[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

Originally Posted by manuvajpai /img/forum/go_quote.gif To all those people who think that K701s are plasticky, what do you think are cans with a very natural tone then? I am really curious as I am still considering K701s as an option for a future upgrade. I don't want to go the senn route simply because I think they'll be too dark (dark = depressing for me). For example the AD700s that I own are about right in terms of overall brightness. That is the reason why I am still considering K701s, and because I do want a big soundstage. Please say something besides HD800 and other heavyweights.

virtually any other AKG, esspecially the older ones, have very good tone, specifically in the vocal range. Any of the other Kx0 or Kx01 varieties like K400 K401 K500 K501 all have beautiful mids. The K240 sextett, vintage K141 silver, and vintage K140 silver have luciously gorgeous mids, but are a bit dark in overal character, the K271studio had nice mids, the K340. The K1000.

most grados have good tone except for the overdone highs, IMO (but if you don't want dark maybe this is a good thing). HP2 is amazingly balanced and natural.

Sennheiser HD6x0

the best orthodynamics have incredibly natural tone, while having speed and detail that dynamics could only dream of. Very linear response

 

[my.self]

personally, i HATED the ath-es7's. they were really uncomfortable and hurt A LOT. the headband looked weird on my head, the earcups had this crazy clamp to them, hurt a lot of they were so tight, i once had them on for 40 minutes straight and after i took them off, my ears were sweaty and they hurt really bad.

 

[dweaver]

I have listened to DT990 and really disliked their seriosly recessed midrange and over powering bass.

I disliked HD555/595 because of the veil in their midrange.

I disliked the AKG 601 I have listened to because there was something about them that just came across as unnatural. But they did have a nice sound stage.

I disliked the K240 MKII as they were too bassy and the midrange was a bit to recessed for me, I also found their soundstage to be small and more importantly innaccurate. They also were a bit slow for me.

I disliked my Phillips HP910 as it was to bassy and the treble was sibilant to me and they were to slow for alot of my music.

I disliked my JVC DX1's because they just did not have enough bass for me, but they had a great midrange and treble with a good soundstage for a closed phone.

I love my AD700 because of it's textured and clear midrange, it is a bit recessed but in a way that makes me feel like I'm at a concert. I also love the treble and find the bass while a bit light in oomph to have good extension.

I like my ES7 because it has nice bass without being boomy, a decent soundstage for a portable closed phone and it has more forward and somewhat darker mids in comparison to my AD700 giving me a nice change of pace. I hate their original out of the box comfort VERY PAINFULL. I had to do the bending mod and I ended up replacing the original pads with Senn HD25 velour pads to get them to where I can stand to where them for periods longer than 1/2 an hour.

I have listened to Allesandro MS1 and found them comfortable and very in your face (in a good way) for treble and midrange with bass comparable to my AD700. It was like going to a rock concert and getting front row seats. Unfortunately I also had the same experience as going to a rock concert in regards to ear fatigue. Worth while owning but not a phone I would be abe to use all the time.

I have ordered a apir of AD900 and will post my feelings when I get them

 

[Steve_72]

MS2i & HF-2

Didn't really 'hate' them per se, but they were the ones I enjoyed the least. Just don't think Grados/Allessandros are quite my thing.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawang /img/forum/go_quote.gif the opposite of love is indifference. hate is the closest thing to love on that note, the hate against the k701/2s here is pretty exaggerated. they are extremely fast headphones with amazing bass, and clarity that is more or less the best you can buy for $200-250. bass quantity, tonality, and sound signature (in the form of colorations, not frequency response) are subtle and subjective things which vary from person to person. And in my personal opinion, your preferences can change depending on your listening habits, so it doesn't make sense to judge headphones primarily on those premises. I don't really see how you could hate k701s (which are very good) unless you are a person who feels suicidal when he hears music off the radio or from ibuds of the headphones that I've owned, there aren't any that I hate. I guess the ones I liked the least were my dt770 pro 250ohms. they had such a huge dip in the mid range that I ended up EQing them to compensate.

The K-701 may be all the things you listed, but the plasticky "off" sound to the mids and vocals renders them unlistenable.

You have to put them in perspective. It's like a fine wine that has turned slightly rancid. You can go on and on about the vintage, maker, bottle quality, region, and everything else. But in the end it is undrinkable.

The mos important comparison is against live music. I've been to hundreds of performances and started playing instruments at age nine. I'm 37 now. I think I have a fairly good handle on live sound, and the K-701 fails to capture that. When you know how a clarinet sounds (and can even verify that by playing the one I've had for years) the K-701 is grating and irritating. It does not sound like a clarinet.

Further frame of reference comes from the rest of my gear. The HD-600, DT48, K-501, HD-800, HP-2, K-1000, K-240DF, K-501, and Quad ESL-63 speakers all sound like the real thing to me. I'm not exactly alone in my opinions of those - I've seen little dissent on those models.

So when the real thing sounds a certain way and numerous pieces of gear I own and used to own closely approximate the real thing, what other conclusion can be drawn? The K-701 has a sound that fundamentally disagrees with everything I've heard for a few decades.

If you enjoy them, great. But you should compare them to live music some time and judge for yourself. If the plasticky sound sticks out, try anything I recommended above.

And it is not the only headphone I dislike. The OP asked for headphones that you owned and hated. I didn't mention the Triport, every Denon and the horror that is the Darth Beyer. I had sense enough not to buy any of those. But I did buy the K-701 based on my love for other AKGs and the orgasmic FOTM froth left over from their introduction. That was a mistake, and I gave them well over a year to grow on me. They did not.

 

[skitlets]

The MS-1. They introduced me to the world of head-fi and brought on the upgrade itch.

Favorite? The HF-2. I think my setup is revealing enough that the limit of SQ now are most of my CDs. I also would prefer a DAC so that I can listen to CDs AND use my computer as source, but that's a matter of convenience and not a legitimate sound upgrade bug.

 

[feh1325]

audio technica a700

always wanted to try a closed headphone and it just wasn't my thing
still the only headphone i've sold.

 

[john53]

An advice from me:

If you like the k701,then don't care about what other people say.

For example,uncle eric seems to be an experienced member,and he says k701 is not good.

But Uncle eric also recommended me sony mdr 7509hd for portable use,and when i tried it,it was the worst full size headphone i've ever heard.Absolutely unatural weird sounding headphone.And it was not my portable to blame,because hd555,hd595,k601,k701,and other headphones sounded fine out of it(nothing special but ok)

The k701 sounded much better when compared to the 7509hd.

So,I personally can't understand how someone(Uncle Eric)likes the 7509hd and not the k701...It's really a mystery

So...everybody has different taste i guess,so trust your ears,that's all.


(I don't own k701,i have hd600 and really like it)

 

[catachresis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by my.self /img/forum/go_quote.gif personally, i HATED the ath-es7's. they were really uncomfortable and hurt A LOT. the headband looked weird on my head, the earcups had this crazy clamp to them, hurt a lot of they were so tight, i once had them on for 40 minutes straight and after i took them off, my ears were sweaty and they hurt really bad.

You might not have tried them for long enough. I've worn my ES7s for exercise and running over the last year, and not only has the band/clamp moderated, but the initial tonal unevenness has disappeared as 'burn-in' at high volumes occurred over time.

 

[ronnielee54]

HFI-780 - Didn't really "hate" them, but they were probably my least favorite. Didn't take me very long to post them in the for sale forum. Just never could find the love for them.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K-701 may be all the things you listed, but the plasticky "off" sound to the mids and vocals renders them unlistenable. You have to put them in perspective. It's like a fine wine that has turned slightly rancid. You can go on and on about the vintage, maker, bottle quality, region, and everything else. But in the end it is undrinkable. The mos important comparison is against live music. I've been to hundreds of performances and started playing instruments at age nine. I'm 37 now. I think I have a fairly good handle on live sound, and the K-701 fails to capture that. When you know how a clarinet sounds (and can even verify that by playing the one I've had for years) the K-701 is grating and irritating. It does not sound like a clarinet. Further frame of reference comes from the rest of my gear. The HD-600, DT48, K-501, HD-800, HP-2, K-1000, K-240DF, K-501, and Quad ESL-63 speakers all sound like the real thing to me. I'm not exactly alone in my opinions of those - I've seen little dissent on those models. So when the real thing sounds a certain way and numerous pieces of gear I own and used to own closely approximate the real thing, what other conclusion can be drawn? The K-701 has a sound that fundamentally disagrees with everything I've heard for a few decades. If you enjoy them, great. But you should compare them to live music some time and judge for yourself. If the plasticky sound sticks out, try anything I recommended above. And it is not the only headphone I dislike. The OP asked for headphones that you owned and hated. I didn't mention the Triport, every Denon and the horror that is the Darth Beyer. I had sense enough not to buy any of those. But I did buy the K-701 based on my love for other AKGs and the orgasmic FOTM froth left over from their introduction. That was a mistake, and I gave them well over a year to grow on me. They did not.

I agree with Erik. I own the DT48, & auditioned the 501/600/K1000. He is right. But I can still over look the 701 faults & enjoy them greatly with the right gear..

 

[K_19]

If IEM's count, then the SE210's. Looking back on it, I can't say anything nice about it except their fit and their ok mids. Everything else is severely lacking and it is grossly overpriced.

Among headphones, probably the HD457's, albeit I bought it in pre head-fi days. Without a doubt the worse Senn I've ever heard (nothing but bass and incredibly muddy).

 

[runswithaliens]

Having read too many posts over the past few months it seems that many of the audio-technicas, the AKG K701s, and most Beyers, Denons, Grados, Sonys, and Ultrasones - all seem to get a lot of wide-swinging opinions between love and hate. Of the popular brands what does that leave?

It just occurred to me while reading this thread that maybe I should consider a pair of the Sennheiser HD600s or 650s just because they don't seem to get such wide differences of opinions... or do they? Are there any hd600 or 650 haters out there?

 

[parkchansu]

It's ultimately a matter of opinion. Denons and Beyers (esp Darth Beyers) are disliked for their emphasis on bass. Audio Technicas and AKGs usually do the opposite and place their emphasis on the treble. This and other factors (taste in music, open/closed, sensitivity, impedance) can have varying effects on the soundstage and perceived aural qualities of vocals/instruments that are present.
Generally, people like a mild bass/treble emphasis, but for those who pursue the goal of ultimate neutrality, these factors are undesirable. Pretty much, someone is going to dislike/hate a pair of headphones that you find to be absolutely stunning, unless you get a pair of Sony R10s or Senn HE90s, which requires selling your car. To be honest, shelling out hundreds of dollars on a pair of headphones isn't logical (though it may seem that way to many here). It is done through YOUR desire for better sound. What better sound means to you is for you to decide. Don't buy a pair because no one hates it. Don't use logic to dictate your passion, that never works.
This ended up being a long post, but I would ultimately peruse threads by people who like the headphones, which tend to illuminate their strengths, and see if they match with your needs. They'll also almost always post the flaws of the headphones, even if it is to say that they themselves don't notice it or mind it. Asking for recommendations usually ends up being tantamount to asking "what would you buy?" Make up your own mind, and as long as you don't get something catastrophic, you can sell it if you don't like it.

 

[estreeter]

I commented here recently that the only cans I had never seen bashed on Head-Fi were Stax and the K1000, probably because most of us simply dont own either. It took about 20 minutes for someone to reply that he had never like the K1000. Thats just Head-Fi, guys.