[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I really liked the 8610, but then I realy like the 8620 in the PRII. /thread jack

A good point, the AD797 makes it a bit darker. Not better just different.

 

[Rickio]

the hfi 780's stock and unburned can sound metallic. But that can be fixed with both burn in and also adding some dampening as mentioned.

I think a few have mentioned the treble being to shrill etc.

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickio /img/forum/go_quote.gif the hfi 780's stock and unburned can sound metallic. But that can be fixed with both burn in and also adding some dampening as mentioned. I think a few have mentioned the treble being to shrill etc.

I didn't like them enough to want to bother, though if the mods work for others, that's good.

Miguel, how many hours did your 780s have on them when I heard them?

 

[Cry Havoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't like them enough to want to bother, though if the mods work for others, that's good. Miguel, how many hours did your 780s have on them when I heard them?

I almost sent my 780s back when I first heard them. Awful. No bass and very screechy highs. Now I absolutely love these headphones.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew_WOT /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isn't ALO converted to dual entry, I believe Alex does this too? From this post it sounds like in headband wiring going to the right driver is pretty bad. Isn't leaving it in place defeats the purpose of recabling, or it gets replaced too? http://www.head-fi.org/forums/3846959-post351.html

I do prefer direct wiring both drivers even when they maintain a single entry. But for Kevin's, only the main cable was replaced. Direct wiring is more expensive since I have to take the headphone completely apart. The wiring in the 780s is a little better than most. Most wires have all 4 conductors shielded with a clear/color varnish then encased in a rubber sleeve. The Ultrasones had individually encased L/R set of conductors. The signal and ground conductors are shielded with color/clear varnish then encased in rubber.

Whether or not leaving the internal OEM wiring defeats the purpose of recabling just the main cable I will leave to you all to debate.

 

[Rickio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't like them enough to want to bother, though if the mods work for others, that's good. Miguel, how many hours did your 780s have on them when I heard them?

I think it's also the luck of the draw. I just got a go vibe petite when I got my 780's and when I first heard the petite I was a little disappointed as they seemed dark and even a bit muddy to my ears. I was used to crisp clear sounds. But paired with the 780 it just seemed like a perfect match and sounded great. But in the long run I found the 780's fatiguing and honestly these can's are just fantastic with heavy metal rock. I got the alo mod and and it's even smoother now and not fatiguing to me.

It's crazy but the darker amp really does synergise with these headphones. Also everyones ears are different and I would suspect female ears to be even more sensitive to shrillness and exaggerated treble, which I also ultimately thought the stock had, at least for me.

I can imagine the right tube amp must sound fantastic with these.

 

[fdhfdy]

I would like to know too

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't like them enough to want to bother, though if the mods work for others, that's good. Miguel, how many hours did your 780s have on them when I heard them?

I had put a bit over 100 hours. The original owner (two weeks) indicated to me he had put 200 hours. I am not going to argue if he did or if he did not, but I can say that when I received the HFI-780 I almost sold them!

Very shrill and just un-listenable.

Now that I am above the 250 hours of burn-in by me the HFI-780 sounds way better than at first and when you listened to them. Next week I am sending them to dw6928, perhaps in a couple of weeks (Saturday 3/29) we can meet at vorlon1's place and you can listen to them.

If not possible then off to get re-cabled and removal of the board they go.

 

[Morph201]

Right now my only baseline is a silver dragon cabled 2500, and to me with my setup, it's very detailed,transparent, and smooth.... I should be receiving the alo 780s tomorrow (well today) and I will try my hardest not to be judgemental for the first 400 or so hours (???)...

I'm starting to see a trend, a majority of 780 owners are headbangers? Anyone listen soley to 'acoustical' work??

 

[souperman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morph201 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Right now my only baseline is a silver dragon cabled 2500, and to me with my setup, it's very detailed,transparent, and smooth.... I should be receiving the alo 780s tomorrow (well today) and I will try my hardest not to be judgemental for the first 400 or so hours (???)... I'm starting to see a trend, a majority of 780 owners are headbangers? Anyone listen soley to 'acoustical' work??

I listen to a lot of acoustical guitar music, and I love it.

 

[slwiser]

Acoustical music preferred here as well along side classical, jazz and easy listening like 101 Strings.

 

[Rickio]

I listen to all kinds of music as well I am just saying these are totally excellent for heavier rock like prog rock and metal.

I was hearing steely dan and a david crosby solo concert and it sounded excellent but then heard some prog rock ( cool band called Frost and another called Kino) and no other can's can touch these for heavier rock. I am mostly a music fan and much deeper into music then to audio equipment. It's just that they do go hand in hand

at least now they do hehehe

 

[Cry Havoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by souperman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listen to a lot of acoustical guitar music, and I love it.

Earlier in this thread, I stated that acoustic music is, in fact, my favorite to listen to with the 780s. They are extremely involving, with a very clear, distinct sound when paired up with a acoustic work. Again though, have a good bitrate or lossless codec, at least for me that makes a huge difference.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

What I was finding with my stock 780's was that a person could select an amp, or roll tubes and opamps to work well with the stock 780's. I thought that helped them become more enjoyable until they could be fully burned-in.

So, while my stock 780 were approximately a week old I received a demo/review pair of ALO modded 780's - it was the modded 780's that sounded closer to Edition 9, but the stock ones no so much. Stock they did have some characteristics of the Edition 9, such as the great bass, or mesmerizing effect while listening, but I've always said the Edition 9 have more body, more soundstage and smoother treble.

Having the re-cabled 780's in hand at the same time as the stock ones, by 250 hours it was clear to me that the stock ones needed either another 250 hours or they needed some mods if they were going to get used much. The Vampire wire modded 780 sounded noticeably better when they arrived with 48 hours on them, than the stock ones did at 250+ hours when I shipped them out for the mods.

Those same Vampire Wire 780's have now passed 450 hours on them, and they sound wonderful. I can't pin down any major changes after 200 hours, other than they just get smoother and more transparent, with tighter controlled bass and less up front presentation (still forward, but deeper). I haven't listened to my new (old) ATH-W11R since I got them Wednesday, because I am enjoying these so much.

If I understand right, Ken posted that he adds dampening inside along with the dual entry re-cable and diode removal. In Ken's thread I posted most of my impressions once I had the demos in hand, and then each evening. I didn't post as much here after that Ultrasone HFI780 ALO Mod - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

 

[fdhfdy]

it has good soundstage