So what's the word on the new Ultrasone HFI-780???? - Page 21 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

MaloS · 02-14-2008, 12:50 AM

Wait till this kid hears a good electrostatic setup...especially with a taste for Infected Mushroom...

Shahrose · 02-14-2008, 01:00 AM

Originally Posted by thread

I, too, think you aren't quite giving IEMs enough credit. Some of us really don't mind the feel of sticking IEMs in the ears, and high end custom earphones are certainly in a different class from the universal fit earphones in sound quality, isolation, and comfort.

it's not the fact that IEMs require deep insertion that bothers me. in fact, i forget they're there after a while and it's very comfortable for me. it's the soundstage and airiness that are severely lacking, relative to full-sized headphones. a couple of my friends who are fullsized headphone users and speaker users also agreed, they just couldn't stand the closed in sound of IEMs. earbuds are much better in this regard, then fullsized closed cans, then open headphones, and finally, speakers being the best.

i can't and won't speak for the UE-10s or any of the very high end IEMs, since i have no experience of any better than the SF5EB's. but, i have a pretty hard time believing any IEM, no matter how expensive, will remedy the issues i have with them for home use. they just don't compare to decent fullsized headphones.

that's not to say i don't like IEMs. i always use earbuds/iems for portable use and they're great. oddly, they sound better on the bus than they do at home. maybe because i have a point of reference at home with 2 fullsized headphones.

fierce_freak · 02-14-2008, 01:18 AM

I don't have any of the problems with IEMs that I've read so far, here, but I do have one problem with them that keeps them under a good full-sized, to my ears. They sound "small." I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it's something like there being no weight to the sound.

ecclesand · 02-14-2008, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by MaloS

Can you identify what did not sound right? Instead of pointing at S-Logic, particular sound qualities =] There was one thing wrong with all the Ultrasones I have tried, and it was not S-Logic.

So, because to YOUR ears it was something other than the S-Logic that bothered you that holds true for everyone? If someone else doesn't like the Ultrasones for something other than the "one thing" that you found wrong with them, they are "trivial". You may want to climb down off your golden pedestal.

For me, I didn't like the mids. Even after 350 hours of pink noise burn in on both cans, the mids sounded honky and shouty to me. It was frustrating because sometimes I would listen and like them. At other times, they just annoyed the hell out of me. I can't really explain it. Since both the PL2500 and PL750 had it, I attribute it to the S-Logic.

MaloS · 02-14-2008, 02:28 AM

Originally Posted by ecclesand

So, because to YOUR ears it was something other than the S-Logic that bothered you that holds true for everyone? If someone else doesn't like the Ultrasones for something other than the "one thing" that you found wrong with them, they are "trivial". You may want to climb down off your golden pedestal.

For me, I didn't like the mids. Even after 350 hours of pink noise burn in on both cans, the mids sounded honky and shouty to me. It was frustrating because sometimes I would listen and like them. At other times, they just annoyed the hell out of me. I can't really explain it. Since both the PL2500 and PL750 had it, I attribute it to the S-Logic.

Nope, silly. It is because the problem is precisely with the mids, and absolutely all complains I heard about the sound come down to it. There is a suck-out in a particular interval, and boosts in the midrange above it, combined with a longer-than-normal decay of upper midrange/lower treble. Mind you PL2500/750 AND Edition 9 share the same driver. That is all.

M3NTAL · 02-14-2008, 03:42 AM

Originally Posted by MaloS

Nope, silly. It is because the problem is precisely with the mids, and absolutely all complains I heard about the sound come down to it. There is a suck-out in a particular interval, and boosts in the midrange above it, combined with a longer-than-normal decay of upper midrange/lower treble. Mind you PL2500/750 AND Edition 9 share the same driver. That is all.

Does the Edition 9 share this same quibble? As it seems to be my only concern also. I can't point my finger on it as exacting as you have put it, but I feel like there is something missing in the midrange. My 2500's are lacking something that the Senn HD650 has going for it in the midrange.

Shahrose · 02-14-2008, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by MaloS

Nope, silly. It is because the problem is precisely with the mids, and absolutely all complains I heard about the sound come down to it. There is a suck-out in a particular interval, and boosts in the midrange above it, combined with a longer-than-normal decay of upper midrange/lower treble. Mind you PL2500/750 AND Edition 9 share the same driver. That is all.

i definitely have not heard the decay problem on my prolines. i also don't notice a suckout in any part of the midrange. there is a slight one near 300 hz, but i can't notice it unless i switch to my other phones and even then it's very subtle and not at all a bad thing.

i also didn't notice any honkiness. i would hate that. i did notice a slight metallic tinge in the pl750s tonal balance but even that went away with burn-in.

you must have sensitive hearing (in a good way).

Shahrose · 02-14-2008, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by fierce_freak

I don't have any of the problems with IEMs that I've read so far, here, but I do have one problem with them that keeps them under a good full-sized, to my ears. They sound "small." I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it's something like there being no weight to the sound.

that's pretty much what i mean.

HeadphoneAddict · 02-14-2008, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by HeadPhoneLU

Hello,new here.

I felt that I should post some of my Impresions on the HFi-780s that I've had for a little over a week. They have over 150hrs of play time on my lap top and Zune 8gb and still climbing.
First off stay away from these headphones...that is for the first 100hrs.
Right out of the box they had no bass and sounded worse than my HD280s.
I was very dissapointed even though I have read every thing about the burn in time for Ultrasone headphones. I was even more dissapointed after reading how much people dislike the HD280s, and I felt that the HD280s were far better in every way compared to the HFI-780s.

Thank god the burn in time helped these phones. I am happy to say that they now out perform my HD280s in all areas be a large margin.
They arent as comfotable as my 280s, even though they are the same headband, they dont have good sound isolation and I wish the headband was better padded, it is very stiff.

I wanna get into the sound quality but all I have to compare it to are my 280s and they are outperformed. Ill just say that the bass is amazing on these things nice full and round. Electronic music shines on these things. I listen to Infected Mushroom, DaftPunk(2007 live) more and I just get a big smile every time I do. If you like Vocals you wont be dissapointed either. For vocals I listen to Celtic Woman and the songs Walking in the air and Orinoco flow just blow me away every time, they sound amazing.<- ima big softy

I know that this realy looks jumbled and randomly put together but there is just so much to write and so little time as I gotta go to work soon. One problem that does bug me more than anything is that the earcups just have so much padding that the driver is a bit far from my ear and I always have to apply more presure on the earcups to get better sound ( someone please mod this).
I'll add more later as I gotta get going now and I'll end it with this is the best $200 I have ever spent .

Good feedback on the headphones, you are doing fine.

Welcome to head-fi, and sorry about your wallet...

HeadphoneAddict · 02-14-2008, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by MaloS

Nope, silly. It is because the problem is precisely with the mids, and absolutely all complains I heard about the sound come down to it. There is a suck-out in a particular interval, and boosts in the midrange above it, combined with a longer-than-normal decay of upper midrange/lower treble. Mind you PL2500/750 AND Edition 9 share the same driver. That is all.

Well, I think the midrange suck-out is worse on my STAX SR-Lambda Pro than my PL2500. As a matter of fact, I think the PL2500 has better mids than Darth Beyers (300 hours), which without a 3-4db boost at 250Hz and 500Hz were not as enjoyable, while I can enjoy the PL2500 without any EQ (over 500 hours). And to me, the Edition 9 correct any of the PL2500 flaws, including providing a great midrange.