[Ryanr1987]

I had to sell the K712 because although it's technically great, was too peaky for me. I won't have a main headphone that isn't intimate and smooth! Any dryness, artificial treble and anything K701 or HD800 like, my ears are like err nahh.

When the Q701 came out, for me apart from gaming; I thought it was an improvement in all areas. People would go on and on saying they sound the same.

The differences again were small but the better upper mids, more controlled staging and slightly increased warmth jumped out at me right away. A small handful actually seemed to hear the differences. I still speak to people who say they sound the same.

 

[Solarium]

I had to sell the K712 because although it's technically great, was too peaky for me. I won't have a main headphone that isn't intimate and smooth! Any dryness, artificial treble and anything K701 or HD800 like, my ears are like err nahh.

When the Q701 came out, for me apart from gaming; I thought it was an improvement in all areas. People would go on and on saying they sound the same.

The differences again were small but the better upper mids, more controlled staging and slightly increased warmth jumped out at me right away. A small handful actually seemed to hear the differences. I still speak to people who say they sound the same.

I'm finding myself loving the treble of the K712, even though it's a bit harsh coming from a 650 for me. I'm absolutely loving the soundstage, the airiness, the controlled bass of the K712, but the "lease" from amazon is coming to an end. I'm debating of keeping the K712 or ordering the K7XX at the next massdrop, but I'm not looking forward to the warmer/650-ish texture and more intimate soundstage. I was hoping you can answer these questions for me:
 
1. How much soundstage will you lose going from a K712 to K7XX?
 
2. Is the bass as controlled and impactful as the K712?
 
3. Which one do you ultimately prefer, if both cost the same?
 
Thanks

 

[Ryanr1987]

You will loose some air and space for sure. I find the difference noticeable. When gaming the K7xx feels thick. It's still a wide soundstage but because of the memory pads and less upper mids and treble extension the result is a more closed in sound as opposed to a thinner more extended sound.

Bass wise I think both are similar. I thought the K712 was a bit more present than the original Annie when I compared them but overall barely anything to speak about. The K7xx I have does bass really well.

If I had to pick one for gaming and only gaming then the K712 is the better all rounder. It's warm yet has a dryness to it which helps stage presentation. Also again, the upper mids and brighter treble give it a more airy, leaner presentation.

Music wise K7xx no contest. I like smooth vocals, good bass and a more intimate mid section. For music the soundstage is still great, bass good, mids good and treble good but smoother so it's an easier listen without being boring.

I think the K7xx is the best headphone in it's class and top of the pack with the HE400i before going into flagship.

Sounds like I'm overhyping it but how many headphones have smooth mids, great vocals, good teeble without being too hard on your ears with fairly linear bass and a good soundstage? It doesn't have issues like many headphones.

The HD650 is among my fav headphones! BUT it lacks speed and can sound a bit uninteresting depending on mood. The K7xx/Annie can do it all.

I've sourced an original Annie(Smaller pads) so looking forward to more intimate goodness

 

[BeHik]

A small observation here regarding small differences in the sound between K712 and K7XX (702 Annies probably).
While watching this little review I noticed that there are no foam inserts behind the center grille with the branding on K712! While K7XX and Annies both have it. I think it is partly responsible for the smaller and more intimate soundstage of K7XX and Annies compared to K712. Now, K701 and K702 as i recall did not have this foam inserts either.
 
http://cdn.head-fi.org/7/75/350x263px-LL-758f5545_DSC_0042.jpeg

 

[Solarium]

You will loose some air and space for sure. I find the difference noticeable. When gaming the K7xx feels thick. It's still a wide soundstage but because of the memory pads and less upper mids and treble extension the result is a more closed in sound as opposed to a thinner more extended sound.

Bass wise I think both are similar. I thought the K712 was a bit more present than the original Annie when I compared them but overall barely anything to speak about. The K7xx I have does bass really well.

If I had to pick one for gaming and only gaming then the K712 is the better all rounder. It's warm yet has a dryness to it which helps stage presentation. Also again, the upper mids and brighter treble give it a more airy, leaner presentation.

Music wise K7xx no contest. I like smooth vocals, good bass and a more intimate mid section. For music the soundstage is still great, bass good, mids good and treble good but smoother so it's an easier listen without being boring.

I think the K7xx is the best headphone in it's class and top of the pack with the HE400i before going into flagship.

Sounds like I'm overhyping it but how many headphones have smooth mids, great vocals, good teeble without being too hard on your ears with fairly linear bass and a good soundstage? It doesn't have issues like many headphones.

The HD650 is among my fav headphones! BUT it lacks speed and can sound a bit uninteresting depending on mood. The K7xx/Annie can do it all.

I've sourced an original Annie(Smaller pads) so looking forward to more intimate goodness

Sounds like we have similar tastes. I think the 650's are too slow, lush, and intimate. They definitely serve a purpose, as they have by far the best mids I've heard. Ever since I got the K712's though I've pretty much ditched the 650, X1, and the 400i's. The K712 sounds amazing with EDM/dubstep, and the K7XX sounds similar enough to justify its 50% less cost. The all black color instead of the orange accents is definitely another plus.
 
On a side note, I might use the money I save toward getting a new amp. I'm thinking the Schiit Valhalla 2 vs Lyr 2. Which one do you think amps better with the K7XX/K712's while also working well with the 650's? I'm currently happy with the Magni, but looking for an upgrade. I tried the Vali and absolutely hated it with the 650, I don't like adding more enclosed/claustrophobic and lush/thick sound.

 

[Ali-Pacha]

  I will be getting my K7XX Massdrop First Edition with the second group in mid February.  There seems to be a lot of speculation about the genealogy of these headphones and drivers and ear pads and headband and made in China and blah blah blah.  My question is: HOW DOES IT SOUND?

You've forgotten rattling 

 
 
Anyway, self-quoting :

 
First impressions on sound, compared to my HD600 :
- brighter, without any doubt
- high mids / highs have kind of grainy aspect. Fun, but maybe fatiguing...to be tested on more long runs.
- a bit more bass extension
- better soundstage
- less body / "oomph"
 
Very (very) comfortable.
No angle on the pads.
Build quality a bit cheap...not very confident with the tiny bungee ropes holding the headpad on both sides.
Strong "new item" smell, coming from the pads (glue ?)
 

 
One month later, I may add :
- soundstage is either left/right or very centered.
- not fatiguing at all : the highs are indeed a bit crispy, but it prevents you from listening loud
- the very soft feeling of the pads is part of the relaxing / easy experience...HD600 are a bit claustrophobic (even an old unit with soft clamping)
- less details than HD600
- brighter than HD600 but still veiled on voices / high mids compared to my Staxen's (SR-009, SR-5, SR-Lambda, SR-Gamma Pro, even SR-007 and Sigma Pro)...hey, what did you expect ? 

 
- new item smell gone
 
To sum up, they've replaced my HD600 as easy-going (dynamic) cans to listen to. The Senn's may have more technicity / better FR, but they definitely lack excitement. Maybe a matter of amp (I've an O2).

Ali

 

[superballz00]

Music wise K7xx no contest. I like smooth vocals, good bass and a more intimate mid section. For music the soundstage is still great, bass good, mids good and treble good but smoother so it's an easier listen without being boring.

I think the K7xx is the best headphone in it's class and top of the pack with the HE400i before going into flagship.

Sounds like I'm overhyping it but how many headphones have smooth mids, great vocals, good teeble without being too hard on your ears with fairly linear bass and a good soundstage? It doesn't have issues like many headphones.

The HD650 is among my fav headphones! BUT it lacks speed and can sound a bit uninteresting depending on mood. The K7xx/Annie can do it all.

 
Different tastes I suppose since I think the K7XX falls short when it comes to vocals. The dip at at 3k-5k makes vocals lack extension and air. Makes sense since I think the HD650 was way too warm and quite veil.
 
Do you know if the foam discs are different between the K7XX, K712, and Annies?
 
 
 
I don't think we can trust the production description of the K7XX from AKG or MassDrop since the MD product page states:
 

Using the same dynamic driver technology as the K702 65th Anniversary Edition, the open back headphones have been tweaked to deliver an extended frequency response and a wide, locationally specific soundstage that puts you closer to the source than most cans. The highs were boosted by an innovative flat-wire voice coil, the mids were brought up to better balance the range, and the lows were jacked up by 3 dB for fully immersive sound imaging.

 
They either don't know due to a lack of info from AKG or are just lying with marketing BS. You can't boost the whole FR range and expect the sound to change.
 
 

Originally Posted by Ali-Pacha
 
One month later, I may add :
- soundstage is either left/right or very centered.
- not fatiguing at all : the highs are indeed a bit crispy, but it prevents you from listening loud
- the very soft feeling of the pads is part of the relaxing / easy experience...HD600 are a bit claustrophobic (even an old unit with soft clamping)
- less details than HD600
- brighter than HD600 but still veiled on voices / high mids compared to my Staxen's (SR-009, SR-5, SR-Lambda, SR-Gamma Pro, even SR-007 and Sigma Pro)...hey, what did you expect ? 

 
- new item smell gone

 
I agree with your comparison with the HD600. The K7XX does lack vocal clarity and extension due to the dip between 3K-5k. They sound quite similar if you remove the foam discs on the K7XX. I find the soundstage to be mostly left/right so there can be a hole in the center of the soundstage.

 

[whatup69]

What does he mean by the K712 having Angled earpads? Like the Q701? I dont see any angle in Chicolm's picture. I just see them as more protruding and less rounded along the edges, which is closer to what my K7xx have.

Agreed, my k7xx pads look identical to the k712 pads (higher, less rounded internal sidewalls). I reckon these discussions should be less on rattle or what pads they have or if they're an Annie or 712. I personal would like to see more discussions and comparisons from users who own k7xx and other highly regarded open backs.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Agreed, my k7xx pads look identical to the k712 pads (higher, less rounded internal sidewalls). I reckon these discussions should be less on rattle or what pads they have or if they're an Annie or 712. I personal would like to see more discussions and comparisons from users who own k7xx and other highly regarded open backs.

Well, I must admit I contributed to putting the discussion back to which K7...these compared to, but that was only because I wanted to be able to read reviews of, for instance, the original Annie or K712 pro and compare them with my own impressions. 
 
I agree though. It would be nice to hear more comparisons to other open-back headphones. 

 

[money4me247]

for people with rattle issues, Will at massdrop has posted an official response.
 

  Hey Everyone,

Big exciting update time! On Friday I traveled to the NAMM show in LA for a meeting with AKG leadership to plan for the next couple K7XX Drops. We covered a lot of material so I'm breaking this update into sections specific to each topic of conversation:

1. Rattle Issues

One part of our meeting was a demo of the rattle experienced by some members. After experiencing the rattle first-hand, AKG has acknowledged that rattles at normal listening volumes (if you experience any rattle while listening to music) constitutes a full repair and matched driver swap. They're launching an investigation into how these units were produced and passed their QC test (which involves measurements, sweeps, square waves, etc). AKG will have an official statement on the rattle to post later this week.

The repair process will be the exact same process we outlined in the last update for units with physical defects. I'll post a recap of that process but I also want to spend some time clarifying the scope of the issue as members have already expressed concerns about this next batch which were produced under the same conditions as the first, implying the units will experience rattling at the same frequency. Here's a stat to put the situation into perspective:

Total # of Support Cases About Rattling Drivers: 50

Assuming the next batch has the same rate of issues, there should be ~45 units with a rattle at normal listening volumes. Given that, beyond the repair process, we're also going to hold 50 units from this next shipment and keep them at the warehouse to give members the option to swap their unit with a rattle at normal listening levels for a NIB unit and let us worry about the repair process.

Again, AKG will have an official statement to post later this week, but in the meantime, here's a recap of the repair process you can start if you're experiencing a rattle.

Domestic orders:
A) We have been assigned a specific AKG representative, Hector Hernandez, from the AKG USA California office who will handle all issues related to K7xx headphones. Contact him by emailing your request to service.us@akg.com with a full description of the problem.
B) Hector will review the service request and will follow AKG service procedures to evaluate and correct any manufacturing defects. Units that are deemed defective will be repaired, not replaced.

International Orders:
A) AKG is not providing international service (we weren't supposed to sell internationally in the first place). If you are an international customer, you will need to contact Massdrop Customer Support via your transactions page and arrange to have your unit shipped to our offices in San Francisco. We’ll then coordinate the RMA procedure with AKG USA, and when the unit is repaired and returned to us, we’ll ship it back to you at your international destination.

B) Hector will review the service request that Massdrop submits on your behalf and will follow AKG service procedures to evaluate and correct any manufacturing defects. Units that are deemed defective will be repaired, not replaced.

2. Arrival time for the next K7XX shipment

As of yesterday, the ship carrying the next K7XX shipment arrived at the port of Long Beach. Now it's waiting to dock and be unloaded. From there the K7XXs will make their way to our fulfillment center in NJ.

This shipment carries 1500 units. All the existing orders will be fulfilled first. This leaves 718 unis available for the next drop (accounting for the 50 we're holding) with a ship date in the first half of February.

Based on the number of requests, we expect those units to sell out quickly and we're working with AKG to see about expediting the final K7XX shipments.

3. International Shipping

For this drop there will be no international shipping available due to AKG's agreements with their international distributors.

That said, if you're based overseas and want the K7XX, this google search could yield some helpful results http://bit.ly/1yHqMPS

4. Launch Date for Next Drop

Pending some final confirmations from AKG, we should be ready to launch the next K7XX drop on Tuesday morning at 9am PST.

Thanks for all your interest and we'll keep working hard to make this drop run as smoothly as possible.

- Will

 

[rvcjew]

Great to see them stepping up and confirming its a problem and starting an investigation to see why it is happening. Also as being in the second part of the first drop glad to hear shipping is still in line with advertised.

 

[rudyae86]

Wow, thats some good news for the rattling issue peeps and also good news for the next drop of K7XX.......
 
Which brings me to a thought......
 
Should I buy another pair? lol
 
Im loving my current K7XX. This is my first and after several weeks of use, they are sounding better and better, luckily no rattling issues, while using spotify, gaming in BF4 and other games, etc. And Im using them with a Sound Blaster Z with volume set in 100% in windows and about 70% to 75% in games (BF4) and no rattling issues still. Like others have said before, some are maybe using a bad source or playing music or another source in which the K7XX cant handle that frequency. More than likely, its the source.
 
Now, I feel like I want to buy another K7XX just because Id like to keep one at my parents house in Mexico, since I go out there 3 times a year and I only carry around my M50 but becomes kind of bothersome carrying it around all the time and of course, Id much prefer to use my K7XX when Im laying down in bed, listening to my music.....watching the sunset over the hills.....you get the picture lol.
 
With that said, should I go for another K7XX or just go straight with the K712? I know the K712 would cost more compared to the K7XX, but would that price difference also be comparable to the different sound signature?
 
How much would of a difference would I hear between the two? Im still not into tube amps and I currently own a Fiio E11 which I will upgrade down the road either to an E12 or buy a Fiio X1 for all my music needs.
 
I can go on and on but I guess I will wait and see what you guys think

 

[HiFiGuy528]

I guess I'll open mine and inspect it.

 

[Anaximandros]

My K7XX had the rattling problem on both sides. Left side was louder and right side was barly noticeable.
The coil wire from the copper coil was misplaced on both sides and was banging against the diaphragm and housing.
 
I could repair it and resoldered the wire.

 

[plakat]

  for people with rattle issues, Will at massdrop has posted an official response.
 

50 units... the outrage in this thread made it sound like 50%