Review AKG Q701 Quincy Jones Reference Class Premium Headphones – For Serious Stay at Home Audiophiles

Beats by Dr Dre headphones seem to have opened the floodgates to a wave of celebrities endorsing what all claim to be the best headphones on the market. In this case the AKG Q701 headphones have been endorsed by none other than 27 time GRAMMY award winner Quincy Jones. Having worked on an extensive back catalogue that reads like a roll call of some of the world’s greatest musicians, his endorsement is high praise indeed.

In his own words: “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.”

So do these deliver the true sound that artists and studio engineers hear? Or is Quincy’s endorsement mere marketing mush? Let’s find out…

Appearance

Anybody hoping for a big, bold ‘Q’ on either headphone can to mimic the branding of Beats by Dr Dre will be sorely disappointed. But these aren’t designed for impressing people on the commute to work. But what you do get is a solid metal pair of cans with a reassuringly luxurious velvet ear pads and a real leather headband that auto adjusts to grip comfortably onto your head.

Available in a range of colours, including bright green, these are an attractive set of headphones. However, their elegant appearance is likely to be just for you and your nearest and dearest’s enjoyment because these are unlikely to leave the home. That is unless you’re happy to lug around the extra amplification equipment that needs to go with them…

Performance

The AKG Q701 Quincy Jones headphones feature revolutionary flat wire voice coil technology and patented two-layer diaphragm. To the uninitiated, this is the same audio technology you’d find in a high end speaker system or microphone compressed into a set of headphones. In practical terms, this means you can expect extremely accurate sound reproduction that will simply blow you away.

Quincy Jones knows good music and, judging from the performance of these, he knows a good pair of headphones. As befitting the price tag, the AKG Q701s offer a spacious soundstage, which gives pin point clarity, depth and a sweet bass that blends into the midrange beautifully.

If you want to hear music as the artist intended then the AKG Q701 Quincy Jones headphones are a high end option that can offer you some of the most enjoyable listening experiences money can buy.

What people say

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.

However, it’s important to note that you may not get the optimum experience listening to these straight through the audio port of your iPad or laptop. These need extra amplification to drive the sound. One solution is to buy a USB audio amplifier (e.g. TonePort or FiiO E17) to give the sound that extra kick through the audio cable. You may also want to ‘burn’ these in for two weeks to get the true audiophile experience that AKG and Quincy intended.

It’s also 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.

Music to turn up

Classical, pop or rock will sound like you’re discovering music for the first time.

Music to turn down

Heart palpitating bass was not on the design sheet for these. For deep growling bass for hip-hop, drum & bass, dubstep and beats on the streets you might want to look elsewhere.

Originally posted 2012-11-07 13:55:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Review Sennheiser HD650 Reference Headphones – Is Sennheiser’s Prize Gem still Gleaming?

Sennheiser has been developing some of the best headphones available for over 60 years. The German brand has a legacy for audio engineering excellence that makes certain other celebrity endorsed headphones brands seem life adolescents in comparison. The crown jewel of the Sennheiser range are the HD650s reference headphones.

Appearance

The Sennheiser HD650 headphones might not have the ‘cool’ lines and aesthetics of Beats by Dr Dre headphones. The outer grills on the headphones might not be to be to everyone’s tastes and they’re certainly heavy.

But on the other hand, these aren’t designed for the commute to work. These are audiophile headphones for enjoying music as artists intended it to be heard in the peaceful surroundings of home.

They are certainly comfortable to wear, with a solid plastic and metallic construction and padded headband that grips your head without feeling as thought it’s in a vice. The cushioned ear pads are also shaped to cup the ear rather than be placed on top of it, enabling you to wear these for hours comfortably.

Performance

Many people buy Sennheiser headphones based on the brand name alone, taking confidence in the reputation that a 60 year history and the HD650s have earned it. These headphones feature lightweight aluminium voice coils and high power neodymium magnets, but I’m sure what you really want to know is how they sound.

If these are your first hi-end headphones then you will be amazed at how you hear things in music you never knew were there. The mids are clear and well presented, while the treble is tight, precise and clear as crystal. You will undoubtably notice a leap in depth and detail when listening to even the best mid-range headphones. In particular, the Sennheiser HD650 headphones score top marks for their range of powerful and highly textured bass, which doesn’t intrude on other frequencies while making its presence known (which has been a complaint of Dr Dre Beats’ bass heavy headphones).

What people say

As with any high end headphones, to get the best headphones performance you will need to burn these in first by leaving them plugged into the radio. You will also need the right setup to get the most out of these headphones. Plugging the Sennheiser HD650 headphones simply wont do. If you don’t have a high quality amplifier then the best alternative is buy a USB audio amplifier (e.g. TonePort or FiiO E17) to drive the sound.

The Sennheiser HD650 headphones offer amazing treble and mid range sounds, but where they really score highly with reviewers is the awesome bass and accurate soundstage that surpasses most headphones in the high end market.

On the downside, being open backed these leak sound like a sieve. So it’s not advisable to take these on the train or bus, unless you want to get looks for all the wrong reasons. But that’s not what they’re for. The Sennheiser HD650 headphones are for enjoying music as though you are there in the studio, to be savoured and submerged in without background noise to disturb you.

Music you’ll turn up

These are simply perfect for classic rock thanks to their magical bass, which will provide a lush texture to string and woodwind instruments. These are also among the best headphones for dub, reggae, classical and progressive rock.

Music you’ll switch off

The Sennheiser HD650 headphones may struggle to keep up the pace with fast rock or high tempo dance tracks. While their bass performance is exceptional, it might not be heavy enough for those looking for something to rattle their eyeballs.

Originally posted 2012-11-09 14:32:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Review Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones – The Frequent Flyer’s Friend

The corkscrew. The sparkplug. The light bulb. All are designed to perform a specific task, which they all do diligently without any need for fanfare. This is much like the Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones. To coin a cliché, they ‘do exactly what it says on the tin’. In this case it’s enabling the wearer to enjoy their music or to sit in silence without being disturbed by the ambient noise around them.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones are beloved by frequent flyers and commuters for their ability to block out the rumble of the aircraft engines or train. But they are not without their critics, particularly among ardent audiophiles.

Appearance

Considering their high-end price bracket, you might be disappointed with the build quality of these noise cancelling headphones. Rather than a luxurious, exotic choice of metals, the Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones are made from plastic. But whilst they might not impress fellow commuters in the looks department, what the use of plastic does mean is that they are lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods compared to metal heavyweight cans that can feel like wearing a vice after a while.

Supporting the focus on comfort rather than looks are the large earcups, which fit snugly over the ears. And being closed back means they will passively reduce background noise without the need to switch on the gadgetry hidden inside. The added bonus of the large earcups is that they don’t leak sound, which means you don’t have to worry about disturbing your neighbour when banging out Beethoven or the avalanche of explosions when watching The Avengers.

Additional features include the ability to answer phone calls on an iPhone with the inline mic, a reassuringly solid case and the ability to twist the earcups 90 degrees for neatly folding them away after your journey.

Performance

The noise cancelling abilities of the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones comes from battery powered technology packed into the cans. Mics are fitted to the inside and outside to pickup outside ambient noise and then to cancel it out using Bose’s patented Triport® acoustic technology for a tonally balanced sound performance.

Sounds impressive. So how does it perform?

The reviews I read are universally praising of the sound cancelling performance of the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. Whether on flights, on trains or to block out the ambient noise at work, these headphones are the best in class at what they do. What’s more you don’t get the ‘whoosh’ that you get with most electronically powered noise cancelling headphones. Instead, the rumbling sound of an airplane engine is replaced with a mild mid-level hiss, enabling you to enjoy music and movies in peace.

So if you’re looking for comfortable, noise cancelling headphones for travel then look no further. But (and it’s a big but) if you’re looking for audiophile class sound performance you might want to look elsewhere.

The Bose Quiet Comfort headphones have been described as sounding ‘airless’ in the highs and slightly thin in the middles. The bass is likeable but can lack impact and weight when listening to drums or electric bass. So if sound performance is top of the agenda, you might want to look at what the Grado SR325is or Sennheiser HD650s have to offer in this price bracket. The payoff is that you’re then looking at losing the noise cancelling abilities of the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. So it’s a case of horses for courses, as the saying goes.

When you’ll leave them on

The Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones are the perfect headphones for flights, commuting and for blocking out background noise at work. Their noise cancelling technology enables you to watch movies and listen to music in peace without being disturbed by the cacophony of people talking or rumbling engines. They’re also great for listening to classical, jazz and other music that lives in the midrange.

When they’ll be left in their carry case

These headphones won’t work without a battery. So it’s wise to carry a spare around. While great at cancelling background noise, they lack the sound performance of Sennheiser or Grado in this price bracket and will struggle with hip-hop, hard rock and other bass heavy music. However, Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones are designed for listening to music quietly in a noisey environment, not the other way around.

Originally posted 2013-02-12 18:05:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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