AKG K812
My brother and I were looking to step up our audio-enthusiast "game" for some time. But despite our careful planning, there was always something that would prevent us from investing in this hobby of ours. Up until November and Black Friday sales came, where after rigorous research and browsing we managed to find two contestants, that would mean the first step in our "Summit-fi" headphone journey. One was Beyerdynamic T1v2 and the other the AKG K812. After doing an extensive research we decided that the K812 seems to be the closest to our preferred sound signature. -On the side note, there were some off putting reviews on both of the chosen headphones-
The AKG K812 Pro
Aesthetically these headphone retained a lot of AKG design elements, they feel and look as a premium high-end product. The cable is the only component that does not feel premium "out of the box", but given some time I have grown to love it. It is light, flexible and straightens out quite easily. Important, these headphones are low impedance and high sensitivity -these have a very low Max. Power rating with 300mW, so you have to be careful if using with a high-powered amp-, so you can run them literally off any equipment. My iBasso DX90 is able to run them just fine on highest gain settings -although they definitely benefit from a good amp. I also have to mention that these headphones come packaged with a real wood high end "omega" shaped headphone stand. It is a nice gesture from AKG.
I would not suggest taking these on the go. I tried to take them on a walk and they looked and felt awkward on my head, not mentioning that they are as open as open headphones can be. They leak sound and you can hear everything happening around you. Also I could imagine having them with me on my holidays -nothing is better, than listening to your favorite music on your favorite headphones on a quiet, sunshiny beach. Pure relaxation.
The sound signature
The K812 is one of the most neutral headphones I've ever had a chance to listen to -neutral, not boring.
There high end on these is quite resolving and has a great amount of detail. Although they could sound a bit harsh and strident at times, this was not the case for the majority of the music I have. I did not notice a definite pattern for the tendency of occasional harshness. I have seen some reviews saying that this happens when a song has a great amount treble information. I can not definitely confirm that.
Although these headphones are not bass monsters, still the bass has decent ammount extension, presence and tightness to it. If you are looking for a thick, thumping bass, this is not a headphone for you and you should look towards buying the Audioquest Nighthawk -or Fostex THX00. Both of those have a a very "meaty" bass with great extension and detail.
Mid range is smooth, with a bit of forwardness to it. Female and male vocals sound equally great with excellent tonality, texture and clarity. These headphones are also the best -I heard so far(CanJam London 2017 Here I come!)- for listening anything containing string instruments -Chordophones-
It is important to mention that the K812 has a great soundstage coupled with almost "Holographic" imaging presentation. Before buying the headphones I could not imagine what other reviewers meant when talking about "holographic" imaging. But, now I know. Trust me! you want this.
For closing thoughts I would like to say, that never in my life I enjoyed listening to music as much as I do since my brother and I purchased our first pair of Summit-Fi (HI-FI) headphones. I spend more time listening to music than I ever did before. I am wondering since; If our experiences define us, than how can an experience of this magnitude change us and our perception of ourself, and the world around us.
Equipment used for evaluation:
Source material: lossless FLAC tracks with Dynamic Range of at least 10(16/44, 24/48, 24/92, 24/192 material)
Playback sources: Fiio X5 Gen1, Ibasso DX90
Amps: Fiio A1, Aune B1, Behringer Microamp HA400, DarkVoice 336SE
Headphones: AKG K812, Focal Elear, Sennheiser HD598, Sennheiser Momentum 1st gen, Koss Porta Pro, Hifiman RE00, Takstar HI 2050, Skullcandy Mixmaster.