K701

I have owned a pair of AKG k701s for several months. They've had >400hrs play and I now feel qualified to comment on them. I use them to listen to my iPod classic 5G, with the aid of a Ray Samuels Hornet (portable, battery-powered headphone amp) and AudioOnline supercotton dock. First impressions: - Gorgeous looking headphone, solid construction, very comfortable overall (except for downward pressure from leather strap at times) - Distinctly underwhelming initially. This is partly because they are renowned to take >300hrs to burn in. I was very disappointed with the lack of bass. As time goes on, sound becomes more and more detailed, soundstage enlarges (such that some sounds almost seem to come from behind), hiss disappears and bass becomes warmer and more apparent. Later impressions: - Beginning with a negative, these headphones are actually quite lousy at certain types of rock music e.g. oasis, spiritualised. Most notably tracks where there is a unidirectional wall of sound. In these situations, the bass is under-represented. It does depend on how the track is mastered - similar music where the bassline comes from both sides rather than centre soundstage give far better bass with the k701. Anyway, prepare to be disappointed with some rock. I bought a pair of Grado SR80s to plug this gap (which they have, very nicely). - Now on to the positives. The detail is phenomemal with these headphones. This shines when listening to well-miked acoustic instruments and vocals. For me, these headphones have caused me to greatly enjoy music I never previously liked! If it's well recorded, then it's a joy to listen to. For example, double-bass solos in jazz CDs used to bore me to tears. But when you hear the soft thud of fingers on the strings, the occasional buzz, slide and even the breathing of the musician, it's just electric! Listen to Kate Rusby sing a solo and you hear those tiny saliva noises as she opens/shuts her mouth. Listen to Rodrigo y Gabriela (folk/flamenco guitar) and you really feel like you're in the same room. - These headphones are very non-fatiguing. Loud or quiet, they just don't give you a headache, even after many hours. I think it's because the sound (rather than being drummed into your skull as with some other headphones) feels natural - as though you're in the same room as the musician rather than having a speaker attached to your lug-hole! - Although bass is disappointing in some contexts, it's actually very good overall. I had never heard really low frequency bass until I got these headphones. Crisp, clear, but in your boots! In electronically generated (dance, trance etc.)tracks the bass is nicely proportioned. As I've said, it's only when the music is 'crowded' that the bass recedes into the background at times. - These cans hate EQs. Any EQ setting in my experience makes the music very unpleasant and unbalanced. In summary, I LOVE the k701. Every night I look forward to going to bed and lying in the dark listening to whatever track comes up next on the iPod (shuffle playlist). Sections of my music collection I'd grown bored of I've fallen back in love with. Some music I previously detested I now enjoy because, regardless of the tune, the sounds are so rich and lovely. You can listen to the same track 10 times, appreciating a different instrument each time. Personally, I think these headphones shine with good orchestral recordings, well-miked acoustic/vocals, jazz and metal.

This product is more of a work of art than a piece of technology, AKG know how to build and present quality gear - every part of the packaging, aesthetic design and sound reproduction oozes quality. I've always been a 'studio monitors only' producer. After entering a relationship, moving into a two room flat (plus bathroom fyi) and having a bedroom serving as our place of rest and production studio I quickly came to the realisation that in order to allow my gf to get some sleep (thereby sustaining our relationship) I might have to change tact. As with all tech purchases the (seemingly endless) hunt was on to find a product that could fulfil my strict set of criteria - this time to find a comfortable pair of headphones that could give my HS80M studio monitors a run for their money. Challenge accepted. Unboxing the headphones is a special moment, kind-of a grand reveal, providing pictures would spoil the moment... so I won't. If you don't run in the headphones then the sound will be pretty flat. I left them on with white noise playing through them for about a week and resisted the urge to try out the sound until the end of that week. The first time I tried them on it was something quite amazing. I could hear a level of detail and clarity in music I'd never heard before. I ended up binge listening to songs I've heard many times before but with a completely near lease of context and articulation. For that alone (listening, not necessarily making music) I'd buy these - the experience is incredible. The same is true though for production, examining sounds and how they sit in the mix and stereo space with the 701s is an enlightening experience. The cable is very long (still haven't gotten to the point where I've forgotten I have them on, walked away, and yanked the audio interface off the desk) and the sound isn't confrontational or fatiguing, even after hours of use. That coupled with the comfort of the leather strap means you don't have to tear yourself away from these headphones for hours at a time. As open back headphones they're quite noisy to people nearby - being open back however is essential in producing sound at this quality. Just as studio monitors would suffer in a completely closed environment, these are no different. All in all I love these headphones and don't have a bad word to say about them, especially at this price point. Please hit 'yes' below if you found my review helpful :)

Se cercate una cuffia di qualità ad un prezzo ottimo non potete non prendere in considerazione questa cuffia della AKG. Io l'ho acquistata a febbraio e dopo diverse ore di ascolto sono assolutamente soddisfatto del mio acquisto. La cuffia si presenta in una elegante confezione, una volta aperta la scatola troviamo all'interno: la cuffia, una base dove appoggiarla ed un jack adattatore. La cuffia è rifinita bene con materiali di qualità, si tratta di una cuffia aperta con padiglioni circumaurali pertanto non sarete isolati dai rumori esterni (nè chi vi sta attorno sarà isolato da voi). La cuffia è comoda, i padiglioni in soffice velluto grigio circondano completamente le vostre orecchie ed anche dopo molti minuti indossarla non è un problema. Il cavo è lungo a sufficienza per trovare una posizione comoda accanto al vs. impianto Hi-Fi, fuoriesce da un solo padiglione e questo è decisamente comodo per evitare l'aggrovigliarsi del filo, manca però la possibilità di sganciare il cavo direttamente dalla cuffia. Per l'ascolto l'ho abbinata al mio vecchio impianto Hi-Fi che tante soddisfazioni mi ha dato e continua a darmi: amplificatore integrato Sansui AUX-501, piatto Thorens TD320 con testina Stanton 681EEE-MKII-S, lettore cd Rotel RCD965BX. Personalmente non ho avuto problemi di amplificazione, pertanto mi verrebbe da dire che se avete un buon ampli anche se non dedicato all'uso della cuffia non dovreste avere problemi. Come suona? Premetto che per poter dare un giudizio corretto bisognerebbe poterla comparare con altri prodotti di fascia alta, ma non avendo questa possibilità dovrete accontentarvi di un giudizio parziale. A mio avviso la cuffia suona in maniera neutra, nessuna enfasi particolare, a volte sembra un pò avara di bassi, ma con altre incisioni vi accorgerete che non manca nulla, nè la timbrica nè il punch. Se vi concentrate durante l'ascolto potete percepire i minimi dettagli del brano in esecuzione e la scena sonora non è mai piatta. Io l'ho trovata estremamente piacevole nella riproduzione delle voci degli interpreti, soprattutto se femminili, e di alcuni strumenti (pianoforte, fiati), ma anche con l'elettronica ed il pop classico non delude. Per darvi un'idea più precisa ho ascoltato Michael Jackson (Thriller), Amy Winehouse (back to black), Tracy Chapman (diversi brani), Adele (21), Pink (The truth about love), Depeche Mode (alcuni singoli), The Police (Reggatta De Blanc), Edoardo Bennato (Sono solo canzonette), David Bowie (The next Day), ed il risultato dell'ascolto è stato sempre piacevolissimo. In definitiva io la consiglio senza problemi, purchè tutta la Vs. catena di ascolto sia valida e le tracce siano di ottima qualità, ovviamente se potete provatela prima dell'acquisto perchè nell'alta fedeltà la percezione ed i gusti di ognuno sono quantomai diversi, se non potete farlo non abbiate timore nell'acquistarla è comunque un prodotto di qualità.

Reference headphones are not the most friendly for general listening, but absolutely necessary in the recording studio. If you want headphones to listen on the bus or train these are not for you. If you want sharp transparent perception of your mix, you need these. I use them to supplement with reference monitors to fine tune the stereo balance and find high spots in the EQ. Being open back they do not provide any real isolation from background noise, but this is not a problem in a studio or private litening room. Importantly they are some of the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn.

Tras 5 días de uso (unas 4 horas diarias) puedo decir que estoy encantado con ellos. Antes de la compra leí muchas opiniones. Las hay a montones. Tanto poniendo los auriculares por las nubes como criticando aspectos negativos. No soy un experto y puedo decir barbaridades, pero mi experiencia ha sido muy positiva hasta ahora. Los he probado conectados directamente a la tarjeta de sonido del PC, a un Sony Xperia Z Ultra, a un amplificador de auriculares Matrix M-stage HPA2 USB conectado al PC por USB y usando el DAC del Matrix y conectados a la salida de auriculares de una cadena de música Kenwood del 97. Y los he comparado con unos in-ear de Sony y unos Sennheiser HD 218. Aquí no hay color. Simplemente la comparación sobra. Están muy por encima. Y finalmente, la música que he escuchado es principalmente clásica. Orquestal o cámara. Buscaba algo que fuese muy bien con esta música y lo he encontrado. También he escuchado jazz, pop, rock... y no veo que suenen nada mal. El objetivo final de esta opinión es comentar que, en mi opinión/experiencia: 1. Suenan muy muy bien. La escena, el detalle, el timbre de los instrumentos e incluso los bajos. 2. No los he encontrado tan necesitados de amplificador dedicado como comentan. 3. La escucha a través del PC horrible. 4. A través del amplificador Matrix muchísimo mejor. Pero pierden escena, se vuelve más pequeña y extraña. Y suenan mucho menos naturales. Si no hubiese encontrado algo mejor, probablemente pensaría que esta opción era muy buena. 5. A través de la cadena de música, correctos, nítidos, buenos graves. Muy disfrutables. Más naturales que con el Matrix. 6. Con el Sony Xperia Z Ultra la sorpresa ha sido mayúscula. Los mueve. Cerca de la amplificación máxima del móvil, eso sí, pero sin llegar al máximo. Pero sobre todo, suenan mejor que a través del Matrix! Los detalles se aprecian mejor. La escena es buena. No lo entiendo bien, pero es así. También suenan los bajos. Supongo que para muchos poco, pero yo los veo en su sitio. El ClearAudio+ de Sony me gusta. Levanta los medios y separa mucho los instrumentos, diría yo. En definitiva, los estoy disfrutando con el móvil. Cosa que no esperaba!! Como contras: 1. Tumbado con la cabeza en una almohada molestan. Llegan más atrás que mi cabeza y presiona hacia delante. La solución, una camiseta doblada en la nuca. Un rollo, pero entonces dejan de presionar y es muy cómodo. 2. No son tan cómodos como me hubiese gustado. Cómodos, pero no como si no llevases nada. 3. Para uso con el móvil el cable es aparatoso. No es su uso natural, supongo, pero como es lo que mejor me funciona... 4. Me quedo con la duda de cuanto mejorarían con un amplificador "de los buenos". Desde luego no he encontrado que el Matrix les vaya, pese a que es una combinación muy recomendada.

I discovered AKG headphones (hereafter 'cans') essentially at random. I saw a display with a set of very nice cans on display. they were expensive, but I'm picky about music, so I figured "why not give these a listen? I had been of the school that had as accepted wisdom that Sennheiser was really the pair for anyone who had any sort of reasonable budget, and in fact I had a pair getting old back at home hooked into my MIDI system. As a younger guy I'd tried all the big names of the '70s, and onward. I never considered myself an expert, but I certainly felt I could give a friend reasonable advice. I did a little comparison and was so startled by the lovely sound and true comfort of the set of K271s I was auditioning, I walked out with them right then and there. The other ones I passed along to a friend who owned no reasonable cans - just earbuds. THEN, I was passing the same shop, this time with some intent (as any audiophile will understand), and saw another pair of AKG cans on sale: these were K712s. These remain my gold standard cans - I have heard you can spend huge funds a get yourself an actual head-orchestra, but for those of us who do need to be reasonable, I can say nothing other than if you have not had the pleasure of the K271, save up and treat yourself. You'll be one seriously happy camper! (I hope they still make these!) Finally, to the K701s, which are resting VERY comfortably on my head as I write this. They arrived by post yesterday - a package was sitting nicely by my door. Firstly, if you want cans that punch your head with bass response (distortion, in my view), forget it. These are, how to put it? Very Gentlemanly or Lady-like? My first impression was of a gentle, cool and open appearance, judging by the colour alone. The earpieces are made of that superbly comfortable suede or suede-like material, and gently surround my entire ear. The openness of the cans is immediately, and pleasingly apparent. And how do they sound to me? The K701s cover all bases, and in my view, well. The high end is clean and clear as glass. No pinching, or brittleness at all. The midranges all sit well in place (I listen a lot to orchestral music, and this is an important consideration). When I listen to Bowie this is also important when it comes to his singing and saxophone work, as well as his often complex arrangements. I also had fun listening to some YES and Zeppelin, and the K701s came through really, really well. The bass response is probably the most interesting and surprising of all. At first I felt this was the weakness of these cans. However, I am a very big fan of the 'flat response', and although I have no graph to look at, audibly these cans perform at the bottom end with a clean, warm, commanding and altogether satisfying way. No, they are most certainly NOT the most impressive in this regard: the K712s are superior in every respect. NOW the big ask. Should you buy these? If you are listening to almost any other headphone that comes to mind, and can't stretch sensibly t the K712s, I can STRONGLY recommend the K701s without hesitation. Your ears may take a day or two to get accustomed to the glorious clear vistas these cans offer. They do a very fine job of staging an orchestra of a rock mix, and that matters. Most important of all for any pair of these devices: they are incredibly comfortable, and comfort cannot be emphasised enough for anyone who intends to listen for hours, if not all day, to something attached directly to your head! I have given these K712s 5 stars because they deserve them. I just can't whine my way around to removing a star because they are not my beloved K271s. Nope, 5 stars it is: brilliant and comfortable design, extreme comfort when worn, wonderful, wonderful sweet clarity of sound reproduction - have I sold them to you yet? Enjoy the K701s in good health!

Misschien omschrijven sommigen deze als "neutraal" maar ik hoor toch echt te weinig laag om er echt plezier te kunnen van hebben. Ja, hij is gedetailleerd, mooi gebouwd, prima draagcomfort. Maar mijn andere koptelefoons (Philips X2HR, Sony MDR-1AM2, Sennheiser HD599) klinken toch aangenamer. Zelfs mijn ondertussen ter ziele gegane AKG-242 klonk warmer. Spijtig.