AKG K712 Pro VS. highend Game Headsets - Please Help

[Andraman]

What?? You said you couldn't return headphones? LOL Why not just buy the 712pro or the mobius or whatever headphones you wanted from Amazon and return them if you didn't like them?

yeah.. i cant in swiss stores. but i found a way to get it from Amazon germany to switzerland (via a friend that lives over there).

So that way I can give them back to him and he sends it back to Amazon from GER. Also, it was more or less his idea when i told him about the "no return" struggle of Switzerland. So the idea came up pretty spontaneous. Also Amazon is not really a thing in Switzerland, or atleast not for my ordering habits1. Appart from the Kindle they dont ship most of their stuff appart from books to switzerland.

So i got quite lucky with the situation here and thought i'd give it a try.

Also, i'm just below the tax limit to import stuff into switzerland if i go for the steelseries, thats why i chose "only" this one. With two or or also the Audeze he'd have to either pay for it or smuggle it in, which i both found quite too much to ask (even if i would pay him back, he'd still have to go there and do the papercrap).

But the AKG 702/712 are by far not off the table... i still have insane doubts about the steelseries. But since i got that offer i thought it would not hurt to try it out, right? As i said. if the Arctis do not please me (or fit on my big head) then i will send them back and probably will "risk" buying the AKG setup from a store here.. Because i'm almost certain i would like them. but the Wireless option of the steelseries just kinda make me cuirous.. i really hope for a little miracle that they are unexpectedly good.


Also i really needed sleep.. i got cought in researching and not being able to decide without trying something on for too long. The offer was kind of a release, otherwise future Andraman can take care of this^^

Cheers and sorry, did not mean to mislead anyone.
Andra

 

[melmac]

@Andraman It's not a problem, I wasn't attacking you, just laughing at your post when you came back and said you were going to order off Amazon, I was like, well why not do that in the first place!!

I knew there had to be an explanation. It was just funny

And I understand completely about doing research etc about headphones. Opinions are so wide and varied. In the end I gave up reading most of the sites and just asked here and based on Woodsta's information I purchased.

While saying that, I do think you are going backwards buying the SteelSeries. Nearly any decent pair of Stereo headphones with a good soundcard or amp will sound better and also probably be better for gaming. While there is so much conflicting information out there, you would be really unlucky if you didn't like the AKG or the Mobius or any other good headphones.

But, I just did a quick search online and found several headphones shops in Switzerland that allow you to test a range of Headphones. So why don't you go to one of them? It would make it much easier for you. I would cancel the Amazon order and go to one of those stores.

 

[Woodsta888]

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the steel series, but when up in that price bracket, just a bit more will get you something audiophiles may consider entry level decent headphones. And the difference between the quality will be quite a jump compared to the small jump in cost. Owning the Mobius has me going to a hifi store this weekend (weather pending) to try out some 'out of my league' headphones. PArticularly the Sennheiser HD800's. Yes the'll be paired to a decent amp, but I just want to see what the difference is. Or indeed is being able to tell the difference like fine wines where you wont tell the difference between a £50 & £300 bottle of wine but you can tell the difference between the £50 and £10 bottle. Do you have to aquire some experience to be able to appreciate the difference in high end headphones. Or will I come of of said shop thinking of reasons to explian to my wife of why I have yet another expensive hobby to follow?

YOu shouldv'e ordered 2 different headphones from whereever and sent one pair back. My mate has those steelseries and he likes them. But he's never heard any entry level audiophile grade headphones. He's had all the top gaming headsets though. Hope you're pleased with whatever your purchase ends up being and a nice xmas treat for yourself.

 

[Teh_Next]

I use K612Pro's for both gaming and music.
I prefer my 612's to my Beyer DT 770's . Even on my network stereo receiver I prefer the AKG.

 

[Andraman]

I can see that in terms of audioquality it will be a step backwards. BUT as i said... as much as i appreciate everything being connected by wire (keyboard, mouse, controler, etc). the wire of the headset coming off of my head and binding me in terms of movement and comfort was a bother to me forever... and since the research was giving me a headache i've decided that this is one of the priority factors..^^

So, if there is a better wireless option for sound over headphones that is enough latency free to play competitive games than either the mobius or arctis pro wireless, i'm totally listening to suggestions.
But so far my research made the cut at Wire/Wireless. Either you go for better Sound and better valued wired headphones OR you kinda are quite restricted to one of the gaming branded wireless headphones that feature the protocols to transmit ther sound fast enough to play games.


Also, i would have bought both, but as i said. with the SteelSeries i'm already just barely over the taxfree importation limit. The mobius would already be above, if i bought both, i'd have to import them to switzerland and pay extra for the tryout. So i decided to go for the Arctis first and check, if the wireless option does make up the worse sound quality and if i can live with that.


I'll see how it goes with the SteelSeries, should get them next wednesday or so. And even if i dont like them due to Soundquality or comfortability, i'll probably try and see if i can get my friend to try and bring me the mobius. I know i stray away from audiophile headphones here but audioquality for the cost of wirefree, right?

Thanks a lot, and again, did not mean to overthrow any suggestions.. in fact i am insanely surprised on how amazing people are on here.. did not know that such kindness and helpful people still exist on the net these days! XD


Cheers,
Roman

 

[V F]

I can see that in terms of audioquality it will be a step backwards. BUT as i said... as much as i appreciate everything being connected by wire (keyboard, mouse, controler, etc). the wire of the headset coming off of my head and binding me in terms of movement and comfort was a bother to me forever... and since the research was giving me a headache i've decided that this is one of the priority factors..^^

So, if there is a better wireless option for sound over headphones that is enough latency free to play competitive games than either the mobius or arctis pro wireless, i'm totally listening to suggestions.
But so far my research made the cut at Wire/Wireless. Either you go for better Sound and better valued wired headphones OR you kinda are quite restricted to one of the gaming branded wireless headphones that feature the protocols to transmit ther sound fast enough to play games.


Also, i would have bought both, but as i said. with the SteelSeries i'm already just barely over the taxfree importation limit. The mobius would already be above, if i bought both, i'd have to import them to switzerland and pay extra for the tryout. So i decided to go for the Arctis first and check, if the wireless option does make up the worse sound quality and if i can live with that.


I'll see how it goes with the SteelSeries, should get them next wednesday or so. And even if i dont like them due to Soundquality or comfortability, i'll probably try and see if i can get my friend to try and bring me the mobius. I know i stray away from audiophile headphones here but audioquality for the cost of wirefree, right?

Thanks a lot, and again, did not mean to overthrow any suggestions.. in fact i am insanely surprised on how amazing people are on here.. did not know that such kindness and helpful people still exist on the net these days! XD


Cheers,
Roman

It was one of the reasons I went for the Steelseries Siberia 840 for console gaming. Since I sit at least 10ft from the TV, though it's still tempting to get a digital to analog connection DAC and a pair of AKG K12 Pro for it as I really love the K702 for music and gaming on the PC.

We're using the most neutral settings possible for our benchmarks, avoiding gimmicks like simulated surround sound that mess with audio reproduction. Testing is done with a pure binaural signal, while measurements are taken using a monaural signal (pink noise). The headset's curve, which turns out to be a bit bass-heavy, is free of spikes or other nasty surprises. The only notable peculiarity is a dominance at ~90 Hz. It's about 8 dB above the normalized average at 1 kHz. Fortunately, all other values remain within the tolerance range of +/-3 dB.



Bass boost, especially in the upper bass range, is a bit unreasonable. After all, the impacts and explosions typically found in battlefield noises occupy much lower frequencies. It's certainly enough to allow percussionists to bask in the presence of powerful bass drums, though. Otherwise, that's the only range we consider over-done. Everything else is much better. Even the deepest bass measurements are sufficient.



Transient response is acceptable; the small 40mm drivers fare well enough.

https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/steelseries-siberia-800-gaming-headset,review-34166.html

The 800 is practically the same as the 840 and I've gotten the EQ to sound pretty close to the AKG plus using the velour Brainwavz pads to make it a little more open. Though I'd still prefer to get the AKG.

It was true about the bass, there is too much on the Steelseries but it has been sorted. It sounds about as clean as the AKG once greatly lowered.

Which makes me really question Rocket Jump Ninja's ear on sound. As he ups the bass so it therefor is even more exaggerated. As he is using Razer for reference.

 

[Andraman]

Alright Chaps,

i finally received the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless... and i already can say, i'm a bit underwhelmed. Though the "lack" of bass which many refer to is not really an issue for me. I find it quite strong enough.

First impression:
There are several issues i have with it... while i listen to normal spoken Videos and while having the Digital Sound enabled, i can hear a slight echo of the voice, making everyone sound like they are in an empty hall.
Furthermore there is an annoyingly too sharp Hiss whenever someone uses the letter S, this is quite an issue for me...
I also already miss my Openback headphones, i feel like i cant breath under the closed-back of the SteelSeries and i get separated by my (quiet) surroundings way too much for my comfort.

And to make things "worse" there is an insanely annoying white noise on the headphones whenever you dont listen to anything. Usually i do not bother putting my headphones off, even if i dont listen to anything at that time. But with these, the whitenoise is so annoyingly present, that i feel like i'm getting blasted with noise eventhough i actually would rather prefer to have a moment of silence, which is not possible except for removing the headphones.

Appart from that, the Sound quality is quite good, gaming feels nice aswell, the mic does its job in a decent quality for a wireless headset. Eventhough people mention that it does not fit on big heads, i do not struggle with this one so far (eventhough my melon sized head). What i do love is that it is wireless.. its really a blast not getting stuck at every movement, but on the otherhand the headset is really heavy and is present, so when walking away from the desk you kinda feel the weight and presence of that thing, which is not exactly a problem but it still is a constant reminder, that you have your heavy headset on.

This is my first impression after using it for approximately 3h. But i'm afraid that the WhiteNoise and the HISS in Videos are a dealbreaker for me. So i will give them another chance today and decide after that if i'm gonna return it. I'm currently considering if those downsides are made up by the fact, that i dont have to fight and constantly untangle my wire and have the wire over my keyboard, etc.

So yeah, i guess the struggle is not over..^^

 

[Marsman]

So much for DTS Headphone X v2.0 then..

That echo sound you speak sounds like an effect that Dolby Headphone adds to the sound.

Creative's SBX is better than Dolby Headphone and Headphone X, by the sound of it; but you won't find that on anything but Creative products.

For wireless, I don't think you can do any better, not for a headset anyway.

Best setup, would be a Creative AE-5 or G6 (if external is preferred) and AKG K702 headphones; of course, wires...

That's the deal; you either put up with wires for the best setup; or you trade that for the convenience of wireless; but you have to put up with the foibles of that.

I guess for some people, the negatives of wireless headsets are worth putting up with, just to have that convenience..

 

[melmac]

So yeah, i guess the struggle is not over..^^

It's always a struggle when you can't try the headphones first. I would suggest you return them. The white noise and Hiss will drive you crazy after a while.

I still suggest that you go to a store somewhere in your country and try on some headphones before you buy. I know you said in Switzerland that they don't allow returns but there are stores that allow you to test headphones before you buy.

As for wired vs wireless, well, if you are mainly using them at your computer, then a little creative cable management would be money better spent then buying a wireless headset.

 

[EsaT]

Though the "lack" of bass which many refer to is not really an issue for me. I find it quite strong enough.

More accurately it's that lots of usual headphones used by consumers and no doubt lots of gaming trinkets have very bad mid/treble reproduction.
But because human hearing has no real memory and is very bad as absolute measuring instrument, they don't know they're listening seriously distorted inaccurate sound.

Creative's SBX is better than Dolby Headphone and Headphone X, by the sound of it; but you won't find that on anything but Creative products.

Though it can be bought in Creative's software set.

 

[Marsman]

No, that seems to be a software package for a specific Creative hardware device.

 

[Andraman]

But because human hearing has no real memory and is very bad as absolute measuring instrument, they don't know they're listening seriously distorted inaccurate sound.

i just gifted a pair of Teufel headphones to my gf and eventhough they are not in the top league, they are way better than the Skullcandy and trashy plugs she used.
The day after when she came back from work she instantly came to me and was like : "wow... i did not know that i was listening to such horrible audioquality. This is not even compareable, i can hear different instruments and tones!"
i tried to tell her that for freaking 9 years already! *smh*

Still using the steelseries.. but they really lack in normal use.. like music is fine but some of the higher tones are kinda mechanical and distorted..
Anyone made a refund on amazon already? Can i simply not state why i want to return it and they would still take it back? Or would i have to say that i'm unsatisfied?

Cheers,
$me

 

[Doug2507]

Choose the incompatible option and they'll give you free shipping (label) back.

Then order 702/712 and put up with being wired. (It's a very long cable on the 712. )

 

[EsaT]

i just gifted a pair of Teufel headphones to my gf and eventhough they are not in the top league, they are way better than the Skullcandy and trashy plugs she used.
The day after when she came back from work she instantly came to me and was like : "wow... i did not know that i was listening to such horrible audioquality. This is not even compareable, i can hear different instruments and tones!"
i tried to tell her that for freaking 9 years already! *smh*

Stereo content like music has nothing of requirements of binaural sound.

When getting chance to test Turd Beach Z60 and starting with music I thought "not as bad as expected".
Untill I tried binaural sound with movies and gameplay recordings.
Movies felt like "Did they record dialogue with potato in place of mic?" and gaming immersion was like "head in bucket under water".
That compared to Superlux HD-330 costing 30€.
Didn't even bother comparing directly against Beyerdynamic DT990 and retired (tape keeping pieces fro mfalling) HD595 Sennheiser.
You don't need to test it that "rickshaw gets completely overrun by 100 ton truck".

No, that seems to be a software package for a specific Creative hardware device.

X-Fi MB3 works with any sound card.
http://software.store.creative.com/p/software/sound-blaster-x-fi-mb3

 

[Marsman]

Oh, that's not what I was looking at then. I did mention Creative had software that was available to download to someone not that long ago, but neither he nor I could find it. I just assumed it had been misunderstood what the software actually did.

It's not easy to find unless you know where to look. I couldn't see the software store until I clicked on 'others' first, at the bottom of the screen. There's no mention of it on the main screen.

 

[last_grimm]

I've had pc360D (or 363, can't remember). Great mic, decent enough cans, comfy. Ran them with a modded zxr. Could easy live with them.

Tried mobius, didn't get on with them for various reasons.

Tried arctis pro with the fancy DAC. Great sound, super comfy, but the mic is garbage.

Have gsp600/gsx1000. Decent enough sound, good direction but far from comfy compared to others and not cheap for what they are. Bass bloated. Won't be keeping.

Akg712. Keepers. Touch more bass than 702, I use them for casual music listening, YouTube etc hence choosing these over 702. Fantastic for gaming, super comfy - don't even feel them on your head, great directional sound. Currently paired with Soundblasterx g6 and mod mic.

Also tried h5xx/6xx for gaming, not great for fps, loose direction and soundstage.

Hey, I'm currently using G6 with G6 & thinking of replacing with G6 & AKG 712k. Which mod mic do you recommend ?

 

[EsaT]

Hey, I'm currently using G6 with G6 & thinking of replacing with G6 & AKG 712k. Which mod mic do you recommend ?

If you want to minimize potential keyboard+mouse noises unidirectional would help in that.

Though Antlion has recently revamped whole product range and that unidirectional (GDL-1420) is now base model.
Alternative version of it comes with own USB dongle with fitting input.
Version with both omnidirectional and unidirectional capsules (you select between them with switch) is now called ModMic USB and automatically includes USB dongle.

 

[IceStorm]

iv been thought loads of different headsets and headphones over the years
i will always go with studio headphones now for gaming
however it gets expensive quick
the k702 are stunning headphones
i run them with the creative blasterx g6, made a big difference over the onboard audio

the mic is where it gets expensive, best is to go with a little mod mic and clip it as close as you can, the further away you have any mic from your mouth the more noise you will pickup and have to deal with
iv worked up though loads of mics, and ended up with the sm7b but its silly money going that route, i regret it tbh
i still have a wireless gaming headset that i use to watch tv, but wireless i will never do again, nice idea, horrible for gaming, but handy for tv at night

 

[V F]

iv been thought loads of different headsets and headphones over the years
i will always go with studio headphones now for gaming
however it gets expensive quick
the k702 are stunning headphones
i run them with the creative blasterx g6, made a big difference over the onboard audio

the mic is where it gets expensive, best is to go with a little mod mic and clip it as close as you can, the further away you have any mic from your mouth the more noise you will pickup and have to deal with
iv worked up though loads of mics, and ended up with the sm7b but its silly money going that route, i regret it tbh
i still have a wireless gaming headset that i use to watch tv, but wireless i will never do again, nice idea, horrible for gaming, but handy for tv at night

Yeah, that was where it got me. I chased USB adapters to try to settle background noise. I ended up with a Yamaha mixer and XLR converter for the Modmic. It's as good as I can get to a desk mic that everyone rocks. Granted in total it was over £180 for it.

Nobody hears any background noise, clicks/keyboards or breathing and I have it a good distance from my mouth.

 

[IceStorm]

yeah, my mic started simple and just kept getting more and more expensive, the company i got the mic from seemed happy to let you buy them to try out and they would collect them free of charge and give store credit
so i worked my way up
ended up with the sm7b, think i must have sunk over £1200 in the end on the complete mic setup :/
next i need a new desk for it to fix onto to sit in a better position, or get a full size stand and have it over my monitor with a great swivel instead
but thats along way down the line, ill prob just attach this stand to the wall instead lol