In this review, we’ll analyze the sound objectively and figure out if it’s worth a purchase.
If it’s not, I will give you a fantastic alternative.
Deal?
Great! Let’s dive in.
Greetings bass head and Welcome aboard. Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music, all over again, so…
At A Glance
Preview
Great for Film
Title
AKG Pro Audio K612PRO, Black, 4.30 x 8.80 x 9.80 inches (2458X00100)
Starting things off, the K612 continues in the same vein as the others in the line: it’s light and nimble, opting for mostly plastic with a metal grid for the open back portion (seen above), leather headband padding, soft velour cushioning for the ear cups, and that awesome hammock style self-adjusting headband we all love.
Just put it on your melon and let it do the work for you.
The cable is not detachable, terminates in a 3.5mm jack, and comes with a screw-on 1/4″ adapter. I’ve never had an issue with it malfunctioning, but there are reports out there to the contrary so do keep it in mind.
The overall package is pretty bare bones, though because this is meant for the studio, you’re likely not going to be transporting it much.
Even so, a soft mesh drawstring carry bag would have been nice.
Despite that minor nitpick, AKG’s incredibly well-designed ring mounting system means swapping pads is a breeze with a simple counter-clockwise turn.
I don’t have a video for the 612 specifically, but the K702 employs the same great design too.
Check out this video I made for you on how to do it.
Because of the aforementioned hammock adjustment + their lightweight profile, comfort is exemplary and you’ll hardly be adjusting these – even over extended listening periods.
The clamping force is just about perfect, and the cups, while round, are generally open, large, and spacious enough to prevent problems down the road. They’re not as soft as the K712’s pads, but not quite as stiff as the 702’s.
The headband, even without padding doesn’t intrude on the top of your melon due to the 612’s featherweight profile.
Legend has it that the bumps on the underside of the original Austrian models left indentations in people’s heads! I can’t say one way or another as I’ve only ever owned the Chinese versions, but it’s something to think about.
Put simply, these are incredibly comfortable and I can’t recommend them enough in that regard.
Amplification
The 612 is a bit harder to drive at 120 Ohm Impedance and 88dB/mW Sensitivity, vs. 62 Ohm and around 91 for its K702 sibling.
In other words, you’ll find yourself turning the dial on the amp a little more to get them pumping.
This could also be an issue depending on the amp. I’d go with a FiiO K5 Pro,K7, or ATOM 2 to be on the safe side.
Plenty of power, lots of features, all sound great.
DON’T OVERTHINK IT!
I still wouldn’t say this line of headphones is all that power-hungry, but you will want to invest in some sort of amp/dac.
To start, the K612 employs AKG’s Varimotion™ 2-layer diaphragm; a unique design used in their microphones and headphones, featuring a diaphragm with varying thickness across its surface.
The two-layer structure allows for enhanced control over sound reproduction, with the thinner sections improving high-frequency response and the thicker areas providing better bass response and durability. This design helps achieve a more balanced, natural sound by optimizing the diaphragm’s performance across the entire frequency range.
In addition, the driver matching here is excellent and ranks among the best I’ve heard.
Despite all that, it seems like every time I go back to these headphones, I almost immediately take them off and want to listen to something else.
I’ve had a K702 since 2019 and recently sold the K612. Before selling it, I found it was starting to collect dust; a sure-fire sign that it needed to go.
I reasoned that the sound signature, while incredibly flat, is also incredibly dull and boring; similar to Sennheiser’s HD500 lineup.
There’s little excitement to the music; it sounds dry.
It has just the right amount of emphasis on the mid-range, and the treble sparkles without becoming too sharp or essy.
The K612, by contrast, doesn’t know exactly what it wants to be, which results in the frequency kind of getting lost and sounding directionless.
Everything after 1k and going into the treble sort of weirdly melds together like fondue but doesn’t hit with purpose.
Moreover, Total Harmonic Distortion, despite being low from a technical standpoint, doesn’t translate for me. The sound is still too warm and gooey and blankety and wooly and clammy and hazy for its own good.
In other words, resolution should be much better than this and I was fairly disappointed.
The 702 by contrast is completely sure of itself and what it’s trying to be, as the roughly 3-5dB rise at around 2kHz is just about perfect for some added vocal and instrument presence.
Despite not being ideal for most things, I do think the 612 works incredibly well when you’re just kicking back maxing and relaxing on the couch.
Speaking of, check out this shameless plug – my kick back and relax homie t-shirt. Listen to music in style and a variety of colors. Act now while supplies last!
Seriously though,
when I first purchased a 612 and 702 and started listening, before looking at any graphs, I found myself consistently reaching for a 612 when I sat down to watch a film.
This completely goes hand in hand with how it sounds; it’s laid back, relaxed, and warm – something I likely subconsciously crave when I’m winding down after a long day.
By contrast,
I’m reaching for a 702 when I’m gaming, listening to music, or EQing a track because it’s snappier, livelier, more open, and revealing.
It’s a headphone for high-alert situations and engaging music; something you prefer most of the time when you’re digging through the crates or browsing Spotify and Tidal.
It almost perfectly encapsulates the entire genre spectrum; I can listen to pretty much any type of music with it and be completely enamored.
Looking at a graph of the 612, by contrast, reveals pretty much exactly what it sounds like – borderline too flat.
I find that when I’m listening to music with a 612, I sort of just shrug my shoulders most of the time.
There’s nothing about the experience that gets me excited or keeps me engaged all that much.
Put another way,
the great thing about the 612 is that everything sounds right.
The not-so-great thing about the 612 is that everything sounds right. Lol.
An analogy would be like eating white rice for lunch with nothing else.
No butter, no salt and pepper, no chicken, no sauces, no vegetables, nothing.
Just white rice. It may satiate you, but you’re not going to enjoy it all that much.
Unless of course, you’re a f’ing weirdo like me. I <3 plain white rice.
It’s like that girl who’s everything you want on paper, but actually spending time with her ends up being incredibly drab and dull.
Lifeless. She has no personality, no color. No character.
Hanging out with her is a tedious endeavor and thus a waste of your time. Your heart’s not in it. You like her, but you’re not in love with her.
I think if more people treated their headphone relationships like their love lives, there would be fewer divorces and breakups.
You don’t like a headphone? Move on, regardless of what others think of your decision.
As for mine? Cutting ties with the 612 was incredibly easy for me.
Cutting ties with a girl I’m not fully invested in also happens to be as well. I’d rather not waste my time or hers. It’s a sign of respect, both for yourself and for her if you’re not 100% invested.
Final Verdict
I prefer the K702 over the 612 for sure and recommend most people invest in one.
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Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this AKG K612 Review & Discussion, and came away with some valuable insight.
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What do YOU think about the 612? Is the K702 the better headphone? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
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Photo Gallery
AKG K612
4.4
Build
4.7/5
Sound
3.5/5
Comfort
5.0/5
Pros
Incredibly comfortable.
Natural Sounding.
Built well despite being lightweight.
Good for gaming and film.
Good for reference and easy to mix with.
Cons
Dull, and boring. A bit too flat. No life.
Sound can sometimes come across as wooly, clammy, etc.
Stu is determined to help you make sound decisions, and strives to deliver the best and most in depth content on the internet! In his spare time, he likes to fish, paint, play guitar, pray, rap, make beats, take photos, record videos, graphic design, and more. His sense of humour, coupled with a knack for excellence and strict attention to detail are what allow him to stand out in an crowded industry.
Hey Stu, new reader/viewer here. Great great stuff!
So… if the K612 is flat and boring, and everything sounds right with it , how does it compare to a k702 exclusively for Mixing? Or should I get the 702?
Thanks!
I’d personally still get the K702. In my experience, there’s not enough discrepancy between frequencies on the K612. In other words, stuff tends to run together and sounds kind of blurred almost if that makes sense. The K702 has a snappier character and I like it better for picking out small nuances and details.
This is my own opinion and experience. Others may disagree with me and that’s fine.
I’ll put it to you this way: The K612 is in a cardboard box waiting to be sold on eBay and shipped. The K702 is on my head and remains there pretty much daily. 🙂
Hope that helps! Check out the K702 review as well.
Hey thanks for answering! I was thinking the K612 might be sort of like some monitors that sound so lifeless, that are actually good for mixing.
I’m sure either option would work to some degree, but I want to make the best possible decision. I’m thinking of just getting the k702.
Also, I’m not sure if you’d be able to help: would either the k612 or the k702 be easily driven by a Tascam console from the 80s or similar? (tascam m30)
Thanks again!
Not too sure about the m30 as I haven’t tried that one. Do you have any power output specs?
And no, not in my experience per K612. As mentioned previously, the sound is lifeless but also stuff tends to get jumbled together. With the K702 you’re getting much more clarity at every frequency. Yes, you may have to undercompensate around 2kHz because there’s about a 5dB bump there, but the 702 in my mind is just light years better than a 612. Again, my 612 collects dust and I have it for sale on eBay. Every time I go back and try it thinking maybe I misjudged it, I end up hating it even more lol. That’s in part why I finally decided to dump it.
Again, others may disagree here but that’s my word and I’m sticking to it. xD
Hey! I checked the manual for the tascam mixer and for headphones it says: “Maximum power before clipping is 100 mW, and output load impedance is 8 ohms”. But I’m a noob and have no idea how to interpret that lol.
I’ve been reading lots of reviews on the k612 and it really blows my mind that you hate it haha what amp did you use with it? There’s a huge k612/k601 thread on head-fi and through the 150 pages they keep repeating that they have to be properly driven to really sound right. (they also talk about 702 pads on a 612, maybe a sacrilege for you!)
Also, maybe a veeery general question, but do you know if either the k612 / k702 would work with a vintage receiver? (late 60s, early 70s)
Well, that’s your first problem lol. That “properly driven” stuff is just so over-exaggerated in my opinion. It’s what’s caused there to be more amps than there are #2 pencils. In other words, to me, it’s almost equivalent to a money-making scam after demoing 55+ of them. Amps nowadays are a dime a dozen.
If you subscribe to that, which is every bit your right to do, then in my opinion expect to be disappointed when those claims don’t actually pan out or turn out anything as you’d hoped. In other words, you’ll be satisfied for a while (maybe) while simultaneously looking for your next setup. Guaranteed. I’d almost bet my life on it and have talked to people who have done this.
In other words, the reality is often disappointing. 99% of amps out there drive headphones perfectly fine and the sound differences between them are so incredibly minuscule that in the end, you’ll likely find it was a complete waste of time in dedicating so much time to it. That or you just like the hobby which is also cool.
Again, these are just my opinions. You can buy whatever you want. I’ve used the K612 with pretty much everything I have here and I don’t like its sound signature. It’s boring and dull. It has nothing to do with the amp. hip-dac/hip-dac 2, Gryphon, Zen, Zen V2, K5 Pro, BTR5, etc. It doesn’t matter that much. If those people are telling me that a 612 needs something so uber specific to sound good, then I don’t want to own the headphone in the first place as it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I personally prefer the K702.
Yes, I get passionate about this. I warned you! 😛
And my pleasure!
As far as receivers, I’d stick to higher impedance cans like the HD600 and generally don’t plug low impedance stuff into my receiver.
As far as the Tascam, 100mW from a Tascam sounds fine, but it doesn’t specify Impedance load which is very helpful. Still, I’d say that’s more than enough. A 600 Ohm K240 requires about 88mW from an amp.
PeteDecember 3, 2022 - 7:31 pm
Why do people keep reviewing STUDIO headphones and beating them down for sounding the way they do.. They are meant to.. They’re designed for mixing, tracking and monitoring, not enjoying your music collection on Spotify.
I bought a K612 pro and I felt some bass distortion and sizzling in the bass of some of the songs I listened to from deezer. I don’t have an amp yet. I’m listening from the output of my phone. Is it because I’m listening to it without an amp, or are my headphones broken
In all seriousness, it could be the track itself or the fact that the K612 really shouldn’t be driven out of a phone and needs adequate amplification. I would get an amp and see what you think but yeah, I’m not personally a fan of the 612 and that fuzz to me is apparent over the entirety of the sound signature. In other words, it just sounds bad to me and always has. I’ve given it 2+ years of on and off testing and demo and I eventually sold it.
10 comments
Hey Stu, new reader/viewer here. Great great stuff!
So… if the K612 is flat and boring, and everything sounds right with it , how does it compare to a k702 exclusively for Mixing? Or should I get the 702?
Thanks!
Hey man! Glad to have you on board.
I’d personally still get the K702. In my experience, there’s not enough discrepancy between frequencies on the K612. In other words, stuff tends to run together and sounds kind of blurred almost if that makes sense. The K702 has a snappier character and I like it better for picking out small nuances and details.
This is my own opinion and experience. Others may disagree with me and that’s fine.
I’ll put it to you this way: The K612 is in a cardboard box waiting to be sold on eBay and shipped. The K702 is on my head and remains there pretty much daily. 🙂
Hope that helps! Check out the K702 review as well.
Hey thanks for answering! I was thinking the K612 might be sort of like some monitors that sound so lifeless, that are actually good for mixing.
I’m sure either option would work to some degree, but I want to make the best possible decision. I’m thinking of just getting the k702.
Also, I’m not sure if you’d be able to help: would either the k612 or the k702 be easily driven by a Tascam console from the 80s or similar? (tascam m30)
Thanks again!
Hey man my pleasure!
Not too sure about the m30 as I haven’t tried that one. Do you have any power output specs?
And no, not in my experience per K612. As mentioned previously, the sound is lifeless but also stuff tends to get jumbled together. With the K702 you’re getting much more clarity at every frequency. Yes, you may have to undercompensate around 2kHz because there’s about a 5dB bump there, but the 702 in my mind is just light years better than a 612. Again, my 612 collects dust and I have it for sale on eBay. Every time I go back and try it thinking maybe I misjudged it, I end up hating it even more lol. That’s in part why I finally decided to dump it.
Again, others may disagree here but that’s my word and I’m sticking to it. xD
Keep me posted!
Hey! I checked the manual for the tascam mixer and for headphones it says: “Maximum power before clipping is 100 mW, and output load impedance is 8 ohms”. But I’m a noob and have no idea how to interpret that lol.
I’ve been reading lots of reviews on the k612 and it really blows my mind that you hate it haha what amp did you use with it? There’s a huge k612/k601 thread on head-fi and through the 150 pages they keep repeating that they have to be properly driven to really sound right. (they also talk about 702 pads on a 612, maybe a sacrilege for you!)
Also, maybe a veeery general question, but do you know if either the k612 / k702 would work with a vintage receiver? (late 60s, early 70s)
Thanks again for the help!
Oh no, you’ve opened a can of worms. xD
“There’s a huge thread on Head-Fi.”
Well, that’s your first problem lol. That “properly driven” stuff is just so over-exaggerated in my opinion. It’s what’s caused there to be more amps than there are #2 pencils. In other words, to me, it’s almost equivalent to a money-making scam after demoing 55+ of them. Amps nowadays are a dime a dozen.
If you subscribe to that, which is every bit your right to do, then in my opinion expect to be disappointed when those claims don’t actually pan out or turn out anything as you’d hoped. In other words, you’ll be satisfied for a while (maybe) while simultaneously looking for your next setup. Guaranteed. I’d almost bet my life on it and have talked to people who have done this.
In other words, the reality is often disappointing. 99% of amps out there drive headphones perfectly fine and the sound differences between them are so incredibly minuscule that in the end, you’ll likely find it was a complete waste of time in dedicating so much time to it. That or you just like the hobby which is also cool.
Again, these are just my opinions. You can buy whatever you want. I’ve used the K612 with pretty much everything I have here and I don’t like its sound signature. It’s boring and dull. It has nothing to do with the amp. hip-dac/hip-dac 2, Gryphon, Zen, Zen V2, K5 Pro, BTR5, etc. It doesn’t matter that much. If those people are telling me that a 612 needs something so uber specific to sound good, then I don’t want to own the headphone in the first place as it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I personally prefer the K702.
Yes, I get passionate about this. I warned you! 😛
And my pleasure!
As far as receivers, I’d stick to higher impedance cans like the HD600 and generally don’t plug low impedance stuff into my receiver.
As far as the Tascam, 100mW from a Tascam sounds fine, but it doesn’t specify Impedance load which is very helpful. Still, I’d say that’s more than enough. A 600 Ohm K240 requires about 88mW from an amp.
Why do people keep reviewing STUDIO headphones and beating them down for sounding the way they do.. They are meant to.. They’re designed for mixing, tracking and monitoring, not enjoying your music collection on Spotify.
Same goes for the YouTube video you linked.
Infuriating waste of time and misleading
I bought a K612 pro and I felt some bass distortion and sizzling in the bass of some of the songs I listened to from deezer. I don’t have an amp yet. I’m listening from the output of my phone. Is it because I’m listening to it without an amp, or are my headphones broken
It’s because the headphone f’ing sucks lol.
In all seriousness, it could be the track itself or the fact that the K612 really shouldn’t be driven out of a phone and needs adequate amplification. I would get an amp and see what you think but yeah, I’m not personally a fan of the 612 and that fuzz to me is apparent over the entirety of the sound signature. In other words, it just sounds bad to me and always has. I’ve given it 2+ years of on and off testing and demo and I eventually sold it.