AKG Pro Audio K712 PRO, Wired, Over-Ear, Open Back, Reference Studio Headphones, Flat Wire Voice Coil, Black

I'm a former AKG K702 owner, a set of cans I appreciated (after a very long break in period - at least 120 hours of white noise and listening). They were very accurate, neutral and provided superb imagery: whatever is in the mix is there for the listener. My last set died (an accident, not a product failure) not long after AKG moved production of the 701/702 to China. There were reports of poor quality, so I went to my second fav. maker: Beyerdynamic. When they died (again an accident - cans and power wheelchairs don't mix well), I came back to AKG. The 712 series is made in Europe and has gotten sterling reviews, so I thought I'd buy from Amazon and take advantage of their great return policy if I didn't like them. What's Good: No.1 Comfort. As a musician I've owned many headphones from many quality makers, and I've never worn cans as comfortable as AKG: reasonable weight, a generous ear cup means no pinching, excellent padding plus an auto-sizing means never taking them off to adjust- just put them on and they fit, with a very low clamping force every time. I can wear the 712's for extended studio sessions without any discomfort. That's much more than can be said for the Beyerdynamic 880's these replace. No. 2 Sound quality. With just two days of break in, the AKG 712's are far and away my favorite cans of all time. I thought my old 702's were accurate and transparent. These are a clear step up. Both the Beyerdynamics and the 702's seem as if they have a bit of a head cold compared to these 712's. This is especially true of the mid to upper treble were woman's voices lay in the audio spectrum. Good source material (192K or better recordings) makes it clear that these cans are both more transparent and more articulate in this upper mid-range, and also at the very high end (which producers are using much more these days), which adds to the snap of a drum stick striking a snare, and an overall sense of air (some reviewers refer to spaciousness) as well as an enhanced perception of the stereo field. The low ends is by no means missing. While the overall sense is that these phonbens reach for a sense of neutrality - giving you exactly the mix the artists/producers intended, they do not have the pumped up mid-bass of many cheaper headphones and in-ear models. Listening to the double bass section of Berlin or a sound designers favorite explosion or even a recordists take on wind and storm sound shows that these headphones have a reach downward that is rarely im-proved upon, even by reference quality speaker systems, and much, much better in terms of accuracy and crud-free punch than almost any subwoofer system. So, are the 712's worth the extra money? The 702's have dropped in price (over $100 less than my last purchase) and AKG has reportedly got quality control issues on this line in hand, so if budget matters the 701's and 702's are worth your consideration, and the same could be said of the Beyerdynamic 800 and 900 series cans, or even the Sennheiser 660's. But having heard all these and more, I think at the current price, the AKG712's are a steal. Yes, they are a couple hundred more than their cousins in the AKG line up, but they represent the pinnacle of design in a well regarded and even venerable design series. If you can afford the AKG K712, you will not be disappointed.

TEST SETUP: AKG K712 Pro w/ original orange cable, source: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD (Game mode: Crystallizer 75%, EQ adjusted to boost mid-lower and mid-upper range), reference: Denon AHD2000 DISCLAIMER: A recent visit to an ear doctor revealed that I have lost hearing in the most upper and lower frequency ranges and I am not even 30 yet, nor do I ever listen to loud music. Please, particularly audiophiles, protect your hearing and listen responsibly. The AKG K712 Pro (and any other high-end headphone) should be used at reasonable volumes. INTRO If you're looking at this headphone, you're probably looking for something near the best from a respected manufacturer but want to spend well under $1000. Since you've read this far, you're right on target with this one. With the current prices of the AKG K712 Pro, you'd be remiss not to have it near the top of your list. This is probably one of the best buys you can get your hands on, so without further ado, read on. SONIC QUALITY The K712 is billed as a reference studio headphone and thus will be tested as such. We expect a straightforward sound that does not *sound* tweaked toward particular frequency ranges. Test music: -AOA Black - Get Out live at 2012/10/26 KBS Music Bank -AOA Black - Moya live at 2013/08/08 Mnet Countdown -Dalshabet - REWIND -Dalshabet - B.B.B. -IU - Good Day -Jevice - Don't Answer The Phone -Tiny-G - Minimanimo -T-ara - I Go Crazy Because of You -T-ara - Number 9 -T-ara - Roly Poly (Back to the Future ver.) There's a lot of different music in there but after going through them, a few points are pretty clear: -The K712 really is a reference studio headphone. There is no 'coloring' of the musical quality - if you are looking for a special sound, you may want to look elsewhere. It is literally WYSIWYG (or rather what you hear is what you get). Bass-heads and soprano lovers will undoubtedly have the sonic equivalent of hunger. You may tweak the EQ a little bit but the fundamental sound will still be there. Consider your uses before you buy. -Because of this, the K712 works for all kinds of music - pop, rock, ballads, disco, dance, etc. - a jack of all trades. -Harsh sounds (like explosions or guitar distortion) are especially pronounced depending on the recording's quality. Now for the details: Some people will turn up the volume on their headphones (a bad thing) to hear details like whispering or lip-syncing during live events. There's absolutely no need to do that with the K712 because sonic details are rendered with astute clarity at reasonable sound levels. Female rock band AOA Black is dominated by lead guitarist Choa and keyboardist Yuna, and you can hear them singing at the top of their lungs right into the microphone in the live "Get Out" performance - and you can hear it all at low volume. Some AOA fans protested that bassist Mina only does air guitar, but using the K712 to replay the "Moya" live performance proves them wrong - the bass is evidently there and remember that the K712 does noticeably boost particular frequencies. IU's 3-note noisemaker in the final verse of "Good Day" deserves particular mention because, well, the 3 soprano notes don't seem as jarring as they normally do. The same sort of phenomenon appears in T-ara's "I Go Crazy Because of You" - a pretty bass heavy song that doesn't seem as deep as it normally does through speakers. In this respect, there's a little life lost in certain songs that push the upper and lower ends of the frequency scale. Lastly, the Back to the Future version of "Roly-Poly" is a disco homage with the DeLorean time travel boom at the 3:00 mark. This mix is a test of sonic quality, and on the K712 its sonic 'accuracy' makes the distortion is particularly harsh. Listeners should keep this in mind when using the K712 for certain music or action movies. BUILD QUALITY When you pick up the AKG K712 Pro (or any of its siblings, K602/K702/Q701), the headphone seems fairly simple. Non-leather pads, relatively thin leather headband, plastic here and there, no obvious adjustment system. However, once you try it on, you will realize that the design is quite ingenious if you're coming from another manufacturer. There is hardly any weight from the headband, which auto-adjusts based on the size of your head via elastic bands connected to the earpads. You quickly realize that having sturdy, non-degrading (read: environmentally-unfriendly) plastic headband will last a long time unless you purposely drop the headphone. The earpads are memory foam and, because they are fabric-covered, won't get shredded over time by my facial hair like my old Denon AHD2000 did. The round design means that if you don't have the headphones exactly perpendicular to your head, the sonic quality will not change as they might on other headphones. The K712 is provided with 2 cables, a straight orange cable and a coiled black cable, both of which connect to a 3-pin port on the left earpad. Whether you prefer single cable or Y-connector is personal taste, but practically the K712 has a simpler build. In the end, the light weight and comfort means that you can leave this on your head for hours; you will take it off first to do other tasks than you will from discomfort. AUDIO SOURCE AND POWER USAGE Obviously, this and any other high-end headphone should be used with equally high-end sources, audio processor and music both. The K712 WILL pick up audio artifacts more noticeably than lesser headphones, so if the explosion you are seeing in the movie playing wasn't rendered in the highest quality, the sound will be considerably harsher and distorted. Any musical remixes will most likely suffer because the tracks weren't originally written with each other in mind regardless of the closeness in rhythm. Furthermore: -If you listen to music mostly from your computer, invest in the highest end soundcard such as the Creative X-Fi Titanium HD or Asus Xonar Essence STX, both of which can be found for ~$150-$200. Both have amps capable of driving the K712 plenty loud at low levels. -If you mostly use a home stereo, you can use an amp but it is only necessary if you are looking to change the sonic character (i.e., a tube amp) - the low impedance of the K712 does not require much power to drive. -If you mostly used your smartphone, nothing additional is necessary - you can try a USB portable amp but remember that you are limited the connection on your phone; in my experience, USB connections are never that great for audio. OTHER THOUGHTS Keep in mind that this is an open headphone: sound leaks to the ambient air for better resonance (i.e., increased sonic clarity). The K712 are best suited for a quiet environment where you are not concerned about disturbing others or being disturbed. Also, there is a burn-in time required, though they will already sound much better out of the box than lesser headphones. A few days (~100 hours) is reasonable. PRICE/PERFORMANCE AND CONCLUSION As of this writing, Amazon lists the AKG K712 Pro at $379 (MSRP $700). You can usually find most high-end headphones on Amazon at greatly discounted prices, but since the K712 regularly sells at ~$500, under $400 for this item is an absolute steal. Comparable headphones will cost ~$500, so if you happen to be strapped for cash but want something near the top, it is difficult to beat this price/performance ratio. Also recall that the top AKG model, the K812, is the only one above the K712 and provides a bit better sound at $1500...and is not on Amazon yet. So before this seller runs out of $380 K712's, and you happen to be in the market for a studio headphone, give this a good listen - you won't be disappointed.

I bought the AKG 712 Pros, the Meze 99s and the Beyerdynamic DT 880s.. The AKG 712s won the contest. The Beyerdynamic DT 880 came in second. The Meze were quickly put back in the box and returned. The DT880s headphones are beautiful, and pretty darn comfortable. To be clear - they are quality headphones. However, I could not pull myself away from the spaciousness and "reality" of the AKGs. The 880 headphones were just not as clear and spacious. There was less detail and the bass was not as precise. Also, to be clear, I am 65 years old and my hearing is a bit compromised. But, I had my wife ( who hears everything ) take a listen and she agreed. I listened to Billie Eilish, electronic EDM "A" sides and stuff like JP Saxe, Patrick Droney, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julia Pruitt. All of these are modern, high quality audio productions. I listen through my iMac which feeds into a MusicStream DAC and then into a Schiit Audio Magni amp. (on the Magni I flip up the gain switch, which does make everything sound better) This also feeds my JBL Pro 5" powered speakers and a Jamo 8" sub. The sound I get with this without headphones is amazing. It is important to me that the headphones equal or surpass this. Sadly, neither the Beyerdynamics or the Meze reach this. My son (who produces EDM music at home) brought over his Beyerdynamic 700 series and I felt the same way - but he loved them, but he never got to hear the other ones I auditioned or the AKG 712s. My goal was to purchase a set of cans that would be the best I have ever had. (I have a pair of the ATH 50s from 2012. They are ok for a closed back headphone, but no where near the AKGs.) The AKGs hit the goal. These are the ones that when you put them on, your get a far off gaze and you drop into the music. The instruments and the voices have "air" and space around them. There is no "muddy" bass -but the the deep EDM stuff and Billie Eilish have great, satisfying, low end. It is full and sweet. I put these on my wife and I saw her face change as she listened. "Wow, these are so much better than the others". I agree, sweetheart. I am also using these to record and master my own music on Garageband. They are very accurate!! Because they are open, they may not be the best for singing into a mic, but I actually did this and there was not enough bleeding into the mix to be noticed. At least at my level of concern. I may upgrade the foam on the ear surrounds some day - but no hurry. They are great just like this for the time being.

I purchased the K712 in order to see if I could get a bit wider sound stage relative to my HD650 (with a Cardas cable modification) reference headphone. The K712 does indeed present a pleasant and wide sound stage but the sound signature requires EQ, in my opinion, in order to achieve a bit more balanced sound. The K712 to my ears comes off a bit anemic in bass below about 125Hz (and more so in the sub bass) and it is a bit hollow around 1.6kHz and 3kHz. This seems to be adjustable with an EQ in particular via the addition of a bottom shelf of about 3 dB (using the built-in parametric EQ in the Reaper DAW software); however, the very low frequencies could be a bit more forward as they are in the much less neutral DT770 Pro 80 ohm (and perhaps even the HD650 on some songs with a bit less bass clarity in the HD650). Note that I don't prefer the v-shaped DT770 for bass overall at all; however, to my ears, the DT770 reveals more sub-bass that can be used in a comparison which may or may not be of interest. This is evident in songs like the challenging Turning Point by Revenant and perhaps less so on certain tracks by Deadmaus on the 4x4=12 record. Even so, the bass that is presented by the K712 is tight, punchy, well executed and is to my liking. I would say that the sub bass is just a bit too low in the mix that the K712 present especially given the hype that the bass receives in many reviews. A bit more sub bass could make the K712 more balanced, for me. Perhaps this is due to them being open with a wider sound-stage than what I am used to that may make certain frequencies more quiet to my ears. I don't know. I don't really hear a prominent bump at about 2kHz that some people have identified, To me the 2kHz region is slightly more prominent in the K712 than it is the in the HD650 but not by much at all. Also, although the K712 does provide an increase in detail in some pieces of music relative to the HD650, this was not obvious in all cases to me. Most notably I found that the sustain in cymbals and gongs are a bit better represented in the K712 on records like Hell by James Brown. To me, the K712 does not come off as detailed enough to warrant being called a Pro headphone. The highs above about 11kHz are a bit too rolled off for that; however, not so much that the details are lost (in particular if an EQ is used on these frequencies as well). This is a bit of a laid back headphone to my ears but with what seems like more sparkle and air than the HD650, at times perhaps but not on all songs. I do believe that the K712 can certainly be used a reference headphone in its class with this roll-off in mind. The wider sound stage than the HD650 was a bit distracting to me at first. It makes for an interesting listening experience but it took some time to get used to. The HD650 presents the instruments with what seems like a bit better image that is more focused on female vocals such as Savages in their song Marshall Dear. I do like the breath sounds the K712 reveals on that song better than the HD650 for some reason. Overall, I'm glad I purchased this headphone. Its a very good competitor to the HD650 that offers an interesting change in how the music is presented. I would not call this a replacement for the HD650 for example if you like a warmer bass signature and an excellent image, but the K712 is certainly worth purchasing. If you want to hear more (sub) bass, get the fun but a bit less refined DT770 Pro 80 ohm instead, and if mids along with both treble and bass are of interest for mixing or monitoring in an analytical application, consider the much cheaper ATH M40x. I dislike the M40x for daily listening for many reasons but it is quite analytical and revealing in many respects. For excellent daily home listing, buy the K712 because it is a great headphone.

I was choosing a new pair of headphones and immediately ordered a dozen models. Including several from AKG, namely the K612, K712, K701 and K371. Let's start with the K371. Although they are the cheapest, they are a very decent device. They don't press on the head, and the soft ear cushions allow you to wear the headphones for a long time. The device stays on the head very securely, you can easily take it outside for a run, a bike ride or just a walk. The rather strange design raises some questions. It's unclear how fragile it is. Judging by many reviews here: very fragile. The headphones sound decent for their price, a little bassy. The K612, K712 and K701 headphones are of a completely different type: they are open-back and significantly larger, you can't take them outside, and there's no point. A detachable cable is only available on the K712, and that's a shame. I believe that absolutely all headphones more expensive than ~$100 should have a detachable cable. But there are detailed photo instructions on the Internet on how to add and solder a connector yourself. They all sit on the head perfectly, albeit with slight differences. The K712 is the "older brother" of the K612, so the ear cushions are slightly improved. They are a little thicker, softer and made of a different material (memory foam, it seems). So the K712 is a little more comfortable than the K612, but that doesn't mean that the K612 themselves are uncomfortable. There are practically no differences between the K612 and K701 in terms of comfort. Sound. Personally, I liked the K612 the most for its clean, "unbiased" sound. In them, you can focus on all the instruments or vocals, and none of them "stick out" too much. The K712 are generally considered a more bass-heavy version of the K612, but I only partially agree with this: there is a difference, but it's very small. At the same time, it seemed to me that the K712 lost some clarity and purity compared to the K612. The K701 are a completely different pair. They have very strong high frequencies, and the low frequencies are, on the contrary, weakened. While the K612 and K712 are easily suitable for simple and enjoyable music listening, the K701 might seem "boring" due to the unexpressive bass, but they are very detailed! You can hear all the nuances of the composition, and that's really cool. I also think they would be well suited for FPS games. Regarding reliability. Things are bad here. There are many bad reviews with photos of the K371 regarding the reliability of the construction. The K series headphones have known problems with the quality of soldering of the thin cables inside, which often leads to the sound disappearing in one of the headphones. I personally encountered a similar problem twice: the first pair of K701 I received had a non-working left earphone, and in the K712, during testing, the sound started to cut out. Also, in the K series, the black headband is held by four thin elastic threads, two on each side. They constantly pull the headband down, allowing people with different head shapes to wear the headphones comfortably. However, over time, these threads degrade and deteriorate, like office rubber bands, which means the headband will always be in the highest position, making it difficult for people with smaller heads to wear the headphones. One of the pairs I received had exactly these worn-out elastic bands, and I could only wear the headphones because my head is quite large. In the end, I returned all the AKG headphones and kept a pair from a completely different brand, but if it weren't for the build quality issues, I would have kept the K612 for home listening, I really liked them. Or the K371 for the gym and cycling trips. I hope this short review will help someone make a decision and find their favorite pair of headphones.

I have owned these for several months now, and while I was underwhelmed at first (after break in time) I very much love them now. Their performance is very much dependent upon your source/DAC/amplification. These are extremely detailed headphones. The only other headphones I have to compare to these are Beyer DT770s and Sennheiser HD598s. The AKGs are probably my favorite of the three on most genres. I run them with a Marantz HD-DAC1 most of the time using lossless/hi-res in FLAC. Overall I would say these have great mids/highs, but bass is lacking at lower volumes. The low end presents itself at higher volumes with a little better balance in the sound, but I don't typically like listening that loud. The fix I have found so far is running these headphones using my older rig which is an iBasso DX50 through a bravo audio headphone amp with 12au7 tube. I use slight equalization with the DX50 to the low end +2-3 db at 33 and 60ish hz and that evens it out nicely (everything else flat). The bravo tube amp tempers the highs a little and adds warmth making it sound excellent with metal/harder music. Strengths: ACOUSTIC MUSIC!! Holy cow. Acoustic instruments, classical, Jazz, and blues sound fantastic through these headphones through the HD-DAC1. LOTS of detail, great soundstage, and good balance. Weaknesses: Metal/hard rock music underwhelms in these unless you have some way of fixing the weaker bass response/tempering the highs. When I listen to metal music through the Marantz (which has a little bit of a forward midrange anyway) it gets fatiguing pretty quickly and lacks the low end of the frequency spectrum at typical volumes. On a side note, when you add equalization to the low end, it pays off in spades. These phones are capable of exceptional detail in the bass region without being boomy. I think they sound phenomenal, however, I dislike that I have to add EQ as my preferred DAC/Amp lacks EQ capability. I find these headphones very comfortable, but they are large and a little on the heavy side. So far I have only used the straight cable and haven't used the coiled cable that is included so I have no knowledge of any change to the sound that might ensue should you use it. To give you a vantage point of my preferences, I am a bit sensitive to midrange freqs. The senn hd598s are great, but a little too boomy in the lows. The Beyer dt770s (80 ohm) sound great to me through the marantz hd-dac1 as the v-shaped sound of the beyers is leveled out with the slightly forward and buttery smooth mids of the marantz. The beyer/marantz combo is my preferred setup for harder music. Hopefully, I have kept this review intelligible.

First of all, these are great headphones for the money. They have an excellent sound stage, are very neutral sounding with a clean and accurate bass... That is, if you have the right equipment. Despite having a reasonably low impedance, if you want the high fidelity sound that you're expecting you'll need plenty of power. All my tests were conducted with 320kbps MP3s or loseless audio files. I tried these cans with my LG G3 cell phone just for the kicks at first. Due to the impedance, they're a little bit on the quiet side but I was able to get them to a comfortable level at full volume, but, they are still very much underpowered. On some tracks, most notably on anything by Mastodon, there is a slightly consistent crackling noise I did not experience on other set ups. It is almost like a very subtle clipping. Now honestly this didn't bother me too much as I had no intentions of using these headphones connected directly to my phone, but as a simple test. In most tracks, the mid ranges sound reasonably alright. Not particularly clear or good reproduction but present. The treble sounds somewhat low quality and fake, but the more exaggerated echoes of the vocals sound clear and crisp. The bass is present but does not have a lasting effect and does at times sound rather weak. The sound stage of the headphones on the G3 is notable, but certainly not the highly esteemed sound stage the AKG brand is typically well known for. I received some of the similar results with my FiiO E10k DAC and Headphone Amp combo, retailing at usually around $90-100, but with an overall increase in mid range clarity and sound stage. The phony tremble still remained, and the bass surprisingly now sounded even less present. It had a more lasting effect due to the power increase, but it wasn't as present in the music. The crackling was gone now. The sound stage was larger, but still not notably big. Vocals and instruments now had more noticeable echo to them (as they are supposed to) but it was still not as noticeable as it is intended to be. Finally, I hooked these bad boys up to my current set up which is a Schiit Bifrost DAC and Schiit Lyr 2 headphone amplifier and the results were instantly noticeable. The mid range is beautifully clear and well represented, not more than anything else but not less either. The bass is articulate, defined, present, and deep, but like so few headphones on the market, not overpowering. The treble, is like everything on this headphone, beautifully clear and not piercing whatsoever. The sound stage is wide, and really helps to display the intent of the recording, whether a factory, studio, or basement. Vocals echo as intended. These headphones sound very neutral and really do showcase the track as it was intended. So what about comfort? These headphones are very light and comfortable on my head, the earphones themselves have very wide openings for your ear. I have slightly malformed cartilage in my left ear so usually after about four hours that ear will become slightly fatigued, but I feel nothing on the other ear. In summary, I'm extremely pleased with these headphones due to their well represented ranges and extremely clear audio fidelity, however, if your equipment is not higher grade it will be showcased through the headphones.

Pair these with a transparent AMP/DAC such as a Objective2 ODAC to get an optimal experience. If your a gamer; for the love of god and all that is holly, DO NOT USE SURROUND SOUND SOFTWARE!!!!! Use in game "Headphone" sound settings and turn off any type of DSP (digital signal processing). Even in games where "Stereo" is the only option, these headphones create such a large sound stage, that positional audio is more precise and accurate than it would be with software surround enabled. You also benefit by not using those software surround in that there will be zero degradation in sound quality. If you have a good AMP/DAC paired with these cans, you will hear every imperfection in the audio chain. Sound Quality: Stunning; very clean extended base response with very detailed mids and highs. These headphones are very flat and analytically sounding, and that is a very good thing. If you want to give these a more aggressive sound, it should be done through software EQ. I personally prefer to leave my EQ alone and listen to these without any type of DSP or EQ. They already have a very flat frequency response with very little distortion at pretty much any volume level. Comfort: I have a huge dome; finding headphones that fit comfortably is extremely difficult. I was pleasantly surprised with these cans, even though my dome stretched the headband to its maximum size. I've worn these for 6+ hours at a time without having to adjust or wipe sweat from my head or ears. They are quite cool to wear due to their open nature and velour ear pads. They are also quite light. You can violently shake your noggin around and these will not budge in the slightest. They have very nice clamping force that is not too much or too little, even for people with very large head sizes. The cups are fully articulating in every direction, so you can easily get the perfect angle to fit the shape of your head. The cup pads are also made of a very dense memory foam that does take a while to break in, but is extremely comfortable, and actually becomes even more comfortable as the foam warms up. Overall, I absolutely love the comfort of these cans. They basically auto adjust to the size and shape of your head. I have had many people try them on with many different head sizes; it fit them all wonderfully. I even checked around their ears to see how well it sealed; absolutely no air gaps. My only gripe for these cans is the Mini XLR connector. I would have much preferred a 3.5mm connector to easily add an inline mic if I wanted (like the v-moda boom). However, it is a very nice connector; fits tightly and is easily removable. AKG includes a long mini XLR to 1/4" or 1/8" cable and a all black coiled variant. I prefer the coiled cable to help reduce desk clutter. Overall, this is the best set of cans I have ever owned. Amazing work AKG. Now just please come out with versions of these cans that use removable 3.5mm cables.