[Soft]

So I bought a pair of AKG K712 and a Magni 2 (EDIT: grabbed a Modi 2 as well). Fourteen hours later and I'm still agonizing over whether I made the right choice. Should I have maybe gone for something less harsh and with a less "weird" curve like the HD 6XXs? Or perhaps something more "fun" focused and bass heavy like the X2? I can't stop obsessing and reading reviews, even though I know I'll see roughly the same number of people praising/booing each set. I think the depth and high degree of personal preference in this hobby is making me an anxiety-ridden mess. Do you guys ever have this problem? How to stop worrying and love the audio?

I guess there's no way to know what I'd truly prefer without listening to at least one pair and making deductions from there. I can still cancel the K712 order but I won't be able to return them once I've received them. I've heard a few people mention the "bump" that the AKG K712 curve has, and I'm already feeling guilty about considering considering some EQ and I haven't even received the cans yet... I know all you seasoned audiophiles are shaking your heads at my frightened deliberations.

 

[Me x3]

AKG K712 is better than HD6XX in many regards
- Bigger soundstage
- More layering / instrument separation
- Flatter, more neutral bass response
- Significantly lower bass distortion
- More focused imaging
- More lively treble
- Proper clamping force (HD6x0 clamps quite hard)
- High quality memory foam earpads

The Fidelio is not in the same class. It sounds big and bassy, and it's very good looking, but it's far from being a reference headphone.

 

[Soft]

AKG K712 is better than HD6XX in many regards

This is glorious music to my naive little ears. Some of the qualities you mentioned where things I'd seen in other reviews, and why I chose the K712s in the end. I also felt like they might have a bit more of a "unique" sounds than the Senn's due to their slightly quirky curve - at least according to some. And let's be honest, anything is going to sound ****ing amazing to me, but of course I'd like to shoot for the stars... The deeper I get into google and forums, the more I'm feeling confident with my purchase decision.

 

[cossix]

I went through the same thing deciding between the 650 and 600. People are always going to bitch about everything and make it really hard to decide.

My advice is to listen to your pair for a while and really get to know it. Read/watch some reviews and try to notice what they say. If they said the mids are recessed, listen for it. If they say the separation is great, listen for that. Learn the quirks of your headphones and it'll help you develop and stronger bond to them (I know it sounds dumb but it's true). Once you get comfortable with your cans and know them really well, it'll be easier to dismiss the hate you hear about them and will let you understand that most complaints are very small in reality.

People sometimes say the 650 is veiled and has no highs. I tried it next to the HD700 and yes, the highs are not super sharp, but even going back and forth between the two, it's not bad. And now I use the Jotunheim, it brightened it up a bit which is nice.

Essentially, if you enjoy the sound of your cans then nothing else matters. I tend to collect things as I start new hobbies but for hi-fi I'm trying to calm down a bit and learn to be happy with one setup. I've become very happy with my Balanced 650/Jot combo and i could care less if somebody tried to tell me "Oh those cans are just Low Hi-Fi, the 800 is so much better".

I like a very emotional and relaxed sound, and I've found it, and I'm sticking with it. Once you get your headphones, it'll be easier on your mind. Then you can watch all the Z Reviews you want without feeling like you made a mistake. Good luck!

 

[Soft]

Learn the quirks of your headphones and it'll help you develop and stronger bond to them (I know it sounds dumb but it's true).

Thank you, I don't think that sounds dumb - and it's something I had kind of anticipated. I figure once I get my hands on them and can actually listen, all my doubts will melt away. Not to mention I can do little tweaks with EQ as preferred.

Then you can watch all the Z Reviews you want without feeling like you made a mistake.

Haha, I actually bought a pair of Pioneer SE-A1000s on his recommendation and ended up returning them, so kind of lost a bit of trust in his objectivity...

Thanks for replying, I really appreciate your advice as a newb to the hobby.

 

[HBen]

So I bought a pair of AKG K712 and a Magni 2. Fourteen hours later and I'm still agonizing over whether I made the right choice. Should I have maybe gone for something less harsh and with a less "weird" curve like the HD 6XXs? Or perhaps something more "fun" focused and bass heavy like the X2? I can't stop obsessing and reading reviews, even though I know I'll see roughly the same number of people praising/booing each set. I think the depth and high degree of personal preference in this hobby is making me an anxiety-ridden mess. Do you guys ever have this problem? How to stop worrying and love the audio?

I guess there's no way to know what I'd truly prefer without listening to at least one pair and making deductions from there. I can still cancel the K712 order but I won't be able to return them once I've received them. I've heard a few people mention the "bump" that the AKG K712 curve has, and I'm already feeling guilty about considering considering some EQ and I haven't even received the cans yet... I know all you seasoned audiophiles are shaking your heads at my frightened deliberations.


EDIT: Also, do I need a DAC to get the most out of these cans??? My motherboard is an MSI Z170A GAMING...

Interesting that nobody quoted the obvious yet: you should stop reading forums, especially head-fi, if you worry more about the right choice than enjoying your music. The more opinions you read the more you will question your choices.
Just stop - its possible

 

[Soft]

Interesting that nobody quoted the obvious yet: you should stop reading forums, especially head-fi, if you worry more about the right choice than enjoying your music. The more opinions you read the more you will question your choices.
Just stop - its possible

Yeah, this is probably good advice - but doing an insane amount of research and agonizing over my expensive hobbyist purchasing decisions is all part of the fun for me. I did the same thing when I bought my fishing rod and reel, haha. In the end I usually end up with exactly what I wanted, I just have to torture myself mentally for a bit first.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

So I bought a pair of AKG K712 and a Magni 2. Fourteen hours later and I'm still agonizing over whether I made the right choice. Should I have maybe gone for something less harsh and with a less "weird" curve like the HD 6XXs? Or perhaps something more "fun" focused and bass heavy like the X2? I can't stop obsessing and reading reviews, even though I know I'll see roughly the same number of people praising/booing each set. I think the depth and high degree of personal preference in this hobby is making me an anxiety-ridden mess. Do you guys ever have this problem? How to stop worrying and love the audio?

I guess there's no way to know what I'd truly prefer without listening to at least one pair and making deductions from there. I can still cancel the K712 order but I won't be able to return them once I've received them. I've heard a few people mention the "bump" that the AKG K712 curve has, and I'm already feeling guilty about considering considering some EQ and I haven't even received the cans yet... I know all you seasoned audiophiles are shaking your heads at my frightened deliberations.


EDIT: Also, do I need a DAC to get the most out of these cans??? My motherboard is an MSI Z170A GAMING...

If you haven't ordered it, or you're pointing out something that clearly indicates you won't like the K712, I'd go with something with a flatter response curve. But since you already ordered it and the problem here is just you're doubting it, there's no point - you might as well get the headphone that way you can figure out what you don't like about them and you can go from there with more ease in identifying what to try next.

 

[Kazer]

Going to chime in as well - I own the K712 pro and a Modi2/Magni2 and they are absolutely amazing and well rounded headphones.
I love the way my music sounds so natural as if the artist is standing in front of you in the way I think they would want me to hear their music. Instruments are separated and not muddy.
Movies sound fantastic as well - no worry when the action sets in or when those on screen feel the need to whisper. Everything is clear.

Where I personally really find the biggest difference in the K712 is in gaming - the huge sound stage is a real advantage here over opponents in games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

I think you made a fantastic choice and can't be beat for the money invested. Have fun and enjoy!

 

[cossix]

Yeah, this is probably good advice - but doing an insane amount of research and agonizing over my expensive hobbyist purchasing decisions is all part of the fun for me. I did the same thing when I bought my fishing rod and reel, haha. In the end I usually end up with exactly what I wanted, I just have to torture myself mentally for a bit first.

Our minds work the same way haha. I research the crap out of everything before I buy. I tend to have multiple things each for different purposes: colognes, sunglasses, headphones, etc. Momentum 2 and FiiO X3 II & A5 for on the go, HD598 for gaming, HD650/Jot for music and I'm calling it quits haha. I don't wanna get sucked in more. I might get a Valhalla 2 but that's for down the road, Im curious to see why it's one of the top pairings with the 650. I'm guessing it would help bring out more emotion from music compared to the slightly bright Jotunheim Either way I think you'll be fine after you get your pair, then if anything you can try balanced or something!

 

[Me x3]

If you haven't ordered it, or you're pointing out something that clearly indicates you won't like the K712, I'd go with something with a flatter response curve.

Each and every reference headphone I've tried had a certain character.
In your opinion, what would be something with a flatter response?

 

[Music Alchemist]

The best advice I can give you is to just learn how to use a parametric equalizer to tune your headphones to your liking. That way, you won't have to rely on a headphone's stock tuning and risk having to get more headphones to find ones that are tuned the way you like. (Of course, even when different headphones are equalized to have roughly the same frequency response, they'll still sound different, since there's a lot more to sound than just FR.)

 

[serman005]

So I bought a pair of AKG K712 and a Magni 2. Fourteen hours later and I'm still agonizing over whether I made the right choice. Should I have maybe gone for something less harsh and with a less "weird" curve like the HD 6XXs? Or perhaps something more "fun" focused and bass heavy like the X2? I can't stop obsessing and reading reviews, even though I know I'll see roughly the same number of people praising/booing each set. I think the depth and high degree of personal preference in this hobby is making me an anxiety-ridden mess. Do you guys ever have this problem? How to stop worrying and love the audio?

I guess there's no way to know what I'd truly prefer without listening to at least one pair and making deductions from there. I can still cancel the K712 order but I won't be able to return them once I've received them. I've heard a few people mention the "bump" that the AKG K712 curve has, and I'm already feeling guilty about considering considering some EQ and I haven't even received the cans yet... I know all you seasoned audiophiles are shaking your heads at my frightened deliberations.


EDIT: Also, do I need a DAC to get the most out of these cans??? My motherboard is an MSI Z170A GAMING...

You are describing a malady that is prevalent on Head-fi... ---)

 

[Soft]

Going to chime in as well - I own the K712 pro and a Modi2/Magni2 and they are absolutely amazing and well rounded headphones.
I love the way my music sounds so natural as if the artist is standing in front of you in the way I think they would want me to hear their music. Instruments are separated and not muddy.
Movies sound fantastic as well - no worry when the action sets in or when those on screen feel the need to whisper. Everything is clear.

Where I personally really find the biggest difference in the K712 is in gaming - the huge sound stage is a real advantage here over opponents in games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

I think you made a fantastic choice and can't be beat for the money invested. Have fun and enjoy!

I actually ended up grabbing a Modi2 as well, so now I have exactly the same setup as you! I'm super stoked. Do you use any EQ with them? I'd be interested to know your settings.

Our minds work the same way haha. I research the crap out of everything before I buy. I tend to have multiple things each for different purposes: colognes, sunglasses, headphones, etc. Momentum 2 and FiiO X3 II & A5 for on the go, HD598 for gaming, HD650/Jot for music and I'm calling it quits haha. I don't wanna get sucked in more. I might get a Valhalla 2 but that's for down the road, Im curious to see why it's one of the top pairings with the 650. I'm guessing it would help bring out more emotion from music compared to the slightly bright Jotunheim Either way I think you'll be fine after you get your pair, then if anything you can try balanced or something!

Great, now I know what sort of spending habits I can look forward to in the future haha... Someday I'd love to get a pair of LTX but that's a couple years off still.

The best advice I can give you is to just learn how to use a parametric equalizer to tune your headphones to your liking. That way, you won't have to rely on a headphone's stock tuning and risk having to get more headphones to find ones that are tuned the way you like. (Of course, even when different headphones are equalized to have roughly the same frequency response, they'll still sound different, since there's a lot more to sound than just FR.)

This is absolutely something I intend to get into. I needed to do a bit of research on EQ because having no real grasp of the concept I thought maybe it could be considered cheating. I've found that's absolutely not the case in the audiophile community, and I think that's awesome and exciting - and alleviates pretty much all of my anxiety over my choice in the K712s. I'm going to listen to them without EQ, as well as try out Metal571's presets and probably Sonarworks. I'm hoping I can find the Sonarworks settings to use with Equalizer APO or whatever other software.

 

[Music Alchemist]

This is absolutely something I intend to get into. I needed to do a bit of research on EQ because having no real grasp of the concept I thought maybe it could be considered cheating. I've found that's absolutely not the case in the audiophile community, and I think that's awesome and exciting - and alleviates pretty much all of my anxiety over my choice in the K712s. I'm going to listen to them without EQ, as well as try out Metal571's presets and probably Sonarworks. I'm hoping I can find the Sonarworks settings to use with Equalizer APO or whatever other software.

Sonarworks is a great starting point. However, they are technically charging money for something you can do for free with enough research and effort. Some of the parametric EQ settings have been shared (if you care to look for them) so you can copy their presets for certain headphones. (I verified that they sound the same.) You could try the free trial to see if you like it. Their compensation curve is proprietary as well. The diffuse field and Harman curves have a more established history.

Here are some threads to start you off on your EQ journey.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/796791/the...ve-the-most-ideal-sound-for-non-professionals
http://www.head-fi.org/t/794467/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-2016-update
http://www.head-fi.org/t/615417/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-advanced-tutorial-in-progress
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587703/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial-part-2
http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial

Personally, I use VST parametric equalizers in foobar2000. Here's some free software for that. (The expensive equalizers are nicer, but unnecessary.)

http://www.rs-met.com/freebies.html
http://www.yohng.com/software/foobarvst.html