Recommendaton for DAC to drive AKG K701
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kenz
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Have tried the AKG K702.
My experience with the AKG K702 showed that very few portable amps are able to drive the K702 to more than decent levels. Sure you can hear the music play as what you'd hear on earbuds, but the music sounds lackluster and short of dynamics.
Reckon the K701 also faces the same issue.
Not sure if the ALO rxMK-3B is capable of driving the K701 since its output unbalanced is less than 200mW on 62ohms (K701).
Based on what i've unfortunately only managed to read on, the RSA Intruder may be the only portable amp (32V, if the video interview with Ray Samuel's is accurate) capable of bringing out the full sound from K701/702.
My experience with the AKG K702 showed that very few portable amps are able to drive the K702 to more than decent levels. Sure you can hear the music play as what you'd hear on earbuds, but the music sounds lackluster and short of dynamics.
Reckon the K701 also faces the same issue.
Not sure if the ALO rxMK-3B is capable of driving the K701 since its output unbalanced is less than 200mW on 62ohms (K701).
Based on what i've unfortunately only managed to read on, the RSA Intruder may be the only portable amp (32V, if the video interview with Ray Samuel's is accurate) capable of bringing out the full sound from K701/702.
@wwenze
Your scan and rough calculation show some difference right? I am not concerned with the actual figure, just interested in the fact that there is a difference.
Is there any impact on the performance of the headphone?. One possibility I can think of is in term of imaging - relative positions of the various artists/instrument may not be so rock steady because of the non-linear phase angle change with respect to frequency. But the effect may be difficult to isolate to the headphone alone as the whole chain, from recording to reproducing equipment (for example cd, amplifier, cables etc) do affect imaging in their own ways.
AKG 701 use flat wire for the voice coil. For the cable, "true bi-wiring" is used. All these are supposed to be superior. How much difference do they make to the sound? Not very much or none at all, perhaps, based on what I learnt in school. But to the purist who can hear the difference, these make sense. 0.1% is a big deal, never mind the 99.9% (notice that I use the term difference rather than improvement).
And the list goes on... Every competitor trying to squeeze the last 0.1%, or may be even less than this, out to make a claim that they are better than the competition.
One side track on minor detail - regarding the working of your real power when the phase angle is 25.8degree. It is actually not difficult to calculate. The resistive component of the current IR = Icos(25.8) or round off to 0.9I. So the real power is V x 0.9I or 0.9VI. If you use 45 degree, then the real power would be approximately 0.7VI since cos(45) is ~ 0.7. If you use a right angle triangle, the hypotenuse represents the Z while the base and height represent R and X respectively, where X is the inductive or capacitive component of Z. Similarly if I is represented by the hypotenuse, then the base will be IR and the height will be IX. The angle between the hypotenuse and the base is the phase angle.
The real power produced by the source is higher than the real power absorded by the load, because there is internal impedance in the source.
Finally, I really appreciate your time spent in producing the scans to illustrate your points.
Note: 99.9% and 0.1 % I use are arbitrary figures.
Your scan and rough calculation show some difference right? I am not concerned with the actual figure, just interested in the fact that there is a difference.
Is there any impact on the performance of the headphone?. One possibility I can think of is in term of imaging - relative positions of the various artists/instrument may not be so rock steady because of the non-linear phase angle change with respect to frequency. But the effect may be difficult to isolate to the headphone alone as the whole chain, from recording to reproducing equipment (for example cd, amplifier, cables etc) do affect imaging in their own ways.
AKG 701 use flat wire for the voice coil. For the cable, "true bi-wiring" is used. All these are supposed to be superior. How much difference do they make to the sound? Not very much or none at all, perhaps, based on what I learnt in school. But to the purist who can hear the difference, these make sense. 0.1% is a big deal, never mind the 99.9% (notice that I use the term difference rather than improvement).
And the list goes on... Every competitor trying to squeeze the last 0.1%, or may be even less than this, out to make a claim that they are better than the competition.
One side track on minor detail - regarding the working of your real power when the phase angle is 25.8degree. It is actually not difficult to calculate. The resistive component of the current IR = Icos(25.8) or round off to 0.9I. So the real power is V x 0.9I or 0.9VI. If you use 45 degree, then the real power would be approximately 0.7VI since cos(45) is ~ 0.7. If you use a right angle triangle, the hypotenuse represents the Z while the base and height represent R and X respectively, where X is the inductive or capacitive component of Z. Similarly if I is represented by the hypotenuse, then the base will be IR and the height will be IX. The angle between the hypotenuse and the base is the phase angle.
The real power produced by the source is higher than the real power absorded by the load, because there is internal impedance in the source.
Finally, I really appreciate your time spent in producing the scans to illustrate your points.
Note: 99.9% and 0.1 % I use are arbitrary figures.
Sorry about that. Just skip the technicality and enjoy the musicdarn, not a technical person, really drowning in all these
I use it for my desk top sometimes - no problem. I don't know anything about macbook but note that 701 is a very revealing can. It will expose inadequacy in your music source or playing equipment or sound card, if any. If you are a serious listener, mp3 of 128 kbit/s will not be good enough.
Won't be surprised that people do this...wait a minute...there are also people who know what they are doing.If you guys buying a seperate Amp/DAC and a high end Headphones or IEM and your source is mp3 128bit than equates to....LOL.....
At least go for FLAC format instead for the source.
ckryan3
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I dunno about all the technicalities, but from experience and reading, i'm quite sure the k701 needs a proper amp to drive it, and get the sound akg intended it to have (not just volume)
I dun think FLAC is necessary, 320kbps is practically indistinguishable from FLAC. 128kbps rly is too low though
I dun think FLAC is necessary, 320kbps is practically indistinguishable from FLAC. 128kbps rly is too low though
Bhalraam32
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IMHO, Big diff bro.. bass doesnt go as deep, and highs tend to roll off with 320kbps.. o.o I honestly dont understand how ppl can tahan quality less than 320.. it just doesnt even sound pleasurable.. -.- lol
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Seth Lee
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Sorry about that. Just skip the technicality and enjoy the music
had actually heard the q701 in various setups
- direct macbook
- direct imac
- macbook to e10 via usb
- macbook to e17 via optical
- macbook to e17/e09i combo via optical
- macbook to alo panam via usb
- macbook to alo international via usb
- macbook to idac via usb
- macbook to idac/ican combo via usb
there is an audible difference as you progress, especially the liveliness, not sure if it is the right word to use
zeppelin
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Rip of the same song in both formats and judge. FLAC in 800 to 1000kbps, 1400kbps is the highest I think and mp3 in 320kbps. If you can't hear the difference maybe you need a golden ears.
Thanks, I am sure Dreammusic will be pleased to note your evaluation. This is the 0.1% I was talking about in general. All minute but noticeable if you are serious about music. And this is the tiny difference people discuss and argue about, and marketing people making a mountain out of it. As I said, once you have made your choice, just enjoy the music.
Again, I have to qualify to say 0.1% is my arbitrary figure. Some may say this is 10, 20 or 100%
Just hope that the discussion doesn't turn ugly
Just hope that the discussion doesn't turn ugly
don't think anyone have enough vested interest in either format and need to win this argument at all costs.
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