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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 10:47:42 GMT
Post by szoze on Mar 27, 2012 10:47:42 GMT
Hi I have been absent from this forum for quite some time. I have a question. I wonder whether AKG headphones are regarded second class here. There is no name AKG in the heading and as far as I have understood by reading the threads AKG headphones don't seem to be overly popular.
I find it a little bit strange since I have read many positive reviews about K701 and K501 and have heard them myself. I think they sound gorgeous with my X-Can 3, especially with classical music. My Senn HD650 felt kind of short when I compared them to K701 on my X-Can. Timbre, transparency, neutrality I think were the main pros with K701.
What do you think?
Cheers Szoze
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Deleted
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 11:55:02 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 11:55:02 GMT
rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=7900rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=7630rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=7140rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=6706rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=4193rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=6642rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=6012rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=5959rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=5783rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=5332That should keep you busy for a while (just a small collection, there are more threads). It's not that they are considered first class, nor second class or below that. It's found the same in RG as in every other forum really. Some like it, some don't. Some say it's the best HP around, others prefer something different. Some think it has bass, others don't. Some think it is bright, others don't. Some find it engaging, others find it boring. Some find it agressive, others find it smooth. Some think it's accurate, others think it's coloured. Some think it's too expensive, others don't. some think it has a wide soundstage, others don't hear it. If you like it over other HP's just enjoy it and you shouldn't care what someone else thinks of it or prefers.
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 12:44:53 GMT
Post by funk1969 on Mar 27, 2012 12:44:53 GMT
Find a K400, find something decent to drive it and welcome to AKG-bliss.
There is more I could add to that but Frans already added plenty...
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XTRProf
Fully Modded
Pssst ! Got any spare capacitors ?
Posts: 5,689
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 13:05:23 GMT
Post by XTRProf on Mar 27, 2012 13:05:23 GMT
Hi,
There is no such a thing as popular or not popular. It's just the matching to your liking that's more important. For popularity, follow the HP rating at Headfi.
For me, I'm more a speakerfi person than headfi. So far there is no HP, no matter what price, that I had heard that can compete with well designed and voiced speakers. However, if going into HP, I like the LCD 3 kind of sound. So it's between the sound of a LCD 2 and an AKG 701. For me, those ATs demoed to me are not to my liking as they had a clanky kind of sound.
So it stillis very up to you and what equipment you have to do a proper match for the sound you want. Even in studio recording and mastering, there is not such a thing as the perfect sound. It all depends on the recording and mastering engineers' fancies. Of course, there are a few famous engineers who give consistent good sound that had won them Grammy awards for the technical side for best recording and mastering.
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 13:56:50 GMT
Post by dalethorn on Mar 27, 2012 13:56:50 GMT
I've never been happy with the fuzzy indistinct sound of loudspeakers, nor the inability of them to produce deep bass in a smallish room. To properly produce a 32 hz tone requires a minimum room length or width of nearly 20 feet, and very strong walls without large openings that let the low freq's escape. The better headphones offer clearer sound, and can produce the sound and feel of the deepest organ pedals, for example. Someday when I get rich I'll explorer more varieties of headphones such as AKG.
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 14:18:07 GMT
Post by szoze on Mar 27, 2012 14:18:07 GMT
Thank you all. Thanks for the llinks solderdude. I will read those threads :-)
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Chris53
Been here a while!
Posts: 364
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 17:05:42 GMT
Post by Chris53 on Mar 27, 2012 17:05:42 GMT
This thread makes me realise that I should update the thread I started about buying the AKG K-601's.
They have settled in nicely and are now my preferred headphones for just about all my listening. Some of my original "shrillness" problem that I talked about is mostly the mains RFI/EMI problem I have because in the small hours, when whatever interference that causes my system to sound like razor blades has stopped, these phones are the most detailed, revealing and gorgeously smooth headphones I have ever owned.
I have hardly bothered with my Senn HD600 & 650's since these have arrived.
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elysion
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Team Anti M$ AND Facebook.
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 18:48:27 GMT
Post by elysion on Mar 27, 2012 18:48:27 GMT
Many AKG 'phones are quite controversial. Especially the K701/K702's, but also the K601's, K501/K500's, K401/K400's and the K301's.
I've liked the K702's a lot and they've been my preferred 'phones for a long time. But time is changing... Today, I use them almost only for detecting flaws in recordings or if I want 'phones with a huge soundstage and airy sound. K501's are better balanced but they feel colourless when compared to 'phones like the DT 990 Pro's.
What I really like is the build quality of the AKG 'phones. The K702's are beautiful, while being still very robust. I've dropped them more than once. No problem at all...
Best combo with the K702's is IMO still a Mike-modded X-Can V3 with Little Pinkie SE and Philips E88CC SQ (Special Quality) tubes from the 60's. I've never heard something better than that combo with the K702's. These tubes give the K702's even some bass.
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Deleted
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 19:02:48 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 19:02:48 GMT
I have to admit to being rather fickle when it comes to my-favourite-headphones. Currently I'm in HD600 mode but only after quite along spell with the K701. This is separate from flavours-to-genre, I definitely lean to a current favourite and then change again This tends to go for the amplifiers too....
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elysion
Been here a while!
Team Anti M$ AND Facebook.
contra torrentem
Posts: 2,375
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 19:16:02 GMT
Post by elysion on Mar 27, 2012 19:16:02 GMT
I have to admit to being rather fickle when it comes to my-favourite-headphones. Currently I'm in HD600 mode but only after quite along spell with the K701. This is separate from flavours-to-genre, I definitely lean to a current favourite and then change again This tends to go for the amplifiers too.... Since I have the DT 990 Pro's, it seems that I have found what I've searched for a long time. That doesn't mean that I don't like other 'phones too. The HD650's are also a model which I'm very fond of, just like the HD25-1/II's. I've liked the AKG for a long time, but at the moment, they don't satisfy me really. Perhaps only a question of the right amp/source, but I've tried a lot of combos and only the X-Can V3 with the "SQ" tubes gave me what I've wanted.
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 19:55:50 GMT
Post by szoze on Mar 27, 2012 19:55:50 GMT
I am actually thinking of buying a pair of k701s. I have always wanted a tad more transparency and brilliance from my headphones. HD650 don't provide this. I've liked my Senns for most music but I have always missed that little extra that is needed for classical. K701 seem (at least to my ears) to have better soundstage/separation, presence (acoustic instrument sound more natural), you can actually feel and hear those overtones. Single instruments sound simply much better on AKG. K701 have less bass but the sound signature is nevertheless slightly warm (not as warm as HD650). Maybe I am just tired og my HD650 and need something else/different.
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 22:16:33 GMT
Post by funk1969 on Mar 27, 2012 22:16:33 GMT
The AKG K701 is one of the few headphones I just didn't like. It needs a good amplifier to 'wake up'. It's an AKG thing and I'm not joking. I used to have the K240 DF and when those AKGs were driven by a powerful headphone amplifier something happened that made me question if I was still using the same headphone.
Whatever you decide, try to audition the K701 with a powerful headphone amplifier connected to a decent source.
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pjc68
Been here a while!
You dissin me?
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 22:51:04 GMT
Post by pjc68 on Mar 27, 2012 22:51:04 GMT
I have akg k140 (heavily modded) akg k240 df akg k240 sextetts (late production) akg k240 mk2 with kimber cable upgrade akg k501 You need a good source/capable amp for akg headphones The 600ohm sextetts and DF and 120ohm k501 are a bastard to drive and will sound lacklusture with a incapable amp I recapped and changed the headphone socket resistors (330ohm to 120ohm) on an old sansui au101 amp from the early 70,s, and that drives them all properly If you like classical then you should be thinking about stax electrostatics instead paddy
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pjc68
Been here a while!
You dissin me?
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 23:00:23 GMT
Post by pjc68 on Mar 27, 2012 23:00:23 GMT
Oh and dont forget the burn in with akg headphones If you buy a new pair then leave them plugged into a radio 24/7 for 6 weeks paddy
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Deleted
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AKG
Mar 27, 2012 23:44:41 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 23:44:41 GMT
The AKG K701 is one of the few headphones I just didn't like. It needs a good amplifier to 'wake up'. It's an AKG thing and I'm not joking. I used to have the K240 DF and when those AKGs were driven by a powerful headphone amplifier something happened that made me question if I was still using the same headphone. Whatever you decide, try to audition the K701 with a powerful headphone amplifier connected to a decent source. funk1969 The AKG K701 is best driven from a headphone amplifier with a 120 ohm output impedance.This will markedly improve overall tonal balance. Alex
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 4:56:53 GMT
Post by szoze on Mar 28, 2012 4:56:53 GMT
The K701 that I auditioned were burned in I beleive. I used X-Can V3 and it sounded pretty good. I have a Harman/Kardon HD990 CD player which is a very good source.
sandyk: What output impedance does X-Can have?
funk1969: What didn't you like about K701s? What source, amplification and music did you use?
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Deleted
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 5:08:51 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2012 5:08:51 GMT
szoze Perhaps Mike may be able to answer that one, as I do not have a schematic for the V3. Alex
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 5:57:14 GMT
Post by szoze on Mar 28, 2012 5:57:14 GMT
szoze Perhaps Mike may be able to answer that one, as I do not have a schematic for the V3. Alex Thanks Mike, can you please help me with this?
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funk1969
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Some things are so easily overlooked...
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 6:27:33 GMT
Post by funk1969 on Mar 28, 2012 6:27:33 GMT
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Deleted
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 6:43:42 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2012 6:43:42 GMT
Hi funk1969 The Neco was definitely not a good match for the K701 with an output impedance of 2-3 ohms and bass boost. Regards Alex
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 7:14:44 GMT
Post by funk1969 on Mar 28, 2012 7:14:44 GMT
Thanks, I should give it another chance then. I am already an AKG appreciative
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 7:26:05 GMT
Post by szoze on Mar 28, 2012 7:26:05 GMT
On this page the output impedance of X-Can v3 is stated at 47kOhms www.vxm.com/Equinox-XCanV3.htmlEdit: The guy has probably mixed up output and input impendances
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Deleted
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 7:32:30 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2012 7:32:30 GMT
szoze I saw that. That guy probably doesn't know his sphincter from his elbow. That would be the input impedance of the amplifier. Alex
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 7:40:14 GMT
Post by szoze on Mar 28, 2012 7:40:14 GMT
szoze I saw that. That guy probably doesn't know his sphincter from his elbow. That would be the input impedance of the amplifier. Alex Exactly ;D
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Deleted
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AKG
Mar 28, 2012 8:49:09 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2012 8:49:09 GMT
My V1's output resistors certainly were 47 Ohm which I replaced for 120 ones.
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