[RMesser9]

I just purchased some Yaxi pads which should be coming in Friday. They were meant for the Q701 and K712, but I got it out of sheer curiosity to hear they compare to the stock pads.

 

[jrhill]

That's interesting, what are they? - looking forwards to the results - I've found big differences in aftermarket/better Dekoni pads for my HiFiman He-500s, maybe similar for the AKGs ...

Strangely, I'm off to audition an Auralic Altair G1 streamer (high-end streamer/dacs is new territory - well outside my comfort zone!) and taking "ye olde k701"s as a reference - strange isn't it to use an old $300 headphone to audition an 'ex-demo' $3k streamer

 

[RMesser9]

That's interesting, what are they? - looking forwards to the results - I've found big differences in aftermarket/better Dekoni pads for my HiFiman He-500s, maybe similar for the AKGs ...

Strangely, I'm off to audition an Auralic Altair G1 streamer (high-end streamer/dacs is new territory - well outside my comfort zone!) and taking "ye olde k701"s as a reference - strange isn't it to use an old $300 headphone to audition an 'ex-demo' $3k streamer

They seem to be Alcantara-type pads. They're the only pads Yaxi sells for the K7 series. I'm not sure how similar the Q701 is to the K701, but the pads are supposed to smooth out the highs and give more warmth to the sound. I thought about getting Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin or Velour pads also, but decided to wait on it.

 

[RMesser9]

Definitely not strange at all. If it's a great headphone, it's a great headphone. Let me know about how the audition went, and how the experience was paired with the 701. I haven't tried a streamer yet.

 

[jrhill]

Well, I've got to say this Auralic gadget (Auralic Altairis bloody amazing sound - I thought that 'tweaking' the freq response on the RME ADC-2 dac gave good results but this new streamer unit, without any alteration in freq response, is extraordinary and also similar results with the Hifi man planars.

Mind you, this is at a rather different price point as they retail somewhere around the A$4k+ but the improvement in the sound quality is quite a surprise - the discount (thank godness!) for the superseded version makes it affordable, just!

When you add the cost of a tablet to run it and even using existing HDD, hub and cable, the sale of the other gear should help offset the cost - interesting indeed!

 

[RMesser9]

Well, I am ready to give my first impressions on the K701 with the Yaxi K712/Q701 Comfort Pads.

TL;DR: The sound changes from a cold, analytical sound, to a smooth, midrange-focused sound. It retains the signature 2kHz shout.

Comfort
I already thought the stock pads were pretty comfortable, but the Yaxi pads, in my opinion, are even more comfortable. They're like soft pillows on your head.

Bass
The bass, mainly in the mid-bass, gets a nice boost that never gets muddy or boomy. It's clean and tight, albeit still on the leaner side. I think the bass extends a bit more too, which is nice. Remember, I haven't done the bass mod.

Lower Midrange
Along with the bass, the lower mids also gets a boost but not overdone in any way. This especially helps with male vocals, which could sound thin with stock pads.

Treble
Those mid-treble peaks on stock are pretty much gone. The high end is now on the smoother, slightly dark side, and more enjoyable on a variety of music.
This also means there isn't as much air now, though it is still present.

Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage is not as wide as stock, but imaging becomes more cohesive as a result. One of the issues people have with AKG headphones, including myself, is that you get
the left and right image, but the center image can feel blurry. Because it's more closed in (in comparison), the center image seems more clear with Yaxi pads.

Upper Midrange
I saved this part for last, because the biggest problem with the K701 stock tuning is...still here, and probably even worse. Because the treble is recessed and not
masking the sound as much, that 2kHz peak sounds a lot more shouty than it already is. On some songs, it's not a huge problem. On others, oh boy...

EQ
This EqualizerAPO profile fixes the upper-mid shout.

Preamp: -0.1 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 2400 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 2.0

 

[whirlwind]

I am looking into getting an AKG 701 for gaming,

I had one years ago and liked it.

Is there a preference as to Austria made vs others.

Thanks for any info.

 

[capetownwatches]

As I'm sure you know the K701 is only Made in China since a number of years ago.
So if you want brand new you cannot get Made in Austria.

Is it worthwhile buying a pre-loved Austria model?
Personally no, the differences I heard could easily be explained by numerous factors.
They should sound the same within the normal unit tolerances.

Excellent gaming headphone IMHO.

PS Build quality (important for gaming) is the same too. In fact the current models might even be slightly better put together!

 

[jrhill]

I've used a couple of the Dekoni Sheepskin and Velour pads and I'd recommend either of them - like the above comments with the Yaxi pads, the Dekoni also seem to have similar effects -the only downside is they do hot in the summer weather.

 

[whirlwind]

As I'm sure you know the K701 is only Made in China since a number of years ago.
So if you want brand new you cannot get Made in Austria.

Is it worthwhile buying a pre-loved Austria model?
Personally no, the differences I heard could easily be explained by numerous factors.
They should sound the same within the normal unit tolerances.

Excellent gaming headphone IMHO.

PS Build quality (important for gaming) is the same too. In fact the current models might even be slightly better put together!

Thanks for the info

 

[gefski]

Just pulled out my K701 a couple days ago and have really been enjoying it with the QS amp. I think they “like” warmth and texture to go with the transparency they already have.

I will throw out a couple comments to the questions that have been recently been asked here. These are Austrian with the “7 bump” headband, don’t know the year they were new. They have the steeply angled earpads, providing a fair amount of narrow front - wide rear spacing when on the head while still sealing well. I’m not a gamer, but might guess this would be beneficial stage-wise for that hobby. For music, it’s nice separation without seeming unnatural to me. AKG, of course, did this before many other companies, for example Senn with their chassis and Audeze with their angled pads. The other that comes to mind when these were new is Stax Lambdas with the angled driver so many years.

I don’t know if they still come with angled pads or if such pads are available. I did have a K712 a few years ago and it had even depth pads all around.

Anyway, enjoy the K701s folks!!

 

[maheeinfy]

K701 sure like a warm amp
Is that a Yggy OG

 

[gefski]

K701 sure like a warm amp
Is that a Yggy OG

Yes it is, from 2018.

 

[buson160man]

Just pulled out my K701 a couple days ago and have really been enjoying it with the QS amp. I think they “like” warmth and texture to go with the transparency they already have.

I will throw out a couple comments to the questions that have been recently been asked here. These are Austrian with the “7 bump” headband, don’t know the year they were new. They have the steeply angled earpads, providing a fair amount of narrow front - wide rear spacing when on the head while still sealing well. I’m not a gamer, but might guess this would be beneficial stage-wise for that hobby. For music, it’s nice separation without seeming unnatural to me. AKG, of course, did this before many other companies, for example Senn with their chassis and Audeze with their angled pads. The other that comes to mind when these were new is Stax Lambdas with the angled driver so many years.

I don’t know if they still come with angled pads or if such pads are available. I did have a K712 a few years ago and it had even depth pads all around.

Anyway, enjoy the K701s folks!!

You want to try something interesting. When I had my Akg 701s(the headband on mine completely disintegrated on my old Austrian mane AKG 701s after 10 years of use) I upgraded the headphone plug on mine with the Furutech brass 1/4 inch plug and it made a pretty noticeable difference on the 701s. Much better overall sound with better bottom end and definitely worth the effort . On My akg 712s I have a Moon Audio Silver dragon cable with the Furutech carbon fiber 1/4 inch headphone plug. the 712 sounds great with the cable upgrade as well> The carbon fiber plug is better than the Furutech brass plug but ouch the price is pretty steep. For the money the Furutech 1/4 inch headphone plugs are hard to beat. You get a lot of bang for a small investment. So, try changing the stock plug on your

 

[buson160man]

You want to try something interesting. When I had my Akg 701s(the headband on mine completely disintegrated on my old Austrian mane AKG 701s after 10 years of use) I upgraded the headphone plug on mine with the Furutech brass 1/4 inch plug and it made a pretty noticeable difference on the 701s. Much better overall sound with better bottom end and definitely worth the effort . On My akg 712s I have a Moon Audio Silver dragon cable with the Furutech carbon fiber 1/4 inch headphone plug. the 712 sounds great with the cable upgrade as well> The carbon fiber plug is better than the Furutech brass plug but ouch the price is pretty steep. For the money the Furutech 1/4 inch headphone plugs are hard to beat. You get a lot of bang for a small investment. So, try changing the stock plug on your

akg 701s. I know you will definitely like your Akg 701s a lot more.