Where can you get K701s new? I'd love to know
By looking at his arsenal of headphones, he doesn't have a amp. So even if he could find new K701s for 250 he'd have to shell out another 100+ USD for an amp.
250 K701 by ebay you mean? I don't trust ebay personally.
For unamped headphones at around 250 USD, I believe there are other threads made recently that debate them. AD700-900, HD595, HD555, K501, K601 (Maybe, don't remember if under 250), and of course the Grados SR125-225. I believe the SR325 are over 250 USD.
By no means am I saying to buy the AD900s. But if you like the A900s, meaning like AudioTechnica design and quality of build. I read that A900s and AD900s are completely different beasts. I got my AD900s from Audiocube for 245 TOTAL including 2 DAY SHIPPING. I ordered them on Monday 9 A.M Processing took some time, I received them 10:30 A.M Thursday from Osaka Japan. I recieved email updates for every update. Saying sale is pending. Sale is processing. Sale completed and shipped. Recieved track number and I checked online as I read the phones leaving Osaka Japan and eventually to my house. FedEx, gotta love em. Had to be there to sign for them though, pain. But overall, I thought excellent service. Audiocube glad I bought from them.
EDIT: I love them, AD900s. What I listen to. I find these are perfect. So far Hernan Cattaneos Renaissance 1 and 2 (His are progressive trance with awsome bass lines, just awsome). Infected Mushroom (Best Bass lines for Trance? Maybe...) Celldweller (Heavy Industrial sound with blend of trance). E.S Posthumus (Orchestra+Choir+Electronica). BT. Velvet Revolver. White Zombie. Econoline Crush. Thirteen Senses. Guster. Block Party. Travis. As you see, a wide variety of music. And these sound great for all of the above. WARNING: this was from someone who has little experience with hifi headphones. But love these phones nevertheless.
Edit2: Why I like em. Well for my music. I love how I can hear the bass lines, from bass guitars clearly. But it doesn't blend into the mids. I can still hear the guitars so clearly. The cymbols don't have that metallic sound you get from cheap headphones. And you can hear the cymbals crash and continue to ring for a while, like you do at concerts, until the drummer puts his fingers on the cymbal to silence them. The bass drums can be pounding, but again, doesn't leak into the bass line. Can still hear it. And if you have been to a concert. You know the bass drums, while they sound low, have some treble, high note sounds from the peddle smacking the base drum. You can hear that too on these phones. But these aren't like monitor/pro phones. Cause it all sounds like music, it blends. It doesn't dissect the songs. I would never use these to study or mix songs with them.
EDIT3: I read a post from someone who owns the HD595 and tried the AD900s. He hated the AD900s and got rid of them. He didn't say what he didn't like, but made it clear he loves the HD595 over the AD900s no questions asked.
Edit4: If I didn't buy the AD900s, I think I might have bought the HD595 since I wanted circumaureal. Before I was really trying to find the D2000 for under 250 USD including shipping, but I failed at that. The K601 and K501 were also on my list to check out, but sounded like they needed amps I don't have the cash for that. And if I didn't mind have the phones on my ears, I would have jumped for the SR225s I think.
Edit5: Last but not Least. Good Luck. I hope your search ends with as happy ending as mine did.
