stillhart said:

   
Yes, as mentioned a zillion times, amping helps these a lot.  If you get a slightly "warmer" amp, it should help tame the highs a bit as well.  The Schiit Vali is generally recommended as a better pairing for the AKG's than the Magni because of this.
 
Regarding the Modi, I'd say that depends on your sound card.  I have found that the difference between the Omni and Modi is pretty subtle.  Once I spent a lot of time listening for the differences, I think I trained my ears to hear them better.  But it wasn't anything dramatic.  I'd almost suggest skipping the Modi if you have a decent sound card and upgrading to something in a higher price bracket.
 
BTW, if you do have a decent sound card, you're going to want a DAC with optical input rather than USB.

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I was more worried about the harshness of the highs when I asked and not so much about the general sq and volume. I had definitely known that I had to be prepared to buy an amp when I ordered the K712. I don't mean to be the type of person that repeats a question that has, in fact, been asked a zillion times  .
 
The audio on my PC is handled by the motherboard. It's a GA-990FXA-UD3 in case you want to take a look at it.  It's an okay motherboard and has optical as well as 5.1 capabilities but I don't think it's anything special when it comes to sound quality. That's why I'm not sure as to whether to just go with the Mixamp and an amp or to go with a DAC as well.
 
As for the Vali vs Magni, I'm hesitant with the Vali because it doesn't work so well with lower ohm headphones (just in case I want to use my M80s or GR07s with it). 

Stillhart,
I think he just has motherboard audio. But you bring up a good point, the Omni could be an alternative to a Modi at a less expensive price point, probably has a Canadian distributor so grumpy wouldn't become more grumpy if hit by customs inspection fees, and if he gets curious about DAC upgrades in the future he could still use the Omni for surround processing and pipe the audio out through Optical to another DAC.


Grumpy,
I keep saying that it's clear that these AKG's that "need" amping still sound like superior headphones even if you don't have a powerful/clean discrete amp! Glad you like them. And yes, the treble feels a bit sharp/harsh, but that's a brittleness that becomes cleaner and sweeter when powered enough to control the driver movement with precision and authority. So you'll be able to listen for longer stretches when powered better/more cleanly... They sound very good even in your more entry-level setup, but we say they "need" and amp because you don't hear their full potential till you hear them with a good amp.

I found the Omni to be also better at amping than my motherboard (and a clearer DAC as well), so a step in the right direction (clearly better than the two Recon3D's I've had can output by themselves), though it seems that when these USB powered devices are powered by USB3 ports they can draw on more juice/oomf. A discrete amp will still be a level up, progression is part of the game... LOL AN AUDIO RPG! It's real life bro

I haven't heard the Vali, but from reviews it does seem like an impressive amp. Read Purrin's review... He thought it had great synergy with the HD800! And while the HD800 is a more refined headphone, it has a relatively similar frequency curve as the K712 (though the latter has a bigger bass hump). The Magni is also a good option on paper, I haven't heard one though... Reading a lot of reviews, I get the impression that it's mostly neutral and honest, letting the headphone determine the tone but some people have had the impression of a slight bit of brightness added. Probably only one way to find out for sure on any of these!

Meanwhile, thanks for adding your impression towards creating a consensus

grumpy1471 said:

...
The audio on my PC is handled by the motherboard.

As for the Vali vs Magni, I'm hesitant with the Vali because it doesn't work so well with lower ohm headphones (just in case I want to use my M80s or GR07s with it). 

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Lol, you beat me to replying. As for your other headphones, kind of a tough/personal choice. An amp may help those improve too and it's nice to have versatility, but then those will probably not scale much compared to what you're already hearing and given the choice the K712 will probably get the most head-time when you're in a destop-amp listening situation.

evshrug said:

Lol, you beat me to replying. As for your other headphones, kind of a tough/personal choice. An amp may help those improve too and it's nice to have versatility, but then those will probably not scale much compared to what you're already hearing and given the choice the K712 will probably get the most head-time when you're in a destop-amp listening situation.

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You make a great point there. When I'm using a desktop amp, what reason will I have to use anything other than the best headphones I have? I'm not quite sure how well my Mixamp can work as a DAC but I should probably wait until tomorrow to see how well it works with the K712. As for the omni, I can get one for around $90 CAD which isn't bad at all. I could end up having my Mixamp for console and Omni for PC.

I'll have to give the Valid vs Magni decision a bit of time so that I can take the time to make the right choice and look up some comparisons. The Vali and Magni could both help tame the highs from what I gathered but the Vali can do a better job at it. Just not sure if I like tube or solid state amps. I guess I'll have to either do a ton of research about the two types or maybe I'll have to try both eventually. I'm just starting my audiophile quest so I do need to level up and gain some experience (loved that RPG comparison btw).

grumpy1471 said:

You make a great point there. When I'm using a desktop amp, what reason will I have to use anything other than the best headphones I have? I'm not quite sure how well my Mixamp can work as a DAC but I should probably wait until tomorrow to see how well it works with the K712. As for the omni, I can get one for around $90 CAD which isn't bad at all. I could end up having my Mixamp for console and Omni for PC.

I'll have to give the Valid vs Magni decision a bit of time so that I can take the time to make the right choice and look up some comparisons. The Vali and Magni could both help tame the highs from what I gathered but the Vali can do a better job at it. Just not sure if I like tube or solid state amps. I guess I'll have to either do a ton of research about the two types or maybe I'll have to try both eventually. I'm just starting my audiophile quest so I do need to level up and gain some experience (loved that RPG comparison btw).

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I would probably chose the Vali of the two with the K7xx series. I believe the Vali's issues are with lower ohm headphones than the K70x series. I'm not sure if the Vali will have noise issues with the K712 or not. I used to have the Magni but wasn't really the biggest fan of the amp. If you don't mind spending a bit more you can look into the EF2A, if you want the ability to roll tubes and want an amp with basically no noise floor even on IEMs. It's another lower price amp known to have good synergy with the HD 800, K712, etc.

I've been spending a lot of time with the K712 pads on the K612, I'm really liking what I am hearing. The K612 retains that clear and forward midrange that the K712 just doesn't have while taking a slight edge off the treble and increasing the bass to where it's a bit more than the K712 but some reason the bass seems a bit cleaner and clearer than the K712. It's good for bass-heavy genres, but there is a bit too much bass for some more acoustic genres as it impacts the subtle textures of bass. Maybe my amp is simply a better match for the K612 than the K712.
 
I have noticed the treble on the K712 to be more prominent and I feel it takes away from the midrange. I'll give the headphones a few more weeks to decide on which I like more. I may end up favoring the K612 as a good midrange is what is most important to me. I am keeping the K712 no matter what as I got a really good deal on it but it's not really ending up as a replacement or even an upgrade in terms of refinement of the K612 just a different flavor of sound on similarly performing headphones. It's basically ending up as a complimentary headphone. The K712 is starting to end up as my replacement for my DT 990 Pro I sold.

grumpy1471 said:

You make a great point there. When I'm using a desktop amp, what reason will I have to use anything other than the best headphones I have? I'm not quite sure how well my Mixamp can work as a DAC but I should probably wait until tomorrow to see how well it works with the K712. As for the omni, I can get one for around $90 CAD which isn't bad at all. I could end up having my Mixamp for console and Omni for PC.

I'll have to give the Valid vs Magni decision a bit of time so that I can take the time to make the right choice and look up some comparisons. The Vali and Magni could both help tame the highs from what I gathered but the Vali can do a better job at it. Just not sure if I like tube or solid state amps. I guess I'll have to either do a ton of research about the two types or maybe I'll have to try both eventually. I'm just starting my audiophile quest so I do need to level up and gain some experience (loved that RPG comparison btw).

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Most folks in the Q701 thread prefer the Vali to the Magni.  I know it's a different can, but they're very similar so I suspect that preference would transfer over.  Sounds like at least a couple folks on here agree.  One of the things I like about the Vali on paper is that it's not setup to be able to "tube roll".  It's just plug n play.  Tube sound with none of the temptation to blow all your money on tubes. 
 
BTW, sorry if I came across as...grumpy (see what I did there?), I guess it wasn't made clear that good amping in general will make the harsh treble go away on those cans.  It's one of the reasons we all say you need an amp.  (Ev put it better than I could anyways.)  In fact, I felt a noticeable upgrade just going from onboard sound to the Recon.  Getting a desktop amp, especially a warmer tube amp, should help even more. 
 
Personally, I wouldn't overthink the decision between the Magni and Vali.  They're both relatively cheap amps with good resale potential.  Just grab one and enjoy.  There's also almost always ones on the classifieds here because many people use them as stepping stones when getting into the hobby.

An Aune T1 is always a good alternative to the Vali btw, just saying.

napalmhardcore said:

Did they ever fix the issue whereby the audio would come out through both HDMI and optical? I don't know why they changed that from how it was on PS3.

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Pretty sure that is a Multi-audio out option. PS3 had it, and PS4 'should' have it. I haven't checked.

mad lust envy said:

Pretty sure that is a Multi-audio out option. PS3 had it, and PS4 'should' have it. I haven't checked.

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Last time I booted up my PS4 it wasn't in the options (I looked everywhere). I found a Playstation thread and others were complaining. It isn't a big deal as I can just mute my receiver. The PS3 had it perfect but for some reason they changed it on PS4. If it ain't broke...

Ah ok. Well, ps4 is lacking many things atm, unfortunately.

mad lust envy said:

Ah ok. Well, ps4 is lacking many things atm, unfortunately.

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Games lol.
 
Mind you I've got more than enough to play. Steam sales have given me a monumental backlog of stuff to play.

The PS4 has multi-out, it's just enabled automatically and you can't disable it.
 
Turn on your TV speakers and you'll hear audio, as it would be connected with the HDMI cable. 

 Heres the clip I uploaded using FAT32 and a usb stick from my ps4!

benbenkr said:

  The PS4 has multi-out, it's just enabled automatically and you can't disable it.
 
Turn on your TV speakers and you'll hear audio, as it would be connected with the HDMI cable. 

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It was the inability to disable it that was my problem. I preferred how it was on PS3. The first time I noticed it was at about 2 in the morning. I took off my headphones and realised the sound was coming out my speakers too, which kind of defeated the point of me wearing headphones. Luckily my speakers weren't turned up very loud or I'd have woken everyone up.