Hello Algernon(is that from the book/musical "Charlie and Algernon?)

I have those very headphones and am absolutely thrilled with the sound that I get from using them with my Mytek Stereo 96 DAC. I went this route because the mytek serves as a top notch Digital to Analog Converter too. the headphone amp is high bandwidth, high output, very clear and has no problems at all driving the AKGs. I went through several products before falling in love with the Mytek. Youll love the 701s! Comparison samples from the Mytek can be found Here

The AKG K 701's sound great using the headphone socket of my NAD integrated amplifier. Sounds about the same way it does from my Grace m902 headphone amp. Had I known this a little while ago, I could have saved the price of the Grace amp.

Some stereo amplifiers or recievers can drive the K701's and some may not. I wouldn't try it from an ipod

I bought M-Audio Fastrack Pro a few months ago and I couldn't be happier. It's a DAC and a headphone amp and it sounds awesome all for under $200. It has a USB connector so you can stream from your computer as well as a SPDIF input. It streams up to 24/96, but does not upsample. I couldn't be happier with it.

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i'm interested in getting into higher end audio and need some help. i'm not sure what i need to run a system off of headphones, except for some good cans. i'm looking at the AKG 701 and saw that people were having amplification problems; would i need a headphone amp? also any recomendations for a syetem would be welcome
-thanks

Obviously you should audition some setups if you get a chance, but I've never had much luck finding headphones/headphone amps I wanted to audition (except at headphone meets).

I like the K701s. My iPod will NOT drive them, but my Marantz integrated amp does a darn fine job. I have a Woo Audio WA2 I like a little better, but the Marantz's headphone circuitry is top notch, and I could honestly live without a headphone amp. And to second deny, I've heard from more than one person that the NAD's headphone outs are good too.

What is your associated equipment? Source, amp, etc.?

The 701 are so good that they're worth making sure that your amp or device will drive them, which is likely, so long as you're not talking about a portable device like an iPod or iPhone.

They do LOVE a lot of power, but that doesn't mean you'll need a separate headphone amp if your integrated will handle them.

Dave

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absolutely nothing except for a mountain of jazz and classical albums. currently ive been using WAV and apple lossless files with my ipod and ultimate ears studio earbuds. i've been looking to upgrade to something better.

UE makes a great 'phone and the iPod drives them pretty easily. Some people prefer certain UE models to AKGs or anything else.

I use my iPod with a headphone amp all the time. It works great. As long as you get a decent head amp, it'll drive the AKGs. You should check out head-fi.org (but say good-bye to some $$ and time - there is a ton of info on those forums).

Ncdrawl, I have to admit I avoid headphone listening as often as is practical. The only factors that drive me to headphones are where I am (in my house or in my apartment -- of course, the necessities of headphones always occur in my apartment) and what time it is. Headphones are poor substitutes for well-chosen speakers, amps, and source components, in my experience. Still, at 2 AM, out of consideration for my poor neighbors, who have to get up early, I DO enjoy headphones. I have the best Grado model (the one I wasted an extra $100 bucks on, because the assholes had to fancify it in a stupid wooden box -- as if I would ever listen to the goddam BOX!) and the newest Sennheiser ("new" about 3 years ago...), with a nice Cary tubed headphone amp (the Grado battery-driven solid state model is okay, for what it is and what it costs, but tubes do the job better, especially with headphones).

Mytek. I clicked into your referral. It was contrived by Mytek. Now, let me see, In order for me to get some skinny on Mytek, you send me to a site fabricated by MYTEK?

This isn't a recommendation. It is a fuckin' commercial! I am sure it is the cat's ass. Really. Mytek. "My Tech." Get it! How clever. I think I got it. I'm SO hip! I have my tech with Mytek.

Look. I don't care HOW good this shit sounds, I am not in their target audience, because of their sins against decency in advertising.

Besides, cans are only for emergencies. Like generators when the power goes out. They are too damned close to your ear/head unit. They either scream at you or miss the dynamics of the music from staying too soft. One or the other.

As I said. Music comes first. And, better cans than silence. But, cans are a damned poor substitute for a real, in-ROOM listening experience, which, in its turn, is a damned poor substitute for the live concert.

Life is a series of compromises. But spare me the damned commercials.

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thanks for the reply.

if i had a headphone amp with a power supply unit would it be possible to run the AKGs off my ipod???

I run my iPod 160G through a Wadia 170i transport, into my Playback Designs DAC and then into my Woo Audio WA6 SET headphone amp, then into my AKG 701s. The sound is marvelous, BUT not portable.

If you want portability and very high quality, the Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pros are right up there with the AKG, with slightly superior bass. UE makes several great units, but the T.F 10 Pros is near the very top, giving way to only their custom molded in-ear monitors.

The UEs are great straight out of the iPod or iPhone.

Dave