Headphones
AKG K 702 Black
European leaders in recording studio headphones give us the AKG K702, a top-of-the-line full-size audiophile and professional model with precise articulation, an engrossing "front-row" musical presentation and complete accuracy across the audio spectrum. Like the brother-model AKG K701, the K702 are nowhere near their acoustic potential right out of the box; patience and a long 'break-in' period [allow 300-hours!] gets rewarded with a headful of beauteous, pristine tunes. World-class reference headphones rivaling the performance of some four-figure cans but at a fraction of the price. Black color with detachable cord.
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Product Features:
- Outstanding acoustic detail and clarity from close-tolerance aluminum voice coil design
- Lightweight comfortable fit, durable and well built construction
- Detachable headphone cord allows easy Cardas cable upgrade or replacement
- Very well engineered by excellent headphone maker
- Free 2-year AKG manufacturer's warranty
- Designed & manufactured in Austria
What's In The Box:
- 1/8" to 1/4" plug adapter
- AKG owner's warranty insert
Applications:
AKG Acoustics in Austria has brought their considerable audio engineering skills into sharp focus on their high-end dynamic headphone designs and produced an astonishingly superb-sounding pair of cans in their flagship K701 and in this nearly-identical K702 model. The only differences between the two is color and the K702's handy 'quick-detach' cord, which makes it a breeze to replace or upgrade later. As headphone lovers know, getting it absolutely right at this demanding level of reference-grade audio performance is tough and the K702 gets pretty darn near perfection. These headphones deliver a truly dynamic and texturally punchy sound, articulate and clear over the entire audio spectrum. Precise musical detail connoisseurs should appreciate the clean punch and tightly focused bottom-end control of these headphones. Classical and acoustic music afficionados will likewise love the fact that the dynamic control moves right on up the frequency range to distinctly articulate every finger pluck and rosin-on-gut string texture present in the sound mix. The soundstage image is deeply expansive and simply layered. Really about the only negative thing that we can say about these headphones is that those who like a very laid-back, mellow-sounding, or heavy bass presentation might want to look elsewhere since the K702 are very highly refined audiophile headphones that deliver analytical detail with a liquid immediacy that demands your full attention. And... oh!... what a lovely musical demand it is! For folks looking to approximate the sonic performance of $1,000 headphones, we think the AKG K702 can get you there at a fraction of the price.
As mentioned, the major difference between the K701-White and K702-Black is the K702 has a detachable headphone cable while the K701 cord is a fixed 'hard-wired' cable. Both of these basically identical AKG cans offer a number of unique features that create a dramatic improvement over previous AKG 'best-of-category' headphones. Their dynamic range extension and clarity of musical detail and texture is directly improved by a revolutionary proprietary AKG Varimotion diaphragm that is designed to provide smoother pistonic motion and excellent acoustic resonance control. Further, AKG's revolutionary flat-wound voice coil design allows for greater concentrations of the magnetic field within the coil, thus driving the element diaphragm with more authority to deliver a cleaner, faster and ultra-articulate response.
Our own HeadRoom experiences with the AKG K702 echoes the widely held assumption that it requires an extensive chunk of burn-in time to 'open up' sonically and perform at its best, so assume a MINIMUM 300 hours of play-time before the full pleasure of these cans is realized. The soft fabric 'ergonomically-perfect' earcup cushions are a soft velour material -- very comfortable -- and are also designed to correctly angle the drivers precisely at the ear for a more spatially correct listening experience. The K702's easily detachable cord links to the headphones using a 3-pin 'mini-XLR' plug cable system featuring an extremely secure connection and ease of cable replacement should it ever become needed. High-end after-market AUDIOPHILE cords are also available. The headphone cord terminates to a 1/8" [3.5mm] jack with a 'screw-type' 1/4" [6.3mm] plug adapter provided. We love the K702's deep blue-black color scheme, which is understated and sleek. We also think most listeners will enjoy how amazingly comfortable these full-size headphones feel on the head with their well-designed, albeit slightly oversize ergonomics.
Headphone Amp:
For portable listeners using the AKG K702 with iPod, iPad, mp3 players and computers, a dedicated headphone amp of some sort is simply a must for maximized audio performance due to the headphone's low sensitivity, despite its fairly efficient 62 Ohm impedance. Our entry HeadRoom 'Mobile Line' portable headphone amps ($99-$159usd) will do the trick nicely but the more accurate, robust and dynamically-quick HeadRoom 'Micro' or Desktop Amp come well-recommended for this superb headphone.
Accesories:
For dedicated AKG K702 listeners, HeadRoom recommends investing in an upgraded K702 replacement headphone cord from Cardas Audio. Cardas headphone cords are renown for improving dynamic range quickness, soundstage imaging depth & 'spatiality' and maximizing overall musical detail resolution. It's certainly worth trying for audiophiles looking to make their beloved K702 perform at the very top of their acoustic game. Remember, our 30-day 'no questions asked' HeadRoom return period guarantees you'll love what you hear!
Exclusive HeadRoom / Cardas Audio 'Fat-Pipe' AKG K702 headphone replacement cords are available in 10ft and 15ft lengths.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer Warranty: 2 years
- Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/V
- Headphone Type: Full Size
- Connector Type: 1/8
- Weight: 235 g (8.3 oz.)
- Isolation: -10db ~ -12dB
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 62 Ohms
- Cord Length: 10 ft. (3 m)
- Detachable Cable: Yes
- Coupler Size: Large
- Cord Type: Straight Left-Side
- Ear Coupler Type: Full-Size
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Acoustic Seal: Semi-Open
Additional Resources:
- Manufacturer's Website
- AKG USA website
- Product Reviews
- Tom Martin, Playback
- Steve Guttenberg, CNET
Average Rating
Posted by Welly Wu from West Orange, NJ on 2013-02-25
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Accuracy, neutrality, transparency, tonal balance
Cons: Resolution, detail retrieval
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by Audio Supremus from Hong Kong on 2012-07-25
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Superb life-like sound and great value.
Cons: Very hard to drive which means a very good headphone amplifier is mandatory to bring out its' best.
31 out of 35 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Posted by danielsiders on 2011-10-07
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Comfortable, great sound
Cons: needs an amp, delicate construction
Wouldn't recommend for anything you want to be knocked over by. They're accurate and precise and ideal for examining a composition piece by piece, but not for emotional immersion in heavier music--wonderful for electric and acoustic. Might be different on a different amp.
Extremely comfortable for long listening sessions, you barely feel them.
Absolutely needs an amp. Even something basic makes a huge difference, but don't even bother plugging into your source directly, they need a lot more to drive them.
21 out of 21 people found this review helpful. Did you?
