[LugBug1]

It's as simple as this...
 
Why are peeps forking out loads o money on the new and very trendy orthodynamic headphones...
 
When they can have a near as perfect headphone like the K702 for a fraction of the cost?
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
I can't fault them. A purists reference phone. With the biggest soundstage this side of HD800.

 

[129207]

I have the K701, which sounds the same to my ears as the K702, and I don't use them very often because of their lack of a defined center-soundstage. Music seems to be coming from left and right without creating a realistic center, if you know what I mean. My DT880 and HD580/HD600 don't have this problem and sound more realistic to my ears. 

 

[MattTCG]

Minus the track train running over the top, that is one nice looking hp!! What do they sound like??

 

[LFF]

Quote:

I have the K701, which sounds the same to my ears as the K702, and I don't use them very often because of their lack of a defined center-soundstage. Music seems to be coming from left and right without creating a realistic center, if you know what I mean. My DT880 and HD580/HD600 don't have this problem and sound more realistic to my ears. 

 
I agree. Their soundstage is f'd up.

 

[dcpoor]

I like their soundstage.
 

 

[Katun]

I really liked the Q701. I described my first pair as having "drunken soundstage". Loved my second pair though.
 
I find they do mid and high frequencies extremely well. Wish they had a bit more balance down low though. And a decent headband!

 

[tumble]

I have some very good dynamic headphones, but they just don't have the transient response of electrostatics. I haven't tried planars, but I bet the issue is the same.

Some people don't care about transient response, or even prefer bad transient response (damping), and actually for some types of music and in some moods I agree with them. But anyway, this is the issue that sets dynamics apart from more sophisticated designs.

 

[obobskivich]

The soundstage isn't terrible, but it's not as coherent as other designs. It can do far away very well, but it can't move that "up close" when needed. Detail extraction is alright, but there's equal or better, and finally tonal balance - they're very dead sounding. They don't "groove." They're not a bad headphone overall, but they do have short-comings.

 

[juantendo8]

Because the K501 exist...

 

[LugBug1]

Thanks for all your input guys, my thread aim was deliberately provocative as I'm trying to find a good enough reason not to splash out on some planners..!
The he500's are drawing me in and I'm helplessly saving up for them

 
My only concern is the soundstage, I keep reading that planners in general have a more closed in stage. I also keep reading about the separation and air around instruments? Small soundstage with great separation? mmm??

 
I mostly listen to acoustic music, mainly Jazz and classical. The K702's are brilliant for this, will the he500's be better?
 
any help would be appreciated thanks

 

[obobskivich]

You will not re-create or approach the 70x's soundstage. It's unique in both it's size/scope and quirks (that everything is "far away" to some extent). Most other "soundstage club headphones" do not approach it's overall size, but can also draw the image right up on top of you, or push it very far away. The 70x can do the far away better than anything I've heard, but doesn't really get the "draw the image up" side of the coin. Best sound-staging I've ever heard is from "full open" cans, but if you think the 70x is bass shy...

No idea on a comparison to orthos. The 70x are good (if not great) for the genres you listed though.

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

You will not re-create or approach the 70x's soundstage. It's unique in both it's size/scope and quirks (that everything is "far away" to some extent). Most other "soundstage club headphones" do not approach it's overall size, but can also draw the image right up on top of you, or push it very far away. The 70x can do the far away better than anything I've heard, but doesn't really get the "draw the image up" side of the coin. Best sound-staging I've ever heard is from "full open" cans, but if you think the 70x is bass shy...
No idea on a comparison to orthos. The 70x are good (if not great) for the genres you listed though.

Yeah the soundstage is quite amazing. Also, I find the bite that they have in the upper mids to be very engaging, similar to Grado's only without the fatigue (for me anyway). I use a quite warm set up with them which I had originally built around a pair of RS1i's. The K7XX's are very responsive to sublte changes in your source, it can make or break them. My NOS dac-ah and warm mosfet amp add that extra bit of lower end, I'm colouring them and this makes them very hifi friendly- quite lush at times!

 

[MattTCG]

The soundstage on the both the he400 and he500 is quite good.

 

[Matt head 777]

I've tried a few normal dynamics, they don't have the headroom of the LCD-2 - they don't sound close to distortion. They have big surface area, 3mm Xmax and 15watt power handling!!!!!
I considered the HE-500 but I listen to alot of rock and industrial-electronic type music so I went with the LCD-2.
 

 

[MattTCG]

The lcd-2 will be my next addition