[Epicfailman]

I got the Ultrasone HFI-780s and I am really happy with them so far. Thanks to all you guys who voted and posted your thoughts; it was a really hard choice to make.






Hey guys, I am going to college next semester so I need a good pair of closed headphones so as to not disturb my room mate. I like rock music mainly, and I play quite a few games and watch movies. My setup will either be:
laptop > Little Dot DAC > Little Dot I+ > Phones

or

laptop > compass > little dot (if it the compass makes a better preamp than amp) > phones

Which of these phone would you recommend?

 

[lutwey]

i just sold my hfi 780 the bass is a little boomy for me. on the other hand im loving my d2000 the bass is there without overwhelming the entire sound spectrum im loving the sweet midrange and treble as well. i dont know about using them for rock though. i use my ms2 and k702 for rock.

 

[mrarroyo]

I have all three and compared them. The Denon w/ MarkL mods and a pair of MarkL Bubinga wood cups is leaps and bounds over just about anything (IMO of course). Mine have a re-cable using silver plated copper by HiFlYin9. Next came the APureSound re-cabled HFI-780 sporting velour pads from a Beyerdynamic DT250/280. In third place the ESW9.

YMMV specially w/ tubes since the Denon prefers SS amps.

 

[Epicfailman]

Bump. I really need some opinions guys. I don't wanna spend a ton of money flying blind. Thanks to you guys so far who have contributed. I very much like the audio technica sound signature. Do the ESW9s have that signature or not? Keep in mind I listen mostly to rock, so which phone would do best with rock? I have had a few people tell me that HFI-780s will be what I am looking for if I listen to rock, but I really want to confirm this before I jump and buy them.

 

[Almoxil]

I have both the ESW9s and the HFI-780s, and both are stock. I listen mostly to rock, metal and r'n'b. That said, I'm much more pleased with the forward (or aggressive) sound signature of the Ultrasones. For me, with my current setup, the bass on the 780s is much better, with more impact and their overall sound is more engaging for those genres. The ESW9s sound great, but they're a bit too laid-back for my taste. Of course, your mileage may vary.

 

[lutwey]

when you say rock.......im asuming you want to listen to some awesome guitar riffs and some treble right? if your answer is yes then hfi780 is not what your looking for the mids are recessed bass is a little too heavy. guitars sound awesome on akg k702/sa5000 and ms2. they are open though. i also have the pro(lines) 750 and they are better in my opinion. much more balance and the clarity is there.

 

[Epicfailman]

Yeah, I listen to stuff like Chevelle, Dragonforce, Hammerfall, Muse, a little bit of deathmetal...stuff like that. Obviously speed is a huge factor to me. I can't have headphones that can't keep up with those speed metal solos after all

Almoxil, how do those two phone compare in terms of speed and punchiness?

Edit: Lutwey, I would love some open phones, but due to my situation, I am afraid I really cannot afford to have two pairs of open phones...otherwise my room mate will get angry at me when he is studying or doing homework.

 

[Almoxil]

The 780s surpasses the ESW9s in both criteria for me. The bass is much punchier, and the overall sharper presentation matches rock and metal better for my liking. Some bands I listen to: Chevelle, Incubus, A Perfect Circle, Tool, Dream Theater, Opeth, Tristania, Linkin Park, AC/DC, Porcupine Tree, In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Pearl Jam, Epica, Deftones, Faith No More, Stone Sour, Dave Matthews Band, Underoath... and some rap-rock/metal and R'n'B bands.

Keep in mind, though, that not everyone is fond of an aggressive sound signature. I, for one, prefer this kind of presentation.

 

[Epicfailman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almoxil /img/forum/go_quote.gif The 780s surpasses the ESW9s in both criteria for me. The bass is much punchier, and the overall sharper presentation matches rock and metal better for my liking. Some bands I listen to: Chevelle, Incubus, A Perfect Circle, Tool, Dream Theater, Opeth, Tristania, Linkin Park, AC/DC, Porcupine Tree, In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Pearl Jam, Epica, Deftones, Faith No More, Stone Sour, Dave Matthews Band, Underoath... and some rap-rock/metal and R'n'B bands. Keep in mind, though, that not everyone is fond of an aggressive sound signature. I, for one, prefer this kind of presentation.

Thanks Almoxil. Your music tastes are very similar to mine as I have quite a few of those bands in my library. Your input is most helpful.

 

[Almoxil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epicfailman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks Almoxil. Your music tastes are very similar to mine as I have quite a few of those bands in my library. Your input is most helpful.

You're welcome.

 

[Epicfailman]

So it looks like more people are saying ESW9s and HFI-780s. Right now I am leaning more towards HFI-780s, although I do have to say the ESW9s look pretty sweet...any one else care to comment?

 

[Carlsan]

I have all three but listen to other types of music. I really like the ESW9's because of their comfort. Sound is very good as well. The HFI-780's have great sound but can be uncomfortable after a while as they have a tight fit around your head.

Soundwise, for louder music anyway, I would probably rate them HFI-780, D2000, ESW9.
Comfort: ESW9, D2000, HFI-780.

 

[Epicfailman]

How would you rate them knowing that accuracy and speed are very important factors to me? Not so important that it cuts the immersion though.

 

[Epicfailman]

Any more voters? I am looking for fast and punchy bass that does not compromise the highs and mids of the headphones. I would really like to see 30+ votes on here before I take the leap and buy the headphones. Thanks for the help and input so far guys!

 

[gameboy115]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almoxil /img/forum/go_quote.gif The 780s surpasses the ESW9s in both criteria for me. The bass is much punchier, and the overall sharper presentation matches rock and metal better for my liking. Some bands I listen to: Chevelle, Incubus, A Perfect Circle, Tool, Dream Theater, Opeth, Tristania, Linkin Park, AC/DC, Porcupine Tree, In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Pearl Jam, Epica, Deftones, Faith No More, Stone Sour, Dave Matthews Band, Underoath... and some rap-rock/metal and R'n'B bands. Keep in mind, though, that not everyone is fond of an aggressive sound signature. I, for one, prefer this kind of presentation.

My 780 is on the way to my house now, I want to know D2 have enough power to push it with out amp?thanks