[Boogirl]

  That is what mine said. I got mine about a month ago. 

I'm pretty cool about it. They sound right to me, apart from the obvious lack of burn in. 

 

[SSandDigital]

  I'm pretty cool about it. They sound right to me, apart from the obvious lack of burn in. 

 
I wouldn't be.  AKG is Austrian and pay the premium for K712 Pro because it is made in Austria. 
 
Glad mine are Made in Austria.  #004040

 

[lugnut]

Here is some info, http://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/2oe3gr/akg_k712_manufacturing_moved_from_austria_to/

 

[SSandDigital]

  Here is some info, http://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/2oe3gr/akg_k712_manufacturing_moved_from_austria_to/

 
Didn't see any proof or official statement from AKG.  They probably sound the same and same level of quality and QA, but I am still happy mine says Made in Austria and not Slovakia.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

Hi All.
I own a Fiio E07K which is the only amp I own. .
I need some help deciding on whether to go for the X2s or the K712PROs.

I'd use it for general desktop. Gaming, watching TV shows/movies and listening to music.

The X2s are AU$399 in Australia and I can find a pair of brand new K712PROs for AU$367.65 on eBay from a private seller with genuine warranty. Which is why I'm quite urgent to get some help and opinions on what to do.

Any help would be appreciated.
Tia!

 

[jodgey4]

Both have a similar, detailed, warm sound, with a large soundstage. Can't really mess up. The X2 is easier to drive, and bassier/warmer. The K712 probably has more detail at the end of the day, though it's more picky on DAC/amp. I'd go with the X2, unless you plan to upgrade your E07K in the future to something like a desktop DAC/amp with more power... then I'd get the K712.

 

[SSandDigital]

I really enjoy the K712 for critical listening, movies and whatever else, it's pleasant to listen to despite being very detailed.  But then I do use it exclusively with a desktop amp/dac.  I also wouldn't describe K712 as warm, it's even/neutral to me.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

  I really enjoy the K712 for critical listening, movies and whatever else, it's pleasant to listen to despite being very detailed.  But then I do use it exclusively with a desktop amp/dac.  I also wouldn't describe K712 as warm, it's even/neutral to me.

Can the K712's sound a bit boring at times? 
 
Could you please help me to understand what critical listening means?
 
Also If I'm not planning on upgrading my amp/dac (other than staying in the realms of Fiio products) Is it worth saving my money on potentially having to buy a more powerful amp/dac to get the best performance out of them and get the X2's? 

 

[lin0003]

  I really enjoy the K712 for critical listening, movies and whatever else, it's pleasant to listen to despite being very detailed.  But then I do use it exclusively with a desktop amp/dac.  I also wouldn't describe K712 as warm, it's even/neutral to me.

I find it is quite bright. 
 
I modded it a little bit by putting some fabric over the uncovered driver cone and it seems to have a more controlled treble now. 

 

[DigitalFreak]

I just received my K712 pros today from E.Global for a very good price of £160. I noticed my don't say they are manufactured in Austria however. They are manufactured in Slovakia. Is this normal?:eek:

News to me. When did the Slovaks land a deal with AKG?!?!

 

[Boogirl]

I have to say that I am very pleased with the K712 Pros. They have totally exceeded my expectations. I already owned the Q701s, and I thought that perhaps the K712s may only be slightly different – but they really are very different. 
 
I honestly can't understand how others have said that they are too similar for it to be worth upgrading from the Qs – I have read before that some people believe there is little difference, and that idea actually completely mislead me, convincing me not to purchase the K712s sooner. However, I am very glad that I finally took the plunge and bought them anyway.
 
The Ks – with their more down-to-earth soundstage, 3D quality, warmness and extra bass – are, in my opinion, definitely better for Music. On the other hand, I have found that the Qs – with the super-wide soundstage and highly-analytical, high frequency focus, and clear, sharp and bright sound – are much better suited for Gaming. They both seem to have such different sound signatures: The Ks are like being wrapped up in a cosy, warm blanket, whereas the Qs are like being outside in the Arctic. One is clear, with a warm base and centre soundstage that blends music together well to sound beautiful; the other is clear, but with a bright, sharp, peripheral soundstage that excels at separation and minute detail.
 
The Ks are exceptional at presenting a more coherent sound  -- true to what a musician wants you to hear. They are the pie chart for the presentation – perfect for everyone who just wants the final product. The Qs are the detailed, analytical breakdown of all the tiniest components waiting in each cell to be analysed separately; the minute detail of data that the pretty, colourful pie chart is based on. The parts that only the people "behind the scenes" need to hear – which makes sense when you think about the fact that they were the special edition endorsed by such a iconic recording producer as Quincy Jones. What other kind of headphones other than perfectly analytical ones for mixing and producing would he put his name to?
 
Both are exceptional headphones with clear sound, and both excel at their own sound signature. Listening to music on the Ks is a real a joy that I can't say I've ever experienced when listening to music with the Qs (which to my ears are just not musical at all). However, the Qs have made Gaming a more engrossing and immersive than ever before; the clarity of the tiniest detail within the games has brought them to life in a spectacular way. Detail that didn't seem to be there appeared with them.
 
Swapping them, however, does not bring the same results. Both do not do that well with the other's "specialty". They are both very different headphones, and – despite the Ks not even being fully burned-in yet, the differences are plain to hear, and both will be immensely enjoyed with their "specialities".
 
As well as comparing the two headphones, I am also currently in the process of comparing the Audio-GD NFB 11 and NFB 15s with the Ks. So far I am definitely leaning more towards to the 11s, interesting because that is the opposite of what I experienced with the Qs: the NFB 11 paired with the Qs are not good for enjoying music.
 
Will post more comprehensive review when had more time to compare them.

 

[FritzS]

News to me. When did the Slovaks land a deal with AKG?!?!

The manufacture in Slovakia is near to Vienna.
 
And the automotive concern VW makes some of his SUV's in Slovakia too (I heard it above the Porsche Chayenne too).

 

[kman1211]

  I have to say that I am very pleased with the K712 Pros. They have totally exceeded my expectations. I already owned the Q701s, and I thought that perhaps the K712s may only be slightly different – but they really are very different. 
 
I honestly can't understand how others have said that they are too similar for it to be worth upgrading from the Qs – I have read before that some people believe there is little difference, and that idea actually completely mislead me, convincing me not to purchase the K712s sooner. However, I am very glad that I finally took the plunge and bought them anyway.
 
The Ks – with their more down-to-earth soundstage, 3D quality, warmness and extra bass – are, in my opinion, definitely better for Music. On the other hand, I have found that the Qs – with the super-wide soundstage and highly-analytical, high frequency focus, and clear, sharp and bright sound – are much better suited for Gaming. They both seem to have such different sound signatures: The Ks are like being wrapped up in a cosy, warm blanket, whereas the Qs are like being outside in the Arctic. One is clear, with a warm base and centre soundstage that blends music together well to sound beautiful; the other is clear, but with a bright, sharp, peripheral soundstage that excels at separation and minute detail.
 
The Ks are exceptional at presenting a more coherent sound  -- true to what a musician wants you to hear. They are the pie chart for the presentation – perfect for everyone who just wants the final product. The Qs are the detailed, analytical breakdown of all the tiniest components waiting in each cell to be analysed separately; the minute detail of data that the pretty, colourful pie chart is based on. The parts that only the people "behind the scenes" need to hear – which makes sense when you think about the fact that they were the special edition endorsed by such a iconic recording producer as Quincy Jones. What other kind of headphones other than perfectly analytical ones for mixing and producing would he put his name to?
 
Both are exceptional headphones with clear sound, and both excel at their own sound signature. Listening to music on the Ks is a real a joy that I can't say I've ever experienced when listening to music with the Qs (which to my ears are just not musical at all). However, the Qs have made Gaming a more engrossing and immersive than ever before; the clarity of the tiniest detail within the games has brought them to life in a spectacular way. Detail that didn't seem to be there appeared with them.
 
Swapping them, however, does not bring the same results. Both do not do that well with the other's "specialty". They are both very different headphones, and – despite the Ks not even being fully burned-in yet, the differences are plain to hear, and both will be immensely enjoyed with their "specialities".
 
As well as comparing the two headphones, I am also currently in the process of comparing the Audio-GD NFB 11 and NFB 15s with the Ks. So far I am definitely leaning more towards to the 11s, interesting because that is the opposite of what I experienced with the Qs: the NFB 11 paired with the Qs are not good for enjoying music.
 
Will post more comprehensive review when had more time to compare them.

I found the K712 and Q701 very different when I compared them myself. Pad swapping made them more similar but the K712 still retained it's focus and coherency even with the Q701 pads while the Q701 still retained the slightly unfocused center and wider presentation. The K712 has a more coherent and centered soundstage in my experience, does have a bit of edge to it which has led to some issues with it for me, but it's one of my favorite headphones regardless and my complaints are easily fixed by extra dampening. The K712 has a soundstage and images very similarly to the K612. I found the K612 and K712 more similar to each other than the K712 and Q701. The K712 basically sounds like a slightly more refined and a slightly v-shaped K612. 

 

[Mr Rick]

  I found the K712 and Q701 very different when I compared them myself. Pad swapping made them more similar but the K712 still retained it's focus and coherency even with the Q701 pads while the Q701 still retained the slightly unfocused center and wider presentation. The K712 has a more coherent and centered soundstage in my experience, does have a bit of edge to it which has led to some issues with it for me, but it's one of my favorite headphones regardless and my complaints are easily fixed by extra dampening. The K712 has a soundstage and images very similarly to the K612. I found the K612 and K712 more similar to each other than the K712 and Q701. The K712 basically sounds like a slightly more refined and a slightly v-shaped K612. 

I purchased the K712s first and found them to be extremely comfortable. So, I went looking for another product from AKG that would be a good complement to the K712s.
 
Looking at the FR curves I decided upon the Q701s. A listening test confirmed the difference, and I'm very please I bought both.
 

 

[kman1211]

  I purchased the K712s first and found them to be extremely comfortable. So, I went looking for another product from AKG that would be a good complement to the K712s.
 
Looking at the FR curves I decided upon the Q701s. A listening test confirmed the difference, and I'm very please I bought both.
 

 
I find them very comfortable too. The two are very different, though I didn't really like the Q701 that much on the system I had back then, comfort is what really killed the Q701 for me though, the headband bumps. I found having both the K612 and K712 redundant, so I stayed with the more refined the K712 in the end.