[noobandroid]

  I keep forgetting from time to time how good the modded Q's sound for the price...

i love the unmodded ones too.. they sound as great

 

[JohnRichard]

I have been pleased with my k702's from day one.  While I think an amp would be a welcome addition to anyone's setup, running from my laptop via X-fi USB gives fine results. 
Sometimes I don't want to take my good gear places where it might be subjected to undue stress or theft, and my X-fi works great.  Perhaps it's not as refined, but for the money I haven't seen better options. 
 
Note that I'm not recommending a Creative product over a dedicated headphone amp, especially with valves.  Sometimes we have to think intended use, rather than "best product". 

 

[ThurstonX]

  The normal K702 pads are angled, but I think the 65th anniversary pads are not angled, at least from what people seem to be saying.

 
Correct.  I had the Annie pads, and while really comfortable, they are not angled.  And, for me, they killed the Q701s inherent bright, spacious sound, and I love to complain about that brightness.  There are other ways to ameliorate it without destroying the sound.
 
Wish I could comment on the K712 pads.

 

[Solrighal]

I keep forgetting from time to time how good the modded Q's sound for the price...

Are you referring to the bass mod where you remove those two stickers from behind the drivers? I was going to try that but then I read conflicting reports saying it just made the bass loose so I haven't tried it yet.

I might though because right now I find I have the bass boost on all the time with the Q701's. Is it really better?

 

[Ashade]

  i love the unmodded ones too.. they sound as great

 
Yeah, me too. I just got used to the "darker" (never really dark though) signature of the modded ones. In fact, after getting used to the HD700 I usually add some extra subbass with EQ sometimes. But for listening music on the background, either regular or modded are just better, because you don't get distracted with that much impact on the low end.
 

Are you referring to the bass mod where you remove those two stickers from behind the drivers? I was going to try that but then I read conflicting reports saying it just made the bass loose so I haven't tried it yet.

I might though because right now I find I have the bass boost on all the time with the Q701's. Is it really better?

 
I don't think the bass is loose, it just needs to be properly driven  (which is going to depend on your amp). The modded Q's are, IMHO, definitely better than the regular Q's and still, not completely neutral but more in the bright side. To give a reference, HD650 and HD700 will still be much darker. Even HD800 which is suppose to be bright, is darker than a modded Q.

 

[Stillhart]

Are you referring to the bass mod where you remove those two stickers from behind the drivers? I was going to try that but then I read conflicting reports saying it just made the bass loose so I haven't tried it yet.

I might though because right now I find I have the bass boost on all the time with the Q701's. Is it really better?

Curious about this too.  I haven't tried it yet because I'm still not sure whether I'll keep the Q701 once my Fidelio X1's arrive...

 

[ThurstonX]

Tubes + Q701s = fun!
 
OK, fun, if you like tube rolling 

  Tubes can make a difference, but will not change the Q701s signature.  It's more of a tweak, like the bass port mod (but not that big) or changing the material of the ring that sits above the driver (between driver and dust shield fabric on the pads).  I would have to say tubes make the most subtle difference.
 
I'm really curious about the Project Ember.  One thing you might want to consider when spec'ing tube amps is what cans you might own in the future (or currently own), and can such-and-such tube amp drive them well, or do you even want it to.  e.g., the Lyr drives my Q701s (duh) and my HE-500s quite nicely.  I've read that most (all?) Woo tube amps don't do such a good job with the HE-500s, whereas the Project Ember does.
 
Just some food for thought.

 

[Solrighal]

Yeah, me too. I just got used to the "darker" (never really dark though) signature of the modded ones. In fact, after getting used to the HD700 I usually add some extra subbass with EQ sometimes. But for listening music on the background, either regular or modded are just better, because you don't get distracted with that much impact on the low end.


I don't think the bass is loose, it just needs to be properly driven  (which is going to depend on your amp). The modded Q's are, IMHO, definitely better than the regular Q's and still, not completely neutral but more in the bright side. To give a reference, HD650 and HD700 will still be much darker. Even HD800 which is suppose to be bright, is darker than a modded Q.

Is it the case that the mod only affects the bass? ie does it just boost bass or does it have some effect on the treble too?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[ThurstonX]

Are you referring to the bass mod where you remove those two stickers from behind the drivers? I was going to try that but then I read conflicting reports saying it just made the bass loose so I haven't tried it yet.

I might though because right now I find I have the bass boost on all the time with the Q701's. Is it really better?

 
FWIW, the bass port mod is reversible.  If you can peel the stickers off carefully, you can put them back.  They're made of pretty tough material, so you'd have to try to mess them up.  You can also just use tape to cover the ports, if that's easier.  Makes it easier to decide to experiment, esp. if you're not considering selling them.  But really, even then you could get away with it.

 

[Ashade]

Is it the case that the mod only affects the bass? ie does it just boost bass or does it have some effect on the treble too?

Sorry for all the questions.

 
No problem at all. I did a comparison side by side some time ago, as I owned two Q's at the same time, and one of them was modded while the other one was stock. It basically boost the bass. There is a very very subtle kick on the low mids as well that very slightly modify male vocals but, honestly, it was so subtle that I needed a sided by side comparison to realize it. The end of the story is that now I have two modded Q's instead of just one because if you have the same on the same table you might want to listen to a specific one, but if you have one at home and another one at work, you end missing the modded Q's (at least in my case). Either way, you can EQ it down if you eventually prefer a more laid back sound signature (which is something that I hardly ever miss). In fact, as I said, I usually add a little bit more of bass, and I don't consider myself a basshead.
 

   
FWIW, the bass port mod is reversible.  If you can peel the stickers off carefully, you can put them back.  They're made of pretty tough material, so you'd have to try to mess them up.  You can also just use tape to cover the ports, if that's easier.  Makes it easier to decide to experiment, esp. if you're not considering selling them.  But really, even then you could get away with it.
 

 
Or you can mod it back with painter tape. 

 

[Solrighal]

No problem at all. I did a comparison side by side some time ago, as I owned two Q's at the same time, and one of them was modded while the other one was stock. It basically boost the bass. There is a very very subtle kick on the low mids as well that very slightly modify male vocals but, honestly, it was so subtle that I needed a sided by side comparison to realize it. The end of the story is that now I have two modded Q's instead of just one because if you have the same on the same table you might want to listen to a specific one, but if you have one at home and another one at work, you end missing the modded Q's (at least in my case). Either way, you can EQ it down if you eventually prefer a more laid back sound signature (which is something that I hardly ever miss). In fact, as I said, I usually add a little bit more of bass, and I don't consider myself a basshead.


Or you can mod it back with painter tape. 

Brilliant! I'll go for it after one more question if I may.

There appears to be two ways to access the rear of the drivers. Which is the easiest? I would think the procedure linked at the start of this thread with the two screws to remove the grilles would be the easiest. Am I correct?

 

[Solrighal]

I meant to add - I'm amping with a Fiio E18 which should provide enough power and in fact my only complaint with the E18 is that it's maybe a touch on the lean side. After this mod I would imagine the perceived leanness might be a good thing. This is why I always use the bass boost with these cans and that amp. What do you guys think?

 

[Ashade]

Brilliant! I'll go for it after one more question if I may.

There appears to be two ways to access the rear of the drivers. Which is the easiest? I would think the procedure linked at the start of this thread with the two screws to remove the grilles would be the easiest. Am I correct?

That's how I did it. I think you should be able to find some pictures in my profile. I don't have many though. Let me search for the thread that tells you how to do it.

EDIT: More pictures in this thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/660408/reversible-akg-k701-bass-mod

 

[Solrighal]

Does it require a lot of pressure to remove the external grilles? I can't seem to get them to unscrew.

 

[Za Warudo]

I used push pins to twist the grill. It's a little hard but the grill has a twist locking mechanics similar to the pads. The screws on the modding page seems too thick to get a good grip on the grill. Also for the screws inside I found a screwdriver in my mini screwdrivers set to be perfect for getting it off. The normal sized screwdrivers won't do.