Reviews say these/702 65th are basically Q701s with the memory foam pads that alter the sound signature, you can get the same sound from Q701s by using the memory foam pads. Or put Q701 pads on these for their sound.
Joe77The 712s or annies tend to be preferred because of the headband though. It might also be cheaper depending on location to just buy the 712s or these compared to buying the 701s and buying the better pads. I'd say these would be a better buy than the Q701s at $150.
grumpy1471I bought the Q701 at your recommendation a few weeks back, they're still on their way. I am SO tempted to buy these cans I actually joined in! Do you think they're a worthy improvement over the Q701? I'm thinking about buying these and selling the other pair, as suggested by someone else here.
CreepyPieDon't bother, if you want the sound these produce then buy the memory foam pads for the Q701.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/655082/akg-q701-vs-akg-k702-65th-anniversary-comparison-review
From my testing I've determined that the sound differences between the two headphones can be attributed to the pads. The actual sound of the underlying headphones and drivers themselves are the same. If you compare both the Q701 and K702 anniversary while they are both wearing the same type of pads, they essentially sound identical. So this review is mainly a review of the two sets of pads, and how they modify the sound...
CreepyPieI'd say the headband change as well as the better ear pads would be enough reason to go for the K7xx instead of the Q701s. If I had known about these, I would've recommended these instead of the Q701s! Sorry! You will be able to get a solid amount for the Q701s though. Definitely as much as you paid for them.
Joe77The newer ear pads will cost more than the difference between the Q701s and the K7xx so it might be more cost efficient to go for these. The headband is a big factor as well. Most people would prefer the flat headband over the bumps of the Q701 so that may be enough to justify these over the Q's.
grumpy1471Grumpy has it right here. The pads alone are $60 a pair, IIRC. I looked at upgrading my Q's with them a while ago and decided not to after doing the bass port mod.
Considering this gets you the pads and the comfy headband for only $50 more than the Q (or the same price if you look at a new Q today), I'd say this is a pretty good way to go if you want to upgrade.
That said tho, I didn't feel like I needed to upgrade the pads after I did the bass port mod to my Q's. You might want to just save yourself some cash and try the (easily reversible) bass mod.
ZALHERAThat could definitely be another option. The price of that along with the pads will still be more expensive though. Of course, that's all dependant on how much you can sell a pair of brand new Q701s for (in CreepyPie's case). New pads and headband cushion on the Q701s, getting the K7xx and selling the Q701s and doing the bass port mod all seem pretty viable.