Hello, I bought the AKG K702 4 days ago and I am not satisfied due to a few reasons.
Comfort:
The pads are too stiff and due to the clamping force I can start to feel them a lot after about an hour.
The cups and the pads are so large that if I speak I can feel them even more, because they reach my lower jaw.
Sound:
I would like more bass, on the other hand, I understand that open-back means less bass, but there probably are open-back with more bass for similar prices, aren’t they?
Sound is bit too analytic, but I don’t know if that’s because I am still not used to the new sound and never had similar headphone.
What I want from the alternatives:
To be around the same or less in terms of price ~ 150$ in EU.
To be open-back, I really like that aspect of the K702.
Ideally, to solve most of my problems with K702, if possible.
To be the same or less power hungry - I don’t have an dedicated AMP, but I have decent motherboard and it drives the K702 fine, at least I don’t notice anything bad.
So, I’ve got the K7XX (not sure how close in sound they are to the 702) and I’ve got the X2HR. The X2 definitely has more bass (but it’s a bit bloated for my tastes), and the pads have more cushion and are more comfortable (same diameter). To me, the K7XX is more laid back and flat. The X2HR is more v-shapped. I like the build and comfort of the X2HR more, but I think I like the sound signature of the K7XX better.
I own the k712 and they are very comfy to me but have big pads like the k702. i think the k712 sound is an improvement over all the headphpnes mentioned. But you would want to get an amp/dac though
According to what I found online, both the K7XX and K712 have memory foam pads. K702 on the other hand use relatively stiff non-memory foam pads which were also used on the predecessor, the K701. That is also one of the reasons I found it not much comfortable. Although it is imporving over time as I am using it couple of days.
I would love to get the K712, but it is out of my budget unfortunately. The K7XX isn’t a option in EU at all momentarily.
The Fidelio isn’t on sale here anymore unfortunately
Since your in gaming audio theres a few I can recommend personally in that price range and what your preference is. Beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R(supposedly similar to the DT880 but with less treble) is supposed to be good but look into DT 880(semi open back the middle ground but with neutral sound and good bass) and DT 990(very high treble and airy sound good bass and strong v signatures). Sennheiser 58x Flat sound signature great all rounder and is right in your price range just make sure you stretch them out first… If you don’t want an amp it sort of limits your choices but these all have low ohm and are great. If you are looking for something more in tune with a mic Beyers custom one pro plus comes with a microphone and the ability to fully customize the head phone with a pretty good sound to it. It allows you to change from closed back to open back, change the pads, bass, and it equalizes decently well, while still maintaining good comfort. Lastly, like recommended the Fidelio x2hr from philips are a very solid choice if you prefer to save money and still want that good bass while maintaining a good all rounder sound I don’t really like these for gaming but they are definitely a cheap option. For gaming especially in competitive the beyerdynamics are fantastic due to their imaging and sound staging one of the large recommendations on this site is the dt880
Only one of those which is currently possible for me is the DT880, but only in the 32 ohm variant, because I don’t have an AMP or DAC. As I said, I have a decent motherboard, but 250 ohms on the dt990 and dt880 (250 ohm variant) is probably too much for it to handle. My K702 with 62 ohms are fine thought.
The 58x is out of the question unfortunately, because it’s not shipped from withing the EU, only from the US and the customs fees are horrible. (So is this with everything other from Mass)
And as I said, the Fidelo isn’t on sale here at all, at least not locally.
Is the DT880 (32 ohm) any good? And what are the differences in the impedance variants anyway?
Thank you
The dt 990s premium is the version you want to look at for low ohm not its pro variation.That’s a shame on the 58x its a very solid headphone and fantastic for gamers. I can’t speak personally for the dt 880 just yet as mine is personally coming in the mail come monday. Impedance is a topic all on its own and I would recommend learning it if you wish to get into more higher end audio setups. Generally speaking the difference in the beyers ohms are of course the headphones being more demanding for an amp and dac. However, the other difference is subtle differences in sound. For example, my first beyerdynamic was the dt 990 250 ohm I made use of trying to use a focus scarlett solo gen 3 and the treble was insanely high and overall the sound felt way to thin. Upon changing to the 600 ohm and switching to a liquid spark amp that all flipped around… the treble is now toned down and smooth and everything has a little more body to it. Of course difference in ohms is based on what the person is looking for and what he has for equipment. Low ohms in the 32 and below are designed for mobile phones and consoles in mind as all gaming headsets share the low ohm. I personally find the dt 990 fantastic for competitive gaming it’s very easy to pick out sounds in game and I have no issues with placing footsteps and guns shots with their appropriate distance. If you have an audio store where you can test these I would highly recommend auditioning these two before choosing them as the sound signature is different and everyone is different in their tastes. If you liked the k702 those are designed more for… i would say critical listening they arent very boomy and they are more on the neutral front… if you like the neutral sound and just want a better for gaming style headphone with some good bass… go with the 880s. IF you want a light airy sound and good bass go dt 990. Personally for shooters I havent used a neutral sounding headset that is better than the v signature treble cannons that are the dt 990s less you bring the hifiman sundara into the mix then its anyones game really but sundaras are expensive and demanding but I feel the 880s are found to be more well rounded… dt 990s are great in their own right but they definitely are not all rounders.
If you don’t mind waiting till around this friday or so, you normally want to break in the headphones a bit, so I can get a general idea sure. I don’t mind. I have quite a few headphones I am wanting to audition including what can be considered an alternative version of the 880s known as the Tygr 300 R.
I suppose that depends on the k702 you currently own as there was technically 3 in existence.
K702 the original 65th anniversary edition this came with small pads and is based on the Q701 drivers making them essentially just a slightly different Q701 headphone the only difference was a slightly better warmth, the treble is a little rolled while keeping detail, bass was boosted, and eliminating some of the dryness .
K702 2nd revision 65th edition came with K712 padding these aren’t as lush and in your face as the other anniversary but added a little more extension and space to it’s sound, Mids take a small hit in this version as they aren’t as intimate, bass and imaging remained the same, and over all this is a slightly brighter version of the first 65th anniversary. I assume you own one of these two you can easily tell by the pads you were provided.
The last edition that came out of the K702 has become quite the staple in the gaming community and it’s a Massdrop version going by the name K7xx. These are the first edition which was based on the q701 but added the k712 pads from the second revision. These are literally a very slightly different asthetic to the 2nd revision everything about them sound wise is the same just cheaper and made in china instead of austria.
Technically speaking in terms of competitive gaming for this price range the trend for headphones are the K702 aka k7xx, Audio Technica 700x and 900x, Beyerdynamic 770(closed V), 880(semi open Neutral), and 990(open V), and supposed the newest which I have yet to test Tyger 300 R, Sennheiser 58x Jubilee Massdrop, 600, 650, and 6xx massdrop, and Lastly Hifiman HE4xx. Each one of these comes with strengths and weaknesses in terms of sound with different comfort levels but all are generally in the same price ranges depending on where you shop.
From my experiences the 65th vs the regular 702 is that there is an increase in bass quantity, slight reduction in soundstage width, and a bit more cohernency in the tuning (kinda ends up being a bit more v shaped than the og 702). Regarding the pads, the regular k702 have a slight angle in them and are a bit stiffer. The 65th version are flat pads and have memory foam in them is how you would tell pad wise.
This caused them to take a hit in overall sound and build imo compared to the og and the anniversary edition, and personally I prefer the 65th over the 7xx
I have the og K702.
How does it compare to the 880 32ohm?
Also as I already said, my biggest problem is the comfort. I think that if I had those memory foam pads it would be a lot better, but I am not sure, because it’s more of a clamping force issue (The softer foam would probably dampen that a bit too though)
If you have the first version of the k702 with its smaller pads it may be worth looking into the other pads which were from the k712… personally I dont like the design overall… its cheap plastic the headband sucks and im not a big fan of their cups in general. All around when I trialed the k712 myself I much prefered my dt 990 which had virtually non existent clamp and ultra soft velour. The change in pads may help you with the comfort and perhaps consider stretching your band out a little to reduce clamping force
I have it for few days only. I can still return it for free and buy something else, but I do not wanna lose the overall sound quality.
The DT880 and 990 (both 32 ohms) are the current alternatives.
The replacement pads are too expensive. It’s 50$ for one pad
Well, if you don’t like them and can return them for free I would do that no point in keeping something that isn’t working for you. What did you like about the sound for the k702? I can’t recommend someone the dt 990s if they like NEUTRAL headphones since it’s far from neutral and the treble is incredibly high. dt 880s are in a bit of a loop today may not be here till tomorrow but I can definitely sit down with them when I get them and let you know
