The AKG K7XX Massdrop First Edition Thread
Jul 8, 2015 at 12:31 AM Post #2,611 of 4,580
Hi,

All first edition got sold. The last drop however was not a "first edition" drop but for a K7XX that missed the print "first edition" on the packaging as far as I remember.

So there will be further drops for sure, just not called first edition anymore.


I didn't realize that the last drop was about misprinted packaging. But yeah. I still wouldn't count on the next drop coming along as soon as they did the last six months or so.
 
Jul 8, 2015 at 6:53 PM Post #2,612 of 4,580
  TriPoint Spartan... beautiful box.. $35,000.00 Can that be right?
I am quite sure that this particular "Eventually" will never arrive for me.


I picked Tri Point because of the outrageous prices and that eventually was sarcasm.  You nor I will part with sensible dollars when you can buy a better power supply industrial or scientific for much much less.  That too isn't part f my current rig which is indeed a lowly surge protector.  BTW with the numerous storms I have dealt with the guaranteed loss of power and it's sudden return have never tripped the breaker in my "protector"
 
Jul 8, 2015 at 8:54 PM Post #2,613 of 4,580
I let my sister listen to Doses and Minoses by Cherub with my K7XX/Magni 2, her expression was equivalent to her experiencing High Definition TV/Movies for the first time. She said, "This is the clearest I've ever heard a song". It was fantastic witnessing someone experience a decent rig for the first time. Thought I'd share the bonding moment between siblings with you guys! 
atsmile.gif

 
Jul 8, 2015 at 10:09 PM Post #2,614 of 4,580
Update after my recent posts: listened to my K7XX on a Hegel H160 being fed by a Simaudio Moon disc transport and it definitely sounded better than through my Peachtree Audio Nova125. 
 
However, after directly comparing them to Audeze LCD-2 and LCD-3 at the shop, the K7XX sounded very veiled. Guess I know what I'll be saving for now. :)
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 4:27 AM Post #2,615 of 4,580
Update after my recent posts: listened to my K7XX on a Hegel H160 being fed by a Simaudio Moon disc transport and it definitely sounded better than through my Peachtree Audio Nova125. 

However, after directly comparing them to Audeze LCD-2 and LCD-3 at the shop, the K7XX sounded very veiled. Guess I know what I'll be saving for now. :)


Approximately, how many hours do you have on your K7XX?
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 8:38 AM Post #2,616 of 4,580
Approximately, how many hours do you have on your K7XX?


Got mine first drop, but haven't tracked hours. I'd say at least 100, conservatively.
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 9:35 AM Post #2,617 of 4,580
If you're a comparing $200 headphones to $3200 headphones id sure hope the $3200 set blows the other one out of the water.

In your eyes is the improvment in sound quality of the lcd3 worth the price difference over the 7xx?
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 12:15 PM Post #2,618 of 4,580
If you're a comparing $200 headphones to $3200 headphones id sure hope the $3200 set blows the other one out of the water.

 
LCD-3 retails for just under $2,000, not $3,200, but yes, they certainly do blow them out of the water. I also consider the K7XX to be $350-400 headphones because of the similarities they share with their AKG brethren.
 
In your eyes is the improvment in sound quality of the lcd3 worth the price difference over the 7xx?
 

For 10x the price, maybe not. Depends on what your definition of "worth the price" is. When you start out in head-fi, you always say to yourself that you'll never spend X on Y headphones, until you do. I went from stock buds, to Skullcandy Ink'd, to Head-Direct RE2 with a FiiO e3, to Etymotic ER4; then bought Grado HF2 when they were originally released; and now the K7XX just to try them out. After listening to the same music on my Magnepan speakers and then immediately afterward on the K7XX, I was extremely disappointed.
 
Factoring out speakers' inherent advantages over headphones, the fact is that they just don't sound very good to my ear. Instruments don't sound like instruments, the treble is wonky, and the sound is veiled. So to approach the timbre and sound quality that is similar to my speaker setup, it probably is "worth the price" for me to consider headphones like the Audeze and other similarly priced headphones. Listening to the same track A/B style at similar volume between the K7XX and the LCD2 or -3 was an eye-opening experience for me.
 
Honestly, the only real advantage the K7XX has over my HF2 is the comfort and the cable length. They are very difficult to drive and it boggles my mind how people are using them with a portable player or phone. They sounded awful through my iPad. My Peachtree Nova125 pushes a little over 1W at 32ohms, and the headphones still don't sound great. It was marginally better through the Hegel H160. Admittedly, I haven't heard them through any of the recent high-power/current amps (Ragnarok, 430A, Violectric, etc.). Maybe others could chime in there.
 
The fact is, the K7XX is a very comfortable, lower mid-fi headphone sold at an incredible price that require a beast of an amplifier to sound their best. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 1:22 PM Post #2,619 of 4,580
I have no dedicated headphone amp to use and thus can only compare using the 7xx and other headphones through my laptop and phone sans amp.

Im my experience, the sound is a world of difference better just from jumping from a pair of cheap buds to the 7xx. I have my eyes on a headphone amp and possibly a dac as my next purchases. i am excited to see how, what i perceive as great sound now, changes with these additions.

Also, I'm seeing conflicting reports, plenty of people have said the 7xx is pretty easy to drive. I'm pretty excited to try them with a proper headphone amp and hear them at/near their full potential.
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 1:40 PM Post #2,620 of 4,580
I have no dedicated headphone amp to use and thus can only compare using the 7xx and other headphones through my laptop and phone sans amp.

Im my experience, the sound is a world of difference better just from jumping from a pair of cheap buds to the 7xx. I have my eyes on a headphone amp and possibly a dac as my next purchases next. i am excited to see how, what i perceive as great sound now, changes with these additions.


Grab a Fiio E12 or Cayin C5 when you can. You'll love how it drives the K7XX better when you go to turn them up :)
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 1:48 PM Post #2,621 of 4,580
I hate myself a little for getting into this rabbit hole of headphones. Theres too much out there!

I had my eye on the magni2u, now im just reading up about tubes amps so theres a new door to open and explore as well. Anyways, ill chime back in a few weeks once i get an amp and/or dac.
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 2:53 PM Post #2,622 of 4,580
   
 
 
The fact is, the K7XX is a very comfortable, lower mid-fi headphone sold at an incredible price that require a beast of an amplifier to sound their best. Nothing more, nothing less.

I suppose I have never heard them at their "best", though I not sure how to get there as I don't relate specifically to a "beast of an amplifier".  What qualifies?
I do know that they sound quite nice from my little Polaris, Sunrise III, headphone out from DC-1 and UD-301. Considering what I paid for them, I have heard much worse.
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 3:08 PM Post #2,623 of 4,580
The fact is, the K7XX is a very comfortable, lower mid-fi headphone sold at an incredible price that require a beast of an amplifier to sound their best. Nothing more, nothing less.


They shouldn't need a "beast." They are a bit difficult to drive, but if you look at Innerfidelity's specs they aren't terribly difficult:
Volts RMS required to reach 90dB SPL: 0.206 Vrms
Impedance @ 1kHz: 66 Ohms
Power Needed for 90d BSPL 0.64 mW

In fact, their voltage needs are about the same as the HD650s. So difficult? Somewhat. But it sounds like to me something is wrong with your Peachtree amp. Shouldn't have had a problem.
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 5:21 PM Post #2,624 of 4,580
   
LCD-3 retails for just under $2,000, not $3,200, but yes, they certainly do blow them out of the water. I also consider the K7XX to be $350-400 headphones because of the similarities they share with their AKG brethren.
 
For 10x the price, maybe not. Depends on what your definition of "worth the price" is. When you start out in head-fi, you always say to yourself that you'll never spend X on Y headphones, until you do. I went from stock buds, to Skullcandy Ink'd, to Head-Direct RE2 with a FiiO e3, to Etymotic ER4; then bought Grado HF2 when they were originally released; and now the K7XX just to try them out. After listening to the same music on my Magnepan speakers and then immediately afterward on the K7XX, I was extremely disappointed.
 
Factoring out speakers' inherent advantages over headphones, the fact is that they just don't sound very good to my ear. Instruments don't sound like instruments, the treble is wonky, and the sound is veiled. So to approach the timbre and sound quality that is similar to my speaker setup, it probably is "worth the price" for me to consider headphones like the Audeze and other similarly priced headphones. Listening to the same track A/B style at similar volume between the K7XX and the LCD2 or -3 was an eye-opening experience for me.
 
Honestly, the only real advantage the K7XX has over my HF2 is the comfort and the cable length. They are very difficult to drive and it boggles my mind how people are using them with a portable player or phone. They sounded awful through my iPad. My Peachtree Nova125 pushes a little over 1W at 32ohms, and the headphones still don't sound great. It was marginally better through the Hegel H160. Admittedly, I haven't heard them through any of the recent high-power/current amps (Ragnarok, 430A, Violectric, etc.). Maybe others could chime in there.
 
The fact is, the K7XX is a very comfortable, lower mid-fi headphone sold at an incredible price that require a beast of an amplifier to sound their best. Nothing more, nothing less.


The K7XX is not that difficult to drive IMO, I get great sound paired with a Project Ember which I consider a fairly flexible amp and a good value.  I've tried the K7XX with my X3ii and original X3 and while they sound decent they lack the dynamics compared to the Ember.  But while walking around the difference in sound quality gets a little lost due to all the ambient noise.
I also have Magnepan 1.6 speakers and a LCD-2f and I agree with you that my LCD-2f sounds much more speaker like than the K7XX but I wouldn't say the treble is wonky or that they are veiled, just a different presentation, like changing over from the Magnepans to my Rauna TYR speakers.  The closest headphone that sound like the Magnepans are my HE-560, they have that nice smooth mids and tight bass.  The LCD-2f needs more of an amp than the K7XX IMO, like it paired with Lyr2 best so far.
 
Jul 9, 2015 at 7:59 PM Post #2,625 of 4,580
[...]
Honestly, the only real advantage the K7XX has over my HF2 is the comfort and the cable length. They are very difficult to drive and it boggles my mind how people are using them with a portable player or phone. They sounded awful through my iPad. My Peachtree Nova125 pushes a little over 1W at 32ohms, and the headphones still don't sound great. It was marginally better through the Hegel H160. Admittedly, I haven't heard them through any of the recent high-power/current amps (Ragnarok, 430A, Violectric, etc.). Maybe others could chime in there.


You haven't missed much. I have a V200. To be perfectly honest, I absolutely loathe its sound with the K7XX: dark, congested, an odd peak around a subjective ~7K, and flabby lows with an emphasis on upper/mid-bass. Love the V200 with my bass modded K702 along with DT990, DT880, and HD600. A diametrically opposed effect compared to its sound with K7XX. I was very surprised when I first heard the combo. Never expected it to suck. Yes, suck is a technical term.

OTOH, a Meier Concerto is a wonderful match with K7XX, arguably the best of all my amps.

The fact is, the K7XX is a very comfortable, lower mid-fi headphone sold at an incredible price that require a beast of an amplifier to sound their best. Nothing more, nothing less.


Agree, the cans truly benefit from the right powerful amplifier.

At the risk of sounding more pedantic than usual, I simply cannot get over this community's insistence on classifying headphones based on their cost and not their sound.

:beerchug:
 

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