[DaveK1977]

Yeah. And they are a really great value at their current selling price. Now the question is which color will you get?

Green.  It should always be green.

 

[Chris J]

You'll find that some amps might list impedance values vs. wattage outputs that don't necessarily calculate the way you'd expect.  One factor affecting this is a low impedance headphone simply causing the amp to run out of current.  Also, variations in the impedance across frequencies can cause power matching drops to occur, where you might not have enough drive in one area or too much in another.  After running into the various gear I have not driving the low end correctly (except for my FiiO E18, which is perfectly fine) I might get a different audio interface for my DAW/PC that can drive a wider array of monitor headphones.  I'm also thinking of getting a set of closed Beyerdynamics (DT770) at either 80 or 32 Ohms impedance, and want to make sure I can drive them correctly when tracking and mixing.

Variations in impedance DO NOT cause "power matching" drops to occur in a properly designed headphone amp.
A well designed headphone amp WILL NOT have a problem driving a headphone with large impedance swings.
An ideal headphone amp will have a very low output impedance, and more than enough output voltage and output current to drive almost any headphone to any rational volume.

 

[fauxfreshness]

Variations in impedance DO NOT cause "power matching" drops to occur in a properly designed headphone amp.
A well designed headphone amp WILL NOT have a problem driving a headphone with large impedance swings.
An ideal headphone amp will have a very low output impedance, and more than enough output voltage and output current to drive almost any headphone to any rational volume.

 
Are you kidding me?  You haven't seen ANY charts showcasing has impedance can vary at given frequencies, thus affecting power delivery and damping?  Good job.  I love all the electrical engineers here...
 
However, in ANY case having a poor "match" (not a power transfer match, but more of a multiple of impedance "match" between the amp output interface and the headphone connection) can be heard in poor driver control.  So even in your poor attempt at mocking, you did manage to prove my point by referencing the "ideal" headphone amp and headphone pairing.  Again, good job.

 

[Chris J]

Are you kidding me?  You haven't seen ANY charts showcasing has impedance can vary at given frequencies, thus affecting power delivery and damping?  Good job.  I love all the electrical engineers here...

However, in ANY case having a poor "match" (not a power transfer match, but more of a multiple of impedance "match" between the amp output interface and the headphone connection) can be heard in poor driver control.  So even in your poor attempt at mocking, you did manage to prove my point by referencing the "ideal" headphone amp and headphone pairing.  Again, good job.

No I Haven't.
I've only worked as a power engineer for 25 years.

OK, just kidding! :rolleyes:

 

[CaveManta]

I think I'm going to interrupt the battle with a nice, long type-up!

 
   After 4 months of owning the Q701, I am pleased to say that I am IMPRESSED with it. I'm going to post a semi-review/comparison here for you guys!
   Why did I choose the Q701? I wanted to find a blend between the Audio Technica M50 and AD700. I wanted the forward mids, airy soundstage, and detail of the AD700, as well as the deeper/fuller bass of the M50.
   So how does the Q701 fare when it comes to blending these aspects? I say it does quite well! It has deep bass, forward mids, tons of detail, and a wide soundstage. However, it actually compromises in the bass quantity vs soundstage size department. It doesn't have the super full bass of the M50, yet it doesn't have the heavenly, airy soundstage of the AD700 either. In this way, it's a can of its own!
 
Let's analyze these two aspects on their own.
   First, the soundstage! The AD700 has a huge soundstage. Many say that it is artificially large. It puts every sound far away from the listener. This creates a perception of "air." Thus the word "air" is used all over the AD700's box art. I absolutely adore the AD700's soundstage. Not just its size, but also separation, precision, and central image!
   The M50, in contrast, has a pretty small soundstage, the smallest I would ever care to listen to. It never seems to let sounds leave my head. But its separation is really great, so at least sounds dance around inside of my head.
   What about the Q701? It's lacking some of the "air" that the AD700 has, thus it has instruments sounding a little closer in. However, there is definitely a lot more depth than the M50 provides. The lack of "air" prevents the soundstage from seeming artificial, making everything sound more focused. It actually helps instrument separation, so it's easy to differentiate and locate sounds.
All that aside, the biggest weakness of the Q701 soundstage is unrelated to the M50/AD700. It seems to lack a cohesive central image. This is because the drivers themselves aren't angled.
 
   Lets move on to the bass! The M50 has a very strong, slightly boomy bass. It's always there to be enjoyed, and many say it's overpowered. It always kicks and rumbles when it should. And of course, it goes deep, deeper than human hearing.
   The AD700, on the other hand, significantly lacks bass. I always end up squeezing the earpads against my head to maximize the bass, but I still never perceive deep rumbles or kicks.
   How does the Q701 fare? Well, it has very deep bass, rumbling on bassy tracks. But it doesn't have nearly as much quantity as the M50's bass. However, it is much tighter and free from boominess. To put it simply, the Q701 is not bass-anemic like the AD700, but it doesn't have forward bass like the M50. The bass is just "there."
 
   In the end, the Q701 is what I've been looking for, sharing advantages of both the M50 and AD700. But it doesn't outdo either one when it comes to their strongest points. So I'm going to keep my Audio Technicas as backups.
Thanks for reading my impressions, guys!

 

[Chris J]

Yep, that's a nice long type up!

 

[ThurstonX]

TL;DR... 

 
Time to sleep.  I'll read it tomorrow.  Looks nice though... and long 

 

[Uncle AL]

Nice comparison CaveManta. Others have compared performance of Q701s with familiar HPs such as HD600, HD650, etc. but there are vast differences that make such comparisons less effective than the common HPs you chose for review.

I often reach for my Q701s when I want clear, crisp rendering of music without undue addition of coloration or rolled off highs. I listen more to Classic Rock than jazz or symphony, but on those occasions when I'm seeking a spacial rendering with telescopic ability to pick orchestra mids and highs (violins, jazz guitar) the Q701s fit the bill. Another thing.. due to the lower impedence of the Q701s, I use a SS amp that match the "personality" of these phones, well. While I don't own a Vali / Modi that many rave about, I use my favored portable rig, Practical Devices XM6 Amp/DAC.
It's nice when things click and reading posts by others appreciating Q701s

 

[FightBrothers]

I've owned the Q701 for couple of month as well. I just want to give my thoughts on the reversible bass mod.
 
My experience with the bass mod was really unpleasant. The overall bass and especially the sub bass increased, but it sounded like a fart cannon. The tightness and control of the bass was almost non existent to my ears and the bass felt intrusive to the mids and trebles causing the headphone to sound extremely unnatural. 10/10 would not try again. Just my thoughts and opinion on the bass mod.
 
On a side note, the build quality is terrible for the price you pay. I hear creaking sound every time I move my jaw. -_-

 

[darrenyeats]

What amp are you using? No tightness problem with the mod here ...?

 

[TsukiNick]

I just did the bass mod, bass still feels controlled for me.  Maybe it's the genres you listen to?  If you tested this mod with Trip-Hop or something you might get a feel of muddiness.  I just completed my mod and my bassiest tracks (DVNO - Justice, Brak Talk - Skinny Puppy yeah not a huge bass guy) and didn't have any problems with muddiness.  I would say the drums on Ghosthack from the Ghost In The Shell OST gets a bit of distortion on the bass but I think that was there before the mod.

 

[mrk]

The amp you use will also play a part in muddy bass. As before, I've got nothing but praise for the NAD D 3020 here. It has no tone controls but only a bass extension button on the back. I don't have that on as the sound is near perfect to my ears on default anyway. Couldn't be happier and I listen to all kinds of music!

 

[TsukiNick]

I really doubt an amp will change anything.  I'll try putting a few tracks onto a Sansa Clip+ compared to my Magni I doubt I will hear much of a difference other than maybe hardly any volume.  Even with the Sansa Clip overdriving at +6db.  The bass is still clear as that of the Magni, actually the volume isn't that bad.  Honestly unless the Sansa Clip+ has just perfect synergy with the Q701 I'm really calling BS on it being the amp.
 
TLR Sounds same on Sansa Clip+ as Schiit Magni/Modi
 
In before someone tells me to get my ears checked.

 

[CaveManta]

Originally Posted by ThurstonX /img/forum/go_quote.gif

TL;DR... 

. . .

  I could practically write books about every headphone..But I just don't have enough room in a forum post.

So I'll probably end up writing little tidbits about the Q701 as time goes on. Eventually, when I get a better amp( a REAL headphone amplifier), I'll write a review. It'll be unbelievably long!
 
Originally Posted by FightBrothers /img/forum/go_quote.gif

. . .On a side note, the build quality is terrible for the price you pay. I hear creaking sound every time I move my jaw. -_-

   Yeah..I'm not sure if it's just the Q701s made in China(mine is.) It creaks, and the earpads are firm as heck. In addition, the plastic is just so hollow. At least the AD700 has metal grills! I think I might write a long "impression" about build quality.
 
  Why thanks for your positive feedback, guys! You're too kind. I just know that some of you were probably thrown off when I compared the Q701 to the M50. They're so different! But somehow, it seems right when I look at the M50 and add some AD700 aspects to it. Or maybe not

. More impressions soon!

 

[TsukiNick]

Actually I've just recently received ...two pairs of the Q701 (first one faulty right driver after day 2)  Both made in China P.R.C. and have had none of this creaking even with glasses on.  Honestly I'm dumbfounded whether they have fixed the issue or am I just lucky for not getting creaky pairs.
 

    Why thanks for your positive feedback, guys! You're too kind. I just know that some of you were probably thrown off when I compared the Q701 to the M50. They're so different! But somehow, it seems right when I look at the M50 and add some AD700 aspects to it. Or maybe not

. More impressions soon!

I would not compare the headphones at all, I would say the similarities are they fit on your head, they produce sound and they both use plastic construction.