AKG K712 Pro

General Information

The K712 PROs are reference, open, over-ear headphones for precise listening, mixing and mastering. The over-ear design guarantees maximum wearing comfort for fatigue-free mixing and mastering, while providing spacious and airy sound without any compromise. Their precise powerful sound results from improved low-end performance by 3dB. Being hand-crafted in Austria, the K712 PROs represent the high quality and legendary design AKG is known for.

These headphones have a genuine soft leather headband for a lightweight and comfortable fit. Their carefully selected transducers provide consistency and accurate localization. The K712 PROs come with a professional mini XLR connector for quick replacement of the cable. Also included is an additional coiled cable and a premium carrying bag.

GENERAL
Headphone type: open
Audio Frequency bandwidth: 10 to 39,8 Hz
Sensitivity headphones: 105 dB SPL/V
Max. Input Power: 200 mW
Rated Impedance: 62 Ohms
Earpads: velour
Detachable cable: yes
Cable Length: 3 m

AUDIO INTERFACE
Type: Screw-on Jack Combo (1/4" and 1/8")
Gender: Male
Contacts: 2-pin
Interface Finish: Gold
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT:
Net Weight: 235 g

Latest reviews

Yeeterkeeter

New Head-Fier
AKG K712 (IN PROGRESS)
Pros: - lightweight with low clamping force
- sounds bright and musical
- controlled, somewhat punchy bass
- somewhat flat frequency response
- Fairly easy to drive
Cons: - Hard to transport
- build quality seems cheap
- cable is low quality and tends to coil in on itself
This is my first review on this site, so if I make any errors please let me know

Physical
Build: Eh... it's cheap feeling, with plastics everywhere, making it feel flimsy. The leather headband is nice, and the plush earpads feel great, but I can't get over the creaking noises they make when I adjust them. I suspect this is to make them lighter but I do not know.

Comfort: Excellent. The earpads are plush and deep, while the leather headband feels luxurious and comfortable, and doesn't snag my hair. The self-adjusting headband works great and I have no problems with it. The 712s are very light feeling as well, and I catch myself forgetting that I'm wearing them.

Price: I got mine for 80 dollars so lucky me, I guess...

Looks: dimensionally these guys are the same as the 702s and the 701s, but with a different color palette. I love the orange, it is absolutely striking to me and makes the 712s stand out, in a good way. The leather headband is super great looking as well, with orange stitching. Overall I love the looks of these cans.

Auditory
Lets start out with some EQ graphs

Frequency response
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Bass
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Some rolloff towards the low end, to be expected

Mids
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Treble
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Hark01

Head-Fier
Pros: -soundstage
-comfort
-detail/clarity (after EQ)
Cons: -tonality
-local price can be steep
Build: Solid.
Comfort: Excellent. Very light. Leather strap can pull hair, though.
Isolation: Open.

Bass: Roll off under 50Hz. Bloated midbass. 1.25/3
Midrange: Lower mids emphasis with upper mids fall decreases clarity of the mids. 1.5/3
Treble: 6k peak gives sharpness to the sound. 1.25/3
Tonality: Above average. 2.50/5
EQ: Needed. For my preferences, mandatory. Try Serious SBAF or Optimum HiFi +4dB.

Detail: Good. 2/3
Imaging: Fantastic soundstage, probably second only to HD800. 2.5/3
Dynamics: Below average. 1/3
Tech: MidFi soundstage king. 3.25/5

Bias: 3/3
Interestingly, this is probably my most used headphone. Why? 1) Comfort. Light, open and breathable. 2) Soundstage. Loving the openness of the sound, it is high on my enjoyment list. 3) It is clear and detailed headphone when EQd. With EQ fixing tonality issues, it really shines.

Score: 2.5/5

Value: Worth the price. In Europe you can now get it for about 200 EUR, which is great price for what it offers. In my local shops, price is more like 350 EUR, which is a different proposition. Of course, you have to value soundstage and comfort and be prepared to use EQ.
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Project A3

New Head-Fier
Pros: An exceptionally wide soundstage, right up there among the widest staging headphones.
- A dynamic, energetic and exciting sound signature that never gets dull.
- Very clean drivers with low THD+N means this headphone responds marvelously to EQ.
- Some of the best stock pads on a headphone of this price bracket.
Cons: Upper midrange has an awkward peak which might induce fatigue after some time.
- Build quality is predominantly plastic, which is a let down at this price point.
- Earcups are oversized, might cause seal issues for many people.
- Needs a considerably powerful amp to sound right and also is amp picky.
Sound Review by machinegod

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Introduction:
AKG, formed in 1947 has its strong dominance in the professional audio industry since decades. From a vast catalog of studio microphones and studio monitoring headphones, we are going to take a look at the revered K712 Pro which is second in line only to their flagship K- Series headphones, the K812.

The K712 Pro retails for 499$ and is frequently available for 350$.


Specification:
  • DRIVER TYPE- DYNAMIC.
  • DESIGN- OVER EAR.
  • EARCUP STYLE- OPEN BACK.
  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE- 10 HZ TO 39.8 KHZ.
  • SENSITIVITY- 105 DB.
  • IMPEDANCE- 62 OHMS.
  • MAXIMUM POWER HANDLING- 200 MW.
  • CONNECTOR- 3 PIN XLR (UNBALANCED) TO 3.5 MM WITH 1/4'' ADAPTER.

Gear Used & Tracklist:
Denon DCM500AE as CD Transport | Schiit Modi 3 | Schiit Loki | Schiit Magni 3 | Aune X1S | iBasso DX160.

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Unboxing:
The headphones come in a black carboard box with a velcro lid. Inside which we find the headphones, a high quality black velvet carry pouch, two cables - a black coiled cable and an orange 3 m straight cables, both having the screw on capability for the included 1/4'' adapter.

The unit which we are reviewing today is the one made in Slovakia.


Scalability:
Scalability for this headphone is very high. . On Magni 3 high gain, the knob needs to be kept at around 11-12 o' clock almost all the time. In quiet recordings, the knob needs to be turned all the way to 2 o' clock. The headphones have been tested on the Aune X1S Headphone Amplifier (on high gain) and iBasso DX160 DAP and neither of the two have enough power to drive it properly. When under powered, the K712 Pro sounds thin and harsh with almost non existent low end.

A considerably powerful desktop amp is absolutely necessary for the K712 Pro to drive it properly even though the sensitivity and impedance are not indicative of such power demands.

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Fit:
The suspension headband has no issues and helps in distributing the weight evenly. The pads are massive in size and no part of the ear touches the sides of the pads. I suspect the same for everyone's ears. The pads are plush velour filled with memory foam, they do not cause hot spots or get sweaty for me and conform as expected. The gripe being that the pads are not as deep as I'd like. I have small ears and they always touch the insides. It does not touch the driver directly as it is damped. Thankfully AKG has the pads netted inside to make the experience just a bit more comfortable.

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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch- Flight to LAPD
Radiohead- Pull/Pulk Revolving Doors
Queen- Another One Bites the Dust​


The intro of Flight To LAPD sounds very satisfying on the K712 Pro with enough presence, in stock form. Most open back headphones sound thin and downright skip frequencies that low.

The deep rumble is brought out better when subbass is EQ'd. The stuffy and stabbing electronica in the background of Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors throughout are enveloping and have clean and strong attack. The bass notes in Another One Bites The Dust are absolutely clean and tight, tastefully done. Separation from the vocals is stupendous and yet it manages to be omnipresent.


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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
The Rolling Stones- Rock And a Hard Place​

Listening to this song on this headphone is not a pleasant experience due to its shouty upper midrange. The guitars have a ear ringing glare which is deeply unpleasant after a minute.


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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Dire Straits- Money For Nothing
Lindsey Striling- Artemis/Crystallize/Underground​

Money For Nothing having a "clinical" sounding master is not an ideal pair with this headphone. The experience sounds too digital, lacking life. I would describe the experience of listening to the Lindsey Stirling tracks as a system shock. The violin sounds lush, soulful and full of energy. Detail retrieval and texture in this region is very good. Its intimacy almost tricks the listener into being on the stage. The thumping bass cutting in from the background makes for a complete and beautiful experience.

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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Yosi Horikawa- Letter
Dire Straits- Ride Across The River​

The writing on the board in Letter is accurate throughout but the fuzziness diagonally front is easily noticeable. The intro of Across The River depicts the depth in stage when the instruments are introduced in the mix at different distances from the listener. The Magni 3, although doing a good job, a higher quality amp will bring about the layering as more three dimensional.


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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Dire Straits- Once Upon A Time In The West
Eric Clapton & BB King- Three O'Clock Blues​

All the instruments in the mix of Once Upon A Time In The West are laid bare left-right across the soundstage with crisp and well defined edges. The separation along the center image is reproduced clearly giving a vivid sense of space. The separation along the center image in Three O'Clock Blues is also made clear in this song at around the 2:50 mark. The cymbals crashing (very) slightly to the left and right alternately are heard clear with admirable well defined edges.


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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Franz Ferdinand- Right Action
Eric Clapton & BB King- Marry You​

The song Right Action comes out a bit too eager and "in your face" because of it's mastering. When heard through the K712, the experience can get a bit overwhelming sometimes. Snare hits sometimes sound aggressive and electric guitars too crunchy. The experience of hearing Marry You through the K712 is nothing short of majestic. It is lively, dynamic and feels like being in the front row seats. The snare hits and cymbal crashes never sound sibilant or sharp in any way. Eric Clapton and BB King are outlined clearly in the mix. The stage is wide and the "oomph" factor seems to be amplified.

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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
The Persuasions- Ain't No Sunshine
Meiko- Zombie​

Both great songs to test vocal performance, texture in the vocals are brought about immaculately, including the breath of the vocalists on the mic. The hoarseness, strain and breathlessness in the voices are lifelike and intimate. Absolutely no complaints.


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Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Richard Eliott- Jumping Off
Dave Brubeck Quartet- Take Five
Radiohead- Burn The Witch
Sax, Pianos, Violins, Hammond Organs have a soulful rendition full of life and body, sounding lush. They never appear to be distant with respect to vocals or the sax. Decay of snares and tom drums are not cut off in the track Take Five and are replicated accurately, giving a sense of realism and recording space.

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Conclusion:
The K712 Pro is a technically sound headphone. Its drivers are very capable, fast and clean.

The review has been conducted in stock form but all the sonic gripes can be fixed and even enhanced by EQ. The subbass can be cranked up and the upper midrange can be toned down and the headphone responds remarkably well, making the headphone near about perfect from an enjoyment standpoint.

People looking for a headphone that is fun and exciting to listen to should really shortlist the K712 Pro, provided they have a beefy and capable amp to drive these cans to their full potential.

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*All ratings are accurate as of date of publication. Changes in price, newer models may affect Project A3's views on the performance and value of the reviewed product.

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Comments

roghelt

New Head-Fier
A little late to this party, but to my ears -- weaned on Sennheiser 600s and later AKG 701/702 and Q701, I bought the 712s twice and both times I found them to sound thinner in the mid/upper-mid region, lacking the body of the aforementioned cans. Maybe a bit more bass, but I can't for the life of me find the same bright yet smoother sound signature of the other AKGs. I was really anxious to get them in search of -- as one reviewer wrote: 'The Fairest K7 Variant of Them All.' Not to these ears, unfortunately -- the lack of 'bloom' was such a disappointment.

I currently use a Marantz HD-DAC1 dac/amp that just replaced a Peachtree DAC-iTx/NuForce HA200 amp. Both setups gave me the same ungainly sound quality from the 712s. And as I said, I was really hyped to get them as the 'ultimate' AKG solution after auditioning the 812s and finding them annoyingly shrill. I listen exclusively to classical and some bop (hi-res lossless flac & DSD) for hours on end and can't tolerate shrillness for more than 20 minutes.

Perhaps for gamers and other music genres the 712 does the trick...but not for me.
 

Outaphase

Head-Fier
After many years of living and basically having my head totally tuned to the K240s, I stepped up with apprehension to the K712 - today. Obvious differences, one major one being that the 240 tends to kill the leading edges of cymbals, triangles, whilst leaving the rest of the instrument to "ring" and be heard. Kind of trippy, but I suppose useful for actual *making* music.

I'm having no problems driving it with a Schiit Magni3 Heresy.

Strangely enough, for the first few hours, treble seemed just on the knife-edge of going over, so I'm super sensitive to that and actually looking for it because of the 240's. I can hear the leading-edge impulses of drumsticks, triangle strikes, etc with the 712. Lovely, but I was a bit paranoid.

Either I totally adjusted to the voice of a new friend, or in just a few hours, maybe the drivers in the box since 2013 just needed some playtime. :)

Still, this old progressive-rocker found a nice King Crimson "20th Century Schizoid Man" modern performance with 3 drum-kits:



Amazingly, the 712's hung in there, and I'm not fatigued. I'm still a bit wary, but so far so good. Then again, the 60-year old cans I was born with can't hear past 13k anyway, but still. Depite AKG's little bit of entertaining treble-spice, it seems to be under control. Close to going over, but just stops short. Maybe I got lucky with my model.

Any headphone purchase is always kind of a cross-your-fingers kind of thing, no matter how many impressions or reviews, but in my case, I fell in love with them.
 

machinegod

New Head-Fier
What a coincidence! I upgraded from my m220 pro too (which is the drop rebrand for k240 studio) and yes. The spicy treble is still under control. The drivers do indeed need some time to burn in, until then it does sound harsh and tinny a bit.
 

Outaphase

Head-Fier
I hate to say it, but I noticed it too, all it took was a few hours, not days with either model. In the case of the K240 (or true similar models), some may be trying to burn-OUT something built-in - negative impulse reactions that make the top end a bit trippy. And I think that's totally on purpose.

I go into that in much more detail in the K240 impressions thread where I actually compare it to the flagship K812, which tended to confuse audiophiles:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/akg-k240-studio-owners-please-share-your-experience.630058/page-18

I think I'm getting closer to understanding the AKG house-sound if you will. Some models intended for studio or professionals (like the 240 or the 812 at different ends of the spectrum) have that negative going impulse right away. The 712 doesn't, so now I truly hear the sticks.

And on an even wilder GUESS, some of the grain may be an additional form of ear-protection if heard. I mean slight imperfections here may be an attempt at long-term consumer ear protection. I mean, they gotta know what they are doing right?

I mean how do you market a negative-connotation like that? Or is it just a case of "It's not a bug, but a feature!" Wow, really have to tread carefully here, otherwise one could use that as an excuse for poor engineering / QC etc etc. I don't think that's the case.

Anyway, it's been a few days with the 712's, and I had an 18 hour stretch with them until I just got bored with music overall and had to do something else. No pain, no strain, and a smile on my face.
 

Outaphase

Head-Fier
K712 impulse response:

Forgot - right on the box, we have the statement:

"Revolutionary flat wire voice coil for incredible impulse and treble response"

Kind of NOT what I wanted to see being a fan of the K240's quirks. But oh baby, do I ever hear the leading edges on the 712's. Ok, that's cool, I just won't be editing things like gunshots in movies with it.

But it is what follows the leading edge - damping, that I think takes me into my imaginary theory world (I'm not an audio engineer), where getting the damping and FR to audiophile levels pushes us into the stratosphere cost vs performance wise. Ie, to make the 712's perfect, it would now be a $3K set of cans, and not $300.

At any rate, I can handle small imperfections, maybe add a slight touch of EQ to the porridge just right for my groove. Most imporantly, I can listen past my cans and totally enjoy the artists and forget all this stuff. :)
 
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