Real owners lean toward the Sennheiser HD 650: 75% of 316 owners recommend it, vs 50% of 80 for the K712 Pro.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
“I keep coming back to them frequently as I love their weight, fit and sound, especially for mixing music.”— _crackerjack73_ on Reddit
“Recommendation for the AKG 712 Pro, and perhaps tryout the k702 earcups for more detailed sound and wider soundstage.”— Bastelkorb on Reddit
“the 712 fell way short with boosted bass that created a muddled midrange and a tepid soundstage not as pinpoint accurate and open as the other 7 series.”— rajmahid on Reddit
“What an incredible difference they make to everything I had before! You can listen to a track and hear subtle details that you did not even know they existed. Wow!”— @marco83 on YouTube
“HD650 with a bum driver, but I was able to solider the voice coil back on, so they work normally again. I had a pair 15 years ago and always regreted selling them.”— kindofbluetrains on Reddit
“I find the HiFiMan Sundara & the Fiio FT1 Pro both more useful for mixing - the Sennheisers have a much more condensed/flat sound with less bass extension than either of those”— @reallyoldcob on YouTube