[FritzS]

So based on the last comments about The Composer, they say it does not have too much of a soundstage. Will The Composer be more similar to the K872 (without the foam inner rings) than tue K812?

No!
I owned the K872, K812 is audibly better, Composer outperforms both of them. Composer has more bass depth, very good mids, no noticeable sibilants. The only K812 feels like it has a slightly wider stage.
Over all and from a purely musical point of view, I even like the DT1990 better than K872, of course this is a closed vs. open comparison.

 

[sofastreamer]

owning the k872 and k812 i would say the opposite. the k872 is less v shaped without the sharpness the k812 sometimes has. Also the soundstage on the k872 is wider even tho they are closed. the k812 has better layering tho. dont know the composer yet.

 

[RuslanG]

owning the k872 and k812 i would say the opposite. the k872 is less v shaped without the sharpness the k812 sometimes has. Also the soundstage on the k872 is wider even tho they are closed. the k812 has better layering tho. dont know the composer yet.

Thats exactly, I concluded that K612 is much better for work because ambiguous mids of K812. However, listening to music with K812 is a real pleasure

 

[Rob80b]

Over all and from a purely musical point of view, I even like the DT1990 better than K872, of course this is a closed vs. open comparison.

Similarly I've recently been using the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, I appreciate the analytical nature of the K872 but as you say from a "purely musical point of view", have yet to hear the DT1990 but I can imagine the Amiron with its even more forgiving nature being even more so.

 

[sofastreamer]

Similarly I've recently been using the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, I appreciate the analytical nature of the K872 but as you say from a "purely musical point of view", have yet to hear the DT1990 but I can imagine the Amiron with its even more forgiving nature being even more so.

depends on how someone is defining "musical". to me it means realistic instead of romantic.

 

[Rob80b]

depends on how someone is defining "musical". to me it means realistic instead of romantic.

Good point....comes down to semantics...and almost hard to define "realistic" these days........ I've been trying to attend as many live performances as possible lately, classical and new modern, headphones never, and may never come close to realistic.
Now having said that, having done on-site live recording in my early days, I always find my K872 and the K812 (when I had them), give me the sensation of having a "real" live studio feed, believe I've mentioned this aspect numerous times, but it makes these AKG unique, and in that sense quite realistic, no romanticizing.
Overall though for me personally the whole hobby has become way too romanticized, folks have become vehemently attached to their equipment, spawning a whole boutique market, leading to silly pricing for two little speakers hanging next to our ears which we happily justify on spending. lol
As for musical...one def. "having the pleasing harmonious qualities of music : melodious"....depends if one likes pleasing harmonious music. Hmmm?
Music on the other hand can be many different things..I like to call it organized sound. My favourite being organized chaos.
Oldie but goldie....Varèse 1931.
https://tidal.com/browse/track/341818

 

[RuslanG]

spawning a whole boutique market, leading to silly pricing for two little speakers hanging next to our ears which we happily justify on spending

The same situation is with silly prices of small speakers, proudly called “monitors”, which are useless, well.. maybe for listening to mid frequencies )

 

[musicday]

I've seen the K812 many times at low prices but not so much the K872. I wonder why.
Still some say the closed version has a bigger soundstage but the K812 have more micro details. Anyone has both at the same time? Cheers

 

[Rob80b]

I've seen the K812 many times at low prices but not so much the K872. I wonder why.
Still some say the closed version has a bigger soundstage but the K812 have more micro details. Anyone has both at the same time? Cheers

The K812 is an open back so in theory should be perceptually wider, and in a not too quiet environment the K872 being closed back would have the advantage of displaying more inherent detail, from memory the 2 are very similar but like all things YMMV.

owning the k872 and k812 i would say the opposite. the k872 is less v shaped without the sharpness the k812 sometimes has. Also the soundstage on the k872 is wider even tho they are closed. the k812 has better layering tho. dont know the composer yet.

 

[sofastreamer]

The K812 is an open back so in theory should be perceptually wider, and in a not too quiet environment the K872 being closed back would have the advantage of displaying more inherent detail, from memory the 2 are very similar but like all things YMMV.

generally you are right, but still it isnt the case with those two models. owning both i compared them briefly specially in this departement.

 

[musicday]

generally you are right, but still it isnt the case with those two models. owning both i compared them briefly specially in this departement.

As you own both, which is the one you like more and why?

 

[sofastreamer]

As you own both, which is the one you like more and why?

cant choose a better one. they are different enough to like them both for their strengths. the closed one is smoother overall and phenomal for beeing closed back, the open one sounds a tad more realistic/life like and has slightly better layering but can sound sharper with some recordins/music.

 

[Strale]

Hello!

I am listening to AKG K712 and K701 for quite some time (more than 10 years). On several amps before (Heed CanAmp, iFi ZEN DAC) both K712 and K701 sounded a bit shouty to me, I mean with over-emphasized upper mids (aggressive vocals sometimes, especially in bussy passages). However, I recently obtained Violectric V222 amp which tammed that shoutness very nicely. Now K712/K701 shine in its full potential - very wide, open, expensive, smooth, fast, engaging...perfect.

Then I was curious about Sennheiser HD650 (and praise associate with it for many, many years on all kinds of audio forums...) so I went for it and I was a bit dissapointed...somehow congested, non-engaging 2D compared to wide 3D holographic sound of K712/K701. I mean, there is very nice natural timbre of vocals with HD650 (maybe slightly more appealing than AKGs) but that is all...Even with balanced cable it did not open up, or widen soundstage enough to compete properly with K712/K701.

Now I would like to consider some closed-backs which would sound similar to K712 and that is why I am here on this thread. It was mentioned here that K872 sounds more similar to K712 than to K812. Could someone who owns both compare the soundstage of K872 to K712 please? I would like to avoid narrow, congested sounding headphones (like HD650), although it might be hard for closed-backs.

Also, several times a honky and nasal sound of K872 was mentioned. What exactly does it mean - does it have a lot of reverberation (echo like effects) which is sometimes assiciated with closed-backs? Or simply it has higher freq. emphasis, so the reason it sounds similar to K712, although their FR curves looks quite different - K712 has 2 kHz emphasis, while K872 has a big dip there and then it has slight emphasis near 5 kHz ...? Can someone elaborate more the similarities between K872 and K712 (especially sound stage width and depth)?

Thanks!

 

[canchet]

Hello!

I am listening to AKG K712 and K701 for quite some time (more than 10 years). On several amps before (Heed CanAmp, iFi ZEN DAC) both K712 and K701 sounded a bit shouty to me, I mean with over-emphasized upper mids (aggressive vocals sometimes, especially in bussy passages). However, I recently obtained Violectric V222 amp which tammed that shoutness very nicely. Now K712/K701 shine in its full potential - very wide, open, expensive, smooth, fast, engaging...perfect.

Then I was curious about Sennheiser HD650 (and praise associate with it for many, many years on all kinds of audio forums...) so I went for it and I was a bit dissapointed...somehow congested, non-engaging 2D compared to wide 3D holographic sound of K712/K701. I mean, there is very nice natural timbre of vocals with HD650 (maybe slightly more appealing than AKGs) but that is all...Even with balanced cable it did not open up, or widen soundstage enough to compete properly with K712/K701.

Now I would like to consider some closed-backs which would sound similar to K712 and that is why I am here on this thread. It was mentioned here that K872 sounds more similar to K712 than to K812. Could someone who owns both compare the soundstage of K872 to K712 please? I would like to avoid narrow, congested sounding headphones (like HD650), although it might be hard for closed-backs.

Also, several times a honky and nasal sound of K872 was mentioned. What exactly does it mean - does it have a lot of reverberation (echo like effects) which is sometimes assiciated with closed-backs? Or simply it has higher freq. emphasis, so the reason it sounds similar to K712, although their FR curves looks quite different - K712 has 2 kHz emphasis, while K872 has a big dip there and then it has slight emphasis near 5 kHz ...? Can someone elaborate more the similarities between K872 and K712 (especially sound stage width and depth)?



Thanks!

That K872 graph is not quite right. The k872 has more low end bass. I prefer the k702 65th anniversary than the K712, the use the same earpads. If you want to upgrade your K712 without braking the bank, try the Yaxi pads for them, those pads still sound better on the 65th anniversaries but it will be a noticiable upgrade in sound to your K712.

As far as the K872, I prefer them over any stock or modded K700 series. Sometimes I go back to my K240DFs or 65th anniversaries but the K872 is superior.
You should try the K812 too.

 

[Strale]

That K872 graph is not quite right. The k872 has more low end bass. I prefer the k702 65th anniversary than the K712, the use the same earpads. If you want to upgrade your K712 without braking the bank, try the Yaxi pads for them, those pads still sound better on the 65th anniversaries but it will be a noticiable upgrade in sound to your K712.

As far as the K872, I prefer them over any stock or modded K700 series. Sometimes I go back to my K240DFs or 65th anniversaries but the K872 is superior.
You should try the K812 too.

Few years back when my K701 original earpads detoriated I tried earpads from my K712 on them and it was really amazing. Since then I was not going back to the original earpads for K701 . That should be the same, or very close to k702 65th anniversary. And you are right IMO, sometimes I prefer it over the K712 as well. I will check Yaxi pads, did not hear about it, thanks for the suggestion!

The reason why I am looking at closed-backs now is simply a sound isolation at night listening sessions at home. Hence looking at K872 (not at K812).
What exactly do you mean by saying K872 is superrior to K700 series? Can it reach such large soundstage as K700 series? I was not aware how much K700 series is good in this respect until I obtained HD650. Also I like that tight, fast sound of K700.