[MarcoGV]

I have already decided on the q701s and am now looking for an amp for them. Budget is 75, absolute max of 100, no more
Anything is appreciated, never had an amp before.

Bravo Audio V2, about $62 at Amazon, also sold directly from manufacturer at  http://www.bravoaudio.com/. (When I bought it at Amazon, a free cable was included.) Some like it with the Q701, some not. I use it with a Dragonfly (1.0) USB DAC and like the combination better than the Dragonfly alone.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

Nobody ever seems to complain about Schitt products though. 

 

[Sonic7381]

Forgot to mention I'd like it to be portable ish (small). At least small enough to throw in my bag and take to and from work everyday also was really hoping not to spend more than 75

 

[ThurstonX]

Forgot to mention I'd like it to be portable ish (small). At least small enough to throw in my bag and take to and from work everyday

 
The JDS Labs C5 (amp only) drives the Q701s nicely.  They make an amp+DAC combo (C5D) that uses the same amp.  May be beyond your price range, though.  Both are the same form factor; about the size of an iPod Classic (slightly thicker).
 
Yeah, more than twice your budget.  May be a good option, if you decide to splurge.

 

[Sonic7381]

Bravo Audio V2, about $62 at Amazon, also sold directly from manufacturer at  http://www.bravoaudio.com/. (When I bought it at Amazon, a free cable was included.) Some like it with the Q701, some not. I use it with a Dragonfly (1.0) USB DAC and like the combination better than the Dragonfly alone.

Will I be ok to use the v2 by itself just from my ipod

 

[ThurstonX]

Maybe a FiiO unit is within your budget.  They don't get bad reviews with the Qs (search this thread).

 

[Za Warudo]

The E12 is a decent pairing for a portable amp.

 

[tdockweiler]

I have already decided on the q701s and am now looking for an amp for them. Budget is 75, absolute max of 100, no more
Anything is appreciated, never had an amp before.

 
For under $100 I'd definitely suggest the E9/E09k. It plays well with most headphones i've had. It uses the same op-amp as the Matrix M-Stage, Ifi iCan and my Headroom Micro Amp.
The Q701 seems to like that op-amp for whatever reason (OPA2134). The Q701 could care less about it's 10ohm output impedance.
 
I actually would suggest it over the O2/Magni for the Q701.
 
I have a hard time suggesting the Vali because chances are in the future you might be trying other headphones. Didn't find it a good all-rounder, but some do.
 
Vali is good if you only plan on using it with very specific headphones.
 
I would honestly suggest saving up another $100-$150 and getting a better amp.
 
When I got my first K702 I went from Total Airhead > Asgard  1> E9 > Micro Amp. Yes, E9 was better sounding than the Asgard for my K702.
 
Another amp that's great for the Q701 is the ifi iCAN, but it's a little overpriced and has a weird design.
 
 
I also have the O2 and Bravo V2 too around, but for the O2 to sound good with the Q701 I have to use the OPA2227 opamp.
 
Q701 on the Bravo V2 is a little harsh sounding at times, but not terrible. It seems to work best with my Modi, which seems warmer than my main DAC.

 

[Sonic7381]

If I were to save up a bit more, say get my budget up to 150-200, what would you recommend?

 

[Solrighal]

If I were to save up a bit more, say get my budget up to 150-200, what would you recommend?

Dollars or Pesos?

 

[Smugsie]

  Nobody ever seems to complain about Schitt products though. 

That's because they're Schitt.

 

[Sonic7381]

Dollars or Pesos?

US dollars

 

[elwappo99]

Hey there! It seems there might be a big jump in the number of Q701 users coming in for some reason *cough cough*
 
I've owned a lot of AKGs, and really like them. As I climbed up the headphone ladder, I always have had a K701/Q701 on hand, because I think they are really great headphones!
 
Quote:

I have already decided on the q701s and am now looking for an amp for them. Budget is 75, absolute max of 100, no more
Anything is appreciated, never had an amp before.

 
Honestly, at a budget of under $100, it's hard to suggest any amplifier. The difference between using your ipod's headphone jack and many of the "budget" amplifiers is pretty small IMO. Do you have the Q701 on hand yet? I would plug it in and listen first. Sure, it'll get better with better amplifiers feeding it, but they still sound great out of just about anything. 
 

Forgot to mention I'd like it to be portable ish (small). At least small enough to throw in my bag and take to and from work everyday also was really hoping not to spend more than 75

 
IMO, there aren't a lot of good "portable" amplifiers. That is, ones that run solely on a battery. In my experience, they really don't have a lot of power. 
 

 
Will I be ok to use the v2 by itself just from my ipod

 
If you get an amplifier, you can definitely plug it straight into your ipod. There are also things called LODs (Line-out-docks). These are cables that use the "line out" from the ipod, which bypasses the not very good headphone amplifier. 
 

If I were to save up a bit more, say get my budget up to 150-200, what would you recommend?

 
If you can bump up your budget, my second favorite amplifier I've ever heard with the Q701 is the Schiit Vali. It really is an amazing amplifier, and for so many reasons it matches up really well with the Q701. The Schiit Vali does have some downsides you should really be aware of though. 
 
Do you have other headphones? Do you plan on getting more later? If so, you may also want to consider a Matrix M-stage amplifier. These sound great with the Q701, and just about any headphone you throw at it. No downsides to the M-Stage. 

 

[Sonic7381]

I don't need it to be battery powered, just small

 

[elwappo99]

I don't need it to be battery powered, just small

 
I'd say Schiit Vali or Matrix M-stage will fit the bill.