I am debating between Little Dot MKIII and Valhalla, for use with AKG Q701 headphones. What is difference, features &amp; sound quality?
1124523
LDIII has more 2/3 order distortion(more tube like). Valhalla is very clean(more SS like). Both sound good. Just comes down to what type of sonic signature you prefer.
466271
Now we're getting into personal preference. I own both, and am happy with the sound of both speakers - but I like the added punch of the Mini, and prefer its bass response to that of the III. Overall, I'd say the III is better balanced, but they're close enough in sound that I'm thinking about returning the III - the Mini covers my needs. Besides, the III is $100 more than the Mini, and it's not nearly $100 better. Setting sound aside, the Mini has better build quality and it's more portable.
949101
I have run it with Sennheiser HD 800, Grado PS 1000, and Audeze LCD3. AK 240 plays well with any of them, but Audeze LCD3 is the best. I have used the AK 240 with these three pairs of headphones either as standalone or coupled to my Nuforce 192k DAC. The sound changes, but I would not say that it is degraded by interposing the amp.
341484
I can't comment on the ATH-M50, as I haven't used one yet. The AKG 240 however is a very good set, but I wouldn't use headphones to mix final masters. Especially not when you have to listen to screaming guitars. For tracking vocals you should be carefull as a sensitive mic would "listen" to the headphones too. Not always welcome when recording soft passages. Hope this helps
1428220
I'm a trombonist playing both classical and jazz music so I know exactly what you're keen to listening to. I've owned the M100 for sometime before returning it. I can safely say the M100 is much more geared towards DJ/Bass Head platforms. It's abysmal for Jazz and Classical listening. The bass is seriously distracting since it's more forward compared to the midranges, making midrange-centric music sound quite off. I would definitely recommend the ATHM50x over the V-Moda series in this regard.
1185564
Well the sound quality on these is great and tight I wouldn't ever use them without a dedicated headphone amp like the mayflower objective 2. So I don't think you will benefit from such an expensive pair of headphones. I think you will get better price/performance from something in the audiotechnica M** series. Drastically cheaper and will match the hardware in the iphone better. This is unless you have a decent audio setup at home and plan to use it for both. On the go you should go for the cheaper option more suited for the kind of audio hardware in your phone. At home with a decent headphone amp the sennheisers will shine. Well the sound quality on these is great and tight I wouldn't ever use them without a dedicated headphone amp like the mayflower objective 2. So I don't think you will benefit from such an expensive pair of headphones. I think you will get better price/performance from something in the audiotechnica M** series. Drastically cheaper and will match the hardware in the iphone better. This is unless you have a decent audio setup at home and plan to use it for both. On the go you should go for the cheaper option more suited for the kind of audio hardware in your phone. At home with a... » Read More Well the sound quality on these is great and tight I wouldn't ever use them without a dedicated headphone amp like the mayflower objective 2. So I don't think you will benefit from such an expensive pair of headphones. I think you will get better price/performance from something in the audiotechnica M** series. Drastically cheaper and will match the hardware in the iphone better. This is unless you have a decent audio setup at home and plan to use it for both. On the go you should go for the cheaper option more suited for the kind of audio hardware in your phone. At home with a decent headphone amp the sennheisers will shine. « Show Less
1386828
I can't tell you if the dac is worth it but I wanted to make it clear since a lot of people have said that an amp wouldn't help much on the qc15's. This is quite wrong since I have used these headphones myself with and without an amp and the difference is clearly there. You'll be able to turn up the volume much louder on these headphones with an amp and get a much warmer sound. Whichever amp you decide on getting, you'll definitely notice the difference.
844379
Yes. They are different. I purchased both to confirm this for myself. The Q701 is more musical, meaning a little more bass, a little less harshness to the highs. Get the Q701 for everyday use, and the K701 is your primary application is gaming.
746087
Generally, I would say yes. Right now, I use the Beyerdynamic dt880 pros with my Valhalla along with a Bifrost DAC. However, my headphones are of the 250 Ohm model, so you may want to invest in a more powerful amp. I know Schiit was a Lyr model and a Mjolnir (if you like solid state) which are definitely more powerful and probably more effective for your setup. Hope this helps.
1381045
The frequency response seems to be on the flat side with out too much colorization, Lows are deep with out being muddy, and highs are clear and bright with out being harsh, the only lacking part for me was the midrange was a little laid back, and often you will see this in Monitor headphones and speakers, my reference sound comes from my Magnepan speakers with a Carver Lightstar amp, giving me what my head calls normal (yours may very)  ....what signature sound I am looking for in headphones may come easily with a headphone amp as I use these on my computer and am going to buy the Audioengine D1To get a better performance from and should make these headphone much more to my liking - I hope that helps. The frequency response seems to be on the flat side with out too much colorization, Lows are deep with out being muddy, and highs are clear and bright with out being harsh, the only lacking part for me was the midrange was a little laid back, and often you will see this in Monitor headphones and speakers, my reference sound comes from my Magnepan speakers with a Carver Lightstar amp, giving me what my head calls normal (yours may very)  ....what signature sound I am looking for in headphones may come easily with a headphone amp as I use these on my computer and am going to buy the... » Read More The frequency response seems to be on the flat side with out too much colorization, Lows are deep with out being muddy, and highs are clear and bright with out being harsh, the only lacking part for me was the midrange was a little laid back, and often you will see this in Monitor headphones and speakers, my reference sound comes from my Magnepan speakers with a Carver Lightstar amp, giving me what my head calls normal (yours may very)  ....what signature sound I am looking for in headphones may come easily with a headphone amp as I use these on my computer and am going to buy the Audioengine D1To get a better performance from and should make these headphone much more to my liking - I hope that helps. « Show Less
1767626
Not sure why you were told that, I strongly recommend this item for all such devices. It is now my daily use pair for all around activity with my android. I keep my AKG's for home use only which i find superior (larger stage,more power) but maybe not worth the extra$. IE800 strength is balanced mid range clarity and warmth, weakness is cost and lacking heavy bass that young folk seem to like (i'm 52). In an ideal world I would love a pair that can give you that other world open air quality but I think it can't be done with buds (akg comes close). for that you need to go with cans
505578
yes they will sound better with a dac/amp. though they run well off just about any source, nothing beats a dac/amp combo to bring out the best in a headphone. unamped you're getting 90+% of the headphone's capability. the dac/amp gets you closer 100%. the results aren't always mind blowing and noticeable though. I run my a900x through a schiit modi dac and schiit vali amp. what I notice most is the bass is tighter and more controlled. overall clarity is also improved. because of the clarity, the soundstage sounds more open. again not a huge difference, but if you're used to the sound signature, you'll notice it. yes they will sound better with a dac/amp. though they run well off just about any source, nothing beats a dac/amp combo to bring out the best in a headphone. unamped you're getting 90+% of the headphone's capability. the dac/amp gets you closer 100%. the results aren't always mind blowing and noticeable though. I run my a900x through a schiit modi dac and schiit vali amp. what I notice most is the bass is tighter and more controlled. overall clarity is also improved. because of the clarity, the soundstage sounds more open. again not a huge difference, but if you're used to the... » Read More yes they will sound better with a dac/amp. though they run well off just about any source, nothing beats a dac/amp combo to bring out the best in a headphone. unamped you're getting 90+% of the headphone's capability. the dac/amp gets you closer 100%. the results aren't always mind blowing and noticeable though. I run my a900x through a schiit modi dac and schiit vali amp. what I notice most is the bass is tighter and more controlled. overall clarity is also improved. because of the clarity, the soundstage sounds more open. again not a huge difference, but if you're used to the sound signature, you'll notice it. « Show Less
635528
Several Head-Fi'ers have asked AKG representatives about the reported differences in sound response. There is officially currently none whatsoever. According to the representatives, the only difference is in badging and any differences seen in graphed results and heard in listening sessions are merely because of positioning during testing and manufacturing variation. Due to the rather large, angled earpads, the Q/K70X's sound response can experience variations of 10 decibels or more in some areas from extremely slight changes in positioning. In fact, a cited common problem among users is that many of them extend the headphones very far down and forward on their cheeks, which results in a boring, undynamic sound. Now, having said all this, this is not to say there is not a difference between the vintage, first generation crop of K701 when it first came out and the newer Q701 and K701/2 that are currently in production. As a matter of fact, many users have reported that the grit in the older K701 is there no more in the newer models.
1703607
Hi Alfred, Yes your Schiit Valhalla should pair up nicely with the HiFiMan HE-300's. The Valhalla sounds great with lots of different headphones, and the HE-300's would be no exception. Please let us know if you have any other questions! Have a great day.
2234332
AKG Q701's are designed for detailed listening. They are better suited for Rock, Jazz, Classical. They won't produce the low end bass that Hip Hop etc.. require. Try a pair of Beats.
2021299
I just bought a Mcintosh MHA100 DAC/AMP and it is brilliant with the HD600. It completely changed the performance and took it to a level that in my opinion was better than $1800 cans I tried. If you like tubes Woo Audio WA7 has some excellent feedback
2001394
I mostly use my Sony Walkman NWZ-S545, which has a 5-band equalizer. I equalize it for powerful bass and low mids. My favorite song to test sound quality is Neon Knights by Black Sabbath, as it has extremely powerful bass and percussion. I recently bought the HD 202 II, and I personally think they are the best headphones in market for that price, the sound quality and power is marvelous. I have not tested the 203, however within the 2xx series, I think it is all pretty much the same when it comes to power outcome (I think).