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Ultrasone HFI-780 or PRO 650?

post #1 of 14
8/3/09 at 1:43pm
Thread Starter 
Trying to decide which ones to get...I have the HFI-580's like them a lot, but looking to step up. Listen to a lot of jazz and rock. Can't really find a lot of info on the Pro 650's. Does anyone have experience with either one? Possibly both?
Thanks,
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post #2 of 14
8/3/09 at 3:46pm
I would say HFI-780s, but if you've got enough go for Pro 900s. HFI-780s after few hours of burn in are quite good.
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post #3 of 14
8/3/09 at 6:07pm
Thread Starter 
Unfortunately don't have enough for the Pro900 (though I can dream). But I am also looking for something that I can sometimes use with my itouch or fuze, not all the time, but when traveling on plains and trains. Though they would mainly be used for office and home use. Don't know if that makes a difference.
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post #4 of 14
8/3/09 at 6:38pm
I love my recabled 780s, although I haven't heard any other Ultrasone models I can only attest to there brilliance. They have wicked musical separation, not an airy soundstage but more upfront. I am interested in trying the open Ultrasones although that might take away from there slam which I enjoy so much. I really enjoy them for electronica and rock, jazz however I would say to look into Sennheiser HD650 for a more laid back, smooth sound. The 780s have an extended, tight low end to them with starkly highs. I am told the stock cable is complete rubbish so you may want to look into that.

Something to wet your appetite...

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post #5 of 14
8/3/09 at 8:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smm11 View Post
Trying to decide which ones to get...I have the HFI-580's like them a lot, but looking to step up. Listen to a lot of jazz and rock. Can't really find a lot of info on the Pro 650's. Does anyone have experience with either one? Possibly both?
Thanks,
What sound card or other equipment are you plugging your headphones into?

I used the Proline 650 from a cheap sound card and enjoyed it almost exclusively with electronic music because of its bass clarity and punch (when modified it was incredible). Based on that experience, I would not consider buying an Ultrasone for listening to jazz or rock. But if I were to buy an Ultrasone for jazz / rock, FWIR, it would be the HFI580.

And so, FWIR, unless you're going to recable / mod the HFI780 and plug it into some decent equipment with good quality source media, AND, you prefer retaining the Ultrasone sound, then I suggest considering headphones other than Ultrasone for jazz / rock. That is not to suggest you or others could not enjoy any Ultrasone with jazz / rock.
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post #6 of 14
8/3/09 at 8:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graphicism View Post
Something to wet your appetite...
The lava lamp is SO not Ultrasone. That's a deceptive marketing ploy. More appropriate lighting to characterize Ultrasone would be bright track lighting or a spot light.
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post #7 of 14
8/3/09 at 9:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Time View Post
The lava lamp is SO not Ultrasone. That's a deceptive marketing ploy. More appropriate lighting to characterize Ultrasone would be bright track lighting or a spot light.
Oh I don't know, it's quite mesmerizing... perhaps a strobe light or a laser light show would be more appropriate? To be honest I'm thinking about replacing the blue LEDs in the Zero with orange ones and buying an orange lava lamp... I don't know why the fascination with orange of all of a sudden but there you go.
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post #8 of 14
8/3/09 at 9:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graphicism View Post
Oh I don't know, it's quite mesmerizing... perhaps a strobe light or a laser light show would be more appropriate? To be honest I'm thinking about replacing the blue LEDs in the Zero with orange ones and buying an orange lava lamp... I don't know why the fascination with orange of all of a sudden but there you go.
I agree, even better, a strobe light or laser light show. But a psychodelic, 60's, and groovy looking lava lamp, definitely not Ultrasone. A "groovalizer" would be much more appropriately associated with a lava lamp. This is marketing deception on Ultrasone's part, pure and simple.
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post #9 of 14
8/3/09 at 9:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Time View Post
This is marketing deception on Ultrasone's part, pure and simple.
..well I took that picture and stuck the Ultrasone logo on there so please don't complain to Ultrasone, I might get sued, or worse, have to take the lava lamp down.
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post #10 of 14
8/3/09 at 9:53pm
I used to have the PRO-750, and I really liked them. I currently have the HFI-780 - just got them 2 days ago. I can't believe how good these cans sound. I listen to them with my Sony Discman, and it blows me away how good these sound with just a portable. The soundstage is that "something about Ultrasone" kind of thing; where you feel more like you're listening to speakers. Anyway, I can't do an A-B since the 750s are long gone, but I can say that the HFI-780s are every bit as good, to my ears. I listen to rock mostly, and I think of Ultrasones as having a Grado-like sound, without the uncomfortable earpads. :-)

With my PPA and Cambridge Audio CD player, they sound terrific as well - more separation, punchier, less-boomy bass than the portable, and very accurate. I'd say the differences between the 750 and 780 are very small.
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post #11 of 14
8/3/09 at 9:56pm
I have a pair of 780's and I have no complaints about them. They may not seem like jazz headphones, but if you enjoy bass heavy bop and the like (e.g. Mingus) the low end is very pleasant.
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post #12 of 14
8/3/09 at 10:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graphicism View Post
..well I took that picture and stuck the Ultrasone logo on there so please don't complain to Ultrasone, I might get sued, or worse, have to take the lava lamp down.
No problem. Just remove or modify the pic if you're concerned.
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post #13 of 14
8/4/09 at 1:14am
Thread Starter 
I would mainly be playing them through either my computer with an Pimeta amp and a Valeb DAC on soon to come (now using my squeezebox as a DAC, but that will change soon). I am also looking for a closed pair, have my K601 for when I want and can have an open sound.

Great pic, I think if I could afford the recabled 780's it would be a no brainer, but I can't right now, so figured I would look at both and like I said I have the 580's they are OK, nice bass, but not a huge sound stage.
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post #14 of 14
8/4/09 at 2:21am
I use to have the HFi-550s which were the previews version of the 580s and I upgraded to the proline 650s.

I noticed tht the 650s have a bigger sounndstage.

They are less fatigueing not that the 550s really were but with the 650s its less I can use them for 4 hours straight with my digital piano.

Better extension of the frequencies

The highs arnt as harsh as the 550s.
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