Headphones
AKG K 701 White
European leaders in recording studio audio deliver the AKG K701, a top-of-the-line full-size headphone with astonishing clarity, 'up-front' detail resolution and true competence across the musical spectrum. The K701 are nowhere near their acoustic potential out of the box; patience and a long burn-in period gets rewarded with pristine accuracy and an expansive, spacious soundstage image that directly competes with +$1,000 cans. Highly recommended world-class audiophile sound at a WAY lower price than many headphones of this caliber.
add to wishlist |
email to a friend
Product Features:
- Outstanding detail and impact from close tolerance aluminum voice coil design.
- Lightweight and comfortable, durable and well built.
- Optional re-cabling for standard and balanced operation available.
- Easily replaceable ear-pads for extended user life.
- Very well engineer by this excellent headphone maker.
- 2 Year Warranty
What's In The Box:
- Storage Cradle
- 1/4" to 1/8" stereo adapter
Applications:
AKG Acoustics in Austria has brought their considerable audio engineering skills into sharp focus on their most high-end dynamic headphone design and produced an astonishingly superb-sounding pair of cans in their flagship K701 model. Getting it absolutely right at this demanding level of reference-grade audio performance is tough and the K701 gets pretty darn near perfection -- especially impressive given the K701 price versus other cans of this performance caliber. These headphones deliver a clean and punchy sound, articulate and completely clear over the full audio spectrum. Accurate musical detail lovers should appreciate the tightly focused bottom-end control of these headphones while classical, orchestral and acoustic listeners will likewise love the fact that the dynamic control moves perfectly up the frequency range to distinctly articulate every finger pluck and rosin-on-gut string texture in the mix. About the only thing that we can possibly say bad about these headphones is that those who like a very laid-back, mellow-sounding, or heavy bass presentation might want to look elsewhere since these are certainly highly refined, audiophile-oriented headphones that deliver a deeply expansive soundstage image along with a textural detail and a liquid immediacy that demands your attention. And oh!...what a lovely musical demand it is!
We highly appreciate when a headphone manufacturer does a nice job evolving their products and in this case AKG has done more than just a nice job. These cans have a number of unique features that create a pretty dramatic improvement over previous AKG 'best-of-category' headphones. Their audio response is directly improved by a brand-new proprietary AKG Varimotion diaphragm that is designed to provide better pistonic motion and acoustic control. In addition, a revolutionary flat-wound voice coil design allows for greater concentrations of the magnetic field within the voice coil, thus driving the element diaphragm with more authority, which delivers a cleaner, ultra-articulate sound. Our HeadRoom experience with the K701 is that it requires a REALLY extensive chunk of burn-in / play-time to fully 'relax' sonically & sound its very best, so please assume a MINIMUM 300 hours of play-time before the full audio pleasure of these cans is completely realized. The new 'ergonomically-perfect' earcup ear pads are a soft velour-type material, very comfortable, and are designed to point the driver at the ear for a more correct listening angle. The high-end oxygen-free copper headphone cable is 'bi-wired', which we assume means the return channel for each driver remains separate until it reaches the common ground connection on the 1/4" plug. We think the K701's white color scheme is quite striking and visually effective. And if you don't particularly like the color, you'll still love how amazingly light and comfortable these headphones feel on the head with their well-designed, albeit slightly oversize ergonomics. An absolutely world-class A-1 audiophile headphone and heartily recommended! GREAT job, AKG!
Headphone Amplifier: For listeners wishing to use the AKG K701 with portable players like an iPod, iPad, MP3 player or computer, a dedicated headphone amp becomes a must for maximized audio performance due to the K701's low sensitivity, despite its fairly efficient 62 Ohm impedance. No harm using the K701 headphones sans amp, but it may likely sound a bit thin, dynamically flat or "choked off' direct from low-power portables. Our entry HeadRoom 'Mobile Line' portable headphone amps ($99-$159usd) will do the trick nicely. However, the much more accurate, robust and dynamically-quick HeadRoom Micro Amp or Desktop Amp are well-recommended for this superb reference headphone.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/V
- Manufacturer Warranty: 2 Years
- Headphone Type: Full Size
- Connector Type: 1/4
- Weight: 235 g (8.3 oz.)
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 62 Ohms
- Detachable Cable: No
- Cord Length: 10 ft. (3 m)
- Cord Type: Straight Left-Side
- Coupler Size: Large
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Acoustic Seal: Open
Additional Resources:
Average Rating
Posted by Mishalex from New York, NY on 2011-11-17
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Amazing detail, instrument separation and soundstage at this price
Cons: Extensive burn-in & an amp are required; not the greatest bass reproduction
I find the AKGs to be a slightly warm sounding, inviting yet analytic headphone, and a great all-around contender. There are really only two drawbacks to these headphones. The first is that, while the bass response is incredibly tight, controlled and well-extended, it doesn't have as much weight or body as you might be used to, and this fact is sure to disappoint bassheads, but I actually like it quite a lot, and I do listen to many bass-heavy genres. The second drawback is that while these headphones have an incredily wide soundstage, with great instrument separation, the soundstage isn't so much a "front and center" presentation. The sound feels like it comes from the sides, with a slightly disembodied, though very accurate instrument presentation, which is annoying to those who believe a headphone should reproduce live sound as "faithfully" as possible. Overall, they are something of a middle ground between the more laid-back Sennheiser 650s and the extremely revealing and flat-sounding Beyers which are slightly better for studio work. A very nice listen, though I slightly prefer the Senn 650s for exteneded listening sessions.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by Kronsteen from Boston on 2011-08-31
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Awesome sound!
Cons: None
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by Headphone high from Seattle on 2011-03-27
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: So satisfying to listen to.
Cons: Impossible to wear in stock configuration. What were they thinking of appearance.
12 out of 17 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
