Peter Pinna
1000+ Head-Fier
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Recently, a friend of mine who really enjoys the sound of my Ultrasone Proline 750 bought a new Pro 750 for himself. I asked him if I could burn in his new headphones so that I could write this “report” for Head-Fi on the progression of their overall sound during the various stages of burn in. I thought that some of the members would be interested in reading this information.
Right out of the box, first listen, Hour 1:
The “metallic highs” that were present when I first listened to my Proline 750 (when it was new), were still present in the new Pro 750 but much less noticeable. Actually, it made me wonder if these particular headphones had already been burned in to some extent. The lower mid and the lower bass frequencies sounded somewhat “stiff” and not as full as my burned in Proline 750. The frequencies of this new Pro 750 seemed to be significantly more in balance than were the frequencies of my Proline 750 during the same very early (new) playing time. I'm not sure why this is. Perhaps, as previously mentioned, Ultrasone is now burning in the headphones to some extent before their release to distributors. The very first recording to which I listened with this new Pro 750 was a live performance recording by Count Basie and his Orchestra (“Count Basie at The Sands, before Frank”). The horns on this recording are “blaring” and hitting some significantly high notes. My reason for playing this recording was because the high notes of the trumpets and other horns would probably reveal the infamous “metallic highs” if any “metallic highs” were going to be heard from these new headphones. The sound of the new Pro 750 overall had a timidness, like a fawn first learning how to walk. The sound stage, while still having the aspects of the S-Logic “surround effect” is not quite as dimensionally “out there” as my burned in Proline 750. During this “early life” of the this new Pro 750, the volume is about half of the loudness I would normally play through them.
Hour 2:
The sound of the new Pro 750 became less timid, more brave during this hour. The bass was slightly fuller and more relaxed sounding. During the first half of the second hour, I listened to the recording “Frank Sinatra's Swingin' Session” which showcases Sinatra with a swinging “big band”. It was recorded in Stereo during the late 1950's. The high notes of the horns sounded more relaxed and full than those on the Basie recording during the first hour. After several hours, I listened to the Basie recording again for comparison.
During the second half of the second hour, I listened to “Dorset Perception” by Shpongle. There was still some timidness of the overall sound of the new headphones but, seemingly, less than during the first hour. The sound stage presentation (including the S-Logic effect) was not as full as my burned in Proline 750. I heard, ever so slightly, the dimensions of the frequencies expanding and becoming stronger. It was something like listening to a naturally gifted singer mature from a very early age to the point in their life somewhat before their voice reaches it's full mature potential.
At the very end of the second hour I heard the S-Logic “surround effect” sound stage “expand” a little. This sound stage “expansion”, while minor, was definitely noticeable and caused me to smile involuntarily.
Hour 3:
During the first few minutes of the third hour I noticed the mid and lower-mid bass frequencies were becoming stronger, more noticeable and more relaxed / less timid sounding. During the third hour I listened to W. A. Mozart's Symphonies which revealed even more “bravery” in the sound and “expansion” of the sound stage. The mid frequencies were becoming slightly stronger about half way through the 3rd hour. About 40 minutes into the hour I started noticing a greater “flowering” of the upper mids and the lower bass frequencies. What I recognize as the Pro 750 sound was “peeking” ever so gingerly out from under the “covers of timidness”. It was beginning to sound, overall, slightly fuller and somewhat more engaging. For whatever reason, it took longer for my Proline 750 to reach this same stage in the sound progress and “development”.
Hour 4:
I did not listen during the first half of hour 4. Approximately 30 minutes into this hour I rejoined Wofgang for more of his illustrious Symphonic Music. I also increased the volume by about 15%. I will repeat here how surprised I am that these particular headphones were burning-in much faster than my Proline 750 did. To reach this particular point in the sound development took my Proline 750 about 25 hours. This is more “evidence”, once again, why I suspect that Ultrasone has started doing more of a burn in on new phones. In case you are wondering, yes, I'm sure they were new as I was the one who opened the box and removed the plastic wrapping. I would be curious to know if anyone else has had the experience of a more rapid burn in with Ultrasones recently. Based on my prior experience with my Proline 750, I have always maintained a burn in period of at least 150 hours was necessary. Based on this current experience with this new Pro 750, and if I find out that others have had this same experience, I am probably going to lower the amount of time that I advocate as a burn in.
Hour 5:
Close to the beginning of this hour I noticed even more of an overall balance of the frequencies. The lower mids / upper bass frequencies have become stronger and the overall sound is more dimensionally filling and satisfying. I have increased the volume even more so that now it is at the position where I normally listen. Considering that this was the beginning of the 5th hour of burn in (AFAIK), it is amazing how good this headphone sounds.
This new headphone is definitely tighter on my head than my much worn Proline 750. It's not bad though. It is a “grip”, no doubt, but I wouldn't call it uncomfortable. There is no doubt that these headphones are definitely not going to fall off your head by accident unless you were hit in the head by a bat held by someone with the prowess of Babe Ruth and even then it would be questionable if they would fall off. So called “head bangers” could really “go crazy” with these headphones on.
Hour 6:
This hour I listened to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suites, Nos. 1 & 2. The new Pro 750 has really started to “sing” and the S-Logic “surround effect” was starting to come into a fuller “bloom”. The upper mids and the mids generally were stronger as were the bass frequencies (compared to previous hours). As a matter of fact, the entire frequency range came into an even greater balance and the “timidity” all but disappeared. (At this point the fullness and “surround effect” of the sound had more than begun to have the strength of Popeye having consumed about 3/4ths of a can of Spinach, just before he goes to beat the “you know what” out of Bluto. “Incredible” is a word that I would use to describe how quickly these particular headphones burned in (to this point in the sound development). “Incredible” is also a word that I would use to describe how they were starting to sound. I was having the fun, once again, of hearing the burn in process of these magnificent headphones. The difference this time was that for some unknown reason, it was happening much faster than before.
There was still a “touch” of a metallic sound in the highest audible frequencies. There was a flute that was playing particularly high and I heard that metallic sound just very briefly on a couple of the highest notes. At that point, I wasn't completely “out of the woods” burn in wise but these “woods” (even with the minor sound annoyances) were certainly enjoyable to be in during that time. The music became much more audibly and emotionally involving beginning approximately at the second part of this hour. To exemplify, the sound was becoming not only more full but also more detailed and articulate. The S-Logic effect was expanding even more and the “speaker-like” “outside of the head” aspects of the sound were becoming significantly more prominent.
The “layering” of the positions of the instruments in the Symphony Orchestra was becoming more noticeable during the last few minutes of the 6th hour as was the overall blending of the sound of the orchestra. And, yet, at the same time, the articulation and detail was becoming more distinct. It was also during this hour that the sound of the music playing through the Pro 750 stopped me from doing anything else, practically insisting that I listen and pay attention to the music. The Pro 750 is definitely not a “play in the background” type of headphone. “Demanding of the listeners attention” is one way in which I would describe their overall sound. These particular Pro 750's had absolutely started demanding and captivating my attention almost as much as a fully burned in pair do.
Hour 7:
This hour I played some classic Ella recordings. If you don't know who Ella is, I strongly suggest that you immediately do some research. Ella Fitzgerald is one of the greatest singers. She passed away a few years ago and remains one of the definitive standards of vocalists, especially jazz influenced vocalists. The orchestrations on this recording fit her magnificent voice like a custom tailored glove. And, to briefly describe the sound of the orchestra and Ella's voice on this recording as I heard it through the Pro 750, well, it sounded as though I was in the middle of the orchestra and Ella's voice was immediately in front of me and slightly inside the front of my head. The orchestrations were very involving and fun in the hearing.
These headphones are perfect for classically trained musicians, IMO. It is not at all difficult to understand why Jazz instrumentalists and vocalists “love” these headphones. Their sound, even at that stage, was simply amazing! And, to think their sound became even better is, in itself, astoundingly impressive. I have no hesitancy whatsoever in stating what I know to be true: The Pro 750 is an immensely wonderful sounding headphone. There may very well be better sounding headphones but, up to this point, I haven't heard such headphones. I look forward to that time if, indeed, those headphones actually do sound better than the Pro 750.
About 45 minutes into this hour, the upper and lower frequencies became more involving. The seemingly simplistic sound of the “walking” bass emanating from a “stand up” bass played by a “solid” musician from the “if it's not right in the pocket, it isn't worth hearing” school of music, is, itself, a delicious treat to hear via the Pro 750, even at this early (7th hour) stage.
I tried to work while listening to the Pro 750 but often, my attention was diverted to the beauty of the sound of the music coming from these headphones.
During this hour I was still hearing occasionally that slight metallic sound on the upper most notes played by the violas, flutes and trumpets. There was more burn in time to come but up to this point, the rapid improvements in the sound were more than remarkable. Articulation had not yet reached it's full potential (compared to the sound of a my fully burned in Proline 750) but, it was “coming right along”.
Hour 8:
During this hour, I played some mp3 sound files of older classic popular songs. Even at this early stage, these new Pro 750's revealed the slightly stifled mp3 sound (as compared to a .WAV file, for example). Heard was Barbara Streisand's “The Way We Were” and Dean Martin's “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime”. (It's probably difficult for the younger of the Head-Fi members to accept that these songs were once big hits on the “Top 40”. Do they still have a “Top 40”?) I also listened to a couple of recordings that I helped to produce. To say that I am familiar with just how these recordings are supposed to sound would be an understatement, to say the least. Once again, in spite of the “youth” of these particular headphones, the sound and the effect they produce on these recordings is remarkably similar to the sound which came from the studio monitors, not quite as similar as my completely burned in Proline 750's but assuredly in the same “ballpark” if not in the same “ballgame”.
This hour also included the hearing of some fabulous CD recordings by the marvelous singer, Marilyn Maye. The arrangements included some very high note trumpet parts, recorded without “forgiveness”. Similar to the Basie album, if I was going to hear “metallic highs” from any recording, it would be on these recordings. But, at this point, these new Pro 750's were becoming significantly more burned in and balanced. Consequently, the “metallic highs”, at this point, were becoming far less noticeable. In fact, I really had to listen intently to find any “metallic highs”. There were indeed very few “metallic highs” (as “rendered” by the “young” Pro 750) even though the horns were playing in the uppermost region of the musical scale's stratosphere and Marilyn Maye was definitely more than “holding her own” and then some. If you've never heard her, similar to my thoughts about Ella Fitzgerald, I very strongly suggest you do because you will have, when you listen to these wonderful singers, an immense pleasure in your future.
The texture was taking on more of a sonic and emotional depth, becoming more involving on the various instruments (especially saxes and strings) and on Marilyn Maye's voice as I approached the end of the 8th hour of burn in.
Hours 9 through 22 (inclusive):
I was unable because of other necessities (like sleep and other interests) to listen during these hours.
Hour 23:
I started listening again about half way through this hour. At this point in time, the sound was “crystal clear” and sounded like the frequencies from the upper mids all the way “up” are stronger than they were before. The upper mids and highs have really “opened up” more since the 8th hour listen. And, certainly since the first hour listen. I was able to make a direct comparison to the 1st hour listen because during the 23rd hour, I listened to the same Count Basie Orchestra recording to which I listened during the 1st hour. The sound in hour 23 was fuller. The top frequencies of the horns came through prominently along with the other frequencies. I could hear every single “hit” the drummer executed on his cymbals and drums. Actually, at this point, the upper most highs seemed to have been slightly exaggerated. Notice that I did not write that they were metallic sounding. But, at this point they were slightly exaggerated and on the “shrill side”. I remember that my Proline 750 went through this same phase during their burn in but it was much later in the burn in period, probably at around 50 to 60 hours. As I said before, for reasons unknown to me, this new Pro 750 was advancing through the burn in faster than my Proline 750 did.
Even though there was a slight exaggeration in the upper-most highs during hour 23, there was absolutely no sibilance. As I wrote previously, the articulation and detail was astoundingly clear and precise. And, no, in case you're wondering, I was not confusing articulation and detail with the slightly exaggerated highs. I definitely know the difference.
Toward the end of the 23rd hour, I noticed that the sound of the bass (the instrument) became more noticeable, more full, more rounded. The sound of the bass at that time was heard clearly and distinctly and yet, at the same time it blended within the “wall” of strong Basie horn players who were blowing their axes like it was mandatory that they be heard on the other side of Mars.
Sonny Payne, the magnificent jazz / swing drummer, was heard driving the horns to his and their fullest potential and every “pop”, “tick”, “slam”, “bump “ and “shhhsh” he precisely executed was heard in perfect detail. I could even hear the angle at which he held his sticks to create the varied sounds.
Another great sound was the sound of Basie's piano which sounded, guess what, just like a piano. And believe me, I've heard headphones which caused a piano to sound like some type of imitation of a piano. Through these Pro 750's the sound of the piano sounded like the real thing, the “Grand” thing that it was (or, maybe “is” if that piano is still around).
And then, amidst the solidness of Basie's band, at a point when Basie was soloing, with the Saxes playing a counter melody, I heard someone stirring their drink with one of those thin plastic drink sticks causing the ice to “tink” and “clink” against the sides of the glass. Then, as the Orchestra played their more mellow arrangement of “Making Whoopee” I heard the service staff clearing the dishes and flatware from the tables.
Hour 24:
For the most part, I didn't listen during hour 24. But, the Pro 750 continued to “listen”.
Hour 25:
I thought some would be interested in finding out about the sound of Rock influenced music on the Pro 750 during this stage of burn in.
I started with Jeff Buckley's “Last Goodbye” which started with a fade-in of an echoed electric guitar. Then as the beat started, the heavy bass, the thumping drummer with a “pedal to the metal” bass drum approach and the acoustic guitar playing around an 8th and sometimes 16th note rhythm figure along with a tamborine player sometimes playing the same figure, sometimes not, joined in. As far as the rhythm section was concerned, everything sounded “right”.
“This is our last goodbye...” was the first phrase the vocal sang sounding more like someone sitting on the couch next to you in the living room as opposed to a somewhat more “echoed” sound that might be produced in a professional recording studio (although, I am sure this track was recorded in a pro studio). As the vocalist hit the higher notes of his register a slight bit of reverberation became noticeable above my head. For the most part, unlike some other recorded vocals which sound as though they are in front of you (when listening with the Pro 750), this vocal was centered more in the front part of my head. This track was clear and realistic sounding as heard through the Pro 750.
“Cold Brains” by Beck offered some entertaining and interesting sound effects ranging from high frequencies to low ones. The vocal was recorded simply and sounded quite pleasing.
“When You Wake Up Feeling Old” by Wilco featured an Organ (probably “B3) that blended well with the other instruments and vocal. There was also a very realistic sounding, slightly out of tune and antiquated upright piano that augmented the atmosphere and mood of this recording. Everything sounded like it was in the “right” place, like a gathering of friends having a few brews and playing some music together in a local pub.
The Pro 750 displayed the talents of Cowboy Bebop as they played “New York Rush” with extreme realism. The natural reverberation from the trumpets echoed above my head and the sound of each instrument including the Fender Rhodes was so realistic you'd swear they were there in the room with you.
“Remedy” by Black Crowes started with a vocal singing “Baby, baby...” and the electric guitar, vocals and other amped up instruments went on from there. “Funk, bump and grind all the way”, as the Pro 750 portrayed the music effortlessly with expert forward sounding non-exaggerated vigorousness. This is not music for a “light weight” or “laid back” headphone. This music is for a headphone that “knows how” to “SLAM”, BUMP” and “GRRROWL!!!!” and the Pro 750 has a “Master's Degree” in “SLAM”, “BUMP” and “GRRROWL!!!”.
It sounded as though I was sitting right in the middle, among the instruments of Coke as they played “Ain't No Good”. Guitar to my right, trumpet to my left, drums mostly behind my head, vocal in front with reverberation from the vocal radiating into the front of my head and above my head.
They used to call him “Little Stevie Wonder” and this recording from the 1960's called “I Was Made To Love Her” was recorded when he was billed under that name. Wonder started out on this recording with a high note harmonica solo that is a challenge to headphones, a challenge because it would be immensely easy for sibilance to happen. The Pro 750 played with liberal acceptance and embraced the highest frequencies of the highest of Wonder's harmonica's notes.
Hour 26:
When listening with the Pro 750, I could understand 99% of the words Bob Dylan “sang” (I use the term loosely here) in “Most of The Time”. Now, if that isn't a compliment to a headphone's detail and articulation, I don't know what is!
As the vocalists in the Steve Miller Band advocated the idea that one should “Never Kill Another Man”, the guitar sounded as though it was playing a few feet from my right ear and then the rest of the instruments joined in various positions surrounding my head.
The S-Logic “surround effect” was really shining on “Heroes” by Wide Spread Panic and I was right in the middle of the instrumental and vocal “festivities”. Unlike many recordings where the vocal is in the middle toward the front, the vocal on this recording was to the right and toward the front, somewhat outside of my head.
Back to more “classically oriented” music, and as I listened to Michael Tilson Thomas, the famed concert pianist, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra play George Gershwin's “Rhapsody In Blue” I found myself somewhat in awe of how very realistic the instruments and acoustics sounded when listening with the Pro 750. Also, I became aware that the slightly exaggerated sound of the upper-most highs had disappeared. At this point, those upper-most highs sounded more centered.
The Pro 750 is truly a versatile headphone, equally effective in it's tremendous ability to “portray” the classics performed by a symphony orchestra as it is for “thundering” Rock music performed by a totally “amped-up” guitar and drum ensemble. It seems to play everything this author “throws at it” (including music that definitely isn't my favorite) with virtuoso skill.
Hour 27:
During 99 and 44/100's percent of the past 27 hours, the new Pro 750 has played some type of music for the purpose, primarily of burn-in and secondarily, for my enjoyment (when I was able to listen).
In this hour I was still listening to Michael Tilson Thomas and The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra play some of George Gershwin's classics. I won't go into a lot of detail about this but, suffice it to say, Thomas' piano and the L.A. Philharmonic were presented in what I consider to be one of their absolute best recorded musical “showcases” which the Pro 750 rendered, seemingly, without flaw. The instruments were all around my head as well as above and below my head. The beautiful, rich texture of the violins “floated” in mid-air to my right and the reverberation the sound of those violins produced “winged” gracefully toward heights subdued only, at the very final ringing of their sound, by the ultra-high ceiling of the room in which the music was recorded. The Pro 750 accurately rendered the music that freely, that intensely, that beautifully!
Also played during the last part of the 27th hour was Brandenburg's Concerto Number 1 in F Major performed by Stuttgarter Kammerorchester conducted by Karl Munchinger. As was also the case with the Gershwin Music by Thomas and The L.A. Philharmonic, the instruments of the the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester surrounded me because of the S-Logic “surround effect” which, while being an audio illusion, is, none the less, fascinating to hear.
During the last 5 minutes of the 27th hour I became aware that the full frequency spectrum was more balanced. There was a centering to each of the frequencies and that centering also contributed to an overall blending of the frequencies in the frequency spectrum. These new Pro 750's had come into the early stages of fully burned in maturity.
Hour 28:
This remains a mystery. To reach this same point of overall sound in the burn in development of my Proline 750's took around 130 hours of playing. This new Pro 750 has seemingly reached 130 hours of playing “maturity” (as judged by the burn in time of my Proline 750) in approximately 28 hours. How is this possible? Because the Pro 750 has “matured” so expediently, I hope this doesn't mean it will have a short life! (ha ha!) I ask once again, has anyone else had this same experience of a more expedient burn in with either the Pro 750 or any recently manufactured Ultrasone headphone?
During hour 28 I continued to play the music of Bach and then, Tchaikovsky, but mostly I didn't listen due to other necessary activities.
Hour 29:
I had some other things I had to take care of so the player was once again on repeat play during this hour.
Hour 30:
I find it nearly impossible to do anything else except breathe when listening to Marilyn Maye sing. This is especially true when it comes to her sublime recordings from the 1960's. During hour 30, I listened, once again captivated by her wonderful singing. The Pro 750 seemed to enjoy her singing and the orchestra that backed her as well. Here is a youtube link for a performance of the classic standard “Misty” by Marilyn Maye on a television show during the 1960's:
YouTube - Marilyn Maye sings "Misty"
Now at the age of 80, Marilyn Maye still performs and still sounds great!
Hour 31:
During this hour I listened to Frank Sinatra's classic recording “Sinatra and Swingin' Brass” with arrangements by Neal Hefti. If you happen to be unfamiliar with Sinatra's work or, in particular, this album of songs, it is one of the core fundamentals for those who have a library of music by “Ol' Blue Eyes”.
The title of this album “Sinatra and Swingin' Brass” is not in the least misleading. Because it is that exactly. Sinatra is in prime voice, the “brass” kicks like an angry mule and the entire musical organization swings like Joe DiMaggio's bat. This is one of Sinatra's true greats along with “Sinatra and Strings” (which I listened to immediately following “...Brass”), “Sinatra at The Sands”, “Sinatra's Swingin' Session”, “Only The Lonely” and others.
With the Pro 750, it is as though you are in the recording session, in the middle of the orchestra as Sinatra sings right in front of you. The “musical magic” from those Sinatra sessions comes through “loud and clear” through the Pro 750 and it “grabs you”, baby!
Hour 32:
At the beginning of the 32nd hour of burn in of the Pro 750, I was listening to “Sinatra and Strings” as Sinatra was singing “... I'm gonna love you, like nobody's loved you, come rain or come shine...” accompanied by a full and marvelous orchestration heard beautifully via the Pro 750. At this point in the burn-in, all of the audio balances came into what seemed to be the very prime of sonic fruition. What a magnificent sound blend. The sound, overall, was now very nearly rivaling, seemingly, the sound of my more than completely burned in Proline 750, I repeat, after only 32 hours. This is amazing!! And, I still want to know what was different? Once again, the only explanation in theory I can imagine is that possibly Ultrasone is burning in the Pro 750's to a greater extent, before sending them out, as compared to the amount of time they burned in the Proline 750's (before sending them out), if, indeed they burned in the Proline 750's at all. Judging from the approxmate 200 hours burn in needed for the my Proline 750 to reach this level of sonic development, as compared to only a 32 hour burn in apparently needed for the Pro 750 (to reach what sounds like the same sonic development) causes me to think that this theory of mine may very well be valid.
I left the player on “repeat play” for several more hours beyond hour 32.
Hours 33 through 46:
The player was on repeat play during these hours during which time I was away.
Hour 47:
Listening, once again, near the beginning of the 47th hour, I heard, through the Pro 750, a fuller sound generally. I left Sinatra on repeat play for hours 33 through 46. The bass was somewhat more prominently presented as was Sinatra's voice which had more of a rich sounding texture then it had during hour 32. All of the instruments sounded even more natural and realistic then before. The sound stage seems to have widened slightly. The awareness of the positioning (layering) of the individual instruments in the orchestra has become easier to recognize. The upper-most high frequencies seem to have lessened somewhat (which sounds more pleasant).
Sinatra usually recorded everything (all instruments and him) at once. Because Sinatra was deaf in one ear, his drummer often played slightly louder then what would be considered “normal” dynamics for this type of music. Several years ago, I saw Sinatra perform “live” and I was very close to the orchestra as I watched Sinatra's performance. Listening to the dynamics the drummer plays in the orchestra on the “...Brass” album reminds me very much of the dynamics played by the drummer who played in the orchestra backing Sinatra when I saw him perform years ago. It may very well have been the same drummer because Sinatra performed often with the same drummer for approximately 40 years.
During the 47th hour of burn in, this new Pro 750 had absolutely no timidness whatsoever. It has become a very brave sounding headphone, seemingly perfect to showcase the recorded performances
of one of the bravest entertainers in the history of the Show Business.
Hour 48:
This hour's burn in began with Serenades and Divertimenti composed by W.A. Mozart. As I listened, I found myself, once again, somewhat fascinated and mildly awe struck by the beautiful rich texture of the strings in the orchestra as heard via the Pro 750. The particular composition to which I made reference, “Divertimento No. 3 in F Major, K138”, is truly a beautifully rich show case for strings. And, listening to it via the Pro 750 is an immense auditory pleasure.
I remember thinking at about 15 minutes into this hour that 'if these headphones are not already completely burned in, they are extremely close'. And then I remembered, once again, how much longer it took for my Proline 750 to reach this point of burn in sonic “maturity” and simultaneously, I found myself, once again, amazed by how quickly the new Pro 750 reached this stage of burn in sound development.
Hour 49:
The S-Logic “surround effect” was really “shining” vividly as I listened to The Presto Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra , conducted by Libor Pesek, play Divertimento No. 1 in D Major, K. 136: 3rd Movement by W. A. Mozart, at the beginning of this hour. The orchestra sounded like it was surrounding my head. The strings were astoundingly rich and beautiful sounding. The cellos (which were behind me and to the right) had an incredible sounding “deep” layered timbre and texture. It was as though I was there right in the middle of all of the strings as they played Mozart's genius work of counter melodies. The violas, which sounded as though they had been tuned by the person who invented the musical scale, were in front of me and to the left. The Stradivarius Violins played in perfect unison and also counter to each other, some positioned to the left front, others to the right front and the remainder directly in front of me.
Hour 50:
I was away during this hour leaving the Pro 750 to enjoy Mozart's music by itself.
Hour 51:
I rejoined the Pro 750 playing Mozart approximately half way through this hour. As far as I can discern, these headphones sound as though they are fully burned in and their sound is nothing short of magnificent! It bears repeating that I do not know why these took approximately 1/5th of the time to burn in as my Proline 750 took. In case you missed this earlier in this post, I theorize that Ultrasone is probably doing more of “pre-burn in” on the Pro 750 then they did on the Proline 750 before issuing the headphones to the distributors. If it's not that, it's magic!
The headband on this new Pro 750 seems more comfortable at this early stage then was the one on my Proline 750 at the same stage. We rugged Proline “pioneers” thought the Proline headband was comfortable but now it seems that the younger generation of these headphones has an even more comfortable headband as only one of it's improvements. Another thing I really like is the new hard cloth covered carrying case which is much better (more practical and more “rugged”) then the cloth bag which was issued with the Proline 750.
During this burn in I deliberately avoided using sound influencing dedicated amps because I wanted to hear, as simply and accurately as possible, the actual sound of the Pro 750 in the progressing stages of the burn in. For the most part, a simple integrated amp headphone outlet on a CD player was used for this burn in. The minor remainder of the time, the Behringer Amp 800 (which seems to have a more neutral sound then some other amps) was utilized. I deliberately stayed away from dedicated tube amps or any type of solid state amp that is known to “color” the sound of the audio in any way.
So, if the Pro 750 sounds this great with these “simple” amps, imagine how great they sound with an excellent dedicated amp.
Right out of the box, first listen, Hour 1:
The “metallic highs” that were present when I first listened to my Proline 750 (when it was new), were still present in the new Pro 750 but much less noticeable. Actually, it made me wonder if these particular headphones had already been burned in to some extent. The lower mid and the lower bass frequencies sounded somewhat “stiff” and not as full as my burned in Proline 750. The frequencies of this new Pro 750 seemed to be significantly more in balance than were the frequencies of my Proline 750 during the same very early (new) playing time. I'm not sure why this is. Perhaps, as previously mentioned, Ultrasone is now burning in the headphones to some extent before their release to distributors. The very first recording to which I listened with this new Pro 750 was a live performance recording by Count Basie and his Orchestra (“Count Basie at The Sands, before Frank”). The horns on this recording are “blaring” and hitting some significantly high notes. My reason for playing this recording was because the high notes of the trumpets and other horns would probably reveal the infamous “metallic highs” if any “metallic highs” were going to be heard from these new headphones. The sound of the new Pro 750 overall had a timidness, like a fawn first learning how to walk. The sound stage, while still having the aspects of the S-Logic “surround effect” is not quite as dimensionally “out there” as my burned in Proline 750. During this “early life” of the this new Pro 750, the volume is about half of the loudness I would normally play through them.
Hour 2:
The sound of the new Pro 750 became less timid, more brave during this hour. The bass was slightly fuller and more relaxed sounding. During the first half of the second hour, I listened to the recording “Frank Sinatra's Swingin' Session” which showcases Sinatra with a swinging “big band”. It was recorded in Stereo during the late 1950's. The high notes of the horns sounded more relaxed and full than those on the Basie recording during the first hour. After several hours, I listened to the Basie recording again for comparison.
During the second half of the second hour, I listened to “Dorset Perception” by Shpongle. There was still some timidness of the overall sound of the new headphones but, seemingly, less than during the first hour. The sound stage presentation (including the S-Logic effect) was not as full as my burned in Proline 750. I heard, ever so slightly, the dimensions of the frequencies expanding and becoming stronger. It was something like listening to a naturally gifted singer mature from a very early age to the point in their life somewhat before their voice reaches it's full mature potential.
At the very end of the second hour I heard the S-Logic “surround effect” sound stage “expand” a little. This sound stage “expansion”, while minor, was definitely noticeable and caused me to smile involuntarily.
Hour 3:
During the first few minutes of the third hour I noticed the mid and lower-mid bass frequencies were becoming stronger, more noticeable and more relaxed / less timid sounding. During the third hour I listened to W. A. Mozart's Symphonies which revealed even more “bravery” in the sound and “expansion” of the sound stage. The mid frequencies were becoming slightly stronger about half way through the 3rd hour. About 40 minutes into the hour I started noticing a greater “flowering” of the upper mids and the lower bass frequencies. What I recognize as the Pro 750 sound was “peeking” ever so gingerly out from under the “covers of timidness”. It was beginning to sound, overall, slightly fuller and somewhat more engaging. For whatever reason, it took longer for my Proline 750 to reach this same stage in the sound progress and “development”.
Hour 4:
I did not listen during the first half of hour 4. Approximately 30 minutes into this hour I rejoined Wofgang for more of his illustrious Symphonic Music. I also increased the volume by about 15%. I will repeat here how surprised I am that these particular headphones were burning-in much faster than my Proline 750 did. To reach this particular point in the sound development took my Proline 750 about 25 hours. This is more “evidence”, once again, why I suspect that Ultrasone has started doing more of a burn in on new phones. In case you are wondering, yes, I'm sure they were new as I was the one who opened the box and removed the plastic wrapping. I would be curious to know if anyone else has had the experience of a more rapid burn in with Ultrasones recently. Based on my prior experience with my Proline 750, I have always maintained a burn in period of at least 150 hours was necessary. Based on this current experience with this new Pro 750, and if I find out that others have had this same experience, I am probably going to lower the amount of time that I advocate as a burn in.
Hour 5:
Close to the beginning of this hour I noticed even more of an overall balance of the frequencies. The lower mids / upper bass frequencies have become stronger and the overall sound is more dimensionally filling and satisfying. I have increased the volume even more so that now it is at the position where I normally listen. Considering that this was the beginning of the 5th hour of burn in (AFAIK), it is amazing how good this headphone sounds.
This new headphone is definitely tighter on my head than my much worn Proline 750. It's not bad though. It is a “grip”, no doubt, but I wouldn't call it uncomfortable. There is no doubt that these headphones are definitely not going to fall off your head by accident unless you were hit in the head by a bat held by someone with the prowess of Babe Ruth and even then it would be questionable if they would fall off. So called “head bangers” could really “go crazy” with these headphones on.
Hour 6:
This hour I listened to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suites, Nos. 1 & 2. The new Pro 750 has really started to “sing” and the S-Logic “surround effect” was starting to come into a fuller “bloom”. The upper mids and the mids generally were stronger as were the bass frequencies (compared to previous hours). As a matter of fact, the entire frequency range came into an even greater balance and the “timidity” all but disappeared. (At this point the fullness and “surround effect” of the sound had more than begun to have the strength of Popeye having consumed about 3/4ths of a can of Spinach, just before he goes to beat the “you know what” out of Bluto. “Incredible” is a word that I would use to describe how quickly these particular headphones burned in (to this point in the sound development). “Incredible” is also a word that I would use to describe how they were starting to sound. I was having the fun, once again, of hearing the burn in process of these magnificent headphones. The difference this time was that for some unknown reason, it was happening much faster than before.
There was still a “touch” of a metallic sound in the highest audible frequencies. There was a flute that was playing particularly high and I heard that metallic sound just very briefly on a couple of the highest notes. At that point, I wasn't completely “out of the woods” burn in wise but these “woods” (even with the minor sound annoyances) were certainly enjoyable to be in during that time. The music became much more audibly and emotionally involving beginning approximately at the second part of this hour. To exemplify, the sound was becoming not only more full but also more detailed and articulate. The S-Logic effect was expanding even more and the “speaker-like” “outside of the head” aspects of the sound were becoming significantly more prominent.
The “layering” of the positions of the instruments in the Symphony Orchestra was becoming more noticeable during the last few minutes of the 6th hour as was the overall blending of the sound of the orchestra. And, yet, at the same time, the articulation and detail was becoming more distinct. It was also during this hour that the sound of the music playing through the Pro 750 stopped me from doing anything else, practically insisting that I listen and pay attention to the music. The Pro 750 is definitely not a “play in the background” type of headphone. “Demanding of the listeners attention” is one way in which I would describe their overall sound. These particular Pro 750's had absolutely started demanding and captivating my attention almost as much as a fully burned in pair do.
Hour 7:
This hour I played some classic Ella recordings. If you don't know who Ella is, I strongly suggest that you immediately do some research. Ella Fitzgerald is one of the greatest singers. She passed away a few years ago and remains one of the definitive standards of vocalists, especially jazz influenced vocalists. The orchestrations on this recording fit her magnificent voice like a custom tailored glove. And, to briefly describe the sound of the orchestra and Ella's voice on this recording as I heard it through the Pro 750, well, it sounded as though I was in the middle of the orchestra and Ella's voice was immediately in front of me and slightly inside the front of my head. The orchestrations were very involving and fun in the hearing.
These headphones are perfect for classically trained musicians, IMO. It is not at all difficult to understand why Jazz instrumentalists and vocalists “love” these headphones. Their sound, even at that stage, was simply amazing! And, to think their sound became even better is, in itself, astoundingly impressive. I have no hesitancy whatsoever in stating what I know to be true: The Pro 750 is an immensely wonderful sounding headphone. There may very well be better sounding headphones but, up to this point, I haven't heard such headphones. I look forward to that time if, indeed, those headphones actually do sound better than the Pro 750.
About 45 minutes into this hour, the upper and lower frequencies became more involving. The seemingly simplistic sound of the “walking” bass emanating from a “stand up” bass played by a “solid” musician from the “if it's not right in the pocket, it isn't worth hearing” school of music, is, itself, a delicious treat to hear via the Pro 750, even at this early (7th hour) stage.
I tried to work while listening to the Pro 750 but often, my attention was diverted to the beauty of the sound of the music coming from these headphones.
During this hour I was still hearing occasionally that slight metallic sound on the upper most notes played by the violas, flutes and trumpets. There was more burn in time to come but up to this point, the rapid improvements in the sound were more than remarkable. Articulation had not yet reached it's full potential (compared to the sound of a my fully burned in Proline 750) but, it was “coming right along”.
Hour 8:
During this hour, I played some mp3 sound files of older classic popular songs. Even at this early stage, these new Pro 750's revealed the slightly stifled mp3 sound (as compared to a .WAV file, for example). Heard was Barbara Streisand's “The Way We Were” and Dean Martin's “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime”. (It's probably difficult for the younger of the Head-Fi members to accept that these songs were once big hits on the “Top 40”. Do they still have a “Top 40”?) I also listened to a couple of recordings that I helped to produce. To say that I am familiar with just how these recordings are supposed to sound would be an understatement, to say the least. Once again, in spite of the “youth” of these particular headphones, the sound and the effect they produce on these recordings is remarkably similar to the sound which came from the studio monitors, not quite as similar as my completely burned in Proline 750's but assuredly in the same “ballpark” if not in the same “ballgame”.
This hour also included the hearing of some fabulous CD recordings by the marvelous singer, Marilyn Maye. The arrangements included some very high note trumpet parts, recorded without “forgiveness”. Similar to the Basie album, if I was going to hear “metallic highs” from any recording, it would be on these recordings. But, at this point, these new Pro 750's were becoming significantly more burned in and balanced. Consequently, the “metallic highs”, at this point, were becoming far less noticeable. In fact, I really had to listen intently to find any “metallic highs”. There were indeed very few “metallic highs” (as “rendered” by the “young” Pro 750) even though the horns were playing in the uppermost region of the musical scale's stratosphere and Marilyn Maye was definitely more than “holding her own” and then some. If you've never heard her, similar to my thoughts about Ella Fitzgerald, I very strongly suggest you do because you will have, when you listen to these wonderful singers, an immense pleasure in your future.
The texture was taking on more of a sonic and emotional depth, becoming more involving on the various instruments (especially saxes and strings) and on Marilyn Maye's voice as I approached the end of the 8th hour of burn in.
Hours 9 through 22 (inclusive):
I was unable because of other necessities (like sleep and other interests) to listen during these hours.
Hour 23:
I started listening again about half way through this hour. At this point in time, the sound was “crystal clear” and sounded like the frequencies from the upper mids all the way “up” are stronger than they were before. The upper mids and highs have really “opened up” more since the 8th hour listen. And, certainly since the first hour listen. I was able to make a direct comparison to the 1st hour listen because during the 23rd hour, I listened to the same Count Basie Orchestra recording to which I listened during the 1st hour. The sound in hour 23 was fuller. The top frequencies of the horns came through prominently along with the other frequencies. I could hear every single “hit” the drummer executed on his cymbals and drums. Actually, at this point, the upper most highs seemed to have been slightly exaggerated. Notice that I did not write that they were metallic sounding. But, at this point they were slightly exaggerated and on the “shrill side”. I remember that my Proline 750 went through this same phase during their burn in but it was much later in the burn in period, probably at around 50 to 60 hours. As I said before, for reasons unknown to me, this new Pro 750 was advancing through the burn in faster than my Proline 750 did.
Even though there was a slight exaggeration in the upper-most highs during hour 23, there was absolutely no sibilance. As I wrote previously, the articulation and detail was astoundingly clear and precise. And, no, in case you're wondering, I was not confusing articulation and detail with the slightly exaggerated highs. I definitely know the difference.
Toward the end of the 23rd hour, I noticed that the sound of the bass (the instrument) became more noticeable, more full, more rounded. The sound of the bass at that time was heard clearly and distinctly and yet, at the same time it blended within the “wall” of strong Basie horn players who were blowing their axes like it was mandatory that they be heard on the other side of Mars.
Sonny Payne, the magnificent jazz / swing drummer, was heard driving the horns to his and their fullest potential and every “pop”, “tick”, “slam”, “bump “ and “shhhsh” he precisely executed was heard in perfect detail. I could even hear the angle at which he held his sticks to create the varied sounds.
Another great sound was the sound of Basie's piano which sounded, guess what, just like a piano. And believe me, I've heard headphones which caused a piano to sound like some type of imitation of a piano. Through these Pro 750's the sound of the piano sounded like the real thing, the “Grand” thing that it was (or, maybe “is” if that piano is still around).
And then, amidst the solidness of Basie's band, at a point when Basie was soloing, with the Saxes playing a counter melody, I heard someone stirring their drink with one of those thin plastic drink sticks causing the ice to “tink” and “clink” against the sides of the glass. Then, as the Orchestra played their more mellow arrangement of “Making Whoopee” I heard the service staff clearing the dishes and flatware from the tables.
Hour 24:
For the most part, I didn't listen during hour 24. But, the Pro 750 continued to “listen”.
Hour 25:
I thought some would be interested in finding out about the sound of Rock influenced music on the Pro 750 during this stage of burn in.
I started with Jeff Buckley's “Last Goodbye” which started with a fade-in of an echoed electric guitar. Then as the beat started, the heavy bass, the thumping drummer with a “pedal to the metal” bass drum approach and the acoustic guitar playing around an 8th and sometimes 16th note rhythm figure along with a tamborine player sometimes playing the same figure, sometimes not, joined in. As far as the rhythm section was concerned, everything sounded “right”.
“This is our last goodbye...” was the first phrase the vocal sang sounding more like someone sitting on the couch next to you in the living room as opposed to a somewhat more “echoed” sound that might be produced in a professional recording studio (although, I am sure this track was recorded in a pro studio). As the vocalist hit the higher notes of his register a slight bit of reverberation became noticeable above my head. For the most part, unlike some other recorded vocals which sound as though they are in front of you (when listening with the Pro 750), this vocal was centered more in the front part of my head. This track was clear and realistic sounding as heard through the Pro 750.
“Cold Brains” by Beck offered some entertaining and interesting sound effects ranging from high frequencies to low ones. The vocal was recorded simply and sounded quite pleasing.
“When You Wake Up Feeling Old” by Wilco featured an Organ (probably “B3) that blended well with the other instruments and vocal. There was also a very realistic sounding, slightly out of tune and antiquated upright piano that augmented the atmosphere and mood of this recording. Everything sounded like it was in the “right” place, like a gathering of friends having a few brews and playing some music together in a local pub.
The Pro 750 displayed the talents of Cowboy Bebop as they played “New York Rush” with extreme realism. The natural reverberation from the trumpets echoed above my head and the sound of each instrument including the Fender Rhodes was so realistic you'd swear they were there in the room with you.
“Remedy” by Black Crowes started with a vocal singing “Baby, baby...” and the electric guitar, vocals and other amped up instruments went on from there. “Funk, bump and grind all the way”, as the Pro 750 portrayed the music effortlessly with expert forward sounding non-exaggerated vigorousness. This is not music for a “light weight” or “laid back” headphone. This music is for a headphone that “knows how” to “SLAM”, BUMP” and “GRRROWL!!!!” and the Pro 750 has a “Master's Degree” in “SLAM”, “BUMP” and “GRRROWL!!!”.
It sounded as though I was sitting right in the middle, among the instruments of Coke as they played “Ain't No Good”. Guitar to my right, trumpet to my left, drums mostly behind my head, vocal in front with reverberation from the vocal radiating into the front of my head and above my head.
They used to call him “Little Stevie Wonder” and this recording from the 1960's called “I Was Made To Love Her” was recorded when he was billed under that name. Wonder started out on this recording with a high note harmonica solo that is a challenge to headphones, a challenge because it would be immensely easy for sibilance to happen. The Pro 750 played with liberal acceptance and embraced the highest frequencies of the highest of Wonder's harmonica's notes.
Hour 26:
When listening with the Pro 750, I could understand 99% of the words Bob Dylan “sang” (I use the term loosely here) in “Most of The Time”. Now, if that isn't a compliment to a headphone's detail and articulation, I don't know what is!
As the vocalists in the Steve Miller Band advocated the idea that one should “Never Kill Another Man”, the guitar sounded as though it was playing a few feet from my right ear and then the rest of the instruments joined in various positions surrounding my head.
The S-Logic “surround effect” was really shining on “Heroes” by Wide Spread Panic and I was right in the middle of the instrumental and vocal “festivities”. Unlike many recordings where the vocal is in the middle toward the front, the vocal on this recording was to the right and toward the front, somewhat outside of my head.
Back to more “classically oriented” music, and as I listened to Michael Tilson Thomas, the famed concert pianist, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra play George Gershwin's “Rhapsody In Blue” I found myself somewhat in awe of how very realistic the instruments and acoustics sounded when listening with the Pro 750. Also, I became aware that the slightly exaggerated sound of the upper-most highs had disappeared. At this point, those upper-most highs sounded more centered.
The Pro 750 is truly a versatile headphone, equally effective in it's tremendous ability to “portray” the classics performed by a symphony orchestra as it is for “thundering” Rock music performed by a totally “amped-up” guitar and drum ensemble. It seems to play everything this author “throws at it” (including music that definitely isn't my favorite) with virtuoso skill.
Hour 27:
During 99 and 44/100's percent of the past 27 hours, the new Pro 750 has played some type of music for the purpose, primarily of burn-in and secondarily, for my enjoyment (when I was able to listen).
In this hour I was still listening to Michael Tilson Thomas and The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra play some of George Gershwin's classics. I won't go into a lot of detail about this but, suffice it to say, Thomas' piano and the L.A. Philharmonic were presented in what I consider to be one of their absolute best recorded musical “showcases” which the Pro 750 rendered, seemingly, without flaw. The instruments were all around my head as well as above and below my head. The beautiful, rich texture of the violins “floated” in mid-air to my right and the reverberation the sound of those violins produced “winged” gracefully toward heights subdued only, at the very final ringing of their sound, by the ultra-high ceiling of the room in which the music was recorded. The Pro 750 accurately rendered the music that freely, that intensely, that beautifully!
Also played during the last part of the 27th hour was Brandenburg's Concerto Number 1 in F Major performed by Stuttgarter Kammerorchester conducted by Karl Munchinger. As was also the case with the Gershwin Music by Thomas and The L.A. Philharmonic, the instruments of the the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester surrounded me because of the S-Logic “surround effect” which, while being an audio illusion, is, none the less, fascinating to hear.
During the last 5 minutes of the 27th hour I became aware that the full frequency spectrum was more balanced. There was a centering to each of the frequencies and that centering also contributed to an overall blending of the frequencies in the frequency spectrum. These new Pro 750's had come into the early stages of fully burned in maturity.
Hour 28:
This remains a mystery. To reach this same point of overall sound in the burn in development of my Proline 750's took around 130 hours of playing. This new Pro 750 has seemingly reached 130 hours of playing “maturity” (as judged by the burn in time of my Proline 750) in approximately 28 hours. How is this possible? Because the Pro 750 has “matured” so expediently, I hope this doesn't mean it will have a short life! (ha ha!) I ask once again, has anyone else had this same experience of a more expedient burn in with either the Pro 750 or any recently manufactured Ultrasone headphone?
During hour 28 I continued to play the music of Bach and then, Tchaikovsky, but mostly I didn't listen due to other necessary activities.
Hour 29:
I had some other things I had to take care of so the player was once again on repeat play during this hour.
Hour 30:
I find it nearly impossible to do anything else except breathe when listening to Marilyn Maye sing. This is especially true when it comes to her sublime recordings from the 1960's. During hour 30, I listened, once again captivated by her wonderful singing. The Pro 750 seemed to enjoy her singing and the orchestra that backed her as well. Here is a youtube link for a performance of the classic standard “Misty” by Marilyn Maye on a television show during the 1960's:
YouTube - Marilyn Maye sings "Misty"
Now at the age of 80, Marilyn Maye still performs and still sounds great!
Hour 31:
During this hour I listened to Frank Sinatra's classic recording “Sinatra and Swingin' Brass” with arrangements by Neal Hefti. If you happen to be unfamiliar with Sinatra's work or, in particular, this album of songs, it is one of the core fundamentals for those who have a library of music by “Ol' Blue Eyes”.
The title of this album “Sinatra and Swingin' Brass” is not in the least misleading. Because it is that exactly. Sinatra is in prime voice, the “brass” kicks like an angry mule and the entire musical organization swings like Joe DiMaggio's bat. This is one of Sinatra's true greats along with “Sinatra and Strings” (which I listened to immediately following “...Brass”), “Sinatra at The Sands”, “Sinatra's Swingin' Session”, “Only The Lonely” and others.
With the Pro 750, it is as though you are in the recording session, in the middle of the orchestra as Sinatra sings right in front of you. The “musical magic” from those Sinatra sessions comes through “loud and clear” through the Pro 750 and it “grabs you”, baby!
Hour 32:
At the beginning of the 32nd hour of burn in of the Pro 750, I was listening to “Sinatra and Strings” as Sinatra was singing “... I'm gonna love you, like nobody's loved you, come rain or come shine...” accompanied by a full and marvelous orchestration heard beautifully via the Pro 750. At this point in the burn-in, all of the audio balances came into what seemed to be the very prime of sonic fruition. What a magnificent sound blend. The sound, overall, was now very nearly rivaling, seemingly, the sound of my more than completely burned in Proline 750, I repeat, after only 32 hours. This is amazing!! And, I still want to know what was different? Once again, the only explanation in theory I can imagine is that possibly Ultrasone is burning in the Pro 750's to a greater extent, before sending them out, as compared to the amount of time they burned in the Proline 750's (before sending them out), if, indeed they burned in the Proline 750's at all. Judging from the approxmate 200 hours burn in needed for the my Proline 750 to reach this level of sonic development, as compared to only a 32 hour burn in apparently needed for the Pro 750 (to reach what sounds like the same sonic development) causes me to think that this theory of mine may very well be valid.
I left the player on “repeat play” for several more hours beyond hour 32.
Hours 33 through 46:
The player was on repeat play during these hours during which time I was away.
Hour 47:
Listening, once again, near the beginning of the 47th hour, I heard, through the Pro 750, a fuller sound generally. I left Sinatra on repeat play for hours 33 through 46. The bass was somewhat more prominently presented as was Sinatra's voice which had more of a rich sounding texture then it had during hour 32. All of the instruments sounded even more natural and realistic then before. The sound stage seems to have widened slightly. The awareness of the positioning (layering) of the individual instruments in the orchestra has become easier to recognize. The upper-most high frequencies seem to have lessened somewhat (which sounds more pleasant).
Sinatra usually recorded everything (all instruments and him) at once. Because Sinatra was deaf in one ear, his drummer often played slightly louder then what would be considered “normal” dynamics for this type of music. Several years ago, I saw Sinatra perform “live” and I was very close to the orchestra as I watched Sinatra's performance. Listening to the dynamics the drummer plays in the orchestra on the “...Brass” album reminds me very much of the dynamics played by the drummer who played in the orchestra backing Sinatra when I saw him perform years ago. It may very well have been the same drummer because Sinatra performed often with the same drummer for approximately 40 years.
During the 47th hour of burn in, this new Pro 750 had absolutely no timidness whatsoever. It has become a very brave sounding headphone, seemingly perfect to showcase the recorded performances
of one of the bravest entertainers in the history of the Show Business.
Hour 48:
This hour's burn in began with Serenades and Divertimenti composed by W.A. Mozart. As I listened, I found myself, once again, somewhat fascinated and mildly awe struck by the beautiful rich texture of the strings in the orchestra as heard via the Pro 750. The particular composition to which I made reference, “Divertimento No. 3 in F Major, K138”, is truly a beautifully rich show case for strings. And, listening to it via the Pro 750 is an immense auditory pleasure.
I remember thinking at about 15 minutes into this hour that 'if these headphones are not already completely burned in, they are extremely close'. And then I remembered, once again, how much longer it took for my Proline 750 to reach this point of burn in sonic “maturity” and simultaneously, I found myself, once again, amazed by how quickly the new Pro 750 reached this stage of burn in sound development.
Hour 49:
The S-Logic “surround effect” was really “shining” vividly as I listened to The Presto Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra , conducted by Libor Pesek, play Divertimento No. 1 in D Major, K. 136: 3rd Movement by W. A. Mozart, at the beginning of this hour. The orchestra sounded like it was surrounding my head. The strings were astoundingly rich and beautiful sounding. The cellos (which were behind me and to the right) had an incredible sounding “deep” layered timbre and texture. It was as though I was there right in the middle of all of the strings as they played Mozart's genius work of counter melodies. The violas, which sounded as though they had been tuned by the person who invented the musical scale, were in front of me and to the left. The Stradivarius Violins played in perfect unison and also counter to each other, some positioned to the left front, others to the right front and the remainder directly in front of me.
Hour 50:
I was away during this hour leaving the Pro 750 to enjoy Mozart's music by itself.
Hour 51:
I rejoined the Pro 750 playing Mozart approximately half way through this hour. As far as I can discern, these headphones sound as though they are fully burned in and their sound is nothing short of magnificent! It bears repeating that I do not know why these took approximately 1/5th of the time to burn in as my Proline 750 took. In case you missed this earlier in this post, I theorize that Ultrasone is probably doing more of “pre-burn in” on the Pro 750 then they did on the Proline 750 before issuing the headphones to the distributors. If it's not that, it's magic!
The headband on this new Pro 750 seems more comfortable at this early stage then was the one on my Proline 750 at the same stage. We rugged Proline “pioneers” thought the Proline headband was comfortable but now it seems that the younger generation of these headphones has an even more comfortable headband as only one of it's improvements. Another thing I really like is the new hard cloth covered carrying case which is much better (more practical and more “rugged”) then the cloth bag which was issued with the Proline 750.
During this burn in I deliberately avoided using sound influencing dedicated amps because I wanted to hear, as simply and accurately as possible, the actual sound of the Pro 750 in the progressing stages of the burn in. For the most part, a simple integrated amp headphone outlet on a CD player was used for this burn in. The minor remainder of the time, the Behringer Amp 800 (which seems to have a more neutral sound then some other amps) was utilized. I deliberately stayed away from dedicated tube amps or any type of solid state amp that is known to “color” the sound of the audio in any way.
So, if the Pro 750 sounds this great with these “simple” amps, imagine how great they sound with an excellent dedicated amp.
