|
Post by jhelms on Sept 21, 2016 18:40:30 GMT
I was going to take a look at the drop but accidentally typed in massdroop.com. Sounds like a support group for middle aged men such as myself...fortunately it couldn't find a match as I suspect the pics wouldn't have been pleasant Have owned both but not at the same time and my recollection is that they are very similar. Some say the K7XX is a 're-badged' K712 others the K702 Pro Anniversary. To my ears (& unreliable memory) the K712 had a bit more sparkle / air up top and perhaps a bit better bass extension but also sounded a touch leaner/brighter. The K7XX I recall being a bit fuller / smoother / musical but there's really not a lot in it at all tbh. Both play nicely with tubes and pick up the characteristics well so you should be able to 'tweak' the sound to your liking. I'm sure Jeremy has a pair too so if you need some tube recommendations he'd likely be able to suggest some good 'uns that won't break the bank. I do have an original black set of 7xx's from the first drop. I did not expect to keep them, but I did (I am not much of a fan of previous AKG headphones). As stated by jellofund - I would agree they sound similar to an hd600 - when going back to back, they are akin to even a 650 (obvious differences but also clear similarities). So much so, I would find it difficult to choose the 650 due to the low cost of the 7XX. It just does so many things right for such a great price. The one thing I found that was rubbish on the 7xx was the cable. I am not talking sound quality, or quantifying all the anomalies everyone says they hear with cables.... I am talking the actual cable build quality is just crap and way to long! I swapped mine out for a much shorter, well built cable I found on fleabay. Build quality was excellent. Link to the cable from ebay
|
|
|
AKG K7XX
Sept 21, 2016 20:20:55 GMT
via mobile
Post by marveltone on Sept 21, 2016 20:20:55 GMT
Jeremy, have you had a chance (or the urge) to do any tube rolling with regards to the K7XX with a G1217 amp? My Starlight has the original JJ ECC82 you shipped it with, which has an overall nice sound. I am generally a fan of JJ tubes, as far as new tubes go; in fact, my guitar amp is stocked almost exclusively with JJs, as they sound decent, and are easy to get. I haven't played with anything with my Grados, as I didn't think they had the resolution to be worth it.
Just wondering about any major synergy between tubes and cans that I should be looking for.
|
|
|
AKG K7XX
Oct 8, 2016 18:03:55 GMT
via mobile
Post by marveltone on Oct 8, 2016 18:03:55 GMT
Received my K7XX in the mail today. We're hosting a bunch of friends for trail riding, hayride, and a bonfire, so not much time to sit down and get real acquainted, but I did do a quick, preliminary listen. I put on Alan Parsons Project's 'Gaudi'. I find that album gives me a real good feel for a general sound.
Initial report: Waaay smoother than my SR80e, but that was to be expected. I could immediately tell there's much more going on below 50hz, the treble end is not nearly as peaky and obnoxious, and so far, the mids seem to have a bit more body. Soundstage completely blows the Grados away.
Comfort? Not even a contest! I feel I could wear the AKG all day.
That's all I have time for right now. Time to go outside and play!
More later.
|
|
|
Post by marveltone on Oct 9, 2016 21:26:47 GMT
Today I pulled out my tube caddy and found a new GE 5751. The added gain allowed me to change the Starlight to the 2.5R output setting while keeping plenty of volume on tap. Really tamed the highs. I haven't decided yet if it took too much away, or if I should change back to a higher setting.
What's very clear is, through the K7XX, acoustic instruments absolutely shine and come to life! The best I've heard, to be honest. Even when they're mixed with heavily distorted electric guitars, they never get lost. Nickel Creek's 'This Side' album is a spectacular listen. My Grados never could do justice to it.
Bass is very even, crisp, and goes down very low. Just the right amount for my tastes. I love it. Makes me glad I didn't get the DT990.
I really, really, like these phones. Just a matter of fine tuning.
|
|
|
Post by jhelms on Oct 11, 2016 14:14:42 GMT
Jeremy, have you had a chance (or the urge) to do any tube rolling with regards to the K7XX with a G1217 amp? My Starlight has the original JJ ECC82 you shipped it with, which has an overall nice sound. I am generally a fan of JJ tubes, as far as new tubes go; in fact, my guitar amp is stocked almost exclusively with JJs, as they sound decent, and are easy to get. I haven't played with anything with my Grados, as I didn't think they had the resolution to be worth it. Just wondering about any major synergy between tubes and cans that I should be looking for. Did not see this - apologies! I like the 7XX most with a 6dj8 / 6922 / 6n23p. But as with anything tube, it is all subjective. Let your ears be your guide
|
|
|
Post by jhelms on Oct 11, 2016 14:16:09 GMT
Today I pulled out my tube caddy and found a new GE 5751. The added gain allowed me to change the Starlight to the 2.5R output setting while keeping plenty of volume on tap. Really tamed the highs. I haven't decided yet if it took too much away, or if I should change back to a higher setting. What's very clear is, through the K7XX, acoustic instruments absolutely shine and come to life! The best I've heard, to be honest. Even when they're mixed with heavily distorted electric guitars, they never get lost. Nickel Creek's 'This Side' album is a spectacular listen. My Grados never could do justice to it. Bass is very even, crisp, and goes down very low. Just the right amount for my tastes. I love it. Makes me glad I didn't get the DT990. I really, really, like these phones. Just a matter of fine tuning. Glad you are enjoying them! I really cannot think of a better bargain right now than the 7XX's $200ish price point. Very nice sound and VERY comphy as you stated!
|
|
|
AKG K7XX
Oct 11, 2016 16:24:02 GMT
via mobile
Post by marveltone on Oct 11, 2016 16:24:02 GMT
The 5751 brings more dynamics to the sound, as the K7XX really seem to respond to tube rolling. Only problem is the GE 5751 I have is a little noisy. Picks up too much hum from the computer. I switched back to the JJ ECC82 for now. I may have to dig around some more to see what else I can find. We tore apart some old organs a while back... Now, where did we put those tubes?
|
|
|
AKG K7XX
Oct 13, 2016 3:27:02 GMT
via mobile
Post by marveltone on Oct 13, 2016 3:27:02 GMT
Just for kicks, I was trying the 7XX through different sources today. HOLY COW! Do amps ever make the difference! I can totally see what everyone means when they say these are picky about amplification. Makes me love my Starlight all the more, as it seems to pair very nicely with the 7XX.
I've also found these phones are particularly great for live recordings. The AKGs really seem to be able to sort out the music from the room acoustics and crowd noise, and make sense of it all. Sounds very live and engaging, yet still defined. I have yet to encounter any sense of them sounding too sterile. They strike a very nice balance between crispness and warmth.
On a side note, it seems people on some of the other forums claim these need hundreds of hours of burn-in before they sound any good. I'm not sure I believe those claims. I think it's more a matter of them getting used to a new sound. I suppose in my case, the SR80s were so fatiguing (without realizing it), that any change was good, but still, they really did sound great out of the box.
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Oct 13, 2016 5:29:47 GMT
I also don't normally hear any sound differences from new to however many hours, Joe. I've only heard it once with a Superlux which had no bass for around thirty minutes and then it suddenly appeared. Whether that was a fault or burn in, I don't know.
I use the smooth K712 and also a K702 sometimes, portable with an amp. They both need an amp really. Although they work without, they can sound edgy without power behind them. Although low impedance they seem to need lots of current.
One that I found hard to get on with was the K701. For me, there was something amiss with the top end. To some extent, I get similar with the K702 but not as strong. It uses a harder pad which is angled so maybe that calms it down.
The AKG 7 series are pretty analytical and as you say, easily pick out acoustics.
Glad you like the k7**. Way better than the Grado.
|
|
|
AKG K7XX
Oct 18, 2016 0:46:30 GMT
via mobile
Post by marveltone on Oct 18, 2016 0:46:30 GMT
Just for kicks and because inquiring minds want to know, I pulled the pads off, removed the foam rings, and used them for templates. I made six rings out of some cheap craft felt we had laying around and installed three per side, in place of the foam. It was a bit too much for my tastes, as it sounded a bit too veiled on the top, so I removed one.
So far, I like it. It took a little edge off the treble peaks without sounding muffled, and to my ears, that slight reduction allowed me to hear the bass (maybe sub-bass) a little better. Sounds a bit more balanced. Perhaps slightly warmer, but still crisp. I like crisp. I'll leave it for a couple days and see if it sticks.
|
|
|
AKG K7XX
Oct 18, 2016 2:48:29 GMT
via mobile
Post by marveltone on Oct 18, 2016 2:48:29 GMT
Okay, I lied. I removed one more felt ring. Down to one per side. It still sounds fuller than stock, but retains the AKG air and shimmer I like. For whatever reason, the bass seems to jump out more with the felt in place rather than the foam. My uneducated guess is my ears and feeble brain just pick it out better with just a bit of treble reduction to balance it out.
Either way, absolutely no regrets, as these are a fun listen. I know AKGs aren't usually accused of being "fun", but these seem to hit the right buttons for me with just a minor tweak or two.
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Oct 18, 2016 6:04:36 GMT
I find that with 'tweaks' you can inadvertently remove the headphones 'character' which is often the reason that some people go for the headphone in the first place. So sometimes, a compromise is necessary.
I found that with my Sony mdr 1a. You can block all of its vents for a 'flatter' response, but it's no longer anything like the sound that I bought the Sony for!! So I went for something in between.
|
|
solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,881
|
Post by solderdude on Oct 18, 2016 7:24:10 GMT
I am working on a K712/K7xx filter. This is a weird one because of the 2kHz bump and 3kHz dip it is difficult to correct (or rather impossible for Kameleon).
I can only rely on graphs for this one.
So far I have added some subbass and lowered the clarity (between 1kHz and 4kHz) just a tad and removed the slight 7kHz peak. The K701/702 also show the same behaviour, bump at 2kHz, dip at 3kHz and a peak at 7kHz. The K701 is by far the 'worst' in the 7kHz peak followed by the K702 which is slightly lower. The K712 and K7xx are exactly the same and lower than K702 but still there despite the felt and foam.
The K7xx only differs from the K712 by having a bit more warmth/bass and so masking the treble a bit more.
So I intend to increase the clarity just a tiny bit (or should I say remove a tiny bit of warmth), lower the 7kHz peak (-4dB), add subbass and add some upper treble. This will translate into: slightly more 'body/grunt' and removes the slight 'harshness' in some recordings thereby improving the treble quality by making the treble smoother and have a smidgeon more 'shimmer' in the cymbals.
If that sounds about desirable I could design that filter. This filter would only work for stock K712 and K7xx
The K7xx filter will be slightly different in the bass.
|
|
|
AKG K7XX
Oct 31, 2016 3:44:23 GMT
via mobile
Post by marveltone on Oct 31, 2016 3:44:23 GMT
It's been over a week and I've come full circle. The remaining damping filters have been removed and the 7XX is back to stock. I suppose my ears (brain?) have gotten used to the AKG sound and now prefer it. The airiness, I think, is key. The tiny bit of peakiness I was able to tame ended up killing the air. I guess these phones do way more right than wrong, andafter a week of listening, the peaks don't seem nearly so problematic.
I drove halfway through the state this weekend to visit my college buds. I brought the AKGs and Starlight for them to listen to. They were pretty much gobsmacked by the combo, as this is way beyond anything they have ever owned. I think all that needs to be done is a bit of fine tuning via tube rolling.
So far, the more I use these, the more I like them. Definitely a zero regrets purchase.
|
|
|
Post by marveltone on Dec 29, 2016 3:57:02 GMT
Update: Played around with EasyQ. I'm amazed at how well these respond to a little EQ. This setting is vaguely similar to the Kameleon filter and results in smoother treble and more overall punch. Maybe someday I'll be able to save for a Kameleon. Meanwhile, there's this.
|
|