[shultzee]

  Does anyone listen to a lot of classical music - chamber, orchestral, choral, opera, solo instruments?  How do they perform compared to your other flag-ship headphones?  I am interested in accurate reproduction of instruments and voices, inner resolution (hear different themes and sections inside the orchestra) and dynamics (ability to keep up with "big" dynamic shifts in Mahler, Sibelius, Bruckner symphonies).  

The 812 is very revealing with detail . A lot will depend on your source/dac  imho.

 

[FritzS]

  Does anyone listen to a lot of classical music - chamber, orchestral, choral, opera, solo instruments?  How do they perform compared to your other flag-ship headphones?  I am interested in accurate reproduction of instruments and voices, inner resolution (hear different themes and sections inside the orchestra) and dynamics (ability to keep up with "big" dynamic shifts in Mahler, Sibelius, Bruckner symphonies).  

Yes I did - I listen some Mahler, Sibelius, Bruckner symphonies with my K812!
And some Jazz samples too.
 
All you are interested - my feeling the K812 reproduce this very well!

 

[vaibhavp]

  Does anyone listen to a lot of classical music - chamber, orchestral, choral, opera, solo instruments?  How do they perform compared to your other flag-ship headphones?  I am interested in accurate reproduction of instruments and voices, inner resolution (hear different themes and sections inside the orchestra) and dynamics (ability to keep up with "big" dynamic shifts in Mahler, Sibelius, Bruckner symphonies).  

can a $500 dac/amp like ifi idsd or centrance dacmini do it? I know my entry level audinst hud mini cant do it.

 

[Frihed89]

Sorry, you're talking to the wrong guy about Dacs. I only play Red Book CDs. Both the products you mentioned have good reviews.  The only experience with mini Dac's, I have, is a Wavelength USB Proton Dac, now called the Neutron, for about that price.  I use it only with a Donald North Audio Stratus, but it is limited in the format it plays.
 
Good luck.

 

[Misterrogers]

I've listened to my 812 with my iDSD Micro; it drives it very well. While not as dynamic or quite as resolving as my high end chain, It seemed a pretty good pairing to me.

 

[pataburd]

If I get home in time, I'll swap in my hybrid amp [and some new ICs] and give the K812 a listen with Bruckner's 4th.

 

[up late]

I've listened to my 812 with my iDSD Micro; it drives it very well. While not as dynamic or quite as resolving as my high end chain, It seemed a pretty good pairing to me.

not surprised

 

[pearljam50000]

So I have read a few comparisons with the HD800, my conclusion is that the K812 is a bit warmer and musical than the HD800, but sacrifices details and the technical accuracy of the HD800.
Am I right?

 

[62ohm]

So I have read a few comparisons with the HD800, my conclusion is that the K812 is a bit warmer and musical than the HD800, but sacrifices details and the technical accuracy of the HD800.
Am I right?

 
Only a tad bit of details probably, but the dilemma for me comes with its holographic soundstage. The holographic soundstage presentation of the K812 makes the AKG more captivating to listen to, but at the same time IMO it makes it less transparent.

 

[pearljam50000]

Wow, I always assumed the HD800 has the best soundstage of any headphone, so this is new to me.
So would you say the holographic soundstage is worth the loss of transparency?

 

[plakat]

So I have read a few comparisons with the HD800, my conclusion is that the K812 is a bit warmer and musical than the HD800, but sacrifices details and the technical accuracy of the HD800.
Am I right?

Yes, thats about my impression as well. Overall I found the HD800 to be too dissecting for my taste, I can enjoy music much easier with the K812.
And yes, the K812 soundstage is impressive... it may indeed have something to do with its tendency to slightly blur details in the treble though.

 

[timmyzai]

So I have read a few comparisons with the HD800, my conclusion is that the K812 is a bit warmer and musical than the HD800, but sacrifices details and the technical accuracy of the HD800.
Am I right?

 
I would agree with this. For critical listening, I use the HD800. I find it picks up the details better, while the K812 is warmer and "easier" to listen too. My music collection does not consists of ALL Loseless files. I do have a few mp3's (192 and 320) and for these files, it almost becomes difficult to listen to them with the HD800, but the K812, while still not great, allows for me to listen without biting down on my teeth.

 

 

[Sorrodje]

I somewhat agree with above statements except I think the "musical" criteria is entirely a matter of tastes. For my tastes and the listen I listen too, both HD800 and K812 are enjoyable
Here's my impressions of the K812 compared to the HD800 :
 
- A bit warmer with a more downward FR ( This K812 has a close to perfect balance IMO)
- Very good soundstage less wide and deep than the HD800 but as holographic. Imaging is not near as good as the HD800 though. Both soundstages share the same diffuse and laid-back nature. 
- Bass are less clean and precise than the HD800. That contrbutes to the warmth but the shortcoming is a slight boominess. very slight. I'm nitpicking here bit Hey we're talking about a TOTL 1500€ headphone.
- More sub bass than the HD800 . I really like the K812 with Electronic music.
- Issues in the treble. sometimes it's really annoying/fatiguing, sometimes not so. Depends on recordings. Overally I have difficulties with this treble.
- Serious lack of dynamics (macro and micro dynamics)  so the K812 fails to suck me into the music compared to my Stax  or my HD800. I always need to crank up the volume without finding What I look for except harsher treble. with the treble it's the biggest flaw of the K812 imo.
- lack of dynamics induce a serious lack of resolution. K812 didn't offer me the same "true to life" feeling and level of engagement than my HD800 or even the Stax SR404.
 
I used my Octave/Sonett Rig mostly.
 
Not a bad headphone overally but not in the same league than the HD800 or my Stax SR404 and too expensive for what it offers. This AKG would be a very recommandable headphone at 6/700€.  I place it on par with the Beyerdynamic T1 although I much prefer the K812 for my personal tastes. I prefered the Ultrasone Edition 12 to both despite it's technically inferior and the Ultrasone is overpriced too.
 
I would have been really interested to compare the K712 and this K812. I loved my old K501 when I owned it but I didn't appreciate so much the K701. 
 
My  2 cents, IMO, YMMV

 

 

[preproman]

 

[TheDuke990]

@Sorrodje: for me the HD800 and K812 are in the same league. Both have a fantastic level of details.
I cannot hear that the K812 lacks of details, dynamic or whatever. Okay the bass punch is slightly faster with the HD800 but thats all. On the other hand the sub bass and bass quantity is higher on K812.
 
I owned the HD800 for one year and some weeks ago I changed to K812 and I did not miss any type of details or whatever. And the K812 is definitely the better allrounder.
The K812 sounds "straighter" and the listener is more involved and the sound out of the HD800 is more distant but there is nothing that you can listen with HD800 but not with K812.
 
Last week I got again an Audeze LCD-X. Very nice headphone but not my cup of tea. I like the sound of K812 and HD800 as well.