AKG K612 PRO
| Over-Ear | Open-Back | Neodymium Magnet |
? AKG K612 PRO, an open-back headphone with a professional profile but a friendly price.
The AKG K612 PRO features a single dynamic driver configuration with the brand’s patented Varimotion Diaphragm Technology and strong Neodymium magnets.
AKG rates the AKG K612 PRO as a natural sound imaging headphone for professional monitoring that sits as a reference class headphone with a more accessible price than the bigger brothers:
Despite the price difference with the aforementioned models, the AKG K612 PRO is, still, listed as a professional-grade headphone designed for studio mixing and Hi-Fi listening.
AKG is considered one of the industry-leaders in the audio world with a catalog that has gained worldwide popularity – the brand is part of the HARMAN family among JBL, Infinity, Lexicon and harman/kardon.
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AKG K612 PRO Review
Tests & Scores
A
Accessories & Packaging
The AKG K612 PRO unboxing results in, just, a 3.5mm to 1/4″ stereo screw-on adapter – a common conservative amount of accessories is bundled, like on most similar headphones.
The unit comes packed in a large rectangular box with a mostly white design – similar to most of the other AKG reference headphones.
6.5/10
CB
Cable
The cable of the AKG K612 PRO is rounded and fairly rubberized to reduce tangling problems. The cable has a one-sided design (connected to the left earcup) and a style similar to the cable seen on the AKG K553 PRO but with a thinner girth and a generous length of 3 meters.
The connector of the cable is a mini stereo 3.5mm stereo plug with a screw-on end that can be used with the bundled adapter to use with sources with a 1/4″ connector.
W
Weight
AKG K612 PRO weight in Ounces and AKG K612 PRO weight in grams.
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CQ
Construction Quality and Build
The AKG K612 PRO is build with a combination of metal, leather and plastics.
The headband is made of real leather and the headband structure is made of aluminum while the earcups are mainly made of plastic with the rear silver grid being metal constructed.
The headphone has the usual beautiful, classy AKG professional aesthetics inline with the:
Due to the color pattern of the AKG K612 PRO, this model has a closer resemblance to the AKG K702 and AKG K712 PRO than to the AKG 701.
Moreover, the K612 PRO is equipped with velour ear pads that AKG ensures to offer a breathable experience while enhancing bass response.
The earpads have the same ring mounting system of the AKG K701 and are easily removable/replaceable by just a partial anti-clockwise twist.
B
Bass & Sub Bass
The AKG K612 PRO offers clean bass with a non-bouncy mid-bass personality and some sub-bass depth.
As with most open-back headphones, by design, they do not provide overly-strong mid-bass and basshead-deep sub-bass – which is a positive characteristic for listeners looking for a cleaner and more refined sound.
In addition to this, their bass is well-balanced and delightfully distributed between mid-bass and sub-bass achieving a sufficiently full-bodied bass response that does not invade nor congests their midrange nor highs.
If you are a basshead or prefer bassy/bass-centered sound signatures you should skip open-back headphones like this one.
With an EQ there was an unexpected addition of sub-bass depth and substantial extra punch was squeezed out of the dynamic drivers of the AKG.
8.5/10
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M
Mids & Vocals
The AKG K612 PRO offers clean mids with barely any mid-bass bleed and low to no congestion.
Nonetheless, the K612 PRO have a warm sounding tint while male vocals sound clear, present and alive – without an amp their lower vocals could sound laid-back due to their exceptional flat mids response.
Higher mids offer good crispness and a can be well-matched with female vocals without getting too harsh but neither sounding rolled-off.
As with many professional headphones tuned for monitoring and with a response that leans towards flat, the AKG K612 PRO are not a “general-public” headphone – which might make many average listeners to find their flat mids far from the flavor used to.
To get the most out of the mids of the AKG K612 PRO you should use them with a fairly powerful amp as this is a headphone that needs a good amount of amplification to show it’s true potential.
Using an EQ, the phenomenally flat baseline of their mids provides a great playground for custom equalization, allowing to fine-tune their mids to anybody’s preferences.
If wanted, their midrange can be, also, spiced up giving their lower vocals a much more alive and present sound and add a noticeable amount of crispness to their higher mids – through out our AKG K612 PRO soundtests, there was no dB boosting amount applied with an EQ that was able to add degrading characteristics such as boxy nor tinny mids.
9.5/10
H
Highs & Treble
Exactly as highlighted in the Mids & Vocals section, the highs of the AKG K612 PRO shine and show their true potential if used with a good amp with sufficient power.
If properly driven, the AKG K612 PRO will resolve a good amount of detail and bring to the table an open, spacious and bright sound.
Despite this, their highs are not forward nor the brightest that your money can buy but are perfectly well-resolved and balanced as to grant a refined but pleasant sound experience.
Fatiguing peaks such as piercing highs are mostly absent while, only, some sibilance might show up on very sibilant prone tracks.
Even better than over their midrange, their highs respond marvelously to custom equalization with a strongly brighter, open and more detailed sound
NOTE regarding amplifiers and the AKG K612 PRO: Despite the relatively low impedance they will not be well-driven with less powerful sources or without a dedicated amp.
If you are new to amplifiers, do not own a relatively powerful one or feel intimidated by this; do not be afraid, you do not need to get a loan to get a sufficiently powerful amp to drive the AKG K612 PRO, an incredible bang for buck option is this amp, this portable alternative or this tube-amp.
9.5/10
SL
Sound Leak
The sound leaking out of the AKG K612 PRO is as expected with a very good open-back design; which means that the AKG K612 PRO leak out practically all of their sound – you shouldn’t be surprised as this is the normal personality of an efficient open-back headphone.
Of course, being so, this is not a headphone that should be bought to be used in libraries or where absolute silence is required.
1/10
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SI
Sound Isolation
The sound isolation provided by the AKG K612 PRO is inline with most fully open-back headphones: nearly no isolation.
2/10
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C
Comfort
The large size might make you feel intimidated and fear of uncomfortable or heavy fit but AKG’s design department did an spectacular job creating a solid and durable headphone with a surprisingly light-weighted and super comfortable fit.
As most AKG headphones in the professional line, the AKG K612 PRO inherits the same self-adjusting headband, with the classic design from AKG that has proven decades of efficiency on the fit and comfort department.
10/10
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EQ
Response to Equalization
The response to to EQ of the AKG K612 PRO has shown a phenomenal fine-tuning potential that allowed to custom-tune their midrange without adding any issues, to squeeze a beefier bass response and to open and brighten up their highs.
10/10
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SF
Size & Fit
AKG K612 PRO size and AKG K612 PRO fit.
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AKG K612 PRO Frequency Response Curve
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AKG K612 PRO Technical Specifications
Type | Dynamic |
---|---|
Driver Unit | Unknown |
Sensitivity | 101dB/mW |
Power Capacity | 200mW |
Impedance | 120 ohms |
Frequency Response | 12-39,500Hz |
Diaphragm | Varimotion |
Magnet | Neodymium |
Round cord | |
Cord Length | 3m |
Plug | Stereo mini plug |
Weight | Approx. 238g |
Supplied Accessories | 1/4″ adapter |
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AKG K612 PRO Scores
- Design - 9/109/10
- Bass - 8.5/108.5/10
- Mids - 9.5/109.5/10
- Highs - 9.5/109.5/10
- Comfort - 10/1010/10
- Response to EQ - 10/1010/10
- Value for Money - 10/1010/10
Summary
✅ Very open sound
✅ Flat response from mid-bass up to higher mids
✅ Clean sound
✅ No harsh higher mids
✅ Super comfortable
✅ Light-weighted
✅ Velour earpads
✅ Leather headband with Aluminum structure
✅ Elegant design
✅ Easily replaceable earpads
✅ Outstanding bang for buck
❌ Non-detachable cable
❌ Only 1 accessory included
With the AKG K612 PRO owners will get many of the superb features, positive design aspects and sound signature characteristics of the AKG K701, AKG K702 and many of the series, for a fraction of the price.
Certainly the AKG K612 PRO are safely recommended to people looking for a professional reference studio headphone with an open-back design with a bang for buck price.
We have mentioned several times through out the review but remember that the AKG K612 PRO require an amp with a fair amount of power to show their true sound quality.
Less experienced listeners used to commercial or consumer headphones and without experience with professional grade, reference headphones and amps should think twice before getting the AKG K612 PRO as their sound could sound less spicy and not as "over-tweaked" as average consumers might be used to.
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