Drop + Ultrasone Signature X
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The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The price of the Signature X is $249 and you can buy it exclusively from Drop +.
Ultrasone Signature X
This is the first collaboration between Drop and the innovative German brand Ultrasone.
For nearly 40 years, Ultrasone has stayed true to one mission: creating the perfect headphones, and setting ever-higher standards along the way. Founded in 1985, this German-based company is (and has always been) all about the comprehensive approach, designing all of its headphones from scratch—with the research to back up every build.
Technologies like S-Logic, which improves driver acoustics, and ULE, which reduces driver electromagnetic radiation, were developed as a result of Ultrasone’s unwavering commitment to creating the best headphones possible.
Innovation aside, the company is also committed to uncompromising quality, manufacturing nearly all of its headphones from its very own factory in Germany.
The Drop Ultrasone Signature X is a variation of Ultrasone’s popular Signature Series Pulse headphones, designed for DJs, with a sound signature that closely adheres to the bass-emphasized Harman target curve.
The Signature X keeps its predecessor's bass-centric identity, with a new tuning that adds energy to other key areas of the frequency spectrum.
Built around an ultra-punchy low-end, the Drop Ultrasone Signature X gets a few more swings in with sparkling highs and clearly defined mids.
It’s a musical experience that hits hard and it’s bolstered by Ultrasone’s patented S-Logic® technology, which uses ear anatomy to dictate driver placement for more natural sounding acoustics.
The Signature Series Pulse was an adherence to the Harman Target Curve.
With the Signature X, Drop tightened up the tuning to more closely match the Harman target curve in certain areas, while making key deviations in others, like boosting the bass and taming both the upper midrange and presence.
Ultrasone also contributed its S-Logic® technology, which places drivers in an offset forward and downward configuration to reach the ears much like a true stereo source. The result is an impressively natural sound, with directions and distances reproduced authentically, free
of distortion.
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.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The price of the Signature X is $249 and you can buy it exclusively from Drop +.
Ultrasone Signature X
This is the first collaboration between Drop and the innovative German brand Ultrasone.
For nearly 40 years, Ultrasone has stayed true to one mission: creating the perfect headphones, and setting ever-higher standards along the way. Founded in 1985, this German-based company is (and has always been) all about the comprehensive approach, designing all of its headphones from scratch—with the research to back up every build.
Technologies like S-Logic, which improves driver acoustics, and ULE, which reduces driver electromagnetic radiation, were developed as a result of Ultrasone’s unwavering commitment to creating the best headphones possible.
Innovation aside, the company is also committed to uncompromising quality, manufacturing nearly all of its headphones from its very own factory in Germany.
The Drop Ultrasone Signature X is a variation of Ultrasone’s popular Signature Series Pulse headphones, designed for DJs, with a sound signature that closely adheres to the bass-emphasized Harman target curve.
The Signature X keeps its predecessor's bass-centric identity, with a new tuning that adds energy to other key areas of the frequency spectrum.
Built around an ultra-punchy low-end, the Drop Ultrasone Signature X gets a few more swings in with sparkling highs and clearly defined mids.
It’s a musical experience that hits hard and it’s bolstered by Ultrasone’s patented S-Logic® technology, which uses ear anatomy to dictate driver placement for more natural sounding acoustics.
The Signature Series Pulse was an adherence to the Harman Target Curve.
With the Signature X, Drop tightened up the tuning to more closely match the Harman target curve in certain areas, while making key deviations in others, like boosting the bass and taming both the upper midrange and presence.
Ultrasone also contributed its S-Logic® technology, which places drivers in an offset forward and downward configuration to reach the ears much like a true stereo source. The result is an impressively natural sound, with directions and distances reproduced authentically, free
of distortion.
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.
superkalou
Not bad this helmet! Thank you for this Review!
Ichos
Thanks for reading!
capetownwatches
Another very informative and enjoyable review, thanks Petros.
