The Ups and Downs of my K701 - A Precautionary Thread of Valiente

[valiente]

K701- a very controversial headphone. I have so many ups and downs with this can. I will update you guys every now and then about this headphone.



Fast Forward: After 1 year experience of K701 with PA2V2 via CD Player

Now: After 2 months experience with K701, Fiio E9 desktop amp, and CD Player
I am now hearing K701 soundstage. The vocals are not tiring to ears anymore. I think I have a new cans. 9 o'clock at E9 dial is just right to my ears, though dialing more makes the bass clearer. The bass is great.

I have decided around 3 different times to sell this but changed my mind. Yesterday I wanna sell this, but now not again. I love the new sound. Currently listening to Barry Manilow's revival CD's, Simply better sound that the past days and months. In fact I was complaining a few months back at the Headfi about the treble bright of this headphone that could damage my hearing, now no more brightness. Smooth vocals are coming out now...plus the soundstage.

This is my latest ups and downs with my K701.

I brought this out so to give a precaution for future K701 users out here at headphiles. I will warn you that K701 is not an easy headphone especially brand new ones and if not given at least a desktop amp. You will regret your purchase.

Update: I still have Grado SR60 and keep it inside its box. I will never go back to it. K701 kicks it already even for my rock music.

February 25, 2011
I don't know what happen with K701. It sounds now like that I'm inside a hall. There is an echo. In Barry Manilow's Hard To Say I'm Sorry he seems singing inside a hall. He has echo such Every needs a holiday....holiday....holiday.....It's hard for me to say I'm sorry....sorry...sorry... Cool. I think this is soundstage. The sounds seems to bounces back and forth. One more good thing is before the lyric "After all that we've been through..... There are massive instruments that seems coming out from the ground and exploded on the ears with smoothness. This was around 2:30 on the track. There was excitement. I never heard this before from K701. I think is still soundstage.

Even Michael Buble's "Fever", am I inside the hall?

February 26, 2011
I must enjoy my music rather than my equipment as of this times... I must enjoy my music rather than my equipment as of this times... I must enjoy my music rather than my equipment as of this times... 

"K701-you will love or hate this headphone"

Belated Happy Heart's Day guys!

[Sforza]

I don't think PA2V2 could drive the K701 properly, from the way you're describing the experience

I still have a K701 that I keep around for office use (used with a Little Dot I+). I think it's a very transparent headphone but it tends to naturally EQ music towards neutral, so it's best used with powerful, warm sounding amps that have lots of current.

[jepoy22]

Good thing to read more info about this. I mean, my main reason for getting this is due to me being an amine fan, seeing it from k-on..so when I think about it, for sure I'll stick to it.. However to give proper justice to it, i don't really know...I'm getting a mini3 sometime in the future, but reading that the mini3 can't properly drive it, makes me sad..but I really have to stick with it, budgeting issues... *sigh*

[Dyaems]

You won't enjoy a k701 if you will be unable to drive it at a decent volume. It sounds too boring to me. It will also become just a display in your room...

[jepoy22]

i currently have an encore enma. basing from the review of mochan, it does have a bit of synergy with the k701..at least i can rely on it for now..and oh, i'm not really into listening on high volume levels. good thing my room is pretty silent (w/ the aircon turned off)

[aL69]

Good thing to read more info about this. I mean, my main reason for getting this is due to me being an amine fan, seeing it from k-on..so when I think about it, for sure I'll stick to it.. However to give proper justice to it, i don't really know...I'm getting a mini3 sometime in the future, but reading that the mini3 can't properly drive it, makes me sad..but I really have to stick with it, budgeting issues... *sigh*

^^

i was gonna get one as well, but i really don't want to invest on a big desktop amp that will be used only with the K701, so I bought something else.

BTW, people from head fi said that an E7+E9 combo works great with the K701.

[jepoy22]

then maybe i can get that dac/amp pair after quite some time....but not now
at least good synergy at decent price

[JoLo]

Good thing to read more info about this. I mean, my main reason for getting this is due to me being an amine fan, seeing it from k-on..so when I think about it, for sure I'll stick to it.. However to give proper justice to it, i don't really know...I'm getting a mini3 sometime in the future, but reading that the mini3 can't properly drive it, makes me sad..but I really have to stick with it, budgeting issues... *sigh*

my high performance mini3 can power the DT990 250 ohms just fine. I dont see how it cant power the K701

[jai_zero]

my high performance mini3 can power the DT990 250 ohms just fine. I dont see how it cant power the K701

I don't think it's an issue of power, but one of synergy actually.

[Mochan]

The ENMA does indeed work with the K701, it can drive it acceptable, surprisingly, but it works better if you plug the ENMA into a desktop amp before the K701. The best sound my K701 had was with the ENMA into the MP5. It had a really large soundstage in this configuration, though at times I felt it still needed to sound cleaner.  I still don't have the ultimate rig for my Mios.

[Mochan]

my high performance mini3 can power the DT990 250 ohms just fine. I dont see how it cant power the K701

You'd be surprised. The Mios are a more demanding mistresst than many 300 and even 600 ohm cans.

[Mochan]

^^

i was gonna get one as well, but i really don't want to invest on a big desktop amp that will be used only with the K701, so I bought something else.

BTW, people from head fi said that an E7+E9 combo works great with the K701.

The Mios are definitely not a "get up and go" sort of can. They are something you use only at home. But with the E7/E9 combo I think you can get a budget rig that satisfies Mio's needs.

[marcusd]

You'd be surprised. The Mios are a more demanding mistresst than many 300 and even 600 ohm cans.

remember the Hifiman HE6 is rated at 50ohms its more to do with the efficiency of the drivers and their matching and the k series needs a good matching powerful amp to get the best out of them IMHO.

[Collie]

my high performance mini3 can power the DT990 250 ohms just fine. I dont see how it cant power the K701

The DT990 needs voltage, the K701 needs current. You can get the K701 LOUD, but the drivers probably won't be moving to their full potential. I found that the K701's bass can only emerge with something pretty powerful. That's a fault of the 'phones themselves I guess, since the LCD2, a harder can to drive, has bass when used with the mini^3.

That said, the mini^3 actually does decently with the K701. As does the Toucan, so you can do very well with a portable amp. In the long run, you'd probably want to get an E7/E9 though. 

[shoktongxxx]

try the Toucan its the best portable amp for K701.

The ENMA does indeed work with the K701, it can drive it acceptable, surprisingly, but it works better if you plug the ENMA into a desktop amp before the K701. The best sound my K701 had was with the ENMA into the MP5. It had a really large soundstage in this configuration, though at times I felt it still needed to sound cleaner.  I still don't have the ultimate rig for my Mios.

I agree on this,  ENMA + HeadAmp 4 combo sounds amazing with K701.