Headphones
AKG K 702 Black
Venerable industry leaders in recording studio headphones now give us the AKG K701 and K702 audiophile models, both top-of-the-line, full-size reference headphones with fabulous punch and an up-front presentation & competence across the audio spectrum. The K702 are nowhere near their sonic potential right out of the box; patience and a long 'break-in' period will be rewarded with a headful of snappy tunes. Truly a top-notch world-class headphone.
Product Features:
- Outstanding detail and impact from close tolerance aluminum voice coil design.
- Lightweight and comfortable, durable and well built.
- Easily replaceable ear-pads and cable for extended user life.
- Very well engineered by this excellent headphone maker.
- 2 Year Warranty
What's In The Box:
- 1/8" to 1/4" adapter
Applications:
AKG Acoustics in Austria has brought their considerable audio engineering skills into sharp focus on their high-end dynamic headphone designs and produced an astonishingly superb-sounding pair of cans in their flagship K701 and K702 models. Getting it absolutely right at this demanding level of reference-grade audio performance is tough and the K701/K702 get pretty darn near perfection. These headphones deliver a truly dynamic and texturally punchy sound, articulate and clear over the full audio spectrum. Precise musical detail connoisseurs should appreciate the clean punch and tightly focused bottom-end control of these headphones. Classical and acoustic music afficionados will likewise love the fact that the dynamic control moves right on up the frequency range to distinctly articulate every finger pluck and rosin-on-gut string texture present in the sound 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 analytical detail and a liquid immediacy that demands your full attention. And... oh!... what a lovely musical demand it is!
The major difference between the K701 and K702 --other than the color -- is the K702 offers a detachable headphone cable while the K701 cord is a fixed hard-wired assembly. In the case of the K702, AKG has done a nice job equaling the audio performance of the world-famous K701 design. Both of these cans have a number of unique features that create a dramatic improvement over previous AKG 'best-of-category' headphones. Their dynamic range extension and clarity of musical detail & texture is directly improved by a revolutionary proprietary AKG Varimotion diaphragm that is designed to provide smoother pistonic motion and better acoustic resonance control. Further, AKG's revolutionary flat-wound voice coil design allows for greater concentrations of the magnetic field within the coil, thus driving the element diaphragm with more authority to deliver a cleaner and ultra-articulate response.
Our own HeadRoom experiences with the K702 echoes the widely held assumption that the headphones require a REALLY extensive chunk of burn-in / play-time to fully 'relax' sonically & sound its very best, so assume a similar MINIMUM 200-300 hours of play-time with the K702 before the audio pleasure of these cans is fully realized. The soft fabric 'ergonomically-perfect' earcup cushions are a soft velour material -- very comfortable -- and are designed to angle the drivers precisely at the ear for a more correct listening experience. The K702's fully detachable cord links to the headphones using a 3-pin 'mini-XLR' plug system that offers secure connectivity plus ease of cable replacement should it ever become needed. High-end after-market AUDIOPHILE cords are also available (see below). The headphone cord terminates to a 1/8" [3.5mm] plug with a 'screw-type' 1/4" [6.3mm] plug adapter included. We love the K702's cool blue-black color scheme, which we think is understated and rather sleek-looking. We also think most listeners will enjoy how amazingly comfortable these headphones feel on the head with their well-designed, albeit slightly oversize ergonomics. By the way, the headphone stand included with the K701 is NOT provided with the K702 model. Conclusions: A world-class A-1 audiophile reference headphone and heartily recommended! ... Thanks, AKG!
FYI: For listeners wishing to use the AKG k702 with portable audio players like iPods, MP3 players, & PCs/laptops, a dedicated headphone amp of some sort is simply a must for maximized audio performance due to the headphone's VERY low sensitivity -- despite its fairly efficient 62-ohm impedance rating. Our entry-level HeadRoom 'Mobile Line' portable headphone amps ($99-$159usd) will do the trick nicely but the more powerful, accurate, and dynamically-quick HeadRoom 'Micro' series of products come very highly recommended for this superb headphone.
Other Recommended Accesories:
For serious AKG K702 listeners, HeadRoom highly recommends investing in an upgraded K702 replacement headphone cord from Cardas Audio. Cardas headphone cords are renown for significantly improving dynamic range 'quickness' and extension, soundstage imaging depth & spatiality, and overall musical detail resolution clarity. It's certainly a quick worthwhile upgrade for audiophiles looking to make their beloved AKG K702 headphones perform at the very top of their game.
Cardas Audio AKG K702 headphone replacement cords are available in 10ft, 15ft, and 20ft lengths:
Cardas AKG K702 Headphone Replacement Cord
Specifications:
- Cord Type: Straight Left-Side
- Coupler Size: Large
- Manufacturer Warranty: 2 years
- Cord Length: 10 ft. (3 m)
- Weight: 235 g (8.3 oz.)
- Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/V
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Detachable Cable: Yes
- Connector Type: 1/8" with 1/4" adaptor
- Noise Cancelling: No
- Microphone: No
- Wireless: No
- Warranty: 2 Years
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 62 ohms
- Ear Coupler Type: Full-Size
- Acoustic Seal: Open
- Headphone Type: Full Size
Additional Resources:
- Manufacturer's Website
- AKG USA website
- Product Reviews
- Tom Martin, Playback
- Steve Guttenberg, CNET
Average Rating
Posted by Rasto from Slovakia, Europe on 2010-02-14
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Detail, Bass, Price
Cons: No
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Posted by Asr from CO on 2010-02-11
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Soundstage, good level of detail, overall instrument separation & clarity
Cons: Needs good headphone amp & source, limited applicability with multiple music genres
But enough of the praise because the K702 isn't what I'd call stellar in every aspect. I'll start first by saying that the K702 is identical in sound quality to the K701 - I did own both at the same time to find out for myself. The main reason to get the K702 instead is for its cool midnight-blue color and detachable cable - however, unlike the K701 the K702 *cannot* be re-cabled to balanced.
I've been fortunate enough to hear lots of headphones over the last 3+ years (mostly by traveling to meet lots of like-minded headphone listeners who have had some seriously crazy gear stashes), most of which are considerably more expensive than the K701/K702 ("K70x" from here on out), so I'll try to put these headphones into proper context.
Sure, they're detailed, obviously more than headphones that are cheaper, but the level of detail is really nothing special when you compare them to similarly priced competitors, and of course more expensive headphones. In the same approximate price range I found both the Sony SA5000 and Beyerdynamic DT880 to have an extra degree of detail (well they're also very treble-tilted but that's beside my point). The SA5000 and DT880 simply have a more "clear" sound that masks the entire frequency spectrum less and just allow you to hear more densely-packed subtleties.
The K70x are also moderately fast in terms of their impulse response but in order to get the best possible impulse response, you need to amp them with a really good amp and even then they won't take home any awards for their speed, even at their price - the Sony SA5000 for example is considerably faster, as are other headphones from Audio-Technica and Grado, and there are also a few electrostatic headphones in this price range too. The K70x doesn't really "blur" fast & incisive notes but neither does it make them "pop" with clarity, it's sort of in between.
The soundstage is a double-edged sword - it's very large and open with a killer vanishing effect (instruments can sound like they're literally suspended around and in front of you), but the K70x imposes this soundstage on everything regardless of the recording. It can work for music like classical and jazz, but probably the last thing you want if you're an avid rock or metal listener.
The sound quality is also somewhat of a double-edged sword. The overall sound is quite laid-back (compared to notably the Senn HD600/HD650 and especially Grados) and there isn't that much mid-range either (except in the female vocal range), so full-range instruments and voices won't exactly exude a ton of body and weight, which can come off as sounding a bit "disembodied." This makes the K70x less than ideal for genres like prog rock, metal, & some electronica where a lot can depend on driving bass & mid-range, but it's not as bad with genres like classical, jazz, folk, even some classic rock.
To boil it down, I think the K70x is at best an "average" headphone for the price. It's not terrible in any one area but not really outstanding in any either. Not that it's "bad" per se, I just don't think it's great - but on the other hand, you really have to spend serious money to get something better-sounding (like $1.4K for the Sennheiser HD800, for example). Also keep in mind that the K70x needs both a high-quality source component and headphone amp to perform its best - in fact, I would suggest not buying these if you intend to use them straight from a computer or portable DAP. That said, it's still probably the headphone to get if your budget is under $500 and you don't mind a general "neutrality" to the sound quality (with a large soundstage to boot), and you have a good source & amp too (or plan to acquire them).
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Posted by jchandler3 from Ashland, OH on 2010-02-10
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Clear, articulate, smooth, great price!
Cons: A little lean in the bass, built quality not what I expected
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