[braddo]

Hi. I'm new here and I'm new to this type of communication so I hope this works.
Just wanted to know what ss amps K701 owners are using and what type of sound they are getting(I'm after an amp).
I listen only to electric guitar music. Mainly rock/powerpop/pop/rock'nroll. No metal. I will greatly appreciate any answers here. Thanks very much.

 

[braddo]

anyone?

 

[GarryH]

Braddo,

I'm sure there are plenty of SS amps that would be fine with the 701s. Owning the PS Audio GCHA and the Opera Corda, my choice would be the Opera. It's a very versatile amp that pairs well with many different cans.

If you haven't already done so, do a search here. I'd think that you'd fine that Headroom, Project, Ray Samuels Audio, et al., will all suffice.

Good luck.

Cheers,
Garry

 

[cansman]

I like the 701s with my Benchmark DAC1 USB.

Cheers.

 

[Currawong]

Little Dot MKV here. I'm not sure what you mean by electric guitar music, but I love listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan through my set-up. A line-out level source going to the MKV is best if you're driving 701's I've found.

 

[twsmith]

HeadAmp amps (e.g. GS-1) work very well with K701s. This may be be personal preference, but I did not think they match well with the built-in headphone amp on the Benchmark DAC1 or with Headroom amps (specifically Desktop, which I also have). Some people do like the sound of the K701s with these amps, however.

 

[Capunk]

Cheaper alternative would be Heed Canamp or Little Dot MKV, but I can confirm K701 pair well with Heed Canamp, and I bet everyone here agree.

Otherwise, get Lisa III or B22, K701 is a current hungry cans, a good amp necessary to amp this headphone

Good luck

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capunk /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... but I can confirm K701 pair well with Heed Canamp, and I bet everyone here agree...

X2, my experience with this combo was very favorable and you can pick an used one for about $350. Good luck.

 

[d-cee]

Heed Canamp is very enjoyable listen.

A vote goes to the PPAv2 too. _b

 

[mnemoniak]

Listening to the Doors, CCR, Deep purple... with the K701 via the LISA III is always a real pleasure, this is my first amp and it sounds awesome, this combo make those 'oldies' sounds like I think it should. You will only need/want to found the right source.

PS : I'm not able to describe the "type of sound", it seems to be very source-dependent, I mean, switching op-amps on my HD2 make it sounds from day to night.

 

[Drumonron]

I have first hand knowledge of the 701s with the Heed canamp and the Benchmark DAC1 USB and I'd say it matched better with heed(using the DAC1 as the source, of course-transported from the samsung cdp). I love the 701s soundstage and instrument isolation is unbeatable....out of the dac1 it was too analytical and lost a bit of warmth/bass.

I'll never lose my akg love!

 

[Currawong]

Likely once you have a good amp with 701's, you'll end up as I did, wanting a better source (albeit with my 701's re-cabled).

 

[ethebull]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braddo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi. I'm new here and I'm new to this type of communication so I hope this works. Just wanted to know what ss amps K701 owners are using and what type of sound they are getting(I'm after an amp). I listen only to electric guitar music. Mainly rock/powerpop/pop/rock'nroll. No metal. I will greatly appreciate any answers here. Thanks very much.

The vast majority of electric guitar players use a tube amp to achieve their signature sound. Given your stated musical preference, follow in kind - you'll find synergy there.

 

[selfdivider]

I used Heed CanAmp with AKG701. I can't imagine a better synergy at that price point. Now I'm using my AKG701 with Leben CS600 tube integrated and it's a completely different ballgame, even though Heed was good... sold the Heed recently through HeadFi for $325. More liquid presentation of the music, better sound-staging and warmth of sound. Less fatigue from listening: the best part of this switch has been that I can listen to my AKGs for much longer now. A lot of times, SS vs. Tube debate can get silly and reductive, but in the case of AKG701, a quality tube amp will add more life to the sound of the AKG701. But take care not to get a tube amp that sounds very "tubey," as that will color the sound too much, which I hate. I agree totally with ethebull: if you're listening to electric guitar, you really would do better with tube amps than SS. There are tube amps out there that are neutral and well-balanced, and those are the ones to pair up w/ AKG701s... good luck & have fun!

 

[GarryH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Selfdivider There are tube amps out there that are neutral and well-balanced, and those are the ones to pair up w/ AKG701s

Agree 100%.

My apologies for going a bit OT . . . The Leben 600 is one of the amps on my "wish" list

. . . what a lovely looking and sounding piece of kit! Haven't yet sampled it with cans, however I've heard that its H/P section is so outstanding that it wouldn't be a stretch if one were buying it for cans alone

.

Cheers,
Garry