Jan Meier
King Corda
Member of the Trade: Meier Audio
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2001
- Posts
- 854
- Likes
- 192
Dear Headfellows,
A few weeks ago I got a call from Mr Wilberg, the general-manager of Ultrasone. During our conversation he talked very enthusiastically about a new version of their closed headphone, the HFI-650 DVD Edition. As I'm quite a fan of the regular HFI-650 (Trackmaster) you might imagine that I got quite curious to hear this new model. Mr. Wilberg promised me a test copy.
The test copy arrived last Wednesday. After a decent break-in of approximately 72 hours I decided to compare both HFI-650 versions.
Build:
Both headphones look very similar. The main difference is the colour. Whereas the regular HFI-650 Trackmaster has a silverish colour, the DVD-edition is more golden.
Another difference is the headphone plug. The Trackmaster version comes with a 3.5mm plug and an integrated 3.5 mm to 6.5 mm adapter. The DVD-version has a 6.5 mm plug and a separate 6.5 mm to 3.5 mm adapter. Cables feel very similar though.
A nice surprise is the extension cord that comes with the DVD-version. It is of a very decent quality and has gold-plated plug and jack!
Comfort:
Both headphones have the same (rather high) weight, the same left-sided cable, and the same (warm!) ear pads. Therefore there are no differences in comfort.
Sound:
The HFI-650 Trackmaster has been originally designed for professional use. Sound has a very even balance and the phone shows little coloration (for a closed headphone). At higher volumes a slight touch of aggressiveness appears. I personally like this phone and feel that it's a true bargain in its price-class.
As already indicated by Mr. Wilberg, the DVD-edition puts more emphasize on the lower frequencies. Sound is more comfortable/luxurious with less tendency to aggression. The price that is to be paid is found in less detail. The HFI-650 Trackmaster presents the attack of guitar strings with more precision and room acoustics is heard for more ease.
I feel the classification of Ultrasone to be to the point. The Trackmaster is best suited for people who like to hear every detail of a recording. The DVD-version makes more immediate impact with deep bass and slightly less pronounced highs. Both are fun in their own way. Highly recommended.
Cheers,
Jan
A few weeks ago I got a call from Mr Wilberg, the general-manager of Ultrasone. During our conversation he talked very enthusiastically about a new version of their closed headphone, the HFI-650 DVD Edition. As I'm quite a fan of the regular HFI-650 (Trackmaster) you might imagine that I got quite curious to hear this new model. Mr. Wilberg promised me a test copy.
The test copy arrived last Wednesday. After a decent break-in of approximately 72 hours I decided to compare both HFI-650 versions.
Build:
Both headphones look very similar. The main difference is the colour. Whereas the regular HFI-650 Trackmaster has a silverish colour, the DVD-edition is more golden.
Another difference is the headphone plug. The Trackmaster version comes with a 3.5mm plug and an integrated 3.5 mm to 6.5 mm adapter. The DVD-version has a 6.5 mm plug and a separate 6.5 mm to 3.5 mm adapter. Cables feel very similar though.
A nice surprise is the extension cord that comes with the DVD-version. It is of a very decent quality and has gold-plated plug and jack!
Comfort:
Both headphones have the same (rather high) weight, the same left-sided cable, and the same (warm!) ear pads. Therefore there are no differences in comfort.
Sound:
The HFI-650 Trackmaster has been originally designed for professional use. Sound has a very even balance and the phone shows little coloration (for a closed headphone). At higher volumes a slight touch of aggressiveness appears. I personally like this phone and feel that it's a true bargain in its price-class.
As already indicated by Mr. Wilberg, the DVD-edition puts more emphasize on the lower frequencies. Sound is more comfortable/luxurious with less tendency to aggression. The price that is to be paid is found in less detail. The HFI-650 Trackmaster presents the attack of guitar strings with more precision and room acoustics is heard for more ease.
I feel the classification of Ultrasone to be to the point. The Trackmaster is best suited for people who like to hear every detail of a recording. The DVD-version makes more immediate impact with deep bass and slightly less pronounced highs. Both are fun in their own way. Highly recommended.
Cheers,
Jan
