[tdockweiler]

I had sort of an "Oh crap" moment when I put on the K712 after not using them for a full day.
One song sounded really really dark and like someone put a blanket over the trebly sounds. Sort of muffled.
 
So I switched back to the modded Q701 and it sounded basically the same. You could tell the K712 was very very slightly warmer/darker. This was so subtle it's not even really pointing out. The song sounds the same.
 
It was a Jpop song with female vocals that sounds like it has like zero soundstage in the recording and it's 320kbps.
 
 
I really think both are sort of chameleon like and can change their sound based on the recording. It's pretty impressive. Sometimes I always wondered if people are describing stuff in reviews (not for the K712) that's not caused by the headphone itself, but the headphone (and gear) is just being dead accurate. I always felt my Q701 could randomly change from sounding almost like an HD-650 to an AD700 based on the recording. OK, the AD700 one is extremely rare but some songs sound like they have all the bass and warmth sucked out of them. Other songs sound very very dark and muffled. Some ambient Electronica music is especially bad. When I switch recordings I can go from way too much treble to nowhere near enough. Other times it's distant sounding vocals or vocals that sound too forward. Both male and female. So confusing. Why can't all recordings be good?
 
If I was in a recording studio I'd love to compare both and see which is more accurate to my recordings. Probably would be best to test this with materials that are slightly warm sounding or bassy.
 
BTW I don't find the K712 to add bass and warmth where it shouldn't be. Perhaps a tiny amount of warmth, but barely audible. I like this. Sometimes it sounds smoother than the modded Q701 and other times not so much...

 

[tdockweiler]

Why do fuller/thicker mids fool the brain into thinking they sound smoother and clearer? It's really bizarre and has to be placebo.
I get this with the HD-650 all the time. Really warm sounding headphones make me a little sleepy too. The HD-650 sometimes makes me want to sleep. I mean it's fun, but it still does that

 
The low mids of the K712 Pro sound really smooth but yet harsh/bright recordings sound about the same on each.
 
I've been comparing the Q701 modded and K712 PRO again.
 
I can see why some prefer the K712. It does have slightly more body to the sound, but not with all recordings. With some there is not much change. Often male/female vocals sound fuller on the K712. Sometimes it's easy and both hard to notice. Depends on the singer and recording.
 
I wrote down a bunch of notes (i'm a nerd) and I kept writing the same thing over and over due due to hearing what the K712 was doing with some recordings.
 
The modded Q701 is just a tiny bit more thinner, airy and spacious sounding. Things are a little more spaced out with good recordings. This makes sense when the K712 is slightly warmer. Often vocals can sound a tiny bit more forward on the K712. Depends on many things though and not all of them.
 
The low mids of the HD-598 remind me of the K712 PRO low mids. The 598 has much smoother upper mids and seem to make harsh/bright recordings sound better. I don't notice this at all EVER with the K712 PRO or modded Q701. Not a complaint.

 

[Evshrug]

^not sure if the "warm/thick" comment was directed at the HD650 or K712, or just speaking generally.
My personal stance, I find the K712 (and Q, stock) engaging, and I wouldn't describe them as [too] warm.
Warm/cold don't really make sense to me as sound adjectives anyway... I often see people wanting to have warmer headphones or make them warmer, and I've never read someone say they wished it was colder (instead they say faster/ more detailed), i believe we can be more descriptive in our descriptions. I read people talk about warmer headphones and I think about sweat and aching ears and the actual warmth I felt wearing my old Phillips noise canceling hp or 5 minutes with borrowed (who would own!?!? Thug life!) Sony XB500.

 

[emertxe]

  Why do fuller/thicker mids fool the brain into thinking they sound smoother and clearer? It's really bizarre and has to be placebo.
I get this with the HD-650 all the time. Really warm sounding headphones make me a little sleepy too. The HD-650 sometimes makes me want to sleep. I mean it's fun, but it still does that

 
The low mids of the K712 Pro sound really smooth but yet harsh/bright recordings sound about the same on each.
 
I've been comparing the Q701 modded and K712 PRO again.
 
I can see why some prefer the K712. It does have slightly more body to the sound, but not with all recordings. With some there is not much change. Often male/female vocals sound fuller on the K712. Sometimes it's easy and both hard to notice. Depends on the singer and recording.
 
I wrote down a bunch of notes (i'm a nerd) and I kept writing the same thing over and over due due to hearing what the K712 was doing with some recordings.
 
The modded Q701 is just a tiny bit more thinner, airy and spacious sounding. Things are a little more spaced out with good recordings. This makes sense when the K712 is slightly warmer. Often vocals can sound a tiny bit more forward on the K712. Depends on many things though and not all of them.
 
The low mids of the HD-598 remind me of the K712 PRO low mids. The 598 has much smoother upper mids and seem to make harsh/bright recordings sound better. I don't notice this at all EVER with the K712 PRO or modded Q701. Not a complaint.

 
I suggest you to:
 
1) Listen to the headphone for quite some time -> take notes -> extend your notes into something more in-depth, correct previous mistakes/misleading thoughts -> sum up the most important parts into a review.
 
2) Create your own thread called "tdockweiler's impressions on \K712 Pro" and write whatever you want as frequently as you find the best...
 
That would help people much more than this almost unreadable "spamming" you exhibit here... You just keep writing thousands and thousands of words - and I still have no idea what exactly I should take from.

 

[Change is Good]

^Better watch out. He might think you're trolling for saying such blasphemy...

 

[tdockweiler]

   
I suggest you to:
 
1) Listen to the headphone for quite some time -> take notes -> extend your notes into something more in-depth, correct previous mistakes/misleading thoughts -> sum up the most important parts into a review.
 
2) Create your own thread called "tdockweiler's impressions on \K712 Pro" and write whatever you want as frequently as you find the best...
 
That would help people much more than this almost unreadable "spamming" you exhibit here... You just keep writing thousands and thousands of words - and I still have no idea what exactly I should take from.

 
Someone writes more than two paragraphs about the K712 and how good it is and this is considered spamming? This is a discussion thread about the K712. People should be free to post whatever they want as long as it's about the K712. Maybe reading is too time consuming and you need a TL;DR edition. If you don't like anything I say or disagree with it, just don't reply or ignore me. There was no reason for you to even reply to me. Maybe post something about the K712 instead? There was not much discussion in here anyway in case you didn't notice. How many people own the K712 Pro? Doesn't seem like more than 6 people... the more talk about the K712 the better. There is not even a general consensus really on the K712. Maybe if more people wrote about it or reviewed it. Do you have a review?
 
You are right that I should have created an entirely new thread that way I didn't attract so many whiners that are butt-hurt about the modded Q701 being nearly as good as their $500 headphone. Sorry if that sounds rude, but I don't know why on earth I compared the modded Q701 to the K712 in here. Actually despite all the complaints i'm really glad I did. Maybe it will save a few people some money when they can just mod their Q701. Not that the K712 is bad (I love it). Not everyone will need a K712 or feel it's worth the price premium over the Q701. $350 is a pretty OK deal.
 
I've listened to them for many hours and stopped taking notes because it ruins the fun of listening to them and I was repeating the same thing over and over. Basically the K712 is a slightly warmer version of the modded Q701.
 
You tell me to extend my notes into something more in-depth, yet you can't even read a few simple paragraphs to begin with without getting confused. I've already done a review for it. There are no mistakes or changes in my opinions.
 

^Better watch out. He might think you're trolling for saying such blasphemy...

 
No I don't think he's trolling, but his spam comment is a bunch of nonsense really. I'm not going to edit myself just to please him and make things easier for him to understand. Don't like how I describe or discuss things? Just ignore my posts.
 
The only person who far who has posted troll-like comments is you to be honest. You really haven't contributed anything.
 
I have no problems with a little friendly argument as long as people don't post troll-like comments or are rude.
 
You know, half the stuff here lately is too much complaining about me and my impressions instead of the actual K712. Let's talk about the K712 instead.
 
BTW FYI I'd rather see a bunch of random/weird impressions of the K712 instead of nothing at all being posted in this tread. I really hope more people try these and actually leave impressions.
 
 

 

[darrenyeats]

  You know, half the stuff here lately is too much complaining about me and my impressions instead of the actual K712. Let's talk about the K712 instead.

I think you're right and also I think it's typical head-fi. How about some more feedback from people who have heard the gear in question? That's what I want to read.

 

[tdockweiler]

In case anyone doesn't like my posts that tend to ramble on and on, here is the actual review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k712-pro/reviews/9815
 
The K712 sounds best when you just listen and don't try to analyze it. If AKG gets the price down to $325 or so It'd be what I'd suggest for a good all-rounder.
It should be perfect for games/movies. Hey, maybe for black friday they'll be found for around that price? I'd buy one.
 
For people on a budget it's hard to suggest at it's current price. Even $380 is a bit high.
 
I read that review again after giving the headphone another few hours and I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

this is painful

 

[devhen]

  I think you're right and also I think it's typical head-fi. How about some more feedback from people who have heard the gear in question? That's what I want to read.

 
One thing I would point out is that the K712 will probably initially sound different to everyone based on what headphones they're used to. The K712s sounded pretty harsh to me out of the box. They did sound good and weren't sibilant or anything like that but they were fatiguing in the upper mids. I got the impression right away that it was particularly noticeable to me because of what I'm used to (primarily HD600 & DT880) and I recalled the same thing happening with the DT880 just slightly higher up in the frequencies. Once you get used to their signature they're pretty smooth and *somewhat* non-fatiguing (upper mids and treble can still be fatiguing at times but not very often or significantly so).
 
Anyway that was one of my initial impressions that I thought was interesting. I expected to become more acclimated to them and start perceiving them as less fatiguing (same thing that happened with my DT880s) and that's exactly what has happened.
 
I do really like these K712s. They're not perfect but they're really good. They've pretty much stayed on my head for the 3 weeks or so since I got them. At some point I might take some time to summarize my thoughts and write up a semi-proper review. In the meantime I'm happy to answer any questions you might have on them or in relation to my other gear, etc.

 

[Change is Good]

Td, you fail to realize what our issue is with you. Some (not all) of your posts are all over the place and make NO sense, whatsoever. At least three of us in this thread have confirmed this. Yet, I'm the only troll because I say things that, quite frankly, strike your nerves for some reason.
 
But hey, I'll just keep letting you think we are "whining" and "butt-hurt" because you say the modded Q701 is just as good or if not better than our "$500 headphone..."
It's quite entertaining, actually...

 
Oh, my impressions? I thought you'd never ask!!!
 
Well, I do have to say that AKG has improved each model, though the changes are minimal. The biggest difference between from one model to the next would have to be the Q701 > Anniversay, IMO. Ironically, though, it was the memory foam pads that caused the difference in sound (as also confirmed by others). In stock form, the Anniversary was much warmer/darker than the Q701, which to me was a bit dry for my taste. Once I bought the memory pads I was instantly in love. Mind you, it all depends on taste...
 
Then I, unfortunately, had to return my Q701 because of a bass rattle issue. It was a blessing in disguise because it happened before I wasted any money on modding the headband. I hated those bumps because, being bald, it would leave an imprint on the top of my head after long gaming sessions... resulting in a headache. After returning the Q701 to Amazon... that is when I took the plunge and bought the Anniversary for the added comfort.
 
Now, I own the K712. Not because I disliked the Annie, but because for my taste the K712 improved on what I noticed were minor flaws in the upper mids of the Anniversary. It was unnoticeable for a while until chico brought it to our attention when he compared the two... sly devil

. It led me to compare the Anniversary to my Mad Dog's mids to see if I could notice it, myself (which I did). So then, my OCD kicked in; I quickly sold my Anniversary and bought the K712.
 
The K712 did improve on the upper mids and made it more forgiving and less harsh. I will say this, however... the differences between the K712 and Anniversary are extremely subtle and almost unnoticeable. You literally have to compare them side by side, or have another headphone to reference off of to actually get a grasp on the slight differences. Also, it seems (based off memory) that the K712 has a liiiittle more bass and slightly more air. Other than that, my ears weren't advanced enough to notice other differences. I would have to have them side by side to actually tell every single difference between the two.
 
That, td, is why a couple of us are baffled at your impressions of the K712. It's not that we have a problem with you liking your modded Q701 better than it; it's that you hated the Anniversary so much. I, along with a few others, can confirm the difference between the two are not dramatic enough to dislike on over the other in the way you have. That is one arguiment of mine with you, which you continue to ignore and claim that I'm "butt-hurt." My other argument is what MLE and emertxe touched on... and I quote...
 
Quote:

  You just keep writing thousands and thousands of words - and I still have no idea what exactly I should take from.

 
So just chill with all the accusations, buddy. We are not forming some "anti-td cult" because you like your modded Q701 better than the K712....
 
Yes, I know what you're going to say. You said this the last time I tried to explain myself.
 
"cool story bro"
 
Maybe you're having a tough time comprehending what we are saying (same way we have trouble comprehending you).... which actually makes sense if that is indeed so.

 

[tdockweiler]

I heard you the first dozen times you said this. Why do you keep going over this? You don't like my impressions and they're too hard for you understand. I GET IT. Move along already.
 
Just a few comments to make things clear :
 

• I think you just want to stir up drama for no reason. You and MLE did this on day one. This really doesn't do anything for the thread. No normal person does this just because a person's posts are "all over the place" and "make no sense".
• Very few of my headphone reviews are off the general consensus. That is pretty useful for people to know. The K712 may be the first? Not enough reviews to know. Wait one year and see.
• The other guy who complains about my K712 impressions hasn't even heard it or the modded Q701. Funny!
• If my impressions are too confusing people can ignore my posts and read my review. It's a bulleted list to make it easier to understand.
• I never said I hated the Annie. If I dislike something I don't hate it. Stop putting words in my mouth and read my review. I've told you this before. The reason why there is a difference for me is the pads. The Annie pads go flat for me. Perhaps your Annie had different pads.
• Yes, pads alter the sound of an AKG headphone more than you probably think. Everyone who's owned many AKG headphones knows this.
• I could probably guarantee that I wouldn't like a K712 PRO as much with the flat Annie pads. I could be wrong. It makes perfect sense that pads going flat would alter the sound.

   
Quote:

Td, you fail to realize what our issue is with you. Some (not all) of your posts are all over the place and make NO sense, whatsoever. At least three of us in this thread have confirmed this. Yet, I'm the only troll because I say things that, quite frankly, strike your nerves for some reason.
   
That, td, is why a couple of us are baffled at your impressions of the K712. It's not that we have a problem with you liking your modded Q701 better than it; it's that you hated the Anniversary so much. I, along with a few others, can confirm the difference between the two are not dramatic enough to dislike on over the other in the way you have. That is one arguiment of mine with you, which you continue to ignore and claim that I'm "butt-hurt." My other argument is what MLE and emertxe touched on... and I quote...
 
Quote:

  You just keep writing thousands and thousands of words - and I still have no idea what exactly I should take from.

 

 

[pearljam50000]

Do you people think that the K712 is worth the extra cash over the Q701?

 

[emertxe]

  Do you people think that the K712 is worth the extra cash over the Q701?

 
Absolutely. No doubt about it... It's a significant improvement in sound (much more balanced FR) as well as comfort. I would go for K712 Pro over LCD-2 with no hesitation.

 

[Skipshrike]

I am considering an Asgard 2 for my K712, but is there any benefit to choosing a Lyr instead? Or, would the Lyr overpower the K712's?
 
DAC would be a Bifrost.