Ultrasone Pro 900 Appreciation Thread - Page 347

Pro tip: For more forward mids and treble push the cups backwards so the inside edge of the front of the ear pads are touching the front edge of your ears, in addition to this for more bass press on the back edge of the outside of the cups so they tilt more towards the back of your head. Try it, the changes should be very apparent.

Placing is very important for these cans and completely changes the sound due to S-logic and the offset drivers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

That's the main reason I don't have them right now. The placement of S logic is too damn finicky. If I own a headphone, I wanna wear them where they make sense, not some in some weird way to get them to sound proper. Last time I had them, it was incredibly annoying to get them to sound right, and not comfortable in that way.

Well....they are very comfortable my way and it takes about 5 seconds to position them. Beside, after you have figured out the correct positioning you tend to wear them that way all the time. So it's not too much of an issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

I find the Pro 900 very comfy. I just don't like having to 'think' about placement. I wear the headphones a certain way and it's by instinct. If I have to worry about losing SQ due to S Logic... well, I rather avoid that issue altogether by not having them at all.

I see what your saying, I worry about SQ all the time by placement, I find myself analytically trying to position all my headphones so the extra effort for the PRO 900 doesn't bother me.

Does anyone drive their Pro900's with a Schiit Asgard?

I'm looking to get a good solid state amp to use with my Ultrasone's, that looks like a good paring with my Bifrost.

Currently I have a Little Dot MK IV SE, iBasso D6 (OPA1611), and a Auzentech Bravura sound card with AD797BR opamps.

Also the Matrix M-Stage looks like another good option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

I find the Pro 900 very comfy. I just don't like having to 'think' about placement. I wear the headphones a certain way and it's by instinct. If I have to worry about losing SQ due to S Logic... well, I rather avoid that issue altogether by not having them at all.

 hd 650 headband pad mod will fix 90% of any plcement issues you are having. Takes 15min and costs 15 bucks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilch0md 

Hi speffy,

 

I'm brand new to the Pro 900, but even though it's very efficient, giving plenty of volume off the sound cards of two PCs and two laptops I've tried it with, the Pro 900 has a lot more "slam" (better dynamics) and bass control when powered with my Meier Stepdance (portable amp) - even when using the amp's internal 9V battery instead of a 15V external DC power supply.  

 

I spent several hours yesterday listening to this combination:   WAV -> Foorbar with WASAPI on Windows 7 > USB > CEntrance DACport LX > Meier Stepdance (on 9V internal battery power) > Ultrasone Pro 900

 

It was very impressive - much better than plugging the Pro 900 directly into a PC sound card.  

 

If the $250 price tag for the CEntrance DACport LX is out of the question for now, you might ask Head-Fi member cooperpwc (Paul) for his impressions of the UD100 USB DAC.  He actually uses this $50 DAC with a Meier Stepdance to drive $1200 IEMs (Final Audio Design Piano Forte IX).

 

I know of several LCD-2 owners who have used the Meier Stepdance with great satisfaction.  The LCD-2 is less efficient (more power-hungry) than the Ultrasone Pro 900, but when used with a 15V external power supply, I find the Meier Stepdance to be nearly indistinguishable from the amp section in my CEntrance DACmini (a desktop DAC/amp) with a 1-Ohm output impedance mod.   I spent several hours just this past weekend comparing the 15V-powered Stepdance to the CEntrance DACmini with 1-Ohm output impedance (in both cases using the DACmini's DAC section and LCD-2 rev.1).  I was amazed that the Meier Stepdance can compete with the DACmini's amp section.  They sound so much alike, you'd think that CEntrance and Meier Audio are one in the same.  And lots of people can tell you that the DACmini CX does a great job with the LCD-2.

 

Currently, with your Ultrasone Pro 900, you're enjoying a very colored frequency response - it's not flat - it's what I call "FUN" - somewhat like the difference between a Sennheiser HD650 and HD600, but more so (more colored than the HD650) - with recessed mids, enhanced but still controlled bass, and a bright treble.

 

When you go to the LCD-2, you'll be leaving all that behind, shifting to a much flatter response than that of the Pro 900, with sweeter highs that are also darker, plenty of tight, controlled bass but with less amplitude, and mids that are to die for.  The Meier Stepdance is famous for being very neutral across the spectrum and transparent - it imparts almost nothing of itself on the signal.  Thus, the Stepdance will neither flatten the coloration of your Pro 900, nor warp the flatness of the LCD-2, but it can drive both of them very well, in my opinion.

 

I've probably told you several things you already knew, but I hope this has been of some value.

 

Mike

Thanks for your opinions. I get a little pensive, do tou use two Dac? After I looked up both Meier Step Dance and CEntrance DACmini on google I saw that Meier Step Dance've got a built-in DAC. I have not been using any DAC or amp before so therefore I am not completely familiar with the subject. To buy both Meier Step Dance (250€) and  CEntrance DACmini (250$) will be a little bit to expensive at the moment.

speffy,

For clarification:  

The Meier Audio Corda Stepdance is a portable amplifier - it is not a DAC + amplifier.   It has been discontinued, but can be purchased used.

The Meier Audio Corda 2Stepdance is a portable amplifier - it is not a DAC + amplifier.   It is still in production.

The Meier Audio Corda Quickstep is a portable amplifier - it is not a DAC + amplifier.  It is an RF-shielded version of the 2Stepdance for those who might suffer interference when using a wireless phone in close proximity to the amplifier.  It also has heavy-duty jacks, and is still in production.

   The amplifiers, above, must all be fed with a line-level analog signal from your choice of source devices.  

The Meier Audio Corda PCStep is a portable USB DAC + amplifier.  It has both a DAC and a somewhat compromised (in my opinion) version of the Quickstep amplifier, all in a case that is the same size as the Quickstep.  

Per your comment, let me explain that USB DACs allow you to use a PC, laptop, MAC, or Linux machine (varies with the DAC), as a transport for your music files.  You plug the DAC (or DAC+amp) into an available USB port and then use software like Foobar 2000, WinAmp, JRiver, Amarro, etc. to play the music.   The DAC intercepts signals that would otherwise go to the PC or laptop speakers, routing them instead to your amp and headphones - offering much improved sound quality vs. plugging the headphones directly into the sound card jack of your computer.  (That was an oversimplification, but I hope it helps.)

The CEntrance DACmini CX is a DAC + amplifier that was not designed to be portable - it's essentially for desktop use, and supports four possible inputs:  USB, Toslink (optical digital), Coaxial (wired digital), and Analog (line level).  

I mentioned the DACmini CX only because it's recognized as doing a great job and having good synergy with the Audeze LCD-2, and in my opinion, as previously stated, it's really hard to distinguish the sound of the well-respected DACmini CX from that of the well-respected Stepdance amplifier (when the Stepdance is supplied with 15-Volt DC external power, instead of 9-Volt DC internal battery power).  

So, I was NOT suggesting that you buy a Stepdance -AND- a DACmini CX.  

I was just saying that the Stepdance is a surprisingly good amp for the LCD-2 - the equal of a DACmini CX - and that I have personal experience using the Stepdance with both of the headphones you mentioned - the Ultrasone Pro 900 and the Audeze LCD-2.

I don't know what you are currently using as your transport (the thing on which your music files reside), but you can start out buying just a portable amplifier, like the 2Stepdance or the Quickstep.  A DAC can be purchased later, unless you currently have a need to use a laptop or PC as your transport.

Mike

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIDWULF 

Pro tip: For more forward mids and treble push the cups backwards so the inside edge of the front of the ear pads are touching the front edge of your ears, in addition to this for more bass press on the back edge of the outside of the cups so they tilt more towards the back of your head. Try it, the changes should be very apparent.

 

Placing is very important for these cans and completely changes the sound due to S-logic and the offset drivers.

I've had these headphones for about a year and a half, and I have tried all of the various "tricks" that appeared in this thread aside from having them recabled.  Nothing really works.  In your example, you basically have to sit perfectly still and hope that the cups don't move.  On top of that, it doesn't really push anything forward as much as it just recesses the bass because you now do not have a proper seal.  The "mids" and "highs" that you hear just have a very tinny effect and sounds awful. Head sizes differ though, so maybe that could be a factor.

These headphones are very specific and do not sound good at all with music where vocal performance is important.  They just don't.  Which is sad, because during hard rock or any kind of metal track that has a good mix, these really make the bass guitar and drums sound phenomenal.  It's just too bad that they don't do justice to the vocals or guitars.

If you don't mind everything sounding muddy, awashed with bass then these are the headphones for you.  Personally, I don't find them good for anything other than techno, dubstep and *some* classical and progressive.  I don't listen to rap, but they would probably be good for that as well.  They also aren't any good for gaming, unless you just want the "boom" factor for explosions.  Kind of sad that I've found much more general mileage out of some DT 880's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

I find them to be just fine for gaming. Prefer it for that over music, actually. The bass is strong but unobtrusive, and they are very detailed, though thin ans screechy.

They are fine for games that have no voiced dialogue, but only in stereo or Pro Logic.  They aren't so hot for Dolby Headphone.  Could be due to S-Logic or simply because they aren't balanced, but they just don't do rear seperation very well at all (the rear ends up becoming the front).  For something like the Wipeout series they are excellent, but that has more to do with the music than anything else. 

I'm also not quite sure how "thin and screechy" makes them fine for gaming.  Unless you just mean that are "acceptable".  I'd rather have something that's well balanced, even if it looses a little "oomph" in explosions, because it's a generally more accurate experience and you don't have to turn the volume way up for dialogue and then back down to prevent ear damage due to the sibilance in action scenes.  I guess this is just a matter of "fun" vs "competitive"?  For games all I care about is immersion, and these fail badly at that in games with dialogue.

My DT 880's (600 ohm) are better sounding for my PC (gaming/movies) and music--added lamb skin pads, and my Pioneer SE-DHP800's sound better for movies and games elsewhere.  What I find amusing though is how in your gaming headphone guide (which is why I risked the 880's in the first place) you mentioned how they don't do rears that well.  Compared to my Pioneers, they don't, but compared to the Pro 900, it's night and day.  So, I'm pretty curious to listen to other headphones from your list that apparently do rears well (Q701?).

Now if only I could find a headphone that has the bass of these, but without it drowning out the midrange.