[IMPERIUS]

 
You will probably like them.  They are only as picky as the person wearing them.  I you are well versed in audio lingo strengths and minuses then you might have something negative to say.  I am using them now in stead of my Senn 700s and they sound good.

 
i'm pretty much a noob so I guess they will be great?

 

[spykez]

  They are back on Massdrop for a limited run... 225 units (currently 75 sold).

limited lol, until theyre back on there in a month or two...again.....then again, these are probably AKG's highest selling headphones at this point, they aren't dumb to keep these limited.

 

[Shaffer]

limited lol, until theyre back on there in a month or two...again.....then again, these are probably AKG's highest selling headphones at this point, they aren't dumb to keep these limited.

IIRC, 6,000 units were made to be sold in batches at given intervals. The cans use memory foam pads which are quite expensive. Given their sound, I suspect the drivers are from the K712, perhaps not as carefully selected. As such, the $200 price is extremely reasonable.

As for the K7XX being AKG's best selling can, they likely sell more headphones in a day than the entire drop. This forum is hardly representative of an aggregate consumption model.

 

[cel4145]

i'm pretty much a noob so I guess they will be great?

They are an excellent headphone. Of course, headphone tastes is very individual specific. But these could definitely be good for a first good headphone unless you are a basshead looking for loads of bass.

 

[IMPERIUS]

They are an excellent headphone. Of course, headphone tastes is very individual specific. But these could definitely be good for a first good headphone unless you are a basshead looking for loads of bass.

Eh i have my speakers for that
But yes, I like tight bass, not loose but still punchy and much present

 

[Cicero]

I managed to get my hands today here in New Zealand on a almost brand new pair of the K7XX's. They have have only been played for about 24 hours by the original owner. He has a pair of HD650's which he marginally prefers.
 
Before I give some initial thoughts and impressions bear in mind I am a music lover and don't consider myself an 'audiophile' though over the years on and off I've owned some fancy gear to get my fix by listening classical music. I as yet don't have a head amp but intend to get one in the very near future. Currently using the phones with a Xonar D2X. The sound level is more than acceptable.
 
The recordings listened to and some quick thoughts:
(All were flac played using Foobar 1.3.8)
 
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 - Concertgebouw Orch - Haitink
This has a very large orchestra with lots of percussion, low brass with a wide dynamic range. The sound struck me as excellent with a good ambience and a nice airy acoustic with good placement of instruments. Did sound slightly digitally processed but still most enjoyable. Not sure if this is due to the phones not being amplified, or due to the recording itself.
 
Berg: Three Orchestral Pieces - Wiener Philharmoniker - Abbado
This sounded quite superb with beautifully clear music textures (critical for complex music such as this). Again the sound stage and placement of instruments was very pleasing.
 
Widor: Organ Symphony No. 7 - Ben van Oosten
The organ can find out cans that cannot handle the bass notes but the K7XX's surprised me by coping very well. The airy sound helped prevent the listener being overpowered in the extremely reverberant acoustic. Also still plenty of detail to be heard.
 
Paganini: Music for Guitar and Violin - Shaham and Sollscher
This recording seems like it was very closely miked and there was a hint of sibilance (also evident on a vocal recording I listened to).
 
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 - Gewandhaus-Quartett
This recording is exemplary and K7XX's gave a beautiful sound from all four instruments.
 
 
Pros
Nice bass and mid-range
Very good ambient/acoustic sound, nice and airy.
Good for wearers of glasses like myself (very comfortable)
No problem with the sound level from the Xonar D2X with no head amp.
 
Cons
Hint of sibilance on the treble (didn't try and EQ it yet).
Sometimes a slightly digitally processed quality to the sound (a good amp will help with this?)
Tend to be unsurprisingly critical of lower quality source material.

 

[IMPERIUS]

Snip

What do you classify as lower quality source material?

 

[Cicero]

Not well recorded.

 

[CallMeDaddy]

I hate to be brief but when using these to listen to podcasts with my phone or laptop at low volumes the left side seems to be significantly louder than the right side.

I can't tell if this is the case when it's louder and don't have a way to measure to confirm.

I do not have a dedicated headphone amp but i do have a mixing board and avr at home. I can test it out when i get back in town to see if amplification helps for low volume listening.

 

[warubozu]

I would agree with poorly recorded or mastered tracks the K7XX reveals those flaws. They do have a good sense of air along with good separation and placement of instruments and vocals. They do have an adequate amount of bass for my listening taste as I'm not a basshead and don't like a loose and bloated bass, so others who like a lot of bass may find the K7XX underwhelming. Bass out of these K77XX is nice and tight with a decent amount of punch which I like. On certain recordings they can sound a little simbilant but not so much to cause me any listening fatigue. Great pair of cans for $200.

 

[warubozu]

IIRC, 6,000 units were made to be sold in batches at given intervals. The cans use memory foam pads which are quite expensive. Given their sound, I suspect the drivers are from the K712, perhaps not as carefully selected. As such, the $200 price is extremely reasonable.

As for the K7XX being AKG's best selling can, they likely sell more headphones in a day than the entire drop. This forum is hardly representative of an aggregate consumption model.

Yeah, their latest drop is like what... their 3rd or 4th one. The first edition drop they released 4,000 units, then it was 1,250 units for one of their second edition drops, and now 250 units.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Makes me wonder how long they'll keep going with these drops before the K7XX is no more...it would be a shame considering the value it brings to the table.
 
In the meantime, if anyone doesn't want to wait for the next drop, shoot me an offer.

 

[DaemonSire]

My guess is they are clearing out stock.  250 units sounds like the extras they had for replacements, cancelled orders, etc.

 

[IMPERIUS]

I really hope they will do a lot more drops

 

[Shaffer]

My guess is they are clearing out stock.  250 units sounds like the extras they had for replacements, cancelled orders, etc.

That makes sense.