[TwelveTrains]

  K701s arrived!
 
First time I've a "good" pair of headphones.
I usually listen music with this setup: PC's Toslink -> Modi Multibit -> KRK Rokit 6" Studio Monitors.
 
And this is what I learned with the AKGs:
 
- Test A: Modi Multibit (only DAC) -> K701:  50-70% is more than enough (volume) for me, 100% is "too loud", unless I'm listening classic music. BUT....loud frequency has a lot of distortion, specially at 100% volume. ( I assume this is because the lack of an amplifier ). Hi Freq is superb, but low to mid frequency is completely ****ty (really horrible) with just only the DAC. (It just happens in most dance/chill out songs) a lot of distortion! Unusable....
Or maybe because of the output impedance of the multibit?
 
- Test B: uDAC 2 (mini DAC+AMP) -> K701s (I had the uDAC-2 in a box, stored after getting the Modi Multibit): This is another story....Of course the uDAC-2 is not as good as the Multibit (as a DAC), but the (I assume "small") amplifier here..... solves all (or almost all) the distortion I was getting with the modi multibit.
 
(BTW, Multibit delivers MUCH MORE and defined Low Frequency than my uDAC-2 with my studio monitors, so this could be the reason in which this DAC alone, without an amp, sucks with the AKG K701s). 
 
So, yes, I can't believe there is people who drive these phones without an amp!
 
What's left...is to choose to get a good amp for these headphones...My best bet is the "Fulla 2", so I can use it as an amp at home (using Multibit as a dac) and as an amp+dac (like the udac-2) when not at home. I just hope that the multibit + fulla 2 delivers better performance than the Multibit alone (without the low end distortions).
 
Now...if you think the Fulla 2 will be terrible for K701s...please tell me, so I can consider the Vali 2..(and forget about a portable amp+dac like the fulla is). 

Why on earth are you listening to these headphones directly from the Modi? How are you even connecting them? The output impedence of the Modi is not designed for headphones at all. You aren't going to be able to hear any "quality" of the DAC component of it by doing this.

 

[thesebastian]

  Why on earth are you listening to these headphones directly from the Modi? How are you even connecting them? The output impedence of the Modi is not designed for headphones at all. You aren't going to be able to hear any "quality" of the DAC component of it by doing this.

 
Sorry man....to be honest I read something about a "1:8 impedance rule" between an amp's output and headphone's input.
But I've thought that the impedance of my DAC was another kind of stuff. Now, I've learned that this output impedance (75 ohms) is exactly the same as the one mentioned in the headphone amplifiers (0.5 ohms, 1.2 ohms, 5.8 ohms, etc). 
 
What I did know is that I was going to need a headphone amplifier. That's what I've been asking. Do you think a "Fulla 2" amp is a good choice to pair with the Modi Multibit?

 

[TwelveTrains]

   
Sorry man....to be honest I read something about a "1:8 impedance rule" between an amp's output and headphone's input.
But I've thought that the impedance of my DAC was another kind of stuff. Now, I've learned that this output impedance (75 ohms) is exactly the same as the one mentioned in the headphone amplifiers (0.5 ohms, 1.2 ohms, 5.8 ohms, etc). 
 
What I did know is that I was going to need a headphone amplifier. That's what I've been asking. Do you think a "Fulla 2" amp is a good choice to pair with the Modi Multibit?

For the K701's, I think you'd be better off with the Magni 2. The K701's aren't a great traveling headphone, as they work best with desktop amps in my personal experience.
 
The Fulla 2 would work fine with the Modi, but the Fulla 2 already has a DAC in it. I think running an external DAC into a Fulla 2 is a little overkill, the DAC in the Fulla 2 is fine.

 

[thesebastian]

  For the K701's, I think you'd be better off with the Magni 2. The K701's aren't a great traveling headphone, as they work best with desktop amps in my personal experience.
 
The Fulla 2 would work fine with the Modi, but the Fulla 2 already has a DAC in it. I think running an external DAC into a Fulla 2 is a little overkill, the DAC in the Fulla 2 is fine.

 
Thanks for the answer TwelveTrains!
I must skip the Magni 2 because it has no preamp outputs (for the monitors), so my options are:
 
- Fulla 2 - 100 USD - (bypassing its DAC at Home, but using the DAC when I'm not at home). (I'd be using Multibit -> RCA to 1/8 jack -> Fulla 2 analog input -> Headphone Output & Preamp Output. A nice spaghetti of cables...)
 
- Magni 2 Uber - 150 USD - 
 
- Vali 2 - 170 USD - (Maybe the best of the 3 amps I listed?). 
 
If there's a huge difference in quality between the fulla's amp and the vali's or magni's amp...I have no other choice than to buy a desktop amp and forget the Fulla....For the time being (next month) I could use the old the uDAC-2....
 
But is more complex than this...next year I won't step into my home within the week, only weekends, so I liked the idea of carrying the K701s + the Fulla within the week using the laptop etc )

 

[RamblinE]

I modified my K701s (#42676) with the felt disks underneath the silver grates, from my Q701s, and the Annie pads. The plug on my original cable went bad but I opted for a factory replacement from Harmon and soldered it in myself. The mods have added a touch of warmth and a little bit more presence and body. They're not as thin as they used to be. Lately I have been using a 600ohm AKG K240DF at the computer. My K701s are mostly used around the apartment with my LG V20 (amazing output for a phone).

 

[thesebastian]

Good stuff there. I'm honestly tempted to try the bass mod, but so far I'll keep it stock. 3 weeks ago I temporarily broke mines (my fault, for putting them in my baggage instead of the backpack), one of the cables went loose and left sound stopped working, run to a hardware store, got a solder (I have 0 experience soldering) and after a few attempts I fixed it. 
 
Some updates:
- I finally got the Fulla 2 (in January), and is a very good dac/amp for these HPs. I'm using it at home, and when travelling for work (at the hotels). I don't use more than 50-60% of the Fulla2 volume level. 
- I've now decided to purchase a Lyr 2 for home (will arrive in a week or two). This will be my first desktop amp. Also bought 2 cheap russian tubes in eBay. So, as soon as I try this stuff, will report back!

 

[RamblinE]

I did the bass mode on my Q701s. I found that it worked but that the bass didn't sound as natural afterwards.

 

[hf6576]

My K701 exhibits huge soundstage when paired with Schiit Lyr2, high gain. The soundstage is almost as impressing as that of K812. 

 

[thesebastian]

I did the bass mode on my Q701s. I found that it worked but that the bass didn't sound as natural afterwards.

I did the bass mod. But fifty-fifty. I put some punched stickers (with thooth picks) and found a perfect balance for the K701 for Rock....Heavy Bass music and all kind of music. I'm matching them with some Voskhods tubes in a Lyr 2, these tubes also have some emphasis in the bass.

The full open mod was a bit heavy for my ears...good with rock but painful with punchy music with deep bass. So a half mod is perfect in my opinion.

Sent from my Nexus 6P

 

[maheeinfy]

Was the headband on K701 revised by AKG ?
 
I see that Adorama sells ths and there are no bumps on the headband
 

 

[thesebastian]

Was the headband on K701 revised by AKG ?
 
I see that Adorama sells ths and there are no bumps on the headband
 

There not bumps any more. I think the ones with bumps are old and Made in Austria (fixed). (not in China)

Sent from my Nexus 6P

 

[SP Wild]

I didn't know they moved the Harmon factory that made K701s in Austria all the way to Australia.

Cool. You learn something new everyday!










I am being sarcastic...

 

[thesebastian]

I didn't know they moved the Harmon factory that made K701s in Austria all the way to Australia.

Cool. You learn something new everyday!










I am being sarcastic...

lol I fixed the typo

 

[TDL-speakers]

Some help please.

Just acquired a set of used K701's. They appear to have 8 bumps on the headband, are Made in Austria.

I notice the lettering on the (AKG) on both sides is fading and can easily scratch off. The same thing happens on the L R lettering too. Why is this??

Serial Number- 79487

Should I worry about this?

Thanks.

S.

 

[Audioholic123]

Some help please.

Just acquired a set of used K701's. They appear to have 8 bumps on the headband, are Made in Austria.

I notice the lettering on the (AKG) on both sides is fading and can easily scratch off. The same thing happens on the L R lettering too. Why is this??

Serial Number- 79487

Should I worry about this?

Thanks.

S.

This kind of thing happens with age. Perhaps the quality of the ink AKG used at the time was not the best.