AKGPro Audio K872 Master Reference, Closed-Back, Studio Headphones

My wife likes to listen to the birds and the bees so for me closed back headphones are the only option. My previous pair, the Denon 5000’s, I still use though in comparison they do sound slightly base heavy, but being easy to drive they cope well without an amp/dac and sound beautiful. And also a pair of B&W P5’s. But the AKG’s are on another level, the width of the soundstage, ones immersion, and the definition of the instruments is better. I use the base drum to judge low end clarity and with the AKG’s there’s no problem in that area, the sound rings clear, with no ‘flabbiness’. The reproduction through these headphones to me is quite satisfying and I am a musician, used to play in Big Bands. When lounging on the couch I use the Denon’s, an iPad Air and YouTube for popular and ‘oldies’ music. But for other listening its the AKG’s, an iMac, a JDL Labs Element amp/dac, (which does add an extra something), and Amazon Music HD, mainly instrumental jazz of all types. With the AKG setup the musical reproduction is almost a spiritual experience. The Idealist philosopher Georg WF Hegel thought we might best glimpse ‘What Is’ through the study of Art, or Religion or Philosophy, but we should add Music to this, not that the price of your headphones will get you into eternity, though by definition we must already be in it. Music is more than it’s quality, context is also important, as the following illustrates. A retiring New York Times music critic was asked what his most memorable musical experience was. In reply he didn’t offer up the Opera House, Carnegie Hall, or name an expensive Hi-Fi system only a bench in Central Park. He had sat down next to a homeless person who was listening to classical music on a small transistor radio, a man who in relating a little of his life had once been a professional conductor. The critics ‘greatest musical experience’ began when this homeless person, standing tall in front of him, with the music from his radio sounding in the background, reached into the past and conducted for him each movement of the classical performance playing, of which I forget the details, but I’m sure this critic never will. Money can’t buy everything.

The good:These headphones sound incredible and you can hear everything. I got them for mixing, specifically because of how well they reproduce the low end. They did not disappoint in terms of sound. Wow.The build quality of each of the cans is second-to-none. They sit on this 4-axis gimbal thing that that makes them tilt/rotate to your exact head shape. The rubber pad that goes around the ears is not round, but instead, very ergonomically correct and it seals so well against your head.The questionable:They came in the most ridiculous box and carrying case. It's like they were trying to one-up Apple (a company they don't even compete with) with a high-gloss, embossed box with magnets. It was way too much. I didn't want a box, but it can't be recycled and I can't throw it away. So now I have a box I will never use. @AKG: Lower the price by $150 and just give me some recycled packaging.The bad:Oh, wait. I do need the box! Because the headphones already broke! It turns out that they put the cheapest plastic crimp-style adjuster for how high/low the headphones sit on your head. On my set, after only a few months of use, one side stopped staying locked and the headphones won't stay in place.The AKG return process was a little strange. I got a bit of a runaround because these are "pro" headphones (I guess) and the regular AKG people made me contact some other group. Eventually they approved the return. I had to pay to send them in, which was crappy (if you are reading this, then you know how expensive they are). I sent them in a few weeks ago and still haven't gotten them back or heard anything from them (no acknowledgement email, nothing). Hopefully they won't take too long.So cool that they will fix them, but lame that they broke after 2 months. I'm worried about their longevity.Summary:I would have given them 5 stars because of the sound quality and the build quality of the cans themselves. Dock one star for the ratchet slider thingy. I'm hopeful that my set just had an odd defect. If they break again, I will be back to re-rate.

I have owned these for two years now. They are superb closed headphones that are very good at sealing and isolating. The effective seal combined with the large drivers provides the listener with really effective low-end compared to other headphones. The seal also allows you to really enjoy enjoy music at lower volumes compared to open cans and even other closed phones. You can also These headphones are very accurate and have a flat response which is why they are favored by studio professionals. I have tried other high end phones which are tuned to make music more exciting (ie ZMF) and they are fun but I found them to be really good with one genre of music but lacking in another. The seal does mean that your ears can get warm but the sound is not fatiguing at all. As with other AKG headphones, the design is very comfortable to wear and you will forget you are wearing headphones. The extra long chord that it comes with is good for when you forget. I have a high-end dac and headphone amp but the K872s also sound punchy and detailed on my portable dac. These cans are a bit big for use on the go. The packaging is over the top but the case it comes with is very good. These are pricey phones and I was fortunate to find a cheap 2nd hand pair in excellent condition. I see a lot of negative reviews for these in headphone forums but I would encourage music lovers to try these.Pros: Deep Bass, Dynamic Range, Accurate, Comfortable, Good Seal over Ears, Efficient and easily driven (unlike K701s)Cons: Expensive, There is a very small flat wire from the Left phone to the Right which worries me as it looks fragile.