[lejaz]

Quote:

 
I'm  not assuming. Q701  used with Mk5 is somewhat brighter than with Pro-ject heabox SEII, and a lot brighter than with Asus Xonar ST headphone amp.  There are clear spots in many tracks I listen to that are obviously very sibilant and fatiguing when using the Mk5, while with Xonar ST for example, its smooth and not sibilant.  Not darker sounding, or veiled, just smoother.  IMHO, MkV is a very clinical amp. It works great with something like HD650's to open up the dark sound a bit. It would be great for studio as well, but for headphones like Q701 I think its too bright.

OK, I'm not doubting you. But when you wrote that the mkV sounds 'way too bright', it seemed like you were saying the cause of the brightness was the amp rather than the headphones.....could be either... or both.  It could be that the mkV is 'neutral' and just amplifying the source material. Maybe someone else can tell us more about that. I'm just going by what I read in the long review thread from a few years back claiming it was a 'neutral' amp with very good clarity. . 

 

[soundlikes]

Hey guys, check out the "GOLD" cables I made for Qs. I posted the pics on the DIY thread:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/71148/diy-cable-gallery/8670
 
Enjoy!

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Are there any other amps with good synergy with the Q701 that are made in the USA?
 
I actually prefer to buy american made amps and I don't have anything against china at all.
 
I know there is Schiit and Headroom. Is there any others? I know of Woo Audio from New York.
 
I was thinking the Lyr or something else. I may just buy the M-Stage, but it might just be a side-grade, but who knows. I doubt anyone has ever heard both.

I have some VERY limited experience with the Woo WA6 and WA-6SE with various phones. I heard the Woo amps at a trade show for maybe 45 minutes.
Since I don't have a ton of experience with the Woo stuff  I will only say that they make a very nice, relaxing but clear sounding amp!

 
Quote:

Thanks....appreciate the clarification. Can you say how this relates to the mkV driving the 702? The mkV puts out between 1/2 and 1/3 watts power with low impedance phones according to the specs. I'm assuming it should do well with the 70X....or am I mistaken? The designer of the amp used the hd600(300ohms) when he designed the amp and the specs claim it can be used with phones between 32 and 600ohms.

The specs also say that the Little Dot Mk V outputs 500 mW into a 32 ohm 'phone.  I got this off their web site.
I suspect this amp has a rather high output impedance for a solid state head amp and was probably optimized for use with high impedance cans but I could be wrong.
I have never heard any Little Dot amp, so............what can I say?  YMMV. 
Judging by the description on the web site the Mk V design appears to be similar to the Asgard design.  I've never heard an Asgard either.
I have nothing against the LD or Schitt stuff. I just haven't heard it.
 
Soemtimes I use a high output impedance tube amp with my Q701s, that system can sound magical with the right recording and too bright with others.  It can be rather lush and romantic with the right tubes and the right recording. 
If I want tight, punchy bass I use my Matrix M Stage.
 
 

 

[lejaz]

I read somewhere, don't recall where, that the amp has a very low out impedance. I suppose it's possible that the mkV amp makes the 70X sound even brighter than they actually are, but I tend to doubt it, since many people with a variety of amps find the treble a bit too much on those phones. The k240S(55ohms) sounds anything but bright with the mkV. 
Quote:

I have some VERY limited experience with the Woo WA6 and WA-6SE with various phones. I heard the Woo amps at a trade show for maybe 45 minutes.
Since I don't have a ton of experience with the Woo stuff  I will only say that they make a very nice, relaxing but clear sounding amp!

 

The specs also say that the Little Dot Mk V outputs 500 mW into a 32 ohm 'phone.  I got this off their web site.
I suspect this amp has a rather high output impedance for a solid state head amp and was probably optimized for use with high impedance cans but I could be wrong.
I have never heard any Little Dot amp, so............what can I say?  YMMV. 
Judging by the description on the web site the Mk V design appears to be similar to the Asgard design.  I've never heard an Asgard either.
I have nothing against the LD or Schitt stuff. I just haven't heard it.
 
Soemtimes I use a high output impedance tube amp with my Q701s, that system can sound magical with the right recording and too bright with others.  It can be rather lush and romantic with the right tubes and the right recording. 
If I want tight, punchy bass I use my Matrix M Stage.
 
 

 

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

OK, I'm not doubting you. But when you wrote that the mkV sounds 'way too bright', it seemed like you were saying the cause of the brightness was the amp rather than the headphones.....could be either... or both.  It could be that the mkV is 'neutral' and just amplifying the source material. Maybe someone else can tell us more about that. I'm just going by what I read in the long review thread from a few years back claiming it was a 'neutral' amp with very good clarity. . 

If I remember correctly, in that review, MkV was paired with HD600 or HD650's.   So it might have made those headphones sound more "neutral" by adding some extra brightness to their darker sounds.

 

[KBerube80]

Okay, now that I have finally bit the bullet and purchased a pair (thanks to the above poster who provided the promo code!), I need an amp to drive them when I am not downstairs at my audio rig.  I have decided against a portable amp and am looking for a decent desktop amp to drive these puppies from my Asus laptop or iPod.  Any reco;s?

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

The specs also say that the Little Dot Mk V outputs 500 mW into a 32 ohm 'phone.  I got this off their web site.
I suspect this amp has a rather high output impedance
 
 

Yes, that is true. The facts are these:

1. 187 mW @ 300 ohm
2. 250 mW @ 120 ohm
3. 500 mW @ 32 ohm

 
Now, Q701 are 62 Ohm, so we can assume that output into that impedance is somewhere between 250 mW and 500 mW...lets say 350 mW.  Which is almost twice as much as it can deliver into 300 ohms.
 
Lets bring in some more facts:
 
HD650 - 300 Ohms, 103 db
 
Q701 - 62 Ohms, 105 db
 
and some more low impedance headphones I have:
 
HD558 - 50 Ohms, 112 db
 
HD438 - 32 Ohms, 112 db
 
So, Q701, HD558, HD438 all have lower impedance, and higher sensitivity than HD650's,  therefore, assuming we're using an amp with close to 0 output impedance, they should be easier to run, and should be louder than HD650's at the same volume knob settings. But they're not, none of them, Sennheiser are close to each other, but if I want the same volume on Q701 that I get on HD650's at 50%, I have to dial them all the way to 65-70%. I also have Pro-Ject headbox SEII, which I know has 30 Ohm output impedance, and the differences in volume control are about the same as on MkV.  Only when using Asus Xonar ST headphone output I achieve more volume with lower impedance cans on same settings. Why is that?  The only reasonable explanation in my mind its because of the output impedance. Pro-ject were kind enough to write the output impedance in the specs of the amplifier, but for some reason, Little Dot won't do that. People have asked on their forums for MkV output impedance, and never got an answer. They're probably afraid to give the info out, because the output impedance is higher than in the other similarly priced competitive amps.  My experiance with MkV tells me its:  1) bright sounding, very analytical and has a very left-right soundstage;  and 2) doesn't like low impedance cans.

 

[lejaz]

I was referring to the whole thread, which was over 40 pages! I think I waded through over half of it and I don't recall anyone saying they thought it was a bright sounding amp. I'm not saying you're wrong, only what was reported in that thread. A couple of people even claimed it was a match made in heaven with the k70X. Personally I'd have to disagree there. But with low impedance phones other than the 702, I didn't notice that it sounds particularly bright. I'd like to read a comparison of the mkV with other ss amps like the m-stage or the C-2,  because if it IS in fact on the bright side, I'd probably sell it and get something that was more neutral.
Quote:

If I remember correctly, in that review, MkV was paired with HD600 or HD650's.   So it might have made those headphones sound more "neutral" by adding some extra brightness to their darker sounds.

 

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Yes, that is true. The facts are these:

1. 187 mW @ 300 ohm
2. 250 mW @ 120 ohm
3. 500 mW @ 32 ohm

 
Now, Q701 are 62 Ohm, so we can assume that output into that impedance is somewhere between 250 mW and 500 mW...lets say 350 mW.  Which is almost twice as much as it can deliver into 300 ohms.
 
Lets bring in some more facts:
 
HD650 - 300 Ohms, 103 db
 
Q701 - 62 Ohms, 105 db
 
and some more low impedance headphones I have:
 
HD558 - 50 Ohms, 112 db
 
HD438 - 32 Ohms, 112 db
 
So, Q701, HD558, HD438 all have lower impedance, and higher sensitivity than HD650's,  therefore, assuming we're using an amp with close to 0 output impedance, they should be easier to run, and should be louder than HD650's at the same volume knob settings. But they're not, none of them, Sennheiser are close to each other, but if I want the same volume on Q701 that I get on HD650's at 50%, I have to dial them all the way to 65-70%. I also have Pro-Ject headbox SEII, which I know has 30 Ohm output impedance, and the differences in volume control are about the same as on MkV.  Only when using Asus Xonar ST headphone output I achieve more volume with lower impedance cans on same settings. Why is that?  The only reasonable explanation in my mind its because of the output impedance. Pro-ject were kind enough to write the output impedance in the specs of the amplifier, but for some reason, Little Dot won't do that. People have asked on their forums for MkV output impedance, and never got an answer. They're probably afraid to give the info out, because the output impedance is higher than in the other similarly priced competitive amps.  My experiance with MkV tells me its:  1) bright sounding, very analytical and has a very left-right soundstage;  and 2) doesn't like low impedance cans.

I can only guess that AKG is rather optimistic in their sensitivity statement?
They may measure sensitivity differently than Senn?
And I can only guess that Sennheiser changed their measurement methods between releasing the HD558 and HD650?
Or there are peaks and dips at 1 kHz which skew the meaurements?  
OTOH, all Sennheiser's sensitivities are referenced to 1 Volt @ 1kHz, AKG doesn't reference a frequency.
 
 

 

[b0000]

how do you guys wear your q701's? I wear mine with my ears at the center mostly and sometimes i push it towards the front of my head, it changes the sound a bit but i cant really describe how. I never push them back though, it makes it sound muffled.
 
Also, i asked this earlier but didn't get a response: if running the q701's from my laptop's onboard drives it to lets say 50% of max potential, then how would the e10, e17, e10+e9, or e17+e9 compare to it? or perhaps other brands?

 

[tdockweiler]

I haven't listened to my Q701 in over two weeks. So sad..not enough free time and I need to get a second head.
Been loving my HD-600 with new fancy DHC cable (on loan from friend). Not better than the Q701, but just different. Q701 still has better bass, but sometimes the slightly warmer HD-600 is nice.
Q701 is never going anywhere for sure. Too bad Sennheiser made it harder for non-rich people to get their products. Wanted to get another HD-650, but no way i'm paying $500! Q701 at $235 is like a steal.
 
It's so funny that IMO the HD-600 with stock cable has less bass than the Q701. Maybe a little more mid-bass possibly. Never thought i'd be saying that..
 

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

how do you guys wear your q701's? I wear mine with my ears at the center mostly and sometimes i push it towards the front of my head, it changes the sound a bit but i cant really describe how. I never push them back though, it makes it sound muffled.
 
Also, i asked this earlier but didn't get a response: if running the q701's from my laptop's onboard drives it to lets say 50% of max potential, then how would the e10, e17, e10+e9, or e17+e9 compare to it? or perhaps other brands?

It would be a huge difference when going from laptop onboard soundcard to dedicated amp and DAC, even the cheapest ones.

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

how do you guys wear your q701's? I wear mine with my ears at the center mostly and sometimes i push it towards the front of my head, it changes the sound a bit but i cant really describe how. I never push them back though, it makes it sound muffled.
 
Also, i asked this earlier but didn't get a response: if running the q701's from my laptop's onboard drives it to lets say 50% of max potential, then how would the e10, e17, e10+e9, or e17+e9 compare to it? or perhaps other brands?

 
I was thinking of asking that same question last week about where you put them on your head.  What I've come up with is that either is acceptable, though with them "forward" on the head (ear in the back of the cup) is probably the way they were "intended" to be worn, based on the fact that, in the center, the pressure from the headphones drives into the temple and becomes uncomfortable after 20-30 minutes whereas up further most of the pressure is on the bones.  Though it can still get uncomfortable after a while.  Also the back of my ear lobe touches the internal speaker surround padding in the center, it does not with my ear at the back.  And finally the sound stage is a bit more frontward and smoothed with my ear in the back.  However for certain recordings, I find the center position is more "alive" and exciting so I used both.  The center position definitely seems to be more fatiguing, and I associate fatiguing with "potential for hearing loss" so I avoid fatiguing profiles. 
 
I'd also be curious how others are wearing them.
 
I've come to the conclusion with these headphones that if your head is too narrow for Audio Technica winged headbands to stay on, AKG's clamping force and pads are comfortable. If your head acceptably fits AT cans, the AKG pads are too hard and will hurt with the clamping force after a while (which isn't as much force as Senn HD650, mind you...) 

 
Edit: I'm referring to K702, not Q701, but I chimed in because the placement considerations/ergonomics would be the same.


Quote:

I haven't listened to my Q701 in over two weeks. So sad..not enough free time and I need to get a second head.
Been loving my HD-600 with new fancy DHC cable (on loan from friend). Not better than the Q701, but just different. Q701 still has better bass, but sometimes the slightly warmer HD-600 is nice.
Q701 is never going anywhere for sure. Too bad Sennheiser made it harder for non-rich people to get their products. Wanted to get another HD-650, but no way i'm paying $500! Q701 at $235 is like a steal.
 
It's so funny that IMO the HD-600 with stock cable has less bass than the Q701. Maybe a little more mid-bass possibly. Never thought i'd be saying that..
 

 
I imagine (hope?) Sennheiser's prices will go back down in time.   They spiked when HD800 came out, then subsided, and spiked again just days after HD700 was announced. It may be new "MAP pricing" but "MAP" doesn't mean lowest retailable price, I suspect it has more to do with new product launches.  They can't seriously get good figures on HD600 & HD650 long-term at those price points when their competitors are severely undercutting them.  I take it as a more strategic thing to benefit their new launch. With both Beyer and AKG selling the same tier headphones for half the price, and some of the Chinese orthos (Hifiman) encroaching close to that price point, either it's strategic, or their leadership has lost all sanity. 
 
 

 

[danielbarakat]

i pretty much have the same rig...just ordered the M-Stage without the USB DAC for my Q701.  Can I use a Fiio E7 with a L7 (to get the E7 in DAC only mode)? 
 
How will the E7 and M-Stage combo sound with the Q701?  Or do I need a better DAC?
 

 

[Austin Morrow]

So, I've been listening to the Q701 extensively the last few days through the Burson Audio HA-160DS, the Valhalla + HRT MSII+, and the ZXAC SXC cable, and I'll have to say, the Q701 is a totally different beast than I thought it was. It's a faster headphone than I initially thought, and sounds amazing with bands like Metallica. However, I find it even more ideal, despite lacking ever so slightly in bass power and extension, for artists like Bassnectar and deadmau5.