Quote:
Originally Posted by
Uncle Erik 
rosgr63, I've never come across an Ultrasone I've enjoyed. I'll keep my mind open and try newer models, though.
Keep it open, and on top I will always suggest that you need to give them a lot of time, and they will grow up on you...Erik Ultrasone is a headphone that as you probably know, you need time to get used to them, it is not a headphone that you will listen the first time and completely fall in love with them, that will not happen even while they do a lot of things right since the first time, but you will know there is more behind that weird initial presentation...One of the major "disadvantages" and my major beef, was the decentered drivers, the first time I got them, or what they call the S-Logic (I even CNCed some baffles with the drivers centered for them, in 2mm aluminum, and they do not work as the stock ones, these drivers need to be decentered to sound right, in other words they were calculated to be placed off set, if you place them directly in your ear canal, the sound will be completely off...As they state, they offer a more life-like presentation once you get used to them, and remove the abrupt separation of the channels in your brain, but you, same as we do, for years, we are used to that kind of presentation they are trying to avoid, and that is the major conflict you may have, and to get used to it, takes a lot of time. Of course it is easier in the higher end models given that you will find the more refined sound...
Trust me that I did not like them instantly neither, Rudi gave me a used 2500 pair he had, and that was when my problem began, Ultrasone or not Ultrasone after three or four months??? As I felt that there was more there to look in their line, than what was in any other headphone, and in that regard I do not expect this ED10 to be any different, otherwise, I will not like them, and they have the drivers decentered also, so the S-Logic will be there...one advantage I see is that have a potential to be a lot more comfortable, the thing I do not like, they are open back, so no privacy/isolation. Now as in any other headphone brand you may like or not the way they sound, and that is completely different, and there is not much you can do about that, if you prefer the laid back/relaxed Senn 580-600-650 sound, you may not like them, as they are a lot more forward...
I'm not saying that either presentation is better, or that either one is the correct, but you have now two choices, one is more natural but more unknown to our brain, the other is less natural but we are used to it for years, that is what life is about, variety, otherwise it will be pretty bored don't you think???
I'm always agaist that saying that one size fits all, as first is not true (an example in fashion, I weight 300lbs+ and everytime somene says that this or that piece of garment is one size fits all, I say OK, bring it to me and you will be proven wrong, and second it is bored..., if one size fits all, we will ahve no variety, no fun...!!!
The best comparison that I can find now is with the driving, it is like if you were in US driving on the left side for years, and suddenly you found yourself in UK driving on the right side, how are you gonna feel, is either one correct, or better?...And keep in mind that this applies to the presentation only, as the sound is very personal...
As a side note, and as another example of differences among us, I do not like a lot of high end headphones, well let me rephrase it, I do not prefer many of the high end headphones to them, as all of us...To like? Well I like almost all of them, but you have to choose one or two to be happy, unless you have Wayne's budget to have a whole collection to drool over...LOL...Not my case at all...
For example the K-1000 that you like, I found it to offer only half of the truth, the other half is perfect, but one is completely missing (the bass region) and many headfiers found them to be the same way...we have even proposals of using them paired with subwoofers, etc...so there is no one size fits all on headphone amplification, nor in headphones, in order to get things right here, you have to make concessions there...I found some of them to be bassy, or too bright, or too analytic (the case of the Sony 5K, which I love but impossible to enjoy...) The Qualia need a watchmaker to adjust the band (many says so, IMO that is an excuse, but what can I do, the hollow sound is not my cup of tea either) The R-10 are beautiful sounding headphones, one of the best, if not the king, IMO, but I hate to say that they are becoming more and more a collectible/show item, if you use them daily and for some reason any part wear out and needs to be replaced, you are out completely (same as CD3K, and K-1000)...Grados are colored...or worst...bored to me, IEMs? In my opinion all of them sound fake in the highs, specially the armature drivers, ones better than others but all fake, I prefer the Portapro to all of the ones I have heard in that regard, for protable use, just listen a hand clap on them and you are listening like someone is hitting a cardboard. None of the AT I have heard were my cup of tea either, not even the L3K, the AD2000 was one of the best, but not that I will jump on them either...And I could keep on going but I think that this is is enough to make a point, simply what is good for ones are not for others, as we all hear differently, and many of us do not even listen the whole spectrum cause the age/medical reasons, so we may found guys that have other needs in audio, not only the extremely detailed life-like breath-taking sound I'm after....
