[canchet]

I only just decided to stop just lurking and reading reviews here and actually start participating a bit on head-fi and this thread is a big part of why. Reading through some of the positive K812 owner opinions in here has made me feel like I found my people lol! I have been active on the headphones sudreddit for a while and lurking here and there long before that and I think I might be the only K812 Pro owner on that sub! It's nice to find a place where they are properly appreciated.

I have a decent collection of headphones and gear and have tried or owned in the past many, many more headphones. The K812s are one of my favorite AKGs of all time and I have owned dozens of contemporary and vintage AKG sets from the 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 series as well as the K1000s and as far as everyday listening the K812 Pros are up there with the best and most versatile of them. Feed them some hi-res tracks from a good DAC with enough power behind it (for me most often my Burson Timekeeper 3i or ifi Gryphon) and they will give you every bit of detail that can be wrung out of a track. The soundstage is both deep and wide, making for an absolutely huge presentation. The bass reaches deep without being overly enphasized and is well controlled and lush. The mids are absolutely packed with detail and combined with a treble section that adds plenty of flourish.

Since I bought the K812 Pros I have used them more than any other headphone I own. I just purchased the DCA Stealths yesterday so that may be changing because those things are ridiculous, but rest assured that the K812s will always see plenty of head time. They are truly an elite headphone that can easily hold their own in elite company.

Anyways, just wanted to say hello and thanks for creating a place where I can be amongst fellow K812 Pro owners and enthusiasts. It's nice to be amongst my people!

Edit: Just wanted to add that I also own the K872s (essentially the closed back version of the K812s) and they are spectacular as well. Much of my listening is done in environments where the added isolation of a closed back can be helpful and the K812s impressed me so much that the K872s were practically a no brainer.

You should try removing the inner foam ring on the K872, I find that mod to make them sound incredible.

What are your current thoughts on the K812. I´m considering a new open-back, I saw the new Heddphones 2 as well, at $2000 they are still reasonable based on all the cables and accessories it comes with. I also saw the new Austrian Audio The composer, but at $2800 and basically no accesories I find it too expensive.

 

[pataburd]

From what I have surmised from early reviews, the HEDDphone 2 is not the sonic equivalent of the original [which I enjoyed very much].

 

[plakat]

You should try removing the inner foam ring on the K872, I find that mod to make them sound incredible.

What are your current thoughts on the K812. I´m considering a new open-back, I saw the new Heddphones 2 as well, at $2000 they are still reasonable based on all the cables and accessories it comes with. I also saw the new Austrian Audio The composer, but at $2800 and basically no accesories I find it too expensive.

Never tried the new Heddphone, to me it’s just too ugly and too heavy.
The Composer does come with 3 cables of different termination and a nice wooden box — unfortunately not quite usable for transport.
Soundwise the Composer does show family with the K812, but corrects several things I liked less with the K812: it presents bass that is definitely not overblown but reaches impressively deep while showing excellent resolution. It also keeps the brighter touch of the K812 while making treble much smoother. It also keeps and refines the already high sensitivity of the K812, making it very easy to drive.
Not quite cheap, but it offers sound quality that normally costs quite a bit more even.

 

[musicday]

You should try removing the inner foam ring on the K872, I find that mod to make them sound incredible.

What are your current thoughts on the K812. I´m considering a new open-back, I saw the new Heddphones 2 as well, at $2000 they are still reasonable based on all the cables and accessories it comes with. I also saw the new Austrian Audio The composer, but at $2800 and basically no accesories I find it too expensive.

The Composer comes with 3 cables included in the box, but no genuine leather earpads and that's a big shame I would say. Still quite expensive, but at least is easy to drive.

 

[plakat]

The Composer comes with 3 cables included in the box, but no genuine leather earpads and that's a big shame I would say. Still quite expensive, but at least is easy to drive.

I don't know about genuine leather vs. high quality pleather... the latter is said to be much better at withstanding sweat. There are qualities of pleather that actually cost more than real leather because they should last longer. In my experience good pleather is just as fine to wear as leather, so while I despise that whole vegan thing due to its religious bearing I'm quite happy with good quality pleather pads/headbands and would not see that as a quality problem.

The K812/K872 pads were much stiffer than the material used on the Composer, which feels really good, very soft against the skin. I guess I'll also try the alternative pads Austrian Audio wants to offer in 2024, but my actual nag is the cable lengths... I prefer 1,8-2m, the included cables are either 3m or 1.4m...

 

[jamesjames]

I don't know about genuine leather vs. high quality pleather... the latter is said to be much better at withstanding sweat. There are qualities of pleather that actually cost more than real leather because they should last longer. In my experience good pleather is just as fine to wear as leather, so while I despise that whole vegan thing due to its religious bearing I'm quite happy with good quality pleather pads/headbands and would not see that as a quality problem.

The K812/K872 pads were much stiffer than the material used on the Composer, which feels really good, very soft against the skin. I guess I'll also try the alternative pads Austrian Audio wants to offer in 2024, but my actual nag is the cable lengths... I prefer 1,8-2m, the included cables are either 3m or 1.4m...

I'm also not convinced there's anything in particular to be said in favour of leather. None of the phones I like (K812, HD800S, T1.1, ADX5000) use leather. I've owned (and sold) many with leather - and not found them more comfortable. In fact, the phones I've just mentioned are the most comfortable I know. I've always found the K812 to be very comfortable even though it's a little heavier than my other phones - the combination of geometry, clamping force and pads I guess. But I do find the pads very nice actually - and very effective over a long period - less prone to 'sag' than leather I suspect.

 

[John Buchanan]

Regarding the setting of the headband for secure wearing, I adjusted it for a tighter fit and the headphones stay put. I do have a big melon head, however. Use the adjusters to make the distance from the top of the headphones to the bottom of the earcups smaller. I expect that it may also allow a better bottom end as the earpads are more firmly applied, but still supremely comfortable.

 

[John Buchanan]

The AKG K812 is simply superb via the Merging Anubis Premium and Oratory1990's EQ settings. That slight brightness is gone, leaving a headphone with huge dynamics, great soundstage and even tone throughout the frequency response. The AKG team responsible for this and the Mysphere 3 really know what they are doing.

 

[RuslanG]

The AKG K812 is simply superb via the Merging Anubis Premium and Oratory1990'2 EQ settings. That slight brightness is gone, leaving a headphone with huge dynamics, great soundstage and even tone throughout the frequency response. The AKG team responsible for this and the Mysphere 3 really know what they are doing.

This brightness is really slight, but it has become a catch for many detractors. On the other hand, this slight brightness gives the sound a certain solemnity - you put on headphones and wait when anthem to play

 

[JAnonymous5150]

This brightness is really slight, but it has become a catch for many detractors. On the other hand, this slight brightness gives the sound a certain solemnity - you put on headphones and wait when anthem to play

FWIW, I actually quite enjoy the stock tuning on my K812s. When it comes to headphones I enjoy having that kind of neutral-bright, very revealing signature available. I have tried Oratory 's EQ profile (the one the poster above you mentions) and, while I can see why some folks would prefer that tuning, I find it to be a step back. The K812s were meant to be revealing headphones for critical listening and studio applications and they nail that purpose right out of the box, IMO.

 

[jamesjames]

FWIW, I actually quite enjoy the stock tuning on my K812s. When it comes to headphones I enjoy having that kind of neutral-bright, very revealing signature available. I have tried Oratory 's EQ profile (the one the poster above you mentions) and, while I can see why some folks would prefer that tuning, I find it to be a step back. The K812s were meant to be revealing headphones for critical listening and studio applications and they nail that purpose right out of the box, IMO.

Well said.

 

[headphonefranz]

If someone hears a sound signature that presents the upper end in a fashion too bright for their ears - the 2 main options are either EQ, or find a pair with stock tuning that has the right qualities for their hearing.

Personally, I find the presentation of treble (simplistically speaking) very beautiful on the AKG812 - it’s a defined and nuanced upper end that supports the creation of a satisfying soundstage and for me, I love the ethereal note that comes with it.

Having the AKG872 (which I love too) - also helps me understand and appreciate what the 812 do with the high frequencies. But without a doubt, these are neutral-bright HPs - and ones with a well conceived and implemented bass / lower end presentation. The one real danger they face is becoming V Shaped - but no - the mids are muscular, musical and weighty.

It was love and thrills at first hearing for me. No EQ. Classics.

 

[John Buchanan]

Where I find that Oratory1990's EQ useful is to iron out a peak in the K812s reproduction of piano. It makes the keyboard sound true to live sound Piano is notoriously difficult to reproduce accurately, and all of my headphones had this problem (a note or 2 standing proud of the rest) with various amplifiers and it now isn't a problem with any of them.
I used to be a purist ( i.e. we don't want any flamin' EQ ever), but I'm absolutely sold now. EQ completely transformed the Mysphere 3.2.

 

[headphonefranz]

Where I find that Oratory1990's EQ useful is to iron out a peak in the K812s reproduction of piano. It makes the keyboard sound true to live sound Piano is notoriously difficult to reproduce accurately, and all of my headphones had this problem (a note or 2 standing proud of the rest) with various amplifiers and it now isn't a problem with any of them.
I used to be a purist ( i.e. we don't want any flamin' EQ ever), but I'm absolutely sold now. EQ completely transformed the Mysphere 3.2.

I'm not an anti-EQ purist and if you find an EQ solution for an offending frequency response, the main thing is to hear the music the way it works for you.

Do you have a piece of piano music (or two) where the 812 suffered from that peak that irritated you? I'd like to check it out for myself.

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Having the AKG872 (which I love too)

Same here. The K872s are also quite good and, while they share some common sonic DNA with the K812s, they definitely have some key differences that give them their own unique presentation and vibe. They're definitely one of my favorite closed backs.

Edit: For the record, I'm also not anti-EQ. Yes, I prefer not using EQ and enjoy finding and using headphones with stock tunings that offer a great experience. That said, I am very competent in creating my own EQ profiles and often experiment with others when I find a pair that offers performance I want to keep, but need some help to sound there best, then I'm certainly not opposed to employing it. I just meant that in the case of the K812, I have found that EQ tends to detract from the properties that I enjoy most about them.