Heya,
So I now have both the SRH940
and the AKG K701. I'm comparing them with the same music samples at the same volume to get an idea of what's going on with these two headphones. I'm A-Bing them on several tracks over and over. So far here are my first impressions of the two compared.
And just to note, I own both of these headphones, these are not loaners or anything, so owning one or the other and justifying the purchase is not a bias here. I have them. Done deal. Now it's all about which one does the overall job better.
Primarily focusing on listening to Ani Difranco and Dian Krall here at first.
The SRH940 is more forward in the mids/highs than the K701. I'm finding the K701 to sound more like there's a veil over female vocals compared to the SRH940. And they're both supposed to be great for this, yet I think the SRH940 simply does vocals more justice, they are projected more forward and sound full. I think the problem with the K701 for this is due to it's more artificial spaced out sound stage. Quality is very similar in sound here, but the sound stage makes a big difference. The K701 simply has a huge sound stage, and it's down right artificial sounding and it really pulls me out of the music compared to the SRH940 which puts me right up under the female vocalist like I'm getting a solo. The K701 makes me fee like I'm sitting a few tables away, trying to see over other peoples' heads, if that makes sense.
The SRH940 has more bass, a bass guitar in some Dian Krall has a lot more oumph and presence. Again, I think this is simply due to sound stage and closed/open differences. Overall, I like the SRH940 better in this department too, as I like more bass. Both have neutral natural bass, but the SRH940 is able to give me a punch when it's supposed to be there without hurting the mids/highs. The K701 does well here too, but I feel like the bass rolls off very quickly as well as still having this veil over the mids/highs that is making the female vocal sound too distant and less projected. SRH940 wins in the bass department (as it should, it's closed, so it makes sense).
Instrument separation is great on both. The sound stage on the K701 is superior, it's so superior that it's down right artificial and doesn't sound right to me. It sounds like the music is being spaced out and that you're not up next to the source but instead sitting in the crowd. This might be good for some, but I think it's too unnatural. So a superior sound stage doesn't actually mean a better sound here.
On some piano music, Ludovico Einaudi, both sound wonderful. The SRH940 is more lush here, more full, and very generous with the notes from the piano. The K701 sounds wonderful, however, there's again that veil. I feel like I'm missing out on the energy and harmonics of the piano when I'm wearing the K701 because I'm too far away from the actual piano and in a huge room, so I'm loosing the dynamic. The SRH940 puts me right up next to it, so I get the feel.
Both are very detailed. But so far, the SRH940 really just is the better sound. It's more energetic, the mids and highs are more forward without sibilance and I don't feel like I'm in a fog listening to everything. The K701 feels like there's a fog, something between me and the music, taking away it's brightness and fullness. I think it's probably the artificial sound staging of the K701 being way bigger than it needs to be, and it's detracting from the sound in a negative way (for my tastes at least, others may love this.)
For fun, I just ran some Sabaton (WWII) through both of them to compare. The SRH940 was more energetic, aggressive and forward with the mids. The K701 sounded like there was a cloud between me and the music. The SRH940 hands down is better for metal (not their strong points for either headphone, but I like to mix it up too). I'm also testing with some Buckethead, again, for fun, to see what it can do with some really mid-heavy guitar work. Again, the SRH940 is more energetic, more forward and just sounds better for this stuff. The K701 just makes the sound stage too artificial for me, it's not as in your face.
For more fun, tested some Dub, Rusko - Everyday, it's a great track to show off details, gorgeous mids and some serious bass that is subwhoofer class low end sub-bass. The SRH940 is able to produce that low sub-bass, it's not forward (not like my Pro 900), but it's there and it's full. The mids are forward. It makes you want to dance. The K701 sounds good here, but again, there was less of a rich musical sound to the mids. It sounds more like there's an artificial veil of some kind. The K701 is also able to drop some serious sub bass here. It's also not forward. It's very comparable to the SRH940 here on both of them. I think they both do very well for low end bass. But the overall sound during the track the SRH940 was more enjoyable, it's all about the mids, and the SRH940 has better mids hands down than the K701. The K701 just has a veil or fog about it.
Comfort wise, both are great. I don't see how people complain about the K701, I don't even feel the bumps on top, but then again I don't strap it on tight of pull it down. It just floats on your head. Feels a lot like some AudioTechnicas of similar design. The pads of the K701 are very nice, I like the material of the K701 pad over the SRH940 pad right away, it's velour compared to velvet. Velour is my favorite material for a cup. The K701 has firm foam though, it's not as squishy, but it's still very comfortable. I really like the leather strap and velour of the K701, it's a very sleek and stylish headphone. I honestly think I like the look of the K701 better than the SRH940. It just looks like a nice headphone. Both are comfortable, so I can't fault one or the other in this area. I think the SRH940 is a little more sturdy in construction. I like the look and pads of the K701 better than the SRH940 though. It's a snazzy looking headphone. Obviously this is completely subjective though, some hate the white, I love the white. The headphone is leather, metal and plastic. The SRH940 is all plastic. I like the K701's frame structure and materials a lot more than the SRH940. And it's just as comfortable. I think the K701 feels lighter on my head, though it may simply be positioning.
Overall, the SRH940 is the winner on my journey between these two headphones from my original thread that lead to me buying both of them. It just has a more energetic forward sound that I find superior to the K701 in every application. The K701 sounds laid back to me, artificially large sound stage to the point of fault. It's a fantastic headphone, I'm sure I would be in love with it had I not tried the SRH940. It's a very good headphone. But again, the SRH940 just bests it in sound. If you like the laid back kind of sound of a headphone, the K701 is it between the two. But if you want something with forward mids that really is energetic by comparison, the SRH940 just takes it and runs. Plus the K701 is not a portable headphone at all, it doesn't swivel and can't just lay on your neck. It's also not isolated, so cannot be a great portable. The K701 is strictly a home headphone. The SRH940 is a home headphone and portable. Again, it's just the winner in my book.
That concludes my journey. The K701 is not for me. It will now be looking for a new home, so anyone interested, it will be in the FS forum soon after I do a full review on the K701 for my own pleasure before letting it go to the next owner.
Very best,
