Awesome bass fun time!

Q: What are the holy grail bass headsets? I want to buy a pair of headphones that have awesome bass and make listening to music enjoyable.

A: Holy grail bass (because the first thing you say when you listen to them is "Jesus!") = Sony XB500/700/1000

Ark of the covenant bass (because I'll probably find the freaking ark of the covenant more easily than I find a D7k) = Denon D5000/7000

Antichrist bass (preceded of course by the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse bass, which are obviously Bose, Skullcandy, Monster and the Audio Technica AD900X) = Beats. Any Beats, because that's the brand audiophiles most love to beats up on.

The great pretender bass (it thinks it's a king, but it ain't) = the Audio technica ATHM50X. It has bassm, more bass, and pretgty much nothing but the bass.

The Shadow (because it actually has awesome bass, but no-one knows it exists) = JVC HA-SZ2000 - come on, admit it, how many of you know it's out there as an option: ready, waiting, even yearning for bassheads to pick it up and try it out?

Twins with an attitude (like the girls who picked you up at a bar and showed you what a "fun" time means until you collapsed in exhaustion at 5 am the next morning) = the Philips Fidelio X1/X2

Comparing two Sony bass monsters

Q: What's the difference between the Sony XB500 and the XB700? Why are they so sought after?

A: Sony discontinued the awesome XB500/700/1000 and replaced them with abominations, for reasons that no human, except maybe a couple of folks in a building at 171 Konan Minato-ku, can possibly comprehend.

Since then, obviously due to the fact that [1] they were awesome bass monsters, [2] they were discontinued, and [3] supplies dwindled over time, they have become sought-after collectors items, and have naturally increased in value.

The XB700 has bigger drivers. The memory foam pads are about the size of a CD for comparison, so they are bigger around the ears than the XB500. As a consequence the volume of air that resonates is also greater.

The XB500 has more raw bass. XB700 bass is a little more subtle, and a little tighter. Subbass extension is also better than the 500. Kick drums sound a little crisper, and low end basslines are a little more defined than the 500. 500 bass is more in-your-face, and upper bass rolloff bleeds into the mids audibly, as a consequence of which the mids appear to be a little more recessed than those of the 700.

Soundstage is about the same for both, i.e. not very spectacular. I have convinced myself that 700 soundstage is a little wider than the 500, but IMO that is probably a figment of my imagination than real.

Purely as a bass monster, I would rank the 500 higher, but between the two I end up reaching for the 700 more for EDM. The way I think of the 700 is that it is a more refined version of the 500, i.e. the 500 in a tuxedo.

Expensive IEMs when travelling

Q: Are top-of-the-line IEMs worth it when the only use case is in trains while travelling?

A: Two reasons not to use a ToTL pair of headphones for your commute:

[1] I have a nasty habit of losing / breaking / destroying the IEMs I use when on the go. If I lose my $100 IEMs, I don't care. But if I lose a pair of $1000 IEMs, I will cry like a baby. For weeks.

[2] Do you really need that level of audiophile clarity when you are on the go? I mean, are you really trying to critically listen to Wayne Shorter breathing during his saxophone solo in "Aja" when the guy next to you is yelling on his cellphone and the baby two seats behind is screaming at the top of her lungs and the train wheels are going clickety-clack in the background?

And when you are in a restaurant eating dinner and listening to Arne Domnerus' "Jazz At The Pawnshop" do you really want to hear the waiters clearing the table in your song while waiters are clearing the table, well, at your table?

Really?

I don't always have fond memories of all my exes, but I do for this one....

This is a photo of the Senn PX100 (the original one), and it was my beater pair of headphones for a while. I used to throw them in my backpack and they went with me everywhere without a word of complaint. Now they are retired and have been put to pasture, except once in a while I saddle them up and we go for a ride.

They are terrible headphones for travel because they're open, but they are light, comfortable (for on-ears) because of their gentle clamp force, plus as a bonus they are collapsible and they came with their own hard case and have surprisingly good build quality for the price.

But the reason I love them most is because of their sound. The PX100s (and their successor model, the PX100-II) have a rich warm sound profile with surprisingly prominent bass given that they are lightweight, small and open. They are great all-around headphones for a multitude of musical genres from EDM to classical, with a knack of making vocals (especially female vocals) sound cozy and natural. Soundstage is surprisingly decent, too.

They aren't perfect, for sure. They do lack granular levels of detail, the bass bleeds up the frequency spectrum, and treble rolls off significantly, which has led to them being described as "veiled" or "dark" in some reviews.

The reason I stuck with them for so long (and still listen to them once in a while) is because they made listening sessions just so much fun. In fact, I don't think I owned a pair of headphones that were as much fun as the PX100s until I bought my Philips Fidelio X1, which is high praise indeed for the little Senn.

The original PX100s are getting hard to find, but you can still find them used for cheap. I'm confident mine will be a collector's item one day. I haven't modded them in any way apart from changing the pads, and don't plan to.

The PX100II and IIis are outrageously expensive when compared to the original PX100s -- which were priced at something like $30 since they were marketed as direct competition for the PortaPros -- and don't offer a huge amount of value from a price-performance perspective at MSRP, but the PX100 IIi was recently a deal on Woot for $30, a price that actually puts them back into play as direct competition for the PortaPros.

Ah, there's nothing like an ex you still get along with...

My favorite sub-$1000 setup

Q: What's your personal all-time favorite setup under $1000?

This one.

From a price-performance perspective, the  combination of the Pro-ject Box DAC S FL -> Little Dot Mk 3 with NOS Mullard M8100s -> Sennheiser HD650 really shines. This setup projects an analog-ey gooey tube sound and affords a maximally euphoric listening experience for under $900. It makes every genre I am into sound good, and that is saying something. The best aspect of this combination is that almost anyone can afford this setup, and the only folks who will hate it are those who worship the gods of transparency.

To break the components down:

The Box dac DAC S FL is, in my opinion, the best price-performance NOS dac you can buy. It has a very different sound than typical sigma delta DACs. Its analog-ey distortion makes digital files sound like vinyl. Having said that, I would suggest NOT buying an NOS DAC as your very first DAC, though.

The Little Dot Mk 3 is probably the best price-performance OTL tube amp you can buy, especially ebcause your choice for the tube amp selection is determined to a considerable extent by the degree of synergy between amp + headphones.  I would suggest that you NOT get an OTL tube amp (or any tube amp, for that matter) as your first amp.

Mullard NOS M8100 tubes have a super warm profile with gooey tube distortion, and if I had to describe Mullard sound in one word I would say "treacle", to borrow a word from my friends across the pond. They are a wonderful representation of what tube sound is all about. I would suggest NOT getting reissue Mullards, they are not the same as the real deal.

The Sennheiser HD650 has a wonderfully dark and comfortable sound. They are not neutral, sure, but their forgiving nature sets them apart. They excel at representing instruments realistically, add intimacy to vocals, and work for every genre from EDM to classical. Some have described them as "laid back", but they are certainly not boring. Their pairing with OTL tube amps is magical. I would suggest that you NOT get them if you want a neutral or bright sound profile, or if you plan to run them off portable devices.

And did I mention, the best part of this combination is the sub $1k budget? That leaves plenty of change left over to subscribe to Spotify or Tidal.

 And that should make you smile for a long time.

Again, I do want to emphasize, a NOS DAC + tube amp combo probably isn't the best idea if you are new to the world of personal audio and just getting your toes wet with the hobby. You will probably be better off in the long run easing into tube sound / vintage DACs gradually rather than starting with them.

Some thoughts about the Soundmagic HP200

Soundmagic are better known for their IEMs, and also do OEM and ODM for others, but came up with a few full sized models to enhance the range of their offerings. There was a little bit of hype after launch but it seems to have evaporated since then.

The Soundmagic HP200 are open, full size and exhibit a warm V shaped sound profile characterized by floppy loose bass. They are a competent pair of open headphones for $150 but at the $200-250 they retail for (at full price), they get blown away by the likes of the competition, for example the Philips Fidelio X1.

Some thoughts about the 600 ohm version of the Beyerdynamic DT880

Who needs a Beyerdynamic DT880?

If you are looking to build a neutral rig for critical listening, the usual price-performance king is the Sennheiser HD600. Of course, you could also go with a T90 or a Stax, but then you would be paying more for the privilege. The 600 ohm DT 880 hovers around the same price range as a HD600, and can often be found for cheaper.

Why do I call this "endgame for some"?

If you are looking to build a really transparent, neutral setup, of course you can spend thousands of dollars, but you don't have to. The transparent setup that makes the most sense from the price-performance perspective is ODAC > O2 > HD600.  The 600 ohm DT880 offers a viable alternative, especially since Beyerdynamic retail prices tend to fluctuate much more wildly than Sennheiser, therfore if you time your purchase right you can get a critical listening setup for less, which is not too shabby.

And what you get will be very close to something that is 3 or 4 x the price. There's a reason the 600 ohm 880 gets compared so often to electrostatic s especially Stax, in reviews.

Who needs 600 ohm headphones?

Well, not folks who want to run their headphones using their phone, that's for sure. High impedance headphones make the most sense for folks who can power them appropriately. Now you don't need the power output of a nuclear reactor to run 600 ohm DT880s at top efficiency, but you don't want to pair them with something with anemic output either. With high impedance headphones you don't have to worry about damping factor that much either, no matter what you plug them into.

How bright are they? How fatiguing is the treble?

Brightness and easy fatigability are the two most common criticisms leveled against Beyerdynamic headphones. All Beyers sound a little bright. The most neutral of their product range is probably the 600 ohm DT880, followed by the T90. What you are getting with the 880 is a relatively neutral pair of headphones that veers modestly towards brightness. Unlike the DT990, the treble is not super forward at all. And it is not bright like the Grado SR60 is, so it is not really hugely fatiguing.

How does the soundstage of the DT880 compare to the AKG K701?

Of the two, the K701 has wider soundstage. Technically Beyer calls the 880 "semi closed". IMO that's, well, neither here nor there - either a headphone is open or it is not. The 880 is open. Maybe not as much as the 990, but its soundstage behaves like those of open headphones.

How does the Beyerdynamic DT770 compare to the 880?

I keep hearing about how DT770 bass is huge compared to 880. To some degree, this is true. But not so much for the 600 ohm versions as for the rest. Having heard both, I will tell you that the comparisons by many are not accurate.

Why do I say this? Here is a graph comparing the 600 ohm 770 (in blue) with the 880 (red) and 990 (green). You will see that the 880 and 990 follow a very similar FR, except for the 100-700 Hz bump that the 990 has, as well as the high frequency peak. This is what gives the 600Hz 990 the "V" prominent sound that is characteristic.

Now look at the 770 bass, particularly the sub-bass, in comparison to the 880. Yes, it is weaker. The closed cups increases resonance and boominess, but the 600 Hz 770 is not as bassy as its lower impedance siblings.

Now check out this graph of the 32 ohm 770 (in blue) vs the 32 ohm 880 (in red). This is the "bass heavy" 770 that folks talk about all the time.

And finally, here is the graph of the 600 ohm 770 vs the 32 ohm 770. You can see that they have very different lower end profiles.

What do they sound like?

Lots of reviews out there, so I won't get into minute details. In sum, if I had to describe 880s in one word I would call them "clean". They are not warm at all, and not colored. They work great for critical listening, and can bring out flaws of inferior recordings just like HD600s can.

Regret, by definition, comes too late

Q: I bought my Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro two days ago because there was an offer for $135, I was satisfied with what I got but I was told that the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro (32ohm) performed better than the COP, should I go back to the store and ask for an exchange ? Or should I just be happy with my purchase?

A: To quote my favorite author, "regret, by definition comes too late".

The key to buying stuff is to be happy. If you love the Custom One Pro, don't second guess yourself. But if you hate how it sounds, then swap it out.

The problem with audiophilia is that there is always something Harder Better Faster Stronger just around the corner, so the trick is to be happy with what you have, at least for a little while.

Purchase advice: cheap closed on-ear headphones

Q: My budget is small - $30-$80, and I am looking for closed on ear headphones that I can use when out and about. Help! Bonus points for looking good.

A: At your budget, its hard to find closed on ears. In the US the Martin Logan Mikros 90 is being discounted for $80-90, and would fit your needs perfectly,and is worth trying to find on sale.

Alternatively, consider the JVC HAS160 Flats. They are closed, on ear, in your budget, don't look terrible, and sound reasonably good for the price.

The best headphones for $500 or less?

Q: What would you consider to be the best headphones for $500 or less?

A: HD600/650 depending on your preferences
HD600 from a pure price-performance perspective.
HD650 if you don't want a neutral pair of headphones (most folks don't)

IEMs for speech / voice

Q:  I listen to lots of radio podcasts and audio books. Which in ear monitor (IEM) should I buy? My budget is $150-200.

A: For lots of speech / vocals, you don't want overwhelming bass or recessed mids. In your budget, consider the Shure SE315, especially if they are on sale. The 315 is a singe BA (balanced armature) IEM, it is very isolating and not as bass prominent as similar dynamic driver IEMs. The detail on these is astonishing, and they are awesome for podcasts / chorus / opera / voice.

However keep in mind that you won't get huge bass from them.

What you need to know about the Sennheiser HD600

If you are in the market for a relatively neutral pair of headphones, then yes the Sennheiser HD600 is a great choice. It excels for critical listening and some genres like classical. Keep in mind that you need an amp to get the most out of it.

If you don't want to play the upgrade game all the way to summit-fi for whatever reason, then the HD600 could conceivably be endgame for you, if you know what you are getting yourself into.

If you listen to a lot of bass-heavy music like EDM or hip hop, you may find the 600 to be surprisingly bass-light. The 600 isn't known for its sub bass, I can assure you. For the price, something like the VModa M100 may be a better bet for you.

If you are a detail whore, you may want to hold out for something like a Sennheiser HD800, a Beyerdynamic T90, or, at this price point, a Beyerdynamic DT880.

If you want a very bright listening experience, you may find the 600 treble to be disappointing. Instead, consider a Grado and some gauze pads (to apply to your ears when they start bleeding, ba dum tish!)

If you are looking for isolation or don't want folks around you to hear the fact that you secretly listen to Barry Manilow while proudly wearing that My Chemical Romance t-shirt, then don't get the HD600, it leaks sound like a sieve, and is as open as it gets.

if you want to listen to music off your phone, don't get the HD600. It has a 300 ohm impedcance and just won't sound as good as it would through, say an OTL amp. Sure, you will get sound through your iPhone, but the bass sounds just too flabby and meh.

And finally, if you are looking for a warm and smooth sound, consider the 600s younger sibling, the HD650.

What you need to know about the NVX XPT100

The NVX XPT100 is made by Yoga (a Chinese OEM manufacturer) as the Yoga CD880. Other clones of the CD880 are the Fischer FA003, the Jaycar Pro Monitor, Brainwavz HM5, and Lindy HF100.

All these clones are differentiated by modest design differences, branding, and different pads. if you live in Europe, the Jaycar Pro Monitor is the best bang for your buck, and in the US, the NVX XPT100.

The only retailer I have seen stocking the XPT100 is Sonic Electronix (are there others?). Usually they sell for $80-100, but have gone down on sale to as low as $70. From a price-performance perspective, the "sweet spot" pricing for them is in the $70-80 range.

They are mostly plastic, and build quality is a bit dodgy, but what did you expect for the price? They come with extra angled pads, which is unusual to see in a sub-$100 model. They feature a detachable cable, another surprising detail in a budget pair of headphones. They also come with a huge soft carrying case, which offers no protection whatsoever but does allow organizing and dust-free headphone storage.

They are super comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions, with decent SQ. I would characterize them as modestly warm, with reasonable but not dominant bass, some low-end rolloff (but not alarming amounts of bass loss), smooth mids (with surprisingly good rendering of vocals) and mildly recessed highs (but not disappointingly so). I

Their best feature apart from comfort is that they have a very decent soundstage, considering that they are closed headphones.

Headphones for folks with TMJ problems

Q: I'm looking for headphones for general use.  I am a long time TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) sufferer and have been hesitant to drop a lot of money on a new headset that will just end up causing me extreme pain after a few hours. What headphones can I use?

A: If you have TMJ then many general headphone recommendations may not work for you because what's comfortable to many may be painful to you.

My suggestion would be that you audition headphones if possible before buying them.

However, some folks with TMJ prefer on-ear headphones or IEMs. You may want to consider the Senn PX100-ii, it is on ear, has very light pressure and is very comfortable (and I am one of those folks who typically find on-ears uncomfortable!)

And an IEM with a behind-the-ear wearing style may also be very comfortable for you if you have TMJ -- consider the Shure SE215.

[Review] The NuForce NE-600X: what happens when your starship travels at impulse speed

Drop to impulse speed!

[Insert obligatory picture here]

The problem with deals is that you end up buying stuff you never wanted in the first place. So when I saw the Nuforce NE-600X for under $10, I immediately felt that familiar feeling when the two little dudes climbed out of my clavicles and took up their usual places on my shoulders.

"Don't do it," the little dude in white with the wings and harp on my left shoulder said, "You need another pair of headphones like you need a third testicle."

"Do it," the little dude in red with the horns and pitchfork on my right shoulder said, "It's a sweet deal, pull the freaking trigger already!"

"But it's an IEM, and you don't even like IEMs!" the dude in white said.

"WTF is he talking about, you've always wanted another cheap pair of IEMs so that you don't repeat what you did on that flight to Boston last year."

I remembered the sad story of my SE535s who, like Jimmy Hoffa, were lost and never found again (that's when I swore never to travel with expensive headphones) and shuddered at the horror of the terrible memories (the loss! the empty aching hollow feeling inside!).

"Look over there on the wall!" I told the dude in white, and when he was distracted, I clicked on "Add To Cart" and bought the NE-600Xs.

The dude in red laughed with evil glee. The dude in white started to weep softly. I looked down, and discovered that lo and behold, I now had a third testicle.

The Look

The packaging is robust, and easy to open -- the cover pops open without the need to resort to a laser cutting tool or the jaws of life to extricate the IEMs from the packaging.

The plastic + metal IEMs are well built. Left and right sides are marked by a small "L" and "R" respectively on one side but not the other, but are not otherwise color-coded. The nozzles are large, and there is a bass port at the opposite ends. The flat cable is a nice touch, and terminates in a 90 degree TRS connector. At the other end the cable enters the IEM housing at 90 degrees, and so these IEMs are best worn with the cable hanging down; they can be worn behind-the-ear style but I found them uncomfortable to wear that way because of the flat cables.

Personally, I like the red/silver/black color combination. The NE-600X is also available in a silver/black variation. Accessories are sparse. Three earbuds, the medium tips pre-installed on the IEMs, and the cable tie if you count it as an "accessory". That's it.

The Feel

Fit and finish is reasonably good. Cable microphonics are moderate. Luckily the medium tips fit my ears reasonably well with good seal.

The sound

The NE-600X features 11mm dynamic drivers and have an impedance of 16 ohms. The first thing that strikes you when you listen is the prominent bass. Extension is good, and low-end tonal definition is surprisingly robust. There's some boominess of the upper bass, though which can be distracting in non-EDM genres. Mids are recessed and vocals have a somewhat flat sound but aren't smeared or distorted. The treble is somewhat artificial-sounding and the highs roll off rapidly and noticeably. Tone is on the warm side. Soundstage is modest. As usual, isolation is highly dependent on fit and seal, personally I thought isolation as average.

In conclusion

I'm somewhat ambivalent about these IEMs. For $10 they are certainly cheap, bass prominent headphones. But the flat mids and tinny highs detract from an otherwise enjoyable listening experience. If you are looking for bass-prominent IEMs in this price range for genres like EDM, the JVC HAFX101 gives you more bang for your buck. And if you want a bright pair of headphones, these are definitely not for you because of the artificiality of the tone. As a throwaway pair I suppose they are fine, but for serious listening they do not step up to the plate. If you ever have an impulse to jump on the NE-600X, my suggestion: don't do it. It's not worth it.

I should have listened to the dude in white.

[Review] AKG Q701: Would You Like To Join The Q Continuum?

Would You Like To Join The Q Continuum?

Picture of my "Stormtrooper" Q701

But First, a Preface: And Now, The Larch.


The scene: AKG HQ. A bunch of AKG executives are sitting around a table deciding on a strategy to counter the whipping Beats is giving them in the marketplace.

"We have got to come up with a viable model that can take on Beats. What can we market?"

"Well our headphones are stylish."

"Ummm...most people think AKG makes headphones for people with neckbeards and black turtlenecks who listen to Dave Brubeck!"

"OK let's color them white and green, like those gaming headophones, so that nobody can see that our basic design hasn't changed since 1880."

"How about marketing our headphones as "heavy on the bass"? That seems to be working for Beats."

"Ummm...our headphones have less bass than Mel Gibson has acting offers!"

"OK. Maybe what we need is a celebrity endorser. Can we get LeBron?"

"Ummm...he signed with Beats."

"I know, how about Dave Brubeck?"

"Ummm...he's dead, Jim. How about Quincy Jones?"

"Oh wow, the Q. He may be almost 90, but he is a living legend. Who hasn't heard of him?"

The answer: almost anyone under 30. If you are in the said demographic, at this point of time please review this video to familiarize yourself with the Q Experience before proceeding to read this review.


And thus the Q701 was born: the bastard child of the union of the K701 and Quincy Jones and radioactive green slimy ooze from Mars.


OK now on to the review

First, a disclaimer. I like the Q701, and it is my go-to headphones for gaming.


What the Q701 is


The Q701 is an open model with lots of detail, some (but not substantial) bass presence, and veers towards brightness. It has a huge soundstage for headphones, and so has the fortunate side effect of being particularly good for gaming, because

[1] the soundstage, obviously
[2] it is comfortable especially around the ears (see below about headband) and
[3] it does not have too much bass which kills gaming for me -- modern games have so many explosions that i get a headache gaming with bass-heavy headphones -- but it is not so bass-shy that I can't listen to music when gaming. Like Goldilocks, I don't wan't too much or too little bass when gaming, and IMO the Q701 is just right.


What the Q701 isn't


It's not a great choice for EDM, because of its profile. If you are looking for isolation, move on. It isn't as warm as many other headphones. The headband has bumps that can be painful for some. If you are looking for a new Q701 made in Austria, good luck finding one. While it works fine without an amp, to squeeze maximum performance you will need to consider amping it. It does not pair well with some amps. Also, if you are thinking that the Q701 with its huge soundstage will give you a speaker-like experience, dream on. It won't. No headphones can. And finally, this headphone is not for portable use.


The Look


The Q701 comes in three flavors. I'm going to call the black version "vanilla, except for the weirdly coordinated green cable", the white "Look ma, I'm a Stormtrooper!" and the green "I'll take these to a LAN party so that I can fit in with all those fools with Razers". Of the three, my favorite is white, because I can wear it and say "Let me see your identification......We don't need to see his identification......These aren't the droids we're looking for......Move along......move along."

Even though the Q701 looks large, hefty and substantial, when you hold it, it feels weirdly delicate. That's partly because of the headband design -- the two curved metal rods frame the headband, and have considerable flex. AKG claims the Q701 arches are unbreakable, but I would not want to test that assertion.

The universal self-adjusting stretch headband is attached to the frame by a flimsy-looking plastic clip mechanism, and tensioned by two rubber bands on each side, which looks (and feels) more delicate than industrial.The earcups are huge, and mostly plastic. The large velour earcups are circular in shape, deeply recessed for ears, but do not feature memory foam. The Q701 cable connects at the left earcup with a sturdy mini XLR connector.

And yes, the inside of the universal headband has eight (count 'em. eight) bumps, which are either a good thing or AKG's attempt to waterboard its customers, depending on your viewpoint.

In summary, from a distance, the Q701 looks rugged, but up close it feels somewhat frail. The materials themselves are of good quality, but it almost feels like the Q701 has brittle bones and you have to baby it to prevent something from snapping. Think of the Q701 as being akin to a boxer with osteoporosis, and you will understand what I mean.


The Feel


This is a very light (235 gm) pair of headphones. The fit and finish is excellent. The velour is plush, the plastic is shiny, the green stitching on the headband is an interesting touch. The cable is long but of good quality, the connectors are top notch. The mini XLR connection is solid and tight. The plug and contacts are gold plated.

AKG claims their patented "Varimotion" diaphgrams (which feature a multi-layer construction technique) are their best yet. The voice coils are wound with flat wires.

Let me address up front what many folks consider to be the Achilles heel of the Q701 -- the headband bumps. Regarding comfort: I find the Q701 comfortable and don't have an issue with the bumps, but some folks just hate the Q701 headband bumps digging into their skulls. People go as far as to chop the bumps off with a blade and wrap with something like a Beyerdynamic replacement pad around the amputated headband to get comfortable. I think that the only way you will know if you have a sensitive scalp is to try the Q701 and see what happens.

Also, I keep reading questions online where folks are concerned where the Q701 is made. AKG shifted production of the Q701 from Austria to China a couple of years ago. If it does not say "Made in Austria" right on the headphones it is made in China. I don't think there is any difference, although I have seen people work themselves up into a frenzy about this very topic. There are pictures of Q701 showing "smooth" plastic in the made in Austria model vs "blemished" plastic made in China. My personal opinion is that QC is QC no matter which country products are made in. If AKG values their reputation, hopefully they picked a factory in China with quality standards that meet or exceed what they had in in their facilities in Austria.

The Q701 comes with two cables -- one long, the other that stretches from here to, well, China. Maybe if they bundled the headphone with a 1.5m and 3m cable I would use both, but the 6m cable is ridiculously long and pretty much unusable. Ah well, maybe I can knit a sweater with it.


The Sound


First, the biggest criticism leveled against the Q701: that it has a "plasticky" sound. I would not characterize the main characteristic of the Q701 sound as "plasticky", although I appreciate where folks are coming from with this criticism, having heard the K701 also.

Some folks complain that tHE Q701 is fatiguing, but certainly I don't have an issue with extended sessions.

The Q701 has a clean, neutral-to-modestly bright profile. Bass is present, but by no means prominent. Vocals are crisp and natural; mids are smooth. The treble is a little artificial-sounding, and somewhat brittle. Clarity is outstanding. Detail is truly excellent. Soundstage is very wide. Frequency response is relatively flat.

Maximum input power is rated at 200mW. Sensitivity is 105 dB SPLV. With its impedance of 62 ohms, you can power the Q701 in theory off your phone or tablet or motherboard, but this is one headphone that likes to be amped.

If I had to decribe Q701 sound in a single word, I would pick "spacious". It really is.


In conclusion


I'm going to call my white Q701 "The Stormtrooper In Drag" because it looks like a stormtrooper, but doesn't sound like one. It is a great midfi audiophile headphone choice for folks who want a more neutral-to-bright tone without dominant bass, and for folks who prize detail uber alles. It's also a great choice for folks who listen to a lot of live performances, because of the vast soundstage it projects. But where the Q701 really shines is as a pair of gaming headphones, which I am sure neither AKG or Quincy Jones foresaw when they released this model.

In case you are wondering where the "Stormtrooper In Drag" reference comes from, it is from a Gary Numan song.


Some head to head comparisons: the Cliff Notes version


Q701 vs ATHM50: The Q701 has much less bass than the M50, and more visible mids. Highs are not as artificial as the M50. Soundstage is obviously better than the closed M50. By a mile.

Q701 vs Beyerdynamic DT990: If you are a fan of the Beyer sound profile with its V shaped emphasis on the bass as well as the highs, you may find that the bass and treble are both going to be lacking somewhat with the Q701.

Q701 vs Sennheiser HD598 with respect to music: The 598 is a little warmer, and has a little more emphasized bass, despite its 100 Hz impedance spike. The real difference is in the treble: HD598 has much smoother treble, without the slightly artificial tone that the Q701 brings to the table.

Q701 vs Sennheiser HD598 with respect to gaming: With respect to gaming, particularly FPS gaming, while situational positioning is an advantage, it is not the biggest factor associated with playing FPS games well. What I mean is that if you suck at FPS games in general, improved soundstage is not going to make you into a superstar all of a sudden. For example, if you cannot support your buddies appropriately, or you have no clue what "cover" means, the Q701 will not make you either more popular with your buddies or suddenly render you invincible. What positional advantage does do in FPS gaming is give you a small advantage in using an extra sense to determine where people (or objects) are. To be honest you cannot go wrong with either the HD598 or the Q701. If you are an average gamer, either will give you a good positional sense. If you are an uber competitive gamer, then maybe the Q701 will give you an extra few % of positional advantage, and if you believe that you really need that small extra boost to get to your desired level of gaming, then yes Q701 is a better choice.

Q701 vs Philips Fidelio X1: They are very different headphones. Both are open, and the similarities pretty much stop there. The X1 is much more colored, has more (and IMO better) bass, is very warm in comparison to the Q701, but has less detail. If you like warmth and colored "fun" sound the X1 clearly wins.

Q701 vs K701: The two share the same basic design but having heard both side by side, they sound different. Specifically, K701 has less bass and sounds more, well, plasticky than the Q701. I'm not a fan of K701 sound.

Q701 vs Beyerdynamic DT880 versus Sennheiser HD650 3-way shootout: The HD650 sits on one end of midline neutrality with its dark nature, the DT880 sits closer to the middle, and the Q701 is just on the bright side of the 880 furthest from the 650. Personally I think that when it comes to detail the Q701 trumps the 650 by a nose.

Q701 vs HD600: AKG claims that the Q701 is the "the most accurate and responsive reference headphones we‘ve ever produced". If you are looking for a neutral pair of headphones, the HD600 might even be at endgame-level for you, so it makes sense to bypass the 701 and just jump on the HD600. The Q701 is more comfortable than the HD600 (less clamp, lighter) unless you have issues with the headband bumps. The 701 also has a more spacious soundstage and a little more detail than the 600, which is worth considering.


The Mods


2 mods you may want to look at before you decide to buy: [1] the Q701 bass mod, and [2] the headband mod (to fix the bumps issue)

With respect to the bass mod, the two common methods are to remove the small reflex adhesive tape dots on the drivers, and using a reflector/attenuator (like microfiber) to try and make the Q701 a "semi open" headphone. But adding a microfiber layer behind the driver reduces the soundstage, which is probably why you bought the Q701 in the first place. Also, the little round bandaid reflectors are actually there for a reason -- without them the Q701 bass becomes too smeared. Since the design is so open, the reflex really improves low end resonance characteristics. Sure if you peel them off you get a little more bass, but the overall sound worsens. So the bottom line is: don't do the 701 bass mod, it does not improve sound quality. If you want tons of bass, you shouldn't buy an AKG. Also don't try to close off the open Q701 with microfiber/ electrical tape, etc. You kill the soundstage, which IMO is the Q701's biggest feature.

With respect to the headband mod, keep in mind that mutilating the headband kills resale value. Some folks have made custom universal headbands or transplanted the K701 headbands (which are expensive!). Wrapping Beyerdynamic replacement headband around the Q701 headband works, but you will have to cut the stock headband to size to allow the Beyer clips to fasten. You could also fill the valleys in the headband with adhesive foam tape.

Which flavor headphones to pick?

Q: I'm looking at Beyerdynamic DT770 headphones, but they come in three flavors -- 32 ohm, 80 ohms and 250 ohms. Which one do I buy?

A: 32 ohm versions are easiest to drive, no amp needed.

80 ohm DT770s will be driven by many mp3 players and phones, but some devices with weak outputs may struggle, and if you amp a 80ohm DT770 Pro you will see modest sound improvement (tighter bass, for example, but this also is related to damping factor and the output impedance of the device powering the headphones).

The 250 ohm DT770 will definitely require amping. Some Beyerdynamic models have 600 ohms of impedance, and those certainly will need an amp as well to shine.

HiFiMan HE-400 versus the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro

Q: Is the HiFiMan HE-400 a big step over the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?

A: It depends on how well you amp the HE400s. They are different from the DT990s in 4 ways:

1) HE400s have a flatter frequency curve. You'll notice the mids coming forward compared to the 990. A lot.

2) The bass is tighter and more controlled than the DT990. The bass isn't as prominent as the DT990, but "punchier".

3) The treble is harsher and more sibilant than the 990. Cymbals and hi hats go into "attack mode".

4) The HE400s are heavier and a lot less comfortable than the 990s. Over time you will get used to their weight, though.

Well we're movin' on up to the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky.

Q: I have a Sennheiser HD600. What do I upgrade to?

A: Until some years ago, the HD600 was the flagship model from Sennheiser. They are a great neutral headphones, and are good for a huge range of music. The problem is, when you have something as versatile as the HD600, do you really need to upgrade your headphones?

Obviously, no. I could argue that if you want a neutral setup, you could be perfectly satisfied for ever with the HD600. But if you have the disposable income and want to expand your headphones collection, I would argue that you need to consider one of 3 options:

1) Save up for a higher tier of headphones - consider the Audeze LCD3 or the HD 800. Both have different profiles, and both offer significant advantages over the HD 600 that makes their high price possibly worth it. But this would make the least sense from a price-performance perspective.

2) Get a headphone that has a very different profile than the HD600 -- something that gives you bass-rich oomph like the Beyerdynamic DT990 or the Philips Fidelio X1, or something that is treble-forward like a Grado. Each has a characteristic sound profile that will offer a very different listening experience for certain types of music that accentuates their tonal features (e.g. try 2pac on DT990 or Steely Dan on a Grado)

3) Get an IEM to complement your HD600s. That's like opening a whole new Pandora's Box.

Veni's Three Laws Of Cheap (But Good) Personal Audio

Q: Whats the easiest way to improve my listening experience on a low budget?

A: There are three components that folks typically consider when they talk about personal audio -- [1] headphones, [2] amplifiers, and [3] DACs (digital to analog converters).

Veni's Three Laws Of Cheap (But Good) Personal Audio are:

Law 1: in general better headphones improves your sound the most, more than upgrading your amp, which in turn offers more enhancement than improving your dac.

Law 2: not all headphones need a dedicated amp or DAC.

And finally Law 3: if your amp or DAC costs more than your headphones, you are probably doing something wrong.