Ultrasone Edition 8 Carbon

General Information

he Edition 8 Carbon headphones from Ultrasone combine hand-made German craftsmanship with innovative engineering to deliver a hi-fi listening experience for professional and personal applications.

The headphones come with a black transportation bag. The earpads and headband are made from genuine Ethiopian sheepskin leather that provides a high degree of softness and smoothness. This leather also provides a high degree of natural noise isolation. Aesthetically, the headphones are accented with ruthenium-coated earcups and hand-made carbon inlays to ensure they look as good as they sound.

The 40mm tri-bass-tube titanium-plated Mylar drivers provide a wide frequency response to bring out deep bass and clear treble in your music. They can be used for monitor reference, engineering, mastering, and audiophiles. MU-metal shielding technology helps to reduce magnetic field emissions by up to 98%. The headphones come with a 3.9' (1.2m) detachable straight OFC cable with an integrated microphone, remote control, and an angled 1/8" (3.5mm) gold-plated plug.

The company's S-Logic Plus Natural Surround Sound technology reflects sound off the outer ear to create a more enveloping listening experience that creates a high degree of space and realism. Decentralized driver positioning allows the headphones to take advantage of the shape of the ear. The S-Logic Plus technology also provides a lower dB output with the same perceived loudness. This means you can listen at lower volume levels, which may reduce the risk of hearing fatigue.

Latest reviews

TWerk

Headphoneus Supremus
One of the best headphone for EDM
Pros: My favorite closed back headphones
Exceptional comfort
Exceptional Build
The most fun sounding high end V shape headphone
Imaging is stellar, amazing as a closed back
Separation of sound is also incredibly well done
Gorgeous looks
Bass is perfect, punches just right
Mids are clean and clear
Treble is sparkly, energetic, not fatiguing, crisp
Excellent resolution, sharp crisp detail
Transient attack is exceptional
Drivers are incredibly fast and do not trip over themselves
Dynamic and punchy sound
I absolutely love these things
Runs well on any gear you have
3 Dimensional Soundscape
Cons: Retail price is certainly too high, get them used
Bass can be slightly much in the carbon version
The midrange is clear and clean but not amazing
Other high end headphones can offer more texture to the sound
I can't put into words how much I love the Edition 8, my favorite closed headphones.

Ultrasone sound signature has always been my thing, and these edition 8 IMO are Ultrasone at it's best.

I have gone up and down the Ultrasone lineup as I love them, and this is the winner.

These are for people who listen to music for enjoyment, who like non-fatiguing sound that is presented in an extremely fun but detailed sound. They are the definition of fun if you are looking for that in a high end package.

They have the best imaging of any closed back I have tried, the sound localizes itself so well within the soundstage.

They are not the ultimate statement in resolution and detail but they have plenty of both.

If you love EDM, buy these, now. Every headphone I have tried in the past decade falls short of the glory of this headphone for electronic. These are fun headphones, they are not TOTL resolving monsters. For instance, Focal Clear MG resolves detail noticeably better and has more resolution and texture. Just know what these are if you're buying them and you're golden.

You can go up the path of more and more expensive headphones, you could find headphones with better resolution, but I think you will perhaps also come to the conclusion I have that these Edition 8 are special, absolutely addictive cans.

Endgame closed for me.

(And yes, I love the edition 8 so much I couldn't help myself but buy a second of them - Carbon And Ruthenium).

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BloodyPenguin

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Elegant Design, Fantastic Build Quality, Detachable Cable, Microphone
Cons: High Price Tag, Finger Print Magnet, Veiled Sound
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Beauty in design and build, the Ultrasone Edition 8 Carbon Headphone:
 
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**Disclaimer** - I appreciate Ultrasone sending their Edition 8 Carbon for review.


 
 
[Product Link] - http://www.ultrasone.audio/en/products/editions/edition-8carbon
 
[Price] $2,199.00
 
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*Specifications*
 
Technology S-Logic™ Natural Surround Sound
Driver Tri-bass-tube titanium-plated Mylar drivers
Driver size 40 mm
Frequency range 6 - 42.000 Hz
Impedance 30 Ohm
Principle Dynamic, closed
SPL 96 dB
Weight 260 g
 
 
 
*Content*

Ultrasone Edition 8 Carbon Closed-Back Stereo Headphones
Transportation Bag
Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
3.9' (1.2m) Detachable Straight OFC Cable with Microphone and Remote with Gold-Plated Angled 3.5mm Plug
 
P1070705.jpg       P1070711.jpg
 
 
 
*Build/Design*

 
I’ve had the pleasure of testing some nice headphones over the past few years, but hands down, the Edition 8 Carbon is the highest end of them all. 
 
The overall headphone SCREAMS premium build quality.  The speaker housings are spectacularly smooth mirror like and the hint of delicately placed carbon fiber.  The headband padding is wonderfully soft to the touch.
 
Unfortunately the super shiny build of the Edition 8 Carbon is also its downfall.  See, you can’t actually touch these headphones.  Well, not unless you have special gloves on.  That is because these are the most finger print prone product I have ever reviewed.  Trust me, the most important accessory that comes with this headphone is the Microfiber cloth, as you will be cleaning them a lot.
 
My advice to Ultrasone is to do more Carbon (fiber) and less mirror if there is a version 2.0. 
 
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*Fit/Comfort*

For my small head and ears, the Edition 8 Carbon are an absolute perfect fit.  I would go as far to say they are one of the most form fitting headphones I have ever worn.  The Oval cups are slipped so gently around the ears.  The adjustable band cups the head so pressure is distributed evenly, which is much needed because these are on the heavy side.  The padding on the headband is soft and helps to add to the overall great comfort.
 
The Edition 8 Carbon can easily be worn for long periods of time with little issue.  Even the leather earpads keep themselves relatively cool as well. 
 
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*Use*

While this Ultrasone headphone can be worn at home, it basically defeats the one of the main purposes of the Edition 8 Carbon and that is to be seen wearing it.  This is a flashy, high end design.  It wants to be out in public, for others to notice and lust after.   It is for someone who wants the best and is willing to pay the large price to own one. 
 
Once someone does shell out the $2,200 for the Edition 8 Carbon, they will be rewarded with a headphone that is not only beautiful, but functional as well. 
 
The seal and closed back design do well to block out surrounding noise.  The included detachable cables come with a much needed microphone controls.  And personally, I will always be a fan of detachable cables, that help to protect your investment may you snag it on something. 
 
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*Sound*

Bass – The lows keep themselves in check at all times.  I never found them to be too bassy, or muddy.  Instead, there is a nice control that leads the sub-bass and mid-bass to be of equal importance.  I think Ultrasone did a wonderful job tuning the lows to a comfortable level.

Mids
– This is where the Edition 8 Carbon starts to some faults.  There is quite a bit of veil in the mids, which dip into the highs as well.  Vocals are relaxed, but come off cold and artificial
 
Highs – The upper range does well to stay away from being harsh, while letting some detail come though.  Again, though the veil of the mids are shown in the highs as well.  That non-natural sound signature continues as almost metallic. 
 
Soundstage – Limited by the closed back design, the Edition 8 Carbon has an average width to its playback for this type of headphone.  Though, there is some congestion that has an uneven effect on the instrument separation. 
 
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*Sources*

I ran the Ultrasone through three main devices:
 
ORB JADE casa (system)This has been my reference setup for a while now.  It is the first device I run review headphones to set control to base other sources off of.  All of the characteristics from the sound topic right above are a result of use with this system.

xDuoo X3 – As they are a portable headphone, I wanted to try them out with a little portable player.  The X3 paired up surprisingly well with the Edition 8 Carbon, helping to bring out a bit smoother sound, while suppressing a small amount of the unnatural metallic feeling from the base test of the Orb System.

iPhone 6 – To my assessment, this would be one of the mainly used devices for those purchasing the Ultrasone headphone.  It fits the type of person who wants a high end, well-built product.  The two do pair well together in both looks and sound.  While not quite audiophile levels, the Edition 8 Carbon and iPhone do their best to provide a sound that is great for on the go, either at a coffee shop or commuting on a train.  The easy bass and veiled mids keep fatigue to a minimum.  A match made in flashy heaven.
 
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*Overall Thoughts*
 
The one topic that kept popping up in my head while I wrote this review was value, as it is a very subjective idea.  For an audiophile, there is almost no justification to purchasing the Edition 8 Carbon, when so many others headphones overall sound quality are leagues above for at the $2,200 price and below.  On the other hand, there really is no other headphone like this out there with this top tier design and presentation.  For those wanting the highest of quality build and a premium fit, the Edition 8 Carbon would be a warranted purchase.   
 
Either way, the Ultrasone Edition 8 Carbon, will never be called boring.
 
 
 
**Bonus / Photography Notes**
 
These headphones are almost impossible to shoot due to their mirror finish.  I had to attempt many angles to keep myself and my camera gear out of the shots.  
 
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Rayzilla
Rayzilla
Is this supposed to be an upgrade in sound compared to the Edition 8 Limited? Is it just another variant of Edition 8 or is it actually different in size, driver, etc.? Thanks!
Swann36
Swann36
Nice review i have some "original" edition 8s great for sound isolation and driven by a phone quite a revelation ...

@Rayzilla ...from everything i've read and seen the carbons are not technically any different from what has come before ..
TWerk
TWerk
@Swann36

My Carbon sounds noticeably different from my Ruthenium.

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