I GOT THE 18G Jenna Labs Cryo Wire ALO-780 in TODAY.
Let me start by saying that it is hard to put into words what the Edition 9 do better than other Ultrasones, but whatever the stock HFI780/PL750/2500 do, the Edition 9 expands on that in a good way. This is where the ALO Vampire Wire 780's come in - they significantly bridged the gap between the $1,500 Edition 9 and any other Ultrasone (or other headphones for that matter). They don't replace the Edition 9, they compliment them. The 18G Jenna Labs wire on the other hand is closer to striking distance of the Edition 9 than I expected.
With the ALO Vampire Wire modded 780's vs the Edition 9, the 9's are somewhat more refined, like listening to a Steinway grand piano vs a nice Yamaha upright. However, on the other side of the coin, with a good source and amp, you probably could tell what make piano or violin the musician is playing with either one (only if you could do that in person as well). "Doctor, when I get this operation done, will I be able to play the piano? Sure. Wow, because I could never play the piano before!"
I mentioned before that the Edition 9 seems to carry more weight and body to the music than the HFI780 - the instruments are just a bit more solid with more texture when you imagine listening to them. The Edition 9 are smoother and not as bright as the stock 780, BUT the ALO modded Vampire Wire have a much smoother treble by 200 hours, which gets them very close to the Edition 9 Treble. The soundstage seems to be a little deeper with Edition 9 than the Vampire Wire modded 780, but it is always a wide stage, and BOTH have a bigger soundstage than stock 780. The differences are not surprising considering the Edition 9 cost 3x more than the Vampire Wire 780's.
The fact that the Vampire Wire 780's come so close to the Edition 9 is a testament to the quality of the 780, and Ken's ingenuity for finding a way to bring out the best in these headphones. I really didn't think they could get any better, at least not with my mid-range source and amps.
That brings me to the 780's with 18G Jenna Labs Cryo Wire: Wow! I just got these today and they have come even closer to the vaulted Edition 9 sound than the 20G Vampire Wire version. If the stock PL2500 are 70% of the Edition 9 (less bass and body, distant mids, sharper highs), the stock HFI780 are 80% of the Edition 9 (more forward with strong bass), the 20G Vampire 780 are 90% of the Edition 9 (more transparent and deep, less highs), then the 18G JL cryowire is 95% of the Edition 9 sound (more smooth and powerful and full bodied).
My HFI780 had 250 hours on them when I sent them in for the 18G JL Cryo'd cable, and they already sound a little better than the Vampire wire version did at 250 hours today (10am today was 250hr). I listened to both A/B for about 45 minutes this afternoon, before meeting Blutarsky (Scott) to give him his Vampire wired 780's. Then he and I compared the two briefly when we met tonight, and
we both agreed that with the 18G JL 780's there is a subtle increase in transparency, especially in the 4-8Khz frequency range, with the JL cryowire vs the 20G Vampire Wire. The 20G JL 780's are a little warmer, and there is also more bass impact while still maintaining a tight and detailed bass. We are going to meet again this weekend after another 100 hours of music, and compare them again. I loaned him my iBasso D1 with the "780 opamp combo" and some digital cables, so he could get a chance to hear them the way I did.
At this point, if you are seriously in the market for an Edition 9, you might want to consider the $595 ALO 18G JL cryowire 780 instead of the Edition 9. Then buy a good source with the savings, put 200 hours on the phones to break them in, and enjoy the giggles.
Larry