Quote:
Originally Posted by
kool bubba ice 
Shouldn't we wait to hear it before we pass judgement? It's already damned.. On a subconscious level the majority have already made up their minds that it's WAY over priced.. I give credit for Ultrasone for keep pushing out luxury, 'ultra hi end' headphones.. When was the last time Sony or AT put out a true flagship model? 04?? 010 & L3000.. Ultrasone has put out 3 since 07..
The only judgment I've passed is on the looks. I'm more than willing to give anything a listen at least once.
To me the clashing brushed metal with glossy metal is just tacky as can be. The brown color is not the most optimal, but perhaps in person it is different. I do really like the earcups themselves (including the color/metal finish) and the design of the pads (not the color). They look well made, but obviously the designers have different tastes than I do.
I've never actually heard an Ultrasone. They aren't popular in my area apparently, because I've never seen any at meets. From what I see on the FR charts on Headroom I have to wonder if I would even be remotely close to liking them. Their FR charts resemble the sound I'd expect from $5 headphones.
I do give them credit for continuing to push the envelope, but I wonder if there really is a market for something in this price range. R10, Qualia, L3000 and the like are as expensive or more, but that is largely due to their being out of production and thus they are a functional investment similar to buying a Stradivarius violin and loaning it out to a touring soloist. Brand new, in production, R10s were about $2600. Now they normally go for $5-6k in 8/10 to 9/10 condition on the Audiogon scale. The above mentioned headphones are many people's holy grails and they have a similar forum reputation so they always sell very well. They have a built in value whether the buyer has heard them or not. The Ed10 is a new untested phone priced higher (significantly) than the R10s originally sold for. Time will tell, but I certainly don't expect people to be selling off their $1k+ phones to fund purchases of Ed10s without an audition. The only market I can see for these ~2000 phones in the run is for collectors or people with ample disposable income. People balancing their hobby budget will likely miss the chance to buy waiting for an audition.
