No DFE here, only "expect perfection" ???

[postjack]

Not my cup of tea at all. I would recommend listening to some grados such as sr225, hf-1, rs-1 or ps-1, and some Omega II's.

Biggie.

+1 to the SR225 suggestion, or RS-1 if you have the cash.

[Eric5676]

Not my cup of tea at all. I would recommend listening to some grados such as sr225, hf-1, rs-1 or ps-1, and some Omega II's.

Biggie.

Omega II...Stax, yes?

Electrostatic headphones, yes? These have intruiged me but the price is kind of scary.

Definitely something to the idea of trying to make it to a Meet of some kind down the road. I suspect that's the only way I'd really be able to get near a lot of this stuff.

[Dusty Chalk]

Not my cup of tea at all. I would recommend listening to some grados such as sr225, hf-1, rs-1 or ps-1, and some Omega II's.

Yes, we know, your hatred for those phones are well-documented. Shut up already, it's fucking annoying. Comment was directed at A.T.

[postjack]

The DT990 '05 is the only can I've ever really regretted selling. I may buy it again in the future. I have never heard the DT880. The DT770/80 Pro was not an acceptable can to me, I sold it very quickly.

[deepak]

Perhaps your problem is the 4 pair of AKG headphones you've got right now?

D'oh

Yes, we know, your hatred for those phones are well-documented. Shut up already, it's fucking annoying. Comment was directed at A.T.

I do like the new DT880, sounded pretty good to me.

[Eric5676]

The "newer" DT880's and DT990's have pretty good word of mouth from what I've seen.

[deepak]

I got an HD580 on Monday (my second time owning them). Didn't really use it much until today. The K701 has a really wonky soundstage, I thought I was just imagining it at first. But switching to the HD580 everything sounds more cohesive and intimate again (I like). The K701 also has an incredibly dry midrange (female vocals are dull to listen to; even the sexiest of voices, and guitars have no magic, I never thought I'd find a pair of headphones where I'd want to stop listening to Dire Straits), nothing like the K1000, K340 or K501.

The K701 is off to a new home.

Aside from lacking dynamics they weren't too bad with classical and I feel they got the tone of the violin right.

[postjack]

I never thought I'd find a pair of headphones where I'd want to stop listening to Dire Straits...

get behind me, ye unholy satan cans!!

[deepak]

get behind me, ye unholy satan cans!!

Then again the HD650 never did it for me either.

I guess I'm a 580/600 type <Sennheiser> person.

[postjack]

Then again the HD650 never did it for me either.

I guess I'm a 580/600 type <Sennheiser> person.

We differ here. I own all three but prefer the HD650 in almost all circumstances. I think the HD600 does violins a bit sweeter, thats about all it has on the 650 to these ears.

seriously though, have you listened to "the drift" with the hd650? I know its nuts, but it is the kind of audio experience I could build a rig around. Just seal the transport shut with "the drift" in it, running through a ppx3 with the hd650 permanently wired into the jack. its amazing.

[deepak]

We differ here. I own all three but prefer the HD650 in almost all circumstances. I think the HD600 does violins a bit sweeter, thats about all it has on the 650 to these ears.

seriously though, have you listened to "the drift" with the hd650? I know its nuts, but it is the kind of audio experience I could build a rig around. Just seal the transport shut with "the drift" in it, running through a ppx3 with the hd650 permanently wired into the jack. its amazing.

The Drift is one of the few flawless albums I've heard in the last few years.

I didn't really think much of it with the HD650.

Hearing it with the headphones I used to own I would rank it:

K1000 > Stax SR-404 > HP-2 > HD650 > K701

I haven't played the album with my K340 or HD580 yet but I'll give it a go. I can always listen to more The Drift

[postjack]

The Drift is one of the few flawless albums I've heard in the last few years.

I didn't really think much of it with the HD650.

Hearing it with the headphones I used to own I would rank it:

K1000 > Stax SR-404 > HP-2 > HD650 > K701

I haven't played the album with my K340 or HD580 yet but I'll give it a go. I can always listen to more The Drift

I take offense at your differing opinion. How dare you disagree with a preference I feel strongly about.

come to think I haven't listened to "the drift" with the hp2s yet, gotta try that out. and yes I agree, it is a flawless album. i mean really, just simply amazing. I haven't been able to turn on ANY of my cool rock friends to it though, because I think it is an album you have to JUST listen to, not listen to on your iPod while your on the treadmill, or are overly distracted by the internet. and i think audiophile types who put lots of effort and time into their rigs are more likely to consider listening to music as a singular activity.

not that i don't multitask and listen to music to. I get some of my best listening done on the way to work on my car's stock stereo.

[deepak]

I take offense at your differing opinion. How dare you disagree with a preference I feel strongly about.

come to think I haven't listened to "the drift" with the hp2s yet, gotta try that out. and yes I agree, it is a flawless album. i mean really, just simply amazing. I haven't been able to turn on ANY of my cool rock friends to it though, because I think it is an album you have to JUST listen to, not listen to on your iPod while your on the treadmill, or are overly distracted by the internet. and i think audiophile types who put lots of effort and time into their rigs are more likely to consider listening to music as a singular activity.

not that i don't multitask and listen to music to. I get some of my best listening done on the way to work on my car's stock stereo.

The HP-2 does ok with The Drift.

Personally I like the K1000 because it just scares the shit out of me listening to that CD late at night.

I know what you mean about having to really listen to it. I had it in my HF signature telling everyone to get the album. Oh man I'm such a SW fanboy

[postjack]

The HP-2 does ok with The Drift.

Personally I like the K1000 because it just scares the shit out of me listening to that CD late at night.

I know what you mean about having to really listen to it. I had it in my HF signature telling everyone to get the album. Oh man I'm such a SW fanboy

ah well. someday I'll hear a k1000. when I do I'll bring my copy of "the drift" .

[deepak]

ah well. someday I'll hear a k1000. when I do I'll bring my copy of "the drift" .

Just don't sing along, people might look at you funny when you say "I'll punch a donkey on the streets of Galway"

[postjack]

Just don't sing along, people might look at you funny when you say "I'll punch a donkey on the streets of Galway"

"the pee pee soaked trousers"

[aerius]

The K701 has a really wonky soundstage, I thought I was just imagining it at first. But switching to the HD580 everything sounds more cohesive and intimate again (I like). The K701 also has an incredibly dry midrange (female vocals are dull to listen to; even the sexiest of voices, and guitars have no magic, I never thought I'd find a pair of headphones where I'd want to stop listening to Dire Straits), nothing like the K1000, K340 or K501.

The K701 is off to a new home.

Aside from lacking dynamics they weren't too bad with classical and I feel they got the tone of the violin right.

But did you break them in for 10,000 hours and run them with the special K701-approved amp, source, and cables?

Speaking seriously again, I agree on all points. I'm still trying to understand how people think the K701 has a great midrange and what they're comparing it to, the midrange to me is among the most dry, flat, and dead sounding midrange I've heard in any headphone. It discombobulates me.

[aerius]

Just don't sing along, people might look at you funny when you say "I'll punch a donkey on the streets of Galway"

Sing along to some Frank Zappa:

"Catholic girls, She gave me VD!"

[n_maher]

Dee,

What amp are you using these days with the 580's? The Melos probably does just fine with them but I'm wondering if you might like them even better from an amp like my HA-2. I find that it mates very well with Senns.

[humanflyz]

I dare you to sing this out loud in public:

TWENTY-ONE, TWENTY-ONE

But on topic: yeah, the K701s are pretty boring, and I don't know what AKG was thinking when they replaced the K1000s with this new "top of the line".

[aerius]

But on topic: yeah, the K701s are pretty boring, and I don't know what AKG was thinking when they replaced the K1000s with this new "top of the line".

I think it makes a lot of sense from a commercial standpoint. The trend in mainstream hi-fi has been towards "accuracy & neutrality", and the K701 sounds pretty "accurate & neutral" unless the person's heard something like the HP-1000 or K1000 which actually is accurate & neutral. They're a company, they gotta follow the market to some extent to stay profitable.

[HiWire]

The sins of the K701 are mainly of omission.

[deepak]

Dee,

What amp are you using these days with the 580's? The Melos probably does just fine with them but I'm wondering if you might like them even better from an amp like my HA-2. I find that it mates very well with Senns.

Yeah the Melos isn't too bad with the 580 but there's room for a lot of improvement.

I'm sure an amp like the HA-2 or Extreme (or Dynahi/B22) with really powerful output tubes would really wake them up.

I actually got them for use with my laptop so a little DIY side project is in order for this summer like a DAC/tube amp combo (the redesigned Millet Hybrid looks really tempting)

[aerius]

The sins of the K701 are mainly of omission.

Yeah, they omit everything which makes music good.

[philodox]

Maybe I should give 'The Drift' or 'Tilt' a try since you guys seem to have struck wood over Mr. Walker, but I just can't bring myself to spend more money on his music after how letdown I was by 'Classics & Collectibles'.

I mean... he is sooo cheeeeeezy.