[bhanja_trinanjan]

Get the K702... It is absolutely jaw dropping good with Piano.

It isn't 100% perfect with classical though and I do not want do repeat the flaws here again...

The resolution of the K702, its amazing ability to portray reverb trails and the beginning and end of each note precisely means that it resolves Piano music completely.

You hear the inner detail of each note and can also measure how long each note shimmers before fading.

Th K702 cable being detachable, you can get a Cardas/ALO cable when you have the cash.

The best bargain high-end amp to drive the K702 is IMHO the Headroom Ultra Micro, built on the much of the same electronics as the MAX module.

Best of luck!

 

[Il Mostro]

^^^^^^

Co-sign. The 702's outclass the 595's by a wide margin. Don't get me wrong, the 595's are nice at the upper end of entry level audiophile phones, but the 701/702's are in an entirely different class. The plug and play aspect of cable replacement give the 702's the nod over 701's for me. I have decided to go for the Cardas from Soloz Audio.

 

[Happy Camper]

If you don't want to keep upgrading, do your homework, save some money and get a good setup the first time. Prices of sources and amps will not correspond to headphone cost. What I mean is a $300 amp will not perform as good as a $300 headphone. You will have to spend more on both to get what the headphone is capable of.

 

[Prog Rock Man]

I will add my vote to K702 over HD595, for the extra detail and soundstage.

 

[viodea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Get the K702... It is absolutely jaw dropping good with Piano. It isn't 100% perfect with classical though and I do not want do repeat the flaws here again... Best of luck!

I didn't hear much flaws playing classical music. Can you tell me what they are?

 

[viodea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you don't want to keep upgrading, do your homework, save some money and get a good setup the first time. Prices of sources and amps will not correspond to headphone cost. What I mean is a $300 amp will not perform as good as a $300 headphone. You will have to spend more on both to get what the headphone is capable of.

I'm new to the headphone world but I've tested speakers. When I pick my system, the speakers makes the most different, then the source (DAC), and the least impact is amp.
That's why I don't want to spend more $$$ on headphone amp (edited) than the headphone itself.

 

[bhanja_trinanjan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viodea /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't hear much flaws playing classical music. Can you tell me what they are?

It is 3:15 am and I will try to explain the flaws in brief.

The K701 has loads of transparency and resolution; however, it does not completely render the upper mid-range/treble harmonics of clarinets and violins. When a lot of instruments are playing together, you get the sensation that clarinets at times get lost in the mix, sounding a little thin, distant and smaller than life. This is not due to lack of bass/midbass/warmth. This is due to the slight inability to render instrumental texture, complete and fleshed out.
The right amp and cable might address this, I guess. More on this and sample tracks later! But, this flaw isn't a deal breaker, it just makes the upper mids a bit bland.

 

[Happy Camper]

The headphone world has different price ratios vs what we are taught for speaker systems.

I was always told to spend half on your speaker rig when setting up your gear. That leaves typically 10-20% for cables/ICs and 30-40% on electronics.

Because headphones are so much less expensive, the % are shifted. I have maybe 20% in headphones (all sets), 10% in cables/ICs and 70% in electronics. That is not to say this is average, it's just the way it has shook out with me.

The 70x need an amp with plenty of power reserves. If you want to hear what the headphone is capable of, go to a meet and hear some of the rigs these guys have put together. The 70x isn't even considered a top tier headphone in the antiquity of the hobby, just a decent current production can that I have took a liking to.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viodea /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm looking for a decent headphone. It'll be used to listen to classical (piano concerto & orchestra) and Pink Floyd. Here is my background. I have a Grado SR-80 already. I like it but not comfortable for listening for more than an hour. This will be used for rock music. I'm not audiophile by any mean. I'm not going to spend over $1K to get a headphone & amp. The Sennheiser HD595 & AKG K701 & K702 all around $250 which is highest price I want to pay at this moment. I'm planning on getting a low-end headphone amp if necessary for under $150. I have a NAD receiver & Walfendale speakers (sp?). I don't remember the exact model number. I do enjoy them a lot in a un-treated room. I've read many reviews for both HD595 and K70x. Seems like HD595 is a safer bet. K70x maybe a little too bright. I do worry about too bright cause listening fatigue. Also, most people suggest HD595 can be used without amp but K70x is nothing special without a good amp. I would like to get opinion from people who listened to both. What do you prefer and why? What amp is used if any? thanks

701 by a long shot if you have the right synergy.. 701/Bada12/Dac 1 is still probably my most euphoric SE listening experience.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is 3:15 am and I will try to explain the flaws in brief. The K701 has loads of transparency and resolution; however, it does not completely render the upper mid-range/treble harmonics of clarinets and violins. When a lot of instruments are playing together, you get the sensation that clarinets at times get lost in the mix, sounding a little thin, distant and smaller than life. This is not due to lack of bass/midbass/warmth. This is due to the slight inability to render instrumental texture, complete and fleshed out. The right amp and cable might address this, I guess. More on this and sample tracks later! But, this flaw isn't a deal breaker, it just makes the upper mids a bit bland.

Yeah, the flaws can be ignored. IMO the flaws would be the artifical sound stage, less noticeable with classical. Some of the instruments can sound plasticky, and mid range sounds a hollow, maybe, upper mids.. But these flaws were not enough for me get rid of them, amp choice did.

 

[viodea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanja_trinanjan /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is 3:15 am and I will try to explain the flaws in brief. The K701 has loads of transparency and resolution; however, it does not completely render the upper mid-range/treble harmonics of clarinets and violins. When a lot of instruments are playing together, you get the sensation that clarinets at times get lost in the mix, sounding a little thin, distant and smaller than life. This is not due to lack of bass/midbass/warmth. This is due to the slight inability to render instrumental texture, complete and fleshed out.

thank you for spending time answer my question. I doubt my ears are good enough to hear the subtle flaws of the head phone.

I think I'm ready to pull the trigger.... only one more question

I though the K702 is more expensive than K701 but the listed price for K701 is way higher in B&H than K702. The sale price on K701 made them almost the same price. Too bad they don't stock that item. I'll need to wait for 2 to 3 weeks to receive it. Is there another reliable online retail I can get a K702 with a reasonable price?

 

[tdogzthmn]

The K702 is in a much higher class of headphone.

 

[spinneresque]

K701 is not good for a noob, my friends~! Why? Because it needs soooooo much amplification! Someone with not a lot of experience will hear these not amped properly and think this is what they are supposed to sound like. You wanted to know what I didn't like: briefly I can just say that I had HF1 DT880s and 595's to compare them to, and me and my k701 owner both agreed that especially the 595's but also the HF1's completely blew them out of the water, same detail was present but much more forward and the k701 had bass and mids that sounded recessed.... and the details in the 701 were harder to hear. Remember 701 lovers... I agree that these were not properly amped. But I tried them with my EMU0404 usb, my total bithead and my cmoys (I had these with me) and none of them came close to getting the job done. A 595 is so much better for a noobie (and I mean that respectfully) because they will sound amazing no matter what they are plugged into, and he won't have to spend any more cash on anything else if he so chooses.

 

[InFn-0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viodea /img/forum/go_quote.gif thank you for spending time answer my question. I doubt my ears are good enough to hear the subtle flaws of the head phone. I think I'm ready to pull the trigger.... only one more question I though the K702 is more expensive than K701 but the listed price for K701 is way higher in B&H than K702. The sale price on K701 made them almost the same price. Too bad they don't stock that item. I'll need to wait for 2 to 3 weeks to receive it. Is there another reliable online retail I can get a K702 with a reasonable price?

I hope this helps : akg k702 - Google Product Search

 

[grokit]

There's a Head-fier with a nice pair here; The Amazon Marketplace is always a good reference for new stock phones

Quote:

Originally Posted by viodea /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there another reliable online retail I can get a K702 with a reasonable price?