[Prime] AKG K612 Pro Over-Ear Open Back Headphone $188.14 Delivered @ Amazon AU

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jasswolf on 11/07/2023 - 01:13 amazon.com.au (486 clicks)
Last edited 11/07/2023 - 01:29 by 1 other user

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Covered this one many times, and it's close to an all-time low. It's not Sennheiser mids, but it's wide sounding with better imaging and tonality than the HD 599 and HD 560S.

Solid amp also required, but you can get very good USB-C dongles now and build towards that over time. Good balance between musical performance and competitive gaming prowess, probably the best of the headphones in this price range. Enjoy!

Price History at CamelCamelCamel.

This is part of Amazon Prime Day sale for 2023

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  fab boy on 11/07/2023 - 01:22

  Compare with Sennheiser Open Back Headphones HD 599 ($169) or should I save some more money to try HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Over-Ear Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphone for $239? Thank you.

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    jasswolf on 11/07/2023 - 01:27

    +1

    Well the 599 I wouldn't bother with it as it's outdated in terms of technical performance beyond imaging. If you're not focused on that for competitive gaming, you can get the HIFIMAN HE400SE non-Stealth imported for $80 (Taobao), or $120 (AliExpress).

    The Deva is decent at that price, and it should have great timbre for a planar, good staging and solid imaging, so perhaps you might prefer it for music and casual gaming. Finally, you've got the Senheiser x Drop HD 6XX which should see a deal in the $300-$330 range soon if you want the ultimate in casual gaming, and music without completely blowing the budget.

    If you want to give more information on what you're using the headphones for I can get more specific, but at $230 or under I would be comparing the K612 Pro, the imported HE400SE options, and the Deva.

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  Erwark on 11/07/2023 - 14:01

  Been using these for years, having replaced my AT AD700. Very happy for what they are. Fairly flat sounding, breathable and clear.

  I second some sort of amping.

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    zachhambo on 11/07/2023 - 15:18

    So these are a worthy upgrade from AD700? I have them as well.

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      Erwark on 11/07/2023 - 15:32

      To be clear, I moved because my AD700 died and I was offered these barely used for cheap.

      They're a little richer sounding (by NO means bassy), but the AD700 were very detailed with little amplifying. Depends on usage. I wouldn't drop $200 to upgrade unless you already have the need and supporting gear.

      That said I have a DAC amplifying them, so perhaps I'm not getting the full range.

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  Etherkai on 11/07/2023 - 15:51

  I currently own the ATH-M60x, DT 990 (250 ohm), and 58X Jubilee. Should I bother with this one?

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    jasswolf on 11/07/2023 - 16:50

    +2

    I would see it as a tonal upgrade from the DT990, otherwise mostly a side grade. I think you should probably on-sell the DT 990 and 58X and look at stepping up to something like the HIFIMAN Edition XS.

    Would be about $500-$550 from AliExpress during a sale. An alternative you might be interested in is the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano, which is currently $800 locally, but presently no Chinese release for us to get at discount. High level technicalities on both, with the Nano being exceptionally high for the price, but also a bit brighter in the treble (though controlled, unlike the DT 990).

    • 

      Etherkai on 04/08/2023 - 20:25

      Bit random but I recently found myself looking for a portable DAC and decided to come back to this reply you gave. In my research, I chanced upon Andyaudiovault's review of the Shio and thought little of it (apart from the impressive battery drain).

      I remembered this reply you gave and thought about asking for your thoughts, but turns out you've already recommended the Shio and even Andyaudiovault's channel in another post!

      Assuming you already own a Shio, how are you finding it?

      • 

        jasswolf on 04/08/2023 - 20:31

        +1

        I don't, I have an Ovidius B1, but I trust Andy's judgement.

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  Rj1303 on 11/07/2023 - 17:34

  Hi @jasswolf,

  I've been hanging out for a HD560S or 6xx special and you just put this on my radar. I was hoping for the 560S so I could run it without a DAC or AMP but it's been a solid 12+ months since we've seen a sale. Would you mind touching on the USB C dongles you mentioned in the OP and any DAC/AMP upgrade paths that you think are reasonable?

  • 

    jasswolf on 11/07/2023 - 17:44

    +2

    Dongle info. To clarify, a DAC is a digital-to-analog converter, while an amp is an amplifier, so any dongle, sound card, or combo device is using some combination of both. You can get dedicated and separated desktop versions, which reduce the engineering requirements to deliver a clean signal as you drive up the electronic and power delivery for the amp.

    What most people call it a DAC, is in fact a DAC/Amp, or effectively an external sound device.

    HD 560S will have slightly better timbre and better bass quality and extension, but hotter lower treble with less coherent imaging. Both will sound wide, both should be fairly comfortable. 560S will need less from an amp.

    If you don't play a lot of competitive shooters, I would recommend sticking to something like the non-stealth variety of the HIFIMAN HE400SE to start, or targetting the HD6XX in the future.

    In fact, the 6XX has just drop to $179 USD, making it just under $330 AUD after delivery ($20 USD) & GST, and before signup credit ($10 USD). I'll post that shortly.

    • 

      Rj1303 on 11/07/2023 - 17:56

      That's rather convenient, I had the 6xx open in another tab at $199usd. Has dropped to $20 like you said, time to order I think! I'm not into competitive shooters or anything like that but the 6xx does sound like a nice all rounder. Any amp suggestions for down the road? I think I'll try the 6xx without one and consider picking one up if it's lacking (hard when you don't know what you're missing out on!).

      • 

        jasswolf on 11/07/2023 - 18:04

        +1

        The 6XX is basically old-school high-fi sound, so it will scale very well with equipment and there's some mods that can take it further, the most notable being adding weights to the driver mass to clean up the sound, so in terms of amps, the sky is almost the limit.

        I would say the Schiit Asgard 3 (plenty of good used sales going around) and the Jotunheim 2 are great candidates, while on the DAC front you can get decent AKM and CS implementations for $150-$200. In the mean time, something like the SHIO would very much meet your needs.

        For further dongle info, I made this comment earlier in another deal.

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  happykamper on 11/07/2023 - 22:02

  Would these go well with a Qudelix 5K, or is there something that is better bang, even if a bit more expensive?

  • 

    jasswolf on 11/07/2023 - 22:19

    +1

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/787252

    • 

      happykamper on 11/07/2023 - 22:21

      +1

      Thanks mate.

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  kouk on 12/07/2023 - 19:48

  I have an mx3 on my desktop PC, would that adequately drive this?

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    jasswolf on 12/07/2023 - 20:14

    +1

    Sure, it'll do ok