This is one of the finest open-back headphones at this price range, the AKG K701 is designed and built to provide its users with beautiful sound quality. It is suitable for both casual and critical listeners who want uncompromised sonic performance and a reference class dynamic headphone that is worth every single penny spent. By matching with a headphone amp that has the same level of sonic quality, it could bring out the absolute best from the AKG K701.
The AKG K701 is worth the investment on an equally remarkable headphone amplifier and to find such an amp will require us to learn more about the K701. With a better knowledge of how the AKG K701 sounds and by learning more of its sonic prowess, we can then list out the best headphone amps which we can choose and match with this reference class headphone. If you are interested in this list, kindly continue to read on.
Table of Contents
Sound Characteristics and Merits of AKG K701
It has a premium look and stunning visual aesthetics, a type of headphones that you will feel proud to bring it out and wear in public. The design feel and colors are really a nice match, giving people an impression of high-end quality. The AKG K701 is an open-back design dynamic headphone and won’t be suitable for outdoor usage. One of the reasons will be its poor noise isolation capabilities, you will be hearing environmental noises which will disrupt your music listening experience. You can try to drown these noises by playing at high volume levels but the sound will leak out a lot and disturb the people around you. This is as expected from an open-back design headphone.
The AKG K701 headphones are not really portable due to their bulky sizes and we are unable to fold them to make them more compact. Not to mention, the ear cups are rather big which is a good thing though as it is very well-padded. This is a very comfortable headphone to wear and we foresee that we will be listening to the K701 for hours on end without worrying about fatigue. The well-padded ear cups do not accumulate too much heat which is great. It is highly recommended to casually listen to the AKG K701 in a quiet indoor environment and would be best if is a private music listening session since the sound leakage is pretty high.
More Details at Amazon – AKG K701 Reference Class Stereo Headphone
This is a pair of honest headphones, meaning it delivers very accurate and faithful music presentations of our favorite tunes. The AKG K701 does not forcefully bring out the emotions and energy of the music. It will reproduce them only if the music demands it. When it comes to bad recordings, the K701 headphone will not sweeten the music and will honestly show you all the negative parts of the poorly recorded music. This is a top-notch headphone for critical listeners and analytical audio enthusiasts as the AKG K701 has very low or no colorations to its overall sound reproduction.
The level of clarity is astounding, every music detail and subtle nuances can be heard in crystal clear sound quality. The treble is rather livelier than expected though but doesn’t sound overly bright or harsh when pushed. It brings out a high-resolution music presentation where the vocals sound intimate and musical instruments are authentically reproduced. There is precision in its stereo imaging where each musician is accurately located and is highly defined as well. The soundstage projected by the AKG K701 is spacious and wide which is as expected from a premium open-back headphone of this caliber.
The overall bass performance is accurate but does lack the weight and punch. The AKG K701 is unable to deliver really deep bass frequencies and bass fanatics wouldn’t find this headphone low-end performance satisfying enough for them. It does help with the overall clarity of the upper registers though as the bass frequencies do not overwhelm or muddle them. This will be a brilliant headphone for professional work such as audio mixing, mastering, etc. We have the data and information we need to prepare a list of the best amps to pair with this outstanding AKG K701 dynamic headphone, and you can take a look at them below.
AKG K701 Specifications
- Type: Open-back headphones
- Driver size: 50mm
- Maximum input power: 200mw
- Frequency response: 10Hz-39.8kHz
- Impedance: 62 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 105dB
- Cable Length: 3m (9.8ft)
- Weight: 235g (0.52lbs)
Best Amps to match with AKG K701
The Schiit Audio Valhalla 2 is one of the best amps to go with your AKG K701 especially for listeners who want to have a more enjoyable music listening experience. This is a triode OTL tube headphone amp and it adds a touch of warmth to the overall sound reproduction. It breathes more life into the musicians where you can hear more intricate details and movements coming from the musical instruments. The overall sonic performance also becomes a bit more vivid and the Schiit Audio Valhalla 2 is able to slightly widen the soundstage, providing a bit more space for the musicians. It is a remarkable headphone tube amp suitable for the AKG K701.
More Info at Amazon – Schiit Valhalla 2 Triode OTL Tube Headphone Amp
The JDS Labs EL AMP II will be one of the best amps to match with the AKG K701 dynamic headphone. This is a headphone amp that can efficiently drive the K701. It is an outstanding amplifier, capable of digging out lots of details from the music and presenting them in an organized and cohesive manner. The JDS Labs EL AMP II is also able to bring the emotional energy out of our favorite tunes, providing an engaging sonic performance without compromising accuracy. If you are also planning to get a dedicated DAC, you might want to couple the EL AMP II with the matching JDS Labs EL DAC II for an even better overall musical performance.
If you need a headphone amplifier with a high-quality D/A converter built into it then the FiiO K5 Pro will be an excellent choice to go for and pair with your AKG K701. The FiiO K5 Pro is a highly regarded amp with a modest price tag and has received tons of positive ratings from its satisfied users. The built-in AK4493 DAC supports up to 768kHz/32-bit resolution and decodes native DSD high-res audio files. Its bass gain feature will help to provide you with a more pronounced bass delivery and a slightly higher output which is pretty neat since the AKG K701 headphone is lacking in the bass department.
More Info at Amazon – FiiO K5 Pro Deskstop DAC and Amplifier
This is an award-winning headphone amp with a very small footprint and will be great for listeners who are facing space constraints. The Chord Mojo may be compact in size but it is big in sound quality and will pair really well with the AKG K701 headphone. Mojo is capable of producing a massive amount of music details and delivering them in an engaging presentation. Partly due to the amplifier’s wide dynamic range and its impeccable music handling capabilities which will complement the AKG K701 really well. As mentioned earlier, the Chord Mojo is small and you can easily keep it once you are done using the headphone amp.
More Information at Amazon – Chord Mojo Headphone Amplifier
Drop + THX AAA 789 is a powerful headphone amplifier that will match well with the AKG K701 dynamic headphones. Firstly, the Drop + THX AAA 789 can effortlessly make the AKG K701 sing and with headroom to spare. The neutral sonic characteristics and transparency of this headphone amp complement the AKG headphone really well and it does not sound harsh. It has a polished background, giving us a clean and high-resolution music presentation with plenty of subtle details to boot. Furthermore, the Drop + THX AAA 789 is moderately priced and is worth your while to take a look at.
More Info at Amazon – Drop + THX AAA 789 Linear Headphone Amp
For listeners who prefer a headphone amplifier with a powerful DAC, the Topping DX7 Pro is an ideal choice for you and your AKG K701 dynamic headphone. It is a very highly rated amp and uses the ES9038PRO DAC chip, enabling it to decode DSD512 (native) high-res audio files and supports up to 32bit/768kHz resolution. The Topping DX7 Pro is capable of delivering a very detailed music presentation and has a low noise background, allowing us to listen to our music with pristine clean sound quality. The clean and clear overall sound reproduction of the DX7 Pro will fit nicely with the AKG K701 dynamic headphone.
More Info at Amazon – Topping DX7 Pro ES9038Pro DAC Headphone Amplifier (Black)
To Conclude
It is recommended to audition these headphone amps first before making your final decision, as during the auditioning, you will be able to find out which amp sounds the best to you. You might want to select these amps for an audition based on your requirements such as their price points, need to have a built-in DAC, etc. Feel free to use this list as a reference when searching for other headphone amplifier models or brands that are not listed here. You can also do a side-by-side comparison if you want to.
