[tdockweiler]

Quote:

 
 
Today I opened the earcups of my Q701 and found these disc shaped thin foams. What are these? Are they providing some kind of dust/dirt protection to the guts of the Q701 or something else? Removing them seems to improve the details a bit. Not sure if this is placebo or fact...
 
Removing the earcups make me realize that they are getting thinner day by day whereas they are thick out of the box.

Looks like you have both the correct Q701 foams. On mine they looked different! One looked like it was a piece from the K601 and the other side from the Q701. I made sure they were identical, but never heard much of a difference. I'm currently using the K601 foam in my Q701.
 
For those that are interested....
 
K601 and K701 share the same foam part #: 2458Z58010 (need 2)
 
K702 and Q701 have the same foam part #: 2458Z5801 (need 2)
 
Maybe someone can try the Q701 foam on their K701.
 
I noticed some had previously posted pictures of the K702 and Q701 foam and they looked different. I think this is only due to the age differences of the foams since they're the same part.
 
It's quite possible all the foam at AKG is the same. I mean would AKG really design a different type of foam for a different headphone?
 
I know I didn't answer your question, but some might find this useful.
 

 

[Neosk]

Those foam rings are dampening for the headphone. They generally decrease treble and increase bass.
 
You probably are perceiving an increase in detail due to more treble.

 

[ivantoar]

Quote:

Looks like you have both the correct Q701 foams. On mine they looked different! One looked like it was a piece from the K601 and the other side from the Q701. I made sure they were identical, but never heard much of a difference. I'm currently using the K601 foam in my Q701.
 
For those that are interested....
 
K601 and K701 share the same foam part #: 2458Z58010 (need 2)
 
K702 and Q701 have the same foam part #: 2458Z5801 (need 2)
 
Maybe someone can try the Q701 foam on their K701.
 
I noticed some had previously posted pictures of the K702 and Q701 foam and they looked different. I think this is only due to the age differences of the foams since they're the same part.
 
It's quite possible all the foam at AKG is the same. I mean would AKG really design a different type of foam for a different headphone?
 
I know I didn't answer your question, but some might find this useful.
 

Did you contact AKG regarding to this? If they're really different, this is going to be a question mark to AKG's quality control or you might be just unlucky. Have you tried using both Q701 foams? How do they compare to K601 foams?
 
That's okay, I find your posts interesting.

 
Quote:

Those foam rings are dampening for the headphone. They generally decrease treble and increase bass.
 
You probably are perceiving an increase in detail due to more treble.

 
I see! I guess that we can play a little bit with it to change the sound a little bit. Does thicker material increase the bass and decrease the treble more than thinner material or is it the way around?

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Did you contact AKG regarding to this? If they're really different, this is going to be a question mark to AKG's quality control or you might be just unlucky. Have you tried using both Q701 foams? How do they compare to K601 foams?
 
That's okay, I find your posts interesting.

 
 
I see! I guess that we can play a little bit with it to change the sound a little bit. Does thicker material increase the bass and decrease the treble more than thinner material or is it the way around?

Nope. Wasn't a big deal for me. I think it's possible that all their foams are the same or somehow I had misplaced one and mixed them up. No way to know for sure if it really was from the K601. Looked like it!  I'm about 95% sure though that it was the first time I had checked the foam and actually removed the pads.
 
Too bad K601 pads make the Q701 mids too forward. They're a bit softer and more comfortable.
 

 

[KimLaroux]

Quote:

 
Too bad K601 pads make the Q701 mids too forward. They're a bit softer and more comfortable.
 

Oh nice, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I'm starting to enjoy the sound of the Q701, but I can't keep them on my head more than an hour or so. I find the ear pads to be ridiculously hard. They don't even squish on your head, they just sit on the first bones they get in contact with.
 
So I want to know if there's alternatives to the stock pads that are softer. You say the K601 pads are softer? That's interesting. The K601 doesn't have the bumps on the headband either. So overall, are the K601 remarkably more comfortable than the Q701?
 
And is there other, softer pads that would fit the Q701? No custom, after-market pads? I searched but couldn't really find any, so I'm asking in case I missed them.

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

Oh nice, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I'm starting to enjoy the sound of the Q701, but I can't keep them on my head more than an hour or so. I find the ear pads to be ridiculously hard. They don't even squish on your head, they just sit on the first bones they get in contact with.
 
So I want to know if there's alternatives to the stock pads that are softer. You say the K601 pads are softer? That's interesting. The K601 doesn't have the bumps on the headband either. So overall, are the K601 remarkably more comfortable than the Q701?
 
And is there other, softer pads that would fit the Q701? No custom, after-market pads? I searched but couldn't really find any, so I'm asking in case I missed them.

I agree with you about the pads (K702, same pads), but I haven't found a superior comfort can yet either.  The AKGs are the lightest can I own so in that they're comfortable.  The ear cups are extremely hard as you said, and I concur, they sit on the first bones the contact and dig in forcing me to adjust them frequently.  Though they, like many memory foam devices seem to soften once they absorb heat from your head, and after the first 20 minutes or so, even if I put them down and pick them up again, they're far more comfortable, arguably the most comfortable I have.
 
HD650 has very nice soft squishy pads that wrap your face like a pillow.  They're immediately comfortable.  However the extreme clamping force of the headband makes them get more uncomfortable over time.  I have worn them for many hours on end in the past, but that doesn't change that the clamping force eventually makes them as uncomfortable as the AKGs are initially.
 
And my new HE-400s, with the nice pleather pads are actually more comfortable for the first 20 minutes than the AKGs, though they also have some relatively strong force, and after a while the nearly 1lb heft off them starts weighing on your ears and head.  They're more comfortable than I'd previously have guessed though once you adjust to them.
 
The only headphones I've found that are endlessly comfortable without issue are the Audio Technica AD700 (and probably other AT wing designs) which don't work at all for some heads, and the Sennheiser PXC-450 noise cancelling with deep comfy squishy pleather, light weight, and low grip.  Neither of which represents the level of musicality of 70x, HD650, or HE-400.
 
Each can has its pros and cons.  But yeah, certain bones really don't like the AKGs...

 

[MarioImpemba]

Quote:

I agree with you about the pads (K702, same pads), but I haven't found a superior comfort can yet either.

Beyers. Love the comfort.
 
If someone can figure out a pad solution to the Q701 I would love it. Really, that's my main issue with the comfort as well. The headband bumps I sliced off immediately, so that's solved.
 

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

Beyers. Love the comfort.
 
If someone can figure out a pad solution to the Q701 I would love it. Really, that's my main issue with the comfort as well. The headband bumps I sliced off immediately, so that's solved.
 

Yeah, I've heard Beyer (Premium) have great comfort.  Beyer ("Pro") I've heard have horrible comfort and extreme clamping.  It's been many many years since I've tried a pair of Beyers on.   I'm just not a fan of the Beyer house sound.  (If I were using them for studio use, my opinion would be different however.)
 
Audio Technica, hands down, the most perfect comfort imaginable if they fit you.   If they don't fit you they just won't stay on your head.  If they do fit you, they slide around easily if you move a lot but otherwise the fit is simply amazing.  I haven't tried their heavier closed/wood models, but I assume they're almost as comfortable as the open models.  Possibly Beyer next, but I can't say first hand.  Everything else has some comfort issues.
 
The AKG 70x, to me, definitely gets comfortable, but you have to wear them a while before they do.   Which is almost preferable to the Sennheiser issue that they get less comfortable as the album goes on...  For me the bumps aren't an issue, but I wear the headband very forward on my head.  With AKG & HiFiMan I've found putting the band up far is helpful for comfort (and for the AKGs helps the soundstage depth as well.)

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

The headband bumps I sliced off immediately, so that's solved.

 

 
Headphones and knives shouldn't mix! 

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

 
Audio Technica, hands down, the most perfect comfort imaginable if they fit you.   If they don't fit you they just won't stay on your head.  If they do fit you, they slide around easily if you move a lot but otherwise the fit is simply amazing.  I haven't tried their heavier closed/wood models, but I assume they're almost as comfortable as the open models.  Possibly Beyer next, but I can't say first hand.  Everything else has some comfort issues.
 
The AKG 70x, to me, definitely gets comfortable, but you have to wear them a while before they do.   Which is almost preferable to the Sennheiser issue that they get less comfortable as the album goes on...  For me the bumps aren't an issue, but I wear the headband very forward on my head.  With AKG & HiFiMan I've found putting the band up far is helpful for comfort (and for the AKGs helps the soundstage depth as well.)

Audio Technicas are quite nice, but I have a few issues with them. 
 

• The earcups only pivot left-to-right but not up-and-down (AD700/900).  This can lead to pressure on your lower jaw (they seal on your lower jaw but not your temple if you have a small head).  I had to bend the wires on mine to make them fit better.
• The velours are itchy.  This is personal opinion, but I know that several others agree with me.  I don't know why they're itchy.  They're quite soft after all.  They also get warm IMO.
• They give you mohawk hair! 
  

 
I want to try the new "Air" line, they look interesting.
 

 
I think AKG's are comfortable when you put them on, but I agree that it seems like they get even more comfortable after and hour or so. 

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

Audio Technicas are quite nice, but I have a few issues with them. 
 

• The earcups only pivot left-to-right but not up-and-down (AD700/900).  This can lead to pressure on your lower jaw (they seal on your lower jaw but not your temple if you have a small head).  I had to bend the wires on mine to make them fit better.
• The velours are itchy.  This is personal opinion, but I know that several others agree with me.  I don't know why they're itchy.  They're quite soft after all.  They also get warm IMO.
• They give you mohawk hair! 
  

 
I want to try the new "Air" line, they look interesting.
 

 
I think AKG's are comfortable when you put them on, but I agree that it seems like they get even more comfortable after and hour or so. 

I haven't had a problem with the sound as a result of the lack of angling and the lack of a "seal."  It seems obvious to me by the design of the pads that they are not intended to seal in the way AKG, Senn, Beyer, etc does.  I think it's part of the design, and it sounds fine without trying to force it to seal, unlike if I pick up the top of my other cans.  And pressure on your lower jaw?? Audio Technicas?  What the heck kind of head shape do you have?

   Whatever you do, don't try HD650/600...THOSE will clamp your jaw like you're trying to reattach it by comparison.  AT has the least jaw pressure of any headphone I've tried! 
 
I can't say anything about itchiness, though I can agree, somewhat, that they get warm for some reason.   And I've yet to find a headphone that doesn't do something odd to my hair. 
 

 
 

 

[Katun]

Quote:

Beyers. Love the comfort.
 
If someone can figure out a pad solution to the Q701 I would love it. Really, that's my main issue with the comfort as well. The headband bumps I sliced off immediately, so that's solved

Never liked the DT880's comfort. DT990 was much better for me. Q701 was ruined by the headband.
 
If only I could combine the deep oval cups of the HD650, Beyer velour, and AT's wing system...

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I hate Sennheiser, Beyer, and especially A-T 3D wings comfort. I just have bad luck.

I love the Q701 comfort. The bumps stopped hurting after a few days. Can't even tell that they are there. My biggest complaint is that they need more extension as my long head, makes them fully extend as is.

Steelseries Siberia V1 had the best comfort. The velours just needed a bit more thickness. They shared a similar design to the AKGs, but with a single wire that held the flat and ultra comfy headband, with plenty of extension.

Then they ruined the V2 by making the pads pleather. UGH.

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

I hate Sennheiser, Beyer, and especially A-T 3D wings comfort. I just have bad luck.
I love the Q701 comfort. The bumps stopped hurting after a few days. Can't even tell that they are there. My biggest complaint is that they need more extension as my long head, makes them fully extend as is.
Steelseries Siberia V1 had the best comfort. The velours just needed a bit more thickness. They shared a similar design to the AKGs, but with a single wire that held the flat and ultra comfy headband, with plenty of extension.
Then they ruined the V2 by making the pads pleather. UGH.

Have you considered giving up the head-fi thing and just getting full range speakers?

 
I think it's a coin toss between Senn and AKG.  Senn's problem is the oval cups that can hit the jawbone and the clamping force.  The issue with AKG is the brick-hard foam until heat softens it.  And maybe headband extension. 
 
I don't mind pleather so much.  The Senn PXC450 is pleather but is one of the most comfortable headphones I've used.  HE-400 is pleather...they clamp and are heavy but with the harder velour pads they'd be brutal, the pleather is nice and soft underneath.  I think the foam underneath is more important than pleather vs. velour on top.

 

[Jodiuh]

Crazy burnin in question...

Little dot Mkiii vs pimeta...does that matter? Would it affect lasting sonics?

Reason: Manual for little dot says to shut off after 6 hrs iirc.

Also, damn those bumps, the restrictive height, and auto adjusting sliders. I'm ready to rip the whole thing off.