[491838]

That +8 dB on the bass\sub bass region does ruin the dynamics and they make them sound like basshead headphones. Even my 8" monitors in my untreated room don't have such excessive bass. The other thing I noticed is that their EQ removes some of the detail in the midrange. Definitely not something that is useful for critical listening. Maybe some light EQ can do wonders but their profile is absolutely ridiculous. Just get a free EQ software and EQ them yourself.

 

[Anarion]

This is interesting... K712 Pro doesn't seem to like it if I lower the volume with volume pot a lot. I absolutely need to use one though since when using AE-5 (low gain i.e. no gain) I'd have to go way bellow 10% volume if I'd plug them in directly (hard to drive? My ***).

I didn't take that into account when trying to volume match. It makes rather major difference (as in like/hate). It's like... if turn the volume pot too low it gets really v shaped. Treble gets noticeable unpleasant boost and mids slump. Sound stage becomes weird and the bottom end slams too hard.

Now that I've figured out what was holding these back I'm going to give these a proper burn in and only use these for a while.

 

[jagardaniel]

It's more or less the same design. They even use some of the same parts according to an official parts manual I've seen (they have identical or almost identical drivers, which is strange given the sound difference). I strongly recommend getting the K712 since they are the flagship model from AKG (some reputable reviewers are saying the K812 is not as good sound wise but comfort is better). You will be impressed if you're upgrading from something cheaper and they are very comfortable. They feel like someone is gently holding their hands over your ears and fit well on most heads. Headband may get uncomfortable at times but if you move it slightly the discomfort goes away, so it's probably just a matter of getting the position right.

Edit: If you live in the EU, the cheapest price for this headphone can be found on Muziker. The second cheapest is on Thomann. Don't buy from Amazon.

Thanks for the reply. I took a chance and ordered them yesterday. I got them today but unfortunately they did not fit, they were too loose. It's sad since I listened to them for a few minutes and I really liked how they sounded. As I said earlier I have a pretty narrow/small head and the only position they fit is in the default position, without stretching the headband at all. So I guess it could work if I found a easy way to lock it there. But at the same time it feels wrong that you have to modify a new pair of headphones just so they fit. I guess the best thing is to send them back, get the money and look for something else. AKG doesn't like my head

 

[491838]

I'm really bummed to hear that. The K712s are more snug and tight on your head than a lot of other headphones so I'm surprised to hear that they don't sit well on your head. It's really sad because these sound really good for the money.

 

[Jacktg]

Hello everybody! Does anyone have experience using the K712 Pro with the xduoo xd-05? I just bought it to go with my K712 Pros and the sound is very disappointing. The K712 Pros sound far better connected to my motherboard (Asrock X99 Extreme4 - ALC1150 + Purity Sound 2). The xduoo sounds muddy with reduced sound stage compared to my motherboard. The internet tells me motherboard audio should sound terrible so I was bit surprised when it easily outclassed a dedicated headphone dac/amp.

I was wondering if anyone had tried the xduoo xd-05 and had a similar experience. I am trying to decide if I should try to improve the sound by upgrading the op amp or just return it for something that might be a better match for the K712 Pro.

Thanks.

 

[Me x3]

It's more or less the same design. They even use some of the same parts according to an official parts manual I've seen (they have identical or almost identical drivers, which is strange given the sound difference). I strongly recommend getting the K712 since they are the flagship model from AKG (some reputable reviewers are saying the K812 is not as good sound wise but comfort is better). You will be impressed if you're upgrading from something cheaper and they are very comfortable. They feel like someone is gently holding their hands over your ears and fit well on most heads. Headband may get uncomfortable at times but if you move it slightly the discomfort goes away, so it's probably just a matter of getting the position right.

I've owned both side by side for more than a year.

K812 is significantly better than K712
- Flatter and tighter bass
- More open soundstage
- More transparent sound
- More extended treble
- More solid construction
- More comfortable

Unless you don't like its brighter and more unforgiving nature, K812 is a clear step up over K712 in most regards.
You really need top class recordings to make K812 shine since it's really forward and clear sounding.

K712 is warmer and softer so you can play some less than ideal recordings and still enjoy the sound.
HD650 is even more forgiving than K712.

 

[491838]

Hello everybody! Does anyone have experience using the K712 Pro with the xduoo xd-05? I just bought it to go with my K712 Pros and the sound is very disappointing. The K712 Pros sound far better connected to my motherboard (Asrock X99 Extreme4 - ALC1150 + Purity Sound 2). The xduoo sounds muddy with reduced sound stage compared to my motherboard. The internet tells me motherboard audio should sound terrible so I was bit surprised when it easily outclassed a dedicated headphone dac/amp.

I was wondering if anyone had tried the xduoo xd-05 and had a similar experience. I am trying to decide if I should try to improve the sound by upgrading the op amp or just return it for something that might be a better match for the K712 Pro.

Thanks.

I've used a cheaper DAC\amp than that (namely the Fiio E10K) and I can't notice a difference between it and the OPPO HA-2 (which is $300) or my $150 studio interface.

You might want to check your sound settings on your PC. Maybe you have some enhancements enabled like surround sound or something. I don't recommend any sort of EQ boost or sound modifications to the K712 as it already sounds great.

I've owned both side by side for more than a year.

K812 is significantly better than K712
- Flatter and tighter bass
- More open soundstage
- More transparent sound
- More extended treble
- More solid construction
- More comfortable

Unless you don't like its brighter and more unforgiving nature, K812 is a clear step up over K712 in most regards.
You really need top class recordings to make K812 shine since it's really forward and clear sounding.

K712 is warmer and softer so you can play some less than ideal recordings and still enjoy the sound.
HD650 is even more forgiving than K712.

The two reliable reviewers that tested them on YouTube are saying they are not even close to be worth the money. Highs are too pronounced and less detailed than the K712 apparently which makes them almost completely unlistenable for music.

The comment about the quality of the recordings is a weird one. I usually take comments like that to mean that the overall sound is too harsh an uneven for most music. I happen to listen to a lot of well mixed\mastered songs and that's usually rewarding on a good pair of headphones. I saw a cheap(ish) K872 on sale somewhere that I might look into at some point though I think I have enough headphones for now.

 

[Me x3]

The two reliable reviewers that tested them on YouTube are saying they are not even close to be worth the money. Highs are too pronounced and less detailed than the K712 apparently which makes them almost completely unlistenable for music.

The comment about the quality of the recordings is a weird one. I usually take comments like that to mean that the overall sound is too harsh an uneven for most music. I happen to listen to a lot of well mixed\mastered songs and that's usually rewarding on a good pair of headphones. I saw a cheap(ish) K872 on sale somewhere that I might look into at some point though I think I have enough headphones for now.

Best chances are those "reliable" reviewers have a preference for an oppossite kind of sound signature.
They most likely will prefer K712 over K812 and something even darker over K712. You get what I mean.
Personal preferences, recordings and listening levels, play the bigger role when it comes to high quality headphones.
You can surely weight their impressions according to your preferences.

Many well known reviewers tend to be strongly guided by their personal preferences and also simplify things and make bold claims since those are far more catchy than a more complex and accurate analysis of strenghts and weaknesses of each design. I own the HD650 and appreciate what it does as well as I own K812 and appreciate what it does. They are opposite in most regards, they serve well different purposes. Explaining that is far less catchy than saying the 300usd HD650 sounds far better than the 1000usd K812, for instance. You say that and echo comes into play as well, that's granted.

The comment about the quality of the recordings is not a weird one at all.
As you might know, most music is badly recorded, not intended for critical listening on top class detail oriented headphones.
You'll find many poor recordings from the past, badly mic-ed live recordings from all times and tons of over compressed modern recordings with terrible dynamic range.
That's kind of a sad truth, but then again, they are not mastering most music for extreme audiophiles. Those recordings are intended to sound fine on car stereos, on public places, on portable setups with less than perfect isolation. OK speakers. Tiny computer speakers. Radio. And so on...

Play top class recordings designed to sound good on high performance reproduction systems (Chesky Records, SoundLiaison, ...) and most of them will sound very well on K812, HD800S, Tesla T1, Focal Utopia, ... It's really not something one has to believe based on faith, you can take a look at how the waveform of a properly recorded piece of music differs drastically from a poorly recorded one. You can measure dynamic range as well.

Headphones like K812 are designed to expose what's wrong, not to hide it. It can sound tool-like, that's for sure. That's what it is. K712 on the other hand is a slightly warm reference headphone.
Good across the board, but not on the same level technically speaking.

It's like comparing a 911 Carrera with a 911 GT2 RS
911 Carrera is a very sporty car that can be used as a daily driver.
911 GT2 RS is a track focused car, technically superior but less of an all rounder.

Sure K812 can be 'unlistenable' at moderately loud levels with (dynamically) over compressed recordings. More often than not, those recordings won't shine on K712 either, but they might sound ok at least.

I can't speak for K872 since I haven't owned it. If I recall correctly is not that similar to K812.

You might consider K812 if you want a big, immediate and energetic sound with superior instrument separation and analytical character. I don't think K812 is an improved K712, although both share some of the AKG properties, they are essentially different in terms of tuning.

I sold my K712 some weeks ago but not because of owning the K812. To me, the Beyerdynamic Tesla T1 is more of an improved K712. Warmer and softer than K812, less analytical. But more resolving and refined than K712 across the board.

As I've said before, personal preferences play a big role at this point, so it's key to know what you're looking for. For instance, I've seen many people who want more bass than K712, that rules out many higher end dynamic headphones.

 

[491838]

Best chances are those "reliable" reviewers have a preference for an oppossite kind of sound signature.
They most likely will prefer K712 over K812 and something even darker over K712. You get what I mean.
Personal preferences, recordings and listening levels, play the bigger role when it comes to high quality headphones.
You can surely weight their impressions according to your preferences.

The comment about the quality of the recordings is not a weird one at all.
As you might know, most music is badly recorded, not intended for critical listening on top class detail oriented headphones.

Yeah, but we're talking about reviewers with quite a bit of experience with a range of headphones. I don't think Tyll (from Inner Fidelity) is clueless when it comes to headphones. After all, he basically praised the HD800/HD800S and didn't particularly like the K812 citing a lack of detail in the highs specifically (which is unforgivable at that price range).

Pop music isn't badly recorded (for the most part) and neither is EDM. A lot of the stuff I listen to is mixed by engineers with years of experience and expensive equipment (monitors that are thousands or tens of thousands of dollars). I would not be tempted to call their work bad in any way. I also honestly don't find dynamic compression to be a big deal most of the time, especially if the mixing engineer really know what they are doing. I listen to music on headphones and monitors and it doesn't sound bad at all. There's plenty of dynamic range and detail (in fact one could argue that compression is necessary to bring detail to the surface).

 

[Me x3]

Yeah, but we're talking about reviewers with quite a bit of experience with a range of headphones. I don't think Tyll (from Inner Fidelity) is clueless when it comes to headphones. After all, he basically praised the HD800/HD800S and didn't particularly like the K812 citing a lack of detail in the highs specifically (which is unforgivable at that price range).

Pop music isn't badly recorded (for the most part) and neither is EDM. A lot of the stuff I listen to is mixed by engineers with years of experience and expensive equipment (monitors that are thousands or tens of thousands of dollars). I would not be tempted to call their work bad in any way. I also honestly don't find dynamic compression to be a big deal most of the time, especially if the mixing engineer really know what they are doing. I listen to music on headphones and monitors and it doesn't sound bad at all. There's plenty of dynamic range and detail (in fact one could argue that compression is necessary to bring detail to the surface).

Listening to many headphones doesn't mean much. You can hear them all and that doesn't tell a thing about how good you're as a listener or how much you know about the variables involved.
Trying all sorts of guns doesn't make you a good shooter. Tyll has a strong preference for warm and relatively soft sounding headphones. He praised the Fidelio L1, which sounded really poor to my ears..

Anyway, even Tyll has said some good things about the K812

"In a lot of ways I find the AKG K812 a fantastically balanced headphone with a great sense of space. The sound is a wide-open, coherent whole. I don't like to use the word "PRaT" (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing), but these cans have it. When I compare them directly to the HD 800, I feel the K812 more juicy and involving."

HD800 is very capable technically speaking but clearly on the dry and steely side of neutral.
That's why you'll find many people trying to find a coloured amp to make the HD800 sound fine, or modding it again and again.
I've owned it and enjoyed it for what it does, but ultimately I've almost always found the K812 and T1s more realistic sounding.

Now I own the HD800S which is similar to HD800 but not steely.
It's a more balanced headphone that pairs better with neutralish equippment.

If you think low dynamic range is nice, good for you! You'll find more of those recordings, that's granted.
Real life music is not dynamically compressed.

 

[FritzS]

I've owned both side by side for more than a year.

K812 is significantly better than K712
- Flatter and tighter bass
- More open soundstage
- More transparent sound
- More extended treble
- More solid construction
- More comfortable

Unless you don't like its brighter and more unforgiving nature, K812 is a clear step up over K712 in most regards.
You really need top class recordings to make K812 shine since it's really forward and clear sounding.

K712 is warmer and softer so you can play some less than ideal recordings and still enjoy the sound.
HD650 is even more forgiving than K712.

Exactly my opinion too!
K712 for sideline relaxed hearing
K812 for near to the original hearing

 

[491838]

Highs are not meant to sear your head off. The HD800 has a similar issue. You know this sort of tuning is wrong because no high-end studio monitor has killer highs like some of these headphones do.

A headphone with "killer highs" is not more revealing than a neutral one.

 

[archy121]

Has anybody done the Bass port Mod on the K712 and liked the results they got ?

How much is the bass affected and are any other frequency areas affected too ?

I will be buying these soon and have a feeling I will appreciate these lot more from just a little bass boost.
I previously had the K701 and had to sadly return them quickly due to lack of bass.
I listen to all music genre and would particularly like more bass for EDM/Trance.

 

[Shoewreck]

I will be buying these soon and have a feeling I will appreciate these lot more from just a little bass boost.

K712 do have a deep, tight and prominent bass right out of the box. Uncovering the port would likely turn them into a bass monster. I strongly advise to let them grow on you before attempting any modifications, just make sure that you have a decent source and amp.
Please also keep in mind that EQ would provide a more predictable result if you still need to add/cut a specific frequency.

 

[archy121]

K712 do have a deep, tight and prominent bass right out of the box. Uncovering the port would likely turn them into a bass monster. I strongly advise to let them grow on you before attempting any modifications, just make sure that you have a decent source and amp.
Please also keep in mind that EQ would provide a more predictable result if you still need to add/cut a specific frequency.

Thanks for the good advice.
I certainly will not attempt to mod them until I have had a good amount of time to try them as they are and than decide. And from the way you are describing the bass, hopefully it will be enough to serve all genre of my music taste.

I'm still curious to hear from people that have done the mod as I got the impression it makes a gentle bump in bass without strongly affecting other areas of sound. That's how the modded K701/2 were affected. I'm no bass monster fan but can't help being curious how the k712 will be affected.

I will mainly use newly purchased Audiolabs mini-DAC headphone amp to drive the headphones and occasionally direct from a PC.