Maybe you've already seen this video of the guy opening the box of the 812 as if it were his new inflatable doll. Almost 11 minutes to unpack a pair of headphones I'm afraid there's going to be a tide of fanboys raving for the thing like flies going to the honey.

 

http://youtu.be/BwN6UDZIupQ

 

"the cavity in here is really wide, so it should give you a really spacious sound."

Tyll, do they sound much different than the K 701, then? Are they easier to drive?

"the cavity in here is really wide, so it should give you a really spacious sound."

Antonio wasn't kidding about the inflatable doll part ;-)

Tyll, do they sound much different than the K 701, then? Are they easier to drive?

 

 

They're pretty inefficient as I recall. Overall balance is better than the 701, but it's tizzier too.

Antonio wasn't kidding about the inflatable doll part ;-)

Nope, he really seemed as though he wanted the headphones for something else than listening to the beautiful beautiful music.

 

They're pretty inefficient as I recall. Overall balance is better than the 701, but it's tizzier too.

Tizzier than the 701?   I think I'm not going to like that.

Tizzier than the 701?   I think I'm not going to like that.

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.  Oh well, it saves me a whack of money on the bright side. 

I don't find the 701 tizzy, just bright. 

 

Take a look at the 701 measurements here. Leading edge spike of the 300Hz square wave is distinct (though too high) and has relatively little subsequent ringing...there is a bit.

 

But then take a look at the K812 measurements here. Leading edge of the 300Hz square wave is all over the place as is the impulse response.

Thanks for the plots. I don't like very much the response peaks at 5, 8 and 10KHz, nor the impulse response, or the square waves for that matter, we've seen better and way better on cheaper, less pretentious cans.

Plus the distortion in the bass is really piss poor...almost as bad as the Shure headphones.

Thanks Tyll, I'm sticking with my 702 65th.

They're pretty inefficient as I recall. Overall balance is better than the 701, but it's tizzier too.

 

Thanks, Tyll!

Definitely some unexpected measurements on them.  I'd like to take a listen to them at some point but I can't say I'm in a real hurry to do so based on the impressions & measurements so far.

Are you going to be reviewing them over at your site Tyll?

Ya know, AKG comes out with a brand new can that's ToTL...that's big news...how can I not.

 

OTOH, I hate writing bad reviews.

 

OTOH, maybe if I did they'd get their shit together and start trickling down the work that Sean Olive is doing faster.

 

OTOH, fuck...I got better things to review.

 

OTOH, WTF were they thinking?

 

 

 

Fuck...I sorta don't know what to do...

 

 

What do you guys think?

I think it's time to start drinking.   

Edited December 14, 201312 yr by aerius

Ya know, AKG comes out with a brand new can that's ToTL...that's big news...how can I not.

 

OTOH, I hate writing bad reviews.

 

OTOH, maybe if I did they'd get their shit together and start trickling down the work that Sean Olive is doing faster.

 

OTOH, fuck...I got better things to review.

 

OTOH, WTF were they thinking?

 

 

 

Fuck...I sorta don't know what to do...

 

 

What do you guys think?

 

If they're bad, then consumers should know about it. Dropping $1500 on crappy headphones really would suck.

Damn with faint praise?, Show that you can get much better for the price? Isn't that how competition works (a perfect market requires perfect information, and all)

You did with Ultrasone, Tyll......but that was Ultrasone.  Usually AKG is cooler that that......I'd still say the truth needs to be told.....

Brutal honesty is my drug of choice.    The idiots on HF seem not to appreciate it though... 

Tyll, you have a reputation which most long time headphone aficionados know of and respect. IMHO you have to honor it being honest and giving your opinion. You're not a sell out nor a shill, so probably the way to go is saying what you think. OTOH it's a well known fact that Stereophile, Innerfidelity editors try not to piss off large (or not that large but publicity space paying) brands with bad reviews, so they just don't write them. Maybe just acknowledging you've used the cans, you've measured them and that you are refusing to write the full review, is enough for those in the knowledge.

Edited December 14, 201312 yr by Torpedo

Well Tyll, you did the headphone community a great service by reviewing the craptastic Ultrasone Edition 10, and they were kind of a big deal. How bad could these be?

Oops! Just noticed skullguise's post. So yeah, what he said.

I think you should write the review and then let AKG request that you change it, and then you can say that you'll change it when they change the headphone.

 

Of course, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

Write to AKG.Maybe it's a QA problem they can fix.

Write to AKG.Maybe it's a QA problem they can fix.

 

 

That may be worth a try.

 

I think I'm just gonna drop the measurements here and there and let the hobby sort it out.  I'll make a mention in my next Update, but I think that's it unless I get a new pair that are better.