[Kataklystik]

I'm quite new here and I don't really know that much about headphones as you all do, but many, many people told me NOT to buy K701 or HD650 if I like to listen to rock and metal. They recommended Beyerdynamic and Grado headphones.

So I thought the best would be if I go and check them out myself.
As I'm from Europe it is nearly impossible to get Grados so I could not try them out but I don't think they would fit my needs because many people said they like them for metal because of their "in your face"-ness or something like that and thats just not what I want to have, I want clear sound and I like it if I can hear the different instruments and not just "BAMM in your face"s.

So there were still the AKGs the Senns and the Beyers.
Today I took a friend and 6 CD's to a studio-equipment-shop: A Tango record; an album with mostly very fast funky guitar with all kinds of distortions and effects; the first Rage Against The Machine CD, The Jester Race by In Flames, Reign In Blood by Slayer and the re-recorded version of Dimmu Borgir's Stormblåst.
So I had covered every style of music I enjoy listening to.

First I tried the Beyers which were a complete disappointment maybe because it was the old Pro version but if the newer version is similar thats just not what I was searching for.
Then I tried K701 vs. HD650 plugged into the same amp.

An hour and many tracks later me and the friend of mine I brought with me were totally convinced that the K701 is a VERY good headphone for rock and metal and it is also amazing for tango (I think it will work with classical music as well because there was also a tango concert exclusively played by a string orchestra and a solo violin).

Not so the HD650. I would describe it as a bit "slow" it can't get the fast guitar riffs or the fast double bass and it lacks a more precise bass for something like Rage Against The Machine if you want to follow what the bass guitarist is playing.

So what I learned is NEVER to decide to buy something by getting told if it is or is not good for something. Nearly everyone told me that the AKG K 701 and the Sennheiser HD650 are not suitable at all for faster rock music and metal.
In my opinion they're all wrong but...maybe I've just got quite a strange taste

 

[epaludo]

Have you listen to Grados before?
If not that's why you like those for rock/metal ...

 

[Matlock]

That's good that you used your own ears to decide on a phone. Researching opinions is good and helpful but there is no beating the only opinion that matters.

 

[holland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kataklystik /img/forum/go_quote.gif So what I learned is NEVER to decide to buy something by getting told if it is or is not good for something. Nearly everyone told me that the AKG K 701 and the Sennheiser HD650 are not suitable at all for faster rock music and metal. In my opinion they're all wrong but...maybe I've just got quite a strange taste

Thanks for the review. Great early post.

I feel the same way as you, in this regard. I love the DT990, and haven't heard the others you mentioned. The DT990 is a love/hate thing, similar in vein to the K701 I guess. It empowers recordings that are poorly mixed.

I'm thinking the AKG K701 would do well for metal, particularly extreme rock, just as you have found. My personal feeling is that the aggression comes from the music, and as long as the headphone isn't heavily recessed in the extremities, the power of the music will translate easily. I will test this in time, but it's good to have a first hand acknowledgement of that.

I do have headphones of various degrees, some do it better than others, but what I find the most satisfying are fast headphones, fast speed, good decay, PRaT is the single most important item for extreme metal. I have the IM716 with 68-ohm resistors on the "flat" end, to the DT990 on the heavily colored end, with the DT660 and Philips SBC HP1000 in between. I enjoy them all, but the DT990 does best for the 60s/70s/80s mixes, where the added color really helps.

 

[shaolin95]

Thanks for sharing...I am considering the 701s myself so all this experiences are appreciated.

 

[MaZa]

Congrats for finding sound you like. I have heard mixed info if K701 is good rockers can or not, but as you found out, Senns are not very headbanging nor realistic sounding on guitars and such.

Might get K701 someday to complement my Ultrasones and Grados.

 

[ecclesand]

That's interesting...I'm listening to In Flames' The Jester Race right now with my HD650 and it sounds fantastic...and they're not even burned in yet. Also, Dimmu Borgir's re-do of their early Stormblast album is one of my favorites and the HD650 does really well with speed...the double bass drum blasts sound nice and tight. What amp were you using to drive the Senns? I have read that the Senns scale really well with better sources and amps and I definitely find that to be the case.

If you want a Grado-like can that does well with metal but is supremely comfortable, look into the Denons. I also have the D2000 which is currently being recabled to <hopefully> bring out the last bit of details in the music. They are FANTASTIC for metal...even more so than the Senns, but I plan to compare both when I get the Denon's back.

I would bet money that it's your source and amp that are holding back the Senns.

 

[Dept_of_Alchemy]

The K701 could just have been louder than the 650 in this comparo...

 

[Kataklystik]

@ ecclesand: Err...I really don't know anything about the amp but it was the main source of the best shop to buy studio/dj equipment in Austria so I think it might be far better than the stuff most people have at home.
The CD player was a Marantz but I can't remember the amp but it looked really "hifi"

and well I don't think that a quite big shop who sells stuff for studio use will have a source that is so bad that it can't meet the Senns needs.

@ Dept_of_Alchemy: No it was an amp with two headphone outs and there were volume controls for both of them and I adjusted them to the same level.

 

[Kataklystik]

By the way, does anyone know if the Darkvoice 336i has good synergy with the K 701?

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congrats for finding sound you like. I have heard mixed info if K701 is good rockers can or not, but as you found out, Senns are not very headbanging nor realistic sounding on guitars and such.

Unless you balance them.....

 

[rsaavedra]

[edit]

Sorry my question was already answered in another post.

 

[Computerstud]

Congratulation....you SIR are what they call audiophile by birth (you have just passed the test).

Everyone knows that the k701 is only for those who wants to listen to music in its purest form.....unadulterated sound. (At the other spectrum is the bose, more colored than a rainbow)

I have also heard the HD650 and thought they were no where near the clearness of the k701. The bass of the HD650 was bloated uncontrolled...not as punchy...seem to muffled the highs, again compared to the k701. I can see why bassheads (people who like excessive bass) would not enjoy the k701 as much as the hd650.

Care to make a few comments about the bass of the 3 headphones you heard?

BTW, the HD650 boys will be here soon...grab a shield.

 

[Kataklystik]

Hmm I can't really comment on the Beyer's bass, because I put it on and it was just like "Bah I don't like them" don't know why but I was absolutely unsatisfied with the sound.
But I can comment on the bass of the other two.
The Senn's bass wasn't just as low and precise, it was just the type of bass that I don't like at all.
When listening to Rage Against The Machine I obviously could follow what the bass guitarist was playing but it was just not dynamic enough, same with the bass drum and if RATM doesn't sound powerful than what's the point in listening to it?
The AKG had "short" fast deep and powerful bass, just what I like, it gave the funky sound to the bass guitar that it should have and the bass drum was powerful.
Then listening to Slayer the difference was even bigger.
The big shock for me was the dull sound of the double bass drumming on the Senns. It was like "Brooooom" with fast little hits in it, I don't know how to really describe it. (at least not in English^^)
With the AKG's every single hit on the bass drum had a beginning and an end so it was once again more dynamic...I hope you get it as I don't know how to put it.

So this led me to the conclusion that the Senns are quite "slow" especially on bass.

Edit: No need for a shield. Attack is the best defense!
*singing along to Exodus' Blacklist* "You'd better start runnin' /Cause you know that I'm comin' / Cocked and loaded and I never miss...."

 

[Computerstud]

That's exactly how I felt with the k701. The bass is so god damn tight and punchy. You can actually tell it's 2 bass notes instead of just one on the hd650.

PS we have pretty similar taste.

Try the Corda Move (AMP/DAC) and k701 combo.

IMHO, it's the best $500 combo around.