[tigim101]

Ive had the 558 before so I know how much it leaks, and it wasn't that much TBH, I was wondering if anyone here has heard both the 558/598 (im guessing they have similar leakage) and the K702 Annie/K712 to see what the leakage difference is. I know it will leak, but some open headphones do it more than others. For example the Hifiman headphones leak a ton, much more than other open headphones. 

 

[Blueshound24]

I can't verify. I'm going off the Massdrop page that specifically states the 7XX uses the Annie as the base. Considering the Annie uses the same drivers as the Q701/later K702s, I highly doubt anything was changed. If it was using the 712 drivers, it doesn't make sense to say that it's using the Annie as it's base instead of the 712, considering everything other than the drivers is identical on both the Annie/712.

The Annie is very well balanced, but leaning on warmth. The 712 has a bit of upper mid/lower treble recession after that AKG mid bump, which then ramps up in the treble, giving it more energy up top. Because of this, I feel the Annie is slightly more balanced. The treble is smoother on the Annie, making it less fatiguing, but also making it sound less open.

Both the Annie and 712 have an obvious bass boost compared to the standard K70x and Q701.

As much as I like my 712, if true, the 7XX sounds like it's signature may be worth checking out, unless it's just too close to call...

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I've had the 558 before so I know how much it leaks, and it wasn't that much TBH, I was wondering if anyone here has heard both the 558/598 (I'm guessing they have similar leakage) and the K702 Annie/K712 to see what the leakage difference is. I know it will leak, but some open headphones do it more than others. For example the Hifiman headphones leak a ton, much more than other open headphones. 

 
The HD558 comes with black rubber tape on the insides of the cups, that cover a little over a third of the air holes, so it might be slightly less leaky then the HD598.
But I usually recommend people remove the tape to make the HD558s more open, hopefully it makes the HD558 sound somewhat more like the HD598.

 

[Mad Max]

  ...
But I usually recommend people remove the tape to make the HD558s open ,hopefully it makes the HD558 sound somewhat more like the HD598.

 
So everyone wishes, but no one succeeds, even with other mods, to turn HD558 into HD598.

 

[project86]

  Ive had the 558 before so I know how much it leaks, and it wasn't that much TBH, I was wondering if anyone here has heard both the 558/598 (im guessing they have similar leakage) and the K702 Annie/K712 to see what the leakage difference is. I know it will leak, but some open headphones do it more than others. For example the Hifiman headphones leak a ton, much more than other open headphones. 

 
 
I'd say the K7XX leaks as much as any Sennheiser (598, 650, 800, they are all pretty similar in that area). It's a lot of leakage imho even if it isn't quite as much as HiFiMAN or Audeze which are almost like little desktop speakers when you listen loudly.
 
I personally wouldn't want to work in the same office as someone using a K7XX. But if I'm in the other room, it's not so bad that my wife or kids will complain, so it may be usable for your purposes. 

 

[avitron142]

Was just tearing my head for the last few days over the decision of spending $200 on a worthwhile headphone, as my bank isn't exactly that large. 

 
 
My question is like this: I have a Nuforce Udac-2 as my only dac/amp, and I don't have the money to upgrade. I got it at $35 new, so for a $125 dac I'm sure I made the right decision. However, I'm having difficulty deciding whether they'd be enough to drive the K7XX's to enough of it's potential. Do you think it can do the trick? The AKG's in general are pretty misleading in terms of difficulty to drive, or so I heard,
 
As master of this awesome thread, to you I turn for guidance 

 
P.S.- I have a KRK KNS 8400 that works quite well without an amp, so for this purchase to be worth it, I'd like the K7XX's to blow them outta the water.
 
If it helps, I just sampled the 250 ohm Beyer T90 with the udac-2 and they sounded beyond awesome 

 It could be the AKG's suck up more power though...
 
Either Way, Thanks so much! U dah man 

 

[avitron142]

Ah, one more question for y'all.
 
Would these be good for casual listening? I enjoy my music quality like a beast, but audiophile I'm probably not.
 
EDM/electronical and Instrumental are really the only 2 types I listen to on a regular basis, if that helps.
 
Thanks to y'all!
 
 
Kudos to MASSDROP for giving me 2 more days to decide and still be well within the 4000 limit 

 

[Mad Max]

I would say the whole K701 family excels with electronic, among other genres, but everyone around here prefers extra bass and all.  "To feel the beat" or whatever their excuses are.  I've got HD8 DJ and more for that, but I still find mixes to sound best on K70x and such.
 
T90 also rocks with electronic, if little else, haha.
 
KNS8400 is a decent headphone, I've heard it and liked it.  K701 and its brothers are all far more than decent, rest assured.  =]

 

[avitron142]

Thank you! Would you know if the udac-2 is enough to power the K7XX family?

 

[money4me247]

Ah, one more question for y'all.

Would these be good for casual listening? I enjoy my music quality like a beast, but audiophile I'm probably not.

EDM/electronical and Instrumental are really the only 2 types I listen to on a regular basis, if that helps.

Thanks to y'all!


Kudos to MASSDROP for giving me 2 more days to decide and still be well within the 4000 limit 

lol i wld say the old k701, q70q, and k702 are too bass light to really be good for edm. but the massdrop k7xx, k702 65th annies, and the k712 should have enough bass.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Was just tearing my head for the last few days over the decision of spending $200 on a worthwhile headphone, as my bank isn't exactly that large. 

My question is like this: I have a Nuforce Udac-2 as my only dac/amp, and I don't have the money to upgrade. I got it at $35 new, so for a $125 dac I'm sure I made the right decision. However, I'm having difficulty deciding whether they'd be enough to drive the K7XX's to enough of it's potential. Do you think it can do the trick? The AKG's in general are pretty misleading in terms of difficulty to drive, or so I heard,
As master of this awesome thread, to you I turn for guidance 

P.S.- I have a KRK KNS 8400 that works quite well without an amp, so for this purchase to be worth it, I'd like the K7XX's to blow them outta the water.
If it helps, I just sampled the 250 ohm Beyer T90 with the udac-2 and they sounded beyond awesome 

 It could be the AKG's suck up more power though...

 
I have the KNS8400, nice sound, but a little on the boring side, so the KXX should make a decent improvement.

 

[gabrielnorena]

lol i wld say the old k701, q70q, and k702 are too bass light to really be good for edm. but the massdrop k7xx, k702 65th annies, and the k712 should have enough bass.

I think you are right... And there's more bass in the K712 than in the K702/65th.

 

[Mullet]

You wanna try non-bass-lite AKGs at a good price? Try the K240 Sextetts. They can be had for no more than $150... They are long out of production and are considered vintage AKG gear made in the mid to late 70s. Early production have the most bass. Mid production have a nice amount of bass. The late productions have the least. I'd say they are no worse to drive than my previously owned AKG K701s.

 

[avitron142]

Thanks for the info, guys. That really helps me narrow my decision 

 
The only question now is whether the Udac-2 has enough juice to drive these properly. I can't seem to get my hands on any akg's to demo at the moment, so my decision will come from you guys.
 
My krk's are light enough on bass 

 so I'm sure a non-bass-heavy headphone would do just fine as well. The one thing I really want to avoid is bloated bass - beats x( 

 
 
Again, can the Nuforce Udac-2 drive these headphones properly? I really need a answer quick. Thanks guys!

 

[Mullet]

Look in the thread. There was discussion about amp power output vs. needed power by typical AKG 7** series. You'd need to find the power output of the Udac-2 as well. Then you'll get a better picture whether the two are the right fit. Also, just because an amp has the right amount of power to drive your phones doesn't mean they are a perfect match.