akg k701

How do you like your headphone sound: Accurate or bassy?

Most of the headphones I've tested over the years weren't designed to have a neutral balance of bass, midrange, and treble frequencies. Manufacturers are well aware that most people like bass, and that buyers tend to favor one headphone over another based on how much bass it produces. I think that's obvious, but a recent study cited in Brent Butterworth's blog countered that assumption. "The Relationship between Perception and Measurement of Headphone Sound Quality," a paper by Sean Olive and Todd Welti presented at last October's Audio Engineering Society convention found that a … Read more

Photos: Ears-on with AKG's K 701 headphones

Anyone familiar with Sennheiser's flagship headphones, the HD 650s, will know they're a truly stunning pair of open-back cans for reference and home listening. And we love them with the flaming passion of a thousand burning nymphomaniacs.

But the vixen of the open-back headphone world has some competition in the Crave house: AKG's K 701--a pair of similarly priced open-back reference-class headphones. With both priced at roughly 180 pounds (about $358), some informed decisions will need to be made. (See Steve Guttenberg's take on the rivalry.)

After about 100 hours of burn-in time we're … Read more