So what's the word on the new Ultrasone HFI-780????

[musicmaker]

thanks for the update guys. I can't wait to receive mine.

[Wilashort]

Very nice that i am listening.... It can be my perfect closed headphone....
I am so very tempted. If i can sell some things in this moment...

Skylab, for you which of the two headphones (DT990 and HFI-780), in this moment has a deeper bass and an stronger midbass....or rather, Which of the two has more slam...?
Thanks

Originally Posted by slwiser

How about Howard Shore's score of The Lord of the Rings sound track for an example...

Powerful bass, smooth rich highs, wide open like sound, beautiful haunting vocals. The bass does the work on your sternum psychologically, as in you almost feel it on you. The S-Logic PLUS thing seems to be a real winner in this headphone.

Now when Skylab comes in and says this thing has no bass and the highs are..... Oh! Well just forget what I just said.

Just make sure when you listen to the opening of Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason that you take you sea-sick medicine. Being on that the rickety old wood rowboat on the water might get to you...These cans are one of Pink Floyd's best friends...

This headphone loves music off of DVDs...Montserrat DVD is breath-taking in how the stage sound is recovered.

[Muftobration]

As a new Ultrasone fan, you guys and your comments are making me itch to try the 780. I have a HFI-700 and I absolutely love it to pieces. The characteristics that I most enjoy are the ones you say the 780 does so well, too. Anyway, I got these HFI-700s used only a month ago, so I don't think I'll be upgrading any time soon (especially after the mod I did, which I hope you will find quite interesting).

Oh, and Wilashort,
I own a DT990 and I would say the HFI-700 has much more slam (impact) than the DT990. If the HFI-780 is anything like it (I imagine it is very similar) then I bet you can put your money on it having and equal amount as or more slam than the HFI-700, and certainly more than the DT990. The DT990 has a lot of mid-bass, but not a whole lot of slam, in my opinion.

[iQEM]

Originally Posted by slwiser

I specifically ask Ultrasone about the new Pro series and they do not have anything other than an update visually. No new pads or mu-board material like the new HFI 680 and 780 does.

how about HFI580 ?

Originally Posted by Capunk

I'm really eager to hear multiple comparisons against this cans...
Does this phone can beat D2000?

hueheheheee, i know what you curious about know bro...

[Wilashort]

Thank you a lot!, very appreciated. how are the mids and highs in comparison for you?
Thanks

P.S: yes, you has proved that slwiser said to me, very good. i am happy to hear that impressions.

Originally Posted by Muftobration

As a new Ultrasone fan, you guys and your comments are making me itch to try the 780. I have a HFI-700 and I absolutely love it to pieces. The characteristics that I most enjoy are the ones you say the 780 does so well, too. Anyway, I got these HFI-700s used only a month ago, so I don't think I'll be upgrading any time soon (especially after the mod I did, which I hope you will find quite interesting).

Oh, and Wilashort,
I own a DT990 and I would say the HFI-700 has much more slam (impact) than the DT990. If the HFI-780 is anything like it (I imagine it is very similar) then I bet you can put your money on it having and equal amount as or more slam than the HFI-700, and certainly more than the DT990. The DT990 has a lot of mid-bass, but not a whole lot of slam, in my opinion.

[darkswordsman17]

Originally Posted by Skylab

LOL! No, you are right on. These things have bass, that is obvious. I have them a quick listen at the 50 hour mark, and the sound is still quite promising. In fact I am itching to really listen, but I shall hold off until 100 hours. But based on a quick listen this evening, I think they are going to have a lot of fans.

I think 100hrs was right about the time my Alienwares (HFI-700) took a turn for the worse, the bass receded and it got kinda shrill and edgy. They sound roughly normal for about the first 50hrs, then start changing slowly until they sounded downright awful about 100-125, but they come back around at I think about 150hrs, and then from there they level off, slowly solidifying their sound in very small increments thereafter.

I realize these aren't the same, but I wonder if the burn-in will be similar. Other people have probably already chimed in with their burn-in experience on this specific model so you can probably just ignore my experience.

I've been checking out the HFI-2200ULE this weekend, and while it is a stellar headphone, the sound just isn't for me. Hmm, what to try next? I've been seeing people say that AKGs seem to be mid-focused, which these were, and I just don't find that to be too appealing, so I'd probably hold off on them if they are. What about some of the Audio-Technica woodies? I've been seeing several crop up in the FS forum lately at prices I might consider, but I don't know anything about their sound. I'm kinda wanting to move up out of the $125/200 (used/new) range, but there doesn't seem to be that many that appeal to me there (well in between that range and the $700+). I like my modded DT770s, the A900s I had, and that general sound. I don't think Grados would be a good move as I really don't like the upfront sound. I'd focus on the source/amp, but I'd rather figure out a headphone worth spending big there.

[Muftobration]

Originally Posted by wilashort

Thank you a lot!, very appreciated. how are the mids and highs in comparison for you?
Thanks

P.S: yes, you has proved that slwiser said to me, very good. i am happy to hear that impressions.

The mids on the HFI-700 are not as present as they are on the DT990. If I liked mids very much, I would probably describe them as "recessed" on the HFI-700 whereas the mids are natural sounding (if not a little prominent) on the DT990. However, the sort of EQ curve I enjoy has slightly softer mids (meaning softer volume) and slightly louder ultra-lows. This is the sound I get from my HFI-700 after doing a little mod to it, but when it was stock, the mids were comparable to the DT990, but a little softer.

In highs, I prefer the DT990. I fact, if I could have a marriage of the DT990's highs, a mix of the HFI-700's and DT990's mids, and the HFI-700's lows, I think I would be in heaven. The HFI-700 has great highs - don't get me wrong. It's just that I prefer the the DT990 a little more there.

Overall, I would say the HFI-700 has a balanced sound across the spectrum, except in the low end, which is somewhat emphasized and very impactful.

Sorry for going off topic here. I've not forgotten that this is a thread about the HFI-780 and would still love to hear some impressions (especially from you, Skylab ).

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by darkswordsman17

I think 100hrs was right about the time my Alienwares (HFI-700) took a turn for the worse, the bass receded and it got kinda shrill and edgy. They sound roughly normal for about the first 50hrs, then start changing slowly until they sounded downright awful about 100-125, but they come back around at I think about 150hrs, and then from there they level off, slowly solidifying their sound in very small increments thereafter.

I realize these aren't the same, but I wonder if the burn-in will be similar. Other people have probably already chimed in with their burn-in experience on this specific model so you can probably just ignore my experience.

My PL2500 did something similar, right after I blew off a few people who warned me that might happen. I don't recall the exact timing, but they sounded decent out of the box and improved over the first 75-85 hours - then somewhere after 75 hours and before 125 hours the sound went bad, and then about 24 hours later it was better again. That hasn't happened again during the burn-in after that one time.

I believe I am at about 450 hours, as I have used the PL2500 part of the time that I did my Predator burn-in. They sound smooth and mellow, with good bass presence and detail, and just the right amount of bass, mids and treble. The PL2500 out-of-the-box had upturned bass and treble, which rose above the mids, and they have leveled out and are more balanced now (yet still good for quiet listening).

I wont be worried if my HFI-780 do the same when I get them next week.

[Cankin]

My PL 750:

0-30 hrs: muddy, recessed mid and harsh high
~100 hrs: shrill, more mid but no bass at all
100-200: inconsistent..
~300: started to sound stable
500~800(now): no change at all to me

[Cool_Torpedo]

Thanks for sharing you experiences mates. I can't really write a road diary of my 2200 since I found them sounding quite OK out from the box and in my ignorance I thought they wouldn't need as much burn-in as the K.701 or other headphones. Moreover I was using different headphones in different rigs, then more focused on music than in "sounds". What I can say is that at some point which I estimate at around 250-300 hours, they sounded weird, no connection between the lows and the highs, which were kinda mudded and falling apart from the rest. It was then when I decided to torture them with some low frequency impulse tones for some extra 50 hours and the things started to sound amazing.
I still find them lacking refinement, the kind of detail and space around the notes that I love from electrostatics, which the 701 have in part. I also find them slightly balanced to the bass and midrange more than the treble, which makes for a relaxed, warm and intimate sound. If they only were more comfy on my ears...

My guess is that some other Ultrasone model might have it all. Don't know if the E9's, the Pro2500-750 or the new 780. Any of them could be a next purchase. Soundwise I believe the 2500 would have some extra spark in the highs and to be more balanced and open, but being also round cups, I fear they still won't cut it in the comfort department. The oval cups of the E9s or the new models look better, but sound-wise...
Too many doubts, so please keep your comments coming, and please don't forget to mention about comfort, heat, pressure.

Rgrds.

[worldman]

Hi guys. I have not been active here ever since I started spending most of my spare time listening to my newly found love, the Proline 750. I've been following this thread for a while now and find the comments here regarding the HFI-780 sounding close to the Edition 9 quite intriguing. Is anyone here ready to provide the highly anticipated direct comparison between the Proline 750 and HFI-780? As a die-hard fan of the 750, I would love to hear how they differ. Thanks.

[Skylab]

OK, thanks for the warning, I will wait for the 200 hour mark. I think now I will NOT bring these on my business trip this week, and that way I can they them burn in the whole time I am gone, at which point (next weekend) they should be pretty well cooked...

EDIT: I couldn't help but do some listening this morning, and at the 70 hour mark, they sound very good, IMO. Very good indeed. They also isolate well. So I WILL bring them on my trip. If they change some during it, so be it. It will be nice to have them along.

[Cool_Torpedo]

Originally Posted by Skylab

OK, thanks for the warning, I will wait for the 200 hour mark. I think now I will NOT bring these on my business trip this week, and that way I can they them burn in the whole time I am gone, at which point (next weekend) they should be pretty well cooked...

EDIT: I couldn't help but do some listening this morning, and at the 70 hour mark, they sound very good, IMO. Very good indeed. They also isolate well. So I WILL bring them on my trip. If they change some during it, so be it. It will be nice to have them along.

Hehehe, I guess that means they're sounding very good. Glad they're!. Enjoy your trip.
Rgrds

PS: Are you taking the iQube or the Meier portable?

[kiwirugby]

Originally Posted by Skylab

OK, thanks for the warning, I will wait for the 200 hour mark. I think now I will NOT bring these on my business trip this week, and that way I can they them burn in the whole time I am gone, at which point (next weekend) they should be pretty well cooked...

EDIT: I couldn't help but do some listening this morning, and at the 70 hour mark, they sound very good, IMO. Very good indeed. They also isolate well. So I WILL bring them on my trip. If they change some during it, so be it. It will be nice to have them along.

Oh, great! I just bought the ATH ESW9s as a new closed phone and now we have the Ultrasone 780s as another candidate!!! I just hate it when that happens! If anyone can make a quick comparison of the two, I'd be grateful (Skylab, I know you have both, but I am not asking you to do this!...unless you really want to!).

One thing I would be really interested in knowing, in addition to the sounds these phones produce, is how well the 780s isloate. I know the ESW9s don't very well.

[Skylab]

I'm not ready to make a full evaluation of the HFI-780, since they are not fully broken in. This I do know:

1. The HFI-780 isolate MUCH better than the ESW9
2. The ESW9 are MUCH smaller and lighter than the HFI-780, and as such, are likely to stay my main portable headphone
3. These headphones sound VERY different. I like both, actually, but they are different. Assuming the HFi-780 doesn't change radically, think of the the ESW9 as a good tube amp, and the HFI-780 as a good solid-state amp, in terms of the usual stereotypes.

More later.