Revision History:
V2 - Added "Soundstage" and "Blue Dragon" components.
V3 - Major revisions and edits made throughout the review.
*In celebration of my 1000th post, I would like to present to you this review of the Ultrasone Pro 900"
I remember my quest for outstanding bass began long ago. I'll spare you the time and skip to the end by saying that I thought I found "the one" when I bought the D2000 a second time. It was such a fabulous headphone, and I didn't plan on upgrading anytime soon. But unfortunately, curiosity killed me yet once again, and I gave in to a pair of Ultrasone Pro 900's due to intriguing reviews. I've always heard Ultrasone had a legendary bottom end, but nothing could prepare me for what I was about to hear.
Let's start out with something basic. How about build and appearance?
Opening the box to the Pro 900 is a bit of a surprise. All I can say is, they look smaller in the pictures. Despite their relatively big earcups, they are lightweight, yet sturdy. Even though the headphone is entirely made of plastic, this is not the type of plastic that people will fear of breaking or cracking. This is the tough stuff. I have absolutely no worries about it getting broken or damaged in the happenings of an accident. Everything looks and feels great, including the headband adjustment mechanism, which slides easily and stays where you want it to. The headband itself is made of a more rubbery material that just feels great! No worries, no complaints. Nice simplistic design.
But build and appearance is a factor than carries little weight during critique. So now, we'll move onto a category that does carry a significant amount of weight when judging a headphone. The comfort.
I honestly thought these things would be uncomfortable before I bought them, but that turned out to be proven false when first placed on my head. Even after half an hour passed, I'm still quite impressed with how well these feel. Clamping force is a little more than your average headphone, but without having a vice grip. No, I won't classify them as one of my comfiest and it's definitely nowhere near the worst. After about an hour, I start to get slightly irritated by the padding on the headband, but no biggie, I just take a break or readjust it on my head. Even the D2000 had this problem with me. In fact, I think every single headphone I've had has had this problem with the exception of the HD650 and AD700. Other than that, these are perfectly fine, and shorter listening sessions are a breeze to get through.
But of course, even build and comfort cannot outweigh the signature component of any headphone or piece of audio equipment. I'm talking about the category that decides whether the headphone is a "Deal or No Deal". Now, let's go ahead and take a look, or should I say, a listen, at the sound.
For those of you who read my D2000 vs HD650 comparison, it will become quickly apparent to you that I adored my D2000. Yet, even it couldn't stand up to the Pro 900. But how could that be? How could my all-time favorite headphone get the axe so suddenly? What aspect sets them apart so vividly?
Well, I'll tell you. It's the bass. And that is what makes the Pro 900 legendary.
Examining the Pro 900's bass is truly something unexpected. It throws you for a loop, and questions everything you previously knew about the laws of bass. It breaks the past rules, and rewrites its own. In short, the bass is something you really have to experience, to believe. But what really sets it apart besides its high definition and authority, is the fact it stays where it should stay. Meaning, the bass stays as bass. It doesn't flood into the midrange or distract you from hearing the treble. It doesn't wash out those minor details or fatigue you with overbearance. It doesn't step out of line or become suddenly uncontrolled and unnatural. It's just there, and presents itself with the grandest of power and superior authority. The subterranean rumble it produces is simply addicting to listen to, and it gives songs with a beat a whole new level of flavor and enjoyment. Summing it up, the bass the Pro 900 puts out is simply the best bass I've ever heard from a headphone. I would buy these for the bass alone.
But the sound spectrum isn't complete with just bass, as we also have the other two important components. First off, let's hit the midrange. Unfortunately, there isn't much to say about the midrange. I won't say it horrible, or even bad, but it's the most lacking component in the sound. It's a lot like the D2000, in which it is the most recessed out of anything in the spectrum. With certain types of music, it's perfectly fine as is and you tend not to notice, but with other music, it simply can leave you a bit wanting. But no worries, the bass is just so satisfying you tend to forget about any shortcomings in the midrange.
Jumping into the upper realms, we hit the Pro 900's treble. Simply said, it's really quite nice. It has a nice sparkle and good definition. While it's very hot and bright at first, it definitely tames down with burn in, as with the bass becomes more controlled. (Mine has about 250hrs on it now, and the sound has indeed improved/changed). Most of the time, the treble just fits in with the rest of the music and goes unnoticed; meaning it doesn't irritate you by stepping out of line. Sometimes, it will seem a bit too hot, but I scarcely consider that a flaw. But then, you have those occasions where you listen and just admire the high end sparkle it gives you.
But how's the soundstage? Well, I'll just say it's bit better than normal closed headphones, but don't expect any miracles from S-Logic. On some songs, it sounds actually pretty wide, but on most, it sounds just a little better than your average closed headphone. So what about S-Logic then? Well, I really don't know. What I do know is, a closed headphone is a closed headphone. And no matter how many technologies and breakthroughs are invented, it simply cannot give you the sense of space an open headphone will give you. But like I said, there are songs you really don't need all that space, you would rather just have it in a more closed fashion. And that's where the Pro 900 excels. Everything else, it's sounds relatively closed in, especially when comparing it to an open headphone. Then again, it's still a bit better than your average closed headphone. It's closed design is probably a part of the bass being so good, so I won't complain.
And of course, every Pro 900 owner knows of the Kees mod. Many say it improves the sound greatly, some say they don't notice a difference, and the rest have never tried it. For me once again, curiosity had killed me, and I just had to fully Kees modded my Pro 900. And so I did. But I'll go ahead and skip the details and just get the end. By the time I realized the Kees mod was not for me, I had opened up my Pro 900 10+ times; not only experimenting with listening to the Kees mod and then comparing it back to stock, but also to try out my own renditions and fine tunings of the mod. Many weeks went by, hours of listening time had passed, and way too many felt dics and cotton pads were used and discarded in order for me to come up with this conclusion: "The Kees mod can definitely be considered as an improvement for some people, but for others such as myself, it actually detracts from what made the stock sound so great. I definitely won't consider it an upgrade, nor a downgrade, I'll just call it a sidestep. But the absolute best way to tell if it's for you, is to just see for yourself, and experiment if you have the courage and curiosity."
Wrapping up the review, I believe the Pro 900 is simply one of the best closed headphones money can buy. It has an incredibly versatile sound, with excellent dynamics, and of course its signature legendary bass; which just has to be heard to be believed and even understood. On top of its spectacular sound, is also its excellent build quality and better-than-average comfort. All of this makes the Ultrasone Pro 900 nearly too irresistible to pass up, especially if you favor the bottom end of the sound spectrum, in which the Pro 900 excels in more than any other headphone I've ever heard.
Blue Dragon + Pro 900.
First off, I'll quickly glance over the build and appearance. It's nice and think, and built very durable. The connectors are top notch and look like serious business. The cable has a nice metallic blue color to it, and actually looks quite well when combined with the black Pro 900. I bought the 5ft, 1/4 inch connector version, and I find 5ft is the perfect length for desktop listening. The 1/4 inch connector is nice and beefy, and is probably the best looking part of the package. At the other end, you have the jack that plugs directly into the headphone, but this is a bit different than the stock version. The stock cable involves screwing it in to secure the cable, then screwing it out when you're done. This one is designed to just be pushed in, without any screwing. It fits very well and it's secure, so no worries about any loose connection or falling out. I think I actually prefer this over the stock screw version. Overall, the entire cable certainly looks like an extremely high quality product. It looks good, it feels great, and it sounds fantastic, but that's next.
Now, let's hit the aspect you've all been waiting for. And also discuss the biggest question most of you have, "Is there an audible improvement to sound?"
First, I'm going to start out with the "hard to detect" aspects. Midrange and Treble. No, I'm not saying it didn't improve those aspects, because it did. But it's much harder to notice those aspects in comparison with the improvement it brings to the bass department. But the midrange seemed to be brought forward a bit, because vocals are sounding a bit more clear, unobscured, and closer. I'm not talking huge quantities here, but it's definitely there if you really listen. The treble has been tamed town a bit as well, as brightness and sibilance is now less of an issue. Again, this is not a huge difference, but there is an improvement.
But now we get to something the Blue Dragon makes a clear difference in. And I'm talking about the already legendary bass.
Is that even possible? Can you really get improvement in bass that is already among some of the best? You bet, the Blue Dragon does it. Switching back between the stock cable and the Blue Dragon, it's easily apparent there is a significant bass improvement. Every inch of the bass presented from the Blue Dragon has been brought froward and been given extra depth, punch, and impact. I mention "every inch" because now the bass is so incredibly good, you can literally can hear multiple layers in the bass. That is something I have NEVER heard before with any piece of audio equipment. Bass is now a part of the spectrum in which you can deconstruct and analyse, rather than just hearing grumbling low notes smashed together. On top of being able to hear different nooks and layers in the bass, it also improves upon the famous impact that everyone loves, and simply takes it to a whole new level. And for any person on this planet that favors the bottom end more than anything else, and simply cannot get enough of deep end rumble, this combination is simply the best I've come across to achieve low end perfection. In fact, I think it's almost too good for most users.
Overall, I think the Blue Dragon cable is a worthy upgrade to such a stellar headphone as the Pro 900. Both have great synergy, which makes them seem like they were meant for each other. The Blue Dragon brings forward the entire signature a bit, making the midrange a little more clear, and taming those bright highs. But it absolutely transforms the bass into something truly exceptional. And I simply cannot put into words how amazing the bass sounds. It's just something one must hear for himself. All in all, I would rate the Blue Dragon at a decent value for the casual user, but a great value for the users that appreciate and use the Pro 900 beyond everything else. It's a fantastic upgrade, as long as you can convince yourself to spend that much on a cable. But if you do choose to upgrade to the Blue Dragon, be prepared to hear what kind of bass that combo can produce!
Edited by Katun - 5/1/12 at 9:01pm
