Drop + Ultrasone Signature X

You can read the full Drop+ Ultrasone Signature X Review together with the usual disclaimers in my website.

The price of the Signature X is $249 and you can buy it exclusively from Drop +.



Build quality

The DJ pedigree is pretty apparent on the Ultrasone Signature X, the headphone is foldable with freely swiveling ear-cups that offer an 180° rotation and perfectly fit inside the high quality carrying case that is included in the package.
The headphone is made from high quality plastic, it is well assembled and seems very durable to survive accidental drops and heavy abuse.
The headband is reinforced with a thick padding that consists of perforated, breathable fabric at the inner part, to keep your head cool, and faux-leather at the outer for extra durability.
The only complaint is the audible crackling noise every time you try to adjust the headband and fit the ear-cups but it is something that doesn't affect music listening as long as you don't touch the headphone with your hands.



Wearing experience

The detachable ear-pads are made from faux-leather with a memory foam filling at the inside, they are slightly oval shaped but they are not large enough to fully accommodate the ear.
The overall experience is like wearing an over-ear headphone but with some on-ear pressure points to the outer ear.
The clamping force is stronger than average, as said earlier this is literally a DJ headphone, so you get excellent passive noise attenuation but without squeezing your head in an annoying manner.



Cable and accessories

Every DJ headphone should have a coiled cable and there you get one, a high quality, heavy duty 3m long with a 6.35mm plug at the end.
Additionally, a shorter 1.2m straight cable with a 3.5mm plug is also included and as a bonus you get a third, 1.2m long cable with an inline remote control/microphone and a 3.5mm plug.
The cables get attached to the left ear-cup by the means of a 2.5mm, twist-to-lock, plug.
Everything comes well packed inside a sturdy and beautiful looking carrying case.



Power requirements and associated gear

The Ultrasone Signature X has a 32Ω impedance with 115dB of nominal sensitivity so it is very easy to drive and you are not going to need something special.
A good quality portable USB DAC/amp, like the EarMen TR-Amp or even a powerful USB DAC dongle, like the iBasso DC03 Pro will suffice.
As per usual practice the Ultrasone Signature X was burned for about 100 hours before listening evaluation.



Listening impressions

The overall sound signature is exactly as described on the marketing notes by Drop that you have read at the beginning of the review.
The Ultrasone Signature X is a headphone with boosted sub-bass and emphasized bass up to the mid-bass but in a combination with mid-range transparency and an energetic but not bright treble.
The headphone reminds of a 2.1 speaker setup where a well calibrated subwoofer is there to add low end physical impact and grunt.
The tuning is pretty impressive and well executed because the headphone is deliberately bass heavy and thundering but without letting the emphasized low end to mask and mess with the rest of the frequency spectrum.
There is plenty of sub-bass extension with a rumbling quality to it but at the same time you can hear crystal clear and well defined mids with an airy and sparkling treble.

The bass is thundering, visceral, full bodied and weighty, you can feel the physical impact inside your head and your ears dancing with the tunes.
The technicalities are generally good, the bass is extremely dynamic and well contrasted with acceptable definition, this is certainly not an one-note sounding bass, it is also mostly tight and moderately fast but not without some issues.
Despite Ultrasone applying a couple of tricks to improve technicalities and fight with the closed nature of the headphone, the truth is that this design principle will not allow for any miracles, especially when you boost the low end.
The bass is on the hollow side and not that well controlled, there is cup reverb, spatial echo and lack of sharpness in definition and layering while the decay is slower than desired.
The truth is that these issues are mostly noticeable when listening to acoustic music with a lot of low pitched instruments and not much of an issue with bass heavy tunes where the listener doesn't have such critical demands.
The same applies to the overall frequency response of the bass register up to the mid-range which sounds out of tune when listening to classical music or similar genres but it works wonders when you switch to electronic and modern stuff where it adds plenty of fun factor and greatly enhances the party mood.



Listening to popular tunes by artists like Billie Eilish and such, the listener is rewarded with a juicy bass without losing in vocal clarity and treble definition.
Truly enough, the mid-range is balanced and evenly tuned with plenty of transparency and clarity.
It is musical and engaging, with a harmonious and natural timbre while the treble is airy and extended enough with plenty of light and energy to counterbalance the prominent low end so as the headphone doesn't sound too dark and unilaterally bassy.

The treble though is not the last word in refinement and resolution, slightly lagging in detail retrieval while it is a touch drier and leaner than the bass or the mids but it is not artificial nor metallic sounding and additionally is very well tuned as not to cause brightness and listener fatigue.

You don't have to listen to contemporary EDM music and such in order to appreciate and enjoy the sonic virtues of the Ultrasone Signature X.
If you are an old timer like me, you can have some great time revisiting the grand hits of the past, like New Order's "True Faith" or the electrifying tunes of Jean Michelle Jare.



Whatever your listening habits are, you are going to discover that the Ultrasone Signature X is unexpectedly open sounding, with a wide and spacious soundstage for a closed headphone.
Positioning accuracy and imaging are quite satisfying for this type of headphone and the Signature X doesn't sound congested and claustrophobic but unfortunately the presentation is mostly one dimensional without too much of deepness and holography.



In the end

Do you feel like partying?
Then grab your Ultrasone Signature X, throw in some favorite tunes and get ready for a long lasting and frenzy night.
The Ultrasone Signature X is a party animal, a headphone capable of some really deep and thundering bass but without sacrificing in vocal clarity and treble energy.
Add the excellent passive noise attenuation that will help you reach near deafening sound pressure levels without annoying or getting annoyed by your roommates and the party's success is totally guaranteed.

Test playlist

Copyright - Petros Laskis 2023.