AKG K 701 Professional Headphones

Being an AKG K-240 owner for over 25 years and they are still going, I wanted to step up beyond my "project" K-240, and even my Sennheiser HD-580 headphones for over 10 years use and still going strong. I used my Senn's for all my music pleasure listening. My Sony XA-7es Compact disc player the main source. About a $3000.00 player for reference. My newly bought Vincent CD-S6 Compact Disc player is my new Tube Class-A Compact Disc player for about $1800.00. Also my Tascam 52 Reel to reel 2 track reproducer. About $3500.00 when new in 1983. A Mackie 1604-VLZ mixer with 16 tracks and 4 buss output along with a stereo buss, and associated sends etc.

No I-pods for my critical listening thank you. Ipod for my car and sleeping music when I can't sleep. My I- grados run on my Ipod. About $50.00 for them.

Enter the AKG-701. Stereophile had reviewed this headphone with great praise. I had to hear for myself what was all the fuss was about. Just do a search on www.stereophile.com and check out what they say.

What is in the box. The headphone and 3.5 mm adaptor, and instructions and support documentation, and a clever Headphone stand in a black sleeve box affair. Paid about $270.00 from eBay. It is new and not a factory refurbished unit.

Specifications please.

System: Dynamic
Construction: Open air design
Frequency Response:10hz to 39,800 hz
Efficiency : 105 db SPL/V
Maximum input power: 200mW
Nominal Impedance: 62 ohms
Cable type: Bi-wiring 99.99% OFC, 3 meter length.
Stereo Adaptor 3.5mm accessory included. 6.3mm/ .25 inch TRS main connector.
Price $449,95

Some design highlights

Flat-wire voice coil technology
Patented AKG Varimotion ultra-precision two-layer diaphragm
Self Adjusting cushioned genuine leather headband
Comfortable specially shaped "3-D form" ear pads
Storage Cradle
Individually tested and numbered.

Before getting into impressions and thoughts of the AKG K-701 headphone.
Please allow a run in of 200-300 hours. I used a DVD player with a headphone output and ran my burn in test disc with sweeping tones from 20hz to 20khz of varying amplitude. Really if you do not want to run these in first you won't get why they are so good. I ran mine for about 350-400 hours and it just made a big difference.

Out of the box it sounds constricted,lifeless,harsh, and fatiguing. The mid treble is outright painful. The bass response lacking definition, and midrange about the only tolerable aspect out of the box. So DO run them in. Use music, pink noise or whatever to get these headphones run in, or broken in before any critical listening.

Impressions: Source, Tascam 52 Reel to Reel. Listening to David Benoit with American Landscape, incredible detail and resolution and authority in the bass with no smearing or veiling like my Sennheisers do. David's piano just has incredible realism with the strike, sustain, and finally that finessed release. Dynamics are amazing from extremely soft to very loud, the K701 never loses control. High hat, and ride symbols, have the right sound to them in that they are yes splashy, but not in that slow hashed hard sort of way. Which shows great transient response.

I love my HD-580s but they just can't resolve the way the K-701's do. Bass is more authorative with my HD-580s, however they lack the definition the K-701s have. I feel the concussive force of the percussion just not getting the precision on the HD-580 like the K701s.

On vocals that is the heart of the midrange, no matter whom I listen too, Karen Carpenter, Bruce Hornsby,Phil Collins, and on and on, the midrange is so right on the money. My Vincent CD-S6 which uses a 12au7 output tube for the headphone stage just was amazing in how it showed how well the layering and textures of the music shown through. Good ambient recovery, and open airy sound. For once I could listen to CD's without getting tired. The tubed output stage surprised me how well it drove these K701s.

Though my Tascam 52 being analog taking the digital bite out of the music is my new favorite. Running the tape at 15 inches per second..yes professional speed, I won't get a solid hour of music, but wow is it good the time I do get. The AKG-701s make me sorry that there isn't any more tape. Before I know it, it is the tail and that is all folks...sigh.

The AKG K-701 is one of those products that really show you that you did not make a poor decision on investing in great audio gear. Really a must if you want to get the most out of these. The addition of a separate headphone amplifier is in the cards in the future. Possibly one of the Headroom home series amplifiers. These are NOT cheap, but if you want a $450.00 pair of headphones to show their magic, these are almost mandatory. High impedance makes these a bust for any portable/mobile device. You need the current drive from the headphone stage to wake up these headphones.

Just for fun I tried my I-pod 30 gigabyte/video ipod. Instantly laughable performance. Driving the level up to almost full, the Ipod loses dynamics, and control of the performance, and struggles to make the K-701s work. The OP-AMPS in the i-pod while very linear, are NOT high current output devices. As if the battery performance wasn't bad enough already. Makes you wonder how fast the battery would die with higher current spec'd output Op-Amps.

Please try the AKG-24P just starting at about $35.00 to the AKG K-81DJ about a little less than $70.00 from headroom at Headphone.com if you are AKG committed for your portable/mobile listening. A much easier drive for the iPod or similar device.

So when I compare my Sennheiser HD-580 against the AKG-701 the bass response is fuller with the HD-580 and that is it. The AKG-701 does everything else better.

The AKG-K240 against the AKG-K701, the K701 sounds more detailed and open, with better harmonic and ambient retrieval that my veteran K240 just can't touch. Bass response up to the Treble response the K701 is clearly superior throughout the frequency bandpass. Input sensitivity is easier on my K240 with portable/mobile devices than the K701s, but I still would not recommend the K240 on these devices either.

So lets get to the who would buy this expensive hard to drive wonderful sounding set of headphones. Recording studios that can use open air designs should put this phone on their short list along with the Grado RS-1,Sennheiser HD-650. These AKG K701s have some pretty heady company here.

Audiophiles who do not need closed ear dynamic headphones because external noise is not a problem. You have a dedicated headphone amplifier, or a high current output headphone stage.

Now who should not buy these headphones. Mobile/portable users unless you use at least one of Headroom's portable headphones amplifiers.
The i-Pod and similar devices, and that includes computers too, just don't have the power needed to really drive these headphones effectively. Save money and buy the above mentioned headphones or chose a suitable alternatives from grado for instance.

As an aside, I do not work for the Headroom company, they just have a great headphone amplifier solution along with other headphone products. I bought my Sennheiser HD-580s from them. Happy with them, but the K701s just push my listening level to a whole higher level of quality.

Final thoughts. A remarkable headphone for the money given how much it gives you in return. Beautiful build quality is a plus. My K240s are still going after 25 years so reliability is strong suit with AKG headphones. I am looking forward for at least 25 more of great listening with these AKG-K701 headphones. Thank you for reading. V.C.