[BillsonChang007]

 
Still makes me wonder, I was on the fence between the X2 and the K712 for the longest time. I ended up getting the X2 since it appeared to be a better headphone for all-round use. Not that I'm disappointed with the X2's, I just wonder what the K712's would sound like in comparison. You never really know until you hear it for yourself. Maybe in the future I'll buy an AKG headphone for strictly competitive gaming. 

How does the X2 sound to you? 
 
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone! 

 

[xanlamin]

Go for X2. You won't regret. I have not heard a headphone that does everything so well. It might not have the bass of a Ultrasone, but it is still up there with the best. Clarity wise, they are as good as K550 but less metallic sounding.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Go for X2. You won't regret. I have not heard a headphone that does everything so well. It might not have the bass of a Ultrasone, but it is still up there with the best. Clarity wise, they are as good as K550 but less metallic sounding.

I can only have one. Philips X2 or K702/65 with Cásque Prodigy prototype cable :/

 

[Oktyabr]

I can only have one. Philips X2 or K702/65 with Cásque Prodigy prototype cable :/

The 65ths should be pretty similar to the 712s.  I couldn't find a review comparing the X2 vs K712 but I found one on reddit that seems to correspond with nailing down the X2 vs the Q701, i.e. "AKG sound" in general:

http://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/2j8x1h/fidelio_x2_arrived_today_heres_what_i_think_about/

TL,DR:  X2 = better bass, for "bassy music and Hip-Hop"...  Q701 = better "details and soundstage".  He preferred the Q701, which is also cheaper than the X2.  Also said his "medium" sized ears were touched by the screens over the X2 drivers...  cups not as deep as AKGs?

I'm not really an AKG fanboi... I've only owned the K701s (and loved them), and I have a pair of K712 on order right now...  but I'm always interested in the competition in case I decide to try something different.  The X2 looks better than the X1.  At least it has replaceable earpads and cable, but US$300 buys a lot of open backed headphone!  

 

 

[Decimator]

  How does the X2 sound to you? 
 
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone! 

Since I don't have a ton of knowledge when it comes to higher end headphones and identifying specific sound signatures, don't take my opinions as factual, simply my opinion. Also I'm only using them for gaming, so consider that as well, I'm sure they're great for music in their own respect. I only have roughly 12 hours on the X2s so far and I'm currently running them through my motherboard with ALC1150 audio. My experience so far is that the X2's seem very balanced while still providing ample bass. I love bass, but I don't want it to overpower the other frequencies. While the X2's bass response doesn't wow me, it's respectable and still enjoyable. It's not overdone so the mids and treble are still very present. The details are very good but the soundstage isn't quite what I was hoping for. In games, there's a lot of fine details and nuances I didn't hear before, but only out to a certain range. I still find myself being snuck up on by enemies every now and then, because I couldn't hear them coming from a distance well enough. I can't really think of how else to describe it, hopefully that makes sense. I've heard that the X2's really benefit from substantial burn in and even though they're easy to drive, the bass becomes tighter and more detailed, and the soundstage is extended somewhat with proper amping. I can't give my impressions on this, but I do plan on getting an external dac and amp soon. If people are interested, I can do an update after I get more burn in time and the external amp/dac. Hope this helped at least a little. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone!

 

[DarrenLays]

Are the AKG K550 pads similar to the AKG k712?
 
I saw you can put Audeze pads on the k550, and I'd really love to try that on my k712.

 

[ojrobinson]

Looking to finally take the plunge and get a pair of K712s as can currently get them for 300 in AUS, which trust me is a massive saving here. As I will need a DAC/AMP do you think a Fiio e17 will be good enough for them? Going to have them plugged into my pc for gaming and music ect.

 

[Oktyabr]

  Looking to finally take the plunge and get a pair of K712s as can currently get them for 300 in AUS, which trust me is a massive saving here. As I will need a DAC/AMP do you think a Fiio e17 will be good enough for them? Going to have them plugged into my pc for gaming and music ect.

Are you thinking about taking the K712 on walk about with you?

Like most open back cans these are best enjoyed at home (or the studio), someplace quiet.  While they certainly will work "on the go" the bleed in and out of sound might be unpleasant.  If you do intend to use these as a desktop/home/studio system perhaps your money on an amp would be better spent elsewhere?  I'm eagerly awaiting my first pair of K712 and am already planning on buying an amp to go with them, probably either one of the tube amps from Garage 1217 or maybe something from Schiit Audio.  The amps based on the "Objective2" design are also highly regarded, for value+power.
 
 Likewise the DAC.  I'm assuming you've been playing music from your PC before this.  Try an amp first and if that seems inadequate, then consider a separate DAC... but most good soundcards are perfectly capable.  My formula is this:  headphones>amp>dac

 

[gab840]

How are the K712 & X2 sonic clarity-wise compared to HE-400 as he400 seem to have a unbelievable clarity???

 

[jodgey4]

  How are the K712 & X2 sonic clarity-wise compared to HE-400 as he400 seem to have a unbelievable clarity???

IME, the HE-400's sound ultra detailed because they emphasize a special part of the spectrum that gives cymbal stick sound unnatural complexity due to overemphasis of overtones, that can pull you away from the sunken upper mids. There is plenty of perceived speed, but I can't tell if that's a function of strong impulse response or the same psychoacoustic affects that give them 'extra' detail. My Q701's have as much detail in the mids, perhaps more because reverb and delay sound more natural and like other high end cans I've tried. X1's at least I do not find to be able to compete for detail, though there is good coherency across the low mids to middle treble... though I hear the X2's are different.

 

[Mark K]

Just open my own birthday present...sounds really great

 

[Gamingmusiclove]

How do this headphones pair with asgard 2?

 

[jodgey4]

Just open my own birthday present...sounds really great

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

 

[BillsonChang007]

  Just open my own birthday present...sounds really great

Happy Birthday! & Happy Listening! 

 

[Oktyabr]

I just got my late Christmas present today!  

After I missed the K7XX drop I started looking for as close to those as I could get.  A new pair of K702?  Maybe a pair of Q701?  While searching I stumbled across a pair of K712 "b-stock" that seem to be "refurbished", straight from Harman Direct...  

"

Manufacturer refurbished: An item that has been professionally restored to working order by a manufacturer or manufacturer-approved vendor. This means the product has been inspected, cleaned, and repaired to meet manufacturer specifications and is in excellent condition. This item may or may not be in the original packaging." They were cheaper than a new pair of K702 and included free shipping.  Appear to be in excellent shape.  No wear marks or blemishes that I can see.  Came with everything, even the sticker, but no original box and no velvet carrying bag. Been listening to them for most of the last two hours.  Since I don't really know what they actually did to these I can't say if they need "burn in" or might already have plenty of it!  I've been A/Bing them with a well broken in pair of ATH-M50 on the only external amp I have readily available, a Creek OBH-11.  These are the first AKG K7 series I've heard in something like four years, after I sold my K701, mostly because the headband hurt me.   From memory (on the same amp, source and music) it seems like the K701 was brighter, perhaps more "neutral", whatever that means.  The K712 certainly do NOT want for bass!  By contrast my memory of the K701 was a lighter on the bottom end, more foreward in the mids and perhaps more "bright" on top which in particular made them a very revealing listening experience.  I remember a good portion of music sounded so bad on them (compared to the stuff that sounded SUPERB) that I didn't even want to hear them.  Every recording and mastering error was revealed.  The K712 seems more "forgiving" of bad quality recordings for some reason.  I also remember the K701 having a more spacious soundstage but perhaps that's just because I've been listening to M50s in their absence... To my ears the biggest difference between the K712 I just got and the M50 I've been listening to for quite some time is the obvious trait of whether or not one is closed or open backed.  The K712 definitely sounds bigger, more spacious, more "speaker like" (there!  Have I used all the cool cliches yet?)  The K712 is more resolving, more detailed.  At first, when I was really listening close for any obvious sonic flaws (in this particular refurb, not the design itself) I kept catching things that made me think one or possibly both drivers were somehow messed up.  I'd throw the M50s on and listen to the segment in question again and sure enough, there it was.  The M50s showed it too but seemed like it just wasn't as obvious.  This happened on songs I thought I knew pretty well, too! I need much more listening for my ears to really get adjusted to these but so far I like them a lot!  I do still wonder if I made the right choice though.  Perhaps a K702 or Q701 would have fallen a bit more in the middle between the K712 and the K701, perhaps not quite as much bass and lower mids but slightly more detail and neutrality?  Off the cuff I think that if I would have paid anything close to the MSRP for these cans I'd probably be sending them back and buying BOTH the K702 and Q701 just to find out for myself, but at the price I paid I think they may be keepers, at least for the near future. Now I need to find an amp!  I've been very happy with my OBH-11... it's absolutely DEAD silent, even with the volume cranked all the way up, it has RCA outs and it's built like a tank, but I know it has plenty of detractors too which makes me wonder if I might really bring this pair of K712 to life with something different, without taking out a loan from the bank to do it.  I'm certain of one thing... while I was considering a cheaper tube amp for these now that I've heard them I definitely do not want a "warm" sounding amplifier!  Something very clean and spacious might just do the trick.