ultrasone comparisons: 750/2500 vs 2200?

[e-dub]

can anyone comment on the 2200s? i have a pair of proline 750's and love them (they're not even done burning in!), and am looking forward to getting a pair of 2200s. i'm wondering how the sound compares to the 750? i know they won't be as analytical as the 750s, and that's ok. i'd probably end up using them as my "recreational listening" phones... or whatever LOL.

can anyone comment? thanks!

eric b

[e-dub]

feel free to reply, folks

eric b

[e-dub]

and by 2200, i mean hfi 2200. you know, the brown ones with the orange pads. i know some of you out there have them...

eric b

[HeadphoneAddict]

Here is the thread where you'll get the best answers to Ultrasone Questions

There's Something About Ultrasone…

I don't have 750's so I can't help. I do like my PL2500 and think they make decent recreational headphones.

[Dexdexter]

Originally Posted by e-dub

can anyone comment on the 2200s? i have a pair of proline 750's and love them (they're not even done burning in!), and am looking forward to getting a pair of 2200s. i'm wondering how the sound compares to the 750? i know they won't be as analytical as the 750s, and that's ok. i'd probably end up using them as my "recreational listening" phones... or whatever LOL.

can anyone comment? thanks!

eric b

Yes, eric, I'd say you're pretty much on the right track here. Compared to the 2500/750, the 2200s have a warmer, more relaxed character and are far less fussy about the quality of the source material, while retaining the very same PROline presentation you enjoy with your 750s (after all, the HFI-2200 are PROlines in everything but name). Expect the soundstage to be just a bit more expansive than the 750s, since they are open-back. Sure, they're a little softer at the frequency extremes (esp. in the treble), but the midrange is absolutely killer, and besides, these are not exactly cans designed for critical listening anyway.

So if a lot of your music is something less than audiophile, or if you occasionally listen to lower-res files, the 2200s may allow you to forget about all those hi-fi shenanigans and better concentrate on the music. I find my 2200s indispensable for listening to '60s psychedelia, roots reggae, old school funk & soul, and other world musics, not to mention certain live performances of rather dubious origin.

Early last year, one of our East-European members summed up their unique charms most succinctly with his three-word review:

"Vacation for ears"

Enjoy!

[e-dub]

thanks so much, dexdexter

the only thing i'm really worried about is the bass extension. i am ENAMORED with the bass of my 750's, and if the 2200's can hang with that, i think i'll be one smitten head-fi'er

eric b

[Contrastique]

Originally Posted by e-dub

thanks so much, dexdexter

the only thing i'm really worried about is the bass extension. i am ENAMORED with the bass of my 750's, and if the 2200's can hang with that, i think i'll be one smitten head-fi'er

eric b

From what I recall from the 2200, they'll give you your bass, they're just more warm sounding.

[Dexdexter]

Originally Posted by e-dub

thanks so much, dexdexter

the only thing i'm really worried about is the bass extension. i am ENAMORED with the bass of my 750's, and if the 2200's can hang with that, i think i'll be one smitten head-fi'er

eric b

Fear not, eric, the 2200s are hardly lightweights in the bass department! Sure, on paper, the 750s go a whopping 2Hz (!) deeper, but, in the real world, any difference in bass extension between the 750 and 2200 is essentially negligible. The 2200s are by no means woolly in character, and still manage enough visceral slam to satisfy a basshead like myself.

Looking forward to your impressions when they arrive!

[Dexdexter]

Originally Posted by Contrastique

From what I recall from the 2200, they'll give you your bass, they're just more warm sounding.

Indeed, Indra, their perceived warmth speaks more about the difference in the high-frequency region, not about any looseness or flabbiness in the lower...

[e-dub]

i can't believe there is next to no info on here regarding these beauties. not only do they seem to be a dream, but i absolutely LOVE the color scheme!

eric b

[Cool_Torpedo]

I agree with Dexdexter in all his points about the HFI2200-ULE, at least the "old" model since they're about releasing a new one. The first thing that recalls your attention is the bass depth, body, correct texture and slam. Better than many other cans very well regarded.
They need a lot of burn in, and not "any kind" of burn in, you really need to stress those drivers to get the highs with some balance and presence, related to the good bass they deliver. They're overly warm, relaxed and enjoyable. They also make excellent cans for movies. They're forgiving on bad sources and bad recordings, and don't ask for beefy amps, they sound OK from the computer's phones output, a TV set output or even using an iPod without any amp. They get better amped, as almost any can I know of, but it's not really necessary.
Before being well broken-in they sound kind of incoherent, not really bright or dark, just as if they were a 3 ways speaker which hadn't its drivers properly matched or a defective crossover. And it takes a lot of time having them sounding right. I was about giving up on them when I decided to torture them for some hundred hours and then everything got into spot.
They're the ones to blame for my interest on the Edition 9s, but unless Dexdexter or any Ultrasone owner points me to an online shop in Europe, selling them for a price according to the price tag they carry in the US, it won't happen soon.

Regards

[Dexdexter]

Originally Posted by e-dub

i can't believe there is next to no info on here regarding these beauties. not only do they seem to be a dream, but i absolutely LOVE the color scheme!

eric b

I think there's a natural tendency to always look for the "best this" or the "most that", and, in that respect, it's not too difficult to understand how a model of more subtle talents can get lost in the shuffle here.

I dig(g) their looks too; whenever I have them on, i feel just so terribly handsome!