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Help!: Ultrasone Pro(line) 750 or Ultrasone HFI 780?

post #1 of 61
2/27/08 at 3:38pm
Thread Starter 
I have been reading all the threads on the Ultrasone Pro(line) 750 and the Ultrasone HFI 780 and I know I want one of them, but I can’t decide which one. 750 and 780 owners, please help me out! I am looking for accurate sounding closed cans that I can use at work (most of the time) and while commuting (some of the time). I’ll be using a portable amp (Voyager) and a 5G Ipod (although I am contemplating purchasing a dedicated amp and a CD-player for at work). I just can’t make up my mind; both cans seem to possess characteristics I like. Testing might have solved the problem, but unfortunately, I can't test them. There's no place nearby that sells them, so I'll have to order them over the net.
Portability is important to me (not too much leakage), but SQ and signature are even more important. Last night I was all but convinced I should go ahead and order the 780, but after reading again about the 750 this morning, my resolve disappeared like snow in the sun (or money in your wallet at Headfi). So, owners, please help me out. If I don’t order either one of them very soon, I just might go crazy.
And there is also the disconcerting possibility that perhaps I should go for the HFI 680, since I'm not too much of a basshead. I guess I'll decide that after I made the choice between the 750 and the 780. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
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post #2 of 61
2/27/08 at 6:12pm
Interesting question, I'd like to hear the answers too
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post #3 of 61
3/27/08 at 6:35pm
Would really like to see a comparison of these as well...
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post #4 of 61
3/27/08 at 7:25pm
Me too! And the 2500 also.
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post #5 of 61
3/27/08 at 7:29pm
I'd be more interested in a comparison of the HFI 780 and Pro(line) 650 since they're closer in price. But any comparisons at all are helpful.
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post #6 of 61
4/2/08 at 11:24am
Thread Starter 
Well, I bit the bullet and bought the HFI 680. I was afraid the bass of the HFI780 might be a bit too much for me. I think I made the right decision, because the HFI680 is a wonderful headphone. The shrillish treble completely disappeared during burn-in and the bass is still more than ample. even though it's not the HFI780, I'd say this is a bass-heavy phone. Good thing about is that it doesn't come at the expense of the clear and warm mids. Nothing recessed there. At the moment, I like them better than my Beyerdynamic DT831. In fact, I like the sound sig so much I bought a pair of proline 2500's from fellow-headfi'er Kees. Waiting for the mailman as we speak...
If there is a bad thing about the HFI680 it is that with some recordings they seem to aim to impress. These phones are certainly not laidback, they are in a subtle way quite aggressive. But I am completely in love with them. I'll make a comparison with the 2500 when I have had the time to get used to them.
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post #7 of 61
4/2/08 at 5:23pm
For what it matters a brief impression of mine about my encounter with the 780's stock, 500+hrs burn in. Used it with Ipod and Larocco. Music listened to mostly Air, Pleymo and Pink Floyd.
I didn't like them. Bass way too heavy and when throwing crowded music at them they failed delivering it without trouble. It didn't sound detailed but rather mixed up. They lack control when it gets heavier.
A certain string got so painful for my ears it was unlistenable. Horrible.
They do have a forward midrange which for vocals was quite enjoyable.
When playing Pleymo through them they failed miserably. Bass got distorted, boomy and not detailed at all.

Now, listening to the 750's, completely different story. They handle "busy" music with no problem at all. Very detailed, clear and transparant. The 750's are much calmer to listen to and you can focus on everything seperately without losing harmony. Bass is fast, detailed and low without getting distorted. Highs way more pleasant, not piercing at all to me.
Compared to the 780's recessed mids but to me not bothersome as with some songs it's more noticable than others.
Sound perfect huh! Well, they're not. Because of their laidback mids. Check out the ed9

I briefly listened to the 680's and preferred them a whole lot more than the 780's. Way less bass and the highs also tamed. A fun sounding hp with not the amount of the detail the 750's provide you with but therefor a lot more forgiving with not so good recordings. Very musical to my ears just not my cup of tea.

Well, I'm a noob at writing reviews I guess so you'll have to do with this. Hope this might be of help to some. Can't believe I actually read over this thread haha!
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post #8 of 61
4/5/08 at 12:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Contrastique View Post
For what it matters a brief impression of mine about my encounter with the 780's stock, 500+hrs burn in. Used it with Ipod and Larocco. Music listened to mostly Air, Pleymo and Pink Floyd.
I didn't like them. Bass way too heavy and when throwing crowded music at them they failed delivering it without trouble. It didn't sound detailed but rather mixed up. They lack control when it gets heavier.
A certain string got so painful for my ears it was unlistenable. Horrible.
They do have a forward midrange which for vocals was quite enjoyable.
When playing Pleymo through them they failed miserably. Bass got distorted, boomy and not detailed at all.

Now, listening to the 750's, completely different story. They handle "busy" music with no problem at all. Very detailed, clear and transparant. The 750's are much calmer to listen to and you can focus on everything seperately without losing harmony. Bass is fast, detailed and low without getting distorted. Highs way more pleasant, not piercing at all to me.
Compared to the 780's recessed mids but to me not bothersome as with some songs it's more noticable than others.
Sound perfect huh! Well, they're not. Because of their laidback mids. Check out the ed9

I briefly listened to the 680's and preferred them a whole lot more than the 780's. Way less bass and the highs also tamed. A fun sounding hp with not the amount of the detail the 750's provide you with but therefor a lot more forgiving with not so good recordings. Very musical to my ears just not my cup of tea.

Well, I'm a noob at writing reviews I guess so you'll have to do with this. Hope this might be of help to some. Can't believe I actually read over this thread haha!
Contrastique, your mini review was very clear and to the point for this reader, hitting on issues that concern me (e.g., how do the phones handle congested music, how tonally balanced the phones are, etc.). For some of my jazz albums (e.g., Weather Report, Pat Methany), the music gets extremely busy and these phones probably won't cut it.

With the recent buzz on these phones, I have been trying to get a handle on how suitable the phones are for my tastes. I love phones that are well balanced throughout the listen-able frequency range, that exhibit good transparency and plenty of detail.

Nice mini review!
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post #9 of 61
4/5/08 at 12:23am
why would you expect cheaper lower headphones in ultrasone's lineup to outperform the proline 750s anyways? isn't it a bit unrealistic to have that kind of expectation, there's a reason why the pro750s cost significantly more.
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post #10 of 61
4/5/08 at 12:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shahrose View Post
why would you expect cheaper lower headphones in ultrasone's lineup to outperform the proline 750s anyways? isn't it a bit unrealistic to have that kind of expectation, there's a reason why the pro750s cost significantly more.
I am not sure who you are referring to here. However, I have heard that the 780's were based somewhat on the UE9's. Some enthusiastic users were making incredible claims for them as well. Perhaps some undue hype from Ultrasone's marketing and some users? Nevertheless, I am more concerned whether they fit my desires than other users' ideas about fun phones.
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post #11 of 61
4/5/08 at 12:36am
pehaps hype, apparently people have called and ultrasone recommended 780's over 750s, even though they cost less?
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post #12 of 61
4/5/08 at 7:00am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shahrose View Post
why would you expect cheaper lower headphones in ultrasone's lineup to outperform the proline 750s anyways? isn't it a bit unrealistic to have that kind of expectation, there's a reason why the pro750s cost significantly more.
I wasn't expecting the 780's to outperform the proline (or pro) 750's, but I wasn't sure whether the proline 750's would be as suited for portable use. For home use or for monitoring, I guess the choice would have been easy, but I needed a pair of portable cans with good SQ. Hence my question. And to be honest I was also a bit swayed by the very positive reviews the HFI 780 got here. Anyway, I am happy now with the HFI 680's for portable use.

I've haven't been able to give the Proline 2500's more than a few hours, but there are some clear differences with the 680's. More detail, depth and air (well, they are open of course). I never thought of the 680's as a bit darkish, but compared to the 2500's they are.
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post #13 of 61
4/5/08 at 2:22pm
yea if i didn't know better, i'd be swayed by these recent reviews praising the 780s too. imo, you made a good choice going with the pro2500.

and i don't use fullsized headphones for portable use, so i can't help you there.
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post #14 of 61
4/7/08 at 2:09am
I( went with the 750's and I love them. I bought them from someone on this forum (they were already burned in) but still. They soundd really good. Great sound stage
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post #15 of 61
5/15/08 at 8:43pm
I created a thread about this with something newer to my questions. Please contribute from your experiences.

Thanks!

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ult...7/#post4213243
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