Massdrop x AKG K7XX Audiophile Headphones Discussions | Drop

Free Standard Shipping in the US on orders over $99

Showing 1 of 5034 conversations about:

Massdrop x AKG K7XX Audiophile Headphones

Audiophile

FULL DISCUSSION

killchain

Dec 4, 2016

Here's an initial, short term review. I got these about three days ago and I've put maybe around 20 hours' worth of listening to them. I'm coming from Sennheiser HD-555 (which were my first pair of somehow serious headphones and to which I've been listening for maybe 6 years on various equipment). My current setup consists of a Thaulab Varna IV DAC (Wolfson WM8524 inside), DIY interconnects (I don't wanna go the "this cable sounds like this and that" way) and O2 amp (desktop version, 1x and 3.3x gain), fb2k and 16/44.1 FLACs. First impressions (compared to the HD-555), let's start with the sound. Bass: significantly more, extending lower and having way more punch and energy. Slightly boomy upper bass, but IIRC this will get better with time. Mids: I'm used to them being brighter and accentuated in their higher half (sometimes unpleasantly piercing), here they're tamed, pushed down (in comparison) and way more neutral (as far as I can tell what's neutral), but still present. Highs: clear, audible, natural, rolling off just where they should, not veiled like on the Sennheiser (yes, I do perceive them this way). Soundstage: about the same as on the HD-555, maybe slightly wider. The "doughnut effect" that some people describe is only slightly perceivable to me, it's just the way these headphones sound. Detail: a step up from the HD-555. These headphones are quite revealing to me maybe due to their more neutral signature. I'm hearing some things better than before, I'm also hearing some things that I hand't heard or hadn't paid attention to until now. Efficiency: they're quieter than the HD-555, but I'm still at 1x gain and haven't gone past 12 o'clock with the volume dial even with quieter recordings. Comfort and fit: the earpads are fantastic, it's like they're hugging my ears. The headband could be better - I'm not with the largest head, but it's not small either - and when the earpads are where I want them, the headband is only touching the top of my head, which can get slightly uncomfortable after an hour; if I move the headphones down to make the headband more comfortable, the earpads are way off from where they should be. I think the Senn wins here. Build quality and looks: I like how stealth these are (haven't seen the red ones in person, but I still prefer the black). I expected the rails to be thicker, but that doesn't affect anything but looks. I'm expecting the elastic bands to stretch with time, but they should be okay for a year or two. I'll try to summarise. PROs: natural sound with slightly accentuated bass, fantastic soundstage CONs: boomy upper bass, sometimes too revealing sound detrimental to bad recordings, slightly higher price to non-US customers

Dec 4, 2016