[xxAMAROKxx]

..... Might I suggest since I did it on my AkG701s Upgrade the Headphone plug to Furutech headphone plug. The change in sound is definitely worth the investment. If you liked the AG 701s you will like them even more after you upgrade the headphone plug.

Not always. I changed the cable for a better quality copper one (Furutech UP-OCC) and the sound signature was worse and unbalanced, with a big peak at lower treble.

 

[buson160man]

Not always. I changed the cable for a better quality copper one (Furutech UP-OCC) and the sound signature was worse and unbalanced, with a big peak at lower treble.

Not in my experience. It worked for me. The 701 sounded much better. Smoother and with much better bass reproduction.

 

[MakeshiftApe]

Has anyone found pads for the K701/K702 that don't change the sound from the stock pads? I've seen measurements of various pads, and most seem to either slightly further decrease the already rolled off bass (Geekria etc), or substantially boost the bass/lower mids (Brainwavz). Neither would be ideal for me since I honestly like the K702 sound signature stock more than any other headphone or tuning I've listened to. I can't seem to see anywhere selling just the regular OG pads, but I'd like to have a pair ready for when mine need replacing in case they become harder to buy in future.

 

[tomasg]

Bought used K701 for a silly price - could not resist. But now I have a problem.
After reading about these beauties years ago I heard exactly what reviewers were talking about. You cannot use them with any source.

First I tried them atraight out if laptop. Shouty, harsh, no bass (even compared with my Sony MDR-F1). Then tried with quite old Topping usb dac/amp. Sounded even worse.

Then tried with dedicated Philips CD recorder. Much better, but still a bit bass-shy, and harsh treble. But that's expected from old inexpensive CD player.

What kind of USB dac/amp would you recommend to get the most bang for buck paired with K701? What do you pair them with?

Thanks!

 

[menchi]

What kind of USB dac/amp would you recommend to get the most bang for buck paired with K701? What do you pair them with?

Not sure about nowadays, but back then an amp that would boost the bass while smoothening the rest of the sound signature. That was the Heed CanAmp.

Perhaps nowadays you could try Peace and use one the K701 settings with a modern Amp/DAC.

Nice! Anyone know if the Q and K have different tunings, or it’s just cosmetic? I’ve got a K, 7 bump headband, angled pads. Don’t know the year.

Yes, the Q has a different tuning than the K, mostly a mild improvement in the bass end.

 

[Redcarmoose]

The AKG k701s can come alive from a number of sources. Like an AV receiver, or the Schiit Asgard amplifier, even a few portable amps they are good. When they become great headphones would be matched with like a Woo 5LE. Where the 5LE offers them unlimited power plus the warmth of 300b tubes. I still have two pairs of k701s and will never sell them. They are great for watching movies due to great dialogue reproduction, that and they offer a good home theater experience with the sound having nice separation. But get them a mismatched amplifier and they can be a good example of thin and uninvolved.

 

[Deckard001]

Can K701 driven properly with mojo 2 or any good dac/amp dongle?

With my CanAmp they really shine and are very nice for music I think

 

[Sam21]

I would recommend Schiit Magni+ Heretic and Topping L30 II for K702/1

 

[upstateguy]

Bought used K701 for a silly price - could not resist. But now I have a problem.
After reading about these beauties years ago I heard exactly what reviewers were talking about. You cannot use them with any source.

First I tried them atraight out if laptop. Shouty, harsh, no bass (even compared with my Sony MDR-F1). Then tried with quite old Topping usb dac/amp. Sounded even worse.

Then tried with dedicated Philips CD recorder. Much better, but still a bit bass-shy, and harsh treble. But that's expected from old inexpensive CD player.

What kind of USB dac/amp would you recommend to get the most bang for buck paired with K701? What do you pair them with?

Thanks!

I never got them to sound right, even with a CanAmp. A lot of people acclimated to the sound, but when you compare it to something like a 650, you can immediately hear it's shortcomings. I haven't used them in years but what I remember is that I attempted to "fix" the sound with Foobar EQ and a Woo 3 amp. So to answer your question, any decent amp with coupled with enough Foobar EQ should do the trick and get it to sound sorta the way you want, within the limits of it's drivers. The results are more EQ than amp, unless you find one that really colors the sound, and who wants that, right?

Looking back in my Foobar EQ presets from 2009, I found 26 preset attempts to "fix" the sound. I was never satisfied, so I put them in a Jumbo baggie, put them in a drawer and forgot about them. If you're interested, this is where I started.

 

[MakeshiftApe]

Bought used K701 for a silly price - could not resist. But now I have a problem.
After reading about these beauties years ago I heard exactly what reviewers were talking about. You cannot use them with any source.

First I tried them atraight out if laptop. Shouty, harsh, no bass (even compared with my Sony MDR-F1). Then tried with quite old Topping usb dac/amp. Sounded even worse.

Then tried with dedicated Philips CD recorder. Much better, but still a bit bass-shy, and harsh treble. But that's expected from old inexpensive CD player.

What kind of USB dac/amp would you recommend to get the most bang for buck paired with K701? What do you pair them with?

Thanks!

Although it could be your gear I think it's worth remembering that the K701 is a pretty forward headphone in the upper mids and throughout the treble. Overlay it on top of something like the HD800S and you'll see it's basically more forward than it across that entire range, and the HD800S as we know is a polarising headphone for its treble - some loving it, others finding it too bright/harsh.

So if you're not finding it quite there even after experimenting with several amps I would definitely give EQ a try as someone else suggested. Bringing down 2.5KHz a little if you find it shouty, or bringing down the whole treble by 2-3dB if you find it too harsh. Boost the low end as you see fit.

I'm personally a fan of the stock sound signature of the K7 range but I definitely can understand how someone else with more treble sensitive ears would find them harsh.

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/akg-k701-studio-headphones.11862/reviews#review-15007

I reviewed it in January of 2016, even then it was almost an unknown. It came out in 2006/2007............a few years before the HD800 in 2009, and was accepted by some, but then became a controversial headphone, still I like what it does, and there is still (I don't think) anything like it?

 

[upstateguy]

Although it could be your gear I think it's worth remembering that the K701 is a pretty forward headphone in the upper mids and throughout the treble. Overlay it on top of something like the HD800S and you'll see it's basically more forward than it across that entire range, and the HD800S as we know is a polarising headphone for its treble - some loving it, others finding it too bright/harsh.

So if you're not finding it quite there even after experimenting with several amps I would definitely give EQ a try as someone else suggested. Bringing down 2.5KHz a little if you find it shouty, or bringing down the whole treble by 2-3dB if you find it too harsh. Boost the low end as you see fit.

I'm personally a fan of the stock sound signature of the K7 range but I definitely can understand how someone else with more treble sensitive ears would find them harsh.

If you can't fix it with EQ and a decent amp, you can't fix it.

 

[Sam21]

I am going to buy the Q701 or K702, do they sound very different when compared to eachother ? How about when changing pads to memory foam(K712) pads ? what about cheap memory foam pads sold on eBay and amazon ?

 

[NotJeffBuckley]

Q701 sounds pretty much like I remember it sounding with some of the foam pads from Amazon. Sense memory ain't the most reliable thing in the world and it's been about a decade since they were new. So take that into account. But, if I compare them to my K712 with stock pads, they are how I remember. Much lighter but also tighter in the bass, super analytical treble, remarkable space between the farthest points of the soundstage. Great pair of headphones for the studio, sounds awesome with some music, sounds "where'd the lows go" with some music. I used the Geekria Comfort Velour pads, $20 or under.

 

[gefski]

Time to reach for my K701 (7 bump headband and angled pads) again and pair with an amp I haven’t before. Happens when someone “wakes up” this thread.