AKG K712 Pro

Reviews | Xxxxxxx
92
Reviews | AKG K712 Pro
T
here are many reasons to
have a really good set of
monitoring headphones in the
studio – we may need to work
quietly because of noise constraints or
perhaps we don’t want to listen to the
same set of speakers all day. Then
there’s the comparison during mixdown
– home and project studios may not
have the space or the funds for
multiple pairs of monitors but, with
headphones, there’s always the option
of checking mixes on something other
than the solitary set of speakers.
Of course, it’s no good having a
crap set of headphones for the job.
Cheap closed back types may be fine
for handing out in a tracking session,
the fact that they have minimal leakage
being a practical advantage. But if you
are going to be using headphones to
help make crucial mixing decisions you
really need a good comfortable
open-backed set and AKG’s new K712
Pro are designed to be just that.
Top of the range
Released earlier this year, alongside
the more affordable (£149) K612 Pro,
the top of the range K712 Pro are
described by AKG as reference, open,
over-ear headphones for precise
listening, mixing and mastering.
AKG say that they have improved
low-end performance by 3dB over
their predecessors, the K702, which
now sit between the two new models
in the range.
Hand-crafted in Austria, the build
quality of the K712 Pro is excellent.
Where the K702s offer a black and
silver finish, the K712 Pro favour a
darker scheme, black throughout with
burnt orange detailing, mainly in the
two aluminium arches of the headband
and the matching cable. The soft
leather part of the headband that sits
directly on your head is narrower than
on the K702 and eschews that model’s
rippled undersurface for a flat profile
that feels more comfortable and may
offer an advantage in longer listening
sessions. Adjustment is dead easy –
these things self-adjust! Just pull them
on and the elastic-loaded headband
finds its natural position. The earpad
cushions have a smooth black velvety
finish and completely cover the ears,
soft and pillow-like.
The headphones come with two
cables, both of which have a
solidly-locked three-pin mini-XLR
connection to keep them firmly
anchored to the left earpad. The cables
terminate in a gold mini-jack connector
with a screw-on 1/4-inch stereo jack
adapter so you can use them in a
variety of situations.
Dig out the detail
To anyone familiar with the K702s, the
K712 Pro offer no surprises in the
sound stakes. What you are getting
here is a set of headphones that will let
you hear all the detail in a mix with an
accurate balance of frequencies.
Transient response is good, as is the
sense of imaging and spatial awareness
– this is an altogether very open and
airy sound. The K712 Pro have a little
more in the bass end than the K702s
but it’s not hyped in any way and the
overall feeling is that the frequency
spectrum as represented by the K712
Pro is one that will both satisfy the
casual listener and allow any engineer/
producer to dig out the detail and make
valid mixing choices.
Light and extremely comfortable
the K712 Pro are headphones that
will lend themselves to extended
listening sessions and can be relied
upon to give you an accurate
representation of your mix.
WHAT is iT?
Open back, dynamic,
reference studio
headphone
ConTACT
Who: Sound Technology
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.akg.com
HiGHLiGHTs
1 Impressive sound quality
2 Comfortable fit
3 Replaceable cabling
speCs
Type: Open-back,
circumaural, dynamic
headphones
Frequency response:
10Hz – 39.8kHz
Sensitivity: 105dB/V
Rated impedance: 62 ohms
Max input power: 200MW
Cable: 3m single-sided
(99.99% oxygen free)
Connections: Gold plated
stereo jack plug 3.5mm
(1/4”) plus gold-plated
convertible jack plug
adapter 3.5/6.3mm
(1/8” to 1/4”)
Included accessories:
Additional coiled cable,
premium carrying bag
Weight:
235g
AKG K712 Pro | £379
VeRDiCT
BUILD
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VALUE
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EASE OF USE
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VERSATILITY
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RESULTS
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A pair of great mix headphones.
Light, airy, comfortable and
expertly put together
AKG’s new top of the range studio headphones have
arrived. Trevor Curwen warms his ears as he listens
FMU272.rev_akg.indd 92 10/9/13 1:18 PM