AKG has launched the K812 reference grade headphones, a pair of ￡1,000 over-ears that are designed for studio engineers and audiophiles after the very best sound quality for the money. We got to try a pair out at London's Red Bull studios earlier today.

When we talk with headphone connoisseurs and audiophiles about high-end headphones, some headphones see more popularity than others. Brands like Audeze, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Hifiman, and Grado always seem to get their dues. But what about the AKG K812 Pro? At $1499, what is it good for?

With hi-fi, my experience is that good loudspeakers and headphones are the biggest factor in play. And this "reference" model, as top-grade headphones are called, is one of the best.

Andy Jones finally gets hold of the AKG K812 headphones, said to be the ultimate reference headphones. Well, they should be at that price…

We find out what sound quality you can expect from AKG's newly launched K812 reference headphones, which will set you back a cool £1,000