[Rob80b]

So went with the Arctic Cables...will show and tell once they arrive in a few weeks or so.

Cables in. : ) Nicely made, similar thickness to the stock cable so light and flexible, a lot more so than the adjacent Fogcity dual strand Mogami 26AWG balanced cable for the HD800S.

….sonic improvements, maybe? Mostly it was to shorten the length but also to eliminate an extra connector which IMHO can introduce some distortion in the upper frequencies as the electrons have to jump and navigate multiple surfaces and sometimes dissimilar metals….

Listening to multiple flute recordings by Robert Aitken there is zero distortion in the upper registers, an excellent sign, overall a beautiful sounding headphone IMHO.

 

[ResidentAlien]

Hey folks. Seriously considering getting a pair of K872. I currently have a Q701. Do you think the K872 will sound good with metal, rock, 90s alternative etc ?

I’ll be using Audio Gd Master 19 amp and Aune S8 reference DAC / EverSolo Z8 DAC.

 

[michicaust]

Hey folks. Seriously considering getting a pair of K872. I currently have a Q701. Do you think the K872 will sound good with metal, rock, 90s alternative etc ?

I’ll be using Audio Gd Master 19 amp and Aune S8 reference DAC / EverSolo Z8 DAC.

I know they do, although I've EQ'd them to taste a bit. Currently driving them via a HPA V550 with a RME ADI-2 DAC as a source, but the RME handles them fantastically by itself, too.

 

[Rob80b]

Hey folks. Seriously considering getting a pair of K872. I currently have a Q701. Do you think the K872 will sound good with metal, rock, 90s alternative etc ?
.........

Coincidentally was just listening to my much neglected K872s......definitely different than the 701...besides having extremely precise imaging the bass is also better defined but only present when called upon, layering is also a big step up from the K700 series.
Will it sound good....

with metal, rock, 90s alternative etc ?

That will come down to personal preferences, the k872 and K812 are very analytical, more of a monitoring tool, the opposite of many cherished and popular "musically" sounding phones but I love them with studio and live recordings as they put me in the recording space, there is no warmth per say but a direct line feed.
Listening to David Holland* / Derek Bailey – Improvisations For Cello And Guitar, basically you are there, the HD800S come in second.
https://tidal.com/browse/album/113628343


Now having said that, if needing a less analytical for a closed back for all round listening genres, the Sennheiser HD820 and Focal Elegia are my currently go to.

 

[Art Garfunkel]

Coincidentally was just listening to my much neglected K872s......definitely different than the 701...besides having extremely precise imaging the bass is also better defined but only present when called upon, layering is also a big step up from the K700 series.
Will it sound good....

That will come down to personal preferences, the k872 and K812 are very analytical, the opposite of many cherished and popular "musically" sounding phones but I love them with studio and live recordings as they put me in the recording space, there is no warmth per say but a direct line feed.
Listening to David Holland* / Derek Bailey – Improvisations For Cello And Guitar, basically you are there, the HD800S come in second.
https://tidal.com/browse/album/113628343


Now having said that, if needing a less analytical for a closed back for all round listening genres, the Sennheiser HD820 and Focal Elegia are my currently go to.

I can listen to these for about 15-30 minutes. At first all seems well, great clarity, space. Then the treble goes kinds of scratchy character, a sort of roughness around maybe 5-6k? And I can listen to different recordings and it applies this character to them all. Silver Dragon cable helps a bit but its still present no matter what.

 

[Rob80b]

Then the treble goes kinds of scratchy character, a sort of roughness around maybe 5-6k?

Have to admit I've never experienced that...the 872 and the 812 for the matter I find cleaner than my HD800S & HD820.hhhhmmm?
I'm powering them off a Bryston BHA-1 or Sennheiser HDVD 800, source is a Cambridge CXN V2/CXC, no computer or EQing involved.

 

[Beagle]

I can listen to these for about 15-30 minutes. At first all seems well, great clarity, space. Then the treble goes kinds of scratchy character, a sort of roughness around maybe 5-6k? And I can listen to different recordings and it applies this character to them all. Silver Dragon cable helps a bit but its still present no matter what.

Like on cymbals, hi hats and percussion? I think I know what you are referring to. If you look at graphs, you will see some dips before and after that area, which indicates unevenness and would cause the specific coloration you describe. I hear this also, with specific music sources, and get around it (somewhat) by listening a little louder than I normally would.

I owned the K812 and this coloration was worse on that one, I think because it doesn’t have the filter over the drivers like the 872.

 

[Rob80b]

I owned the K812 and this coloration was worse on that one, I think because it doesn’t have the filter over the drivers like the 872.

Wonder if it may be the way the cups/driver are angled and directed to the ear canal, although the gimbal assembly works great, the way the cushions are designed to encompass the ear there is not a lot play in that area and may work better for some than others.

 

[Beagle]

Wonder if it may be the way the cups/driver are angled and directed to the ear canal, although the gimbal assembly works great, the way the cushions are designed to encompass the ear there is not a lot play in that area and may work better for some than others.

I’m glad you brought up positioning. There is lots of space inside the pads for the ears and it makes a difference where your ear is positioned. But doesn’t really change the treble character. Just lessens it overall.

 

[Rob80b]

I’m glad you brought up positioning. There is lots of space inside the pads for the ears and it makes a difference where your ear is positioned. But doesn’t really change the treble character. Just lessens it overall.

Similar situations pop up so often on the forums where some do and some do not hear, or are not bothered by certain frequencies with specific phones.
So far from recent memory the HD660S2 seem to have a majority on acceptability, the K812 and 872 have from the start been polarizing at best.

I remember doing a review on the Sennheiser Momentum in ear and surprised by the difference in ear size which has a huge effect on perceived sound, mine are quite large and encompass the iem. (lower image)

not mine

 

[chronograf86]

Is 300 Euros a good price for used one?

 

[Rob80b]

Is 300 Euros a good price for used one?

Sounds extremely reasonable....if you like them....if not...well?
I'm glad I have a pair but it's not my everyday phone.....almost a collectors item.

 

[plakat]

Is 300 Euros a good price for used one?

Sound like a steal to me.
I seldom use mine, but keep it as the last model coming out of the Vienna factory.

 

[qazxsw80]

Sound like a steal to me.
I seldom use mine, but keep it as the last model coming out of the Vienna factory.

I thought it was never made in Austria, only in Slovakia. The AKG K812 was. Somewhere until the serial number of 11000. It was written on the headphones in the first couple of thousands, but later on there was just a sticker inside the headband.

 

[buke9]

I thought it was never made in Austria, only in Slovakia. The AKG K812 was. Somewhere until the serial number of 11000. It was written on the headphones in the first couple of thousands, but later on there was just a sticker inside the headband.

My 872’s are 001145 made in Slovakia.