[illy2k]

Ok well thanks for all the advice guys.

I am seriously considering amp upgrade but to what? I have found some good advice in some threads here on head-fi but nothing conclusive enough for me to go on.

I am thinking DV337, CanAmp, Gilmore Lite, and Stello HP100.

Any ideas?

 

[olblueyez]

If it were me I would go with something Solid State. You said you wanted warmer and the CanAmp is the one that can give you that kind of sound and it has a long standing reputation for having synergy with the 701's.

 

[illy2k]

I was looking at the CanAmp and found a link here for blackbirdaudio.com and sent an email to Dan for a price quote. Any other places in the US where I can procure a CanAmp from?

Also what about a WooAudio 6 for a tube? Any synergy with the 701's?

 

[Elephas]

Hmm, thinking about a Woo Audio 6 and some tubes?

How about a Zana Deux?

The ZD drives the HD600, HD650, K701 and also Grados and AT's very well. It is a very versatile amp, and the best dynamic headphone amp I've heard. I even prefer using the W5000 with the ZD over the AT-HA5000.

 

[ph0rk]

I think your amp is fine - it is capable, more than adequate.

I have a GLite as well as my M^3, the k701 was not qualitatively different driven by the glite than it was by the M^3.

I would caution against spending thousands (or even hundreds more) just to make the k701's pleasant - unless there is something you particularly love about them, you would be better served to look elsewhere (like the HD650).

To be honest, if you haven't heard the HD650 yet you should give it a try.

 

[illy2k]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm, thinking about a Woo Audio 6 and some tubes? How about a Zana Deux? The ZD drives the HD600, HD650, K701 and also Grados and AT's very well. It is a very versatile amp, and the best dynamic headphone amp I've heard. I even prefer using the W5000 with the ZD over the AT-HA5000.

The Zana Deux looks insanely nice but I cannot really afford the $2200.00 price tag lol. My upper limit was probably $1k.

 

[Elephas]

Ah, sorry, my mistake. For some reason I thought the Woo Audio 6 was around the same price as the ZD.

I think it'll be tough to match the K701's large soundstage, especially with classical music. The K701's midrange is also very good with female vocals.

If you can budget $1000, which is quite a large amount, to a source and/or amp upgrade, I think you might find more satisfaction with the K701.

Both the SA5000 and W5000 have excellent details and speed and hold their own easily versus the K701 in most areas. But I think that they both need very well-matched sources and amps and may be even more particular than the K701.

If I had to choose, I would devote most or all of the budget to a new source first instead of amplification.

 

[illy2k]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ah, sorry, my mistake. For some reason I thought the Woo Audio 6 was around the same price as the ZD. I think it'll be tough to match the K701's large soundstage, especially with classical music. The K701's midrange is also very good with female vocals. If you can budget $1000, which is quite a large amount, to a source and/or amp upgrade, I think you might find more satisfaction with the K701. Both the SA5000 and W5000 have excellent details and speed and hold their own easily versus the K701 in most areas. But I think that they both need very well-matched sources and amps and may be even more particular than the K701. If I had to choose, I would devote most or all of the budget to a new source first instead of amplification.

my source is the Ultra Micro DAC which I think is quite decent as DAC's go. The only upgrade that I would go with that is the DAC1 but that is not for a while.

Ehh, I am torn between CanAmp, HP100, and WA6

 

[illy2k]

Ok well I am trying to decide between those three above:

Heed CanAmp

Stello HP100

WooAudio 6 (no up's)

Is the CanAmp just a good 701 amp or would it be good with most other cans? I am kind of leaning towards either the Stello or the Woo, depending on signature and drivability of the 701's.

 

[olblueyez]

Get the Woo and when the 701's still sound like a squeaky toy from the pet shop get some 650's and you will be all set.

 

[illy2k]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Get the Woo and when the 701's still sound like a squeaky toy from the pet shop get some 650's and you will be all set.

Thanks olblueyez, I am leaning towards the WA6, but I still wanna know if the Stello will adequately drive the 701's, since I don't want to be in the same position I am in now after this purchase.

 

[arteom]

if you are looking at amps you might want to check out the x-can v8. It is said to work really well with low impedance cans, stereophile did a review of it using the K701 and gave it positive marks.

I have been using the combo for some months now and I have nothing but good things to say

. I am however like yourself looking for something that has a different sound signature than the K701.

 

[glitch39]

usually, low-z cans go well with SS amps that are able to deliver lots of current.

high-z cans need voltage that tube amps that can deliver.

of course. ymmv. the rest of the chain and te music genre still play a role.

 

[loki7177]

I just got a pair of k701 yesterday. I was listening to them straight out of the box for a couple of hours last night and they are not bright or fatiguing at all to me. I am coming from hd595. I have read a lot of reviews here about k701 sounding bright and lacking bass. Even out of the box I don't find either to be the case again imo. I am using a Cayin HA-1A so I have tubes to warm things up and plenty of power to drive these cans. I think most of k701 criticisms are do poor matching amp not saying that that is the case with you. I have no experience with the ultra micro.

Are you really in Hicksville? I am in Queens only about 15-20 minutes away. I wouldn't mind meeting up and letting you try the k701 on my Cayin so you can decide if an amp upgrade is the way to go.

 

[djay1948]

If you found the 600's too warm you probably won't like the 650's, which sounded even more distant to me, especially in classical music.
After spending 25 years in the 6th row at Symphony Hall in Boston, I found the 701's, after being properly burned-in, to put me right back there.