[Shaffer]

I find that a lot of people consider the Q701 an improvement over the K701/2. Just curious, but are there any reasons someone might prefer the K701/2 over the Q701 instead?

I can only comment on the Austrian-made K702. The drivers are matched at the factory to more critical standards, the quality of the materials seems better, and one is not endorsing a celebrity. This being said, one of these days I'm going to get the lime green Q701.

 

[Draulius]

I can only comment on the Austrian-made K702. The drivers are matched at the factory to more critical standards, the quality of the materials seems better, and one is not endorsing a celebrity. This being said, one of these days I'm going to get the lime green Q701.

The only K702's I can seem to find now (new, not used) are made in China.

 

[rockyzz]

How big is the soundstage difference between Q 701 and K 701/702? Heard K 701 is quite better but would want to hear something more accurate.

 

[Danpyre]

  How big is the soundstage difference between Q 701 and K 701/702? Heard K 701 is quite better but would want to hear something more accurate.

The currently made Q701 and K701 are identical, except for a few cosmetic changes.
The K701 used to be different.  I've heard people say it was brighter, and more analytical and "monitory" sounding.  It also had a bigger soundstage
I haven't heard anything about the K702.

 

[Draulius]

  The currently made Q701 and K701 are identical, except for a few cosmetic changes.
The K701 used to be different.  I've heard people say it was brighter, and more analytical and "monitory" sounding.  It also had a bigger soundstage
I haven't heard anything about the K702.

I always read that K701 and K702 sounded identical. If the Q701 is the same as K701 now then I guess that would mean all 3 sound the same?

 

[Me x3]

  I always read that K701 and K702 sounded identical. If the Q701 is the same as K701 now then I guess that would mean all 3 sound the same?

 
Based on measurments they should sound different, similar, but different.
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AKGK701SampleB.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AKGQuincyJonesQ701.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AKGK702.pdf
 
K701 and Q701 looks more alike, K702 seems to have just a tad better bass extension.
 
Edit: In fact Q701 measures middle way between K701 and K702.
 
Differences are very subtle so it's hard to draw a clear conclusion about how much they differ. Measurements are always less than perfect, and not all the headphones within a model sounds the same (ie. not all K701 sound exactly the same)

 

[Evshrug]

The K701 has undergone several "silent" changes. When the Q701 first came out, it had more bass than the K701 (and consequently, a little less soundstage). The difference was measurable in frequency response graphs. Now, the K712 has even MORE bass (small boost, +3db), and I'm not sure where the KXX falls but I suspect they cut some corners to launch at their price (I bet they used Q701 drivers, the K701 anniversary pads which were evenly flat and shorter depth than the K712 pads, and they used the new headband made for the K702) and doubt they bothered too much with hand-selected driver matching.

 

[jeppeth]

ok so im a noob at audio but want good audio, so i got a pair of q701s i have no amp or anything else.
I just have them plug in my mac or iphone directly. does this destroy the sound quality or is it ok? What is the sound quality increasement when adding an amp or other gear to the q701s other than volume increasement?   How much should i spend one one? is a cheap one alright or worthless? any recommendations ?
Thanks,
JT

 

[CaveManta]

   I find that the Q701: -From my Galaxy S3 and laptop alone sounds adequate. There is just slightly less sharpness to the sound, I would say. Meaning that I can't pinpoint sounds as well in the soundstage. Bass/mids/treble aren't changed too much, strangely.
   -From my tower PCs, my Q701 lacks bass. And its treble sounds more forward and grainy o.O.
   -From my Sansa Fuze, it just sounds diffuse. Yuck!
   -From a (Sony) home theater receiver, it sounds greatt! Nice and sharp, and bass-boost is easy to apply! Try it out!
   -From a Schiit Magni 2 Uber, it's, like, at its best. The biggest differences are that the treble is less bright and that sharpness is all the way up.
What's a shame is that it doesn't get any super bass without EQ, no matter what you try =P. It's just how it is.

 

[toolio]

IMHO, Q701s are a waste of time without proper amplification. But when driven properly they are fantastic. You will never get "super bass" from these. Look elsewhere if that is what you need.

 

[159650]

  ok so im a noob at audio but want good audio, so i got a pair of q701s i have no amp or anything else.
I just have them plug in my mac or iphone directly. does this destroy the sound quality or is it ok? What is the sound quality increasement when adding an amp or other gear to the q701s other than volume increasement?   How much should i spend one one? is a cheap one alright or worthless? any recommendations ?
Thanks,
JT

I'm afraid it's quite an injustice to use your new Q701 without an amplifier. Yes you should spend on one, but no, a cheap one isn't worthless. There are plenty of good options out there for you to choose from. You are a noob to audio so I'm going to assume that you don't have a good DAP to go with it either and no DAC/AMP as well since you're running it straight off of your mac. I recommend that you go with the Fiio X3 Gen 2. It can double as a DAC/AMP so you can drive your headphones properly off of your mac but also have access to a powerful music player on the go when you take it with you. You hit 2 birds with one stone with the X3 Gen 2 if not 3...
 
The X3 G2 seem to go for 199 right now. I don't know if you're comfortable with this amount. If you simply want an amplifier (but a DAC/AMP combo is way better) then you definitely have options under 100. 

 

[i luvmusic 2]

Or a Littledot  1+.

 

[dmhenley]

Now that I have an ALO Pan Am driving my Q701's I am very happy. With the right tubes they sound better than ever. 

 

[Draulius]

I've used my Audio-Technica AD700's for a long time. While I really like them for applications such as gaming or movies, I find them a little bright and lacking in the low-end. I initially thought the AD700's lack of bass wasn't a big deal until I heard some other headphones, and now I feel like a chunk off the low-end is missing whenever I listen to them. So while I'm by no means a basshead, I'd like something more pronounced in the lower frequencies.
 
I've heard the Q701's referred to as bass-light, but surely they must have more bass than the AD700's? Would they take care of the problem I have with the AD700's, or should I look for something bassier like the Fidelio X2's?

 

[CaveManta]

The Q701 definitely has more bass than the AD700, especially subbass! It can actually kick and rumble, unlike the AD700. It doesn't sound bass-light with "natural" sounds and real recordings, but it kinda falls behind when it comes to synthetic stuff. I actually like it for some of my technoey music, such as 'Infected Mushroom' because the bass never gets in the way. It's fast and tight, yet still punchy. In addition to some more bass, you will get a lot more treble though. I hope you don't mind more shimmer and sparkle^^.
 
The Fidelio X2 is completely different. Its bass is the main thing. It is POWERFUL. It's fantastic for gaming and movies, because it can really rumble. But at the same time, the mids and treble are there, nice and clear. The bass comes first, then the treble, and finally the mids. So its frequency response curve is "U-shaped." Its best thing, besides the bass, is its soundstage. It is at least as big as the AD700's. It's amazing!
Q701 soundstage might sound more 2D at first. But it sounds very sharp, very defined. And it IS fantastic for gaming, as forum member Mad Lust Envy says.
 
If you just want more bass, go for the Q701. It has all the bass.
But if you want fun, exciting bass, go for the X2.