[Anarion]

Is it just me but K712 Pro seems to sound better with the ring foams removed? Though, I also noticed that the right pad (at least) wasn't properly secured. That might have impacted the sound too before.

 

[kman1211]

Is it just me but K712 Pro seems to sound better with the ring foams removed?

It does change the sound, I personally found it a bit worse without the foam rings, taking off the foam rings on the K7 series adds some resonance to the mids. The foam rings are mainly for resonance control and tuning as the filters surrounding the driver on the baffle play a similar role as bass ports, something inspired by the design of the K240.

 

[swagadelic]

I'm looking to buy these but have some concerns.

1. I read somewhere that they are discontinued. But when I visit akg, they are still available on their website.

2. They are no longer made in Austria. So I'm guessing they are made in China now? Are they still worth buying?

 

[Me x3]

I'm looking to buy these but have some concerns.

1. I read somewhere that they are discontinued. But when I visit akg, they are still available on their website.
2. They are no longer made in Austria. So I'm guessing they are made in China now? Are they still worth buying?

1. I don't think so. They still sell brand new K701, so you get the idea.
Anyway it's a great headphone and it doesn't really care much if they are discontinued or not (at least for me)

2. These days, higher grade AKGs are made in Slovakia which is a few kilometres away from Austria.

If you like the type of sound they offer, they have one of the very best price/performance ratios on the market right now.

 

[swagadelic]

Thanks. Yeah since I have to have open back, and my budget is 200 euro, i don't think I will find anything close to those.. Maybe he400i? People keep saying they are nice but half the people say they have LESS bass than k712 and other half say they have more... I need clear and powerful bass but flat at the same time.

 

[491838]

There might be a seal issue with the 400i. They measure quite flat to 10 Hz but they don't sound that way subjectively apparently. They will offer significantly less distorted bass but the mids and highs aren't necessarily better than the K712.

K712 has great instrument separation and detail across the board plus adequate soundstage and accurate imaging (they are really fun to use for music production, having the sound so close to your ears). They are at that level where I kinda don't even need to upgrade necessarily because nothing bothers me about them. They can sound a bit bright and too mid forward on some songs but generally they are very tame despite being on the side of bright. And I honestly prefer the mid forward sound. You really hear the texture in every instrument quite well, including bass. They have deep bass but not a ton of it. I don't mind it though since the bass distortion is still quite low and thus it beats my speakers in that regard as well.

400i seems to have a bit of a 9-10KHz peak (similar to the K550 that I had) which might be a bit much for some people. I think the K712 treble is pretty dead on for a diffuse field can if you prefer that sort of treble tuning.

Edit: For 200 euros in the EU, they are quite hard to beat for sound quality and soundstage.

 

[swagadelic]

thank you for this reply. im deadset on getting these now and should i think the treble is too bright (which i assume it will be for some Rock/Metal type stuff) there exists EQ for that

from what i read they seem to fit me perfectly. i havent listened to them but they just feel right, even still. the only other alternative really, would be the DT990 pro, and that would be insane to buy them over the k712.
who here like the DT770/990? and dont get me started on the m50x, lol, worst pair of headphones i ever heard

 

[Me x3]

DT990 PRO is very different from K712. Considerably brighter and less neutral overall.
Bass on K712 is flatter and midrange is much more present.

 

[swagadelic]

Yep, just not sure what other headphone in that price range to compare with

 

[LaCuffia]

The DT990 was downright painful to listen to after awhile - treble was metallic sounding and harsh, and the mid-range lacked body. The 712 is superior in every way, but of course a bit more expensive.

 

[swagadelic]

Yeah about 100 dollars more but 500 dollars more worth of sound

 

[swagadelic]

is the Steinberg UR22 mk2 a good enough interface to drive these headphones? I completely hate the idea of getting a new interface just to realise i cant use its headphone amp. Since im strictly going to be producing music ITB with headphones. Seems like buying an audio interface is completely useless if I have to get a seperate amp..... and the only reason im getting this interface is because it basically comes with Cubase Artist 9.5 for just an additional 150 euro. (meaning about 150 euro saved)

 

[LaCuffia]

I don't know the specs for the Steinberg like the headphone amp output but I know the K712 is picky with amps and it requires a bit of power to realize its full potential. It could mean the difference between sounding thin or uneven in the frequencies or full and dynamic. The K712 has a nice weight to the bass when powered correctly but people might feel otherwise and it could be due to an inadequate amp.

 

[491838]

I find that my K712 runs really well even off a phone. I can't spot any difference in sound between my Roland interface and the OPPO HA-2 (except for power). I think most interfaces should be able to power them fairly well.

 

[swagadelic]

Oh wow this is great news. Thanks