Quote:
Hey Napalmk, what do you think when compare between K701 and AD2000?
When I compare K701 and AD1000PRM, I found that K701 has better separation and offering better naturality, while AD1000PRM has thicker and more lush vocal.
I think those are close to my initial findings though I haven't had the time to do a head to head so I'm going from memory so please don't take this a my final word. Here are my initial impressions and quasi-comparison I wrote last night. I've included a conclusion if you don't want to read all of it. I also didn't say too much about the highs or mids as they take a bit more time for me to form an impression. Take these with a good sized chunk of salt as I haven't been able to do a direct comparison between these two and of course these are just my opinions and nothing more.
[size=16pt]Initial musing on the AD2000 vs K701[/size]
Equipment used:
PC->uDac->Gilmore Lite->AD2000 and K701 (though the comparison was
NOT direct.)
Of all the cans I've owned the AD2000s have come closest to perfection. They do lack a little weight in the bass department but almost everything else is good sound wise. The lack of weight is made up for by the detailed, fast, punchy and defined bass. Very nice something I don't get from my modded D2000s. The K701s bass is pretty punchy but not as well defined as the AD2000 not something that's particularly surprising as the AD2000 has some of the best bass I've heard.
Mids and Highs:
The K701 lacks the succulent midrange of the AD2000 and the highs are more elevated. Nothing too bad but a little uncomfortable nonetheless. I do notice some level of sibilance but it's not too bad on most recordings or even present on some. In all fairness I feel like a little less treble than what I'd imagine is neutral.
With the AD2000s vocals are absolutely chilling. They captivate and pull me deep into the music. Why hello there Ms. Krall. The AD2000 just carries so much emotion due to the lush midrange. The mids on the K701 seem a little leaner and are probably more neutral but don't carry the same weight (feeling).
Bass:
The surprising thing about the K701 is the bass. Though not as impressive and defined as the AD2000 it still manages to output some pretty great bass. I do feel that the bass is a little anemic but not nearly what I was lead to believe reading some of the posts here. In fact in some recordings it sounds perfectly fine and natural. Listening to Norah Jones "Chasing Pirates" almost everything meshes together very nicely.
The more I listen to the K701 the more I think the bass is natural. The bass is somewhat of an enigma as with some recordings (including many I felt it would be anemic with) the bass is almost perfect. Nightwish "Wishmaster" The bass is absolutely perfect quantity wise. Perhaps it is a little lean though punchy and fast. However, listening to Daft Punk it seems they need just a bit more bass though it's not revolting to listen to in the least.
Soundstage:
I like the large soundstage on the K701 but I prefer a smaller, more intimate soundstage for jazz recordings. Everything just sounds too spread out. Miles Davis isn't playing in a small nightclub on the corner but rather a symphony hall. It also seems very unnatural that the instruments are spaced so far from each other. It seems like they have at least 30-40 feet or so of space between each of the band members.
I does make gaming very easy though. I've been called a hacker I don't know how many times since I got these (They do better than my DT990/250 in this regard as well). These in MW2 combined with Sit Rep Pro are very scary and quite frankly should be illegal.
Imaging is top notch as I'm able to shoot people through walls if I want though I generally refrain from doing so for obvious reasons. The large soundstage at least to me is a bonus here albeit very unnatural. I can hear someone coming towards my position a good 5 seconds before they reach me which gives me plenty of time to adjust accordingly.
The AD2000 lacks a large soundstage compared to the K701 but it feels more natural when listening to music and gaming. Gaming and music also seems more immersive on the AD2000 than the K701. The K701 sounds like it will bring you all of the technical details but doesn't necessarily provide the immersion like the AD2000. To be a little clearer I feel like the K701 makes me "Elite-Haxor" superhuman or cyborg (depending on preference) whereas the AD2000 is more natural. The footsteps are closer to where I would hear them in "real life". It's hard to describe really, the feeling I get from the AD2000s soundstage. I guess it's more or less effortless whereas I think about where the person is with the K701 probably because they are so far out (though that's far from a bad thing). Positioning is good on both though it's hard to say from memory which one does a better job with it.
Detail:
The level of detail these cans have is also very good. I haven't been able to do a direct comparison to the AD2000s but I'll try to do so soon. I do feel the K701s separation allows me to hear more details but I'm not sure which has more. The AD2000s level of detail seems to be at least that of the DT990/250 I had but I'll have to do a direct comparison.
Summary:
In case you were lazy.......which is completely understandable as I've probably rambled some and repeated myself just read this. While the K701s are good headphones in their own right, I prefer the AD2000s in most regards. Bass is more detailed and defined on the AD2000s. Mids are lush on the AD2000s which make vocals simply outstanding while the K701 seems pretty close to neutral. I would say the mids are fairly Gradoesque with a more forward-sound. The highs are more elevated on the K701 though not generally to sibilance level (recording dependent it seems). I would say, just guessing these two cans somewhat straddle the neutral point in terms of highs. The soundstage is much larger on the K701 though it can seem unnatural at times. Imaging and separation are great on both cans and it's hard to pick a winner in this area from memory (as I don't have the time to do a full on comparo). I would also say the AD2000s sound somewhat smoother than the K701s are a little nicer with bad recordings. Both cans are very good but again it seems it all comes down to personal preference. I can see people hating the K701 and loving the AD2000 and vice versa as they are very, very different. I personally feel the AD2000 are technically better but I didn't expect the K701s to be this good either. For the $200 price point (used) these are a worthy contender.
