In case it wasn't clear...I purchased Zing's AKG K701 headphones. They came in last week, but due to traveling I wasn't able to use them much until today. I thought I'd take a stab at putting my initial thoughts into words, but before I do that I just want to thank Zing for a great transaction...:text-thankyoublue:
I think most people are familiar with these headphones, so I'll try to be brief...
Looks/Build Quality: My first impression when I took these out of the box was that they looked great. The build quality is top notch and I like the mix of materials. My wife isn't crazy about the white, but I like it.
Comfort: This is my first full sized headphone and overall I find them to be very comfortable. I had read reviews stating that the bumps in the headband were awful, but I don't mind them. The clamping force is noticeable; however, I don't find it to be extreme. I wore them for about 3 hours before I started to feel them on my head. I did have some problems getting them situated at first so that they wouldn't slide around (I kept hearing the left earphone moving on my cheek), but the biggest issue was my ears started to get warm. I think that is something I'll get used to in time.
Sound: Acknowledging first that I think it is probably dangerous to draw any conclusions from the first few hours of listening, I really like the sound of these headphones. I'm glad I took the chance and bought them without hearing them first. I had the same reaction using these headphones as I did when I fired up my first "real" speakers for the first time. That is to say, moving from "regular" headphones to these is eye (or rather ear) opening. My go to songs took on new life. Overall, I find them to be extremely accurate and laid back. I don't consider myself to have a very discerning ear so the following statement is probably off base, but I feel these headphones are a lot like my speakers as I typically describe them in the same way. That may be why I felt very comfortable with the sound of the 701s right off the bat.
I found them to really shine with big band and jazz, with all instruments sounding very realistic. I especially enjoyed music with a lot of piano and was impressed by the crispness of quick notes. Vocals were equally impressive, sounding very rich. I suspect that a part of the reason big band sounds great is the sound stage. I was surprised by how immersed these headphones were able to make me feel.
If they do have a fault, as others have said, it is with the bass. I personally don't mind this "fault". I like bass to be there and have proper depth, but not be in your face. In general, I find the bass to be balanced with the rest of the sound, although on a few tracks I probably wouldn't complain if it was a bit punchier.
Overall: I would buy these again without hesitation.
I look forward to breaking them in over the next few weeks and I'm curious if their sound will change in any way. My fears have been realized, however, as now I'm already thinking about what to get next...
Now, back to :music-listening: