[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyriel0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The bass impact is fine on K701's if you have a good amp meant to run them. I also have the high's turned up in the foobar equalizer for mine because it sounded lifeless before to me. Maybe if you are using a tube amp that amplified the high frequencies you wouldn't like it. My amp isn't doing that though. It sounds like you are another person that bought K701's for the hype and just threw them on a tube amp meant for higher impedance senn's with your high treble/no bass comments. Then sold and bashed them just because you didn't have the proper equipment to FULLY utilize them. I'm not talking about just driving the headphones either. I'm talking about driving them to their full potential. I don't see the point in buying a $500-600 set of cans because they are easier to drive from an ipod lol. If that is the case, he should just get audio technica a700-900, save himself a bunch of money and be done with it.

The question is Denon 5000 or AKG 701 with a HR Micro amp and the obvious choice is the Denon because the Micro is capable of driving that headphone to a higher potential than the AKG. The AT headphones are not one of his choices. Maybe you should consider the OP when you post instead of pushing what you own because you cant handle it when someone doesnt like what you have. Why not post about the fatiguing sound of the 701 that limits listening time? The unnatural lack of bass impact? The etched highs? The wonky headband that also limits listening time because it will eat a hole in the top of your head? The fact that the HR Micro is low on the list when it comes to reaching an acceptible level of potential with the 701? The 701 has a nice big airy sound stage that puts you in the back row and that is all it brings to the table. Have you listened to the Denon? Most important what headphone will have better synergy with the HR Micro? The answer is a no brainer, the Denon. Feel free to list the short commings of the Denon is you know of any. The point is to get a headphone that will sound nice with an amp he can afford and he has picked the Micro, what else do you need to know?

 

[Pyriel0]

I'm sorry that you have failed to read the rest of the thread as Myinitialsaredac has posted the amp will run the K701's decently. All I have seen you post in this and other threads is k701 bashing without any "experience" I guess is the best way to put it.

I can say I have k701 and the shanling and its working well. Myinitialsaredac said the headroom amp could power the K701's decently but a stronger amp would help. All I have seen from you is "don't get 701's". I saw that you had and sold a set, not anything saying that you used them with any particular setup that could be a clue as to why you didn't like them.

Plus the other thread where you told the guy to sell his k701's when he simply asked what amp to get for it. Sorry but considering all that, I don't value your opinion on any of this stuff and I don't see why others would either.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/akg...alizer-382489/
Thats equalizer settings I use when I listen to mine. I don't think its harsh or fatiguing. Maybe you can go troll that thread for awhile too.

 

[myinitialsaredac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif The question is Denon 5000 or AKG 701 with a HR Micro amp and the obvious choice is the Denon because the Micro is capable of driving that headphone to a higher potential than the AKG. The AT headphones are not one of his choices. Maybe you should consider the OP when you post instead of pushing what you own because you cant handle it when someone doesnt like what you have. Why not post about the fatiguing sound of the 701 that limits listening time? The unnatural lack of bass impact? The etched highs? The wonky headband that also limits listening time because it will eat a hole in the top of your head? The fact that the HR Micro is low on the list when it comes to reaching an acceptible level of potential with the 701? The 701 has a nice big airy sound stage that puts you in the back row and that is all it brings to the table. Have you listened to the Denon? Most important what headphone will have better synergy with the HR Micro? The answer is a no brainer, the Denon. Feel free to list the short commings of the Denon is you know of any. The point is to get a headphone that will sound nice with an amp he can afford and he has picked the Micro, what else do you need to know?

Now whilst I hold that I have not heard the denons, yet see they get a lot of love around here, I also hold that that denons are more expensive, which could be used towards an amp with more male parts.

Your opinion is that, your opinion. You have consistently expressed your hatred for the 701s and that is absolutely valid. However, the point I raise is that there are a lot of head-fiers, consumers, audiophiles that love their 701s. I find they are non-fatiguing, extremely comfortable, have a brilliant soundstage, liquid midrange, and anemic yet punchy controlled deep bass. That is what I offer to you.

Having also taken an extensive listen to the 701s with the micro, I can say that they sound clean out of that amp. They sound great, especially for the price bracket. Do I think there are better amps out there to power the 701s, absolutely. Do I think there are better amps for the price, iffy, but I'd venture a yes to that also. I do not know if you have heard 701s on a micro, or d5000s on a micro, (or even the micro itself) but it is a nice little amp. They seem to pair well in my experience and listening to them is quite pleasing. Again with all the aforementioned qualities I expressed of the 701s.

The decision is the OPs and he should take into account as many valid points of view as possible to make an educated decision. In my opinion, he should get the 701s and take that extra money towards a desktop amp, diy tube solution, TTVJ tube, or a dac. I don't think he will be disappointed with the 701 micro combo if he gets it, especially if he likes the qualities I described above.

Dave

 

[olblueyez]

Im sure the 701s sound great.

 

[myinitialsaredac]

Some rough words, but one might simply quote Markl, whom In my opinion, is a respectable head-fier and somewhat of an authority in the Denon realm of the headphone world.
"Initially, when I got the Denon D5000, I was pretty disappointed with it. As has been well documented, it has this flabby almost flatulent bass response that can sound like a giant farting sound or like a woopie cushion deflating into your eardrum. The bass response is nothing short of obnoxious and guaranteed to give you a bass headache within 5 minutes of putting them on your head. In addition, the over-sized bass intrudes heavily into the lower midrange, muddying the sound considerably.

This overwhelming bass force causes the whole flimsy assembly of these headphones vibrate, shake, rattle and roll all over your skull. One thing no amount of mods will fix is the disappointing build quality of these $450 headphones. When you take them apart during this mod, you will see for yourself what I mean. On the positive side, you can afford 8 AH-D5000s for the cost of one Sony R10. I myself plan to eventually own 2 of them, an "heir and a spare", as the English say, just in case.

Another major problem with the D5000 is the ultra-thin cushions within the ear pads which insure that the drivers are practically sitting right on top of your ear drums. This made them somewhat obnoxious and overblown, creating a "wall of sound", where everything comes at you at once. You want to duck behind your comfy chair to get away. Also, one thing the Sony R10 and the JVC-DX1000 (two of the soundstaging champs of all time, IMO) have taught me, is that one of the keys to obtaining a proper soundstage is to simply move the driver away from the ear. Both those cans have a lot of space between your ears and the driver, and this allows the soundstage to expand left and right and lends the image a sense of depth and layering. Moving the driver away can also reduce the feeling of air being pushed against the ear drum which tends to localize the sound inside the ear cups. With a driver so close, it's constantly calling unnecessary attention to itself by pumping and vibrating. It can spoil the illusion of a soundstage outside your head, always reminding you that you are actually listening to two tiny speakers strapped to your ears.

Nevertheless, I could still hear there was an incredible amount of potential in these cans. It occurred to me that the main source of the issues was not the D5000’s drivers, but rather the flimsy and borderline pathetic construction of the rest of the headphone. There is no damping of vibration whatsoever. If you could start to eliminate the added vibrations, you could go a long way toward correcting the problem" - Markl
MarkL Mod
Whilst his mod does in his words improve the sound, it does cost an additional chunk of change.

Yet the same man posted his thoughts on the 701s here-
Markl K701

And basically states, "I've come to feel the K701 is an EXCELLENT headphone, it has A LOT going for it...In its price class, this is a SERIOUS contender that desrerves careful consideration. At the price of entry, it's close to a bargain. If a bomb were to drop on my R10s and I had to find a replacement, I would definitely consider the K701...if all R10s were to disappear from the earth, I could happily live with the K701, it's a simply terrific headphone." -MarkL

Just a bit of food for thought.

Dave

 

[bhanja_trinanjan]

All I can say is WOW!.. what a glorious face-off between the K701 and the Denon... I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS FORUM... cheers to all!

I guess that the scales are again tipping towards the K701, I hate boomy bass... this kills classical.. my Shure E4C when worn correctly has great disciplined bass, but that somewhat lean midrange and rolled off treble are NOT to my liking... how are the SE530 s in this regard?

 

[djay1948]

Another thing to consider before making your decision is the comfort factor. For me, this is extremely important because I often listen to operas that can last 3 or 4 hours. If the headphones make my head ache after 30 minutes then they are of no use to me, no matter how good they sound. On this forum I've read many conflicting comments on the comfort of this or that headphone. I had the advantage of being able to borrow a number of different phones from friends and try them out. I finally settled on the 701's because, in addition to liking their particular sound quality, I found that I could wear them the longest without fatigue. Others have found the headband to be very uncomfortable. I'm sure that head shape has a lot to do with it as I didn't find, as others have, that the headband placed undue pressure on the top of my head. I tried Sennheiser 650's as well and thought that they clamped my head a bit too tightly. I also tried a pair of 595's and found them to be extremely comfortable. I use Grado SR 80's when working at my computer and once the ear pads softened-up I found them to pretty comfortable, but the direct pressure on my ears gets to me after a couple of hours. Every headphone - even those from the same manufacturer - has different comfort characteristics as well as sound characteristics and every individual is going to respond to both in a slightly different way.

The bottom-line is: if you cannot arrange to try the phones in advance, see if you can find a vendor that will allow you to exchange them if you find them uncomfortable. As a listener to classical music you would be best served by a headphone that you find comfortable for extended listening. Best of luck in your quest!

 

[Luckyleo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Either way the 701 produces no bass impact and very unpleasant highs, its only strength is the large airy sound stage. It just isnt a natural sounding headphone. Maybe Markl should work on those instead of the Denons because the 701s need more help than the Denon ever will. Anyway, the Denons are much easier to drive and its not based on the maximum power input for the headphones.

Dare I say "In your opinion"???? I happen to totally disagree with your review almost in total. I hope others reading this thread take what you say with a very very large grain of salt.

 

[myinitialsaredac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckyleo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dare I say "In your opinion"???? I happen to totally disagree with your review almost in total. I hope others reading this thread take what you say with a very very large grain of salt.

Aye. I believe grain may be the wrong word

.

To your question above of the boomy bass on 530s I would answer as such: the 530s have a great full mid range, they are rolled on the tops making them somewhat unsuitable for classical, and the bass can be a little untamed at time, borderline muddy when compared against the 701s.
My vote would still go to the 701s between those cans if I could only choose one, especially for classical.

Dave

 

[myinitialsaredac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Im sure the 701s sound great.

Dave

 

[olblueyez]

A lot of 701 pushing going on, notice the people who own it never mention any negative aspects. Id also like to know why my opinion is the only one that qualifies to be taken with a grain of salt. Keep on plugging, you have a 50/50 chance he will like it.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckyleo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dare I say "In your opinion"???? I happen to totally disagree with your review almost in total. I hope others reading this thread take what you say with a very very large grain of salt.

Maybe you should repeat that for every post on Head-Fi.

 

[myinitialsaredac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif A lot of 701 pushing going on, notice the people who own it never mention any negative aspects. Id also like to know why my opinion is the only one that qualifies to be taken with a grain of salt. Keep on plugging, you have a 50/50 chance he will like it.

I will always profess that the 701 is not a bassy can. Other than that the negative aspects refuse to manifest themselves. I could comment that they are not the most forward can, or they have a lot of decay but that is something of personal taste. I personally dont like it when my eardrum is being slaughtered by six strings and I do like a natural decay. YMMV

Your opinion is not the only one that should be taken with a grain of salt, so dont feel like we are attacking you. All opinions are biased inherently. Though some extremists should be taken into consideration a bit lighter than others. Food for thought: say you get a few people in a room debating about oranges; 3 of them are ambivalent about oranges, 2 like oranges, 2 hate oranges to the point of committing suicide should they see one, and 1 dislikes oranges at a normal level. Should the 2 who are ready to sacrifice themselves at the sight of fruit voices be suppressed? No, but they should not be taken at the level of the others.

Dave

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan /img/forum/go_quote.gif All I can say is WOW!.. what a glorious face-off between the K701 and the Denon... I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS FORUM... cheers to all! I guess that the scales are again tipping towards the K701, I hate boomy bass... this kills classical.. my Shure E4C when worn correctly has great disciplined bass, but that somewhat lean midrange and rolled off treble are NOT to my liking... how are the SE530 s in this regard?

Well it all comes down to the choice of music you hear, I mean if its classical, you cant beat 701s for its sound stage, there is no denying that the 701s shine as far mids and highs are concerned, coming to bass: I personally have 701s and what I hear in the lower ends is very true and realistic.
To put it straight, 701s are as true as you can get - which may not be likable for many.
All said and done, it needs a lot of amp to drive them, I think thats the worst part of it, it is a very demanding headphone and since it true, you must have a good source for it too.
I am listening to it through my NADs and Shanling PH 100 and I enjoy to what I hear from these headphones.
That reminds me, you said you are from Kolkata, and if that is true maybe you can get in touch with Mr. Arup Roy Choudhary, who I know has a pair of 701s, and maybe you can audition them, Nothing like listening to one before dishing out the money...

 

[olblueyez]

AKG 701

Senn HD650

That all im sayin.