[tfarney]

In the K-601 thread, someone said the K-701 has an absolutely insane sound stage. I don't doubt it, but on the other hand, I don't think cans are capable of laying the instruments out in front of the listener, as if they were on a stage, like speakers can. If they are, I haven't heard the combo that can do that. What I have heard, when taking my HD 580s to better amplification, is expansion of the apparent distance between instruments and distance of some instruments from my head. But there has been no really great amplification involved, so I could be missing a lot.

What do you mean by "soundstage" in cans? Please try to help me learn what to listen for.

Tim

 

[MaZa]

Of course headphones arent able to make soundstage like speakers. But soundstage differs a lot amongst headphones, they can portray soundstage around your head. Imagine a miniature orchestra in 10cm from of your nose...

Close your eyes, and listen how your headphone pictures a space between instruments, how they are positioned, where they are and how they are layered. Or does headphone cramp them all up, in the other side of extreme? K701 makes a humongous sounding (in headphone standards) and very airy soundstage. Not very realistic as its mostly done by the distance of drivers from your ears, but it sounds cool. When you hear it, I think you can hear the difference.

 

[Jaska]

I am positive I'm going to be verbally assaulted for this (I hate when that happens!), but honestly my own perception of sound stage has quite a bit to do with the hollowness of midrange reproduction. I prefer headphones/earphones offering an up-front, forward midrange presentation and clean and detailed instrument separation to those offering a wider or deeper ("bigger") sound stage. I have not yet found anything that manages to offer both while managing to do it all with any finesse.

 

[tfarney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Of course headphones arent able to make soundstage like speakers. But soundstage differs a lot amongst headphones. Close your eyes, and listen how your headphone pictures a space between instruments, how they are positioned, where they are and how they are layered. Or does headphone cramp them all up, in the other side of extreme? K701 makes a humongous sounding and very airy soundstage. Not very realistic as its mostly done by the distance of drivers from your ears, but it sounds cool. When you hear it, I think you can hear the difference.

Thanks MaZa. Interesting answer, as the 601s appear to be a very similar physical design, but the 701s somehow get the drivers further from the ears? Oh how I wish there were someplace I could go listen to all the amps and cans you folks talk about...

Tim

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting answer, as the 601s appear to be a very similar physical design, but the 701s somehow get the drivers further from the ears?

The sad thing is that I'm pretty sure most people who have bought the K701 have not heard the K601 or even the K501, for that matter. Either of those "lesser" headphones is, in my opinion, better than the K701 in most respects.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks MaZa. Interesting answer, as the 601s appear to be a very similar physical design, but the 701s somehow get the drivers further from the ears? Oh how I wish there were someplace I could go listen to all the amps and cans you folks talk about... Tim

I think the driver distance is about same, but perhaps there is something else in the K701 that helps building bigger soundstage. Perhaps something in front of the drivers so the sound gets acoustically reflected, making it sound less direct and therefore bigger? K601 already has a rather good soundstage, and K701 adds a boost of airyness to it.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif The sad thing is that I'm pretty sure most people who have bought the K701 have not heard the K601 or even the K501, for that matter. Either of those "lesser" headphones, is, in my opinion, better than the K701 in most respects.

x2. I like K601 more than K701.

 

[tfarney]

Off my own topic, but then, would it be fair to say that the the difference between the 601 and 701 is "air" (which I agree is not always a good thing) and treble extension?

Down the road...way down the road...I may be looking for something to ad variety to an audio life currently rooted in the HD580. A sense of space is great, but not if it means pushing the vital midrange away. Added clarity and detail in the highs would be fine. But not if it results in "hot" trebles.

Mabye I should just stick with the 580s...

Tim

 

[MaZa]

In soundsignature, yes. K601 is warmer and thicker where K701 is more airier and more treble. K701 also has more bass extension, (though it isnt that noticeable on open headphones) but K601 still sounds a little bit bassier thanks to its warmer and thicker sound.

 

[tfarney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif In soundsignature, yes. K601 is warmer and thicker where K701 is more airier and more treble. K701 also has more bass extension, (though it isnt that noticeable on open headphones) but K601 still sounds a little bit bassier thanks to its warmer and thicker sound.

Any idea how the 601s would compare to the HD580/600?

Tim

 

[MaZa]

I cant say anything final since it has been several months when I heard HD580 last time. Take it with a grain of salt, but I think while both are warm headphones, HD580 is more clinical while K601 is more richer sounding. A trademark AKG midrange I guess?

 

[Jaska]

I think the K601 has the best bass of the AKG models in question, but is quite similar to the K501 in mids and highs. I find the mids of both of these headphones to be more to my liking than those of the K701, at the "expense" (if it can rightfully be called that) of some degree of sound stage.

I owned the HD580 for a long time, and enjoyed it very much, especially when properly amped. Still, I would be overall happier with either the K501 or K601 for routine listening. The HD580 has what I consider to be a pretty big sound stage, but I find the mids to be slightly too laid back for my taste. I recently faced a rather difficult decision about which of my open headphones to keep and which one to sell, as I can only really justify one such pair of headphones, and I parted with the HD580 and kept my Grado SR225.

I don't find the AKG treble to be too "peaky" with most of the models I've owned or demoed, with the possible exception of the K301, which was really a great headphone in many other respects. The HD580 treble is really something to behold once you move up to a great source, and if you don't object to the laid back mids and overall warm sound, then this alone could be reason enough to stick with them.

EDIT: Wow, a lot of posting went on in the minutes it took me to write that reply.

 

[tfarney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the K601 has the best bass of the AKG models in question, but is quite similar to the K501 in mids and highs. I find the mids of both of these headphones to be more to my liking than those of the K701, at the "expense" (if it can rightfully be called that) of some degree of sound stage. I owned the HD580 for a long time, and enjoyed it very much, especially when properly amped. Still, I would be overall happier with either the K501 or K601 for routine listening. The HD580 has what I consider to be a pretty big sound stage, but I find the mids to be slightly too laid back for my taste. I recently faced a rather difficult decision about which of my open headphones to keep and which one to sell, as I can only really justify one such pair of headphones, and I parted with the HD580 and kept my Grado SR225. I don't find the AKG treble to be too "peaky" with most of the models I've owned or demoed, with the possible exception of the K301, which was really a great headphone in many other respects. The HD580 treble is really something to behold once you move up to a great source, and if you don't object to the laid back mids and overall warm sound, then this alone could be reason enough to stick with them. EDIT: Wow, a lot of posting went on in the minutes it took me to write that reply.

I won't be giving up the 580s. They've been with me a long, long time, and we're married at this point. I'm thinking of augmenting them, not replacing them. So I guess I'm looking for something different -- a bit brighter and more detailed, perhaps, but I really dislike a pushy, exaggerated high end, so some of the descriptions I've read of Beyers and even the K701s scare me a bit. As I've said here elsewhere, after weeks of reading here and listening very carefully to my Senns and my Etys through all of my sources, I think I'm coming to a strategy (all I can afford at this point anyway) of building a high quality and hopefully transparent system, they trying some different cans. Not that I'm dissatisfied with the 580s; variety is the spice of life.

I know what you mean about the 580 mids, though I've never been sure if that was the evasive "veil," or even the material. The mids seem to be recessed on some recordings. On others, the horns, voices and guitars are exquisitely present. At this point, I'm pretty sure it's not amplification. Not that I can't do better, but that Panasonic digital receiver you've heard me talk about delivers plenty of drive, I have no doubt about that.

Tim

 

[MaZa]

You are married with your HD580 yet you are looking for... variety...

 

[Jaska]

^^ MaZa's in exceptionally good form today ^^