[Ashade]

  BTW you can use Beyerdynamic velours AND pleather on the K240. Just a warning though that it stretches them out so they're not usable on a Beyerdynamic headphone. Beyer leather pads get super soft after a few weeks. They also have gel pads but I couldn't get them to fit.
 

Ummmm, that's to be seriously considered. I already got the Hifiman velour, and apparently the leather Dog Pads are a heaven match for these, that apparently bring the bass a little and tighten the mids. I don't have Beyers so no worries about the stretching.
 

   
I think you're the first person i've seen with TWO Q701s.

 
I know, right?

 The thing is that they are really big for being transported everyday and I liked them so much I thought: "why don't you get another pair for the office? You won't have to be moving them that much!" I found another used pair and I couldn't resist jumping on that buy. In the end, buying used is a really good investment because then you can sell for basically the same price afterwards. 

 

[VXAce]

  If anyone is curious I did a 7 hour listening session of the K712 Pro. These are impressions of it vs the MODDED Q701:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k712-pro/reviews/9815
 
tl;dr
 
Both are very good. Pick whatever matches your preferences.
I could live with either of them.

Could you elaborate on the "bass port" mod? It sounds interesting to at least know about, though the chance of me ever trying it out is practically zero right now, need to get my hands on a pair of the Q701 first.

 

[chicolom]

  Could you elaborate on the "bass port" mod? It sounds interesting to at least know about, though the chance of me ever trying it out is practically zero right now, need to get my hands on a pair of the Q701 first.

 
It's at the top of the front page of the thread.

 

[VXAce]

   
It's at the top of the front page of the thread.

Oh whoops, thanks.

 

[62ohm]

Does anyone know which amp would be better with the Q701; Schiit Lyr vs Burson HA160 vs Cambridge DAC Magic vs Woo WA3? I currently have the Modi which is what I would be pairing the Lyr / HA160 with.
 
 
Edited: added WA3 into the list

 

[jonasz]

Did the bassmod on my K701 a couple weeks ago. Tremendous result, feels like "everything" got better! Strongly recommended!

 

[jasonb]

I still can't get over how good these sound after the bass mod. I've always loved my Q701, but it is seriously in a different league after the mod. If these had any more bass than they do now(after the mod), it would be too much for me. I'm listening to "Thirteenth Step" by A Perfect Circle and the level of bass is perfect. A couple people have reported that the bass sounds loose after the mod, I am not hearing it that way at all. Maybe it's the massive amount of power I have on tap that is keeping them clean, I don't know. 

 

[tdockweiler]

  I still can't get over how good these sound after the bass mod. I've always loved my Q701, but it is seriously in a different league after the mod. If these had any more bass than they do now(after the mod), it would be too much for me. I'm listening to "Thirteenth Step" by A Perfect Circle and the level of bass is perfect. A couple people have reported that the bass sounds loose after the mod, I am not hearing it that way at all. Maybe it's the massive amount of power I have on tap that is keeping them clean, I don't know. 

 
Yeah this mod has made my HD-650 now pointless to even bother with. Now there is no need to switch to the HD-650 for gaming and movies for the extra warmth and bass.
The bass is perfect and very well controlled. There is many songs with bloated bass IN the recording. Those might confuse people but they sound that way on my HD-650 too.
 
I could probably tolerate even more low bass, but probably no more mid-bass.
 
Very warm recordings are fun to listen to on the modded Q701. Not sure why, but this is where the biggest difference is. It's like SOME recordings that were supposed to be warm were a little less so on the stock Q701 (but still good).
The modded Q701 doesn't magically add warmth though unless it's supposed to be there.  This is one reason why I love the modded Q701 so much. Both the modded Q701 and K712 Pro are just so accurate.
 
I always loved Ambient electronica on the Q701 and even more so on the modded version.
 
Still can't figure out how on earth we got more bass without screwing up anything else. More people should try the mod. Especially those that also own the K712 Pro

 
If I ever buy the K712 Pro it's definitely going to be modded too. I doubt even then it will ruin the sound.

 

[jonasz]

Yep, my HD600 just feels grey and boring with no bass impact. There's really no competition. I've loved my K701 since I bought them back in 2007 but always felt them lacking a bit in the weight and body department, not anymore! Amazingly they're still crystal clear in the mids and highs, not a bad achievement!

Thank you guys for making my cans complete!

Oh, and I definately cant hear any "loose" bass... :blink:

 

[tdockweiler]

I tried k712 pads on the modded Q701 but I didn't really like it.
A little too much mid-bass and the low mids were too forward really. A little fuller sounding. Often it seems nice, but you switch tracks and it's a little too much.
I'm sure I could modify the outer grill to make it sound better but I won't bother.
 
I'm sure they'd be nice without the mod, but there is probably no way to get real K712 pads without a risk of accidentally getting "Annie" pads.
Maybe if you want more bass from your Q701 and are afraid to do the mod you can try these pads. I disliked Annie pads on the Q701.
 
FYI modded Q701 + K712 has more mid-bass and even more forward low mids than the K712 I think. Not a good combination.
The K712 isn't any sort of bass monster. It has very good and well controlled bass just like the modded Q701.
 
I could guarantee if you like the bass on the modded Q701 you'll like it on the K712 too.

 

[Evshrug]

Ashade,
That is a very sexy collection! I enjoyed each photo more than a thousand words describing a photo.

How do you like your K271? RPGWizard really likes his for the mids magic, but I don't always have the same experiences as him, so I'd like more info from a fellow Q701 lover

Now I see it    Wasn't looking in the right place.  Maybe I was expecting the rocket to be going "up".  Am I seeing it correctly if I say it's pointed at the top of the pentagon?
Yup

That's an excellent observation re: the soundstage.  I'll have to compare it once the Lyr arrives (today!) and I get my other tubes.  If the Q701's soundstage improves, I'll be in hog heaven.  I listened to my HE-500 when I got them, as did my wife, and we both agree the Q701 has the MUCH better soundstage.  For her, it's a simple "I like the white ones better," and nothing wrong with that opinion.  Perception is everything in the end, just depends how picky one is, and how much effort one is willing to put into comparing perspectives.  That said, I knew the HE-500 wouldn't compare in that dept., and it was seriously under-amped with the C5.  Also, it's completely stock (only got the velour pads in the deal).  I suspect/hope the grill and pad mods, an aftermarket copper cable, and of course proper amping, will help the poor li'l thing along  

Woah! Hope you love the Lyr man! Also, I suppose the HE-500 has SOME things you really love to try to improve the rest by putting it on life support

About your wife, she may not be much of an audiophile, but like you said there's nothing wrong with her opinion, and i've found it takes a lot of time investment and community vernacular (and and confidence in ability to express) before people try to expand on "I like the white one better." In fact, she may have said white specifically because she's more comfortable pointing out that difference. As it happens, I love the white on my headphones too, anyway.

If anyone is curious I did a 7 hour listening session of the K712 Pro. These are impressions of it vs the MODDED Q701:

http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k712-pro/reviews/9815

tl;dr

Both are very good. Pick whatever matches your preferences.
I could live with either of them.

Yep. I feel much the same. I also kind of pooped a philosophical rant on that thread, uh oh.
I love my K712. I have enjoyed living with the Q701 for a year, but the new one has better wearing comfort, and I think that it's a little bit easier to understand the soundstage as being round rather then oval. I could care less about getting more bass, but I like having the mids feel a little bit more forward in certain areas.

 

[ThurstonX]

Woah! Hope you love the Lyr man! Also, I suppose the HE-500 has SOME things you really love to try to improve the rest by putting it on life support

About your wife, she may not be much of an audiophile, but like you said there's nothing wrong with her opinion, and i've found it takes a lot of time investment and community vernacular (and and confidence in ability to express) before people try to expand on "I like the white one better." In fact, she may have said white specifically because she's more comfortable pointing out that difference. As it happens, I love the white on my headphones too, anyway.

 

 
The Lyr + HE-500 combo is sweet 

  I started burning in the HE-500, as even the manual recommends 150 hours.  That was interesting, and I'm definitely keeping them, and definitely modding them.  Just got a cheapo metal mesh letter holder at Walmart to do jerg's grill mod.  I was psyched, as the mesh is already flat, vs. using the rounded pencil holder.  The pads are on a slow boat from China it seems, but should be here this week.  That's the serious mod.  Good thing I like hacking stuff up 

 
She definitely knows what she likes!  But after initially being disappointed with the HE-500, albeit under-amped, she really liked them on the Lyr.
 
Time to go have a listen to the Q701 on the Lyr.  I expect awesomeness to abound 

 

[captslow]

With the price of the Q701 being so low, these seem like a now brainer entry into the headphone world. I just wish there were not so many amp and dac choices.... All of the selection is driving me crazy!

 

[ThurstonX]

  With the price of the Q701 being so low, these seem like a now brainer entry into the headphone world. I just wish there were not so many amp and dac choices.... All of the selection is driving me crazy!

 
You don't need something crazy, or even moderately crazy like the Lyr, to drive them.  Here's my budget, PDP (Prett Damn Portable) amp + DAC combo:
 
JDS Labs C5 headphone amplifier
HiFimeDIY U2 Asynchronous Sabre DAC
 
Of course, the HiFimeDIY DAC is irrelevant when using the C5 with something like a Rockbox'd iPod.  And most portable devices can be stuck together with Velcro or whatever equivalent you prefer.  I use that combo from my laptop just sitting on the couch.
 
I have no experience with FiiO amps and DACs, but I gather people are quite happy with their combo products, or just DAC, or just amp, with something else to supplement whichever.  That, I suppose, would be truly budget.  If you've got the cash and want a little better quality in a PDP form... see above 

 
Throw in the bass port mod on the Q701 and you're golden.
 
Good luck, and enjoy the search.

 

[captslow]

   
You don't need something crazy, or even moderately crazy like the Lyr, to drive them.  Here's my budget, PDP (Prett Damn Portable) amp + DAC combo:
 
JDS Labs C5 headphone amplifier
HiFimeDIY U2 Asynchronous Sabre DAC
 
Of course, the HiFimeDIY DAC is irrelevant when using the C5 with something like a Rockbox'd iPod.  And most portable devices can be stuck together with Velcro or whatever equivalent you prefer.  I use that combo from my laptop just sitting on the couch.
 
I have no experience with FiiO amps and DACs, but I gather people are quite happy with their combo products, or just DAC, or just amp, with something else to supplement whichever.  That, I suppose, would be truly budget.  If you've got the cash and want a little better quality in a PDP form... see above 

 
Throw in the bass port mod on the Q701 and you're golden.
 
Good luck, and enjoy the search.

Thanks for your input! I really appreciate it.