[dex85]

hi all, i'm been thinking of step up from my HD555 for a while. the time has come now but i cant decide which headphones would best suit my soundcard. i have $300 max to spend, so K701 and HD650 crossed my mind. the problem is i cant try neither of them home in my banana country, nor would they be burned-in.

from reviews and peoples impressions from here, i came to conlusion that i would probably like the AKG better for its detailed, forward and somewhat neutral sound. hd650 dark signature most likely wouldnt be for me. punchy bass is among last on my wishlist.

so the question is, how smooth and warm soundcard/amp will pair up with K701? would there be any problem driving the cans? i heard K701 can be picky about amps. or should i look for different cans? l i'll appreciate all the help

i listen to lots of classical and jazz, a little of rock/metal(pink floyd,rolling stones, flaw), pop(u2,jason isbell, eric clapton, joe cocker) and occasionally some electronica(faithless).

 

[blackcoffee]

Well.. to be a bit non-kosher, if your source is a soundcard, you could always ad a little software EQ to any phone you end up with to make it sound like you want.

I'm by no means the most experienced here, but in general I'm very happy with my K-701:s. As they burn in, they seem to be more and more balanced. On some records though they seem very bass thin and treble-high, e.g. the song Tennesee by Arrested development - the bass drum dissapeared (which is important in this kind of music) and the hi-hat overpowerd the vocals. Other tunes in the same genre seems less affected though. And for classical and small jazz trios they are unbeleivable good.

(mine are driven by an amp called Harmonic Design EAR-90).

 

[dex85]

^^good for classical and jazz you say, good to know. about being bass thin, in worst case i would sell them and move to other cans, but like i said i've never been fond of bass. overpresence of bass irritates me much more than its absence.

any users with Asus Xonar Essence STX and K701? i would really like to know how they sound with 'Essence' amp.

 

[Earwicker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex85 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^^good for classical and jazz you say, good to know. about being bass thin, in worst case i would sell them and move to other cans, but like i said i've never been fond of bass. overpresence of bass irritates me much more than its absence. any users with Asus Xonar Essence STX and K701? i would really like to know how they sound with 'Essence' amp.

I use an Essence with 701s and it's certainly a great combination. It took me a while to settle on the Normal gain setting (while the cans were running in) but which ever way you look at it it produces an extrememly neutral, clean and detailed sound that belies the price. At the moment my AMD-based system is running off a crappy Win Power 400W PSU, and I'm looking forward to hearing the difference when I replace it with an Antec TruePower!

So yes, in short, provided you don't like a bass-heavy presentation, it's a real winner. To be honest, I get the feeling the 701s' bass response is simply accurate, they just don't fatten it up in the way some cans do. It's extremely fast, very deep, and perfectly controlled, which is what I look for myself.

EW

 

[CodeToad]

As fortune would have it I had the opportunity to have both the 701 and 650 at the same time to listen to. I sold the 701's.

IMO there is a pervasive myth that 701's sound good and are audiophile quality headphones.

The difference between 701's and 650 are like AM to FM. 701's are distant, tinny and sibilant. Now, trying to use them from a sound card, even if it has an amp....while it may work it would never come close to a 650 in making enjoyable music.

I wish someone had pointed this out to me and had saved me the time and expense of having to figure it out the hard way.

 

[Telix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeToad /img/forum/go_quote.gif As fortune would have it I had the opportunity to have both the 701 and 650 at the same time to listen to. I sold the 701's. IMO there is a pervasive myth that 701's sound good and are audiophile quality headphones. The difference between 701's and 650 are like AM to FM. 701's are distant, tinny and sibilant. Now, trying to use them from a sound card, even if it has an amp....while it may work it would never come close to a 650 in making enjoyable music. I wish someone had pointed this out to me and had saved me the time and expense of having to figure it out the hard way.

And IMO after demoing them all on the same day, the AH-D2000's blow them both away - if this thread is just going to be opinion spouting.

 

[Currawong]

CodeToad: What amp are you using your K701s with? What's your source?

 

[dex85]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwicker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bass... it's extremely fast, very deep, and perfectly controlled, which is what I look for myself.

that makes two of us

and if its a little thinner than it should be i won't mind. good comment on psu. i have a Corsair HX520W, which is produced by Seasonic=stable voltages, low ripple and very quiet operation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeToat The difference between 701's and 650 are like AM to FM. 701's are distant, tinny and sibilant. Now, trying to use them from a sound card, even if it has an amp....while it may work it would never come close to a 650 in making enjoyable music. I wish someone had pointed this out to me and had saved me the time and expense of having to figure it out the hard way.

thanks for the warning but I'll give them a shot and do it the hard way. i can always sell them and get HD650 or some Beyers. i think all neutral speakers sound metallic at first because of people used to coloration. i'm suprised you consider them distant. i thought they were type of headphones that keep your attention, no good for background music. i guess i'll have to judge them myself and see.

 

[CodeToad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telix /img/forum/go_quote.gif if this thread is just going to be opinion spouting.

Heh, heh, heh. If I remember correctly pretty much all human interaction involves "opinion spouting"...how can I say anything I don't think? If I didn't have an opinion or an original thought then I wouldn't have much to add to a discussion. I think some people have been cultivated for a world full of "peer mediators" and party officials telling them what to think and how to behave. I'm not one of them.

I do agree however....anything sounds better than 701's.

As the OP says he wants to find out the hard way. I don't have a problem with that but I feel good about having offered my thoughts on the situation and I believe that's what he asked for in the first place.

 

[Earwicker]

Just worth clarifying that I'm a classical listener and I'm not interested in fat bass - if you are then the 701s are not for you. There is none of the top end rip either that some audiophiles appreciate, nor any emphasising of leading-edge dynamics to give that flat-earth beaty sound a la Naim. The 701s are designed to produce a neutral presentation with very high resolution. At which they succeed, especially when partnered with the Essence!

Headbangers can have far more fun for a lot less money.

EW

 

[Telix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwicker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just worth clarifying that I'm a classical listener and I'm not interested in fat bass - if you are then the 701s are not for you. There is none of the top end rip either that some audiophiles appreciate, nor any emphasising of leading-edge dynamics to give that flat-earth beaty sound a la Naim. The 701s are designed to produce a neutral presentation with very high resolution. At which they succeed, especially when partnered with the Essence! Headbangers can have far more fun for a lot less money. EW

I agree, I would only want a pair of 701's for classical/instrumental. They completely fell apart with harder rock/metal - totally harsh.

 

[Earwicker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telix /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree, I would only want a pair of 701's for classical/instrumental. They completely fell apart with harder rock/metal - totally harsh.

I've never heard them sound harsh - at least not after (irritatingly extensive!) running in. But I can see why you might prefer a fatter sound with rock/pop/metal.