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RxSora
4
Nov 2, 2015
New wannabe audiophile here. Joined on the drop due to some very strong recommendation from a friend who knows his stuff and was screaming his lungs off (in text) telling me to get it. Want to say it's an honor to get my hands on quality headphones here but could I asks some questions about the k7xx line?
What is it that sets it apart from other referencing headphones on the market? Friend was telling me it goes into the top 3 along with the HD 650 and the DT 880 within its price range. Would someone be kind enough to shed some light on me whether it be it a link or a explanation? Much appreciated.
MassEDU
182
Nov 2, 2015
RxSoraWelcome! Questions answered in order ( and of course this is all my personal opinion):
- Yes, of course you can! :) - What sets the K7XX apart is its great value. Many competitors would likely offer something like this for about twice the price or more. Heck, AKG more-or-less still do in the form of the very similar K712 Pro (and the K702 65th Anniversary Edition, which were essentially an Austrian-made K7XX). Even at double the price, the K7XX would easily compete with anything in that range, from a technical standpoint. The headphone market offers so many choices nowadays that I don't know how your friend came up with that ranking :D . However, the K7XX offers a high performance:price ratio. - The more I listen to them the more I appreciate their versatility. No glaring faults. Sound is spacious and detailed yet musical and enjoyable. Note: these are open headphones and they leak sound, so they're best used in a quiet environment (for example: at home). I don't meant to sound like I'm over-hyping them but I feel like anything beyond the K7XX enters the realm of diminishing returns. Much pricier options would mostly offer a different sound signature. Just try to pair them with a decent amp or DAC/amp to draw out more of their potential.
Here's a great review:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k7xx/reviews/13116
Hope that helps.
cyr32
4
Nov 2, 2015
RxSorahttp://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/super-best-audio-friends-leaderboard.26/
If you don't mind being limited to home use, you can definitely do a lot worse for 200 USD. Like Beats by Dr D*e.
RxSora
4
Nov 2, 2015
MassEDUThanks for the reply! Would there be any DAC/Amps you would recommend?
TheRealVlad
91
Nov 2, 2015
RxSoraFor 7xx and many other get Schiit Vali. If your really broke get Bravo V1 (not V2 or V3 as V1 comes with nice tube).
MassEDU
182
Nov 2, 2015
RxSoraYou're welcome. I'll assume you won't want anything too pricey to start. I use the CEntrance DACport Slim (another Massdrop exclusive). It's simple, effective and pairs quite nicely with the K7XX IMO. Other options include the Schiit Fulla and the Fiio E10K.
RxSora
4
Nov 3, 2015
MassEDUSeems well within my budget, thanks! But would you recommend those all-in-one models or to get them separately? Does it matter? Is there a huge difference?
danielfitts88
17
Nov 3, 2015
MassEDUim using the e10k with my k7xx. im using it on high gain with bass turned on. i also usually run it just around 4 to 5. i really like it
MassEDU
182
Nov 3, 2015
RxSoraDedicated DACs + Amps vs "all-in-one" DAC/Amps is generally a non-issue as long as you can provide the necessary power to your headphones. Otherwise, pick whatever implementation you like more within your budget. Unless you're looking for a more powerful amp, a different sound signature (ex. tube amps) or certain inputs/outputs the difference is not huge past a certain point.
m0arpheus
433
Nov 4, 2015
MassEDUHey MassEDU (cool name by the way), you seem really helpful. I have a Creative Sound Blaster Z soundcard in my PC. I know very little about audio equipment, so would this be able to power these headphones to help them deliver the sound they truly can? Thanks yo!
RxSora
4
Nov 4, 2015
MassEDUAgain, thanks for the great response! This will probably be my last question. So after going through my budget and narrowing down some recommendations here and on the net, I've come up with:
- Schiit Fulla - Schiit Magni + Modi - Fiio E10K
- CEntrance DACport Slim - Massdrop O2+ODAC (revB)
Out of these, I think the Fulla or Fiio will do just fine but can't seem to let go of the idea of the Magni + Modi. Do you have any experience with any of these and any advice/insight you'd give regarding them?
whatup69
92
Nov 4, 2015
RxSoraFor what it costs, the DACport slim is the easy pick. Listening to the pairing right now.
Voxel1
2
Nov 4, 2015
RxSoraI have the E10K. I bet a schiit stack or a dacport slim would drive it better.
cagljevic
6
Nov 4, 2015
RxSoraI agree with these two recommendations. I own both the E10/E10K and the DACport Slim and without hesitation I would recommend the DACport Slim. For its size and price, its unmatched.
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MassEDU
182
Nov 5, 2015
RxSoraYou've got a lot of great responses already and I agree with them. Besides the Slim, I personally haven't tried the other choices. The Slim has a neutral-slightly warm tilt (ie. subtle bass emphasis) without sacrificing transparency and detail.
I've even heard on more than one occasion that the Slim is on-par with the O2+ODAC with regards to the K7XX. The O2+ODAC has a more powerful amp but supposedly has a more neutral presentation. It's a good choice but I feel like that neutrality might not be the best fit for an already transparent K7XX. If you don't need the RCA jacks, I'd take the cheaper Slim over it for the K7XX. The Schiit MM directly competes with the O2+ODAC. Again another good choice but again I doubt it'll sound noticeably better or worse than the cheaper Slim.
I have a friend that uses the Fulla with the K7XX. Although the Fulla pushes the K7XX fine, we both came to the conclusion that the Slim is easily a better version of the Fulla in virtually every way. The Fiio E10K is also decent, supposedly with a neutral-slightly warm tilt as well, not to mention its bass boost switch. However, it might not have as resolving a DAC as the recent (and well-received) AK4490 chip found in the Slim. I totally don't mean to sound like a CEntrance spokesperson but I honestly feel like the Slim is as good a sub-$100 pairing as you can get for the K7XX. You'd have to get much pricier options to notice a difference. My opinions of course.
Almost forgot to mention this DAC/Amp also at $99 (It can definitely push the K7XX but I know less about how it pairs with the K7XX, aka "synergy", but it appears quite capable):
http://www.amazon.com/Micca-OriGen-High-Resolution-Preamplifier/dp/B00V7K5UJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446703728&sr=8-1&keywords=micca+origen
There's a video review of it on YouTube ("Z Reviews").
MassEDU
182
Nov 7, 2015
m0arpheusHi! Thanks m0arpheus (I see what you did there). I have no personal experience with the Creative Sound Blaster Z series and know little about it. However here's what I'm understanding: there appears to be a Sound Blaster Z, a Sound Blaster Zx and a Sound Blaster ZxR model. Creative makes their specs somewhat hard to find.
The K7XX is not the most demanding but it scales well and can be tricky to drive. The ZxR model has the more powerful/capable amp of them and should drive the K7XX better than the Z model. The Z has a weaker amp and a higher than desirable output impedance that's set at ~22ohms. Generally the lower the better; at least 1/8th of headphone impedance is recommended to minimize the odds of sound distortion. Therefore even though the Z should be O.K. with the K7XX, I find it hard to tell. I mean my iPad drives my K7XX adequately to me but the sound quality is not quite the same as from my DAC/Amp (the iPad also has a low output impedance).
If you decide to get the K7XX, I'd say buy and listen first. If you're not happy with the sound (taking into account your sound signature bias), then consider a decent amp or DAC/Amp. If you want, you can also ask actual owners here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/623079/creative-sound-blaster-new-series-z-zx-zxr
airjames
10
Nov 7, 2015
TheRealVladV3 comes with the EH tube though. Isn't that any good?
matthiascarroll
0
Nov 8, 2015
cagljevicLovin the Sony Mdr-v6's. I have a pair and replaced the original ear pads with a $20 memory foam pair from brainwavez, I recommend it.
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