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Tdock, what do you have to say about the AKG K400 and K501 sound/soundstage?
K501's soundstage is MASSIVE! Probably even larger than the AD700, but of course it depends on the recording or game. If you go to Tennpenny Tower in Fallout 3 with the K501 you feel like you're right there in real life with all that elevator music surrounding you. The K501's soundstage is actually larger than the K702/Q701 and K601. I always said that the K702's soundstage was like listening to music in an airplane hangar, but the K501 is more like that. Strangely, nothing sounds too distant, which is a surprise.
The K501's soundstage really isn't good for gaming though IMO. It's way too huge. For music I prefer the K501/601 over the K702, but NOT the Q701. However, I don't think I'd take the K400 over the K702, but maybe. K400 is good, but it has some issues.
Based on memory the K400 has more forward mids and more treble than the K501. Slightly less clear and less detailed. The killer for me with the K400 is that it didn't quite have enough bass and you had to use K601 pads to bring out the bass. I think the K400 is slightly more fun with specific music than the K501. A little more aggressive, but fairly balanced, but not like the K501.
The K501 is a great headphone and worth every penny, but it's not really not any better than the Q701. I think the K501 is better than the K601 for music, but it all comes down to preferences. I prefer the smaller soundstage of the K601 for my music.
Fans of Classical music really should do what it takes to grab the K501. It's just that good.
K501 is also one of the most balanced sounding headphones i've ever heard. Q701 is just more clear and detailed and has better treble extension and more bass. Q701 is close to being as balanced sounding as the K501, but not quite. To my ears the K501 was as smooth sounding as the HD-598, but not as warm.