Need Your Help Please! Ultrasone Pro900 vs. ATH-ES10 for me?

I haven't tried the 900s so I can't comment on them. If you like orchestral music, the ES-10's are phenomenal. I have tried them for a brief period of time and I was blown away by their sense of space and imaging of instruments. Sorry I can't decide for you but I know I'll be getting the ES10's soon. :D 

Hi, I feel qualified to reply in that I own both the Pro 900 and the ES10. However, I am not so good at describing what I hear so I'll do my best.

To me they both sound great and I'm enjoying both of them for what I use them for. I use the Pro900 at home and the ES10 portably. I'd say the Pro900 probably wins out overall and if they were as sexy as the es10's I'd probably wear them out in public. It's worth noting that I've sort of Kee's modded my Pro900s as before I did I found the highs to be quite harsh and piercing on some songs.

Comparing the sound, I'd say the es10's have more forward mids whilst the Pro900 is more laid back. The Pro900 soundstage seems more open and wider to me. I think the highs are better on the Pro900 but before the Kee's mod they were painful for me, the es10 highs are still nice. Both are very good for bass with similar impact, but I'd say the Pro900 has more and extends deeper.

I listen to mainly electronic music with some other stuff thrown in, but no orchestral music.

For me they are both nice to have, but if I was to choose only one based on sound and not looks I'd probably choose the Pro900. I think considering how they will be used is important as the es10 to me are as close as I can get to the pro900 in a portable package as I'd not walk around outside with the pro900 on my head.

Hope this has been helpful in some way!

I'm not sure I understand what I mean either! I'm not very good at doing comparisons. By the time I've listened to one headphone, taken it off and put the other one on I've forgotten what the first sounded like!

To me it sounded like the vocals (which i assume are mids?) were more upfront on the es10 compared to the pro900, where they were slightly in the background compared to the highs and lows. The sound was overall more in your head with the es10, while the pro900 sounded a bit more spacious for closed cans.

Will you be using mainly at home or on the go? Comfort wise, both seem very comfortable to me although the es10 probably wins as it is so light you barely notice it's there.

^

Which in your opnion has the better tonality? and the tighter bass response? 

I also own both, well owned because I sadly just sold my ES10. For portable use the ES10 definitely, but if you own an amp and plan to use them at home the Pro 900 will be a better choice. The bass on the ES10 really impressed me, I thought it reached a tiny bit lower that the Pro and was definitely more pronounced . The ES10 also sounded more upfront and in your face with slightly less recessed mid. The Pro won in the details department by a small margin and the great head stage if you get their S-Logic. My only grip with the ES10 was that my ears used to get quite hot after long listening session. I thought the bass was a bit tighter and more controlled on the Pro but the ES10's bass was phenomenal and more fun.

^^

I agree with pretty much all of that, to me though it sounds like the Pro900 has more sub-bass although now that I think about it I did uncover another bass hole in the Pro so maybe thats why mine has more/deeper bass lol!

As much as I love the ES10 I can't help feel a little bit robbed. For the high price (£320 gbp) it'd be nice if the pads were genuine leather and not pleather and the cable doesn't seem very robust.

The Pro 900 is quite a lot heavier than the ES10 but isolation is also quite a lot better. The isolation of the ES10 was actually quite poor and you will have to have them blasting to be able to use them on public transport.

Positioning with the Pro 900 is very important as very small changes affect the soundstage/ tonal balance a lot. My first two weeks were very frustrating as I was not sure how those were supposed to sound. Many people also don't adapt or just dislike the S-Logic presentation. I though that was marketing crap but now  I absolutely love it, it seems to bring together the advantages of both  closed and open cans.

By sub-bass I mean the low frequency bass that is felt more than heard, very important in the electronic genres I listen to! (DnB, dubstep)

I can't really comment on the isolation of the Pro900 as I've not used it outside, but indoors in a quiet room it seems fine lol. I cycle to work with the ES10 on and at the volumes i listen to (probably too loud!), I can still hear cars driving past.

For portable usage I'd say go with the ES10, unless you aren't bothered wearing the far larger Pro900 outside. Also, a portable amp would probably be needed to get the best out of the Pro900.

Although it cost me the best part of £600 for both I'm happy with my purchases. Both have their roles and both sound good for my tastes. The Pro900 I find are excellent for games and movies as well as music.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenpunk 

The Pro 900 is quite a lot heavier than the ES10 but isolation is also quite a lot better. The isolation of the ES10 was actually quite poor and you will have to have them blasting to be able to use them on public transport.

Positioning with the Pro 900 is very important as very small changes affect the soundstage/ tonal balance a lot. My first two weeks were very frustrating as I was not sure how those were supposed to sound. Many people also don't adapt or just dislike the S-Logic presentation. I though that was marketing crap but now  I absolutely love it, it seems to bring together the advantages of both  closed and open cans.

i cant believe es10 had bad isolation,( wait i can believe but thought otherrwise). does this also mean the esw10 have poor isolation as well..  i also read that the low end left you wanting?

anyway they look very comfortable and i love portable phones that isolate well, thus far i have been unimpressed with virtually every phone i have tried including edition 8 isolation which is totally over rated imo. i was geared toward the new t5p but have read some bad reviews.  imo there is a lack of portable closed phones that isolate as well as have a rich sound.

   i havent tried pro, but i thought the hfi isolation was also lacking, hopefully pro is much better, but damn those esw10 look so comfortable, too bad their isolation probably sucks,  one of the mian reasons i was considering them for travel:(

I'm actually thinking to buy the ES10 when next I'm in Japan, so this thread is very helpful as I am also an Ultrasone Head who loves the Pro 900. Thanks guys.