[wgb113]

As a fan of AKG's K7 series and having lived with both the K701 and then K712 for some time the K812 is the culmination of the series in every way.

With regards to soundstage, it sounds bigger, deeper and more natural than in any other K7 series headphone.

In the bass department, it takes the improved bass response of the K712 and makes it much more accurate from it's upper range to it's lower limit.

They're also among the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. I like that they lost the self-adjusting headband as I experienced sag issues with the K712, and the mesh headband just disappears. The Earpads are also very well done and not overly hot in warm weather.

All of that said, it'd be hard for me to say that ANY headphone is worth $1,500 but at the MassDrop/street price of @ $800 they a great value, yes VALUE. You'd have to spend 10x that on speakers in addition to room treatments to get close to the detail you hear out of the K812.

Bill

 

[Beagle]

The right channel of my K812 has gone out...again. Happened in December, had it all ready to go out for repair, then it (the right channel) came back. Was OK then started going out again yesterday.
 
Seems that the other people who had problems also had it in the right side. I did notice that it appeared to cut in and out when I would take the headphones off my head. So it has something to do with the flexing of the headband....and would appear to be a serious design problem if it is the same thing causing other peoples right side problem...the risk you take with a wire going through a bending headband.. Surely a dual sided cable connection would have eliminated this.

 

[mikey1964]

  The right channel of my K812 has gone out...again. Happened in December, had it all ready to go out for repair, then it (the right channel) came back. Was OK then started going out again yesterday.
 
Seems that the other people who had problems also had it in the right side. I did notice that it appeared to cut in and out when I would take the headphones off my head. So it has something to do with the flexing of the headband....and would appear to be a serious design problem if it is the same thing causing other peoples right side problem...the risk you take with a wire going through a bending headband.. Surely a dual sided cable connection would have eliminated this.

Damn, sorry to hear about this, dude.

 
 
*casts worried looks at own K812*

 

[Beagle]

Should not happen with a $1700 headphone (that's what they rolled them out at)

 

[wgb113]

I wonder if it's the flat wire they used as opposed to traditional round wire.  I was a little surprised that it's exposed to some degree at the top of each ear cup.
 
Bill

 

[Beagle]

Single-sided cable (and fishing a wire through a flexing headband assembly) on a large expensive flagship is a dumb idea IMO. 

 

[qazxsw80]

  Single-sided cable (and fishing a wire through a flexing headband assembly) on a large expensive flagship is a dumb idea IMO. 

It's not the problem of single-sided cables in general. It's just the terrible implementaion. The AKG started using single-sided at least 35 years ago. The AKG K240 Sextett and DF had single-sided cables and were famous as one of the most durable headphones. They worked fo decades without any problems.
Imo the single-sided cable is one of the few advantages of the K812 over other flagships. It's so much more comfortable. They just need to fix somehow  the problem  some people has had.
But my pair works for 2 years smoothly.

 

[Lorspeaker]

Swear the k812 is made for my 1st gen IPad

 

[alpha80]

^AKG Really did tailor these to apple products.  My K812 sounds positively perfect, directly out of the 1/8" plug of my MacBook Pro.  Sure, it has more bass Impact when ran out of the 1/4" jack on my UA audio interface, or the studio's Apogee interface, but I wouldn't say the highs or mids lack AT ALL directly out of the MacBook Pro.  AKG really catered to young musicians PERFECTLY with this one. Tyll can keep his veiled planar basshead joints for $2k more.  I'll take this beautifully revealing, open and spacious sound ... everytime.

 

[Beagle]

Oh I love the sound, the fit and the look. I just don't like when it falls apart on me.

 

[plakat]

  Single-sided cable (and fishing a wire through a flexing headband assembly) on a large expensive flagship is a dumb idea IMO. 

I think the main reason is its intended studio audience... and I have to say that I prefer single-sided entry as well. Problematic is the flat cable used to implement that... its fragile and impossible to repair at home. Of course it looks nicer having cables stand out above the cups, but I could have lived with that instead of a foreseeable problem.

 

[Beagle]

I would not want to have these in a busy studio environment, being thrashed about and all that. No way could they stand up.
 
I think that they terminated the wire when the headphone was in the "closed" position, and when they got flexed open a number of times, the wire got stressed and gave out.

 

[tituss]

last week I buy a second hand k812, made in austria, very nice condition, still in the warranty period
$620usd only, good deal

 

[paulchiu]

  last week I buy a second hand k812, made in austria, very nice condition, still in the warranty period
$620usd only, good deal

 
Cool.  Enjoy.  All K812 are made in Austria, afaik.

 

[EDN80]

  last week I buy a second hand k812, made in austria, very nice condition, still in the warranty period
$620usd only, good deal

eBay?