AKG K701

Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.

Overall

#185 in

Headphones (Over / On Ear)

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score71% positive
20
4
4
Last updated: May 23, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Iconalexseiji
4 months ago

I have the AKG 240s and really love listening to jazz on them. My audio technique are 70s definitely are a better set but I feel like deep down in my heart. My game over ears is a 701 or 702.

4 months ago

I think they actually eq quite well and at lower volumes still have fullness in the mid and sub bass regions. At higher volumes I personally feel they bump pretty well! Definitely not bass cannons however.

Reddit IconChronos669
4 months ago

Sennhieser hd650, akg q701, hifiman sundara, beyerdynamics dt1990. All depends on personal preference that only your ears can confirm

3 months ago

How do they compare to the q701? I use those for gaming mostly, but music sounds good too

Reddit Iconcmosfxx
5 months ago

K701 for me did the trick since they first came out. It was like a whole different experience. That soundstage!! Never tried Q701 but I've tried a lot of AKGs later on and I really like them. Sadly all of them with this headband style are slowly going bad (elastic bands wearing off and plastic sliders cracking making noises etc) and after years they're a bit uncomfortable.

Reddit Iconcopdauxu
about 2 months ago

Too many choices and it has taken the happiness and enjoyment of simply listening to music out of you. The end game is something that can bring you joy and relax of music, not constantly switching and comparing. My end game is simple: HD650 for night relaxed music sessions where i can turn off all lights and flow with “Second booked of songes”, the warmth of Karen Carpenter voice, Eric Clapton, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck Quartet. Or i can simply put on a Q701 for some Franz List, Vivaldi, Chopin or Hans Zimmer

Reddit IconDement__
6 months ago

One of the reasons why I love wired, and the Astro Mixamp served me so well. The headset didn't so much, I eventually upgraded my headset to AKG 702 with very poor research prior to purchase, I didn't realize headphones needed to be powered when I was so young, ended up getting some Fiio External Amp to give it more power, and added a modmic. I've had this same setup for over a decade, and one key point I'll mention, is AKG 702 and 701 both have very poor solder joints, but they are made to be easily taken apart and you can make some quick work with low level soldering skills. There are these plastic clips that always break over the span of a year but they are pretty unnecessary imho. You can buy custom made clips more durable and custom hand bands but I've yet to do that. Sound quality is really good for fps games because it's not as boomy and has an amazing soundstage. The modmic on the other hand has kinda gone downhill imho when it comes to quality. They used to be better I feel like. I had to replace a modmic 5 and they stopped producing those in replacement of a different generation which I felt sounded worse. Had to replace my modmic because I accidently stepped on it and fucked it up.

Reddit Iconderkobals
3 months ago

Yepp, I was lucky to buy About 10 years ago to buy The AKG 701 Q. A masterpiece of sound engineerinh, mostly classical and jazz.

Reddit Icondiscotheque-wreck
7 months ago

I’d be interested to hear how they stack up to the HD630VB headphones that were released about 10 years ago. I have the HD630VB and I LOVE them but reviewers and audiophiles at the time completely ripped them apart. I think the “variable bass” aspect angered some purists but it’s actually really useful to be able to fine tune the bass response sometimes. The fixed cable was also a complaint, which obviously won’t be an issue with the HDB630. To me, the HD630VB sound better than AKG K701 and Airpods Max for what it’s worth. I still use them all the time because you can just chuck them about or fold them up and put them in your bag. They do look pretty tacky though, which might have contributed to the poor reviews.

Reddit Icondoctormirabilis
3 months ago

My favorite corded pair is the AKG Q701’s

3 months ago

I think they’re absolutely brilliant. Detailed but pleasant. Haven’t heard any new phones in years so can’t speak of those but I paid a couple hundred for my Q’s in demo condition and that was a bargain. Will never exchange them. Also they are comfortable with glasses on which is kinda rare for me 

Rankings by Use Case

Top recommendations from others in the same boat

Other Reddit Recommendations: