[goldenSHK]

Wow this thread really took a really big turn in tone from people proclaiming the ED5 is auto-junk because of its similar price to the Stax 009 and now people saying it's insanely good. I am so eager now to listen to it for myself. 

 

[Lannie]

Believe me I was hoping that this headphone would not be better than the other phones I listened to as I could not really afford it. I had all day to try out most of the best high end phones available: Abyss AB1266, Stax SR009, Audeze full range, Sennheiser HD800, AKG812, Fostex TH900 and Ultrasone ED 8, 10 &12.

In my opinion the Edition 5 was streets ahead of every pair, with the exception of the Stax and Abyss. Against these two the ED5 won out because it was more versatile musically, and because it could be driven nicely by my AK240.

On the second day I was listening to the ED5 with a musician who thought they were streets ahead of the Stax and said they were the best he had ever heard. Fundamentally what the ED5 does that no other phone does is create a sense of space. Not space in a soundstage sense, but space in the sense that you are not wearing anything on your ears. Almost as if the ED5 is positioned a couple of inches further out from your ears, difficult to describe the experience unless you have heard them - or are more gifted in describing these things technically than me. In this way they are absolutely extraordinary. But I have to stress that my wife who is not an audiophile by any means but has excellent hearing, preferred the Audeze LCD3. So it seems everyone may not experience what I did.

 

[goldenSHK]

Believe me I was hoping that this headphone would not be better than the other phones I listened to as I could not really afford it. I had all day to try out most of the best high end phones available: Abyss AB1266, Stax SR009, Audeze full range, Sennheiser HD800, AKG812, Fostex TH900 and Ultrasone ED 8, 10 &12.

In my opinion the Edition 5 was streets ahead of every pair, with the exception of the Stax and Abyss. Against these two the ED5 won out because it was more versatile musically, and because it could be driven nicely by my AK240.

On the second day I was listening to the ED5 with a musician who thought they were streets ahead of the Stax and said they were the best he had ever heard. Fundamentally what the ED5 does that no other phone does is create a sense of space. Not space in a soundstage sense, but space in the sense that you are not wearing anything on your ears. Almost as if the ED5 is positioned a couple of inches further out from your ears, difficult to describe the experience unless you have heard them - or are more gifted in describing these things technically than me. In this way they are absolutely extraordinary. But I have to stress that my wife who is not an audiophile by any means but has excellent hearing, preferred the Audeze LCD3. So it seems everyone may not experience what I did.

As someone who really digs the Ultrasone s-log tech, I am very eager to hear these someday. I use my pro 900s pretty frequently and they have the s-logic plus technology which is one tier down from the s-logic EX tech of the ED5s, but one tier ahead of the old s-logic tech. The pro 900s have some of the best soundstaging for a closed headphone I have ever heard. Easily up there with $1000 cans like the TH900 and D7000. I won't pretend that the details and other sonic qualities like the mids are up to par with the TH900 and co (they're not, the Pro 900s fall short there), but as far as soundstaging goes, I can confidently say that they are top tier for a closed headphone. Some people say that the s-logic has a 'holographic/fake soundstage/imaging' but I find that to be standard 'audiophile bs' that is usually simply a justification people use to tell themselves why the open sounding properties of ultrasone's line "don't count." If one thing Ultrasone has definitely done right in their designs is their imaging and soundstaging capabilities in headphones that do not leak massive amounts of noise. They could really improve on their "house sound" of harsh highs though, but apparently based on the reports of the ED5, they could have possibly addressed that as well. 
 
I really hope to be able to hear the ED5 soon. Sounds like a some of the people who brought out their pitchforks too early just because of the price tag have been too hasty here. 

 

[Maxx134]

I have the ed12 and to me the sound impression is like you are floating like an angel observing the music.

It is so delicate it makes my hd800 soud aggressive and blunt.

I wonder if the ED5 has that similarity in perspective. ..

 

[Lannie]

I have the ed12 and to me the sound impression is like you are floating like an angel observing the music.

It is so delicate it makes my hd800 soud aggressive and blunt.

I wonder if the ED5 has that similarity in perspective. ..

I think that's as good a description of any of how the Edition 5 sounds. The experience is unlike any other headphone I have tried.

 

[Maxx134]

Thanks I just re - read this thread to catch up..
I am hoping just like the ed12 came out after for less,
That Ultrasone will make a more affordable unit based off this ed5..
Once that happens I will bite as I still have my ed8 and to me they are tops alongside the audio technica esw11 which are a different sound but just as much magic in the music, maybe more but you can't beat that ed8 isolation..
I also have the esw10 and have been pondering, "is that all there is out there" in top portables untill I returned back to this thread but alas we all don't have deep wallets to spend that much money, so I will have to pass on this but nevertheless I think this is an ideal designed unit.

 

[bmichels]

A very good & detailed review about the ED5 here.
 
It looks the ED5 offer it's best potentiel after... + 1000 hours of burn-in ! 

 
 
So...be patient 
 

 

[Maxx134]

Dam ... I herd 30 days for other Ultrasones..

 

[bmichels]

Double Helix Cables probably, because they also do a great balanced cable for my AK240. Should get an email from Ultrasone tomorrow with their recommendations.

Still no Cable recommendation from Ultrasone ? 

 

[goldenSHK]

  A very good & detailed review about the ED5 here.
 
It looks the ED5 offer it's best potentiel after... + 1000 hours of burn-in ! 

 
 
So...be patient 
 

I wouldn't put much credence into that number if he was actually listening to it more than a tiny test time through each of those intervals which it sounds like he was. Brain burn in is subjective and can be any number of hours for each person. If we were talking about objective burn in, I'd like to see him blind test a 1000+ hour ED5 vs a fresh off the press ED5. Somehow, I doubt he'd be able to easily discern them. Still, it's a helpful review and extremely positive for the ED5 as he compares them directly to the Orpheus and Stax 009 

 

[Lannie]

Edition 5 arrived yesterday. Sounds great through my AK 240. Unfortunately my Klimax DS has had to go back to the factory, so not able to try that.

 

[Lannie]

Still no Cable recommendation from Ultrasone ? 

No, but he spoke to me on Monday and he is chasing it.
I like the look of this cable:
http://www.mains-http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/hifi-cables/906-furutech-adl-ihp-headphone-cables.html-r-us.co.uk/hifi-cables/906-furutech-adl-ihp-headphone-cables.html

 

[bmichels]

  ....If we were talking about objective burn in, I'd like to see him blind test a 1000+ hour ED5 vs a fresh off the press ED5. Somehow, I doubt he'd be able to easily discern them....

 
You might be right  

 

[bmichels]

No, but he spoke to me on Monday and he is chasing it.
I like the look of this cable:
http://www.mains-http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/hifi-cables/906-furutech-adl-ihp-headphone-cables.html-r-us.co.uk/hifi-cables/906-furutech-adl-ihp-headphone-cables.html

 
Thanks for the info.  
 
On my side I got this reply from "Double Helix" re cable foi ED5 .  Their cables seems very good indeed, expecialy if we order them "naked" to save weight & portability.
 
"Hi Bertrand,
 
For the highest performance cables that are also fairly compact, I recommend either the 8-wire Molecule Elite with Silver Peptide or the Complement3 with the IEM configuration selected (for maximum compactness).  Both are very special cables, the Elite is a touch more detailed while the Complement3 is a little more refined with superior isolation & black background.  There's an Ed5 option under headphone type for all my headphone cables.  For 1/4" I carry a rhodium/carbon fiber 1/4" plug that is the best I know of (the Furutech 1/4" has fit issues with some amps so I do not recommend it).  For the very maximum of lightness, you could go with a "naked" 4 wire Silver Peptide Molecule Elite.  Here's a few photos:
 
Let me know if we can be of any further help."
 

 

[Maxx134]

I wouldn't put much credence into that number if he was actually listening to it more than a tiny test time through each of those intervals which it sounds like he was. Brain burn in is subjective and can be any number of hours for each person. If we were talking about objective burn in, I'd like to see him blind test a 1000+ hour ED5 vs a fresh off the press ED5. Somehow, I doubt he'd be able to easily discern them. Still, it's a helpful review and extremely positive for the ED5 as he compares them directly to the Orpheus and Stax 009 :eek:

You might be right  

I have to respectfully disagree..

On a headfi meet I and another member both just happened to have our Ultrasone ed8.
Mine was a old normal version and the other guy had a new palladium version. ..

It's was soo easy to hear the difference and also tell it was the same signature yet mine was more V Shaped or juicy while the other was more flat in mids and less bass..
I haven't herd such a difference when I had owned 4 Audio Technica es7,
So I feel with Ultrasone, burn in matters more..

Also I feel that my ultrasone must be getting better with consistency as my ed12 changed very little since initial use and subjectively I know this change is very minor so I have been burning for two weeks straight to reduce the final bit of tiny sibilance to the otherwise surprisingly good trebles.
Although I still think the Senn hd800 is a reference sound, compared to the ed12 they don't create that sense of music I getting accustomed to with Ultrasone which I feel is the main thing I believe this ed5 will do is give you that unique Ultrasone sonic perspective that no other can does..