AKG K702 Headphones

by AKG

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 19 x 16 x 5 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B001RCD2DW
• Item model number: K702
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2008

Product Description

AKG K 702 Reference-Quality Open-Back Circumaural Headphones

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supreme, May 29, 2009

By 

L. Cooper "L. Cooper" (Emerald Coast) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: AKG K702 Headphones (Electronics)

The 702s are identical to the 701s except that the pads on the 02s are thicker which allows a more "around the head" speaker-like experience with regards to soundstage.....The 702s also have a detachable cable and do not come with the little stand that is supplied with the 701s...No biggie.....Now, Regarding the sound....I have as my point of reference Sennheiser 600s....so, in comparison, the 702s sound is much more defined and articulate which allows you to hear deeper into the music then the sort of sweet tho great sounding Senn 600s....I use my 702s with an Onkyo DX-7555 reference CD Player, and a Oppo DV 970HD player, along with a recent edtion of the now discontinued Headroom MAX headphone amp.....so, I am getting some serious Hi-end input into these cans and they dont disappoint.....I will tell u, should u decide to buy, that u must let these phones have at least 100 hours of burn in so that the drivers relax, and until this is accompished these cans will sound BRIGHT and without a lot of bass extention, but as the drivers begin to relax, then the glorius sound they provide just gets better and better.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love 'em, Hate 'em, mostly Love 'em, April 11, 2010

By 

W. Welch (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: AKG K702 Headphones (Electronics)

The reviewer who compared these with La Scalas is in the right place. These things want volume to really shine. Those of you who have been asking "Can I plug this into my cellphone/ipod/walkman/thing-with-underpowered-headphone-jack and be happy", and have been getting these luke-warm "well maybe" answers, let me simplify it for you: don't bother. Yes, you can plug them in, and they will sound good, and if you have already decided you need to own a pair of K702's, you'll be ok with that. But they will not sound as good as less-power-hungry phones. Even my Audio Technica ATHANC7's, which I bought for quiet at work (and which sound great! but should not sound better than these) sound better than these coming out of a laptop or iPod. Save yourself some money.

Well then. If you're still reading, the 5 stars are for what you get out of a headphone amp, or dedicated headphone port from a proper AV receiver. I am really hearing stuff I've never heard. That could be good or bad -- I find myself emailing friends asking if they hear some kind of fuzzed out over-limit note at 3:21 of such and so song. These phones will reveal limitations of the recordings you play through them. And they are plain as toast -- although it's 20Hz--20Khz toast. I got them as an additional reference for use in mixing, and am 5-stars happy about that. They sound very close to what I get from my HR828 monitors. And I like how they're away from the ears, not at all fatiguing to listen for long stretches.

Now for the somewhat embarrassing part: I've seen the recommendations of "break in" times for these phones ranging from 100-800 hours (the party line seems to be 400). I really want to dismiss that as snake oil (along with how much better my sound will be if I change to an all-silver cable). But I have noticed that after my first 100 hours of use the bass has come up, and the high-end is mellowing a wee bit (the phones sound a little thin/harsh out of the box). I've been playing high-volume pink noise when I'm not using them, but am sure your autographed copy of No Strings Attached will do just as well.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very, very satisfied., February 14, 2010

By 

W. Evans (California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: AKG K702 Headphones (Electronics)

First some necessary information for prospective buyers. The AKG 702 headphones need proper run in time before they can reach optimum performance. And I don't mean a few hours. More like 100 hours. Yes I know this is asking a lot considering how much they cost and how anxious new owners must be but I speak the truth! Out of the box the 702's sound rough around the edges. Don't worry though, when you have properly given all the "parts" time to congeal and become one so to speak the rewards are many. The AKG 701/702 are considered by many professionals, to be one of the best headphones in the world. Well, I haven't heard all the cans on that list so I can only speak of my experiences with the pair of 702's that I've had for a month now. I put them in a room and played them though a Headroom Total Airhead portable headphone amplifier for around 8 to 10 hours a day for nearly four weeks, just putting them on and listening for a few minutes at the end of each day. A spare dvd/cd player was used and it ran on "repeat all" for the break in period. This process was a total drag I must say but the experts tell me it's necessary and I believe them now because with some serious listening sessions, with music I know and love, the 702's have brought me to tears more than once. The high frequencies now are full and powerful, with no trace of "sizzle". Mid range and mid bass are present and all accounted for. Bass frequencies are reproduced with substantial authority. These cans are very balanced. They don't sacrifice one portion of the sound field at the expense of another. If however you are listening to a poorly recorded source, your going to hear it, poorly. The AKG's do not lie! One thing more, the sound stage is huge with these cans. Very much like listening to very good audio gear with expensive speakers. Your orchestra/band are not crowded inside your head but in full view front of you. Truly remarkable. I've read that the Sennheiser HD800's do this much better but they are 'considerably' more expensive. I would recommend that these headphones be driven with a good headphone amp to attain maximum performance. Sorry but a cheapo portable or an afterthought headphone jack on your receiver just wont do. If however your gear sports dedicated headphone circuitry you might be able to forgo a headphone amp, maybe. All in all I really love these cans and recommend them highly.

Source: Oppo SV970HD
Amp: Headroom Mirco Amp
Dac: Headroom Micro Dac