[Stephen Murphy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by V-DiV /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think it depends on what you listen to, your ears, and the kind of sound that you like. Even though the HD600 is really nice, I find that I keep reaching for the K701 and spending more time with it. I will be sending one of these headphones back to Headroom this week.

Of course you have to go with what you like because nobody's going to listen to them but you. For me I found if I put on something like some old Santana, the K701s would create a nice picture of what was happening with everyone where they should be and not a hair out of place. When the song was over I would think "Well that was interesting". Going over to the HD600s, halfway through the same track I would realize "Oh I get it! There is a room full of Latin and Black guys beating the skins of these drums within an inch of their lives and there is sweat all over the place and the studio is on fire." And I would wonder how the K701 missed all that. An exaggeration for sure, but you get the idea.

For others the K701 is just the ticket. I commend you for having both pair on hand so you can hear for yourself which one pushes your buttons.

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Murphy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Of course you have to go with what you like because nobody's going to listen to them but you. For me I found if I put on something like some old Santana, the K701s would create a nice picture of what was happening with everyone where they should be and not a hair out of place. When the song was over I would think "Well that was interesting". Going over to the HD600s, halfway through the same track I would realize "Oh I get it! There is a room full of Latin and Black guys beating the skins of these drums within an inch of their lives and there is sweat all over the place and the studio is on fire." And I would wonder how the K701 missed all that. An exaggeration for sure, but you get the idea. For others the K701 is just the ticket. I commend you for having both pair on hand so you can hear for yourself which one pushes your buttons.

Hey Stephen,

I'm listening to Santana: Supernatural right now. They're cooking away. I don't have a copy any more of the first Santana album (but I used to play Black Magic Woman and Evil Ways in a band back in the 70s). By the way, there were Euro-Americans cooking away in those early Santana bands as well.

As I said in my review, HD600 has the edge in most rock recordings because of that all-encompassing bass warmth. K701's bass is too defined, not enough push in a lot of rock/pop. So, many (but not all) of those who mostly listen to rock/pop may prefer HD600 to K701. When I listen to rock it is mostly via speakers. Most of my headphone listening is to classical, jazz, and other acoustical music. In these, the K701 has the edge, for my ears, due to its greater clarity and sense of spaciousness.

Regards,
Vic

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by V-DiV /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Choice So which will it be, the brilliant (sometimes too brilliant), hi-performing K701 or the warm (safe), hi-but-not-quite-as-hi-performing HD600?

I choose... K701!!! I just love the sound for most of what I listen to.

Hmmm, I wonder what recable options will make them even better???

 

[Happy Camper]

If you rock, you will want another can. I'm tellin ya. The 701s don't have soul. The organs wail and guitars scream or cry in RS-1s.

The 701s attack the music like a solid, European sedan. Precise, no slide. You want a little interaction with some music. The RS-1s control slide a bit. They were colored for rock.

I love the 701s for a lot of other music though. At 51, the highs are required for me.

 

[pataburd]

I liked the comparative clarity of the K701, too, but their upper midrange sounded disjointed to me. In the final analysis, I preferred the superiorly balanced and integrated midrange of the K501 to the K701.

Fortunately, I'll have the HD600 in-house in a day or two. These were my first "serious" set of headphones, and I truly enjoyed them several years ago (w/Cardas re-cable, Sony DVP-NS775V and Meier Corda HA-2). This will actually be my third encounter with the HD600, which I have always preferred to the HD650.

I think the K501 and the HD600 would make a nice, complimentary pair of open headphones to keep and alternate between.

 

[dcpoor]

ah, that ebay seller is coming through after all?

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcpoor /img/forum/go_quote.gif ah, that ebay seller is coming through after all?

No. These are from a seller on the AudiogoN. No box, no stock cable, two months old and they still cost me more than the ones advertised on eBay. It's a shame things didn't pan out with the "dream price" on eBay, though.

 

[dcpoor]

ah, that's too bad.

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you rock, you will want another can. I'm tellin ya. The 701s don't have soul.

Yup. I thought the same thing for rock. Not enough bottom end to support the highs. But I'm buying the K701 for classical and jazz.

 

[dgbiker1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you rock, you will want another can. I'm tellin ya. The 701s don't have soul. The organs wail and guitars scream or cry in RS-1s. The 701s attack the music like a solid, European sedan. Precise, no slide. You want a little interaction with some music. The RS-1s control slide a bit. They were colored for rock. I love the 701s for a lot of other music though. At 51, the highs are required for me.

With my digital sources I absolutely agree. But with vinyl and tubes, the K701s actually seem to let loose a little bit. I was rockin' out to ELO and Pink Floyd last night and the strangest thing happened- the K701s were the toe-tappers and the SR225s were a bit flat and boring by comparison. I must've entered the twilight zone

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgbiker1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif With my digital sources I absolutely agree. But with vinyl and tubes, the K701s actually seem to let loose a little bit. I was rockin' out to ELO and Pink Floyd last night and the strangest thing happened- the K701s were the toe-tappers and the SR225s were a bit flat and boring by comparison. I must've entered the twilight zone

Using a digital source, I think tubes are essential to getting the most out of the K701. Mine did every genre well, IMHO, including R&R. Bass was deep and well controlled. The sound stage showed good depth and clarity. Believe it or not, I still preferred the K501 on the Santana re-master (Columbia Legacy). Santana's lead really ripped and tore, and vocals were peerless. : )

 

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by V-DiV /img/forum/go_quote.gif But I'm buying the K701 for classical and jazz.

They don't cut it for those genre's either, believe me. My thoughts are having played them through the system in my sig, an all-tube rig. The K701's have well over 700hrs on them.

They simply do not convey the body of the instruments on the recording. They are worse than lean, they are thread-bare. It's too bad, because they do give you a nice sense of openness. But the way they leave you wanting more foundation of the music, is unforgivable.

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cAsE sEnSiTiVe /img/forum/go_quote.gif They don't cut it for those genre's either, believe me. My thoughts are having played them through the system in my sig, an all-tube rig. The K701's have well over 700hrs on them. They simply do not convey the body of the instruments on the recording. They are worse than lean, they are thread-bare. It's too bad, because they do give you a nice sense of openness. But the way they leave you wanting more foundation of the music, is unforgivable.

Sorry, I couldn't let this one rest cAsE sEnSiTiVe

. For classical and jazz I chose the openness (but over-stressed treble) of the K701 over the fullness (but bass mudiness) of the HD600. Both headphones are flawed. I chose the one (of these two) that bothered my ears the least and tickled them the most.

I wasn't comparing the K701 to your alternatives: D5000 that costs twice as much and yet has to be taken apart and stuffed full of wadding to improve its shortcomings nor to the Edition 9 that costs 5 times as much. I wish I could rationalize spending that kind of money on headphones though.

 

[donunus]

v-div, based on pure enjoyment for rock, do you prefer the 595 to the 701?

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif v-div, based on pure enjoyment for rock, do you prefer the 595 to the 701?

I don't do much of my rock listening on headphones, but... While the 595s are fine for straight out of an iPod they are not as resolving as the K701 or HD600. and they don't go as low or as high either so they are a bit of a let down. But they are relatively warm like the HD600, so they are an ok stand-in for rock. So I suppose K701 if the tune doesn't have too much high frequency on its own and HD595 is more enjoyable for a lot of rock that does. But really, I find that K701 is ok for some rock, and bad for other rock.