[Kammerat Rebekka]

Heh…I don’t know what it is but there is just something very unique and wild about this headphone that always keeps pulling me back into it’s embrace. It’s nuts!…both the situation and the headphone itself mind you. This is not a can you want to mix on (always use monitors instead) or get because you are looking for perfect neutrality. Nahh the K712 is to me part of a rare club that also is inhabited by the D7200 and perhaps also the new T1 (haven’t really decided yet)…but yeah a club that sports headphones with completely unorthodox tunings that on paper look strange..yet for some inexplicable reason..they just work.
I’ve never been much of a fan of mentioning soundstage in headphones, mostly because I feel it’s comparable to measuring biceps on bunnies…but there are a rare few cans out there where I genuinely get a sense of space because the cups are so enormous. The HD800S and K612/701/702/712/7XX all do this wonderfully but it’s probably the 712 that I’d end up going for as it also keeps my bass needs satisfied whilst at the same time not ending up a little too warm like the 7XX.
It’s funny because this is clearly a ‘flavour coconut’..and well the market is flooded with these types of coloured headphones, and I very rarely dig the sound of them. This thing however just clicks with me in a most enjoyable manner. Like perhaps what a proper tube amp experience should be without all the distortion? I don’t know…but I do know that all of this brilliance - the spicy tuning, spacious presentation, bass volume and reach..and yet somehow clear mids (how is this happening?!??) - all of this takes form in the most comfortable headphone on the planet.
You want something…different but wondrous? Yes? By all means go check out this orangy badboy. It’s unique in a really addictive way.

 

[dakanao]

Heh…I don’t know what it is but there is just something very unique and wild about this headphone that always keeps pulling me back into it’s embrace. It’s nuts!…both the situation and the headphone itself mind you. This is not a can you want to mix on (always use monitors instead) or get because you are looking for perfect neutrality. Nahh the K712 is to me part of a rare club that also is inhabited by the D7200 and perhaps also the new T1 (haven’t really decided yet)…but yeah a club that sports headphones with completely unorthodox tunings that on paper look strange..yet for some inexplicable reason..they just work.
I’ve never been much of a fan of mentioning soundstage in headphones, mostly because I feel it’s comparable to measuring biceps on bunnies…but there are a rare few cans out there where I genuinely get a sense of space because the cups are so enormous. The HD800S and K612/701/702/712/7XX all do this wonderfully but it’s probably the 712 that I’d end up going for as it also keeps my bass needs satisfied whilst at the same time not ending up a little too warm like the 7XX.
It’s funny because this is clearly a ‘flavour coconut’..and well the market is flooded with these types of coloured headphones, and I very rarely dig the sound of them. This thing however just clicks with me in a most enjoyable manner. Like perhaps what a proper tube amp experience should be without all the distortion? I don’t know…but I do know that all of this brilliance - the spicy tuning, spacious presentation, bass volume and reach..and yet somehow clear mids (how is this happening?!??) - all of this takes form in the most comfortable headphone on the planet.
You want something…different but wondrous? Yes? By all means go check out this orangy badboy. It’s unique in a really addictive way.

Soundstage size in headphones can’t be measured, therefore it doesn’t exist.. I thought you would know this as an ASR member?

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

I don’t normally make a habit out of addressing trolls, especially those I’ve put on ignore…but seeing as you keep going around spreading false information about me, even after I’ve told you that I put you on ignore and not interested in conversing with you...well I thought I’d go about it differently. I work with autist children and I can see that you need the same sort of clear-cut explanation before you understand anything. So here goes my man, try to read the words:
I am not associated with ASR. I think the site is bananas - using the word science in order to do something else entirely.
Stop spreading false information about me.

 

[dakanao]

I don’t normally make a habit out of addressing trolls, especially those I’ve put on ignore…but seeing as you keep going around spreading false information about me, even after I’ve told you that I put you on ignore and not interested in conversing with you...well I thought I’d go about it differently. I work with autist children and I can see that you need the same sort of clear-cut explanation before you understand anything. So here goes my man, try to read the words:
I am not associated with ASR. I think the site is bananas - using the word science in order to do something else entirely.
Stop spreading false information about me.

I didn’t mean it to troll. I genuinely thought you were a member there because of former posts of yours, that’s why I found it strange that you said you liked the spacious soundstage of the K712, yet the belief on ASR is that a wide soundstage comes from recordings only.

No need to get offensive and call me autistic, I was just confused about the different believes in this post. Glad to see you like the K712

 

[cel4145]

I didn’t mean it to troll. I genuinely thought you were a member there because of former posts of yours, that’s why I found it strange that you said you liked the spacious soundstage of the K712, yet the belief on ASR is that a wide soundstage comes from recordings only.

No need to get offensive and call me autistic, I was just confused about the different believes in this post. Glad to see you like the K712

Your batting .000. That's not a popular conception on ASR. Any more than the myth that all Head-Fi members never look at measurements.

 

[Luis Mad]

Heh…I don’t know what it is but there is just something very unique and wild about this headphone that always keeps pulling me back into it’s embrace. It’s nuts!…both the situation and the headphone itself mind you. This is not a can you want to mix on (always use monitors instead) or get because you are looking for perfect neutrality. Nahh the K712 is to me part of a rare club that also is inhabited by the D7200 and perhaps also the new T1 (haven’t really decided yet)…but yeah a club that sports headphones with completely unorthodox tunings that on paper look strange..yet for some inexplicable reason..they just work.

I am in your club too. My favourite headphone is the D7200, then my favourite open back is the, for me recent, AKG 712 pro. Last but not least my favourite iem is the Etymotic ER4XR.
Then of course it depends on the use case: if I were flying I would clearly rather have the Sony WH-1000m3 than the AKG 712 pro!

 

[kman1211]

Heh…I don’t know what it is but there is just something very unique and wild about this headphone that always keeps pulling me back into it’s embrace. It’s nuts!…both the situation and the headphone itself mind you. This is not a can you want to mix on (always use monitors instead) or get because you are looking for perfect neutrality. Nahh the K712 is to me part of a rare club that also is inhabited by the D7200 and perhaps also the new T1 (haven’t really decided yet)…but yeah a club that sports headphones with completely unorthodox tunings that on paper look strange..yet for some inexplicable reason..they just work.
I’ve never been much of a fan of mentioning soundstage in headphones, mostly because I feel it’s comparable to measuring biceps on bunnies…but there are a rare few cans out there where I genuinely get a sense of space because the cups are so enormous. The HD800S and K612/701/702/712/7XX all do this wonderfully but it’s probably the 712 that I’d end up going for as it also keeps my bass needs satisfied whilst at the same time not ending up a little too warm like the 7XX.
It’s funny because this is clearly a ‘flavour coconut’..and well the market is flooded with these types of coloured headphones, and I very rarely dig the sound of them. This thing however just clicks with me in a most enjoyable manner. Like perhaps what a proper tube amp experience should be without all the distortion? I don’t know…but I do know that all of this brilliance - the spicy tuning, spacious presentation, bass volume and reach..and yet somehow clear mids (how is this happening?!??) - all of this takes form in the most comfortable headphone on the planet.
You want something…different but wondrous? Yes? By all means go check out this orangy badboy. It’s unique in a really addictive way.

The K712 is a headphone I regret ever letting go of. It had an unique yet enthralling sound that none of the other K7 series has. There are certain headphones that have a subtle yet enthralling aspect to them, some are neutral and some aren’t. The headphones I’ve owned that had this aspect are the T1.3, T1.2, Amiron Home, DT 480, DT 831, R70X, A990Z, HD 660 S, K712 Pro, and the K240 Studio. Some are quite flawed but there is something addicting to their sound that makes me want to listen regardless

 

[Steven31]

I had the K712 for a while but decided to gift it to my father, along with an Astell&Kern Norma SR25 (portable music players aren't really my thing, call me old fashioned but my preference is CD and vinyl record players). I figured he'd appreciate it more than me as he isn't really familiar with audiophile-grade headphones (not really his thing but he listens to music allot and I figured it would be a nice gift) and I preferred the AKG Q701 I had at the time. I found that the Q701 could do everything the K712 could do but better, when I used it with a high end analogue amp I had at the time. It just out performed the K712 in every aspect - including bass output/quantity. But even the Q701 which impressed me so much, was replaced by yet another K702 I bought, in 2016. I've owned 4 K702's since 2008 (13 years). K702 is the sweet spot in the K/Q7 series of headphones, to me.

 

[dstarr3]

Yeah, I tend to favor the K702, myself. I've always heard the 712 is basically the 702 + bass, but I've never really listened to my 702 and felt myself wanting more bass. I've got racks of bass cannons for when I want to rock out. But when I'm just wanting something light, airy, and delicate, the K702 has been exquisite for me. In terms of just having enough bass to provide a good foundation for the music, I think the K702's bass amount is perfectly adequate.

I may try a 712 one day, but as it stands right now, the 702 fits perfectly in my collection in a way I don't think the 712 would.

 

[Luis Mad]

I continue digging the AKG K712 pro immensely. Only thing I really did not like was the spiral cable. I bought this and it works well for short connections https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B07NRG5VKG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These headphones are really special for classical. I am listening now to Beethoven’s 9th with the Astell SR25 and Fiio A5 amp, Apple Music High Res, 24/96, Berlin Philarmoniker Kirill Petrenko (2020). The combination is fantastic. I am amazed how this great recording sounds on the AKG. The layering of the instruments and voices is incredible.

 

[TwtBeard]

I've always heard the 712 is basically the 702 + bass

Do others think this is a fair assessment? I am thinking about picking one of these up.

 

[Steven31]

Do others think this is a fair assessment? I am thinking about picking one of these up.

I remember when I was buying the K712, I read that the AKG engineers tuned the K712 to have +3db boost in the bass compared to the other K7 AKG's. Comparing from memory, that is the only real difference, or the main difference, in sound signature between the K712, K702, K612 i've also heard and would recommend (the K612) over the K702 if you prefer a more natural sound but at the cost of detail. IMO the Q701 could outperform the K712 in all areas of sound quality and detail retrieval. The K712 works better with portable devices, if you get the K702 you would almost certainly need to buy an amp for it to maximise it's performance. Because of the increased bass, the K712 has a smaller soundstage but an increase in depth, making it seem like it has better imaging than the the K702, but this is not really the case, it's just that the added depth in the K712 gives this impression.

 

[TwtBeard]

I remember when I was buying the K712, I read that the AKG engineers tuned the K712 to have +3db boost in the bass compared to the other K7 AKG's. Comparing from memory, that is the only real difference, or the main difference, in sound signature between the K712, K702, K612 i've also heard and would recommend (the K612) over the K702 if you prefer a more natural sound but at the cost of detail. IMO the Q701 could outperform the K712 in all areas of sound quality and detail retrieval. The K712 works better with portable devices, if you get the K702 you would almost certainly need to buy an amp for it to maximise it's performance. Because of the increased bass, the K712 has a smaller soundstage but an increase in depth, making it seem like it has better imaging than the the K702, but this is not really the case, it's just that the added depth in the K712 gives this impression.

The K712 is NOT a K702 with more bass. There may be an extra 3 dBs worth of added bass, but that doesn’t really take into account how differently tuned these headphones are.
There is a reason why a lot of old K701/702 fans do not like the K712. They sound completely different!
Also…if you need an amp with one of these…chances are you’ll need an amp for the other one as well. They’re about equally easy/hard to drive

Thank you for the insights guys, I will digest this and look at picking one of them up. Are any of the models better suited for particular music genres? I have the 650 and love the vocals and midrange, maybe an AKG with increased detail & soundstage might be a good complement.

 

[kman1211]

By the way does anyone know if the K712 is still made in Slovakia?

 

[Luis Mad]

By the way does anyone know if the K712 is still made in Slovakia?

I bought mine recently and it has the Made in Slovakia stamped on it.