[snowshoe]

   
I really don't get this bumps thing. Could it be that my luxurious head of hair provides cushioning, and this is only a problem for the follically challenged? Just an observation

  

No. I've got a healthy head of hair and the bumps bother me a lot. If I wear the Qs longer than an hour, I start getting a headache. In order to wear them for any length of time, I have to take them off or adjust them periodically.
 
Before someone warns me about the risk to my hearing, I should mention that I do not actually listen to music for hours at a time. I'll have you know that the Qs are very nice ear warmers too!

 

[1-MiC]

 

 
Oh i know that bottle well.

 

[Evshrug]

i just asked my sister to quickly braid my cable, and the outcome is quite okay

Sisters can be nice

 

[MarcoGV]

  My $126 "very good" condition Q701 from Amazon warehouse arrived!  It seems like it's brand new, as the AKG sticker sealing the box is unpeeled.  It's also the made in Austria model.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

 

 

My "like new" ones ($129) arrived on Friday. I had a similar experience; sealed box, AKG sticker, made in Austria.

 

[1337rice]

I got these headphones recently...
I must say, the bumps didn't bother me at first until the pain is almost unbearable. Comfortable on the ears, but all the pressure is dragged from the headband -_-

 

[brybry24]

Looking for opinions from people who have tried it regarding the bass mod by removing the plastic tape.
 
1) I know that I will gain more bass but what will I lose in exchange (soundstage, detail etc.)?
 
2) Overall, do you recommend doing the bass mod? 

 

[eimis]

^ I would definitely recommend you this mod. The bass is very deep and controlled. I like its bass much better than HD650's

 

[Hifihedgehog]

  ^ I would definitely recommend you this mod. The bass is very deep and controlled. I like its bass much better than HD650's

Me too. I just manned up and did the mod to see what all the hype is about this. Let me tell you, this is the kind of upgrade that you'd think should come by default. It improves the bass quality and quantity by a LARGE measure. There is actually a nice thump that gives these a wow factor without recessed mids (I'm looking at you, DT 990). That's right, without harming the clarity and soundstaging of the Q 701.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Does the grill turn counter clockwise or clockwise to come off?

I think I'll give it a go later although the bass as is isn't that bad... how much does the bass increase and does it bleed into the mids?

 

[tdockweiler]

  Looking for opinions from people who have tried it regarding the bass mod by removing the plastic tape.
 
1) I know that I will gain more bass but what will I lose in exchange (soundstage, detail etc.)?
 
2) Overall, do you recommend doing the bass mod? 

 
Strangely enough when you do the mod you feel as if nothing was lost. This is usually impossible!
 
The only thing that fooled me is that imaging had improved with the bass mod installed. I have no no idea why, but it's possibly the (point) .1% extra warmth that causes the brain to think this.
It's also now easier to judge depth in the soundstage with the mod than before. This is a hard thing to test though.
 
The Q701 also might have less isolation since it's now more open. Maybe a tad more sound leaking out, but nobody will probably notice.
 
There is also a greater chance of dust getting into the driver...possibly. The "hole" is now completely exposed except for the outer grill.
 
I can't say this enough, but before the mod I preferred the HD-650 as an all rounder for movies and games, but now it's the modded Q701.
 
HD-650 still is a little warmer/fuller, but not by that much.

 

[tdockweiler]

Does the grill turn counter clockwise or clockwise to come off?

I think I'll give it a go later although the bass as is isn't that bad... how much does the bass increase and does it bleed into the mids?

 
No bass bleed and it doesn't magically color the sound or make it really all that much warmer.
It's mostly improving the low bass which and nothing else, which seems nearly impossible. Maybe some extra mid-bass, but I really didn't notice.
 
It also rotates clockwise.
 
Take EXTREME care and don't let the mini-xlr jack hang down if you do the hard method and unscrew everything.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

It's righty tightly, lefty loosey here for removing the outer cover. Like tdockweiler says, I don't also detect any mid bleeding at all. It's like adding a world-class subwoofer to go with two top tier floorstanding speakers. By some magic, you gain bass energy and delivery without losing the trademark midrange and treble.
 
Here's a hint: You'll want a small screwdriver. An eyeglass repair kit-sized one should do.  Be extra careful removing the second inner cover on the cable (left) side because you could potentially break wires, requiring you to do some soldering and rewiring to fix your boo boo.
 
I recommend looking at this post. It's the de facto step-by-step photo guide to the mod: http://www.head-fi.org/t/660408/reversible-akg-k701-bass-mod/60#post_10148238

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

How do you remove the bass port cover without unscrewing the headband assembly attachment?

I don't see 2 methods on that link (thanks for it btw).

 

[tdockweiler]

Sorry for all the multiple posts but...
 
 I was watching a bunch of movies the other day with lots of low bass and special effects etc. I compared the HD-650 with the modded Q701 and used my main setup which drives both with ease.
 
Overall I'd say they're about equal now as headphones. Of course it depends on preference but I'd be OK with either. Modded Q701 does have a slight edge.
 
The main difference is that the HD-650 sounded just very very slightly fuller/warmer, but of course sounds more closed in, a little less detailed and not as spacious sounding. It's probably a lot to do with the HD-650 having slightly less treble (but barely).
HD-650 has just a tiny bit more low bass presence than my modded Q701. I'd say like less than 5% for sure. It's very subtle.
 
Strangely enough I've found the HD-650 less picky with amps. My HD-650 is perfectly good with the O2/Magni to my ears, but the Q701...not so much. On the O2 it sounds a little thinner than it should, but still OK. The HD-650 sounds very similar on my Micro Amp as the O2. Somehow the bass isn't so great on the O2.
 
Interestingly the Vali and the Micro with the modded Q701 sound extremely close in sound. Unfortunately the Vali sounded bad with everything else..
 
BTW I bought a Bravo V2 hybrid tube amp to play around with. It will either be pretty decent or just some cheap toy to play around with. I got it for under $60 with next day delivery. Not bad!

 

[elwappo99]

  Looking for opinions from people who have tried it regarding the bass mod by removing the plastic tape.
 
1) I know that I will gain more bass but what will I lose in exchange (soundstage, detail etc.)?
 
2) Overall, do you recommend doing the bass mod? 

 
1. I think the only thing that really was different was some loss in midrange. When I did the mod, I started to notice the inconsistency in the midrange, very reminiscent of the K701. If you're not doing any critical listening you may not notice it, or the loss in detail.
 
2. I'd venture most people will prefer it since it gives a little extra bass. I personally found the incoherencies in the midrange to be pretty annoying.