Edition 8's Just Arrived!

My Edition 8's just arrived and WOW are they great.

So far they come closer to the balance of my speaker rig (Focal Grande Utopia) then any headphone I have tried.

They have great imaging, the mids are very well presented and not too forward, top end is detailed but not too bright (tried them unamplified and they stayed well behaved), mid bass has great control, bass is superb in both extension and speed with outstanding dynamics and micro dynamics.

Comfort is excellent and I actually find them to be as comfortable as a CS or PS1000 even though they grab your head more. The only thing that will take getting used to for me is the closed design as it just has an odd feel to it that I can't describe. I can however listen at very low levels which I can't do with open cans and I do like that.

The build quality and materials choice is amazing and what every headphone in this price range should be and isn't. The headphone cable is the only disappointing part of the package but obviously is decent from a sonic perspective (need to replace it though).

I am feeding them from a Phonitor and I have heard others say that the PS1000 may edge them out but even if they do, the Edition 8's are VERY portable. I would love to take these on trips instead of my ER4s but I think I would be too afraid of scratching them if I tried to use them on the plane or having them crushed in my bag.

Anyone considering these will not be disappointed. And for a high-end portable, I can't imagine anything nicer.

No, this is my first experience with an Ultrasone and I was previously not too excited about the brand. It is safe to say that has changed.

Yes. And they are!

This is compared to the GS1000 on a Phonitor (I think the Ed 8 has a great synergy with this amp) and the HE60/HEV70 combo. I look forward to having them stomped by the SRM-717 and O2 next week as I have those incoming and REALLY want to fall in love with them as I have always been a big fan electrostats.

I am mildly retarded when it comes to hosting and posting pics but happy to take them an email them to you.

What is really interesting to me is that the transducer is set behind a metal plate that has a pattern of holes in varying sizes punched in it. The holes are concentrated towards the front bottom of the ear cup with a few scattered around in other random spots. I assume that this is their S-Logic system which does a great job and pulling a good stage. The Ed 8's have a better stage with no crossfeed then the GS1000's do with crossfeed. Oddly enough, when I try adding crossfeed to the Ed 8's, the result is not very positive but I will have to experiment a bit more before I rule this out.

Compared to the GS1K, the Ed 8's are not only more extended but also far more controlled and articulate on the bottom. The Grado sounds boomy and slow by comparison. To me the midrange is also more balanced in comparison to the rest of the range and there is more detail on the top without being harsh. I'm sure they will get even better with more burn in.

Off hand, I can't think of anything about the Ed 8's that bothers me but I had the same impression of the GS1K previously until I heard something I liked better.

My impressions are running both on the SPL Phonitor which is a beast of an amp but before I got the Ed 8's home, I also listened to them umamplified and was impressed.

Compared to the HE60, the Ed 8's are far better balanced because there is no bottom end on the HE60. Overall I prefer the Phonitor with the Ed 8 to the HE60/HEV70 combo but as soon as I get the adaptor built to run the HE60 on the Stax SRM-717, I expect the HE60 to improve dramatically in the mids, highs, transparency, and a slight improvement in extension.

Here is a stab at it:

The PS1K is a very well balanced can from top to bottom but the bass isn't nearly as tight as the Ed 8. As much as I am liking the PS1K as a great all around can, I prefer the Ed 8 for two big reasons...the base articulation, and comfort. The PS1K is the heaviest headphone I have ever had in my head and after wearing them for about 30 minutes, the headband becomes uncomfortable and continues to get more so as time goes by. I also swear that after 2 hours my neck was getting stiff. Another issue is that there isn't enough clamping force in the headband for their weight. So if you lean forwards, they are likely to end up on the floor very quickly. You can wear the Ed 8's for hours with no discomfort anywhere and they have just enough clamping pressure to keep them on your head but not enough to cause discomfort. The build quality on the Grado is typical of Grado in that it is nothing special. The Ultrasone is flat out exquisite with every last detail attended to. Overall, the Ed 8 is a far better value but the Grado is also deadly good but overpriced.

On a completely crazy twist, I have the Ed 8's, my GS1K's, and Phonitor for sale in the forums. I am also going to pull the plug on my HD800 order.

What happened? I got my STAX O2's and between those and my HE60's, I have decided that my tastes are more suited to electrostats. I am also trying to work out a deal on an Orpheus rig so I need to free up a little cash as it is deadly expensive. I don't expect the amp to be anything special but hope the HE90's will be a cross between an O2 and an HE60.

And yes...I am certifiable.