[Chris J]

I realized the instrument separation on the Q701's are a tad degree lower tier than my Etymotic ER4S IEM's. Any AMPs/DACs that will improve the Q701's instrument separation compared to my ODAC/O2?


Or should I just try to enjoy what I have? 

You may have to spend a large pile of cash on a better DAC and amp to improve the separation.
Say approx. $1,000!
Best to enjoy what you have.

 

[Boogirl]

Regarding the 15 vs the 11, actually the reason you'd want the 15 over the 11 is to deal with the treble issues.  Some people don't fine the Q701 to be too bright, they actually love that sound.  If that's you, the 11 might be more your style.  If, on the other hand, you find the treble to be just a tad to much on some stuff, the 15 will be perfect for you.
 
 Neither is going to do much for the bass.  The bass mod is your friend if you want more bass out of the Q701.
 
Soundstage:  again, per above, I've never heard the Vali, but I found the NFB-15 amp to sound the same as the M-stage.
 

Well I finally decided on the Audio GD NFB 15 (including TCXO upgrade) and wanted to thank everyone for you're help. It's being shipped out on Friday and absolutely can't wait to pair this with my Q701s. 
 
I'm no SQ expert obviously, but I'll be comparing the Audio GD NFB 15 to my Cambridge 550a Integrated Amp. There's some debate as to whether the headphone jack of a stereo integrated compares with that of a dedicated H/P amp so I look forward to conducting my very own first experiment . I doubt the Cambridge will stand a chance though!

 

[Stillhart]

  Well I finally decided on the Audio GD NFB 15 (including TCXO upgrade) and wanted to thank everyone for you're help. It's being shipped out on Friday and absolutely can't wait to pair this with my Q701s. 
 
I'm no SQ expert obviously, but I'll be comparing the Audio GD NFB 15 to my Cambridge 550a Integrated Amp. There's some debate as to whether the headphone jack of a stereo integrated compares with that of a dedicated H/P amp so I look forward to conducting my very own first experiment . I doubt the Cambridge will stand a chance though!

 
Congrats!  Looking forward to hearing your impressions of it. 
 

 

[G3org3]

Hello looking for a bit of advice on an amp to go with the q701 headphones.
I will be using them with the astro mixamp pro and blue snowball mic on the ps4 and feel as if they need a little more power.

The amps I've been looking at are schiit magni, schiit vali the O2 amp and fiio e9 many help would be much appreciated

 

[chopstixZ]

So i recently purchased these headphones and i'm looking for some advice on whether i should upgrade from my essence STX to a better dac/amp solution. I keep reading conflicting opinions about the stx/q701 pairing which makes it a bit confusing. 
 
My budget is ~$300 and i'm in Australia so i'm not sure if there's enough headroom to get anything much better.

 

[Stillhart]

  So i recently purchased these headphones and i'm looking for some advice on whether i should upgrade from my essence STX to a better dac/amp solution. I keep reading conflicting opinions about the stx/q701 pairing which makes it a bit confusing. 
 
My budget is ~$300 and i'm in Australia so i'm not sure if there's enough headroom to get anything much better.

 
Have you listened to them together yet?  What do you like or dislike about the sound? 

 

[chewynuts]

Hi Gents,
 
I'm looking to upgrade my amp for my Q701. Currently using a O2 amplifier but the sound seems too thin for me, would like the bass to be fuller.
Would prefer to have a built-in DAC as well.
Budget is $400 but would prefer to purchase an amp with the most synergy with the Q701s rather than the most expensive.
 
Judging from what I have read, Is the Matrix M-Stage HP2 Amplifier/DAC my best option right now?
How does the Matrix Mini-I compare?

 

[Stillhart]

  Hi Gents,
 
I'm looking to upgrade my amp for my Q701. Currently using a O2 amplifier but the sound seems too thin for me, would like the bass to be fuller.
Would prefer to have a built-in DAC as well.
Budget is $400 but would prefer to purchase an amp with the most synergy with the Q701s rather than the most expensive.
 
Judging from what I have read, Is the Matrix M-Stage HP2 Amplifier/DAC my best option right now?
How does the Matrix Mini-I compare?

Have you done the bass mod?  I'd definitely start there if you have issues with the bass.  It'll have far more effect than any DAC/Amp combo.
 
After that, I'd personally recommend the Audio-GD NFB-15.  Read back the last few pages for plenty of discussion about it vs the Matrix M-stage.

 

[G3org3]

N

 

[chewynuts]

  Have you done the bass mod?  I'd definitely start there if you have issues with the bass.  It'll have far more effect than any DAC/Amp combo.
 
After that, I'd personally recommend the Audio-GD NFB-15.  Read back the last few pages for plenty of discussion about it vs the Matrix M-stage.

Thanks for the advice, tried the bass mod and I like it much better but the entire presentation is still a little muddy.
Would you be able to share the differences between the Audio-GD NFB-15.32 and the 11.32 and which plays better with the Q701?
 
Thank you.

 

[Spiderman]

So I had a recent chance to compare a lot of mid tier headphones the Q701, AKG 550 and the Sennheiser 598. Here are my impressions so far, In terms of comfort I find the Q701 to be the best, the 550's pads get a little hot and it puts quite a bit of pressure on the side of your head. The 598 for some reason causes me ear pain on my right ear I don't know if its because I have big ears but even though the pads are extremely soft I still feel discomfort after an hour.  In terms of sound I would say the 598 is the best, it doesn't have a huge sound stage but its big enough, the mids are nice and clear and there is always a certain air to some instruments, not to mention that the sound seems to be a bit more focused in comparison to the Q701. The Q701 has a great sound stage but it only sounds really good out of my speaker amp while the 598 sounds great out of anything. On the other hand the AKG 550 has a decent soundstage but it seems to be lacking a bit of detail. I would say the Q701 reminds me of a less refined and detailed he-400 and while I can't describe the sound signature of the 598 it is my favorite, it sounds like a livelier hd 650.

 

[nicobombai]

Is the Aune T1 DAC (6922 High Version) or TOPPING D2 any good for my Q701 ?
over here its around $160-170 so around IDR 1.900.000-2.000.000 my local currency.
or there is any better recomendation for me ?
thanks

 

[Za Warudo]

  So I had a recent chance to compare a lot of mid tier headphones the Q701, AKG 550 and the Sennheiser 598. Here are my impressions so far, In terms of comfort I find the Q701 to be the best, the 550's pads get a little hot and it puts quite a bit of pressure on the side of your head. The 598 for some reason causes me ear pain on my right ear I don't know if its because I have big ears but even though the pads are extremely soft I still feel discomfort after an hour.  In terms of sound I would say the 598 is the best, it doesn't have a huge sound stage but its big enough, the mids are nice and clear and there is always a certain air to some instruments, not to mention that the sound seems to be a bit more focused in comparison to the Q701. The Q701 has a great sound stage but it only sounds really good out of my speaker amp while the 598 sounds great out of anything. On the other hand the AKG 550 has a decent soundstage but it seems to be lacking a bit of detail. I would say the Q701 reminds me of a less refined and detailed he-400 and while I can't describe the sound signature of the 598 it is my favorite, it sounds like a livelier hd 650.

The Q701 sounds nothing like the HE-400, in fact they are like polar opposites of each other.  The Q701 is emphasized in the upper midrange and lacks bass quantity and extension whereas the HE400 is lacking in upper midrange and has bass extension and quantity.  Also the HE400's soundstage is tiny compared to that of the Q701.  Also the treble on the Q701 is much smoother compared to the HE400, which only gives the illusion of being more detailed due to its peaky and strident treble.  The Q701 is on the brighter side of neutral whereas the HE400 is definitely a dark sounding headphone.

 

[Stillhart]

  Thanks for the advice, tried the bass mod and I like it much better but the entire presentation is still a little muddy.
Would you be able to share the differences between the Audio-GD NFB-15.32 and the 11.32 and which plays better with the Q701?
 
Thank you.

I believe I went into that in a post recently.  You might go back and try to read the whole exchange with Boogirl about it.  I haven't heard the 11.32, just the 15.32, so I can't compare them directly.  However, based on my research, I decided to go with the warmer 15.32 to pair with my Q701's.    The 11 is supposed to me more neutral-to-bright and I think the Q701 is already borderline too bright.  The warm 15 takes the edge off the treble just enough to smooth it out and make the sound perfect for me.  
 
If you like the highs where they're at, you might try the 11 with the Sabre dac.  If you think it could use a little warmth, get the 15 with the dual Wolfson DACs.  

 

[scociu]

Just paired these with a Firestone Bobby amp: http://www.firestone-audio.eu/shop/products/allproductslisted/bobby.php
I really enjoy how they sound. Any guides available on re-cabling these with a balanced XLR cable? I found some for K701, but not sure if the wiring is the same on the Q