K7XX vs Q701

I recently borrowed M3NTAL's K7XX to compare to my Q701. I love the AKG series and I thought this would be a useful comparison because of the similarity in price, specs, etc.

Aesthetics: This is personal preference, but to me the K7XX is the better looking headphone. The flat/satin black is really good looking.


According to Will Bright, the K7XX's are: "K702 65th annie, all black everything, slight decrease in highs, removable cable" This is somewhat out of context, but it's probably pretty close to the final K7XX specs.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/790455/massdrop-collaborations-what-if/45#post_12245590

The measurements between the 3 make me believe that this is the case. One unusual standout feature is the section from ~30 hz to ~300 hz. It appears slightly boosted in the K7XX compared to the annie.


Overall sound: The K7XX soundly trump the Q701's on SQ. The piercing highs have been tamed, and the bass is slightly boosted. It believe this is the best AKG I've heard to date. (I haven't heard the 812).

Imaging: I recently read a piece on angled pads and driver location in relation of the ear canal. Apparently the entire "trick"to achieving a large soundstage and precise imaging is locating the driver forward and lower than the ear canal. There may be some truth to this, but I'm happy to say I noticed very little difference between the Q's and the K7XX in imaging. The Q's have a very thick hard angled pad. The K7XX have a thin memory foam pad without any angle. I'm calling BS on the angled pad theory.
* I've read purrins thoughts on soundstage in a headphone. I tend to agree that it is a a bit like comparing horsepower numbers in a prius, but it still exists and I feel it's one more thing to differentiate a good headphone from a bad. If your search is for the ultimate soundstage, skip headphones and look at two channel.

Comfort: The K7XX is quite a bit more comfortable than the Q701. I'd say 90% of this is the pad change. The remaining 10% is the headband. Interestingly the K7XX feels quite a bit lighter. I weighted them and the difference is small. The Q's are 4 grams heavier than the 7XX. The weight is not in the pads! In fact, the K7XX pads are each about 4 grams heavier than the Q's. As best I can tell is the headband is responsible for the majority of the 12 gram difference. Possibly some internal tuning difference. Regardless, consider the K7XX the more comfortable headphone.

Value: As of today (2/25/16), the Q's are $180 on Amazon. The K7XX's are $200 on Massdrop. For $20 the K7XX is by far the better headphone. If you can pick up a used Q in the $140 range, it may be worthwhile. At current prices for a new headphone, the K7XX is by far the better value.

Equipment: I listened briefly on my O2 amp, but the majority of my listening was on my Ember. I am currently running a 6DJ8 Amperex Bugle Boy and it is amazing with the AKG's. I'd highly recommend anyone with AKG's to check out the Ember.

Final Note: I'd like to give a special thanks to M3NTAL for letting me listen to his K7XX's. The guy knows a lot about audio and his presence at meets is always appreciated. Also, I believe his K7XX's are for sale if anybody is interested in picking up a pair.