[Bureiba]

Hello Head-fi!
 
After reading through so many threads here, I finally decided to register and post one myself. So I'm looking to upgrade my ES7s and I've picked out a few possible choices. Feel free to make other suggestions as well. I listen to J-Pop / K-Pop and a bit of electronic, 95% of which is female vocals.
 
AKG K701 + Heed Canamp
Pros

1. Love the look

Cons

1. I hear the K701 is more fit for classical / jazz; not sure if it will go well with my pop music
2. Seems like a risky choice

 
ATH AD1000PRM
Pros

1. Really satisfied with my ATH ES7s (unamped; flac; cowon j3), so this is a safer choice over the K701s
2. Doesn't require amp? (verify?)

Cons

1. ?

 
Denon AH-D2000
Pros

1. ?

Cons

1. Hear it has a loose fit, my head is more on the small end
2. Closed

 
I'm leaning more towards the K701 because their look is so appealing to me, but I'm afraid they won't be a good match with my music - while the AD1000PRMs will.
 
Thanks!

 

[eyal1983]

the AD1000PRM is only 40ohms (Impedance), right
but it still requires a good amp. to sound it's best
 
as a rule, every "ultra high level audiophile headphone" will need a good amp. to sound it's best 
 
simpler amps just wouldn't compliment her (it) .
 
 
-Eyal

 

[kn19h7]

ad1000prm can sounds good straight-out if the source is decent, j3 seems to be quite nice but I don't have it so maybe need some luck here..
and if you're for female vocal, d2000 is not very likely to be a good choice
..as for k701, its very amp-dependent but I'm not sure about the amp so no comment == (another problem about k701 is comfy, but its very bipolar here
 
as another note, ad1000prm has certain kind of coloration that makes it very very ideal for female vocal to those who like it

 

[Bureiba]

Thanks for replies!
 
So what amp would you recommend for the AD1000PRM? And how does the K701 fare with providing female vocals / pop music?

 

[kn19h7]

For ad1000prm I think almost any ss amp will do, including those budget amps from ATH like ha20.. Others like ha5000 or p1u are said to have great synergy with it but those are very expensive and hard to get
 
k701.. I think it depends, imo its perhaps 'overly large soundstage' and slower response (compared to ad1000prm) may make it not as ideal in this case, though maybe some will like it for its advantages like better overall resolution etc if well-amped.

 

[Bureiba]

Any other ss amp recommendations that aren't too expensive? I don't think I can get ATH amps here (US)
 
Also - are there any other cans I should look into that are fit for female vocals / pop? (excluding Sennheisers - dislike their look)
 
Thanks for the help so far - I'm a newbie

 

[Bureiba]

Oh, another question:
 
If I decide to go with the AKG K701 + heed canamp, but then end up not liking it and selling/returning my AKGs - would the canamp work nicely with most other headphones? In my research, I understand that the K701 is really picky with amps- is this a common case with other headphones as well?

 

[kn19h7]

Not so many headphones are picky as k701, like the ad1000prm I think you can just find one that fits your budget, actually I'd suppose even the j3 is sufficient for it. ..oh you're in us, then give the Schiit Asgard a try, its a very nice ss and they have 15days return policy.
As for the Canamp, I haven't heard it so no comment orz.. I think you're already aware of that though, some said it matches well with k701, but this doesn't mean that it won't fit well with other headphones..
 
ATH is known for its 'ideality' for female vocals, maybe you can look into some old woodies or the w5000, or some others like ad2000 and a2000x..

 

[Bureiba]

Yea I've decided to go with the AD1000PRM / AD2000, whichever I can find a good deal on. Only place selling either here is Amazon (AD2000 for ~$700) and Audio Cubes ($450/$730)... guess I'll have to wait. I've seen deals where people got the AD2000 for only ~$300.