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Like the competition AKG give us very large 53mm Ø drivers mated to 1.5 Tesla magnet systems. I reckon it's this combination whose surface area creates realistic bass output whilst the powerful flux force exerts strict control. Dynamics and impulse response reminded me often of the Audeze LCD2. Differences arose in the nuances. Whilst the AKG even at modest volumes builds a solid bassment with very dry attacks, the LCD2 is the more mature and linear below 40Hz. At high volumes the Californian also has more dynamic headroom which is bought however with very high physical mass and hence more limited wear comfort.


For musical contrast I moved to a classic recording of Leos Janácek's Czech opera Jenufa under Sir Charles Mackerras and the Vienna Philharmonic. From the beginning the vocalists took up very convincing space. Timbres were natural in all registers. Each actor in the musical drama had proper presence and amplitude. I never sensed anything between me and the recording. This was bona fide front-row listening. Some in fact could feel themselves too close to the orchestral pit.


In the best sense of the word the treble was unexciting to avoid any isolated attraction. The K812 performed as one hopes – linear and without unnecessary flourishes. Resolution too operates at a very high level. Fine detail is clearly worked out to sit eye to eye with the competition, perhaps a bit above than some. This subjective impression was reinforced by how the AKG combines intense involvement with necessary breathing space.


Background detail is more in focus than with many other 'phones and so well sorted and separated as to never move forward. This gets augmented by the fact that for an AKG this model casts a relatively compact virtual stage. But compared to the K701 I was blown away by the K812's far more involving reading whose naturalness had me impatient to spin up my fave albums. Enter one of my cherries, Joss Stone's first The Soul Sessions. From the onset the AKG dealt with the groovy sound at complete ease. Once again I delighted in the natural timbre and power of Joss' pipes. Dynamics operated at such a high level that I felt compelled to gyrate as I usually only do with loudspeakers (or perhaps an Audeze).


Unfortunately this album also sports a number of mastering errors which the K812 pointed out without prettification. Its love of nuance and sculpted presentation make for a very honest device for good and bad. An analogy would be moving a bit closer to a loudspeaker. This has small background detail more apparent. Not for nothing do AKG market the K812 also as their flagship for their mastering and monitoring pro range. Given that I also drafted a valve headphone amp into duty to deliberately mask some of this CD's clipping and overdrive errors, I could enjoy even more mediocre productions.