AKG Pro Audio K712 PRO Over-Ear Open Reference Studio Headphones, Black, 4.76 x 7.83 x 4.45 inches (2458X00140)

Product Description:
Master The Sound For Precision Listening, Mixing And Mastering The K712 Pros Are Reference, Open, Over-Ear Headphones For Precise Listening, Mixing And Mastering. The Over-Ear Design Assures Maximum Wearing Comfort For Fatigue-Free Mixing And Mastering, While Providing Spacious And Airy Sound Without Any Compromise. Their Precise Powerful Sound Results From Improved Low-End Performance By 3Db. Being Hand-Crafted In Austria, The K712 Pros Represent The High Quality And Legendary Design Akg Is Known For.
Over-Ear Design Maximum Wearing Comfort For Long Work Sessions
Sophisticated Open Technology For Spacious And Airy Sound Without Compromise
Improved Low-End Performance By 3Db For More Powerful Sound Imaging
Revolutionary Flat Wire Voice Coil For Incredible Impulse And Treble Response

Product Summary:

Item Details:

Products Reviews:

Reviewer: chananjm
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: For those looking to buy a very comfortable, mid-range audiophile headphone with plenty of bang for buck, look no further
Review: For those of you looking to buy a really good set of headphones without breaking the four-figure barrier, these are a great choice.However, please be aware, these are neither noise isolating nor noise cancelling. Also, they have fairly high impedance and need an amp to really shine. For those of you folks who might be new to high quality headphones, I’ll explain what those terms mean. For the rest of you folks, feel free to skip over this section. :)Noise Cancelling – this is a feature that is regularly touted as being desirable. To some extent it is, but it might not be what you want either. Noise cancelling headphones have hardware and programming that actively cancels out background noise. These tend to be desirable for a people who use their headphones in noisy environments. They tend to work best in high white-noise environments, such as planes, etc. They tend to be less effective when the noise is something like a lot of talking or yelling. But, there is a trade off. By using space and power to cancel noise, you sacrifice sound quality. So, while the Quiet Comfort line, by Bose, will provide decent sound on a plane, they will not cancel other kinds of sound (like yelling kids) very well. And while they might sound good to the average listener, to date, they are not capable of audiophile sound.Noise Isolating – this is a headphone that physically seals sound out. These headphones will completely enclose the ear and, generally, press fairly tightly against the head. They are completely closed in order to keep outside sound out. They tend to be less effective blocking white noise, but better overall at blocking outside sound. Again, with these, there is a sound trade off. Because they are closed, in a nutshell, there is some “echo” inside the headphone. Essentially, the sound of whatever you’re listening to will bounce around inside the headphone and will result in some distortion. While noise isolating headphones can have very good sound, they will always have a lower sound ceiling than open headphones. (And lest I be misunderstood, I’m not saying that all noise isolating headphones have inferior sound compared to all open headphones. I’m saying that they will always have an inherent handicap that open headphones will not have.)Ok, the above said, the K712 Pro’s are open headphones. I’ve probably spent about 40 hours listening to music on mine so far. As is true of most good headphones, they require some burn in time. While the sound was eye-openingly good right out of the box, they have definitely improved with use. (According to what I’ve read, they should continue to noticeably improve until about the 100 hour mark.) Now, I’m no stranger to good headphones. While I’ve never listened to cans that sell for the price of a used car, I own a pair of Sennheiser HD280’s and Beyerdynamic DT770’s that I’ve spent a lot of time with. Those are both well-respected, closed headphones. These are my first pair of open headphones, and, all I can say is wow. Big difference. No distortion at all, from Led Zep IV to Beethoven’s 9th – the sound is totally clean, clear, and powerful. I’m not exaggerating when I say that, having listened to that particular Led Zeppelin album hundreds of times, I heard things I’ve never heard before – I could hear John Paul Jones plucking the bass strings on Black Dog. I could hear all the string sections clearly even with the choir singing at full volume during the Ode to Joy. It was unreal. It was sitting front and center at a live performance. You get the idea.Ok, so, a couple of caveats with the K712 Pro’s. First of all, they need a lot of power to run at their peak. And because they’re open, they’re not ideal for mobile use. While this may turn off those who spend all day with earbuds jammed into their ears staring at their iphone screen, it shouldn’t be a problem for those who use these cans as they’re intended. That is, they’re at their best when listened to in a setting where there is access to a power outlet (for an amp) and a small to minimal amount of outside noise. I am fortunate enough to be able to listen to them at work in my office as well as at home (when my young children are in bed that is!).Some of you might be wondering, if I’m spending this much on headphones, why should I buy an amplifier?! Well, like any good speaker, they need power. You wouldn’t plug your surround sound system into an iphone and expect its battery to be able to power the speakers. Similarly, these headphones, while they will work plugged straight into a smart phone or tablet, they will not provide their optimal level of sound without a bit more juice. Never fear though. There are plenty of very good, portable amps that will boost these headphones for up to 8 hours on a single charge. Or, they can be plugged directly into the usb drive of your smart phone, tablet, or laptop and will charge as you use them to listen to music or watch movies. (See, eg., for $50, the surprisingly good Creative Soundblaster E1 portable amp. See also the outstanding $300 dac/amp the Meridian Explorer 2. If you’re wondering what a dac is, well, the short answer is, it’s an accessory that will decompress a digital signal, like an MP3, and will improve the quality of the sound that is sent down the line to your headphones.)Ok, the above said, I’ll try to explain why I feel the above headphones deserve 5 stars.Appearance – no score. I, personally, think that these are gorgeous. Their looks reflect their quality (and their price tag!). But, this is a subjective category. Some people hate orange. Some people hate round shapes. Whatever. I like them. You might not. But I think that appearance is probably the least important factor to consider when deciding which headphone to purchase. Moving on . . .Build – 4/5 Ok, these are just a bit more “plasticy” than I would like. I think that high-quality plastic was substituted to keep the weight down (see comfort below). I don’t know. I’ve had them about 3 weeks. I’ve dropped them a couple of times and they don’t have a scratch (yes, I’m a huge clutz). They come with 2 detachable cords, as well as a real velvet carrying bag. The bag looks and feels great, but it’s more of a dust cover than a protective device. One cord is a roughly 8 foot, straight cord. Another is a 3 foot, spiral cord. They both snap in solidly and require a button to be pushed to release. The nice thing about this is that, most often, it is a cord that goes bad first in a headphone. Both feel very solid – not cheap at all. But, if you want to upgrade cords (some audiophiles swear by super-expensive, silver cords) you can do so. Or if one goes bad, you can replace the cord, rather than the entire headphone. The earpads themselves are velvet covered memory foam (again, see comfort, below). They are also replaceable, as is just about everything else on these cans. So, again, rather than having to replace the whole thing, if a component goes bad, you can just replace that one component. However, I’ve read reviews written by people who have used their’s every day for a couple years and never had a problem. Also, the headband is a really soft, but tough feeling leather.Comfort – 5/5 These are, hands down, the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. The memory foam conforms to my head without pressure, and the velvet feels great and stays cool. The headband is self-adjusting. No, really, it is. They are incredibly light for their size. You put them on, you listen to your music, you forget you’re wearing them. (Unlike my other two headphones the Senn HD280’s and the Beyer DT770’s. Because they’re noise isolating, they put a pretty good amount of pressure on my head. I have a fairly large, but not a huge head. I still use the Beyer’s. I don’t use the Senn’s anymore; they get downright painful after half an hour or so of use.) The K712’s are marvelous.Sound – 5/5 Of course, the most important facet. This is also, possibly, the most hotly contested. Opinions about headphone sound are as common, and can be as extreme, as opinions about a political candidate. One person will think the sound is amazing while another person will think it’s just the worst thing ever. I won’t bore you with technical data. However, I have looked at the data provided by some very well qualified engineers who have run these through rigorous sound tests and have determined, basically, these are very, very accurate overall – much more so than any mass-market, celebrity-endorsed set of headphones that are out there right now. There are more accurate headphones out there. But, you know, to get a set of headphones that are noticeably more accurate, you’ll need to spend a mortgage payment or two, depending on your neighborhood. 😉 AKG’s are generally criticized for being somewhat lacking in the bass department. These are AKG’s answer to that criticism. While the bass remains tight and controlled, it is definitely present. I was watching the HD trailer for the upcoming Star Wars film with these plugged into my amp. I felt like I had a subwoofer strapped to my head – in a good way. It was pretty amazing. For the mids and highs, these are plenty accurate enough for my taste and budget. Maybe someday I’ll be a more discriminating (i.e., snooty) headphone user. But for now, these are fantastic. They easily sound better than my Senn’s or Beyer’s. I am very, very pleased with them and would highly recommend them.Final Thoughts – would I buy these again? Absolutely! Are they the best for riding on a plane or a crowded subway? Probably not, because they’ll let in some background noise. Are they going to wow and amaze every middle schooler who sees them because the company that markets them just spent about a bazillion dollars hyping them and paying for celebrities to endorse them? Thankfully, no . . . unless that’s what you’re into. I’m not judging; just saying. But, you know, they’re comfortable enough to listen to all day while working at your computer or while you’re at home, and the sound is just phenomenal.
Reviewer: AC
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A steal for the sound and build quality for the near-top of the line AKG headphone
Review: 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 AHD2000DISCLAIMER: 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.INTROIf 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 QUALITYThe 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 QUALITYWhen 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 USAGEObviously, 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 THOUGHTSKeep 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 CONCLUSIONAs 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.
Reviewer: Jose Luis C. S.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Comprados hace aproximadamente 1 mes.Usados a diario.Me gusta:- Suenan bastante bien. Se nota la amplitud de frecuencias de los graves y los agudos (10 – 39800 Hz). Indicar que al ser auriculares abiertos los graves no suenan con tanta fuerza como con otros auriculares cerrados (ej.: Sennheiser HD280 Pro) por lo que a lo mejor a quien busque graves con “punch” (por decirlo de alguna manera) no le van a gustar.- Tienen conector mini-xlr para conectar a los auriculares y posibilidad de quitar en el otro extremo el jack (enroscable) y dejarlo en minijack.- Son cómodos. No aprietan ni pesan mucho. Las almohadillas de los oídos son de velour suaves y cómodas (aunque también es verdad que tienen pinta de que van a ensuciarse o llenarse de polvo y ser complicadas de limpiar bien). Hay recambios por Internet si fuera necesario.- Trae una funda de transporte tipo velour o terciopelo. La verdad es que no la utilicé todavía. Para guardar los auriculares los dejo en la funda de plástico transparente en la que venían.- Tienen sonido cálido, con una buena combinación entre los graves y los agudos (opinión personal) y los agudos están ahí (se notan) pero no suenan demasiado altos o destacando sobre otras frecuencias.No me gusta:- El cable recto venía ya de fábrica conectado a los auriculares. La parte del conector mini-xlr quedaba tan próximo al borde de la caja que venía un poco doblado y se quedó con esa forma. No es un gran problema pero puede ser un punto de posible rotura si no se usan con cuidado. Creo que el cable debería de haber venido sin conectar. Por suerte si se llega a romper con los auriculares vienen otros en espiral y hay cables de recambio originales de AKG.- Aunque la impedancia es 62 Ohmios y la sensibilidad 105 dB, tengo que subirle más el volumen que comparando por ejemplo con los Sennehiser HD280 Pro (impedancia 64 Ohmios y sensibilidad 113 dB).Los uso con un amplificador Yamaha RX V475. No los llegué a probar todavía con un ordenador o con un móvil pero tengo la impresión de que si no es con amplificador, igual suenan bajos.- Si se busca oir “punch” en los graves, al ser auriculares abiertos ese “punch” de los graves no se nota tanto como con auriculares cerrados.Resumiendo:Los veo como unos auriculares para uso interior en casa y escuchar música durante horas tumbado en un sofá, no como unos auriculares para DJ que busque mucho “punch” en los bajos. Para estudio de grabación tampoco los veo por ser auriculares abiertos. Para uso exterior tampoco por llevar cable y además ser bastante largo, además de que como no aprietan, si se intenta hacer footing (por ejemplo) se van a mover demasiado. Aparte, como dije, con un amplificador tengo que subirle algo el volumen por lo que puede que la amplificación que le de un teléfono móvil no sea suficiente.Importante: Eliminar cualquier tipo de ecualización del amplificador (o del ordenador o programas que se usen) para poder sentir cómo suenan realmente los auriculares. Luego ya se puede comenzar a probar configuraciones (subir un poco los graves o bajar un poco los agudos, decidir qué volumen es el que se quiere/puede usar, …).En general estoy contento. Mereció la pena la compra y viendo las características (amplitud de frecuencias, principalmente) cumple con lo que se espera de ellos.
Reviewer: briamar23
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: “Unicuique aures eius”Cioè “a ciascuno le sue orecchie”…Questa ironica premessa perché come sempre accade vedo pareri contrastanti su queste cuffie, però in maggior parte di apprezzamento delle loro qualità.E qui mi schiero io, insieme a quelli soddisfatti della resa sonora ed anche della costruzione delle cuffie.Come mio solito parto dagli aspetti progettuali: essenziali come struttura, non si può immaginare di usare meno materiali per delle cuffie, due archetti a filo ed una banda a collegarli, questo è tutto, la solita ben nota e ben affermata filosofia costruttiva storica di AKG.Poi quei due padiglioni enormi alla vista, ma essenziali per avvolgere interamente nel flusso sonoro (aperto) la testa del fortunato ascoltatore.Fortunato perché si ritrova un pregevole prodotto capace di riprodurre molto bene il segnale che riceve.Le plastiche sono di qualità e garantiscono robustezza unita ad una leggerezza così importante per una perfetta comodità nell’uso prolungato: per questo aspetto sono le migliori della mia collezione (paio n° 19).Prima promozione senza riserve dunque per l’aspetto progettuale e costruttivo, unito all’apprezzamento per la fabbricazione europea, senza sciovinismi di sorta in ciò.Riguardo alle prestazioni queste per me sono cuffie molto analitiche, come delle reference devono essere per ripetere il più fedelmente possibile tutto lo spettro audio, e rendono decisamente bene lo spettro, con soundstage ampio e dettagliato.Essendo un fanatico di basso innanzitutto e poi di batteria va da sé che apprezzo quei +3 dB di incremento rispetto alle sorelle “minori” K702, un guadagno che non rende i bassi “pompati” ma dà loro un risalto meritato che attenua la “freddezza” complessiva di molte reference.Esaminate coi miei pezzi preferiti conosciuti a memoria (vedere le mie altre recensioni per i titoli) ho ritrovato tutto ben reso ed esposto, con una soddisfazione complessiva elevata.Un esempio particolare è dato dall’ album “Body and soul” di Joe Jackson, registrato e mixato magistralmente, con la sua impostazione jazzistica per strumentazione e stage costituisce un ottimo banco prova per apparecchi musicali, siano essi lettori, ampli, casse o cuffie (a proposito, da “Body and soul” in poi ogni album di Joe Jackson è un capolavoro per registrazione, mixaggio e incisione).Giusto per proporre un titolo accessibile ai più senza avventurarsi in esoteriche registrazioni certificate come audiophile, ebbene qui la libidine si scatena.Ecco, qui le mie orecchie si impongono, come detto…Devo dire che il mio precedente di riferimento per questa classe erano le Sennheiser HD 540 Reference di ben 30 anni fa (purtroppo tragicamente distrutte da molti anni) che con l’impedenza da 300 ohm erano una “bestia” da addomesticare col mio spettacolare Pioneer A-91 D ed erano assolutamente superbe come resa.(Altra parentesi, quell’ottimo ricordo sedimentato in me mi ha spinto, proprio dopo le AKG, ad acquistare in super occasione l’evoluzione HD 540 Reference II).Quindi per me dire che queste cuffie sono difficili da pilotare con discreta facilità non è vero, tanto che provate col notebook sia con scheda Realtek interna che Terratec Aureon esterna si hanno dei buoni risultati, fatto salvo che per avere lo stesso SPL percepito occorre raddoppiare verso l’alto la corsa della manopola del volume, ovvio.Addirittura provate nell’uscita cuffia del piccolo ampli Dynavox CS-PA1 che da “voce” al notebook, rendono piuttosto bene, con volume a fondo corsa, certo, ma la resa è migliore di quanto pensassi.La prova definitiva per chiudere il discorso è stata in due parti (vedere foto allegate):_abbinamento col lettore cd portatile Aiwa XP-205 con DAC interno a 1 bit (sì, un altro dei miei pezzi vintage) con cd “Celloverse” dei 2cellos: ottimo pilotaggio e col volume a fine corsa l’SPL è di tutto rispetto._abbinamento col lettore digitale xDuoo x-10 con file wav (il vero “uncompressed lossless” !!) dell’album “Laughing stock” dei Talk talk: anche qui ottima resa sonora e col volume a manetta si rischia di perforarsi i timpani !Comunque per nutrire questa “bestia” AKG prenderò un ampli perché le mie orecchie meritano di godersi tutto quello che può dare ed oggi vi sono molte valide opzioni per creare il giusto accoppiamento anche con cifre ragionevoli.Dunque, tutto questo per confermare che la spesa vale l’impresa, ora che i prezzi si sono assestati ben sotto i 300 € di non molto tempo fa.Ancora adesso purtroppo qualche appartenente alla Banda Bassotti ha il coraggio di chiedere 300 ed anche 400 €, f**k you lousy bast***s!Meno male che c’è Amazon, poi grazie ad un Warehouse Deal ho preso un articolo perfetto scontato del 10% per un piccolo strappo nella copertura della scatola rigida, davvero un super affare.Meditate gente, meditate.__E D I T__Ho preso questo ampli/eq su Amazon:https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B01IS81LVW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1L’ho subito recensito perché merita e finora sembra assente dagli acquisti su amazon.it.Strano davvero perché è un ottimo prodotto Inline, marchio di qualità che già apprezzavo, che garantisce il giusto pilotaggio delle cuffie con tutte le opzioni di intervento sul suono che cercavo, ad un prezzo assolutamente basso per la qualità offerta.Lo consiglio vivamente, una volta accettata la inconsueta struttura e provate le sue funzioni si capisce che è un ottimo acquisto.Con questo accoppiamento ora più che mai non riesco a togliermi le cuffie dalla testa… in tutti i sensi.
Reviewer: Amal Alsulami
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Awesome headphone for gaming!
Reviewer: MichaelW1980
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Zusammenfassung.Pro:+ Neutraler Frequenzverlauf+ Musikalisches Klangcharakteristik+ Weite und tiefe, aber nicht gedehnte Bühne+ Sitzt bequem auf dem KopfNeutral:• Zeigt Schwächen in jeder Aufnahme auf.• Benötigt durch offene Bauweise eine ruhige Umgebung• Ersatz für Ohrpolster sind teuerKontra:- Potentielle Sollbruchstelle an der Aufhängung der Ohrmuscheln.Einleitung.Ich gebe zu, dass der Kauf ziemlich spontan gewesen ist. Gehört habe ich seinerzeit den Q-701. Damals hatte ich den T70P von Beyerdynamic, den ich schließlich wegen eines erschreckend früh eingetretenen Defektes an der Linken Hörmuschel zurück gegeben habe. Derzeit habe ich nur das Headset MMX300 von Beyerdynamic zum Vergleich, welcher verblüffender Weise nur wenig unterschiedlich klingt, verglichen mit dem T70P. Jedenfalls war der Q-701 ein extrem gutes Modell und hat mich schon damals überzeugt, dass meine nächsten Kopfhörer definitiv offene Modelle sein werden. Da der K-712 Pro weitgehend ähnlich klingt, aber gewisse Vorteile gegenüber dem Q-701 bietet, war bei einer derart geringen Preisdifferenz zwischen den zwei Modellen der K-712 Pro für mich eine einfache Wahl. Er bot Mir potentiell die bessere Bass-Performance, vor Allem wegen der Ohrpolster aus Memory-Schaum. Sowohl Konstruktion, als auch Klang bekommen im folgenden eine eigene Kategorie in dieser Bewertung.Konstruktion.Zunächst einmal bemerkt man durch den schon besagten Memory-Schaum, aus dem die Ohrpolster bestehen sehr schnell, dass der K-712 Pro nicht ganz so bequem am Kopf sitzt, wie der Q-701. Ich gebe zu, dass ich damals nicht genau darauf geachtet habe, ob es beim Q-701 auch so war, aber beim K-712 Pro fällt auf, dass die Verbindung zwischen dem Kopfband und den Hörteilen aus einer Kunststoff-Lasche besteht. Ob Das robust ist, weiß ich nicht. Es wird sich zeigen müssen! Allerdings zeigt das Gewicht ohnehin auf, dass dieser Kopfhöhrer nicht durch die Wahl der Materialien seine Robustheit erreicht. Doch egal, wie Robust der Kopfhörer in den eigenen vier Wänden ist, so würde ich ihn nicht für Mobilgeräte benutzen.Klang.Diesen Kopfhörer benutze ich an meinem Computer, im Übrigen mit entsprechendem “Treiber”, nämlich meiner Sound Blaster Titanium HD. Das HD Modell war seinerzeit die erste Soundkarte von Creative Labs, die einen vergleichsweise guten Verstärkerchip eingebaut hatte. Wir reden von einer Lösung, die durchaus das Niveau einer ASUS STX halten kann. Dies sei als allererstes erwähnt, weil dieser Einsatzort den offensichtlichsten Grund gegen die Nutzung dieses Kopfhörers an mobilen Endgeräten deutlich macht, eben die offene Bauweise. Man hört einfach sehr viel von außen, genauso, wie die Umgebung mithören wird, was man sich selbst auf die Ohren gibt. Und tatsächlich höre ich mit dem K-712 Pro noch das Betriebsgeräusch meines Rechners, wenn ich mit nicht mehr, als Zimmerlautstärke Musik höre. Wohlgemerkt handelt es sich um einen durchschnittlich nauten Rechner, wie er 2009 verkauft worden ist. Im Verkehrslärm hätte man mit diesem Kopfhörer keinen Spaß. Die Geräuschkulisse meines jetzigen Computers übrigens, wird sich in absehbarer Zeit von Selbst erledigen, wenn ich meinen nächsten Computer kaufe, welcher auf möglichst lautlosen Betrieb ausgelegt sein wird.Zunächst einmal mein Audiosetup, wie sie jetzt ist:• Lossless Audio in den Formaten FLAC und ALAC (Apple Lossless)• AAC Audio (Standard Formate: iTunes & Apple Music)• Abgespielt mit der Software: JRiver Media Center 22• Windows Audio Session API (WASAPI), Exklusiver Modus, Ereignis-Stil• DSP: Crossfeed (Standard, Increased spatialization)• Ausgabe über die Soundkarte: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HDEin nicht unerheblicher Teil meiner Musik liegt tatsächlich in verlustfrei komprimierten Formaten vor, zumeist in der regulären Qualität einer CD, teilweise jedoch auch in hochauflösenden Formaten. Getestet habe ich den Kopfhörer mit der mir eigenen, wechselhaften Musikwahl.Gackt – P.S. I LOVE U (ALAC, 44.1 kHz, 16 Bit)So dramatisch, wie ein Titel wie dieser sich auch entwickelt, so haben die Titel von Gackt in ihrer Akustik einen eher gedrungenen Charakter. Tatsächlich ist die Bühne dieser Aufnahmen ziemlich klein. Um so wichtiger ist es, dass der Kopfhörer die vorhandene Bühne so frei gestaltet, wie möglich, ohne den Song zu dehnen. Schwer ist nur, dass der Kopfhörer diesen Spagat hin bekommt. Ich erwarte bei einer derart dichten Akustik keine Wunder, aber einen Fortschritt gegenüber meinem MMX300. Was soll ich sagen? Der K-712 Pro kann und tut es!Michihiro Kuroda – Murasaki (ALAC, 44.1 kHzAls ich den Titel das erste Mal gehört habe, hat er mich weg gehauen. Es ist ein sehr lauter Titel, der nach der punktgenauen Abbildung einzelner Instrumente verlangt. Sonst kann es ermüdend werden, ihn durch zu hören. Diesem Kopfhörer gelingt es jedoch nicht nur, die Instrumente unabhängig von einander spielen zu lassen, er präsentiert durch die breite Bühnenzeichnung einen gewissen “Live-Effekt”, von dem ich bisher gar nicht gewusst habe, dass er existiert! Weil ich Michihiro vor Allem für seine Live-Performances verehre, begeistert mich dieser Effekt um so mehr!Coldplay – Trouble (AAC / iTunes)Puh… Wer eine Kombination wie die Meine nutzt, um Musik zu hören, kann teilweise böse Überraschungen erleben. Damit wir uns richtig verstehen: Ich spreche nicht von Schwächen bei der Wiedergabe. Viel mehr verdeutlicht der K-712 Pro im Verbund mit meiner X-Fi Titanium HD, wenn eine Aufnahme an Sich Schwächen aufweist, so wie in diesem Fall. Entweder wird hier kein echtes Klavier gespielt, oder der Sound ist beim abmischen so verfälscht worden, dass ein völlig anderer Eindruck entsteht, als ich erhofft hatte, ihn erwarten zu können. Zudem ist die Bühne, auf der die Musik sich ab spielt, stark limitiert. Die Instrumente wirken, wie an einem Faden aufgezogen. Was mit meinem MMX300 noch wirkt, wie ein besonders kompakter Sound, entpuppt sich nun viel mehr als eingeschränkt. Klar, es ist der Sound, wie er Coldplay zu eigen ist, bis einschließlich des neuesten Albums, “A Head full of Dreams” und er ändert nichts an meiner Affektion für die Stimmung vieler Titel der Briten, aber dennoch… Bei einer gut zusammen gestellten Audiokombination muss man offenbar mit solchen Überraschungen rechnen.Linkin Park – Robot Boy (AAC / iTunes)Ich mag den leicht künstlichen, verzerrten, sehr Harten Sound dieses Albums. Dieser Titel beweist, dass dieser Kopfhörer trotz der in manchen Titeln recht verbreiterten Bühne, nicht dazu neigt, die Bühne zu dehnen. Viel mehr gibt er einfach nur wieder. Doch was sich zeigt, ist eine deutliche trennung der Instrumente, die mir besonders im T70P schmerzlich gefehlt hat. (Gerade, wenn man seinen Preis bedenkt) Obwohl “Robot Boy” teilweise auf multiplen Ebenen spielt und sehr viel passiert, entsteht kein Mischmasch. Alles wird ausreichend von einander getrennt, so dass ein Rhythmusgefühl entsteht, wie ich es so noch nicht erlebt habe.Pink Floyd – Money (FLAC 96kHz, 24 Bit)Bei diesem Titel habe ich eine verblüffende Entdeckung gemacht. Hier kommt das erste Mal eine solche Ausdehnung der Bühne mit so viel Ortbarkeit zustande, dass ich bei den Samples der Kassen und Geldzählmaschinen das erste mal wirklich hören kann, dass die Aufnahmen eben keine perfekte, glasklare Aufnahme dar stellt. Es entsteht der Eindruck, als würden die Samples durch ein Fenster gehört. Der Effekt war mit etwa meinem MMX300 ebenso vorhanden, wie ich beim Vergleich feststellen konnte, doch ist er hier so viel deutlicher, dass die Instrumente, die aus dem Rhythmus der Samples heraus zu spielen beginnen, sich an fühlen, als wäre man dabei, wie diese Aufzeichnung gemacht wird. Einen solchen Effekt habe ich nicht erwartet. Mit diesem Titel bekomme ich den ersten, wirklichen WOW-Effekt auf die Ohren!Tord Gustavsen Ensemble – The Child Within (FLAC, 96khz, 24 Bit)Der Hammer… Ich habe diesen Titel wirklich oft gehört, kenne ihn eigentlich viel zu gut, um noch auf diese Weise zu reagieren. Als jedoch der K-712 Pro den Titel zu intonieren beginnt, spüre ich eine Gänsehaut, die über meine Arme krabbelt. Die realistische Bühne habe ich schon mehrmals beschrieben, doch erst bei Aufnahmen, die ohne allzu viel Nachbearbeitung auskommen, wird deutlich, was es eigentlich bedeutet, wenn ein Kopfhörer eine realistische – nicht gedehnte oder gestauchte – Bühne zeichnen kann, auf welcher die Instrumente klar und deutlich zu ordnen sind. Habe ich bei Michihiro Kurodas ‘Murasaki’ von einem Live Effekt gesprochen, so verschwindet hier die Grenze und Ich bekomme den Eindruck, als könne ich einfach in den Raum greifen und wirklich eines der Instrumente berühren! Was hier den Effekt perfekt machen könnte, wäre nach meinem Dafürhalten kein “besserer” Kopfhörer mehr. Ich schätze meine derzeitige Soundkarte so ein, dass dieser Kopfhörer das Maximum aus ihr heraus holt, was noch möglich ist. Nach meinen Erfahrungen mit dem T70P schätze ich meine Situation mit dem K-712 Pro an der Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD so ein, dass ein Kopfhörer der nächsthöheren Klasse nur als Teil eines Gesamt-Audiosystems einen Sinn ergeben würde, welches um ein vielfaches teurer wäre. Doch meine Kombination derart luftig und frei spielt, weil mehr oder weniger genau Das erreicht wird, was ich mir als Ergebnis gewünscht habe, will mir nicht in den Sinn, warum ich einen Preis im oberen, vierstelligen Bereich bezahlen sollte.Fazit.Habe ich dem Kopfhörer zu viele Lorbeeren gegeben? Möglich, denn viele Kopfhörer in offener Bauweise und in ähnlicher Preisklasse sind zu diesen Ergebnissen in der Lage. Unterschiede finden sich hier allenfalls in der akustischen Signatur, die keinen dramatischen Unterschied aus macht, weil ein guter Kopfhörer am Ende immer einen neutralen Klang liefern muss. Muss es dieser Kopfhörer sein oder auch nur ein Kopfhörer von AKG, um dieses Ergebnis zu erreichen? Zum Henker, nein! Aber das ändert nichts an meiner Wertung, denn die Audioqualität stimmt! Der Kopfhörer bietet eine breite, aber nicht gedehnte Bühne mit ausreichender Tiefe. Seine Klangcharakteristik ist musikalisch, nicht analytisch, sein Frequenzverlauf wirkt überaus neutral auf mich. All dies hat jedoch zur Folge, dass er gnadenlos Schwächen an den Aufnahmen aufzeigt. Selbst Schwächen am Audioformat sind je nach Musikwahl durchaus zu bemerken. Die Jazz Meisterwerke von Tord Gustavsen sind hierfür ein gutes Beispiel, ebenso die Aufnahmen von Pink Floyd. Dieser Kopfhörer hat mich mehrfach überrascht, gerade, wenn man bedenkt, dass meine Soundkarte mittlerweile ihre 8 Jahre auf dem Buckel hat. €245,- ist ein mehr als fairer Preis für Das, was man hier bekommt. Die Wertung von 5 Sternen ist jedoch vorläufig, weil sich erst noch zeigen muss, wie Robust der Kopfhörer wirklich ist.
Reviewer: lioz123
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I wanted a fun cheaper end headphone to add to my collection. I see a lot of discussion about the EU or china made ones but thankfully my set are made in the EU.Currently also own the Audeze LCD X & Sennheiser HD 700 and running the Zen Stack for dac/amplificationBuild: They feel like a cheap toy to be honest however for the price I cant fault it too much, the pads are very comfortable and my ears fit nicely without any touching into the pads. The strap on the top does touch the top of my head and was a little annoying at first however I have gotten used to it and overall I am pleased with how they sit on my head.Sound: They are a very well rounded headphone, everything just fits together very cohesively without even an EQ applied. The soundstage is very impressive and you can hear notes extend very wide, they rival my Sennheiser HD 700 in terms of soundstage. However it isn’t as good when the music is going left to right very quickly but they do the job. The midrange is very pleasant and vocals are very clear, I actually much prefer vocals on these than the HD 700’s. There is just a right amount of bass I feel with these cans, I do have the Xbass button on the Zen Cans so they do help bring up the bass as some have noted its very light however with the Xbass its more than adequate. Some tracks had a very bright highs and I had to turn the volume down however this was only for certain tracks like “More bounce to the ounce”.Overall: Very pleased with the sound. very enjoyable and fun to listen to especially for the price and gives me a good alternative to listen to. I had the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 pro’s and I remember hating them but the AKG K712’s are a great all round headphone. The biggest knock against them is the build however the sound/comfort are more important in my mind.