AKG K702 Open-Back Over-Ear Premium Studio Headphones, Reference Grade Sound, Airy and Spacious Soundstage, Precision Crafted
AKG K702 – Open Back Headphones
Clear sound in the studio and beyond
The K702’s are reference, open, over-ear studio headphones for precision listening, mixing and mastering. They combine an extremely accurate response with agility and spaciousness, a high-performance cable completing these pro level reference headphones.
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AKG Varimotion membrane
Varimotion from AKG is a unique technology that allows AKG to precisely tune the capsule for the highest level of performance to provide powerful, accurate, clear and feedback-free sound.
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AKG flat-wire voice coil technology
AKG’s flat-wire voice coil technology is what gives the K702 reference headphones the transient response that delivers amazingly accurate and spacious sound.
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Phenomenal Comfort for Complete Immersion
Unique 3D-Form ear pads and an ergonomic padded genuine-leather headband ensure that you remain pain-free and comfortable, even during the longest of sessions.
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Professional Build Quality – Long live the music
All AKG K702s are individually checked and serial-numbered before being sent out. This gives you the peace of mind that ever unit has met AKG’s strict quality standards.
Comparison
Open-Back | Headphone Type | Open-Back |
| | Detachable Cable | |
62 Ohms | Rated Impedance | 120 Ohms |
231g | 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 |
231g | Net Weight | 235g |
10 – 39800 Hz | Audio Bandwidth | 10 – 39800 Hz |
Open-Back | Headphone Type | Open-Back |
| | Detachable Cable | |
62 Ohms | Rated Impedance | 62 Ohms |
231g | Net Weight | 235g |
10 – 39800 Hz | Audio Bandwidth | 10 – 39800 Hz |
- AKG 612 PRO
- AKG K701
- AKG K712 PRO
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: | 231 g |
| Size: | K702 |
| Dimensions: | 11.3 x 19.9 x 21.2 cm; 231.33 Grams |
| Model: | K702 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Colour: | Black |
| Size: | K702 |
My AKG K702’s are first class reference studio headphones which you will be hard put to turn away from. They also arrived next day delivery. I was very impressed.
And for pure joy I recommend buying the FiiO E10K USB DAC to use with these headphones. Because this really has to be mandatory to be able to enjoy this incredibly high quality headset because it made the sound much, much better! And listening is truly believing. Also, more cleaner than on my computer and the FiiO’s little button to boost the bass a bit is just perfect in combination with this headset that the DAC will greatly enhance the headphone’s bass and increase your music enjoyment 10-fold.
My AKG K702’s are 62 Ohms which means they drive very easily, and the FiiO DAC also has a handy volume control knob, bass increase and gain so we can be among great music tracks all night, and all because the AKG’s headband feels very comfortable on one’s head.
These AKG 702 headphones are outstanding good value! They are comfortable, their velvety ear muffs are easy to clean, and the headphones being ‘open backed’ will allow me to hear the doorbell or someone talking to me.
AKG make higher quality, more expensive headphones for sure, but mine seemed to have been reduced in price, thus making even a far better bargain. Their sound range is 10-39800 Hz, weight 235g so not heavy and honestly I think these would make a super present to oneself. 5 Stars!
One very happy piglet.
These are very comfortable and sound amazing you can put your own equaliser on to which suits you and there very good, if your unsure whether to buy these then buy them there amazing! If your looking for bass then use an equaliser on these and your well away 🙂
These headphones are so good – sound quality is excellent, and they are supremely comfortable to wear. As the headphones are quite big, one would think they are heavy on the head, but they feel amazingly lightweight. The cord is quite long, so you can move around easily as well. I have quite a big head and big ears, but these fit fine and cover my ears almost completely.
I wouldn’t use these for commuting, as they do leak quite a bit of sound. Also, might not be best for bass-heavy music. I’ve used these for gaming as well, and have been satisfied. I’ve seen many pictures where headphones have a “Made in Austria” marking, mine do not have that, so I assume these are NOT Austrian-made.
The best thing I can do is compare them to chocolate and my other over/on ears.
Coming from ATH M40x and Grado SR60’s then I can tell you I am very disappointed with the sound.
If I say:
The Grados are like a rich sticky toffee pudding, nice bass (I’m not a bass head), nice treble and nice mids. If they were built better, I’d get some SR225’s no question.
M40x are awesome, clear and what I thought were neutral. More like a Galaxy bar in my chocolate analogy.
The K702 are more like a chocolate wafer, and one that missed the chocolate coating machine. If these are reference, then my M40x are a pair of Beats. Nice wide open audio, very clear – but bass and vocals seem wafer thin to me.
Build quality is awesome, and they fit nicely over my massive ears. Just a shame the can’t be a bit thicker, and have a slim layer of chocolate coating.
I returned them, and now I have no idea what over ear open backs to go with.
Very sensitive great for my mix on DAW ,listened to a 3yr old track i thought was finished put the AKG K712PRO on, well picked up the smallest snap crackle and pops from fx effects that i never heard before ,VERY PLEASED.
Product brought for home studio as additional mixing tool…perfect for job…requires headphone amp for best results with my clarett 8pre
Bass quality is irrelevant to this product as they are flat response ‘studio monitors’ so no artificial bass boost. When called upon they model bass as superbly as they model all other frequencies. Super comfortable and light enough to wear all day. Difference between these and ‘gaming headsets’ is night and day. Crystal clear sound reproduction even affects the reproduction of environment in some broadcasts, you can hear the room they are recording in.
Good enough as gaming headphones.
Excel as monitors for music production.
GOOD SOUND // NO SCRATCH // VERY FAST DELIVERY
It takes three days to come to Korea
package state is good
Sound is extremely subjective and therefore you should always try to directly compare headphones from multiple sources. However, most of us do not have the time or opportunity. So, we have to either trust reviews or research the frequency data/response and know what we want.
In my case I am using these for initial mixing in a studio and I like the clarity and comfort. They seem perfectly capable of playing differing genres of music although some people might prefer a heavier bass for dance tracks. You do have to ‘drive’ them more than my other pairs.
I also check mixes with a terrible set of cheap speakers, different earphones and a reasonable set of monitors but the AKG’s are already my favourite reference for mixing.
I don’t know whether it’s because they are open back or not, but my ears do not tire in the same way as with other earphones and the bass is fairly rich without aggression.
In summary, good comfort and clarity for home listening but not out and about as they are open and you will annoy others and be annoyed by other sounds.
My gaming son is very pleased with these. Unlike his dad and brothers he has a full head of hair still so he tends to get a bit sweaty when playing his games. These have helped a lot very pleased with sound quality etc. Good product.
My previous AKG model Q701 had an issue with one of the speakers, so I had to replace for this model.
I have to say that the quality is similar but less presence in low-end, In my opinion, the highs are too prominent, giving you a slightly wrong idea when I am producing music that my tracks are too bright. I do believe that I need more time with them but, this is my first impression working a bit with them.
These headphones are, as has been stated elsewhere, great for ambient and classical music especially (my preferred genres) with their wide but natural soundstage. However, if this is your first purchase of headphones that require a dedicated amp (and they certainly do), just know that you may end up cycling through a couple different products before you find one that works – you don’t need to break the bank (some have said that it’s necessary to spend more than the headphones themselves in amplification, which is absolutely untrue), but if you have no amp and you want passable sound, you will definitely need to spend extra.
Definitley a step up from my previous Philips Fidelio X1’s which were no slouch and make the Focal Listen Pros sound absolutely pathetic in comparison.
I have them plugged into a Marantz stereo amp and it drives them just fine, The headphones are very comfortable for long listening as they are very light and the clamp isn’t tight it’s just right for me, I don’t need to adjust them at all.
The memory foam ear cups are large and spacious and thanks to the open back they are very breathable my ears do not get fatigued even after 6-8 hours straight listening to music playing games etc on my pc or tv.
Best 200 quid I’ve spent on headphones.
This is my second purchase in buying “proper” headphones.
these arent $2000 studio headphones, but as someone who in recent years started appriciating quality audio products i can say they are great.
i bought Brainwavez HM5s before and wanted to try some open backs. after trying several pairs and shopping around i settled on these.
the clarity is great and they are very neutral across the board, i expected more in the bass area, and then expected to not like it when they were more neutral, but i very much enjoy the sound these produce.
currently using these in a desktop headphone amp which is recomended as running straight off a phone jack is not going to them justice.
music wise i listen to classical, rock and metal. so a broad selection. the clarity and sound stage is great for listning to orchestra pieces and the bass can handle metal without being muddy. for someone looking for great headphones at a reasonable price id recommend. (of course taste is always a factor)
Gaming: for gaming i think these are great, the open back realy presents a much wider sound stage and makes positional sound much much better, it handles gunshots explosions beautifully and can realy immerse you in the game when playing adventure/fantasy settings and the clarity allows you to pick up alot of ambient sound.
they are super comfy to wear and i can have several hour long sessions of music or games without the need to take them off. very light and durable band. did not change the soft touch ear pads as they feel great.
Excellent for reference monitoring when mixing and mastering. They have a very flat response and being open backed, you don’t experience a sound build up which helps with what you are actually hearing and helps for longer listening times. They are not designed to be used for recording as open backs will bleed sound. These are Reference headphones and for this purpose, excellent.
The headphones are large and would be suitable for those with a large head or large ears. Perhaps not the best for those with a small head.
To my mind the sound is only acceptable for the price. e.g. I prefer the sound of Grado headphones (but I find Grado phones do not last an acceptable time).
I have had a few heaphones all costing me around 100 mark. This has been my favourite of all time. I wish it had a detached cable, but thats my only issue. Do your research well. I was looking for something 1-comfortable, 2- good sound quality, 3- to be able to listen to other external noises (amp sound or monitors) but still have all the nice quality of what I am playing through them.
I also have closed headphones for other purposes.
Soundstaging is very good,with excellent bass response.I wear glasses, and ,unfortunately ,this causes discomfort and motion squeaking .I find the leather headband unyielding and uncomfortable.This may ease with use however,hence only 4stars.The earcups are very large and totally ear covering,not condusive to comfort for spectacle wearers.Removing my glasses solves that problem,but then creates another visual problem,alas.
Bought these after looking at many reviews and to replace a pair of Philip’s Adagio x2
which I couldn’t get on with.
The 702’s go louder but lacking the deep base that I got with the Adagios.
But saying that the Adagios tickled my ears on higher volume, the 702’s don’t.
Sound staging and instrument placement also better on the 702’s.
What I do miss is the comfort of the Adagios. The most comfortable headphones I have used. Ear cushions are harder on the 702’s and they don’t sit on the head as well.
I do recommend the 702’s but have sacrificed comfort for loudness.
The only problem I’ve had is that they do leak enough sound to be picked up by my modmic 5 every so often, but that comes with the territory of open backs and these cans are good enough that I’m considering using a different mic to fix that problem over just getting equivalent closed backs.
These are great for studio work but they use elasticated cord to keep the head band snug, and some rather thin plastic parts so they’re not going to last a long time. Elasticated cord deteriorates after a few years, so even if you are very careful with them they do seem to have an expiry date.
Dislike: big for my head (but very lightweight).
I did look at 3 top noise cancelers with blue tooth but was a bit disappointed, sound quality only average , just very quiet
low volume, then I thought I don’t really need noise reduction as these are to be used in my home at night, blue tooth would have been handy to loose the cable, but you get plenty of cable here and great sound I am very happy with these
Good headphones, very clear although sub-bass is almost non-existent and bass frequencies lacking. It also has an unflattering upper mid-range in some areas. Using Sonarworks Reference 4 headphone edition to modify the headphones EQ curve took them from a 7/10 to a 9.5/10 (I really recommend this software). Despite my reservations, I have no doubts this is about as good as it gets in this low price range.
If you’re a drummer this would be the best headset for you, you can hear every part of the drum seperated without trying to distinguish them from everything else.
changed my life, amazing sound, great quality and very detailed sound. I used to have a problem with every pair of headphones I have been using, they hurt my ears, these ones are so soft and lovely, I can wear them all day in the studio and feel fine. They are quite warm, so if you are recording outdoors in the Summer, you may want to consider a lighter option.
I really owe a favor to Amazon, which led me to leave a comment.
This product really is what we were told of when researching the area of headphones.
consumers are not manipulated or anything.
You heard about this product as great,
extensive in soundstage, great in vocal, and isolation.
Those are how exactly will be with the headphone.
This is it. One of the three reference headphones.
If you were to have a headphone, then this is not the best suit for you
but if you were to have headphones, this, is almost to an one of the essential
that can extend the song to its finest in this model can provide but no other can.
I believe from this product, there is no true upgrade but preference.
Love these, the sound is amazing, they do leak sound so not suited for public use. They are very comfortable and can be run from my onboard Asus crosshair ch6 motherboard audio
The high end on these is so crisp that when I flip back to my studio monitors I feel like I’ve gone slightly deaf :-). I have started to mix almost exclusively through them, occasionally checking the levels on my monitors. It’s impossible to be truly objective and say that they are flat, but my mixes have drastically improved when listened to through car speakers, on my phone and with other devices so I would say that they are definitely more accurate than what I am used to. The most notable improvement I’ve had has been with the bass elements of my mixes, which I’m guessing is because they don’t colour the sound as much as what I’ve previously used.
They are reasonably well made, but I wasn’t blown away by the build quality to be honest, after a few months of daily use they seem like they should last if your’e not transporting them around all the time. They are comfortable after you get used to them (I also wear glasses), but I don’t notice I’m wearing them even after 2-3 hours.
I don’t have the cash for high end studio gear, but to be honest I would have no desire to upgrade these right now anyway, I think that they do a great job.
I love these earphones. I got these after returning another set of earphones in the same price range, and to my relief they give a good clear sound. I use them for gaming, music and TV. They’re open ear so they’re no good in a crowd, but they’re very comfortable and you forget you’re wearing them. They fall off easily if I knock them slightly out of place, but the loose fit makes them comfortable.
My only worry is that they won’t last long – I’ve seen a few reviews talking about one of the drivers losing sound.
now after more than 200 hours of using it I realy love it and recommend it
it has wide soundstage
clear details
good bass
balanced mid and treble
good for music and movies
great for gaming specially fps games
AKG K141 mkII, AKG K92, Gadro SR 80e, Sennheiser HD559 and assorted other cans Apple, Dr Beats, etc.
So not having unlimited budget for a pair of Stax’s, I plumped for the AKG K712 Pro.
These are an impressive sounding pair of open-back over-ear headphones, and are a major improvement over the others I own.
They have a wonderfully open, transparent and spacious sound, a very good bass, a great mid range and treble and low distortion,
and very wide sound stage, great for gaming.
Easily driven, but adding an amp improved matters a lot, sources are laptop, iPhone, CD player.
These are incredibly comfortable headphones. The leather headband doesn’t put too much pressure on my head. The large ear cups easily fit around my ears, but may be too large for some. They deliver a comfortable listening experience, I have used them for over six hours without issue but their bulky size may not be for everyone.
However, like most other open-back headphones, they leak sound, so I will be keeping others cans for travel.
Bass, mid, and treble all represented with such clarity and realism.
These phones are definitely a bit special.
These headphones have relatively high impedance and low sensitivity. They are very fussy about the amplifier and sound awful with some electronics. Even the headphone output of my HiFi amp sounds poor. Surprisingly, they sound great when driven directly from my old PC sound card. There’s no doubt that a top quality headphone amp is best, I built one for this purpose and it sounds excellent but of course commercial headphone amplifiers are available and the good ones are well worth it. Don’t be disappointed if you get this product and it sounds poor – just try some different devices or amplifiers and you will be rewarded with very fine sound indeed.
In order to provide a little relief for my aging but still wonderful Senn HD540s I decided to get another pair of cans and these have turned out to be a brilliant choice. Initially the EQ response needed a bit of tilting as they tend to be fairly bright and lacking low end but this was easily corrected with Sonarworks Reference3 and I’m sure there are other EQ calibration apps that will do something similar. (or you could, in theory, manually correct the EQ with a decent graphic EQ etc. ) The soundstage is very wide, the clarity is great and they’re comfortable for prolonged wear. I’m very pleased 🙂
super for everithink rock psychedelic
got it connected to m dac gives superb stereo and vispel sounds are amaizing whit them you wil notice bad audio and good audio
stereeo is way better than jvc x bass i had
year are perfect not squizing notsweating overal win win never wil go to amy other headphones
long silicone very flexy and thick cord
The detachable wire on the headset allows for safe transportation, so nothing it damaged when putting it in your bag or case. The two plastic tube at the top are very flexible, allowing for varying head sizes. As well at that, the headband has 2 elastic strands each side, pulling the headband back down to its original position.
The actual sound quality is great, I’ve listened to my favourite band for over 10 years and even now when I listen to some of their songs, I’m amazed that I can still hear new sounds in familiar songs. I would recommend getting a DAC with these headphones, as personally for me, the base volume isn’t as loud as i liked it to be – this is of course down to you and your specifications.
I have had serious medical issues with the left side of my head, just around my ear in the past, so its unfair to judge against these headphones that after prolong use, I do suffer some minor pain here and there.
I would say that the cable could be slightly longer, however, as I said before, it all depends on your setup and specifications. All around great headset, and would recommend it to anyone.
Then Lovely: Detailed and smooth.
My aloud listening is with Genelec 8040s which are detailed and exciting. My quiet listening is now worthwhile – and doesn’t annoy the family.
First Port of call is vol 7 of Kraftwerk 3D The Catalogue, which is streamed above CD quality and mixed for headphones.
DAC is Focusrite 2i2. (The Meridian Ex2 looks enticing!)
Awsome! I really thanks to AKG i don’t have best gear like this one so far.
comportable,Flat Eq, But can’t use for vocal recording due to open back type.
please consider when you puchase. thanks
All in all a bit more controlled when a large orchestra goes full throttle- then i find the 701 can sound a little strained and harsh at the treble end and a little less clear in the mid range when, say a Mahler or Wagner orchestra comes to a massive crescendo.
The k712 is also a better all rounder than the K701, being adept at rock and pop music.
The 712 is also less fatiguing for longer listens.
For all the above reasons i think the 712, at its current price, is worth the extra money over the still very fine 701 (which is now a stone cold bargain if you want a highly detailed, neutral open ear head phone).
Be aware that they need a headphone amp to be properly driven and sound their best.
These are currently selling for 140- they were AKG’s flagship consumer reference model when launched and sold for hundred’s of pounds more at the time. At the current price they are remarkable value if you are looking for a detailed, largely neutral headphone.
If you are looking for a warm or smooth sound these are not what you need, nor are they ideal for rock and pop recordings- but if you primarily listen to classical music, they are phenomenal, and at the current, much discounted price, a real find.
his one is easy just get them!!!!!!! give them a week plugged into something to break in, I used the TV and reap the rewards. not for public use, granted and if you don’t have decent ancillary equipment they may sound terrible its not the AKG’s it the player or amp or music file. I used a fiio mont blanc with them and a Samsung S6 sounded great in this combo, music files need to be of a very high quality FLAC or WMA lossless is best WMA 10 pro at 256kbs works very well for a lossy codec. there is no need change the cable its fine as it is. I’m sure AKG would not put a cheap cable on these. they are the most comfortable headphones I have ever used, the sound stage is breath-taking, bass deep and refined, there but not overpowering at all. the top end is pure liquid, but its all in the midrange superb detail. at this price an utter bargain these were close to 400 pounds on introduction. and highly reviewed at that price.
Listening to mainly acoustic covers (Live lounge etc) the AKG702’s are excellent. Powered by my Naim Unitiqute and Nap100 they out perform my closed back Bowers & Wilkins P7 and open backed Grado MS2 with superb detail (hear notes and sounds invisible on more bass hungry headphones) and the soundstage is wide (almost as enjoyable as my ATC SCM7 loudspeakers).
My iPhone 6 struggles to power them alone and a headphone amp is likely needed for on the move use (not something they are designed for being open backed). At 115.00 they are an absolute bargain! 5/5
These headphones are also great with films and tv shows. Watching The OA on netflix with these on takes it to another level.
They are big,the cups go right over your ears and they are open backed adding to the airy,spacious sound these give. You can wear them for hours they are so comfy. I did actually forget I was wearing them a few times.
I got them at a great price and am thinking of getting a second pair for gaming/movies.
My bro in law says hey I got these new ‘beats’ headphones, check them out…. Pshhh really? If overhyped bass,earache and bright colours are your thing then fine, but I’m sticking with these AKG’s mate. The best headphones iv ever had.
Ended up getting these pretty cheap and shipped to AU. Shipping was impressively fast from the UK so happy with that.
The K702s are a very nice set of open-back headphones. Their impedance isn’t overly high, meaning they’re a bit more versatile if you wanted to use them in a phone/tablet/laptop. That said, as per most pairs of high-end headphones they will benefit from an amplifier. I am running mine off an Asus STX Essence sound card which has a built in DAC/Headphone amplifier (probably at the higher end of mid-range dacs/amps) and they sound great.
I’m no audiophile, but the sound signature is rather “flat” meaning all frequencies are represented at an equal level of loudness. This really allows you to separate all the different sounds – no one sound is obscured by another (unless the song is poorly mixed). The flat signature can take some getting used to for a lot of people but in the end it sounds great! Music sounds lovely and even gaming is nice with them – the wide soundstage assisting in FPS gaming for positional audio feedback.
As for comfort, these are excellent! They have sufficient clamping force to stay on your head but you can barely tell you’re wearing them. Perfect for long listening sessions.
The only slight issue I have got is a few YouTube video’s by my favourite creators show some serious flaws in their attention to detailed Audio Quality. This is like going from a SD to HD TV, you suddenly notice the flaws. Very Impressive. From the reviews ive seen they take a day or so play to really warm up and break themselves in. Cant wait.
Sound reproduction on these phones is amazing you feel like you are in the same room as the performer. Bulky so really only useful for home listening and as they are open headphones they are noisier for those around you than the closed type so if that is important to you I would go for the Sennheiser HD 25-C II which I have also got and which in addition are more portable. For sound alone I’d pick these.
Love these headphones. I use them for DJ-ing and making mixes mostly, and whilst they are not specifically dj headphones, they work well. As most people have said, if you are not listening to high quality audio, then these will show up the lack of audio fidelity. MP3, is the lowest quality audio codec there is, so if that’s what you want them for, then might be best with something else. These headphones are made for audiophiles who care about sound quality. If you listen to MP3’s, then sorry, but you don’t care about sound quality, so buy some beats.
I’ve been on the look out for a decent pair of headphones for a while now to replace a much more expensive set that died a death.
I was a little skeptical of the k612 pro series as some of the reviews elsewhere question build quality (fixed cable etc) however I am so pleased that I took the plunge.
Comfortable, relatively lightweight and with great sound I was very very happy.
I use these at home or in private in hotel rooms or offices as they are open backed so there is some noise leakage. That said this is nowhere near as bad as I have experienced with other models.
If you are planning on using these with a phone or other low powered device by an in-line amp or you really won’t get the benefit of quality cans like these.
For the price, I simply cannot recommend a better set of headphones. Even before you focus on audio, they are incredibly comfortable, even after day long mixing sessions. They work excellently as a reference pair, and for the audiophile that isn’t sitting on a lottery fund, you can’t beat the price. Additionally, the replaceable cable on this model is well worth the upgrade from the K612s, as the cable is pretty long (a good thing in most cases, but be wary of chair wheels).
All in all, they’re my favourite pair to date, the only issue I’ve had is when mixing with sub bass, but headphones aren’t going to do that for you anyways.
I have now had these for 8 years. It doesn’t always take me this long to review a product, but with headphones you can’t be too careful.
Here is the thing – i do like the sound of these, but there is something about the design that bothers me. They are so large, they go around your ears and not on your ears. I know this is how they are supposed to be, but i just find that as you move your head around, they slip and move. In turn this makes you move your head around in an artificial way.
You can’t fault the sound, but they just feel a little odd compared to other headphones.
These have a very neutral sound with amazing levels of detail and clarity along with a very wide open sound that brings out massive amounts of detail to the point where you can hear every instrument down to the sound of the guitar string being plucked and piano key being struck.
These are very much indoor headphones and need a fair bit of power to get the best from them; don’t expect to get the best from them using your mobile phone.
Lots of people complain about the lack of bass; it’s true they are not bass heavy headphones but I think that the levels of bass are exactly where they are supposed to be.
I would love to give these a 5 star review, but two major issues are holding these headphones back.
1. The headphones have a flimsy feeling build quality, as long as you take good care of them they will be fine and shouldn’t break but for the price it wouldn’t have hurt to get some metal in there not just plastic and the leather headband.
2. The cable broke after just a few days, I say broke, they technically work if I hold them up almost above my head, but that really isn’t practical for gaming, if the issue persists after getting the replacement cable I will be returning the headphones and trying out some other ones from within this price range.
Now, onto the good stuff, the sound quality is brilliant and the fact that they fit around your ear rather comfortably is a plus, I find headphones that sit on top of your ears to be a bit uncomfortable as they tend to press my ears down which, well isn’t a very fun experience. Hopefully the issues don’t persist because these are a fantastic pair of headphones but a fault with the cable could be their downfall…
Beautifully put together and very high quality, going to sound the same as the 700 series (the 600 just has fixed cable and slightly different voice coil). I am an audio engineer for 28 years, discount my opinion if you want. I had an old Sennhieser HD40 budget on ear type headphones and they are not pretty but sound much better than these! Obviously for me sound is No 1 on the list. Its not a taste thing, the AKG sounded as good or better than a lot of phones on the market – They look great (in your own house, not as street fashion accessory. They are super comfortable. But not for me….
I bought these to accompany a Soundblaster ZxR soundcard in my PC.
Took a while to ‘break in’, but when gaming the immersive experience has increased ten fold when using these compared to me M audio studio monitors.
Comfy on the head (although the leather strap can mess up your hair style). The build quality is good and the cans are comfortable for extended sessions. As they are open backed you will find sound escape into the surrounding room. I have a dedicated office so it’s not a problem for me, but be aware if you are using to isolate sound. These probably won;t be for you.
I expect to enjoy many years gaming with these headphones and would certainly stay with the AKG brand for all headphone needs.
So like I said if your in the market for a set of reference headphones, give these ago.
Ps my nephew is really pissed, he is a professional drummer and has used AKG for studio sessions for years he purchased the same model when they first hit the market and paid top price.
Would be 5 stars but I found a scuff mark on the left side headphone. The Amazon packaging was great and the inside packaging was nicely packed too. I don’t understand how this appeared. I think during packing this product into the AKG box they must’ve missed the mark. That’s the only reason its not 5 stars.
These are exceptionally comfortable and, as far as I can tell, as good as any headphones that I’ve ever owned.
They see a wide range of service being connected through a FiiO DAC to Linux desktop machine – from which they do sterling service as my teleconferencing headset ( in conjunction with a BlueYeti Mic ) through Skype, my audio-visual output for Amazon Prime, Netflix and Steam and finally my audio output ( when the remainder of the house needs to be quiet ) for music from Spotify (Premium – High Quality).
In all of the scenarios listed, they perform flawlessly giving clear speech and a wide range for music – again, like other reviewers, I’ve noticed sounds in songs that I’ve listened to a hundred times before suddenly becoming apparent.
However, for me, the selling point is the fact that I can wear them the whole day long and suffer no fatigue at all. Highly recommended from me !
I was looking for a set of headphones to use at home and work, and after hours of searching around for advice and guidance, I settled on the AKG 702s. Now, I don’t consider myself an audiophile, in fact, I am far from it. This is my first real taste of what I would consider premium headphones. I am using them paired with Spotify Premium on my home desktop PC at the moment, and all I can say is “wow”.
Before this set of headphones, I had only ever listened through my Razer Kraken 7.1s, and my Logitech G35 headset. Both of these are really for gaming, so it’s not surprise that they were not great for music. The jump from those 2 headsets to this set of headphones is phenomonal. I can hear so much more, every little tiny bit of detail in the music.
For those of you who are total newbies to the premium headphone experience, I would absolutely recommend you give these a try. If these headphones can produce such sounds, it makes me wonder what the 1000+ models are like. If you believe the talk about the ‘burn in’ process, I can’t wait to hear how these headphones sound after 50 hours of use.
One thing I would make a note of though, is that there’s a lot of sound leakage. This is entirely by design, as the headphones are open-back. I hope my work colleagues don’t hate me too much, but with this level of quality, I can’t say that I care!
Aka 702 is the best thing since slice bread.This is a high quality headphone and this price on Amazon UK is a steal.There is a world of difference between Akg 550 and this headphone.The sound is crystal clear and wide dynamic range and show the defect in recording.Highly recommended.Out of box the sound is something to write about and yes it require burning about 15 hours and the sound improve and forget about what other reviewers said that it require a decade of burning or use White Heat,not being racist,to get the best sound as it Bob Dylan will singing in your front room singing tell you ma every thing will be alright hua Hua hua or Simon Rattle will be conducting Malher symphony 5 in your sitting room.My advice is let you ears be the judge plus patience for 10 to 15 hours you will never he best sound and you will accompany the best singer singing old Macdonald has a farm..Buy it and you will not regret .Happy listening.
By comparison with the Grados, the K702s are heavier, but a bit less substantial. They are also significantly larger than the Grados, which makes them less easy to handle. The K702s cover the whole ear, and I found this lead to too warmth accumulating under the headphones. The Grados sit lightly on the ear. Sound, ultimately, is what matters. The Grados are very musical, so are the K702s. I’d give the edge to the Grados. The K702s I think have edge on ultimate clarity, lack of distortion, and control over the lower frequencies. I’d call it as an overall-draw depending on what you like to listen too.
Reference headphones are a totally different ball game altogether. If what your listening to hasn’t been layed down high end then you’ll think there is something wrong with the AKG K702’s. In addition you need a decent amp to power them. Ive been using a Fiio E7 dac headphone amp, (excellent product) which is an an exceptional match with the AKG Y50’s at 55.00 and the Soundmagic E10’s but not with these as its just not loud enough. Bear in mind what amp your going to use with them. That said I would not part with these as the clarity is exceptional. If on a budget get the Y50’s and a Fiio E7 for the same cost.
The sound quality is fantastic. Very reasonable reference grade headphones.
If you’re looking at these you already know what open vs closed back entails, the virtues of valveless headphone amps, and proper DACs, I’ll not bother talking about them here.
I’ll get the competing HD650s at some point to compare subjectively. If you want objective numbers, check out nwavguy.
Do remember not to show off that you own these on 4chan headphone threads; they’ll take the mick out of you for liking anime. Joke’s on them, fun things are fun.
So, to the title; “broken after two years.” The right can started dropping out a little bit, then conked completely. IT was based on movement, so my guess is a loose/disco’d wire in the can itself. I looked for a video on disassembly, and it showed a wire disconnected exactly as I imagine my problem to be. The author soldered up the wire with relative ease and it was implied that it worked fine afterwards.
I recently got a pretty fully featured soldering kit, so I’ll try it out when I get the necessary tools to crack open the K702s. Some paperclips I think.
I’ll report back after I’ve made my attempt.
These are just amazing never thought about paying over 50 for headphones specially none portable and open that leak sound before.but needed to use headphones more to not disturb other.im a home cinema enthusiastic.ive already had 4 decent pairs of headphone on ears and in ears which all have there uses.well i thort they were good till i heard k702 and let them burn in for a few days (yes this does work!!!).i replaced cable with a van damme cable what an upgrade that is for not alot extra. (Ive replaced all my cables speaker hdmi optical with van damme best investment on any system).the sound form k702 is so open awesome 3d image so smooth sound.listen to jean Michel jarre sends you dizzy with left to right channel separation shown people this it puts a smile on there face.and hook it up to ps3 with a turtle beach dss2 turns it into good surround sound for games and moves not as good as 7.1 but all street cant hear it.
Pros: Outstanding sound quality and comfort, very good price, removable cable that only connects on one side.
Cons: Leaks sound very badly, so useless for recording or if you might disturb other people in the room, for example in an office or in bed at night.
The sound is crystal clear but more on the analytical and bass-light end of things compared to something like the Denon D5000s, so they’re better suited to classical music or modern pop recordings, as they doesn’t warm things up like some Denons or Grados. I found listening to old jazz and blues recordings much more pleasant on my Denons for example, but the K702s are as good or better for classical and modern recordings, and give you an amazing soundstage. The Denons leak so little than I use them for recording without any problems, whereas the AKGs leak so loudly they are utterly useless for recording, and the tinny noise they emit would annoy someone sleeping next to you or the person at the next desk in the office.
These are great – I use them for mixing but unlike the Beyer Dynamic DT range, which are very sterile and only really of use for mixing – these can be used for listening to music too – VERY detailed and open sounding – hi-fi headphones like Grado’s will make all your music sound good, even bad recordings will sound ok – the AKG’s are very revealing and you will get what is on the disc – a bad recording will sound bad and a good one great- I used them for mixing some rock music from an 8 track recorder and they were so accurate – I got to disc what the phones gave me when mixing- I love them
These replace a set of 702s I bought a few years ago, and they’re actually an improvement. Seems AKG listen to their customers, and got rid of the uncomfortable “memory foam” car tyres they used in the padded area, which just hurt more and more the longer you wore the phones. Thankfully that fad for memory foam has now finished — everyone seems to have seen the error of jumping on a bad band wagon — and the layered foam here is , just a bit, more comfortable. The sound is impeccable, perfect for playing those experimental album releases from the 1970s when far better use was made of the stereo soundstage (Edgar Froese’s Aqua, Klaus Schulze’s Timewind, Hawkwind’s Quark Strangeness and Charm, to name but a few that will blow your head to bits). Modern music sounds indifferent I’m afraid because it’s too homogenised and the soundstage is always so muddy. Classical…well, if you enjoy the limited sound pallett offered by classical, these pick out detail above the brash ensemble. Float away with Keith Jarret’s improvisational piano jazz. They won’t however make bad music sound good, so fans of punk and new wave will be disappointed.
The phones come in a heavy elaborate box that looks like it should be on display in a museum, and surely must add about 20 to the cost here!
For the price these headphones are a class above. Once burnt in (i didn’t even know that existed until i got these) they are truly remarkable. Home recording for me now has stepped up a level. Clarity and comfort. A really really great item, buy with confidence.
On listening to already owned music (some Iron Maiden in my case) it was like hearing them again for the first time, and i heard stuff i had not before, as for my home recordings well they all now need remixing.
Theres a longer better review on this page search for it as that guy has it spot on.
Awesome? I don’t feel that to be a strong enough word.
Amazing? They are that and then some.
I’ll just explain (quickly) why…..
The first time I used these I thought they were nice headphones, pretty comfy and I suffer from a neurological disorder that makes me hypersensitive so I need really comfy headphones and these are pretty good at first but they are slowly getting better as the 3d foam seems to be getting more pliable and the fitting system is excellent as it doesn’t squash your head and just sits on top of your head nicely.
They cover my ears really well and the cable doesn’t get in the way and is soft and not heavy.
But the sound…….it’s almost like I was partially deaf before but now I can hear everything!!!!!!
Just to explain, I was listening to an orchestral soundtrack and everything was incredibly clear, like I was actually sitting I the middle of the musicians and the sound was all around me.
But I could hear a strange scratchy kind of sound every now and again and couldn’t work it out – was it a cable problem or was it the source itself?
No – it was the sound of the musicians turning the pages of their sheet music!!!!
I put my Sony closed back headphones on as a comparison and it was so different, they just sounded like headphones do but the AKG K702’s sound like you are there, in the room with the musicians and they pick up every sound in the room.
Super incredible audio amazement – yeah, that’ll do it.
And so cheap at the moment for what you get its almost unbelievable – I think they are 300 odd cheaper than they were a few months ago.
The self adjusting headband did not win me over, but it was not too bad. The ear cups are huge and had plenty of room for my big ears. The large surface area also spread the squeezing force around quite well. I could really wear these for hours on end.
Even for open back headphones, these let it in a surprising amount of outside sound. Almost like you’re not wearing any headphones.
Initially he was over the moon the sound was clear and the clarity great. the lacking in bass the other reviewers had mentioned was not obvious, however, within a few minutes though, it was clear that there was an issue with volume, not because he’s looking for deafening sound, but that some recording on his phone were quieter the others and both of us and his father were looking more a bit more volume.
It may have been a faulty set, who knows, and we were listening with an amplifier attached, so we checked without it and the sound was even quieter!
The comfort factor of these were great. and really light as if wearing nothing! ( my husband is now borrowing a pair of the kids’ headphones, which he says are sweaty and uncomfortable for more than 10 minutes). So he’s disappointed that we had to return these and start to look for something else similar.
Excellent open back headphones. Great for movies, TV and music. Bass especially sounds nuanced and rich. Definite placement, no smearing of sounds across the stereo field.
You will hear sounds/notes and definite placement you haven’t heard before, especially put through a good headphone amp, and as noted by someone else, hear the difference between well mixed and average recordings- there is no hiding! After a time with these phones (wearing no comfort fatigue issues although you will hear external sounds) I love these and my Panasonic are relegated to outdoor iPod use only.
There’s a generous uncurled cable length (which I expanded upon with a perfect match KabelDirect 3m Pro extension) that allows me to move around my apartment with no worries. They seemed expensive but I guess you get what you pay for. Quality all the way.
Read many top reviews on these and others in the price range. I am very happy I got these the sound is very flat indeed perfect for mixing and mastering in my studio. They do need some burn in time to mellow the sound out a bit but loving music like I do that is not a problem had them on since getting them. They really do make everything in the mix stand out you can hear everything the way the producer and mastering engineer wanted it to sound like to the listener. Worth every penny am so glad I made the investment if you love your music then your ears deserve the best listening environment you can give them these are totally amazing
Read many top reviews on these and others in the price range. I am very happy I got these the sound is very flat indeed perfect for mixing and mastering in my studio. They do need some burn in time to mellow the sound out a bit but loving music like I do that is not a problem had them on since getting them. They really do make everything in the mix stand out you can hear everything the way the producer and mastering engineer wanted it to sound like to the listener. Worth every penny am so glad I made the investment if you love your music then your ears deserve the best listening environment you can give them these are totally amazing
You really need an extremely good source to show any benefit of it. Or you will be extremely disappointed.
I previously owned a pair of AKG K701s. Some folks may say different, but other that the colour, the K702s are essentially the same, or at least they sound the same – This is no bad thing as the K701s were/are excellent headphones.
The K702 however, does differ in two very important respects:
Detachable cable – Fantastic idea. This makes replacement easy if damaged, makes it more convenient if you are packing them, plus it allows audiophile freaks like me to play around with upgrading the cable.
Flat, non-bumpy head-bad – Even better idea! This was basically the reason why I got rid of my previous K701s. Being basically bald, I actually found the old bumpy head-band very uncomfortable to wear for any extended period. The new flat band make the K702s a supremely comfortable headphone.
Aside from these two differences, the K701/702 are essentially the same and are both wonderfully balanced, natural sounding headphones.
I’ve tried Beyerdynamic and find them too thin in the mid-range, with (generally) overemphasised treble and bass. Sennheiser on the other hand, tend to be rather boring, with a slightly overgenerous bottom-end.
For me, the ‘AKG Sound’ (if there is such a thing) is the Goldilocks Zone, managing to lift out all the fine details in a recording, but without robbing great vocals of their warmth.
Overall then, highly recommend, especially for the price they are currently available at, their only weakness is that they are quite difficult to drive without a headphone amp, and unfortunately being (frankly) so cheap, they probably won’t get treated to the quality of amplification they deserve.
All I can say is this, the ‘soundstage’ effect made a massive difference to my listening – it is like having a pair of speakers next to your ears. I understand now that – for mixing – these are ideal; none of the reverberated sound associated with closed-back headphones. These reproduce in sharp detail bass, mids and treble that the Sony’s did not and I’ve since embarked on a re-mixing programme of earlier songs.
If your budget allows – buy them … or if I’d ventured to spend the extra dosh … I would have gone to the AKG 712’s … I wasn’t sure then … I am now …
The sound is very crisp and clear and so well balanced. Personally I like good bass and with these headphones I have nothing to complain about. Bass is well controlled and huge but only when it should be like this. These are reference headphones so they do not boost any frequencies. The music sounds just as it should.
It is true that they are hard to drive but for me they still sound great with a good quality mp3 or flac played on my Note 3 or Covon J3 or laptop. The only think is that the music won’t be very loud but you can buy a portable headphone amplifier like Fiio E11 from Amazon for just 54 which will give you extra power.
They are a great pair of headphones with a great balanced sound. If you are a producer you probably already have a pair of these.
They sound great when pushed, with very deep bass response and super fast transients travelling around in a really lush soundstage. However, I also really like the fact that I can monitor with these at quiet levels and make good mix decisions. The bass and mids are really tight at low levels while the spatial imaging of mix elements is open and revealing. This allows me to make music for longer without feeling like my ears have been battered. The sound is less enjoyable at this level, but it is still that well balanced and I find that in most cases my decisions translate accurately to a monitor mix. I’m really impressed with how fast the drivers are. It’s great for hyped electronic music and sound design.
I find the analytical quality of them absolutely incredible. It’s easy to zone in on individual mix elements because everything is represented cleanly and precisely. There is breathing room in the sound for the listener to move into and really focus on subtle details be it a reverb, effect or an instrument level. The imaging on both axes is very good indeed, which is a major issue for headphone mixing. I find them especially good for front to back mixing decisions and spotting where levels or reverbs need to be altered to give music a better overall presence.
I have found that if music sounds good in these, it sounds good on my other systems. All in all, I have been really happy with these headphones and they have proved themselves to be a very useful tool for all kinds of studio sound production.
I have owned several headphones and all of them I have found deficient somewhere in the frequency range. But it is hard to fault these headphones – they are extremely detailed and clear with no undue emphasis anywhere other than being a little on the bright side (although never shrill). The bass range is very detailed and tight without any boomy overhang so they appear to be bass-light, but this isn’t so. However, I haven’t had them very long – I am still getting used to them.
They reveal all the good and bad points about what you plug them into. They aren’t compatible with iPod’s – they can’t drive them loud enough and you can hear how low quality MP3’s are! I have a Fiio E7 headphone amp and DAC and that only just manages to drive these headphones loud enough. So I am looking around for a headphone amp so that I can use them on my main system. At the moment they are sounding good connected to my Denon RCD-M37DAB mini hifi – the brightness I hear may be due to this amp, time will tell.
They come with a 3m long straight headphone cord. I have seen a coiled replace cable for sale on Amazon is you prefer, but I prefer the straight cable.
They are very comfortable to wear largely due to the clever self adjusting headband system.
AKG K702’s do live up to the reviews of most users that is the sound quality is so revealing they will force you to re-rip your CD’s as lossless and download much higher bit rate music files.
The openness they possess is an utter delight to my ears after running with Sennheisser HD590’s for years was a ear opener literally.
Using them straight out of a MacBook Pro does not do them justice so purchased a LittleDot MKIII valve headphone amp and now Oh my the sound is out of this world. I now am hearing instruments I have never heard before in tracks listened to many a time over I cannot put them down.
The treble is very analytical with a wide open midrange and a tightly controlled bass that is not a deep as closed headphones. The K702’s are all about accuracy they do not influence the sound in anyway.
The sound stage is wide and high it surrounds your head rather than focussing it into the centre of you head.
These show up the short comings of original recordings that is how good they are. Listening straight from a Rotel RCD965bX CD player into the Little Dot MKIII is an even better experience than through my main hifi system MF A3 amp, TDL RTL3 speakers.
Lossless or very high bit rate files are a prerequisite for maximum enjoyment.
On some recordings the treble can sound shrill on some tracks but this can be controlled if using itunes with the equaliser.
The K702’s give you an insight into the recordings as how the artists and studio engineers would like you hear. You can hear all the little nuances on jazz tracks the way the brass instruments ie saxophone valves open and close can be heard.
The build quality is very good these are definitely home HiFi headphones not for portable use as they leak sound being open back.
The ergonomics are very good auto adjusting to your head so a comfortable fit is easy to achieve and so light allowing you to listen for hours, even all night.
The ear cushions are big but allow the drivers to sit at the optimum distance from your ears for maximum sound quality and musical experience.
I listen to jazz , RnB, Lounge, house , dance, Acoustic, Latin the K702’s work with all these genres you just need to make sure you feeding them high quality tracks and drive them properly ie a headphone amp.
All in all i love these now that the burning period is over as they have improved to such an extent its almost as if they have evolved since purchasing them. This is definitely a must burn the K702’s in and you will hear why fans of these love them so much.
I am still being amazed by the quality of the sound presented and throughly recommend the AKG K702’s.
These headphones are really quite special. Probably the best I’ve heard and owned.
For anyone looking for overblown, overpowering, phoney bass or something “trendy” and overpriced then give them a miss . Their bass presentation, I would say, is honest. The important midrange is perfect, very detailed with a very wide soundstage and accurate placing of instruments and voices.
They are quite hard to drive and require a dedicated headphone amp or headphone output from a hi fi amp for their best performance. When I first listened to them I was a bit underwhelmed but over a period of a few hours they improved. I suspect further improvement will realise with more hours. I’ve had them continuously fed from a FM tuner when not sat listening to music.
I know this shouldn’t be a comparison opportunity and only a review of the product. However, if I were to make a comparison to Grado RS1i (800+ retail in the U.K.!), which I no longer own, I personally prefer the K702s.
I opted for the K702 over the K701 because of the easily replaceable, sensible length, cable. Build quality is exemplary and it’s a refreshing change to buy something not made in China!
Comfort is very good but I have reservations about the durability of the “self adjusting” headband mechanism – it looks a bit weak and vulnerable to me, i.e. elastic bands?
In spite of that I have to give five stars.
But recently I have been playing with music production so I searched for a pair of reference headphones, as using monitor speakers isn’t an option for me at the moment.
Having read the reviews of many products I found myself constantly coming back to the K702.
Thankfully I wasn’t to be disappointed!
They are simply awesome, the sound is just so crisp and pure. They are significantly lighter than I was expecting too and I have worn them for several hours at a time without feeling like my neck was going to snap (the beats are heavy!). The ear pads fit nicely over the ears, not surprising as they are pretty huge!
All in all, I’m chuffed to bits with them – this is probably the longest review I’ve written but having seen that these were all five star reviews I felt I should do them justice and add to it 🙂
I cannot believe the difference it has made. I have Mixamp Pro for consoles and an Asus Xonar Essence in my pc to simulate surround sound and I can hear everything. Absolutely everything. It’s like I am cheating. I can hear when someone is coming around a corner or determine how far away someone is by their footsteps, which gives me a massive advantage.
Having now burned them in for 300 hours, as recommended on some forums, the bass has gotten a lot deeper and I now use them for my music and films also. Out of the box they were a little tinny when it came to heavy bass songs so I used my Sony XB700’s until they were burned in.
My Logitech G35 was good and I loved it for the 7.1 surround sound it produced for me, but it cannot compare to these. The G35 cost me 90 brand new and these around the 240 mark. 2.5 times the price but about 10 times better.
The only slight downside to these is that it does not come with a case of some kind. For this price I would’ve expected one.
If you’re in the market for some high quality headphones, you cannot go wrong with buying a pair of these.
These earphones put me in a different place. As I write this I am listening to Dream On (Aerosmith) on some really nice Senhiezers. It sounds good, but lifeless and dulled compared to the AKGs.
The biggest single difference I would give is the complete lack of transient intermodulation distortion. If there is a huge bass ‘boom’ you will still hear each and every pluck of a guitar string.
One negative is the headband, the bobbles on the inside make my head a little uncomfortable after a bunch of hours. They do seem to be breaking in though.
On the issue of breaking in, it took 50 hours of continuous playing to mellow these out. For the first few hours the sound was great but brittle and edgy. Be patient; they keep giving.