I am glad that there are others out there who explore a path as well. this hobby just aint no fun if you take it too seriously.
so as far as 701s go, I have had some on order for 4 months now... when they finally started shipping them, I just told them to delay my order till april. I did not feel like spending the cash at that very moment but i wanted to assure the low price.
I listened really detailed to my current headphone setup last night. It consists of an echo mona digital audio interface serving essentially as a DAC from my laptop. I play wav files. the amp is an enhanced SEX amp from bottlehead. I took out the c4s the other day and actually like the sound way better. headphones are pantyhose modded hd650s with the stock cable... I have a stefan audio art, but found it too bright on top for my system. interconnects are home brew cryogenically treated transformer wire. single twisted pair sitting on stock radioshack rca plugs. I alternate between that and cat5e depending on how much glare i want to hear. overall, the tranny wire is better though.
anyways, While i really got into listening, i started to notice details in the music i had never heard before. i have beeen doing alot of listening with speaker, and no matter how good speakers are, they just can't do what headphones do. I am currently really happy with the system. naturally there are a few tradeoffs here and there. I feel like the 650s are about as good as i will ever get them to sound and that i am sortof at an impasse.
I compared them to the HF-1 i have on loan from a friend and i noticed that while the 650s have a more enveloping sound, they have less bass, and sound somewhat dry by comparison. the HF1s are real meaty and pleasantly hardcore sounding to me. in fact, I felt like the tube magic that was being wrought in the system was generally being constricted at that last nth degree by the 650s. over the years I have come to underrstand the 650 as a solid state headphone. they are meant to cover up flaws (glare) inherent in many solid state components. they are overall too distant for my tastes annd my system. I consider forward headphones to be the luxury of a bright but chilled out system. my amp and source are very very forward, but I am still feeling like there is a whole lotta resolution being glossed over by the 650s. so i am leaning towards actually getting the 701s. rather it had the effect of a lack of realism. I feel like I am at a crossroads as well as far as tuning the tone of my amp and that it might be a good idea to get a headphone which will be closer to the end presentation I am looking for. it is tough though. money money money.
I guess there is no hurt in trying them out and returning them if i don;t really like them though i guess. hmmm..
Clark
