what source I had it connected to, it was so colored in its own distortions, that any source differences are just about overuled by the tube euphonics.  Source was a non issue with the Ming Da amp, very unique in my travels, I pod worked just fine.  But whatever strong flavour the MD had it just matched the K701.
 

Could you tell me the sonic differences you heard between the K701 SE and Balanced? Did it help the midrange or some of the spiky treble issues.