AKG K701 Headphone Reviews (China and Austrian Made)

[restorer-john]

Wasn't this used by Quincy Jones during the creation of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album? Crazy that it's not that great. I wonder if the Q701 is any better.

Thriller was made in 1982. The AKG K-701s didn't appear until around 2006, some 24 years later...

Unless Quincy Jones had Doc Emmett Brown's De-Lorean and a fully charged flux capacitor, he was using something else.

 

[stevenswall]

Thriller was made in 1982. The AKG K-701s didn't appear until around 2006, some 24 years later...

Unless Quincy Jones had Doc Emmett Brown's De-Lorean and a fully charged fux capacitor, he was using something else.

I swear there was an old picture with text over it talking about it. Guess it couldn't be that album then.

 

[restorer-john]

I swear there was an old picture with text over it talking about it. Guess it couldn't be that album then.

Maybe QJ used K/Q701s when he 're-mastered' Thriller for its 25th anniversary release? That would explain it.

 

[thewas]

As said it is more marketing:

Quincy Jones Signature
There is a good reason why music producer Quincy Jones took on these headphones and adorned them with his name. Even he says about the series:
„These are the only headphones I've heard that bring out the true sound we were striving for on records like ’Billie Jean’, Thriller’ and Give Me the Night’.“

Source: https://www.bax-shop.de/akg-q701-black-quincy-jones-signature-kopfhorer

 

[restorer-john]

As said it is more marketing:

Quincy Jones Signature
There is a good reason why music producer Quincy Jones took on these headphones and adorned them with his name. Even he says about the series:
„These are the only headphones I've heard that bring out the true sound we were striving for on records like ’Billie Jean’, Thriller’ and Give Me the Night’.“

Source: https://www.bax-shop.de/akg-q701-black-quincy-jones-signature-kopfhorer

Just another Harman marketing scam- those clowns bought AKG in 1994! In 1980 (when Benson recorded Give Me the Night), maybe the AKG-140 was around, not sure about the 240.

I'll bet they were using speakers and not headphones and if they were, it was likely Koss Pro 4AAs...

 

[SamV]

Wasn't this used by Quincy Jones during the creation of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album? Crazy that it's not that great. I wonder if the Q701 is any better.

My experience is that K701, K702, K712, and Q701, are pretty much the same headphone.

 

[Atratusnex]

My experience is that K701, K702, K712, and Q701, are pretty much the same headphone.

K701 and Q701... Sure. K702 has angled pads, but is sonically similar.
K712 / k702 anv are quite different, far darker.

diyaudioheaven

 

[xaon60]

Hello, can someone help me?
I would like to use Equalizer Apo with Qobuz.
When I installed the equalizer, I selected "Topping USB DAC" from the list.
From Quobuz I tried WASAPI, DirectSound, Topping USB Audio Device, but nothing changes if I play with Equalizer Apo.
It's just to try to slightly modify the response curve of my headphones k701, out of curiosity.

 

[staticV3]

@xaon60 right-click your DAC in the Sound Control Panel ->Preferences->Advanced and make sure there is a checkmark on "Enable sound enhancements". That's EQApo. If that option is missing, then you didn't install EQApo correctly.

If sound enhancements is there and enabled, open the Configuration Editor, add a pre amp and set that to -10dB.
Now open YouTube, start playing something, and toggle the pre amp on/off in the Configuration Editor. Do you hear how the volume changes?

 

[xaon60]

Problem solved, thank you

 

[xavx]

Has anyone found deeper and softer earpads than the original to increase comfort and soundstage for the K701/702 ?

 

[Robbo99999]

Has anyone found deeper and softer earpads than the original to increase comfort and soundstage for the K701/702 ?

Search for the following amazon product number: B07ZTYQNQL
I'm a K702 owner of 3 units bought between 2015 and 2022, and I find these aftermarket pads to be very close to the original K702 pad that I received on my 2015 K702. Through the years on the K702 the pads seem to have changed a little in depth and softness - I've found 2015 K702 had deep and quite soft pads, 2019 K702 had pretty shallow and hard pads, 2022 K702 had returned to quite deep and quite soft pads of the 2015 K702. I think the aftermarket pads I linked you are very close to the original pad used by K702 in 2015 and also the one now being used in 2022. I don't have any official word from AKG on what & if they have changed their pads through the years, but my experience points to some pad changes over the years, or at least some inconsistency in manufacture. I measured those aftermarket pads I got from Amazon, I measured them on the same unit vs the 2022 AKG pads and they measure really quite similar, so the benefit of using the aftermarket pads I gave you the code for is that they don't change the measurement much & therefore things like Oratory EQ's will still be valid for you to use. Following is this aftermarket pad vs the 2022 AKG pad measured on miniDSP EARS (the blue line is with the stock genuine AKG pads from 2022):

 

[Luke Lemke]

Search for the following amazon product number: B07ZTYQNQL
I'm a K702 owner of 3 units bought between 2015 and 2022, and I find these aftermarket pads to be very close to the original K702 pad that I received on my 2015 K702. Through the years on the K702 the pads seem to have changed a little in depth and softness - I've found 2015 K702 had deep and quite soft pads, 2019 K702 had pretty shallow and hard pads, 2022 K702 had returned to quite deep and quite soft pads of the 2015 K702. I think the aftermarket pads I linked you are very close to the original pad used by K702 in 2015 and also the one now being used in 2022. I don't have any official word from AKG on what & if they have changed their pads through the years, but my experience points to some pad changes over the years, or at least some inconsistency in manufacture. I measured those aftermarket pads I got from Amazon, I measured them on the same unit vs the 2022 AKG pads and they measure really quite similar, so the benefit of using the aftermarket pads I gave you the code for is that they don't change the measurement much & therefore things like Oratory EQ's will still be valid for you to use. Following is this aftermarket pad vs the 2022 AKG pad measured on miniDSP EARS (the blue line is with the stock genuine AKG pads from 2022):
View attachment 250631

Thanks for this recommendation. I've tried some pads from Aliexpress and they were just horrible.

 

[xavx]

Thanks for this recommendation. I've tried some pads from Aliexpress and they were just horrible.

I'm actually looking for Aliexpress pads but not horrible ones Got my K702 for twice the price of these amazon pads. I don't mind if they change the FR (can still EQ after) as long as they are deeper and softer.

 

[Luke Lemke]

I'm actually looking for Aliexpress pads but not horrible ones Got my K702 for twice the price of these amazon pads. I don't mind if they change the FR (can still EQ after) as long as they are deeper and softer.

I'm afraid they're not deeper nor softer. They basically erase all low frequencies.

 

[drewdawg999]

I'm listening to my old pair of K701s made in Austria, and find them quite enjoyable. I think they sound better on tubes, or at least on my old Doge 6210 compared to my JDS Atom. They are a bit light on the bass, but if you crank it you can get a good bit of slam. Strength is its wide soundstage, effects reach far. Switch between these and HD580s and most of the time prefer the Sennheisers, but the AKG makes for a good change of pace with a light yet detailed touch.

 

[Robbo99999]

Our ears don't have the same frequency response so it's fine our brain can acclimate easy , they are made for mixing purpose and they excel on that regard, in terms of depth width soundstage they are one of most accurate ,we have heard amazing records made on speakers that I'm sure did not have the exact frequency response like ns10 for instance , making everything exactly the same ore flat can make things sound sterile

Our brains do indeed acclimate quite easily to different frequency responses but that doesn't mean you can't get a benefit from using a headphone with an optimised frequency response, which for me in my experience is the Harman Curve. I've got K702 which is very similar to K701, so I agree with your soundstage comment that K701 soundstage would be good. I don't really know the point you're making re NS10 and how that relates, but when you say "making everything exactly the same ore flat can make things sound sterile" then research & most people would not agree with that - as in the research & most people understand that Anechoic Flat Speakers are the best target for speakers, and likewise Harman Headphone Curve for headphones (albeit there is more debate & indecision around the headphone target). To get best results from K701 & K702 then they would need to be EQ'd.

 

[Deckard01]

Hello do you know please where can i find replacement earpads for K701. Thomann are a bit expensive.

Is there something from ebay or amazon that is original and same as the default?

Thanks for all!

 

[solderdude]

When you don't want the sound to change much buy the originals.
With amazon/aliexpress/alibaba pads it is a crap shoot and can sound anything between better and much worse but seldom exactly the same.

 

[Robbo99999]

Media and post removed as Spam by Moderators

K702 are nothing like Anechoic Flat speakers in a room unless you use EQ, so by extension the K701 also won't be (because they're similar in frequency response). My K702 without EQ are way too bright to be anything like Anechoic Flat Speakers.