[Edoardo]

Thinking that the question had already been posted, I've searched for it, but without finding anything satisfying...

In fact all the threads I found were about "proper amplification", "easier to drive", "harder to drive", "AKGs sound like s***t straight out of my cheap soundcard phone-out", "best w/out amp", etcetera, etcetera.

Let's don't care about the amplification.
Let's suppose we already have the perfect amp for both of them.

My question is... the other way round:

May anyone who owns, or either has owned, or either has heard both these headphones, both amplified properly, write a few lines for me and the forum?

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[WalkGood]

I have only listened to the AKG k701's a few times and the sound quality isn't for me, I recently wrote the quote below about my hd650's for this thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalkGood /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Senn HD 650’s are as warm and smooth as an excellent cup of espresso on a cool winter’s night. Sip down the thick golden-brown sexy crema and enjoy a laid back evening of exotic enjoyment.

 

[baka1969]

Double post sorry

 

[sizwej]

Not trying to be a troll , but I would think a 650/701 appreciation thread would give you all the answers you're looking for.

 

[baka1969]

In that same thread I wrote:

"K-701: The sexy nerd. She can tell you
the Theory of Everything and make it fun
to boot.


HD 650: The Cheerleader. Sounds good,
think she's cool, but kind of slow.
.."

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sizwej /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not trying to be a troll , but I would think a 650/701 appreciation thread would give you all the answers you're looking for.

Thank you very much, I've already looked at those threads, yet I feel the necessity of a confrontation ceteris paribus anyway...

 

[AmanGeorge]

Heh, I still think you'll get everything you need from those threads, but anyway, ceteris parisbus, to my ears the K701 has a better soundstage, more treble sparkle and clarity, a more forward midrange, better speed and punch. The HD650, by contrast, is extremely warm, with a large midbass hump and a noticeable roll-off in the treble, that to my mind makes them sound thick and slow with a veiled midrange. They are more forgiving than the K701, but not nearly as exciting, although they can sound very pleasant with the right music.

My detailed impressions on both (from a while ago) here

 

[MacedonianHero]

I agree with Baka1969's comments. I currently own both and IF amping is not an issue (much harder on the K701s), I prefer the K701s. The HD650s are smooth and laid back with great detail, but I hear more micro details from the K701s and I'm still amazed at the sound stage these things can portray.

The problem with the K701s is that they can sound very thin and bass light without the proper amping and shrill if not properly burned in. But in the optimal conditions are very enjoyable and impressive!

 

[Happy Camper]

I have heard the Senns/AKG on a Cayin, Benchmark, Headroom, Bijou, Beta 22, Dynamite, SP Platinum, ECZD and many portables at meets. I've lived with them on the SP Platinum for some time.

The HD Senns are the more musical of the two. They didn't sound that well with the Cayin and average on the Benchmark and Headroom. But the Bijou, Beta 22, Dynamite, SP and ECZD make them sound very good.

The K70x seems more detailed with a wider presentation but less impact. If you have high frequency hearing loss, the K70x sounds clearer. If you don't, the K70x will be too bright.

I like both with good amps. Lesser amps will stall under the demands you put on it when the hps start to sound good.

If I were starting over and had to choose one, I'd do the HD 650s recabled. I have chose the K701s stock as I think them a better value.

 

[colinharding]

I have both headphones that I run out of my DV 337 with Tung sol 5998's up front. The AKG's I listen to more with articulate music as that genre really plays into the 701's hands. They are very much the straight forward you get what's there headphone. If the recording sounds terrible, so do the headphones, if your gear is not quality, neither are the headphones. They are very finiky that way. On the other hand the 650's are much much darker and muddier. However, this is only really apparent after taking the 701's off your head and replacing them with the 650's. Your sound memory is very short so without the direct comparison its hard to say much either way. The 650's have more of everything, bass, midrange, you name it. But that is not always a good thing. They sound very equalized, as if someone took the recording and placed their own equalizer over it. It's like this, if you want to hear the sound, any sound be it water or an album, just as it is in real life buy the 701's. If you want to hear those same sounds, but through the ears of the Sennheiser corporation, buy the 650's. They are more of an approximation of what the company feels like sounds good, not what sound plainly sounds like. Hope this helps,

colin

 

[pyramid6]

I have both and a good amp. I have had both and a good amp for about a year. All are broken in, and are within arms reach.

There is not much I can say about them that hasn't been said.

Maybe I'll give both a good listen and see if I can add anything new.

 

[yklee118]

Here is my take on the Sennheiser HD650 and AKG K701 since I still own and listen to these two HPs.

Sennheiser HD650: I am using the Cardas Audio cable upgrade - Warm, expansive, detailed while maintaining overall tonal balance with very little noticeable peaks between frequency ranges. Very smooth and great for long listening sessions. My preferred choice when grading students and working at my desk.

AKG K701 with stock cable: After a 1000-hour burn-in and a slight modification with the foam ring dampers within the earcups (replacing with closed cell foam rather the stock open cell type), the soundstage is very open, warmer than with stock foam pieces, and virtually no brightness in mid to upper frequency registers. However my modification (also posted in this forum) did cut some of the airy qualities that the AKGs are characterized for. I use this headphone in a quiet area where I don't feel like powering my main audiophile system at home.

Both headphones are the cream of the crop in my opinion. Both are through the C&C Box+, sources are from my main audio system which consists of the Shanling CD-Transport, a Little Dot DAC, and then into the headphone amp of my choice (C&C Box+).

Hope this helps in this posting. Great idea for creating this thread.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Great New Year 2010.

 

[pp312]

It's true that the 650 does sound muddy in comparison to most other phones (including the 595), and one might assume that makes them coloured and unrealistic.

And yet...I attended a concert recently at the Sydney Opera House (I was sitting a fair way back, but not distantly), and was interested upon getting home to check my aural memory against the 650s, specifically for tonal balance. Well, I was surprised at how accurately the 650s recreated the experience. No, they didn't have the tonal timbre of the real thing, no reasonably priced headphone does, but in terms of overall presentation and especially tonal balance, they did a remarkable job.

The fact is, live music heard from a distance isn't that bright. Distance damps the high frequencies. In that sense the 650 sounds like an orchestra heard from 50 yards away, whereas the 701 is right in the orchestra pit. Now I'm not talking about soundstage, only tonal balance. Most people hear live instruments up close--pub gig or jazz club or whatever--and they seek to reproduce that experience. The 650 is definitely more about the typical middle seating in a concert hall, and in that sense IS accurate.

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmanGeorge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Heh, I still think you'll get everything you need from those threads, but anyway, ceteris parisbus, to my ears the K701 has a better soundstage, more treble sparkle and clarity, a more forward midrange, better speed and punch. The HD650, by contrast, is extremely warm, with a large midbass hump and a noticeable roll-off in the treble, that to my mind makes them sound thick and slow with a veiled midrange. They are more forgiving than the K701, but not nearly as exciting, although they can sound very pleasant with the right music. My detailed impressions on both (from a while ago) here

Thank you very much for that thread: just didn't find it!!!

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pyramid6 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have both and a good amp. I have had both and a good amp for about a year. All are broken in, and are within arms reach. There is not much I can say about them that hasn't been said. Maybe I'll give both a good listen and see if I can add anything new.

That'd be great!