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oxpsyxo t1_j5hrt2b wrote

The AKG701 / AKG 712 Pro are a more neutral sounding, restrained and mellow headphone than the DT 990.

Some people find the DT 990 to be to bright, a little fatiguing for long sessions, and a bit uneven, and the AKG 701/712 offers a good, clear, and wide headset that still focuses predominantly in areas of treble without being as forward or overtly present.

The 701/712 has a recessed tuning on all areas of Bass which results on a sense of "Forward" presentation for vocals, strings, and cymbals. As a result, it makes for a headphone that at lower volumes can feel like it's lacking in excitement and as a result they can be a little boring.

They do have a healthy amount of sound reproduction and authenticity with above average soundstage which as made them popular for things outside of music, like media consumption (youtube, podcasts, anime, and video games) as content requiring space, speaking, and clarity are well expressed within the AKG 701/712.

The DT 990 ends up being the more "Fun" headphone, and while AKG would love to replace the DT 990 as your budget studio headphone, they don't really fill the same needs.

That said, they are not DRASTICALLY different in general profile~ I'd say the K701 is less forgiving than the DT 990 and cares more about source clarity and will let you hear a good bit of transparency in your equipment and sound, while the DT990 will bring it forward, enthuse a listener a bit more, and amp up the treble at average listening in a way that's a little unnatural but not oppressive in most tracks.

If you LIKE the DT 990, and are looking for a step up, the AKG 701/712 is not going to be a suitable jump for you. Beyerdynamic headphones have a distinct sound profile among their equipment that isn't often done better than their own in-house stuff.

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[deleted] OP t1_j5hu80r wrote

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oxpsyxo t1_j5hw3a4 wrote

Between the 701 & 712, the 712 receives more attention~

I'm not in music production, reviews, or an industry that really would benefit from the traits that really allow the 701 to shine; it's own invisibility.

I bought the 701 during a time where I was experimenting with sound in the absence of EQ, looking for something that would enchant me. They fall into a very comfortable middle ground, a safe side grade option against the HD6XX series of headphones.

The K712 turns up with some quality of life improvements with more comfortable cups; the faintest darker sound, and a bit more spice; like adding a pinch of salt to bland food.

It doesn't RADICALLY change the K7XX series, it tunes it a bit to warm it up a little.

Between the 701, 712 Pro, and DT 990, if I was getting in the game, and could only take one, I'd go with the DT 990 for music, it's just a lot more fun to actually listen to things with. If I needed a versatile headphone for things alongside music; watching youtube, TV, Laptop sound, some games, then Probably the Q701/K701.

It's transparency means you get a very 'true to life' feel for sound that is not so much anemic as much as it is... "Straight up", You get what you get and nothing more, which IS valuable to some people.

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[deleted] OP t1_j5hx72c wrote

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RubenRag t1_j5hzblw wrote

I owned a 712 for about a year, they didn’t get a lot of use, comfort and soundstage are good and I’m a sucker for orange, everything else is uneventful, it’s not bad by any means, but not a set that grabbed me

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oxpsyxo t1_j5i6jxj wrote

The nature of good transparent headphones is that they're absolutely boring, agreed! I think people come to appreciate those sorts of sets later in life as hearing goes and things get muddied, keeping things separated, clean, and resolving tends to shine there~

Like putting on glasses as vison grows poor!

That said, I think everyone would benefit from at least one set of GOOD transparent headphones so they have something to compare against; a "Control" so to speak so you can reference what some of the wonkier Frequency responses sound like in comparison to just "Transparent" sound

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Efficient_Truth_9461 t1_j5ienye wrote

Really good, detailed answer, homie. Looking for a direct upgrade can be really complicated and it feels bad when it's not what you're looking for

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atyne_mar t1_j5izvil wrote

I don't know what exactly are you looking for but when it comes to bass, DT990 and K702 are similar in terms of dynamics. The difference is the bass on DT990 is a bloated muddy mess while K702 is rather neutral. K712's bass is similarly neutral to K702 but it sounds noticeably more dynamic/engaging and more refined in the treble.

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wonko1980 t1_j5in9kt wrote

I own the K702 and it’s almost perfect for me. Of course it’s not invented to be a bass heavy headphone, but it’s very enjoyable the way it is … but:

  • Get some nice pads for it. I decided to get Yaxi pads and sound and comfort improved.
  • Don’t get the K701 because of the fixed cable. Get the identical K702 and an aftermarket cable (from Beyerdynamic)
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klogg4 t1_j5im3dv wrote

AKG is a good base for equalization in my experience. They're less bassy but their bass is lower distortion so they're better to EQ.

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