[RTTO]

I've found a new way to appreciate the Q701s - don't use them

For a while anyway, because when you come back to them from whatever HPs you've been listening to they just sound astounding.

I've been a month without the Qs for various reasons, work, needing to go back to the UK, etc, and been using my HD25s exclusively during this time. Just this morning I finally have had the time to sit down in my office at home and put the Qs back to work, and my god - the space, air, and detail these phones deliver is phenomenal.

+1
 
Went on trip a while back. Using only ATH-WS55 for the duration. Listening to music suddenly becomes a diversion instead of enjoyment...

 

[jasonb]

I've found a new way to appreciate the Q701s - don't use them

For a while anyway, because when you come back to them from whatever HPs you've been listening to they just sound astounding.

I've been a month without the Qs for various reasons, work, needing to go back to the UK, etc, and been using my HD25s exclusively during this time. Just this morning I finally have had the time to sit down in my office at home and put the Qs back to work, and my god - the space, air, and detail these phones deliver is phenomenal.

 
For me it's been the opposite. I've been listening to a near field speaker setup primarily for the last few months, and there have been a couple times where I decided to put the Q701's back on and they just sounded boring.
 
I'm really loving near field speakers now. This setup sound just as detailed as the Q701 but with the fun of speakers. This setup has been tuned with a measurement system and has some fancy PEQ work going on so it sounds extremely accurate. It's +/-3db from 180hz to 16khz, with a very slow roll off over 16khz. The bottom end has a nice gradual rise from 180hz on down, it ends up being about 10db up by 70hz. The bass is also +/-3db from 31hz to 150hz. So it's very flat with the exception of a little extra ooomph on the bottom end since I usually listen at low levels. I could probably EQ the Q701 to do pretty much the same thing, but then it still wouldn't have the soundstage and imaging, or bass impact of this near field rig.   
 
I'm not totally done with headphones though. When I need isolation I'll put in my GR01 IEM's, but I really have no place for my Q701 at the moment. I'm not selling them though. One day I'll probably appreciate them again. 

 

[ZenocideZ]

I've found a new way to appreciate the Q701s - don't use them


For a while anyway, because when you come back to them from whatever HPs you've been listening to they just sound astounding.


I've been a month without the Qs for various reasons, work, needing to go back to the UK, etc, and been using my HD25s exclusively during this time. Just this morning I finally have had the time to sit down in my office at home and put the Qs back to work, and my god - the space, air, and detail these phones deliver is phenomenal.

I'm with you on this one.  I've been trying out a bunch of new headphones trying to find something with a closed back that I can use at work.  The more headphones I try, the more I like the Q701.  For a while there I didn't really listen to them for like a week.  I'd spent a lot of time with my Mad Dogs, which are super dark.  Once I went back to the Q701, it was a re-revelation. 

In fact, it made me realize that I need to stop hunting for something "different" or "better".  I love my Q701 and Matrix M-Stage combination at home and I have no need to replace it or upgrade any time soon.  (Okay, maybe I'll splurge on a K712 at some point if I find a smoking deal.)  It's a good feeling to realize that I don't need to hunt for the perfect amp or opamp or DAC or whatever. 

Highly doubt there is a closed headphone has the soundstage and echo space like q701. The b&w p7 is considered r the largest soundstage closed cans but they r no where reach q701.

Personally, i suggest you try out dt990 600ohm. I found it is something different and better than q701, except songs with female voice.

 

[Soymilk]

so upgrade bug bit me and i've pretty much narrowed in on the q701 as my target. have a question about the mods though, and what combination of mods people may be using.
 
bass port mod - this one's removing the sticker, right? this seems to be the one to do.
 
adding foam beneath the grill - i read about this in another thread. there's a circular piece of foam that you come across on your way to the sticker for the bass port mod, the thread mentioned adding a layer or two of like a microfiber material or something there. has anyone tried this one, too? thoughts? that thread was a few years old i think and did not have many replies.
 
k712 pads - comfort, improves sq?
 
 
has anyone experimented with combinations of these? thoughts on how they go together? does swapping the pads for k712 pads on top of doing the bass port mod make it sound worse than just removing the sticker itself?
 
 
also, i've seen some stuff about amps not playing nice with these headphones. i'm currently using a ppa v2 that i built like 6 years ago now, does anyone have any experience with driving the q701 from one of these?

 

[ampair]

O. M. F. G.
 
listening to nightwish's "showtime, storytime" live album on my bass-modded q701 through the lyr. this combination is sooooo perfect.
 
no reason to reverse the mod.
no reason to uprade any further.
no reason to stop enjoying the music.
 
just felt the need to share this. rock on!

 

 

[Stillhart]

  so upgrade bug bit me and i've pretty much narrowed in on the q701 as my target. have a question about the mods though, and what combination of mods people may be using.
 
bass port mod - this one's removing the sticker, right? this seems to be the one to do.
 
adding foam beneath the grill - i read about this in another thread. there's a circular piece of foam that you come across on your way to the sticker for the bass port mod, the thread mentioned adding a layer or two of like a microfiber material or something there. has anyone tried this one, too? thoughts? that thread was a few years old i think and did not have many replies.
 
k712 pads - comfort, improves sq?
 
 
has anyone experimented with combinations of these? thoughts on how they go together? does swapping the pads for k712 pads on top of doing the bass port mod make it sound worse than just removing the sticker itself?
 
 
also, i've seen some stuff about amps not playing nice with these headphones. i'm currently using a ppa v2 that i built like 6 years ago now, does anyone have any experience with driving the q701 from one of these?

 
Bass port mod - Yes, the sticker one.  Easy to do and reversible.  No reason not to try it for yourself.
 
Foam mod - Never tried it myself.  Apparently more or less foam, as well as different kinds of materials can change the sound.  I'm too lazy for that.
 
K702 Anniversary/K712 pads - Supposed to make these sound exactly the same as the K702 Annie (search for @chicolom's comparison of the two).  Warmer, more bass, less sibilance, basically everything you could ask for.  The pads cost like $60-70, which is a lot cheaper than the Annies, but still pricey.  For me, the bass port mod was good enough that I didn't feel the need to get the pads.
 
I've heard that the pads+bass port mod is too much and people generally do one or the other.

 

[Soymilk]

thanks for the response. looks like i'll just try them stock for a while first, then do the bass port mod and see how i like it. i was thinking the same for the foam one (too lazy), would be curious on some more opinions of bass port mod + k712 pads though. does it get too bassy for preference, or do things start getting muddy / losing detail?
 
currently i have a hd555 and a dt770/80, i'm hoping to find a blend of what i like out of these two - open soundstage with a full (warm? not really sure if that's the right word) sound. from the descriptions i've been seeing the bass port mod moves the q701 more in that direction
 
i also game a lot so the q701 being commonly listed as one of the top headphones for gaming is a plus too.

 

[Stillhart]

  thanks for the response. looks like i'll just try them stock for a while first, then do the bass port mod and see how i like it. i was thinking the same for the foam one (too lazy), would be curious on some more opinions of bass port mod + k712 pads though. does it get too bassy for preference, or do things start getting muddy / losing detail?
 
currently i have a hd555 and a dt770/80, i'm hoping to find a blend of what i like out of these two - open soundstage with a full (warm? not really sure if that's the right word) sound. from the descriptions i've been seeing the bass port mod moves the q701 more in that direction
 
i also game a lot so the q701 being commonly listed as one of the top headphones for gaming is a plus too.

No, the Q701 has never been accused of being warm.  When people say the mod moves it in the warm direction, it does... but it's starting from so far on the bright side that it's still bright, just not AS bright.  They're very clean and sparkly and detailed, but they're not warm.  The bass port mod + a warm amp is what you want to get the best out of these for music IMO.  I'm sure others will chime in with their opinions too, don't just take my word for it.
 
I can definitely vouch for how good they are for gaming.

 

[Soymilk]

  No, the Q701 has never been accused of being warm.  When people say the mod moves it in the warm direction, it does... but it's starting from so far on the bright side that it's still bright, just not AS bright.  They're very clean and sparkly and detailed, but they're not warm.  The bass port mod + a warm amp is what you want to get the best out of these for music IMO.  I'm sure others will chime in with their opinions too, don't just take my word for it.
 
I can definitely vouch for how good they are for gaming.

i'm probably not using "warm" in the same way that it's commonly used, as i seem to remember the dt770/80 are often called bright as well i think. but comparing its sound with the sound of the hd555, it seems to have more of a full bodied sound? i never really bothered to get into a store that lets you try these to go between "warm" vs "bright" or whatnot, so i'm not entirely sure what kind of sonic differences these words actually refer to.
 
have you tried either the hd555 or dt770/80 before? if so, how would you compare them?

 

[Stillhart]

  i'm probably not using "warm" in the same way that it's commonly used, as i seem to remember the dt770/80 are often called bright as well i think. but comparing its sound with the sound of the hd555, it seems to have more of a full bodied sound? i never really bothered to get into a store that lets you try these to go between "warm" vs "bright" or whatnot, so i'm not entirely sure what kind of sonic differences these words actually refer to.
 
have you tried either the hd555 or dt770/80 before? if so, how would you compare them?

No, I have yet to try any Beyer or Sennheiser (other than the Momentum On-Ear, which isn't the same type of headphone).  Sorry, I can't help with the comparison on the sound there.

 

[Dragonzeanse]

  i'm probably not using "warm" in the same way that it's commonly used, as i seem to remember the dt770/80 are often called bright as well i think. but comparing its sound with the sound of the hd555, it seems to have more of a full bodied sound? i never really bothered to get into a store that lets you try these to go between "warm" vs "bright" or whatnot, so i'm not entirely sure what kind of sonic differences these words actually refer to.
 
have you tried either the hd555 or dt770/80 before? if so, how would you compare them?

I have tried the Sennheiser HD 598, but have never listened to a Beyerdynamic headphone (they're on my "to-do list"). I never really knew how to characterize a "warm sound" until I heard the HD 598s. "Warm" was the very first word that came to my mind. It describes bass emphasis, and a "full" sound. This doesn't necessarily refer to the sub-bass, which is more like the bass you can feel rather than hear, but that's not to say warm sound signatures don't have it. They have rolled-off highs, so they don't sound so edgy and harsh. I'd like to suggest that it also means emphasis on the mid-range, but that's not really true.
 
If you want a less simplified description written by someone who knows more about audio than me, look here. I would describe the HD 598s as pretty much the textbook example of warm sound. I've heard headphones described as "warm" such as the Onkyo ES-FC300s (though only slightly) and the Sennheiser Momentums, and I wouldn't describe them as anywhere near as warm as the 598s. It's hard to describe, but the way I felt was as if the sound was intimate despite its closed nature, and felt like it was being played in a well-furnished living room - without glass, of course.
 
Beyerdynamic DT770 and DT880 are two quite different headphones. The DT770s have a v-shaped sound while the DT880s are primarily neutral with some treble emphasis. Also, the DT880 series are semi-open while the DT770s are closed.

 

[Smugsie]

After a whole day of listening to V-Moda M100's which have an intrusive/intimate soundstage. The Q's felt very weird at first before brain burn-in. It still maintained the midrange intimacy, but it had a weird sparkly musical filter in front of it.

Odd.

Just wanted to share.

 

[Soymilk]

 
I have tried the Sennheiser HD 598, but have never listened to a Beyerdynamic headphone (they're on my "to-do list"). I never really knew how to characterize a "warm sound" until I heard the HD 598s. "Warm" was the very first word that came to my mind. It describes bass emphasis, and a "full" sound. This doesn't necessarily refer to the sub-bass, which is more like the bass you can feel rather than hear, but that's not to say warm sound signatures don't have it. They have rolled-off highs, so they don't sound so edgy and harsh. I'd like to suggest that it also means emphasis on the mid-range, but that's not really true.
 
If you want a less simplified description written by someone who knows more about audio than me, look here. I would describe the HD 598s as pretty much the textbook example of warm sound. I've heard headphones described as "warm" such as the Onkyo ES-FC300s (though only slightly) and the Sennheiser Momentums, and I wouldn't describe them as anywhere near as warm as the 598s. It's hard to describe, but the way I felt was as if the sound was intimate despite its closed nature, and felt like it was being played in a well-furnished living room - without glass, of course.
 
Beyerdynamic DT770 and DT880 are two quite different headphones. The DT770s have a v-shaped sound while the DT880s are primarily neutral with some treble emphasis. Also, the DT880 series are semi-open while the DT770s are closed.

hmm, i'll need to do some more comparisons when i get home, i feel like ive been taking crazy pills now. thanks for the link, that helps with some of the wording confusion. (btw when i say dt770/80, i mean the dt770 pro 80 ohm, not dt770 / dt880)

 

[Dragonzeanse]

  hmm, i'll need to do some more comparisons when i get home, i feel like ive been taking crazy pills now. thanks for the link, that helps with some of the wording confusion. (btw when i say dt770/80, i mean the dt770 pro 80 ohm, not dt770 / dt880)

Oh, right. DT 770 Pro (80 ohm) would still sound just as I described, though. Higher ohms generally seems to yield "better" sound from Beyerdynamic headphones if you have the power to drive them. Rule of thumb. But like I said, not the expert.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

 
No, the Q701 has never been accused of being warm.  When people say the mod moves it in the warm direction, it does... but it's starting from so far on the bright side that it's still bright, just not AS bright.  They're very clean and sparkly and detailed, but they're not warm.  The bass port mod + a warm amp is what you want to get the best out of these for music IMO.  I'm sure others will chime in with their opinions too, don't just take my word for it.

I can definitely vouch for how good they are for gaming.

i'm probably not using "warm" in the same way that it's commonly used, as i seem to remember the dt770/80 are often called bright as well i think. but comparing its sound with the sound of the hd555, it seems to have more of a full bodied sound? i never really bothered to get into a store that lets you try these to go between "warm" vs "bright" or whatnot, so i'm not entirely sure what kind of sonic differences these words actually refer to.

have you tried either the hd555 or dt770/80 before? if so, how would you compare them?

558 owner here

Q701s sound thinner, but clarity, soundstage are far better. Quality bass, but lower in quantity. Not good for long listening sessions.
Hd558 really forgiving, smooth, but veiled sound, I guess you could say slower soundjng, more bass quantity, but less quality. Very good for long listening sessions.