Headphones by Dr. Dre Beats are arguably the brand that has set the tone in top-brass Hollywood figures promoting what many audiophiles these days claim as the finest pair of cans ever made in recent history. In this particular scenario, the AKG Q701 headphones have been endorsed by no less than Quincy Jones himself, the multi-awarded Grammy musical guru. With a man of his caliber and repute, having collaborated with the “who’s who” in the musical and entertainment industry, a product is already a sure winner with the legend’s endorsement. “These are the only headphones I’ve heard that bring out the true sound we were striving for on records like “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and “Give Me the Night”. It’s the best-quality sound I’ve heard, ever.” Great review coming from a great man. But, can the product really deliver?
Innovation
AKG has a good track record and we've fond memories of models going back decades. With the new Q701, features that stand out in the specification include flat-wire voice coils and two-layer diaphragms. Both of these are relatively common in loudspeakers, but the smaller dimensions of headphone drive units make them harder to implement and AKG must have spent some time over the microscope working these out. Flat wire allows voice coils to be wound more efficiently, with less wasted space, than the usual round wire, while diaphragms using two-layer construction can be quite less resonant and, therefore, more accurate-sounding than most single-layer techniques will allow.
Ergonomics
At 235 grams, the Q701 is quite light for a headphone of this size. The large circular velour earpads are very comfortable, and are easily removed with a quick counter-clockwise twist for replacement when needed. Just remember that the pads are thicker towards the rear so orientation is important during replacement. Unlike most headphones, the headband automatically adjusted with small elastic bands connected between the earcup and headband. I've always been somewhat leery of this arrangement, but found in practice that it works quite well. The elastic bands have been known to wear out over a number of years; hobbyists have discovered they can be replaced with a properly sized elastic band used by women to tie up their pony tails.
Design and Features
We were starting to think that a musician's endorsement was something of a death knell for audio equipment, but the Q701's - the flagship product in AKG's Quicy Jones-sponsored line-up - proves that theory conclusively wrong. Where Jay-Z and Dr Dre's names on the packaging of the Skullcandy Aviators and Monster Beats respectively counts for no more than the assurance that you'll be paying over the odds for what lies within, even if they weren't available for a decent chunk under their £499 recommended price is the Q701s would be worthy of recommendation. At the sub-£360 they can be found for they are, if not a bargain, certainly a safe investment.
Sounds like love
The 701s claim to be premium reference headphones, so we expected some serious audio delights to ripple through our brains. Thankfully, we weren't disappointed. Vanessa Carlton's beautiful Home was reproduced with such excellent clarity that we came over all romantic and proposed marriage to her via email. She hasn't replied yet. Similarly, we were delighted by the details we could pick out in Sigur Ros' Staralfur. Closing our peepers, we almost felt we were listening to the string sections being played live in a concert hall. Even at high volumes, there was minimal distortion.
Summary
Reviewers are universally agreed that the sound quality of the AKG Q701 Quincy Jones headphones is simply superb. They cover a phenomenal frequency range and give you a real sense of ‘space’. As with everything in life, quality comes with a price tag, but if you love to hear music with clarity and depth then these are money well spent. It’s worth bearing in mind that these headphones are open backed, and consequently leak sound and wont mask background noise. So not ideal for the commute to work, but then that’s not what these headphones are for. They’re for becoming immersed in music at home where you can take pleasure in every note and stanza, just as the artist intended.
No comments:
Post a Comment