[MacedonianHero]

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Massively underrated and under appreciated headphone, IMHO.  The Edition 8 is a terrific can, and the best current-production sealed can there is.  My only beef with the sound is the very bottom octave rolls off a bit too steeply compared to the best high end cans, although a slightly rich mid-bass counterbalances that effectively most of the time.  My only other beef is that the cable is too short.
 
I'm constantly reminded of how good the Ed 8 are whenever I listen to them, in that I deeply enjoy listening to music when they are on my head.

Completely agree with you here Rob (second time tonight

). I find the bass very well done (especially for a closed headphone) and the sound staging beats many open headphones that I've owned through the years. I too wish that the cable was a few feet longer.

 
The biggest reason why they might be under-appreciated is the price? $1500 for the Ruthenium and $2000 for the LE. But I really do appreciate my Ed. 8LEs..

 

[Jalo]

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Hmmmm...different

  I'm not sure how to describe it.  Compared to the R10, occasionally the mid-bass on the Ed 8 seems a bit fatter.  But the midbass on the Ed 8 never seems to ruin the lower mids, which is key, and is also very much the case with the R10.  The R10 has the far better mids, but you could say this about the R10 versus any headphone, IMO.

Thanks for the observations.  How occasionally is it?  So are you also saying occasionally the mid bass is the same as the R-10?  So at least I have piece of the R-10?  

  Last week I was in Asia and walked into a headphone store.  And sitting right in the middle of the window is a near mint condition Bass heavy R-10.  I almost bought it back with me had it not for the 5-digit price tag.  Next to it is an ED10.  

 

[Skylab]

The Ed 8 and R10 are really very different cans - the R10 is better in pretty much every way.  But that doesn't take anything away from the Ed 8, which I clearly have a deep appreciation for

 
Peter, I hear you for sure about the price, I am sure you are right that this is why they are not more popular.  Cheap, they are not.  But if a closed can is critical, which for me in one of my rigs it is, the Ed 8 is as good as it gets in terms of what you can actually but these days.
 
I also think the idiosyncratic sound of the Ed 9, and the so fra train-wreck of an introduction of the Edition10, probably does not help Ultrasone here.  IMHO, the Ed 8 are the best Ultrasone there has ever been, so far.

 

[monsieurguzel]

Ok so after a little A/Bing with my iphone 3G headphone out and the Nuforce udac-2, I've come to the conclusion that the uDac is utter garbage.  I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it, but it just sounds very muddy, less spacious, and flatter than even the iphone (which isn't great by any means).  Channel imbalance at even 9 o'clock on the volume is really unacceptable.  Thankfully I had a 30-day trial on it so i'm sending it back on Monday.  Hoping that the upcoming CEntrance Dacport will do a better job

 

[fhuang]

 
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Completely agree with you here Rob (second time tonight

). I find the bass very well done (especially for a closed headphone) and the sound staging beats many open headphones that I've owned through the years. I too wish that the cable was a few feet longer.

 
The biggest reason why they might be under-appreciated is the price? $1500 for the Ruthenium and $2000 for the LE. But I really do appreciate my Ed. 8LEs..

so you're saying the LE is better, sound wise? 
 
 
i heard the original ed8 when it first came out.  didn't like it very much i guess i need to heard it again. 

 

[Skylab]

I don't think he was saying that.  The LE is no different sound-wise than the other Ed 8's.

 

[fhuang]

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I don't think he was saying that.  The LE is no different sound-wise than the other Ed 8's.

i wasn't question him at all because i've heard people saying the LE is actually better sound wise.  so i'm only asking....i remember ultrasone said they sound the same though.  maybe just like the "new version" of hd650?  i think sennheiser said they sound the same too.....

 

[Skylab]

Well, when I got my LE's I didn't notice any sonic differences from my original Ed 8's.  I can only comment for myself

 

[fhuang]

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Well, when I got my LE's I didn't notice any sonic differences from my original Ed 8's.  I can only comment for myself

thanks Skylab.  balanced? 

 

[Skylab]

No, mine are stock.

 

[caracara08]

yea it seems these are great headphones, but i wish they were in the 1000 range instead of 1400+.  i think there are too many good options around 1k-1400 that these get over shadowed.  they are stunning though.

 

[monsieurguzel]

You can pretty easily find used ones nowadays in that pricerange...thats what I did  I do feel that it is stretching it paying over 1400 for them...but I think $1000 is closer to what they should really be worth.  I'm sure that the fact they are hand made in germany with all very high quality materials brings up the price quite a bit.
 
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yea it seems these are great headphones, but i wish they were in the 1000 range instead of 1400+.  i think there are too many good options around 1k-1400 that these get over shadowed.  they are stunning though.

 

[MacedonianHero]

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I don't think he was saying that.  The LE is no different sound-wise than the other Ed 8's.

 


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i wasn't question him at all because i've heard people saying the LE is actually better sound wise.  so i'm only asking....i remember ultrasone said they sound the same though.  maybe just like the "new version" of hd650?  i think sennheiser said they sound the same too.....

Sound wise, I think they are identical. As Rob pointed out, I did not mention that the LEs sounded better.

 

[monsieurguzel]

But, but, but....they are more expensive!  Doesn't that automatically mean they are better sounding?
 
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Sound wise, I think they are identical. As Rob pointed out, I did not mention that the LEs sounded better.

 

[dallan]

They do sound a bit better, but you have to listen with your eyes to hear it.