AKG K812 Review - This is a Flagship?

Follow me on Twitter to know when I'm uploading, what's coming next, and to just generally get in touch. / metal571

[@antunkatona5674]

Hi! I think what happened with the K812 project was that the „bean counters“ from Harman stepped in and altered the design in the last minute which had a dramatic and inevitably, a catastrophic impact on sound. The K812 uses optimised neodymium magnets and very stiff self-damping materials for the diaphragms so on all accounts, this should have been a stellar headphone. What I think happened was that everyone in the engineering department in Vienna did their job well so the headphone was high impedance and high sensitivity design which is an ideal engineering approach. Near the release date, someone from Harman said „It sounds good. Now make it iPod compatible.“ Of course, sensitivity is ridiculously difficult to achieve. So they decreased the impedance instead. I've had investors come in the last day and demand a change in design, something that's small in their view. But surely, nothing in engineering is ever simple and this meant doing everything all over again. Of course, if a headphone sounds terrible, no one dies from it. But if a bridge fails, lives might be lost. The point is, ad-hoc solutions never work. Never. In the case of K812, you have the same diaphragm weight and diameter controlled by a the same powerful magnet assembly and the critical component, the voice-coil itself, is now not even applicable to this design. One wonders how much is enough for the megalomaniacs over at Harman. The AKG brands stands for engineering and integrity. Even their „triple cardioid“ logo signifies one of their most significant accomplishments. Cheers!

[@metal571]

This is a really interesting analysis of the situation, and probably extremely likely. Pinned.

[@antunkatona5674]

Yes, unfortunately, engineers of various disciplines are always under pressure with ridiculous demands which stretches their expertise to the limits and sometimes to the point of nervous breakdown. I love the K702 but the build isn't as good as on the older K240 Monitor/DF models I had.

[@wernerspitzenberger6916]

thanks for this extremely honest review. hats off to you@@metal571

[@metal571]

Thanks. After all, Tyll was right about this headphone and my findings were indeed the same as his. Luckily although AKG no longer has its original famous Vienna engineering team, the Harman research is being poured into their new products. It seems like build quality and QC is an afterthought, but the sound quality is now back, with a modern FR target.

[@Unbrutal_Rawr]

This analysis brought to you by denial of reality and Dunning-Kruger.

[@f64photo]

There's nothing more refreshing than an honest opinion ! Your reviews are the most grounded, thoroughly explained and conspicuously free of any profit led agenda . . . hats off to you sir ! I bought the B&O H6's after hearing your comments in the Q&A - I think they sound excellent, thank you !

[@metal571]

Yeah I love the H6. They measure somewhat poorly but man are they fun to listen to. If you're interested Tyll meaured my pair here: www.innerfidelity.com/images/BangOlufsenH62ndGen.pdf

[@daveharkin4731]

thank you for your honesty, it's hard to find a reviewer today that doesn't give a biased opinion. I think you have saved a lot of people a lot of money.thank you

[@metal571]

Intro 0:00 Build 0:34 Comfort 1:47 Sound 3:41 Bass 3:59 Midrange 5:23 Treble 6:32 Soundstage 8:07 Isolation 9:18 Genre Pairing 9:32 Amp Needs 10:08 Conclusion 10:40 Correction: K271, not K701 at 3:05. Not even including an EQ profile here as this isn't something that can be fixed with EQ. This is just another example of why brand loyalty is ridiculous, because AKG has some great cans out there, but not this one.

[@yjliu23]

no wonder most all other 812 reviews are unboxing.

[@Name-gx5lh]

metal571 c

[@stanisawszczypua9076]

Hi Metal571 any chance you could review Status Audio OB-1/Somic V2? There is literally no reviews done by anybody that know anything about headphones. Zeos made a mistake and reviewed older version of Somic that are basically same headphones. But version he reviewed was an older model that have different drivers and pads then later Somic V2 that are identical to Status Audio OB-1. Innerfidelity made measurements but I could find written review: www.innerfidelity.com/images/StatusSMOB1.pdf Status Audio OB-1 are now on amazon under 50 Euro so if they are as good as measurements suggest then they should be one of best headphones under 100$/Euro.

[@xXCrazyxNoobxX]

Stanisław Szczypuła had these, they're super grainy in the mids. Don't recommend them.

[@metal571]

I bought a CB-1 recently, using some of my ad revenue from YT. will get OB-1 later and do that one as well.

[@keithc187]

Your reviews are very useful. Keep it up.

[@bernhardtorsch8020]

Yeah, it IS a Flagship. And also yeah, it IS as good as the HD800S or the Focal Clear or any other flagship. I am into high end audio for over 25 years now and I trust my ears. The AKG K812 are absolutely among the best headphonesx you can buy, and for the current price (800 Euro in Europe) maybe amond the thee beste cans in the world. To my ears, they play two or three leagues above the Beyer T1.2 and there is are "better" dynamic cans out there - only different ones. The Sapce on the AKGs is just incredible, but still manages to keep the music together better than the AKG 712 or, for that matter, the Sennheiser HD800. The K812 are the most reveiling and detailled Cans I know that still manage to make the audio sound limke audio and not like some autopshy of dead music.

[@simonwe]

I bought a pair of AKG K812 despite seeing this video before I bought them, and I'm happy that I did. Very good headphones in my opinion, very musical.

[@goodfodder]

Question is, what were you pairing them with?

[@shookstylez]

I don't agree with your opinion but respect it. I have used the K812 for a long time now, and been mixing albums professionally with them. Great detail, open sound, very good stereo image. I am looking forward to your review of the K872 love to see your opinion about that one!

[@marianoruiz9039]

Are yours Slovakian? They might have corrected the issues over the course of time 🤔

[@diegorivera985]

Are they worth it for 770 euro?

[@ubacow7109]

My only issue with the K712 is that its not really so much a studio headphone that I wanted it to be when i jumped from the k701. I really liked the K701 sound, it was much lighter, airier and while less detailed was more neutral for the purpose that it was meant to be used for which was studio monitoring.

[@NonPremiumID]

AKG AKG K872, Metal571, is the 872 AKGs best? (Sonically, deep bass, articulate mid range, airy, silky highs)?

[@Mr2pint]

Good review I listened to these and immediately opted for the T1's - which I know you also dislike but great for my listening pleasure.

[@johnbradshaw3205]

An excellent review, I really wanted to love these as I think AKG nailed the industrial design. I think that they do some things very well but overall they were very disappointing. Even at the new price point (here they now sell for £650) they are still dreadfully overpriced for the SQ on offer. Especially when the excellent K712 sells for about £180. When you can spend a lot less on the K712 or models like the Dt1990, HD650 and ATH R70x or spend a similar amount to buy the LCD2C I am really struggling to see why you would buy the K812 even at the new price point.

[@sasanikic9585]

Hey Metal571! Which would be your pick for classical and acoustic music? Open back headphones, for 300 dollars max?

[@metal571]

DT880 600 ohm, but you will need a beefy amp. Those are electrostat-quick in the highs and are bright tilted for maximum detail from acoustic and classical music.

[@BigChungusthe3rd]

@@metal571 wait i just stumbled upon your channel. Love it and subscribed, could I get a question in too please? 😄 best headphones for classical music for under $3000? Everyone says good resolution (not necessarily bright tilt) and lean bass, large soundstage is good for classical music which I mostly agree but I think bass impact (cellos/double bass) and extension down low for large percussions/organs is actually so so important for classical as long as it is super clean and must not bleed into other frequencies

[@andreasbehrens1528]

i am using this thing since years. And it looks like new. It is in use every day. I never saw more quality like this before. And i had them all here in my office.

[@konna200]

I got a deal with that thing the price is 500€ new???? is that price good for comparision examble dt 1990? it is also 500€ i dont like sennheiser so much i have 660s

[@stephenchandler201]

Thank you for your great reviews. Would you recommend going from the AKG 550 mk2 to the AKG k712pro? Thank in advance.

[@therealchickentender]

712.

[@mrfr3d33x]

712 with EQ

[@kaybhee6]

we look for no bass,,, any suggestions pls

[@saptezsapte77]

Tested with some preamps. The k812 emphasises brutally the lack of precision in preamps. Tested with RME UFX 2 - decent but K701 sounded better in this setup. Tested with Focusrite Red4Pre, same thing. Tested with Audient id14, unlistenable, foggy and harsh, sounded exactly like a faulty or cheap chinese headphone. With lesser preamps sounds so cheap that You wonder if it is a fake headphone. Tested with Audio Technica AT PHA-100 - precision at it's best. Not musical, but out of this world professional precision and tightnes. Fog gone, harshness gone, etc. One shot mix and master done, translation just perfect. Perhaps with a RME ADI 2 Pro or Dac they would exhibit the same precision.

[@wii166]

So happy i bought the 712 Pro's love them to death

[@JioFreedOfOphan]

Perhaps this wasn't a headphone built solidly from the ground up or at least had a decade's worth of R&D for a near perfect result. This video reminded me of the ear cups for the HD 800 and how their design, materials used and the fact that the drivers pointed at your ear, is fantastic. At the time of its debut in 2009 with other competing cans it was truly something else, which is what a flagship should always be.

[@metal571]

+JioFreedOfOphan yeah this was a rush job by comparison

[@vinhcomputer]

I think that the development of headphones is going to the limit and thousand-buck headphones are just ones that were put lots of effort in splitting-hair tuning, hence the astonishing diminishing return in both development and price. In my opinion, thousand-buck headphones should be the ones that push the limit really far by relying on innovative technologies and designs. New technologies (in a sense that is not available for the mass) are there - planar and electrostatic - to help solving the tonality, bass extension, detail, distortion and some other problems. However, the design of headphones didn't change for too many decades and it is the design of two small drivers whispering to each ear from near distance independently without some way to "communicate" with each other that makes headphone be a completely unnatural way of listening to sound compared to speaker (which mixing and mastering aim for), in particular the soundstage and imaging problems. As long as manufactures keep using that old design, headphones will still have their inherent problems compared to speakers. I wonder what would it sound like to use a pipe connecting the earcups through the headband for sound to leak to each other to create a natural crossfeed; would it has better imaging/feel more natural this way?

[@msd5808]

Vinh Nguyen Toan I’m not sure if this is similar to what you meant in your old comment, but the Bose SoundWear describes here mentions routing the bass through a tube around the device to the other side: www.innerfidelity.com/content/bose-soundwear-companion-speaker-acoustics-and-dsp These are not headphones though but I agree with you about diminishing returns and the $1,000 price ceiling being something that should be reserved for truly groundbreaking stuff.

[@perttusaksa7312]

Hi, I like your reviews because they are honest. What's your opinion about closed back headphones for office use? Mostly listening to metal, could be around 200-500$. I was considering PM3 or B&W P7, perhaps AKG K550?

[@metal571]

+Pege K553 or the K550 mk2 whichever is available in your country. That's my go-to, or for a more fun sound rather than flat the B&O H6 2nd gen is awesome

[@jim8643]

I usually have similar preferences regardig headphones. I love the LCD but K812 is also great. What I noticed is that it can sound muffled, especially in the bass& treble if not given proper amplification. But when paired properly, they sound extremely clean. They beat the K712 in all areas. For 750€ I think its a good deal. I think this is the first time I don't agree with your review.

[@samuellee4951]

Honestly these get the most head time between the hd800s , t1.2 and lcd2c and my other 40+ headphones... but mostly listen to classical and jazz.. I’ve noticed the hd800s have wider soundstage but these have a better 3d soundstage and more bass. Mainly run them off my schiit jot/Valhalla II stack but I’ve run them off other amps as well

[@ShotOnPoint]

I WOULD LIKE TO BUY HESDPHONES TO MIX AND MASTERING I CANT USE MY MONITORS WICH YOU THINK ARE THE BEST FOR READING SOUND PLEASE HELP

[@itszaidihamid]

Sold my k712 and hd600 but kept the K612. Sounds like a healthy mix of the two. Its the dt880 of the AKG lineup, hard to hate it. Super cheap too. Definitely a better deal than the SHP9500 if u can power it right. Do the 612 next!

[@metal571]

+Zaidi Hamid someone should send me it then ;)

[@itszaidihamid]

metal571 this is the 2nd time ive recommended the k612 in your comment section haha too bad i live in Europe! (where AKGs are super cheap). Someone pleeeeaaase send him one!

[@reneeschke]

Hey, what's that in front of your Mic? Can you tell the product name? Thanks!

[@MrGreenAKAguci00]

Pop filter

[@Borednlonely]

meal571 whats your current favourite headphone for value and whats your favourite high end?

[@metal571]

+K K553 and SR009 at the moment

[@DeeneMuada]

can you make a comparison between the k712 and the t50rp mk3? much love

[@metal571]

Unfortunately haven't heard the stock T50RPMK3 for long enough to make that comparison

[@wccrispy]

Hey man, are there any other offerings from Koss that you've tried or would consider reviewing?

[@metal571]

+Wayland C lol well there's just the KSC75 and PortaPro I don't know about any others

[@wccrispy]

My notifications were off so I never saw your reply. I have the KSC75 at work, I bought the SportaPro for my dad, and at home I use the UR40.

[@bogdantirea6085]

I listen at home METAL MUSIC with a k712pro thru a Burson Conductor v2+. I listened too the k812pro in a music shop thru a professional headphone amplifier. Unfortunately k812pro deforms the highs so they are noisy. Sorry for AKG and i am very pleased with my k712pro (i mean K712 over K812). TY FOR YOUR WORK. PS: What you should recommend over this k712pro (no bother for price and no Sennheiser - by me) ? TY.

[@metal571]

Sundara

[@divinecurrent9053]

I definitely dodged a bullet here, was considering buying them but you stopped me lol. I did try the K712 with EQ recently, but I wasn’t getting a good seal for whatever reason with my head shape, so I prefer the 58X. But I have been looking for a comfortable all around headphone for longer listening sessions with still excellent technical performance. Would you take the DT1990 over this? I assume so. Only thing I’m worried about is the 9 kHz peak but I use EQ regularly so probably not an issue.

[@metal571]

I would certainly not go with the 1990. Not worth the huge treble peak. In this price range there's a clear winner - Sundara. Of course, that's sound wise , not reliability wise

[@divinecurrent9053]

@@metal571 Ah ok, yeah my main complaint about the Sundara is the comfort. Sound is great but the headband is just so cheap and doesn't fit my head well. Maybe I'll try bending the top to make it looser.

[@therealchickentender]

While I don't deny that what you heard is what you heard and is entirely valid, my experience watching many "audiophile" reviews of reference cans is always the same: the reviewers equate the revealing ability of the phones with a poor sound signature because they, simply, don't care for what they're hearing or how they're hearing it. This is *why* you mentioned that you can "tolerate" these for classical and jazz. This is why so many others have touted the K712s as perfect for gaming but not for music. The ability of these headphones are being misinterpreted by people that listen to music for enjoyment as opposed to profession. The point of these types of cans is to *expose* the music (or rather the problems within it); it is *not* to soothe and pleasantly deliver it. Edit: The point being, I would put a large amount of money on this outcome: if you took an amateur recording engineer and asked them to master the same track twice, blind, using a pair of K812s and a pair HD800s, the final track created using the AKGs would be far more listenable on a far greater range of audio equipment setups.

[@metal571]

The difference that's very obvious with these is that the HD 800 is very bright and good at revealing recording flaws because it actually has resolution, not just a treble peak. K812 is also very bright but has tons of glare and haze all over the treble region, totally different texture to the sound beyond just comparing FR graphs, where the two bare more than a passing resemblance to each other. I confirmed later that K812 was indeed a rush job, and AKG released it far too early in its development cycle. Therefore, not surprising.

[@therealchickentender]

@@metal571 Cheers. Yes, I watched your entire presentation; you mentioned those notes. But re: AKG dev cycle and release, you confirmed that with *whom*?

[@metal571]

@@therealchickentender oratory1990, who works for an ODM in Austria and knows the AKG engineers

[@therealchickentender]

@@metal571 Ahhh. I've seen that name before I believe. But be all that as it may, and irrespective of Tyll's early findings and those similar that you've reiterated here, my wager above stands. : ) I'd be interested to know what specific tracks you could note that made this "haze" and "glare" so evident. At the end of the day, I personally would not use *either* of these cans for casual or "critical" listening. They point out problems, as intended, particularly the AKGs. Both steer the listener toward analytical attention to the music, not emotional attention. I'd much rather have a set that smooths out problems and doesn't amplify them. Day-to-day. That's my larger point about approaching headphones like these from a music appreciation point of view. The AKGs present a more cohesive, musical whole while still popping out the flaws... for production, that's great. For just listening, not so much. That's my 8 cents. Cheers.

[@metal571]

@@therealchickentender all tracks, all music. K812 just sounds broken to me, and it is. But I definitely want to say I am 100 percent with you because if you're an audiophile like I am, then your goal is enjoying the music rather than dissecting it. These German and Austrian classic diffuse field dynamic open backs have no bass and way too much treble for a "modern" target like Harman which is by scientific definition, the average consumer preference, and it's a lot closer to what I prefer. This is why I ended up with an LCD2 and equalized it to my liking

[@saardean4481]

The connector-socket system on the 812 is basically one of the best if not the best and most reliable solution in existence basically (for a 3 pin connection) . However that mid bump, nasal, harsh quality i heard more than one persons mentioning it. Somehow i like it less and less. Nice test

[@nanao.292]

With some profs praising them (in direct contradiction of this review of yours and that other reviewer) and mentioning specific amp combinations, could it be that these are in some way finicky about amplification? What amp setups did you use these with, or did you try various setups, or why don't you include basic information like this in the review?

[@metal571]

Which profs? When oratory1990 clearly states this was a product released before the engineers were finished with it, what I heard those years ago isn't the least bit surprising. They could have done so much better than this, and no amp on earth can save that.

[@nanao.292]

@@metal571 Some of them directly here below this review, with one also inquiring what amps did you use these with, ie, hard info (sorry but Im not into the "insider info from some anonymous guy" meme)

[@metal571]

Not a meme, oratory talks directly to the former AKG engineers at Austrian Audio. My opinion stands and is unchanged. If you own and enjoy the product, then enjoy it. I don't

[@davewestner]

I record music for a living. Pair of these headphones were in the studio I was working at today.....put em on, and yeah, comfortable! Nice! Then I hit play on the track i was mixing and I was pretty nonplussed with them. The lows are wimpy and the highs sounded hashy and almost bandwidth limited. They kinda reminded me of the K240s that I used to use. I usually use Beyer DT880s, and the DT880s absolutely smoke these things and they cost me about $1400 less. Crazy to think people would pay asking price for these. Sorry AKG....bit of a bummer

[@Windbringer]

Hi, can you review the close back version of this? AKG K872?

[@metal571]

+Windbringer yeah if someone sends it to me somehow

[@Windbringer]

Do you live near Zeos from Z review? I might send mine from Norway if both of you get to review it. Might also send Blue Lola with it.

[@metal571]

+Windbringer yeah I do actually lol but it'll have to go back through him since I don't do international shipping but I'd be happy to review it if that works for you

[@JBrm]

I just ordered a pair of 872s for testing. So far I like what I hear. But as a disclaimer: I'm not in any way after HiFi headphones, what I want is good monitoring as a studio musician and engineer. I will comment on the sound only, because everything else is basically the same as the 812s (which I never heard, btw). So as for sound: - Bad recordings sound bad. Good recordings sound good. This is what I'm after. - They're tuned a bit on the fat side imho, but the bass is clear and doesn't ring (at least I haven't found a distinct resonance yet). This actually feels nice as a musician, because your instrument gains some "weight". - When mixing you have to take into consideration to mix a littler fatter than usual, which is fine. - I am yet to do some dedicated testing in the higher mid range, where reviewer's measurements show higher THD and a bump in the frequency response, but so far I didn't find the high mids annoying, which is good because i'm usually quite sensitive - Details and instrument separation is really good, reverb tails are easy to tune in - Translation of my first K872 mix onto my Neumann Monitors was quite good Verdict: I'm probably gonna keep them. Recommended for: studio musicians and producers, but maybe look for a used pair, 1k € is quite a price tag if you compare them to what you get in the 500€ range. Not recommended for: HiFi listeners Mixing works on them, but in general you might wanna use open back cans for this, if your environment allows for it.

[@shookstylez]

@@JBrm thank you, what do you think about the sound isolation? Do you hear much outside noise when using them?

[@CT37BN]

Quite sad to hear the disintegration of these headphones.. the marketing people at Harman need to update the price to around $200+ only.

[@charliebrown3082]

Would there be any reason to get k7xx if you own hd6xx? Is hd6xx a flat out better listening experience?

[@metal571]

+charlie brown better is too subjective. But I'd take the 6XX over it

[@charliebrown3082]

metal571 thanks for your response, I am torn

[@ThujanK]

The single sided wire and comfort would be a reason why I would use the K7xx for gaming and the hd 6xx for music. The k7xx are like clouds on my head.

[@charliebrown3082]

Thujan Krishnakumar it's good to know the k7xxs are comfortable, my gaming days are over, just music. Thanks for the response

[@phillipnunya6793]

I hope they do a major revision of these things at some point.

[@metal571]

I've been looking forward to the true K701 series successor for a long time. Now that AKG is full on Harman target it will be very interesting to see how they design new open backs

[@clownworldresidentii5184]

Sounds like something happened similar to some of the Tesla headphones from Beyer. They sacrificed skiing quality to lower the impedance

[@metal571]

The strange thing is the T1 has the "Tesla" driver too and is at 600 ohms, and modern Tesla cans like the DT1990 are 250 ohm and still sound really hazy

[@6doublefive3two1]

Attention KZbin "Audio Professionals", acoustic traps are supposed to be placed at the same height of the singer/speaker and mic. Also, pop filters are for singing (vocal projection). If you're worried about spitting on the capsule use a foam sock.

[@metal571]

+6doublefive3two1 not an audio professional. I don't even have studio monitor speakers yet. Pop filter not about spitting it's about reducing plosives, still experimenting with different ones so far

[@6doublefive3two1]

Correct, maybe that's why the local news reporters don't have them on their mic (they use a sock) even while interviewing people outdoors (wind gusts, cars driving by, ect.). You could use a shotgun with a wind fur if you really wanted to look the part. Then again you're indoors so probably not a good idea. FYI: Reference AKGs are designed to EXPOSE flaws not ameliorate them. They've had thad that reputation for 40 years.

[@metal571]

+6doublefive3two1 I just think it makes a lot more sense to expose flaws through high transient response performance instead of peaks in the frequency response, but then again I know enough about studios to know that no audio engineer is going to use headphones as a primary reference, as that's what speakers are for. At least, headphones are only one of many sources on which to check the final piece. Hah a shotgun mic with a huge wind fur would look pretty comical though.

[@6doublefive3two1]

I know it makes a lot more sense to expose flaws through channel and track isolation in combination with phase inversion. Gab a rough cut, play it in your car, then your living room then your brothers living room....

[@tc59932]

Old comment but thought I'd educate; Pop filters are FAR* more effective at reducing plosives, and metal is perfectly right using one instead of a wind screen. Reporters and most other people on TV use wind screens because pop filters are too cumbersome to travel or move around with. The handheld microphones also don't need a pop filter by design, but studio grade condensers like this NT1 requires one.

[@annders8264]

Wow, they cost 1500$ overseas? You can get them for about 800€ in europe.

[@metal571]

+aNnders still running around 1100 USD here new which is a ripoff.

[@stanstaniboy7655]

In Amazon Spain, I saw them for 350€ lol

[@rap4live39]

@@stanstaniboy7655 Must be a Fake 😅

[@SmokeyStoner]

£730 in the UK, just under $1000.

[@cameronwheeler3219]

I have them.. they are not comfortable to wear but I love the detail and clarity. It’s like the Sony c800g of headphones as far as brightness

[@Richbroth]

so k712 > 812?

[@supralevamentum223]

Adam Peters if you individually calibrate a 712 it will put it in league with the best for flatness and bass extension for super cheap price overall

[@simonwe]

I have a pair of AKG K812 and I think they are fantastic. I'm happy I bought them despite seeing this video.

[@ashvagosha]

No way.

[@shookstylez]

@@simonwe me too. Interested what he thinks about the AKG K-872

[@metal571]

Measurements of the 872 don't look promising. It's been confirmed from multiple sources now such as oratory1990 that the 812 was released before it was finished due to a management decision. Afaik the 872 uses the same driver but there are almost 0 units of it out there for me to even try to get ahold of one

[@johnbradshaw3205]

I love the industrial design of the K812 and as a result really wanted to love the sound. However, it would be a decent $200 but not brilliant headphone, even at the much lower prices these can now be found for they are just hideously over priced if judging them on sound quality. This wasn't the first time AKG released a hideously over priced statement that was sonically mediocre, quite how so many reviewers gave glowing reviews to the K3003 IEM as I thought they were rubbish.

[@adeelzero1445]

This is sad. I wanted the k812 to be good. They look so sexy but i guess it's also good enough to know that they aren't even worth $1500.. I just REALLY REALLY hope that the K872 closed version has fixed the problems that the K812 had even though they are different cans.

[@metal571]

+AdeelZero unfortunately I haven't heard good things about the 872 either but I won't know for sure until I can get my hands on them which will be very difficult

[@adeelzero1445]

I guess it's safe to say that K712 is the ''best'' AKG to get after my K7XX breaks. Aside from the amazing sound(Imaging is the best i've heard so far), They are poorly built even at $199

[@ZX2495]

Ever heard the K612? It looks kind of like a 712 with a more normal midrange peak. It almost looks like an AKG take on the HD600 signature.

[@metal571]

+ZX2495 haven't heard it but I know about it.

[@Lambda_Ovine]

you talked out of buying these lol i'm glad, they cost a lot

[@alexmmbboz]

any AMP recommend?

[@metal571]

Not for this headphone. It isn't savable with an amp

[@SoundWaveTrax]

I found a K872 that's cheaper than the retail price (but still pricey at $850) and I'm kinda tempted to get it to see if it's different compared to the K812. It utilizes the same drivers based on specs alone but perhaps tuned a bit better. Some guys on Head-Fi think that this headphone is better than the HD800 or close to it. Why the fuck would harsh highs be considered neutral? Kinda hard to argue with some people.

[@metal571]

From other people who have heard it, it's apparently awful. AKG hasn't released a real attempt at a high end open back since the 712 in my experience

[@SoundWaveTrax]

Yeah, the K712 is fantastic (other than the somewhat colored sound). I own it and the K550 so I'm pretty much on the high end of AKG stuff. Maybe I should look at some used HD800 though I'm not sure how well I could get along with a bright headphone. However, my ears seem to prefer the brighter treble of the K712 for instance, so maybe it's not so bad for me.

[@metal571]

If you can handle the 712 you'll probably be okay with the HD 800. It has a little more 6k and a little less 9/10k I think.

[@SoundWaveTrax]

I noticed I kinda stayed away from heavy metal on the K712. It does ruin some metal songs quite a bit. EDM sounds great though. I'm really curious about the HD800 sound. I mean the soundstage aspect and the fact that it is probably the most capable\detailed dynamic headphone are huge selling points for me. Haven't really seen any planars that interest me so far (and I hate wood on headphones).

[@stanstaniboy7655]

lol AKG/Harman/Samsung dropped the price to just 349€ in EU. On Amazon Spain these are being sold as new for that price. I think now it's a bargain.

[@metal571]

I'd rather use a 6xx

[@ald7248]

Just another symptom of Harman Kardon's *comprehensive* mis-management of AKG over the past decade or so. At least Samsung will likely put the division out of its misery - whereas H-K simply dealt them one humiliation after another. I was hoping that one of the Chinese OEM's would buy the brand to revitalize it - but it would appear that this won't happen.

[@bunyaadi]

I was looking for feedback on the K872 although this was just as useful for me. As you probably know the K872 are closed back versions of the K812. The whole aim/purpose of these headphones are not enhance music artificially or superficially guise what you hear. The Reference and professional titles should be a clue for whom these are aimed at. From what I know, whether it be factual or not, very little headphones reflect how we hear things in the real world or through speakers in well treated studio rooms. There are some headphone amplifiers which project the sound to the headphones at 30 degrees angle to better emulate how speakers are perceived. The K712 are also an interest to me. At the moment I have using a tried and tested pair of K701s which have certainly have been good however I need more flatter reference headphones due to the lack of useful space for speakers or studio absoprtion foam. I would not buy these and stick them in a Samsung Note 20 or anything. I would be more inclined to use Shure SE IEM earphones or RHE Audio for example. In a way, I suppose this review is a judgement on value for money rather than eargear for your technology. The Sennheisers I have used in the past haven't been very comfortable and felt they had too much clamp force of my head even after careful adjustment.

[@metal571]

We now know that the 812 was a rush job, and its famous review by Tyll of InnerFidelity was spot on. Terrible value, with murderous treble not even close to being neutral whether you define that as Moller Diffuse Field or Harman Over Ear in terms of FR. I never tried the 872, those are even harder to come across than this 812 which I was really lucky to receive on a "tour" of it after a friend bought it second hand. If you want a reasonable accurate approximation of speakers in a room, cut your budget enormously and grab a K371. You can compare all the graphs you like on the Rtings website to see how it measures vs the 712/702, etc. which have prominent features at 2k that go against any definition of neutral

[@bunyaadi]

@@metal571 thanks. I feel I'm just going to by instinct and try to use a correctional eq curve until such times. Whilst musicality is important I think referencing is more why I need them.

[@metal571]

@@bunyaadi K371 is a pretty good Harman FR reference to compare against. I find it mildly shouty around 3.5k and slightly hot at 7k. Obviously you should have something like an LSR305 on hand for a speaker reference if you're actually mixing something rather than headphones, but I'm probably preaching to the choir there, and I'm not a sound engineer myself anyway so listen to your ears first and foremost of course!

[@alo7669]

I have K 712 pro, K 812 pro. I think K 812 pro better more balance, truth more Audeze.

[@thoyo]

I got bit for like 900 on ebay. there are deals if you look

[@roufali3178]

T1 beyer gives more detail and stunning clarity😊😊

[@bernhardtorsch8020]

No they do not

[@sierre00]

And got destroyed by he6se in every way hahaha

[@m.g.i2480]

200-300Hz to me isnt bass anymore. 320Hz is the Highest Note string on the guitar... i really wouldnt consider this to be bass. Its rather midrange. Everything below 200Hz we could argue about^^

[@robsensen2771]

I realy liked your videos but i have to totally disagree. With my Audiolab m-dac and the Meier Audio Corda Jazz the sound is beautiful in every frequency. The HD 800 is a very linear headphone but not a musical one. Too boring with a bad komfort (on my head).. but this is MY opinion.. sound is always subjective. But AKG did a great job. A Headphone is like a wine. Sometimes for brightly recorded Rock music i pfefer a warmer sound, then i use another headphone.

[@hithere4289]

Robsen MR lol but you forgot the fact that k812s are supposed to have a completely linear response because of being "superior reference studio headphones".

[@festeplatte4225]

The greedy Harman management decide to remove the headphone stand on the K872 (same price range)!

[@rubencwiklenski6248]

Try the Stax SR L 700 In my opinion the L 700 is Superior to all of the other stuff

[@metal571]

+Ruben Cwiklenski heard em at Z's and they were very detailed but too bright tilted for me. Will have to try some more Stax at home someday

[@rubencwiklenski6248]

metal571 that would be great. Hmm for me, the HD 800 ist much brighter especially with the Peak in the highs. Nur different heads and the Seal makes a difference

[@ScareDe2]

My actual equalization for the K812: GraphicEQ: 10-15 6; 16-20 3; 21-30 2; 31-40 1; 41-50 1; 60 0; 70 0; 100-149 -1; 150-175 -2; 176-325 -3; 326-450 -2; 451-600 -1; 601-700 0; 800-850 1; 851-1000 2; 1001-2700 3; 2701-2750 2; 2751-2800 1; 2801-3000 0; 3001-3500 -3; 3501-3750 -2; 3751-4100 1; 4101-4200 2; 4201-4300 3; 4301-4500 5; 4501-4600 4; 4601-4700 3; 4701-4800 2; 4801-4900 1; 4901-5000 0; 5001-5100 -1; 5101-5200 -2; 5201-5300 -3; 5301-5400 -4; 5401-5500 -5; 5501-5900 -6; 5901-6100 -7; 6101-6150 -6; 6151-6200 -5; 6201-6250 -4; 6251-6300 -3; 6301-6350 -2; 6351-6400 -1; 6401-6450 0; 6500-6550 0; 6551-6600 1; 6601-6700 1; 6701-6800 2; 6801-6900 1; 6900-7000 1; 7001-7300 0; 7301-7400 -1; 7401-7500 -2; 7501-7600 -2; 7601-7700 -3; 7501-9100 -2; 9101-9200 -3; 9201-9300 -4; 9301-9400 -5; 9401-9500 -6; 9501-9600 -5; 9601-9700 -4; 9701-9800 -3; 9801-12000 2; 12001-12100 -1; 12101-12500 -2; 12501-12600 -3; 12601-13800 -4; 13801-14000 -5; 14001-14100 -4; 14101-14200 -3; 14201-14300 -2; 14301-14400 -1; 14401-14500 2; 14501-14600 3; 14601-14700 4; 14701-14800 5; 14801-14900 6; 14901-15000 5; 15001-15100 4 Copy paste that in the config.txt (EqualizerAPO) Pretty neat! :)

[@RuslanGmusic]

Yes, this is the flagship

[@magrosi65]

R.I.P. AKG...

[@metal571]

Austrian Audio is those original AKG engineers now. They're about to release 2 headphone models soon so keep an eye on that

[@magrosi65]

@@metal571 I'm still waiting for an improved K501, and K701 wasn't...

[@metal571]

Here's to hoping lol. I've always wanted to try one of those

[@bulletone5675]

attention - I had AKG K601 and now Q701. I had constant problems with left headphone. After service fixed it was the same and again it start to do problems.. and now.. its joke - I want to get them on my head, and guess fucking what ? Left just stop playing!! That's whole true about "famous" AKG :)

[@ZKL889]

waiting for HD800S review

[@metal571]

+zhangkai lian it's worse in technicalities especially in the bass and the treble is just slightly reduced. Not much to say about that one.

[@20puskinas1992]

Worse in technicalities? ha ha. no nothing is worse except bass. Dont listen to this dude. HD800S Fixed original HD800 for many people. Mids is more natural and highs is not earpiercing and transparency and soundstage almost identical. Only thing HD800 Has is cleaner and faster bass, while HD800S have deeper slightly stronger one. Only time HD800 is better than S is when it powered by the very high end TUBE AMPS. On SS amps S is better all day every day. He probably have HD800 original and so he is biased...

[@metal571]

The bass has higher harmonic distortion - that's a fact. That's the only region that is reduced in technicalities, if my comment wasn't clear. I just don't see how a couple dB less treble is worth an extra $500, especially when they decreased bass detail. I have also listened to my HD 800 on a Feliks Euforia, fed by a Metrum Amethyst now. It doesn't change its fundamental character - bass has a bit more slam and the 10k brightness that comes with use of the Magni 2U is gone, that's about it. Claiming any amp turns one headphone into a completely different one is hilarious - but there is certainly an overall improvement with many of them. I can see your logic then on the more polite HD800S working better with lower end SS, but I just think it's a waste of money when you can just equalize the original.

[@soulfulfool]

price is really high but instead of being premium they look cheap kind of ugly for me, k712 still would be my choice

[@yifuhood]

Chinese makes the best headphones looking at hifiman

[@josesantiagoortiz5341]

Too bad from AKG.

[@icervoid]

I listened these with Metallica, Iron Maiden, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Slayer. They are unforgiving. So now i still use the K712 PRO NOT RECOMMENDED FOR METAL And judge well because the K712 PRO plays also the details very well but i say the K812 PRO distorts them With a good amp - dac K712 glows ( I use a Burson Conductor V2+ )

[@metal571]

Yeah the 812 is a treble murder grainy mess, 712 much better

[@kuzia1984]

People like you, reviewer, listen to the tool and not the song. “Clear bass” on HD800 means it lacks it, that simple. Had them, they are a huge piece of flop.

[@metal571]

Clear bass has nothing to do with quantity. That refers to speed - reproducing individual notes precisely - and ability to reproduce dynamics - proper transient response - accurately.