STAX Omega II vs. Ultrasone Edition 7 - Page 6

Audiostereo.

True. My point was all the inconsistencies in opinions and trying to figure out a consensus. They seem to be from mediocre to the all time great which reminded me of the K701 at first. Now the K701 seems to end up right where it should be in the HD650/K701/880 group. That mag reference was only 1 aspect.

That's true....most reviews tend to be right when the product launches. So they're all going to be glowing "wow this blew me away, it's the best headphone ever" kind of review. Maybe you have to wait at least 2 years after a product is introduced to get real impressions of things: both positive and negative.

X2. Always interested in trying new phones.

I owned the GS1000 and currently the Edition 9. The only thing the GS1000 have over the Edition 9 is comfort and maybe, maybe, the top end, for now. That's my opinion, the GS1000 being better rated than the E9 is that magazine writer's opinion. As far as priced 1/3 less, GS1000 goes for around $1000, and being a Grado, that is what you're pretty much going to pay no matter what. Prices for the E9 and GS1000 is a lot closer than retail prices imply. In Europe the GS1000 might even be more expensive than the E9 because Grado seems to be ridiculously expensive in the EU.

Mulveling mentioned that the Edition 9 doesn't have the sizzle that some other top headphone has yes, but you also failed to mentioned his positive comments regarding the E9 and that the fact at the time of his impressions, he only had around 100 hours on the headphone. Different way people quote or put together information also leads to incomplete pictures. There are definitly area I think E9 can improve on, but I haven't had the E9 long enough to formulate any solid impressions.

And I think you just answered your own question with the last paragraph of yours? All headphones have pros and cons. Some people focus on some areas over others and of course this is going to give rise to differences in impressions and opinions.

I for one don't take what I read on Head-Fi as the absolute, just the starting point for me to narrow down products I want to try and keep.

^ good points, I also didn't mention that the "sizzle" that top end phones have sometimes is an addative to the recording which I'm not a fan of either. I guess I'll just have to get a pair when they are available. It's going to be a long painful wait...

robm321

I am not sure which post you are referring to here with the word "sizzle" because these are his post on the Edition 9s that I found on the thread that he started concerning the E9s. And now this word "sizzle" has been carried forth into several following threads as if it actually was used as you presented it. Maybe I just have failed to find your particular reference.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...&postcount=174; 100 hours burn in

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...&postcount=121

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...7&postcount=74

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...4&postcount=18; less than 6 hours

and in this last thread, which is his earliest impressions and early impressions are usually not very good in reference to the Ultrasone in general, he is found to have used the word "sizzle" but in an entirely different context:

"So far, the feeling I get sonic balance-wise, is that of a hybrid betweeen Qualia and the high-end woodies (R10, L3000). Midrange doesn't have the warmth of the woodies yet not quite as "sterile" as the Qualia (keep in mind I love the 010 so I don't mean that in a bad sense). Again, vocals are not thick and seductive as with the woodies but that may not be a bad thing to some. My guess, though, is that female vocal fanatics (that's you purk) will not be swayed to the Ultrasones. Bass extends very very deep, could be the deepest I've ever heard in a headphone, and that includes my beloved L3000. Has a nice crisp feeling throught the full range, super clean transients and microdynamics. If you're one who finds the L3000/HD650/DX1000 too dark and/or dull, the Edition 9 adds in just the right amount of sizzle/sparkle/ping while still remaining completely unfatiguing (something the Grados w/ bowls (and sometimes even flats) fail at IMO)."

Note: highlighting is my own to point to the word "sizzle".

^ This is what I meant. I guess "sizzle" wasn't the word but I think sparkle, sizzle, euphony kind of fall in the same area

Like I mentioned before, those eccentricities aren't always what an neutral accuracy nut like myself consider a good thing

What cable????

So, has anyone given any thought to balancing the E9s? Just a re-termination? Re-cable?

This is cool, I think. Create playlists designed specifically for the e9.

Rudi has this particular recabled pair, and an stock Edition 9 (which is basically the same heapdhone) comparing both side by side, the stock one according to hom sounds smoother in the upper treble regions, the recable sometimes sounds a litle harsh, what indicates that the recable IMO do not benefit too much the overall sound of the headphone (I have not heard them myself but I trust his ears more than mine on that)...
We know that the stock Edition cable is custom made by Oehlbach (is written on the jacket), and I asked once, and I was adviced not to replace it, as it was taken into cosideration in the design of the headphones, not always to recable a heapdhone is beneficial to the sound, in this case it seems that it is not...for weird that it seems to many of us...

Balanced?? Well is just a matter of reterminating the cable, and use a balanced amp of course, I have it single ended, now hooked in my RPX-33, honestly is hard to imagine a better sound from them...Hopefully i will recieve soon the NX33, but not sure if I wouldl ike to do the retermintation job, unless reversible...
Among all the headphones that I have heard balanced, the one that really benefits from it is the HD6XX series, the rest using a good single ended, you can get similar results...and most fo the times the benefit you hear is just becasue the blaanced amp is just and simply a better overall and more expensive amp...

How does the Edition 7 differ from the Edition 9?

Cosmetics, packaging, price (the latter being less expensive), availability (limited edition vs. current production, respectively).

Even while we are not 100% sure of that yet, as nobody had opened both to see, but this seems to be the sad truth, mainly cosmetic differences, not sure if under the hood we can find a little differences, but I'm expecting the same heapdhone...at least we have not heard the opposite from any reliable source yet...