AKG K712 Pro Review: Still Great (8 Years Later)!

The AKG K712 Pro reference headphones were released back in 2013. Does it still hold up in today's increasingly competitive headphone market, with the likes of Hifiman, Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic?
The answer: yes. And they're still made in Europe!
Jump using these timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:16 - Design & Build
4:19 - Sound Signature
5:12 - Bass
6:49 - Mids
8:34 - Treble
9:30 - Other Thoughts

[@ClevrGrl]

Nice review. Thanks for the info!

[@cheekarp2180]

Been using the AKG 712 headphones every day for around 8 hours for more than 7 years now and still love them. Amazing for gaming and movies, I don't really use them for music so can't comment on that.

[@jasonemanuel9070]

Fantastic review!

[@fazzxides8429]

Nice review, thank you

[@LennyCooke636]

Great video. It's honest, detailed, thorough and very tactful.

[@sorcerermax5111]

I just got these 3 hours ago and these have real sub bass depth if u boos the bass, no distortion and every instrument is clearly separated! Timbre is also awesome and feels natural almost like Sennheisers

[@Genoflesh]

Owning the K712 Pro since July '21. As my first set of cans, I truly love how these sound. I run them off my Schiit Magni Heresy and occassionally from my Xduoo XD-05 Basic. They are fairly driveable but scale amazingly to power.

[@winnytp]

You picked a great headphone to start with :)

[@Fhd72]

Do I need amp/dac for it , or i can go with amp only?

[@georgevarghese2613]

hearing the review on a 712... its an amazing headphone...

[@SnowyFinland]

Nice review, man. Many thanks. You've helped me to look seriously at the K712 before deciding between the K702 and K712.

[@winnytp]

Thanks man, appreciate it! Let me know which way you decide to go. 👊

[@Fhd72]

Do I need amp/dac for it , or i can go with amp only?

[@winnytp]

@@Fhd72 I’d say an amp would be enough. You can even just use the Apple USB-C dongle, it’s pretty decent for like $15.

[@cibaochua6355]

1 second in and I know it’s gonna be amazing :)

[@MrJG14M]

Thank you for this review! I'm eyeing them for many many years and realized it's been 8 since their release too! This video was just what I needed to finalize my decision.

[@winnytp]

That's awesome man! Glad the review was helpful. Hope you enjoy them!

[@_chiaki_nanami_]

I highly recommend the Yaxi Pads + the removal of driver dampeners. They are more comfortable and sound more amazing than stock format

[@martinvegas1327]

I just picked a pair of these up new for £125 from Amazon in the UK!

[@Mbk0x]

Hey man, loved your review. I am still uncertain if I should buy them. You describe the bass of the head cans to be good but falling off at around 40 to 50 Hz. I am looking for head cans that are mostly like the AKG 712pro but a bit more weighted on the bass side. Is there any other recommendation? I love punchy bass but ofc i am looking for a balanced but warm sounding head can Thanks man

[@death-by-ego]

Had mine since it was released too. And like most quality headphones, you get what you pay for and they last. The only thing I'd suggest to people is ordering replacement ear pads from them (requires emailing their support) after a while. You can wash them but it nice to replace them after a few years regardless.

[@winnytp]

How's your headband elastic fairing? The K7xx series supposedly becomes looser over time as the headband elastics stretch.

[@mmorales508]

Best way to power them is with a high quality Class A amp or a nice well made tube amp, they sound incredible on a tube!

[@Fragil1ty]

Going to pick a pair of these up myself this week, I've heard a lot of rumors though that they moved away from Slovakia production and to China due to rising costs and such, do you know if that's the case? I just don't want QC to be an issue.

[@winnytp]

Hey Daniel! The K712 Pro I got (in 2020) was still made in Slovakia. Not sure about current models. I also had a K702 made in China. Both felt the same to me, didn’t notice any differences in build or anything. I think you’ll be fine whether you get ones from Slovakia or China, quality is pretty much the same!

[@Fragil1ty]

@@winnytp Oh lovely, that's great, thanks for the reply Winston! Was a bit nervous but I think I'll bite the bullet and see what they're like. Thanks again. :)

[@MrTuxy]

I have a set for a few years and love them but €115 for a set of new ear pads :( (mine need replacing soon) I got them in europe which has a lower price than in North America so a replacment set of pads cost half the price I paid for the headphones.

[@winnytp]

Ah no, sucks that replacements are so expensive :( might be worth trying Yaxi pads from Japan, they might be cheaper than stock pads.

[@MrTuxy]

@@winnytp I picked up a cheap pair of Yaxi pads on ebay. They are more shallow than the stock pads and my ear touches the driver. I love the stock sound and buying genuine AKG pads is prorobably the only way to ensure I keep that. For someone interested in changing the sound then non AKG pads might be a good option while also being cheaper.

[@GeraltOfRivia69]

I ordered these with ifi zen DAC v1, how's the combo?, right now I have HD 599, which I run directly from my pc, will the upgrade be that good or barely noticeable?.

[@winnytp]

Personally, I don't believe DAC/amp combo makes a big difference to sound. I find most reviewers who claim to hear 'differences' are having a placebo effect. Your ears will be the best judge though. I haven't heard the iFi Zen DAC. There will be a big difference between HD 599 and K712 Pro though. I had the HD 598 a few years ago, it was ok but the AKG is much more refined, detailed and with a larger soundstage.

[@GeraltOfRivia69]

@@winnytp Can you please help me with this one? I have 3 options for amp/dac right now. Ifi Zen Dac V1 + Drop O2 stack. 2nd option is Fiio f5 pro, 3rd option is Ifi Zen Air Dac. 3rd option is Little cheaper, but 1st two are at same price

[@winnytp]

@@GeraltOfRivia69 Go with the cheaper one and save some money. As long as it has enough power and low distortion, it will be fine.

[@GeraltOfRivia69]

@@winnytp thanks

[@GeraltOfRivia69]

@@winnytp After getting the DAC/AMP combo and then exchanging that with Aune t1s, I 100% agree that DAC doesn't make any difference apart from the noise floor. If you got a good motherboard, you won't have that issue, but an amplifier is very necessary(for volume)

[@bethanyzhang5534]

👀

[@Fhd72]

Do I need amp/dac for it , or i can go with amp only?

[@reylin.x]

I'd recommend the Fiio k5 Pro to drive them.

[@anxietydisorders5917]

yes they need power

[@mariocomeq1961]

What about using it with the computer or the cel phone?

[@BigFatBunions]

don't

[@doglus123]

If you don't have enough power, this headphone will make a can squishing sound. You definitely need an amp. Normal sound does not come out when connected directly to Phone or PC.

[@-iIIiiiiiIiiiiIIIiiIi-]

Bro are you for real?! "Volume / Normalized 100% / 100% (content loudness -16.6dB)"

[@soulfulfool]

hes not real it is AI generated review

[@pajda102]

Is soundstage and bass better than 990s and what about imaging and separation? Have you own AKG 702. Some say its better than 712pro.

[@pedecia]

I heard all of the AKG hadphones here in Japan and in my opinion the 712 pro are the best of them all hands down.

[@andyhsong]

I personally liked the dt880's more than the 990s, I think they sounded more neutral. the newer and more expensive dt1990 beats them all though. i like the k712 next as I think it still has better soundstage and comfort imo.

[@martinvegas1327]

@@andyhsong990's sound better than the 880's. Not as harsh in the treble!

[@MrEmotional33]

I changed from K702 to K712 pro because the treble of K712 is much more accurate and natural and not as harsh and piercing as K702. Overall the K712 are better suited for any musical style and their soundstage is similar immersive as K702..Imaging is about the same..

[@richardjones9194]

needs better clearer sound your volumes not good when your speaking

[@Benyo8990]

Are they good to play games ??

[@winnytp]

Yeah. They have a big soundstage and it's quite accurate too. I'm not much of a gamer though, so don't take my word for it.

[@adukeken861]

@@winnytp I own these and the dt1990s and they are fantastic for fps gaming, you will hear clearly and accurately, with one caveat, these things need a decent dac/amp to drive them just like the dt 1990 they both sound phenomenal with my zen stack, but I prefer the k712s for gaming specifically in shooter games

[@Benyo8990]

@@adukeken861 I ordered the schiit magni heresy and modi 3e stack I hope I’ve made a good investment. 😅

[@adukeken861]

@@Benyo8990 you definitely have, the width of the sound stage (once the AKGs are properly powered), will blow your mind.

[@ronaldpacher4167]

No. Open air design will annoy others having to listen you playing your game. These are serious music headphones and designed for critical listening rather than the boosted lows that add to the effects when playing games. Get some beats, the heavy boosted bass will be better suited to gaming.