Ultrasone HFI780 ALO Mod - Page 29

You're so right! Am at 135 hours now, it is definitely getting better!
I had a friend who burnt in too much and ruined his cans, so I tend to be more gentle to them.
The last 15 hours I tried to burn-in with louder volume (still don't dare to go over volume my ear can stand), some of the microphonics' gone and music's starting to blend nicely. Thank you so much for your advice!

Evelia

Hi Ken,

I'm using Marantz CD5003 directly at the moment, used to use that with Grado's RA1 + RS1 in the last few years, planning on getting another amp for these cans but not sure what yet, going to wait until they're burnt-in This is actually my first modded headphone!
The bass wasn't exactly messy only the whole harmony was a little, compare to the out of box stage, everything's still there but it's like a painting got dirty... and I started to wonder if the microphonics are just a period thing during the burn-in session, as it's getting less as hours goes by. I wasn't moving at all when i was listening, just sitting or lying in bed, in fact I didn't really hear extra microphonics when I was moving! Sorry if i misled you
So.. I guess we'll see if that is the case or not later!

And thanks a lot for your concern... that's really nice of you

Evelia

I received my alo-780's a couple weeks ago and i must say that they are by far the best headphones i have ever heard. The bass is amazing is so tight and punchy but it has impact just the way i like it.

I have been so busy with school that i only have like 15 or 20 hrs on them but they seem to be getting better maybe i will try burning them in.

I know i probably shouldnt say this on this website, but before these headphones i used to download a lot of music but in the 2 wks since i have had them i have spent a 100 dollars getting cd's just to experience the music to its fullest.

I will give these headphones at least a 100 hrs before i can give them a full review but so far so good...

I feel like these arent amped a 100 percent so i will need to look into to getting the right amp to better experience these headphones. I just wish i had heard the orignial 780's to see what kind of difference the recable really made.

This is some amazing work ken thanks so much

They take a minimum of 180-200 hours to burn-in according to my experience with two different pairs (and up to 250-350 for a little extra smoothness). They sound good with a decent SS amp and good current output. Travagans Red or White, and Headroom Micro Amp are a few of my favorite lower cost amps with them, and with an opamp swap in the Travagans Red or White to a pair of SOIC OPA627 soldered onto a 2:1 adapter it will be even better. They also good with a large number of portable amps.

Thanks for the advice i will start burning them in and see if i can keep track and document the changes

Thanks for the amp information, i am really trying to take my time to research into an amp. How would you compare the headroom amp to the travagans amp. I guess for some background info i dont know to roll an amp and most likely wouldnt be able to change the opamp??

Thanks for the help headphone addict it was your advise that led me to getting these cans, and my wallet regrets it but my ears sure as hell dont.

Almost saved up to buy a pair with jena cable. Need to sell my Denon d2000.

A few weeks ago, I bought a pair of stock HFI-780 from ALO and got them up to about 180 hours of use. I was enjoying their sound so much that I realized it would be well worth it to me to have Ken put them through his transmutation process to a ALO-780. I shipped them off earlier today. I've purchased a pair of ALO-modded SR225 after enjoying the stock SR225 for about five years - and the difference was something that I had to ease into, it was so overwhelming. Same thing when I bought the ALO HD650 replacement cable after enjoying the 650 for about a year. The capacity of both of those ALO-enhanced cans to carry me off riding on and delving deeply into the music still catches me off-guard in the most awe-inspiring of ways. The stock HFI-780 is easily holding its own with the other enhanced cans in the immersive listening experience it offers. Frankly, I'm amazed that a stock closed phone at the price point of the HFI-780 can hit so heavy compared to two enhanced, open phones - and it can. It's going to take some easing into with the ALO-780, based on past experience - but I'm UP for it!!! I packed them up (in their HFI-780 secret identity) last night to get them ready for shipment today, and I have to say that I miss the presentation of the music provided by the HFI-780. But the anticipation of getting them back as ALO-780 (in which form their true powers from their home planet of Ultrasone - thanks to that short detour through Portland, Oregon - will be revealed) is just TOO delicious!!! Get back all audio arch-villains wielding a concealed chunk of Ultrasonite (or replacement diode board)!!! Carried by the ALO-780, I'll just waft off on, and deeply into, the grooves of the music and be lost in the Phone Zone forever (the Head-Fi equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle). I hope that the Amphora can be delivered to me there. Well, if not, I'll just have to find my way back to get it - and then - off to discover and explore the outermost frontiers of the psycho-acoustic universe - where no ear/brain has gone before!!!!! "Psyched" does not begin to describe my state of viscerally scrumptious and ineffably sublime anticipation at this point. Somehow, the anxious anticipation in the HD800 threads just seems to have the volume turned WAY down for me right now.

Can anyone tell me when the treble improves on a alo 780. I bought mine second hand already recabled and although I am generally pleased with them I find that the treble is slashy and lacks focus. This is only really noticeable on tracks with alot of treble info. It does not happen with my K701.
The previous owner said that the phones had about 300 hours use and the cablewas partly burnt in by ALO (exact amount unknown). The phones and cable have had another 80 hours since purchased. Will this improve sometime soon or is this it!

I had a pair of HFI-780 with about 200 hours of use modded by ALO, including the recable. I've got about another 200 hours of use on the modded HFI-780 (often dubbed ALO-780), and it is just entering into a level of performance that I would say is sufficiently resolving and balanced to use in critical listening. I would not be surprised at all if it continues to improve for yet another 100 - 200 hours of use. The three aspects of the improvements that I noticed on the modded 780 with use are: 1) the refinement of the highs which can take on some unpleasant intensity at times into really lovely highs (although still a touch forward, but not unpleasant) 2) the refinement of the lows, and the balancing of the entire acoustic spectrum. 3) the cleaning up of the background - which reveals additional resolution, focus, detail and spatial imaging throughout the acoustic spectrum.

This is my third phone recable by ALO with 18 AWG Jena Ultra Cryo Wire (the first two were a SR225, and a replacement cable for a HD650). The heavy gauge wire takes a lot of use (200-400 hours) to fully clean up and allow through to the phones what will enable them to sound their best. After that, it's constantly amazing what comes through and how gorgeously the phone can display it. And then there's the full break-in of the 780's as well. Overall, I'm finding that 200 hours of use on the unmodded phones PLUS another 200 hours after the mod has just started to put these phones at a level of performance where I consider them to be holding their own in real listening quality alongside the modded SR225 and HD650 with many more hours of use. And, at this point, I'm expecting more improvements of that significant last 5% kind for another few hundred hours of use. And then there's that gorgeous ALO-780 spectral balance and timbre/tonality/texture that just totally involves me every time!!! The HFI-780 is really worth the ALO mod, in my listening, once they've had time to shake out their new materials and can display the performance of which they are capable.

Thanks for the reply.
They are definately a keeper, just hoping that the treble clears up. After reading other comments I expect it too but did not know how long I would need to wait.

I'm back!

Sorry I didn't continue the review for so long, something personal happened and wasn't really in the mood to come up here. But am back on track now.

Now the cans are fully burned in, settled, sound wonderful, and growing on me day by day.
Huge gratitude to Ken, thank you, thank you, thank you.
And HeadphoneAddict too, thank you, for guiding me through.

Although since my RA1 is not with me anymore, I'm still listening to them directly from the Marantz CD5003... Not really doing them justice!
Am looking for a set-up between the CD player and the cans before posting a full review, including a new dac + amp + cables, my budget is about $500-600ish (if it's worth it i could save up a little more, too). Have already read some threads but still not sure what to get. I must admit I'm very new to setups on dac, amps and stuff, am still learning...

I mainly listen to music at home with the CD5003, so portable or not is not an issue at all... home amp will be good enough, but I want to be able to connect them to my computer sometimes too. I mostly listen to classical, avant-garde, progressive rock & metal, and some doom metal as well. I read that iBasso D10, Voyager, Hornet and Predator does a great job (haven't done much research on home amps yet), but I didn't find anyone or place in Hong Kong for me to audition, and don't have enough information on them with ALO780s, so I'm still clueless!
And as I know, if i want to connect amp -> headphone to my computer I'll most likely need a DAC (might be wrong :P), but I'm not sure if I'll need one with the CD5003...?

Would anyone please kindly point me the right direction?

Evelia

I use mine with the Solo and assume the Nova and Voyager are voiced similar. The Solo/ALO 780 is fast,punchy,forward,detailed and exciting. Should be great with your rock/metal. The only gripe I have is the treble can get a little splashy on cymbals (mainly when there is alot of it). But the Solo has not fully burnt in yet and the 780's are know for this but most people say it improves with use especially when recabled. So I live in hope that it will improve in time.

Hi there,

Thanks for the tip!
Am now reserching on Nova and Solo. Seems like it's going to be a long long reserch...

Have been reading threads and reviews these few days, starting to think maybe I really should get a decent DAC first (since I'm unlikely to upgrade my source within these two years) and then get for a nice amp + cables. That way I'll be able to listen through my laptop too!

By the way, in my case the treble did indeed improve, slowly, not a extreme dramatic change that turn ALO780 into another species, but still there is improvement that makes it much more pleasant. How long have you been burning in (both the ALO780 and Solo)?

Eveila

The phones were bought s/h and had about 300 hours on them. The cabling was given a burn in by ALO but I don't know how long for. I must of put another 100-150 on them by now. So I would guess the cable has had around 200 hours. The Solo is my third and its been constantly powered up since I got it about 4 weeks ago although its only had about 60 hours playing time. I don't know how much difference that would make.
Don't know much about your source but at least you are using a proper one! and not a laptop/pc. If you are using just the one pair of phones then maybe a better source would be a better bet. If using multiple headphones with different impedances then I would still recommend a amp.