[Kukuk]

I got a pair of these a few days back, and I gotta say, they are a real winner.

Between these and the HD800, I'm having a hard time choosing one to keep. Their tonal balance is so similar I can't justify owning both long-term, but picking a winner is very hard.

These are a fair bit more comfortable than the HD800. Heavier, yes, but the overall fit is better, thanks to them being smaller. The HD800 damn-near rest on my cheek bones.

The upshot of the HD800 is being able to go balanced. The cables are also slightly less obscure.

The real separating factor between these two is their imaging. They image vastly differently, and choosing which I like better is very difficult. To my ear, the HD800 is wider. More going on to the sides, and further out. The K812 is more like a giant sphere of sound, where the left, right, and center image have more of a seamless transition.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

If I could find a k812 for around ~400 I might pull the trigger. Maybe $450. I have so many cans at this point that I really only go for really good deals.

 

[ChisChas]

I love mine.

I swopped to Focal Utopias in early 2018 but kept my K812's. I was running in a Balanced cable recently (Utopias were plugged into my N8 Brass Black) and used my K812's with my Hugo 2 and I was reminded how good they were (and still are). Not in the same league as Utopias (especially with a custom cable). I bought Atlas and Double Helix custom cables for my K812's.
It's a shame AKG used only one Lemo as Atlas Cables said this made it tricky to manufacturer a cable for it and the lack of being able to go Balanced shows that AKG weren't keeping up with the developments in DAP's & headphones.
If the headphone manufacturers all adopted Lemos then we wouldn't need to buy cable after cable as we bought/owned different headphones. It just costs all of us a lot of unnecessary money.
My advice? If you buy a headphone capable of Balanced use, then buy a Balanced custom cable at day 1 and then use an adapter for single ended use. If you're a A & K fan and are stuck with 2.5mm TRRS or your DAP uses the better 4.4mm TRRS then adapters exist to swop to SE use (as I have to when I listen via my Hugo 2).
Most full size HP's benefit from Balanced output, can't comment re IEM's, I've never used them.

 

[musickid]

anyone using chord gear with the akg's?

 

[KyungMin]

I’m having a three way tonight. Comparison..

 

[Kukuk]

I’m having a three way tonight. Comparison..

Definitely interested in hearing your thoughts. I kinda want to trade my HD800 for a T1 Rev 2, so I'm curious to know how the T1 and K812 compare.

 

[SylvesterH]

I have 2 of them. The AKG and Sennheiser. I curious about the T1.
Is it Gen 1 or 2?

 

[KyungMin]

I have 2 of them. The AKG and Sennheiser. I curious about the T1.
Is it Gen 1 or 2?

gen 2

 

[ChisChas]

anyone using chord gear with the akg's?

Yes, I use my Hugo 2 with my K812's & Utopias, it's a fantastic product, who needs anything larger other than a Hugo TT2? If I used my Hugo 2 more than I do, I'd upgrade to a TT2.

 

[Kukuk]

These have been getting a lot of head time lately, and I'm pretty much in love with them at the moment. The sense of space is unreal. I couldn't really nail down just how they compare to my other headphones in this regard when I first got them, but now I think they're well ahead of the pack, besting even my HE-500s in terms of soundstage and imaging.

I find myself wondering, being that I love these, are the K872s worth owning?

 

[Beagle]

Only if you need a closed version of the K812. And they are probably a bit less spacious than the 812.

 

[Dexon]

Can anyone share some thoughts on slam and how hard hitting are these? How do you perceive intensity of orchestral crescendos etc..? If HD800 soundstage is 10/10 wide, how would you rate them in that regard?

Thanks.

 

[KyungMin]

Can anyone share some thoughts on slam and how hard hitting are these? How do you perceive intensity of orchestral crescendos etc..? If HD800 soundstage is 10/10 wide, how would you rate them in that regard?

Thanks.

If you've heard the HD800 S before i'd say the bass is similar to that and although very slightly has a littler more bass. I'd rank the following for bass. Not that I'm comparing with HD800 S not HD800 since I don't own the HD800.

Soundstage:
HD800S: 10/10
K812: 9 (K812 has better 3D soundstage than both)
T1 (2nd gen): 8/10

Bass:
HD800S: 7.5/10
K812: 8/10
T1 (2nd gen): 10/10

 

[Dexon]

If you've heard the HD800 S before i'd say the bass is similar to that and although very slightly has a littler more bass. I'd rank the following for bass. Not that I'm comparing with HD800 S not HD800 since I don't own the HD800.

Bass:
HD800S: 7.5/10
K812: 8/10
T1 (2nd gen): 10/10

Thank you KyungMin, although I meant on macro dynamics throughout the spectrum and not on bass quantity. For example, my Aryas probably have more bass than all 3 headphones (you've listed) yet orchestral crescendos sounds a bit anemic. HD800 portrays the same thing more dramatically even though they have less bass.

 

[qazxsw80]

It has been more than 6 years since the time the AKG K812 were announced. I wonder whether Samsung has any plans with regard to upgrading them or making a new flagship model. Or we will never see anything worthwhile from AKG in the future?