AKG K712 Pro Review (Headphone)

[Tup3x]

Well, that measurement graph looks pretty much how I perceived it. It had "holes".

When I wanted to upgrade my HD 595s (because they were falling apart - you might guess where), I bought Sennheiser HD 700. After listening to them one minute I packed them and returned them. Then I bought these but they were far from being and improvement and I just didn't like them at all and gave them to my brother.

I pretty much instantly ended up going back to HD 595 and shortly after pre-ordered HD 58X Jubilee. Now that was finally a real improvement (that being said, HD 595 still sound rather nice but the treble isn't as smooth as HD 58X and HD 650). Then I got curious and ordered HD 6XX. I also bought HD 660S but no matter what they just don't sound right at all - muffled upper mids, serious lack of clarity there and by far the most veiled out of them all. So far my the best headphone has been HD 6XX followed by HD 58X Jubilee and then HD 600. My "HD 600" is HD 58X Jubilee with two HD 600 spare part capsules so not sure how well the drivers match. They were same batch though. That being said, I do find HD 58X Jubilee better since HD 600 has upper mids boosted too high.

I do wish that there would be more headphones that would follow Harman target curve strictly. Lack of deep bass I could easily forgive if they are open back headphones.

 

[Zerohour]

Still not as ridiculous as Hifiman. HE400i 2020 is 170$ and the replacement cable is 130$

imagine buying a Hifiman stock cable voluntarily

 

[peniku8]

imagine buying a Hifiman stock cable voluntarily

ikr, it's horrendous. I'm so glad I discovered OpenHeart cables, because the stock cable broke just after a few weeks and was really bad user experience since it was so stiff and the plastic Y separator grabbed onto everything...
Even repairing the stock cable was a bad experience. My cable broke right at the headphone jack(s) (on the earphone side) so I soldered new Rean connectors on.. the silver cables were a chore to solder...

 

[Jimbob54]

imagine buying a Hifiman stock cable voluntarily

If this hasnt already been christened "The Worm" , it sure should be. On $000 cans.

 

[Anmol]

If this hasnt already been christened "The Worm" , it sure should be. On $000 cans.

This *looks* same as on my he6se and I hate it. I wish it had a more robust look like a sennheiser cable.

 

[wemist01]

Had a pair of 7XX's and EQ'd them through True-Fi Sonarworks. Really liked them even if it wasn't top shelf sound. Then one of the wires separated from the driver on one side and that was it. I couldn't get the connection to work again, and my efforts just led to the thing being in even more non-working pieces. I always figured them as very durable, and the frame really is. But not the innards.

 

[Robbo99999]

not gaming, orange is just an accent color on this model.


this can be easily explained - it's just an evolution of K701 and K702 models. (and K7XX later).
drivers may have changed, pads are different (memory foam on K712, regular foam on older models), but the general idea is close.
so I don't think they they would start tuning to a completely new target on a sort of already existing model when Harman bought AKG.

by the way the pads definitely affect the sound a lot in this lineup, maybe you can test to confirm that if you ever get K702 or K701.

K702 are very good gaming headphones though, on account of their soundstage abilities in my experience, so if the K712 contains some of that DNA then they would make good gaming headphones, but you're right that they're not marketed as a gaming headphone. Any headphones marketed as "gaming" gives the initial impression to me that they're gonna be rubbish.

 

[Jimbob54]

This *looks* same as on my he6se and I hate it. I wish it had a more robust look like a sennheiser cable.

It is the HE6se /se v2 cable. Don't know which other models it ships with.

 

[PuX]

Any headphones marketed as "gaming" gives the initial impression to me that they're gonna be rubbish.

agree 100%. they add red/blue accent to the cheapest models, make them bulky and angular, maybe add some bass boost and call it a day.

 

[vhild§]

I have 701, 702 and 712 and I love them all. Each one has different attributes to them that are suited to different types of music. 701/2 for classical/jazz, 712 for rock/pop.

 

[Robbo99999]

I have 701, 702 and 712 and I love them all. Each one has different attributes to them that are suited to different types of music. 701/2 for classical/jazz, 712 for rock/pop.

Do you EQ them at all, or use them stock? I would guess you use them stock as they'd be relatively similar once EQ'd with the exception of the K712 that doesn't have angled pads.

 

[PuX]

I have 701, 702 and 712 and I love them all. Each one has different attributes to them that are suited to different types of music. 701/2 for classical/jazz, 712 for rock/pop.

K701 vs K702 - is there an audible difference in your opinion?

there shouldn't be as far as I know. unless you count the K702 65th Anniversary edition.

 

[Robbo99999]

K701 vs K702 - is there an audible difference in your opinion?

there shouldn't be as far as I know. unless you count the K702 65th Anniversary edition.

K701 is a bit warmer than K702 but many similar attributes and patterns, following is a REW comparison I made months ago comparing the two using Crinacle & Oratory measurements, highlighted line is the K701:

They should be super similar if all EQ'd to the same curve as both K701 & K702 have identical earcups & overall construction including angled pads. K712 doesn't have angled pads, so I'd expect that to sound quite different even if EQ'd to the same curve.

But you're right that K702 Anniversary (not pictured) is the most dissimilar when comparing K701/K702 - K702 Anniversary is the odd one out and I "think" it has memory foam non-angled pads so has some construction similarities to the K712.

 

[Berwhale]

K702 are very good gaming headphones though, on account of their soundstage abilities in my experience, so if the K712 contains some of that DNA then they would make good gaming headphones, but you're right that they're not marketed as a gaming headphone. Any headphones marketed as "gaming" gives the initial impression to me that they're gonna be rubbish.

In late 2018, I bought the AKG K712Pro and a Fiio K3 for gaming (I was playing PUBG rather a lot at the time). Then I stumbled across ASR, I stopped gaming and my wallet is around £2k lighter after multiple upgrades

On the plus side, I could sell my GTX 1060 for more than I paid for it in 2016

 

[Robbo99999]

In late 2018, I bought the AKG K712Pro and a Fiio K3 for gaming (I was playing PUBG rather a lot at the time). Then I stumbled across ASR, I stopped gaming and my wallet is around £2k lighter after multiple upgrades

On the plus side, I could sell my GTX 1060 for more than I paid for it in 2016

Do not get me started on GPU prices and the current PC gaming market - I'm stagnated on a GTX 1070, and my pre-order for an RTX 3080 has still not been honoured albeit I'm less than 120 in queue position for one after paying relatively close to launch price - but it's not gonna happen - they're gonna end up refunding me, I'm letting them get to the point when they have to refund me in the hope that their dignity & integrity will result in them offering me a sweetener, but given the current turmoil I think integrity has gone out of the window.....I'm on my GTX 1070 till one or two more years! (got a backlog of games to play anyway that GTX 1070 is more than enough - well above requirements)

EDIT: but like you my spending hobby has transferred from gaming to audio over the last 2 yrs - partly due to price/performance stagnation in the gaming/PC market combined with....well just the joy of music and the science involved in it's audio reproduction, I like all the aspects, and some crossover into optimised gaming in terms of audio for gaming (virtual 7.1 surround & the best soundstage headphones for that, etc, combined with EQ's optimised for gaming environments, tailored to the gaming environment (diffuse field EQ is my recommendation for gaming).....crossovers between the two worlds). (Harman Curve for music listening)

 

[Spcysls]

I'm curious to see a k702 review as I saw they have better bass accuracy, mid accuracy and sounstage/imaging than the k712 from Rtings measurements, however I don't know how accurate their measurements are.

 

[Robbo99999]

I'm curious to see a k702 review as I saw they have better bass accuracy, mid accuracy and sounstage/imaging than the k712 from Rtings measurements, however I don't know how accurate their measurements are.

K702 are a good headphone in potential, but AKG are a bit loose with their quality control on this headphone so unit to unit variation & channel matching are a bit wild, see this post:

*NEW* AKG K702 has been measured by Oratory!

I tested altering Band 5 to preference and found it was already spot on at the Harman Curve levels vs my AnechoicEQ'd JBL 308p speakers, but I found the difference was higher up the frequency range, in silibance frequencies and a little below, so Band 9 & 8 in Oratory's EQ, with a little more...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I might provide the caveat that those two units pictured are a new K702 (unit#2) and an old K702 (unit#1) with genuine new pads installed on unit #1 so you'd expect them to be similar, but the new K702 has thinner pads than the newly bought genuine pads from Thomann website, so I personally conclude that the new K702's have slightly different pads (a little thinner and a little firmer) - but this is just my 2 units - I own both of those 2 units of K702. So yes, K702 has a lot of potential when EQ'd accurately to Harman, but quality control in terms of channel matching is a bit ropey by looks of it, also I'd say it's possible the new K702's are different to previous just by pads (anecdotal via myself). I do prefer the K702 with the deeper pads as the soundstage for me is noticeably better, there's a bit more forward presentation vs in level with your head with the flatter shallower pads - which transfers to better gaming with the deeper pads & better soundstage for music listening. On the plus side I find Oratory's EQ sounds better with the newer K702 so my loose prediction is that the newer K702's with shallower pads (can I say that, only basing that on my 2 units) have worse soundstage, but probably ultimately sound better with the Oratory EQ that is currently available.

I would like to see Amir review a K702 though, for sure!

EDIT: Unit #1 old K702 is Chinese & from year 2015 with deeper pads, and Unit #2 with shallower pads is K702 Chinese from 1st January year 2021. This is loose anecdotal from me, Thomann bought genuine AKG K702 pads are deeper than current K702 pads being included on current units - I also think the Thomann pads are indeed genuine as I remember the depth being similar on my old K702, the new K702 I can feel my ears contacting the driver as the pads are shallower whereas this was never the case with my old K702 or indeed with the genuine pads installed from Thomann.....leads me to think AKG have changed the pad specs in the last year or so.

 

[vhild§]

Do you EQ them at all, or use them stock? I would guess you use them stock as they'd be relatively similar once EQ'd with the exception of the K712 that doesn't have angled pads.

I just plug them in

 

[vhild§]

K701 vs K702 - is there an audible difference in your opinion?

there shouldn't be as far as I know. unless you count the K702 65th Anniversary edition.

701 is incredibly airy, bit mellow and honeyish, just beautiful. 702 very analytical, bit tighter and drier.

 

[vco1]

An honest question. I bought a pair of K712 Pro's fairly recently. And I thought, and actually still think, they're okay. I listen on them regularly, and always have a good time. For the record: I don't do any EQ'ing (yet).

Is it because I haven't heard anything significantly better? Because of a lack of reference? Is it because my ears are bad? Or (again) are you guys just focusing on the measurements, which show things 'normal' people won't hear. Let alone someone over 50. ;-)