Ultrasone Edition 9 impressions...
Mar 3, 2007 3:17:55 GMT
Post by sovkiller on Mar 3, 2007 3:17:55 GMT
Well I will post this kind of a few crazy impressions after owning two pairs of them, with more than 200 hours on them, mark that many of used frequently as a reference for burn in...
I have been using my Sony and an old discontinued model from Rudi, the little sibling from the RPX-33 the RP-31, this is a high current amp with a lot of power and a very silky sound and huge soundstage, all discrete SS and Class-A (that is just as a reference) I will have soon an RPX33 to power this baby and things may change to a very really nice sounding combo, maybe my dream setup, but for now just this humble (but not bad at all) pairing...
Before going any further, keep in mind that I'm not a reviewer by any means, so guys feel free to ask whatever you want about them, I have tons of music, and albums that I can try and answer any question later on, and you can use PM's emails or whatever you feel if you want to be more private. Sorry for throwing these bunch of crazy ideas all together, and I know that for some of you, they will not make too much sense, and more given the level of information you can find, and are used to read here in this incredible site, but keep in kind as well that this is not my native language, and my writing skills are very limited, write is not one of my strengths neither.... Here I go with this attempt of at least try to explain my feelings about those headphones:
First well they look gorgeous and blah, blah, blah, but that is not really important to me, and they could be better, or worst looking, and this will not affect my feelings about them at all.......the first think that comes to mind is the forward sound, that headphone sounds very different from the PROLines, or at least from the 2500 that I have here, the sound is more forward, similar to the CD3K, nothing is shy or recessed here, or veiled, or laid back, definitely a rock headphone for those who like it, the PROLine sound could be considered by some even a little dull in comparison.
The highs are a lot more refined and defined, and details are incredibly noticeable, macro and micro details are insane in comparison to the 2500, I consider it like a PROLine on an overdose of steroids, and even I feel these region in the same league of SA5K, CD3K, R10, etc...if you ask me, again regarding the details and extension (if not better, but sorry as I'm in love now, so do not trust me too much on that for now...LOL... ) Another detail is that even while the highs are deliciously forward presented, they are not bothersome or piercing, they are smooth and roll off at the exact point that they should be, giving the cymbals, cowbells, snare drums, an extremely natural sound, same as the delicate notes of a piano, and specially winds are really an eargasm here. The voices sound so natural that give you the impression of listening in a venue, or simply talking with the artist in front of you like an old friend...even while listening a live album, the claps of the audience surround you in a very natural way, and the realism is simply amazing even with a sound that we are all very familiar with...those make this sound different, like real claps...I experienced the same only once, listening to the mighty Orpheus...
Bass is not as prominent as in the PROLines, but more present than in the CD3K, very nice, tight, and deep, they are not bass monsters, but they do the job nicely, and IMO second to none of the good guys I have heard (keep in mind that to me, all which are considered as "bass monsters", that I have heard till now, what indeed offer, IMVPO, is a really boomy, overpowered over the spectrum, and not controlled at all bass, here is all the opposite, but what do I know for real...)
Mids are less recessed than in the case of the CD3K, and similar in forwardness to the PROLine, they are very silky and nice, but more clear and transparent, crystal clear, is the phrase that comes to my mind, sorry if I use the CD3K and PROLine 2500 as reference all the time, but IMO are two headphones that I do consider very capable, and well, one of them, have been my favorite headphone for a few years...
If you compare this headphone with the PROLine 2500, first those are smaller in size, the cups are smaller, the impedance is less, and the sensitivity far better, it does not reach the 103db/mW that Sony offers in the CD3K, but are pretty close, at least the volume are almost at the same point level, and for the PROLines I have to turn it a little further, like going from 9:00 O'clock to 11:00 O'clock, or more...
Soundstage, well that is major in Ultrasone, once you get used to it, I did, so even while these are more forward, I feel that the S-logic effect is either more subtle or more natural, one of the two (if you complement this with the first notch of the Meier Cross-1, you are simply in heaven) the sound is spacious, but it sits you in front of the event, more close and intimate with what is happening there...the PROLines are less forward and you feel more distant from the real action...remember that all comments are very personal and in comparison to headphones I'm familiar with, other may feel differently regarding this or that point, and I'm open to another opinions as well, I'm still tunning my setup, so go and figure!!!
Comfort, well that is a very personal point, and I would like to leave that for personal observations later on, but they are not as comfortable as the CD3K or the R-10, but comfortable enough to let you enjoy the music with no interference regarding that, after a minute or two they simply disappear in your head, and I have worn them for hours literally, with no problems, any pain, pinch, hot or whatever...for hours...one remark for those with big ears, the cups are internally small, and they are circumaural, so be aware that for those with elephant like ears, this will not work at all, the same happen with the MDR-7506 more or less...The R-10 and CD3K are huge in comparison, same as for example HD650/600, DT880, etc...
These are really nice headphones to be considered, at the same level of any truly high end ones, and a truly competitor to any I have heard, preference apart, they are very capable headphones...I love them and I'm very proud of having them here, finally I think that I have found a really strong candidate for a replacement to my beloved CD3K...
Well end of the story, feel free to ask whatever you want to know about them and I will try to answer in the way that I feel more honest, but I'm not an audio guru, nor a writer by any means...
I have been using my Sony and an old discontinued model from Rudi, the little sibling from the RPX-33 the RP-31, this is a high current amp with a lot of power and a very silky sound and huge soundstage, all discrete SS and Class-A (that is just as a reference) I will have soon an RPX33 to power this baby and things may change to a very really nice sounding combo, maybe my dream setup, but for now just this humble (but not bad at all) pairing...
Before going any further, keep in mind that I'm not a reviewer by any means, so guys feel free to ask whatever you want about them, I have tons of music, and albums that I can try and answer any question later on, and you can use PM's emails or whatever you feel if you want to be more private. Sorry for throwing these bunch of crazy ideas all together, and I know that for some of you, they will not make too much sense, and more given the level of information you can find, and are used to read here in this incredible site, but keep in kind as well that this is not my native language, and my writing skills are very limited, write is not one of my strengths neither.... Here I go with this attempt of at least try to explain my feelings about those headphones:
First well they look gorgeous and blah, blah, blah, but that is not really important to me, and they could be better, or worst looking, and this will not affect my feelings about them at all.......the first think that comes to mind is the forward sound, that headphone sounds very different from the PROLines, or at least from the 2500 that I have here, the sound is more forward, similar to the CD3K, nothing is shy or recessed here, or veiled, or laid back, definitely a rock headphone for those who like it, the PROLine sound could be considered by some even a little dull in comparison.
The highs are a lot more refined and defined, and details are incredibly noticeable, macro and micro details are insane in comparison to the 2500, I consider it like a PROLine on an overdose of steroids, and even I feel these region in the same league of SA5K, CD3K, R10, etc...if you ask me, again regarding the details and extension (if not better, but sorry as I'm in love now, so do not trust me too much on that for now...LOL... ) Another detail is that even while the highs are deliciously forward presented, they are not bothersome or piercing, they are smooth and roll off at the exact point that they should be, giving the cymbals, cowbells, snare drums, an extremely natural sound, same as the delicate notes of a piano, and specially winds are really an eargasm here. The voices sound so natural that give you the impression of listening in a venue, or simply talking with the artist in front of you like an old friend...even while listening a live album, the claps of the audience surround you in a very natural way, and the realism is simply amazing even with a sound that we are all very familiar with...those make this sound different, like real claps...I experienced the same only once, listening to the mighty Orpheus...
Bass is not as prominent as in the PROLines, but more present than in the CD3K, very nice, tight, and deep, they are not bass monsters, but they do the job nicely, and IMO second to none of the good guys I have heard (keep in mind that to me, all which are considered as "bass monsters", that I have heard till now, what indeed offer, IMVPO, is a really boomy, overpowered over the spectrum, and not controlled at all bass, here is all the opposite, but what do I know for real...)
Mids are less recessed than in the case of the CD3K, and similar in forwardness to the PROLine, they are very silky and nice, but more clear and transparent, crystal clear, is the phrase that comes to my mind, sorry if I use the CD3K and PROLine 2500 as reference all the time, but IMO are two headphones that I do consider very capable, and well, one of them, have been my favorite headphone for a few years...
If you compare this headphone with the PROLine 2500, first those are smaller in size, the cups are smaller, the impedance is less, and the sensitivity far better, it does not reach the 103db/mW that Sony offers in the CD3K, but are pretty close, at least the volume are almost at the same point level, and for the PROLines I have to turn it a little further, like going from 9:00 O'clock to 11:00 O'clock, or more...
Soundstage, well that is major in Ultrasone, once you get used to it, I did, so even while these are more forward, I feel that the S-logic effect is either more subtle or more natural, one of the two (if you complement this with the first notch of the Meier Cross-1, you are simply in heaven) the sound is spacious, but it sits you in front of the event, more close and intimate with what is happening there...the PROLines are less forward and you feel more distant from the real action...remember that all comments are very personal and in comparison to headphones I'm familiar with, other may feel differently regarding this or that point, and I'm open to another opinions as well, I'm still tunning my setup, so go and figure!!!
Comfort, well that is a very personal point, and I would like to leave that for personal observations later on, but they are not as comfortable as the CD3K or the R-10, but comfortable enough to let you enjoy the music with no interference regarding that, after a minute or two they simply disappear in your head, and I have worn them for hours literally, with no problems, any pain, pinch, hot or whatever...for hours...one remark for those with big ears, the cups are internally small, and they are circumaural, so be aware that for those with elephant like ears, this will not work at all, the same happen with the MDR-7506 more or less...The R-10 and CD3K are huge in comparison, same as for example HD650/600, DT880, etc...
These are really nice headphones to be considered, at the same level of any truly high end ones, and a truly competitor to any I have heard, preference apart, they are very capable headphones...I love them and I'm very proud of having them here, finally I think that I have found a really strong candidate for a replacement to my beloved CD3K...
Well end of the story, feel free to ask whatever you want to know about them and I will try to answer in the way that I feel more honest, but I'm not an audio guru, nor a writer by any means...