Cool... Thanks for sharing... He really should have done a direct comparison with the 701... as I understand it, the 702 is more like a mild update than a real new model... I get the impression from AKG Press releases that the essential reason for launching the 702 was to 1) Change the color from white to Blue/Black, so the Phones would not get dirty so easily and 2) Add a detachable cord - which really makes both replacing and upgrading the cord very easy...

I didn't get the impression that there was really any sonic improvement...

Yeah, I'm feeling no need to start over again with a set of 702s. I'm sure that a few of the freaks over at www.head-fi.org will do a direct comparison to the 701s AND try several cables.

If I were buying new, I'd probably go for the 702s, simply for the cable flexibility, then I'd take them to a can show and try several cables and, finally, buy my favorite cable.

Dave

Thanks for reporting, SD.

Having already recabled my 701s with Black Dragon I really don't think I will bother with the 702s. Two other pretty compelling reasons against are (i) I am one of those people with the wrong shaped head for that design, I get a pressure point on the top of my head after an hour-or-so with my 701s and have to switch to a some other cans (it's like having to flirt with different girls at a party, what a drag) and (ii) having now got my 701s where I want them I couldn't possibly face another AKG break-in cycle.

The ones I am interested in trying next are the Denon AH-D7000s. Anybody had a chance to audition these? Are they as good as people say? Impressions relative to AKGs, Sennies or ATs?

They are sealed and I intend to find out exactly how airy and natural they sound! Haven't seen any of the discounters listing them yet but maybe I didn't look hard enough. If you see them going cheap please let me know!

Haven't heard the Denons, but I've got the AT w5000s and find their top end not near as smooth and transparent as the 701. I have no trouble with comfort with either the AKGs or ATs, so I can't help you in that regard.

Dave

You'll probably need to go to a headphone meet to hear the 'zones for yourself. I was very curious about them and talked to several guys that tried them and didn't hear enough compelling reports to go after them for myself. Still, headphones are highly personal and they could really float your boat. Who knows, in "the big city" you might actually have a retailer that you could visit.

If you do get to hear them, please post a report.

Dave

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Would love to hear Ultrasone Edition 9s, especially after reading JM's rave about them in a review... probably one of the most overpriced pair of closed cans? Or do they merit their cost? Any UE9 owners with feedback here?

Someone here wrote up quite a detailed comparison of the Edition9 versus the Sennie 650, ATH-W5000 and ATH-L3000 using a Reference Line mbl front-end and Rudistor RP7-B and RP010-B and MF X-CAN v3 headphone amps. I'm afraid the text is in Swedish, although I ran it through the Google translator and the result was surprisingly intelligible despite some hilarious transliterations of Swedish figures-of-speech. No such problem with the pictures, which are happily all in English.

Interestingly, in summary his conclusion was that these were fine cans but that they had some quite significant flaws. While he praised their sound in many respects, particularly some smooth, lush highs, as well as the build/finish and the extremely good isolation from ambient noise, he also noted several significant weaknesses:

• Bass-heavy. His comments keep coming back to this. With bass-heavy programme this became so overpowering that he had to take them off.
• "Strange" soundstage, not necessarily wrong in a way he could put his finger on but just that, "strange".
• Very sensitive to head placement (front/back, up/down and headband angle). Also, he got much better results with the diaphragms a little further from his ears and said he was going to experiment with some ear muff tweaks to achieve this.
• Price

Finally (and possibly most interestingly for you, SD) he noted that these cans didn't jibe at all well with either of the tubed headphone amps he tried. They sounded "less open and airy in the highs" and "all-over-the-place in the bass" with the RP7-B and "no fun at all" with the X-CAN v3. Interesting stuff.

Reading this certainly had me "jonesing" for them a bit less and they have subsequently been deposed from my must-hear list by the aforementioned Denons.

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The word is that Ultrasone unveiled the Edition 8 prototype at the Tokyo show this past month. No one got to listen. Supposedly, they're geared more toward portable use, but still cost 150000 yen.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Ed8s although looking at them I can't understand what it is that suits them more for portable use than Ed9s (unless it is just that they're easier to drive); they seem just as big and possibly even less 'aerodynamic'. Maybe it's just the camera angle.

I don't know that I find them ugly per se but they are certainly very bling; one can imagine them quickly becoming a permanent fixture on MTV rap videos alongside the diamond-encrusted Vertu cellphones. Frankly, I don't know if I would have the balls to wear them in public!

Personally I prefer something a bit more discreet like a pair of UE-10s tucked under my beanie..

Struts, I own the ATH-W5000s and I've heard the Senns and, of course, I own AKG 701s. I prefer the 701s, by far, for their bottom to top naturalness and tranaparency. The Senns are too thick in the bass for me and the W5000s don't get the imaging and highs nearly as nice. Placement IS super critical with the W5000, but when you get it right it's easy to replicate. (All this is with my Woo Audio WA6 with upgraded rectifier).

Maybe with that cited review it'll help you triagulate onto the Ultrazones' sound.

Dave

how about these swarovski encrusted hd-25s that are being released...

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Yeah, I'm feeling no need to start over again with a set of 702s. I'm sure that a few of the freaks over at www.head-fi.org will do a direct comparison to the 701s AND try several cables.

If I were buying new, I'd probably go for the 702s, simply for the cable flexibility, then I'd take them to a can show and try several cables and, finally, buy my favorite cable.

Dave

Yes, same here, never felt at all that the 702`s were anything but a color change. In reference to the Denon 7000`s, I think we would all love to hear them. These headphones are getting pretty good press and everybody loves them. Supposedly the best cans, especially since ttheir closed. And, you have a company (Lawton Audio) already doing modifications. Can`t say that for anyone else.