AKGK612PRO Open-Back Over-Ear Premium Reference Studio Headphones

Having had Sennheiser HD598 I was looking for a more accurate and less warm sound. The HD598 are very good headphones but I find the AKG 612 even better for my taste. I listen mainly to classical music of all genres, also some jazz, so I thought I would try these headphones out, and I am so glad that I did. They have a slightly narrower soundstage than the HD598 but very good and stable imaging and more detail retrieval because of the lack of extra warmth which is one of the characteristics of the Sennheiser sound. With the K612 you more or less hear the actual recording with no added effects, because they have a pretty flat and neutral sound quality. That doesn't mean that they sound lifeless, far from it! It all depends on the music coming through them. Many reviews of these headphones state that you can't use them with an iPod even with a portable headphone amplifier and get good results. Well, I listen on my iPod classic with a little Topping NX-1 connected via an LOD L9 to bypass the iPod's internal amp and with the NX-1 on high gain I never need to go above 7/10 on the volume control. What I like most about this combination is the fine detail and the scale of instruments in an orchestral piece, because they sound like they do in a concert hall. Acoustic instruments are especially well presented, and drums really sound great with a natural reverberation and decay. Contrary to many reviews on head-fi.org. these headphones can be used for listening for pleasure, not just in a recording studio! They will obviously sound better on better equipment such as a top of the range DAP with a strong amp such as a Cayin C5, but they can also sound very good on a more modest setup. I have tried them through my hi-fi system and they sound much better than any of my other headphones ever did when listening to CDs . At the current price of £88 they are a real bargain, and Amazon have a very fair returns policy if you find that you don't like them.

Got these in a Lightning sale over Christmas for about £70. They were worth every penny and more. Amazing clean sound. Good but not overpowering bass. Fairly comfortable, light weight, with a long cable. Build quality is good, not amazing, but for the price, even at £100 its what I'd expect.Warning! They will need an amp, most on-motherboard soundcards will not have enough power to run them at a good volume, although its quite possible dedicated soundcards will be fine. I don't believe they will work well on phones or portable devices without an amp. Personally I'd recommend the "SMSL SD 793II DAC" Headphone Amp, which is a great little DAC/Amp you can find for about £45. It needs a power point, so its not portable but this amp paired with the headphones gives a really fantastic sound.These are also open backed headphones which helps create the open soundstage these headphones have, it also means they leak sound, people will hear your music! And you can also hear what other people are saying, which isn't a bad thing, depending on the environment you are using them in.Bottom line: These are good audiophile quality headphones at a really affordable price. Take a look around the web for reviews, you'll find almost nothing bad said about them.

These headphones are very comfortable, with plenty of room for my ears. The voices are extremely clear, but the bass is lacking (probably due to the open design).I'm very pleased by these, and the price seems reasonable.I bought a FiiO Olympus 2 to drive these, though the headphones are generally loud enough with just my computers inbuilt sound. Though I don't regret buying the DAC.The only headphones I have previously owned are the ATH-M50s, which are a closed design, with much more bass, but definitely no where near as comfortable.The fact that these are open means that I can hear people around me talking, and they can kind of hear me listening to music. Though the sound leakage is not loud enough to be heard through walls.I bought these from Absolute Music Solutions on Amazon. The delivery was quick, and the box was still in reasonable condition.

Sound quality was fine when I first got them. The sound on one side started to become inconsistent after about a month and gradually got worse until the sound failed completely.

The only thing these headphones excel at is the bass. I think the quality of the bass is one of the better dynamic driver bass I've heard.Unfortunately the treble gives me a headache and there isn't any real detail retrieval. The separation is good but mid-fi at best.I appreciate the soundstage and it sounds great with the right recordings, but it's not very resolving, and struggles with loud and complex music.Make sure you feed this thing with enough power, you can get good volume out of anything but remember, volume isn't everything. I recommend it with fiio k5 pro medium gain mode.B tier.

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.

These sound great. Crystal clear, great tuning, and amazing for the price. My pair were refurbished and sadly broke within a couple weeks, but the headphones themselves are a very good budget option for producers.