AKG K712PRO Open-Back, Over-Ear Premium Reference Class Studio Headphones, Sophisticated Open Technology, Revolutionary Flat Wire Voice Coil, Broad and spacious soundstage, Comfortable Desig
AKG K712PRO – Open Back Headphones
Professional Reference Studio Headphones
The K712 PROs are reference, open, over-ear headphones for precise listening, mixing and mastering.
Unearth all the detail
Revolutionary Technology
Combining revolutionary technology and carefully-selected components, the K712s breathe new life into music with their spacious soundstage, precise sound, and premium comfort.
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Master the sound
Hear things that you’ve never heard before. The AKG K712 PRO Open-Back Headphones are a dream come true for studio-dwellers and audiophiles alike.
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Discover Your Sound
There’s a lot that goes into music. It’s not just a few small sounds thrown together to make a slightly bigger sound and with the K712s you’ll hear every detail.
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Sophisticated open technology
Whether you’re a musician, mixing or mastering engineer, or a lover of high-fidelity sound. The K712s accurately reproduce every nuance with outstanding clarity.
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Maximum Comfort, Minimum Fatigue
You’ll never want to take them off. The AKG K712 PROs envelope you in pure sonic bliss and luxurious comfort.
Comparison
Open-Back | Headphone Type | Open-Back |
| | Detachable Cable | |
62 Ohms | Rated Impedance | 120 Ohms |
235g | Net Weight | 662g |
10 – 39800 Hz | Audio Bandwidth | 12 – 39500 Hz |
Open-Back | Headphone Type | Open-Back |
| | Detachable Cable | |
62 Ohms | Rated Impedance | 62 Ohms |
235g | Net Weight | 232g |
10 – 39800 Hz | Audio Bandwidth | 10 – 39800 Hz |
Open-Back | Headphone Type | Open-Back |
| | Detachable Cable | |
62 Ohms | Rated Impedance | 62 Ohms |
235g | Net Weight | 231g |
10 – 39800 Hz | Audio Bandwidth | 10 – 39800Hz |
- AKG K612 PRO
- AKG K701
- AKG K702
The AKG Legacy
Inspiring Greatness for Decades
For more than 65 years, AKG has helped create the iconic sounds of some of the world’s most well known recording artists, engineers and producers. Our designers and engineers have made it their life’s passion to find new ways to deliver breakthrough experiences for artists of all levels.
| Weight: | 1 kg |
| Size: | 4.76 x 7.83 x 4.45 inches |
| Dimensions: | 11.3 x 19.9 x 21.2 cm; 1 Kilograms |
| Model: | 2458X00140 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Colour: | Black |
| Origin: | Slovakia |
| Size: | 4.76 x 7.83 x 4.45 inches |
One of my favourite headphones.
There are loads of good reviews for these cans. Excellent as far as I am concerned. They handle all music genres with no problems. I hope I have many listening sessions left with these trusty AKG’s ..5*****
Impressive!!
For the price I paid for these headphones I’m REALLY pleased ! They’ve taken some time to run in but now everything’s on song they are INCREDIBLY detailed dynamic headphones that make music so natural sounding and yet you always know how special they are . The ONLY headphones I’ve ever owned that make me reluctant to take them off after over 4 straight hours of listening Fantadtic..
Much of Your Commercial Music Will Be Unlistenable On These
But that’s not what they’re for, right? They’re aimed at people mixing and mastering, so they can get their presentation just right. I suppose they’re inadvertantly be good for video games, maybe even movies, picking out those intricate sounds, widening the soundstage.
But for listening to commercial music… No.
Reason? Commercial music is mastered predominantly for mobile devices. Mobile devices have volume limiting. So, to get around this the engineers compress and jack the sound levels. Everything is mixed bright because most bass headphones or IEM’s are muddy as hell in the mid/upper regions. Problem when you listen through reference headphones is that you hear all that artificial cranking and expanding. It can be ear tearingly awful. A lot of people criticise the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro’s because of how tearing the sound can be. The AKG K702s are even more ear tearing than the 990s, because they have slightly more dominant mid/highs. It’s not an issue with the headphones. Listen to something mastered with a degree of craft – many older masters before this modern destruction of sound – and the music is incredible. It’s like butter gliding over ice. The layering, the crisp vocals, the almost 360 degree soundstage, that pinpoint separation of instruments in the space. It’s all perfectly presented here. At times, I was actually in shock at how music I’d listened to hundreds of times should really sound. Bass is evident. It’s not sub-bass. Leave that to those crazy X-Bass style IEM’s and headphones. This is a more accurate representation of bass. Sometimes, it goes deep. But it only goes deep when it supposed to (not quite as deep as the Beyer DT 990’s, however). If your ears have become accustomed to artificially EQ’d bass, whether it be in IEM’s or other headphones, forget it. You may be tempted to buy these because you’ve read “reference”, “studio”, “precise” and “perfection”. But this probably isn’t what you’re after. The average consumer’s ears have been trained to accept hot mixes. Headphones like these will mercilessly expose this (what’s the point of Hi-Res audio when the tracks have been mastered so badly?).
Bottome line: these are brilliant headphones. Reference, for sure. I still give the nose to my Beyerdynamic DT 990’s because of that little bit extra bass presence (the 702’s are possibly slightly more bass accurate, however). Many people looking to master audio appear to boil their decision down to whether to buy the AKG’s 702s or Beyer DT 990s. If you can, buy both. They’re both similar, being open back, but also have different characteristics. If your mix sounds great on both of these phones, you’ve probably nailed it.
Amazing product for the price
These are just as you expect, really well-made headphones with an amazing soundstage for the price.
I’m not knowledgeable enough to give an in-depth view on how these sound but to me, they are amazing.
also, a nice bonus that the service manual is freely available online with a full parts list with part numbers
perfekt für AudioFreaks
Nachdem ich mal eine Audioanlage mit Lautsprechern um ca. 10.000 hatte und so Klang relativ gut beurteilen kann, hab’ ich Kopfhrer gesucht. Hab’ mir mehrere kommen lassen zwischen 100 und 600. Diese waren mit Abstand die besten und die rumlichsten, jedoch mssen sie im Bassbereich korrigiert werden, also Bsse an der Anlage behutsam anheben, dann sind sie gewaltig – und ehrlich. Also keinen BumBumBassBeat erwarten, das geht mit trendigen Beats besser, aber fr Klassik, Stimmen bzw. um “echte” Instrumente zu hren perfekt.
Best price/quality ratio on the marke
I’m a music producer and I’ve owned these headphones for about 5 years and used them every single day for many hours, and they are still sounding great but of course there’s long term wear/dirt on them now and they look old now so I decided to treat myself to a new pair and I bought the exact same model again, literally the same headphones because I just love them.
At this price it’s a no-brainer in my opinion. Amazingly engineered product, I can’t think of any other brand that would produce such quality at this price range, maybe only Sennheiser.
They are as comfortable as headphones can be and with nearly zero ear fatigue, and the frequency response is very flat which is what you want if you’re mixing/mastering/performing. For listening purposes, there’s a lack of bass compared to other commercial models that tend to boost low frequencies. That might be noticeable if you use them on their own, but they can be used with an amplifier to tackle this.
Stay away from other brands that burn 50% of their budget on marketing and have nothing to show for it, while brands like AKG actually focus on delivering quality, even at the expense of a less stylish or cool looking product.
Excellent cans ... need a good amp
I admit I bought these because they were orange and matched the screen of my Topping DX3 Pro.
I never quite got on with them – OK but not my favourite set.
Then I upgraded to a THX AAA 789 amp with an SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK Dac and these cans have come alive. Now I get what everyone is raving about.
Excellent cans ... need a good amp
I admit I bought these because they were orange and matched the screen of my Topping DX3 Pro.
I never quite got on with them – OK but not my favourite set.
Then I upgraded to a THX AAA 789 amp with an SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK Dac and these cans have come alive. Now I get what everyone is raving about.
k701's good headphones, headband stops them being grea
TLDR: good quality, good-great sound stage depending on what you do, comfy soft ear cups, long cable, a okay at best headband,
the bad: leather headband was a bit stiff and uncomfortable at first, pictures where different to what i got. Is now M.I.C has not made any difference to quality yet so not be taken as bad just soso.
On to the good stuff sound stage is great for games if you have a decent sound card though the jack size is a bit off a sod but the cable is long so doesn’t matter imo. ear cups are nicely padded and have decent auto adjustments to your head. It’s light sturdy and my ears don’t get to warm, it is open back so you know the cons if not best to look up before you buy.
Good performance, but wish I got the closed-back version. Works very well, but open-back design does not work well in noisy areas.
Good performance, but wish I got the closed-back version. Works very well, but open-back design does not work well in noisy areas.
balanced convincing sound quality
a good sound. feels like they’re putting out what comes in, in a largely uncoloured manner.
Raschelt leider bei zu viel Bass
An sich ein guter Kopfhrer nur tritt immer wieder mal ein fortlaufenden Rascheln / Knistern auf, sobald der Bass oder auch die Lautstrke etwas zu hoch wird.
Great sounding but not for everyone
I’ve a LOT of experience with headphones. I’ve over 150 IEMs over time and over 50 headphones. Open backs I’ve had the Senn HD650, HiFiMan he400s, Philips Fidelio 2, Shure, Yamaha, Koss. I’ve had closed backs from Soundmagic, Sony, Meze, Denon, PSB and many more. To start with I really enjoy the K701, but I know a lot of you won’t and for mostly the same reasons as you’ll read everywhere else. The low end (bass) region is rules flat, at times lacking severely.
Build – beautiful, and exceptionally comfy. I’ll end it there lol.
Sound
AMP – These will not play well from a laptop or phone or even a DAP. You will think they’re broken most likely. They will also not sound great from all types of DAC or AMP sets. When I use a FIIO M6 DAC with new Sabre DAC as the source fed into an amp, it’s extremely detailed but lacks punch and is overly thin.
Using a SMSL with AKM high-end AK 4493 DAC fed into a Music Fidelity setup, it adds much needed warmth and power. The Sabre DACs i find are brighter than the warmer AKM equivalents. the MF amp is also quite warm and powerful. this combo allows for a more rounded and thicker sounding experience. It takes nothing from the stunning levels of detail and helps to add weight to the low end.
As everyone says, these are sublimely detailed. They are easily the most detailed headphone I’ve ever heard. More so than the hd650 and he400s. They are slightly brighter, if you come from a warm sounding or smooth headphone or IEM you might find them too thin or bright, but it’s easy to adjust to. Treble is crisp and extended but never sibilant from my exeprience, again the setup i use may hlep there. Mids are big, very open and have great bite and tone. Instruments are very well placed out and accurate. Lots of air. Vocals are a bit thinner for male vocalists, but again when you adjust you appreciate the articulation and realness. Female vocals sound great.
BASS – So these don’t lack bass. You do hear bass notes clearly, they do hit the right depth, but tit is VERY quick decay. Lovely detail and resolution, but it’s in and out in a flash at times. For a lot of music this won’t be a problem. Jazz, orchestra/classical…. even rock and pop it’s fine… but certain songs you’ll be really disappointed. I’ll give you an example. On Thrift Shop by Macklemore, these are horrible. Flat and lifeless and lack any bass definition. Some bass lines are actually non existent. Go to Lorde’s Royals (a great song to hear bass weight and depth) and you’ll be pleasantly surprised you can hear the depth of those originally pulsating bass lines… but it’s thinner than normal. There’s no big energetic punch to it. Under Pressure by Queen and DB, those bass lines are there… but not all of them are as audible as they normally are. BUT the song still sound good as percussion is crisp and totally accurate, vocals are nice and prominent. Go to Andrew L Webber musicals, the orchestra score floats in the background effortlessly. Jazz sounds energetic and upbeat and highly enticing.
These are a wee bit like HiFiMan he400s, they also lack the same bass extension in terms of weight. The difference is they are totally smooth and the k701 more energetic and at times in your face.
Soooo, takes these for what they are… not for every genre, but a great listening experience. Especially if you want to hear microdetail or have that “i never heard that before” moment over and over again. Again, you need the right source to drive them. Anything less and you’ll think there’s something wrong with them. The FIIO M6 I literally had at full volume, my phone couldn’t start to drive them.
Perfec
Great comfort, great sound. Nice stereo image and very pleasant frequency curve. No unwanted bumps or harsh frequency boosts. Enjoying these for casual listening. Very much useful for mixing.
Frequency curve sounds similar to k240 studio, but with great bass and great detail. Just buy. No regrets.
I wanted an alternative to my 6xx to swap between. These are just beautiful in the way they present the music to you. The vocals are not as intimate as they are with the 6xx obviously, but they are very clear. The sense of space that these produce is amazing. Widest soundstage under the hd800s. The treble is not at all harsh like the dt990s. Some of the synth sounds in RAM are on another level with these.
The best headphones I have listened to
I am not really an audiophile, but I enjoy music and right now I listen to a lot of classical and jazz. I bought these because I wanted some good headphones, wired and dedicated to listening to music. And I wanted them to be comfortable.
They sound truly awesome. I will be honest and thought they would not sound appreciably different than any number of pairs of gaming headphones I have around the house (often owned by my children). But they are strikingly different. I lack the audiophile language, but they do not sound like I am listening through headphones, but rather as if the entire room is filled with sound. It is a new listening experience altogether. The instruments sound like they are right there, playing just for me.
They are also so comfortable. They look a bit odd (I admit) but they are designed to be worn for a long time and to be mostly forgotten. The huge but super light ear cushions and the wide adjustable head band almost vanishes. OK, after wearing them for 10 hours I start to notice …
I hope this does not undermine my credibility but I listen to music on my iphone. I chose lossless audio. Does that make a difference? I don’t know … but listening to my iphone with these headphones has changed my life.
Let me start with the cons:
1. The top end can get rather harsh and can become uncomfortable to listen to on long sessions.
2. There is no deep bass.
3. They really are open back – a lot of sound escapes from them and a lot of external sound can get in.
4. They are not that efficient – this means that the output from mobile devices may be quite low in volume. Ideally, use them with a headphone amp.
The pros:
1. They create a wonderfully wide soundstage, which means one can start hearing instruments which can otherwise get lost in the mix.
2. They are very light and I have found wearing them for long sessions no problem.
3. With a bit of EQ adjustment, the top end can be easily tamed to something incredibly sweet.
4. Some EQ adjustment can help with the lack of low end bass, but just pumping up the low end frequencies will ruin the sound. Just accept that these cannot give real low end weight but on the other hand basses sound tight and fast, with the beginning and end of the notes coming through.
Despite their imperfections, when I really want to get lost in a piece of music, or if I am coming to something fresh and want to really analyse it, then these are the headphones I put on.
Amazing
Owned since 27 November 2020. When I first used them, I thought they sounded odd and thin, I thought to myself oh no not another useless pair of headphone. One thing I noticed straight away though was just how damn comfortable they are to wear, like I literally got up and went to walk away cos I forgot I had them on. I stuck with them and after about 2 weeks, a couple of mixes made using them, I suddenly realised these are the best headphones I have ever had. After my beyerdynamic DT 770 started cutting out a little, I thought I take a chance on something new, I did love the beyerdynamic DT 770 but the AKG K702 has blown them out the window for me. I guess headphones are a very personal thing really but these have restored my faith in mixing with headphones, the sound detail and separation is an absolute revelation to me. No looking back for me, on these. I’m sure there is better ones out there but these just work for me and at this price point, can’t go wrong and I would buy again, never really felt that with over headphones Ive had over the years and Ive had my fair share.
Amazing!
The AKG K702 headphones are stunning! They look great and sound amazing. Reference headphones are supposed to create flat, transparent sound and these are like glass! Listening to Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust each instrument are clearly audible and not mushed together. Nick Drake’s Pink Moon album now reveals the dull, unchanged strings on his guitar but his voice sounds crisp and breathy. These match my old Sony amp wonderfully and the volume doesn’t need adjusting unlike every other headphones I’ve ever owned.
Apparently these need a long time to “burn in” but already they sound perfect.
Reference headphones for mixing and mastering
The AKG K702s are a pair of open (arguably semi-open) headphones. They let you hear the music without boosting any specific frequency range. Most headphones boost the bass frequencies as many feel this makes their music sound better, and offer other tweaks to the mid and high frequencies. The K702s don’t add anything so compared with many headphones you might find the bass response disappointing – even though you are actually hearing the music as recorded.
These headphones are really geared towards a studio setting as the flat frequency response is preferred for mixing and mastering. With the studio in mind the headphones come with a 3m cable that allows a lot of movement from whatever you have plugged it into, but which is ridiculously long if plugged into your phone in your pocket. The open back delivers a spacious sound stage but leaks more sound than the more typical closed back headphone so they are only really suitable if you are listening alone in a room.
The sound they provide is pristine, if you take into account what I’ve said above. They are very comfortable and suited to extended listening. However, despite only having 62 ohm impedance they are quiet compared to many headphones. Mine are plugged into a Presonus audio interface which should be able to handle such impedance however even at full volume the level is not loud – loud enough for my purposes but if you want to listen to music at high volume with these you’ll also need a headphone amp.
So they are very good at what they do but probably not a headphone for the general consumer.
Probably perfect for their intended use…
But I didn’t use them as Reference Studio Headphones so they didn’t really work for me, unsurprisingly.
I used them for gaming mainly and music / tv and although the open sound is fantastic and they are light and easy to wear, there were too many compromises for what I was trying to use them for , especially given the high price.
Used for their intended purpose I’m sure they would be superb.