[DavidA]

@PilotNorman, curious has to why you find the K7XX un-comfortable, I know the Q701 has those bumps that I can't stand either.  As for the terrible sound, is yours working correctly?  I know that the sound can be influenced with how well it fits so maybe the two are related in your case.

 

[sheldaze]

Hope I was not confusing the point. I disliked the bumps on the Q701, but found the sound signature to be like that of the K702. I was able this past Saturday, at a headphone meet, to again hear the K7XX and this time compared it directly to the K702. So it was in my opinion that I like the sound and comfort of the K7XX.
 
I am waiting in the queue for the next MassDrop. So I was particularly curious why the original poster @PilotNorman found the K7XX to sound terrible and feel terrible, and what other headphone in its price range he found to sound better and feel better. If he is truly correct, I would likely remove myself from the queue. I have other headphones, and this purchase was more of a curiosity. I was, in my original statement, only using the Q701 as a point of reference on the sound, which I dislike, in comparison with the K7XX sound, which I like.

 

[DavidA]

@sheldaze, I really like my K7XX but it does need to be amped correctly, I've been using a Project Ember with the output resistance set at the middle setting.  They are very comfortable, almost as good as my HD-700 and DT-990 premium which are 2 of the more comfortable headphones for me.  At the $200 price I think its a great deal.

 

[Shaffer]

Hope I was not confusing the point. I disliked the bumps on the Q701, but found the sound signature to be like that of the K702. I was able this past Saturday, at a headphone meet, to again hear the K7XX and this time compared it directly to the K702. So it was in my opinion that I like the sound and comfort of the K7XX.

I am waiting in the queue for the next MassDrop. So I was particularly curious why the original poster @PilotNorman
 found the K7XX to sound terrible and feel terrible, and what other headphone in its price range he found to sound better and feel better. If he is truly correct, I would likely remove myself from the queue. I have other headphones, and this purchase was more of a curiosity. I was, in my original statement, only using the Q701 as a point of reference on the sound, which I dislike, in comparison with the K7XX sound, which I like.

Folks, the guy wrote one badly composed line and you're all taking it seriously. C'mon.

 

[sheldaze]

Folks, the guy wrote one badly composed line and you're all taking it seriously. C'mon.

No.
I am trying to keep my post on target. I am truly interested in hearing what the original poster meant.
I included Q701 in my post, with regards to sound. I did not want it confused in regards to comfort, which I also disliked on the Q701.
 
If there is a better value, I would simply like to know.

 

[money4me247]

  No. I am trying to keep my post on target. I am truly interested in hearing what the original poster meant.
I included Q701 in my post, with regards to sound. I did not want it confused in regards to comfort, which I also disliked on the Q701. If there is a better value, I would simply like to know.

At $199 MSRP, there really isn't any other open headphones that are as competitive in terms of sound quality as the K7xx. they compete well against all the other mid-tier headphones going up to the $700 price point. the k7xx is also sonically identical to the now discontinued $499 K702 65th Anniversary headphones which was considered relatively competitive and well-reviewed when released at that price point. I do think the K7xx can go head-to-head against the other classic mid-tiers such the Sennheiser HD600/HD650 or Beyerdynamic DT880. Personal preference of sound signature and different sonic strengths will determine which one is most suitable for you. I actually strongly prefer the AKG K7xx over the K701/K702/Q701.
 
now if you dislike the K7xx sound signature, that is another story. but the K7xx has very respectable performance and an insane performancerice value.
 
I would say the other good affordable open mid-tier options to look into would include the Hifiman HE-400s and Phillips X2 which retail at $300. Those are alternatives if you are looking for pretty well-balanced headphones that sit at a solid competitive price point.

 

[sheldaze]

  At $199 MSRP, there really isn't any other open headphones that are as competitive in terms of sound quality as the K7xx. they compete well against all the other mid-tier headphones going up to the $700 price point. the k7xx is also sonically identical to the now discontinued $499 K702 65th Anniversary headphones which was considered relatively competitive and well-reviewed when released at that price point. I do think the K7xx can go head-to-head against the other classic mid-tiers such the Sennheiser HD600/HD650 or Beyerdynamic DT880. Personal preference of sound signature and different sonic strengths will determine which one is most suitable for you. I actually strongly prefer the AKG K7xx over the K701/K702/Q701.
 
now if you dislike the K7xx sound signature, that is another story. but the K7xx has very respectable performance and an insane performancerice value.
 
I would say the other good affordable open mid-tier options to look into would include the Hifiman HE-400s and Phillips X2 which retail at $300. Those are alternatives if you are looking for pretty well-balanced headphones that sit at a solid competitive price point.

Thank you!
 
I definitely did not dislike the sound signature, hearing either the K7xx or the Q701. There was simply something fatiguing with regards to some of the higher frequencies on the Q701, and I did not feel there was adequate bass response to compensate. I would continually want to turn up volume, at which point my ears would tire on the Q701. Just waiting for the next MassDrop to try out my own pair of K7xx at home, to see if these two issues are resolved when listening in a more quiet non-headphone meet environment.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

If I had to pick X2's or K7xx I would go for X2's they sound better. there is a difference in price, but you know...And even then I like a different kind of sound.

 

[cel4145]

So I too would ask, @PilotNorman
, what your personal experience is with regard to the K7XX and what sound signature and more comfortable headphones, particularly in the same price range, you would recommend?

You are wasting your time asking. Check PilotNorman's posting history. He just pops into threads and makes these short statements. Never any elaboration. Hasn't demonstrated an intention to join in conversations.

 

[loki993]

No.
I am trying to keep my post on target. I am truly interested in hearing what the original poster meant.
I included Q701 in my post, with regards to sound. I did not want it confused in regards to comfort, which I also disliked on the Q701.

If there is a better value, I would simply like to know.

What he probably meant is that he read somewhere on the internet that someone said they didn't like the K701 and that it was uncomfortable and then came here saw AKG and regurgitated it....not ever hearing any of the headphones in question..because its the internet.

Heres my take and I own the K7XX and use them every day. First off, at first they were a bit uncomfortable, the memory foam wasn't as compressible as what was on my Dt770s and the velour, or whatever it is, isnt as soft on the K7xx as it is on the DT770. I got over that within hours though and now I don't even notice.

After really long sessions the band, even though it doesn't have bumps, can and will dig into my head a bit. It can get a bit uncomfortable....at this point though by that time...Ive probably been wearing them way longer than I should be anyways and I need to go find something else to do for a while.

As for the sound..Im using a Fiio E10k and it drives them but I think something with a bit more power would be better. They sound good right now but I can tell they have more to give, I can put my finger on it. Maybe the sound isn't as full as it could be, or maybe they sound a touch "flat". Bass is decent but not great.....definitely adequate though, especially considering the lineage of the headphone. I also think a better amp could help with bass. They really do sound pretty good out of the Fiio though, if that makes any sense. Definitely not terrible.

I use them a ton for gaming and their performance in that regard is excellent. I was using DT770s and though good the positional accuracy wasn't what I would like it to be. With the K7xx I hear everything, I hear footsteps coming behind me, under me, over me whatever. Again I gave up some bass, those explosions dont hit nearly as hard as with the DT770s, but they hit hard enough. Add that the much better positional audio and its nearly perfect for me.

I have an Element coming that should really give them the business and we will see what they can really do then.

 

[sheldaze]

What he probably meant is that he read somewhere on the internet that someone said they didn't like the K701 and that it was uncomfortable and then came here saw AKG and regurgitated it....not ever hearing any of the headphones in question..because its the internet.

Heres my take and I own the K7XX and use them every day. First off, at first they were a bit uncomfortable, the memory foam wasn't as compressible as what was on my Dt770s and the velour, or whatever it is, isnt as soft on the K7xx as it is on the DT770. I got over that within hours though and now I don't even notice.

After really long sessions the band, even though it doesn't have bumps, can and will dig into my head a bit. It can get a bit uncomfortable....at this point though by that time...Ive probably been wearing them way longer than I should be anyways and I need to go find something else to do for a while.

As for the sound..Im using a Fiio E10k and it drives them but I think something with a bit more power would be better. They sound good right now but I can tell they have more to give, I can put my finger on it. Maybe the sound isn't as full as it could be, or maybe they sound a touch "flat". Bass is decent but not great.....definitely adequate though, especially considering the lineage of the headphone. I also think a better amp could help with bass. They really do sound pretty good out of the Fiio though, if that makes any sense. Definitely not terrible.

I use them a ton for gaming and their performance in that regard is excellent. I was using DT770s and though good the positional accuracy wasn't what I would like it to be. With the K7xx I hear everything, I hear footsteps coming behind me, under me, over me whatever. Again I gave up some bass, those explosions dont hit nearly as hard as with the DT770s, but they hit hard enough. Add that the much better positional audio and its nearly perfect for me.

I have an Element coming that should really give them the business and we will see what they can really do then.

Ha!
 
It's the Element that I heard them on at the first meet. I own the Element, and basically borrowed the K7xx headphones (for a long time) from another guy at the meet. There was more than one pair of K7xx available at the meet, so enough to go around. They did truly sound good on the Element (with regards to having much background noise to contend with). It was a custom headphone amplifier box that I heard them on this past Saturday. It was actually two boxes, and amp and a separate power supply. So again, it likely had adequate power to drive. I actually took notes on the song I heard, liking it a lot, and wanting to be able to recreate that sound experience at home

 
Thank you for your input!

 

[rudyae86]

Hello all and I just want to share this, short experience of which maybe some of you might have already read from others but since I have not followed this thread much lately, maybe someone will shine some light on my concern, which will later will be mentioned...
 
So I ordered a schiit modi 2 uber and a pair of AKG K712 from AWD to actually hear the difference between my old set up of an Asus Xonar DG and the K7XX and comparing both K7XX and K712 and I must say.....Build wise, K712 is better though I didnt get an Austrian made K712 but one that was made in Slovakia. The sound on the K712 seems to have a bit more decay than the K7XX and the bass is bit more emphasized on the K712 than the K7XX. Also, when using the C5 with both the K7XX and K712, using the test tone 'headphone shaker', shows that the K712 doesnt rattle at all, even at having the volume dial at max and on low gain while the K7XX does rattle going past 6 on the volume dial. Im not sure if this is something to be of concern on the K7XX compared to the K712 or if its already something that K7XX owners need to live with.
 
The pads on the K712 are less stiff than the K7XX and seem to seal better, at least for the size of my head. Overall, I think I like the K712 more refined sound and is very similar to the K7XX.....well at least so far, I need to run more 'test' lol

 

[warubozu]

Seems to be the rattle happens on some of the K7XX, I have a pair from the 2nd drop and so far haven't detected any rattle from them.

 

[rudyae86]

  Seems to be the rattle happens on some of the K7XX, I have a pair from the 2nd drop and so far haven't detected any rattle from them.

Yeah, so I have read...I have number 57 from the first drop and the rattle was there but not really obvious....not it seems more obvious. I dont do the test tones for long or several times...just from time to time. Might need to contatct AKG for a fix

 

[AKGunkie]

  Hello all and I just want to share this, short experience of which maybe some of you might have already read from others but since I have not followed this thread much lately, maybe someone will shine some light on my concern, which will later will be mentioned...
 
So I ordered a schiit modi 2 uber and a pair of AKG K712 from AWD to actually hear the difference between my old set up of an Asus Xonar DG and the K7XX and comparing both K7XX and K712 and I must say.....Build wise, K712 is better though I didnt get an Austrian made K712 but one that was made in Slovakia. The sound on the K712 seems to have a bit more decay than the K7XX and the bass is bit more emphasized on the K712 than the K7XX. Also, when using the C5 with both the K7XX and K712, using the test tone 'headphone shaker', shows that the K712 doesnt rattle at all, even at having the volume dial at max and on low gain while the K7XX does rattle going past 6 on the volume dial. Im not sure if this is something to be of concern on the K7XX compared to the K712 or if its already something that K7XX owners need to live with.
 
The pads on the K712 are less stiff than the K7XX and seem to seal better, at least for the size of my head. Overall, I think I like the K712 more refined sound and is very similar to the K7XX.....well at least so far, I need to run more 'test' lol

You might have a faulty pair of 7XXs, both of my 712s have less bass than my 7XX, and my 7XXs don't have ANY rattle. I also am 99% sure that the 712 & 7XX have the same pads.