Comparisons: 36 of the Top Closed/Portable Headphones Around
Nov 9, 2013 at 3:34 PM Post #871 of 4,373
   
No kidding. This is one big reason I have not bought a single Philips Fidelio product yet. 

Hmm, I didn't know that either. Good to know if I'd ever consider buying a Fidelio product, which I suppose I won't now.
 
Nov 9, 2013 at 8:56 PM Post #874 of 4,373
   
Not to be rude, but this ^ is one of the stupidest posts I've seen here in a long time. You've not heard the Ultrasones, yet you say they are "def the portable kings"? *Sigh* 
 
And for your information, on-ears don't have to suck at all. The soundstage part I can buy, but that they are technically not capable of sounding as detailed as full-size headphones is just BS. The M500 (on ear) sounds noticeably more detailed and refined than the Momentum (over ear), especially in the bass and treble. And it also sounds better than many large headphones I've listened to. 
 
The P7 is "more over ear"? They are over ear, period. 
 
I highly doubt an Ultrasone headphone sounds better than the P7, I've listened to the ED8 which isn't natural sounding at all and also the ED10 which is one of the worst headphones I've listened to with a price above $50. And I know people who have tried the PRO 900 and hated it. But unlike you, I don't rush to any silly conclusions without personal experience, so I won't judge. 

 
 
Lol, you're contradicting yourself. "I highly doubt" - you haven't heard them either.
"I know people who tried the Pro900" - LMAO same thing. I'm basing my opinions on impressions I have read, I'm not rushing to conclusions I am going to listen to them as I said. And I bet they WILL sound much better than a $300 portable. MOST Ultrasones are overpriced and love/hate but people seem to agree the Sig Pro and Sig DJ are exceptions.
 
This is what head-fi is for, reading people's impressions and then trying the things out whether it be an in-store audition or buying them and later selling them if they aren't up to scratch. This is why it is a 'hobby' (an expensive one). I went through and read every post in the Signature threads and there are *VERY* few people unhappy with them, and those that are were mostly about comfort/fit issues.
 
By the way I had Pro900 for a while too and yes they are not great, a very boom-tish and sibilant harsh highs. But they aren't in the same league as the Signatures, they are a completely different product with a different goal. That's like comparing a Senn 558 to HD800, again without having heard them. I wouldn't write off an entire company just because you listened once to some Edition HPs in a shop.
 
 
 
Quote:
No portable I've tried does what my Sig DJs do.... Not the Momentum, Kef, AIAIAI, etc...

There seem to be plenty of people with this opinion.
Thus even though I haven't heard them yes, I am of the opinion they are the kings of portables. Will that change when I listen and compare them to $300-400 on-ear cans? Maybe (doubt it). Will they be worth 3 times the price? Well there's diminishing returns above $500 really so its hard to say but you usually get what you pay for with audio. 
 
 
Now tell me a $300 portable headphone that everyone is saying is *better* than Sig Pros, Beyer T5P, or for that matter open/semi-open cans like Fostex TH600/900, Beyer T1s, HD800 or the Audeze line.. You can't, they're all targeted more as mass market products, being sold in an Apple store sums it up really. There are no 'game changers' or 'giant killers' in the 300-400 range as of yet, though you /(Lan647) seem to be a fanboy or someone with new toy syndrome who thinks the P7 are.
 
Nov 9, 2013 at 9:23 PM Post #875 of 4,373
 
   
Not to be rude, but this ^ is one of the stupidest posts I've seen here in a long time. You've not heard the Ultrasones, yet you say they are "def the portable kings"? *Sigh* 
 
And for your information, on-ears don't have to suck at all. The soundstage part I can buy, but that they are technically not capable of sounding as detailed as full-size headphones is just BS. The M500 (on ear) sounds noticeably more detailed and refined than the Momentum (over ear), especially in the bass and treble. And it also sounds better than many large headphones I've listened to. 
 
The P7 is "more over ear"? They are over ear, period. 
 
I highly doubt an Ultrasone headphone sounds better than the P7, I've listened to the ED8 which isn't natural sounding at all and also the ED10 which is one of the worst headphones I've listened to with a price above $50. And I know people who have tried the PRO 900 and hated it. But unlike you, I don't rush to any silly conclusions without personal experience, so I won't judge. 

 
 
Lol, you're contradicting yourself. "I highly doubt" - you haven't heard them either.
"I know people who tried the Pro900" - LMAO same thing. I'm basing my opinions on impressions I have read, I'm not rushing to conclusions I am going to listen to them as I said. And I bet they WILL sound much better than a $300 portable. MOST Ultrasones are overpriced and love/hate but people seem to agree the Sig Pro and Sig DJ are exceptions.
 
This is what head-fi is for, reading people's impressions and then trying the things out whether it be an in-store audition or buying them and later selling them if they aren't up to scratch. This is why it is a 'hobby' (an expensive one). I went through and read every post in the Signature threads and there are *VERY* few people unhappy with them, and those that are were mostly about comfort/fit issues.
 
By the way I had Pro900 for a while too and yes they are not great, a very boom-tish and sibilant harsh highs. But they aren't in the same league as the Signatures, they are a completely different product with a different goal. That's like comparing a Senn 558 to HD800, again without having heard them. I wouldn't write off an entire company just because you listened once to some Edition HPs in a shop.
 
 
 
Quote:
No portable I've tried does what my Sig DJs do.... Not the Momentum, Kef, AIAIAI, etc...

There seem to be plenty of people with this opinion.
Thus even though I haven't heard them yes, I am of the opinion they are the kings of portables. Will that change when I listen and compare them to $300-400 on-ear cans? Maybe (doubt it). Will they be worth 3 times the price? Well there's diminishing returns above $500 really so its hard to say but you usually get what you pay for with audio. 
 
 
Now tell me a $300 portable headphone that everyone is saying is *better* than Sig Pros, Beyer T5P, or for that matter open/semi-open cans like Fostex TH600/900, Beyer T1s, HD800 or the Audeze line.. You can't, they're all targeted more as mass market products, being sold in an Apple store sums it up really. There are no 'game changers' or 'giant killers' in the 300-400 range as of yet, though you /(Lan647) seem to be a fanboy or someone with new toy syndrome who thinks the P7 are.

 
No, since that Signature Pro is nothing more than rehash of Edition 9, There are some $300 headphones that would actually sound far better than Sig Pro. :p  (actually, replace 'some' to 'many' I'd like to dare to say that.), and believe me, there aren't much differences in sound quality per money once you go past $500. HD6x0 series are pretty close to those 1K dollar headphones.
 
Like new Edition 5 priced at 5K USD, Ultrasone is really just lavishly overpriced. Edition 8, which is probably one of few listenable headphones they made, is still far worse than average priced closed headphones such as D2000/5000 (before discontinued) and probably no match against recent Shure closed headphones.
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 4:52 AM Post #876 of 4,373
when i bought my $1000 ed8, ( a portable? ) ...
i convinced myself what the germans meant by portability..
is for this can to be thrown onto the passenger seat of an AUDI/ BMW/ MERC/Porche..:p
 
Of cos i sold it b4 it gets scratched..whew. 
i am eyeing the CAL!2 now, i pray the sound is FANTASTIC..crossing my toes.
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 5:30 AM Post #877 of 4,373
You guys can hate on the Edition series all you like - of course they're overpriced and flashy.
The Signatures are neither.
But this is the thing people either like Ultrasone or they don't.
 
Many $300 portables are better? Which ones?
I don't see people giving up their $1-2k flagships left right and center for any mid-fi portable..
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 5:54 AM Post #878 of 4,373
   
No, since that Signature Pro is nothing more than rehash of Edition 9,
 
Like new Edition 5 priced at 5K USD, Ultrasone is really just lavishly overpriced.

 
Rehash with different headband, driver, enclosure, dual entry vs single sided-not to mention removable cable, pads, have I forgotten anything else that is different between the Ed 9 and Sig Pro? Well apart from the sound signature which is different of course, for those that have actually heard them.  Not that there is anything substantially wrong with the ED9, it just simply isn't a Sig Pro.
 
And if you auditioned the ED5 how come you haven't commented as such on the thread? Or have you decided that they are lavishly overpriced based on your bias?
 
Anyway thank-you for your opinions and insightful facts.
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 6:16 AM Post #879 of 4,373
  You guys can hate on the Edition series all you like - of course they're overpriced and flashy.
The Signatures are neither.
But this is the thing people either like Ultrasone or they don't.
 
Many $300 portables are better? Which ones?
I don't see people giving up their $1-2k flagships left right and center for any mid-fi portable..

 
Price does not always = quality. In the world of sealed headphones (meaning, not the old Denon series or the Fostex TH:s), there truly aren't many (if any) truly high-end, even above the $1k mark. I much prefer the KEF M500s to for example the Denon D7100 and ED8. 
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 10:34 AM Post #880 of 4,373
 
Not even worth consider buying them. Philips Fidelio series do not have any spare parts available, and they refuse to sell/provide things like spare pads. Even for their high end X and L series.
 
It it downright laughable some companies do provide spare parts / accessories for their cheapest headphones. Say, Philips does not respect their own products for what they deserve, hence we have no reasons to do otherwise.

 
 
No kidding. This is one big reason I have not bought a single Philips Fidelio product yet.

 
LOL.....like anyone here would still own the headphones by the time they needed new pads...
tongue.gif
  
 
Anyway, I wouldn't have missed out on the fantastic X1 just because I can't replace the pads myself. And does anyone have actual proof that Philips will not offer replacement pads on their headphones?
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 8:29 PM Post #882 of 4,373
   
There seem to be plenty of people with this opinion.
Thus even though I haven't heard them yes, I am of the opinion they are the kings of portables. Will that change when I listen and compare them to $300-400 on-ear cans? Maybe (doubt it). Will they be worth 3 times the price? Well there's diminishing returns above $500 really so its hard to say but you usually get what you pay for with audio. 
 
 
Now tell me a $300 portable headphone that everyone is saying is *better* than Sig Pros, Beyer T5P, or for that matter open/semi-open cans like Fostex TH600/900, Beyer T1s, HD800 or the Audeze line.. You can't, they're all targeted more as mass market products, being sold in an Apple store sums it up really. There are no 'game changers' or 'giant killers' in the 300-400 range as of yet, though you /(Lan647) seem to be a fanboy or someone with new toy syndrome who thinks the P7 are.

 
Ironically, I just read a post over in the NAD HP50 thread from a Sig Pro owner saying the $300 HP50 sound better than his Sig Pros.
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 9:24 PM Post #883 of 4,373
  You guys can hate on the Edition series all you like - of course they're overpriced and flashy.
The Signatures are neither.
But this is the thing people either like Ultrasone or they don't.
 
Many $300 portables are better? Which ones?
I don't see people giving up their $1-2k flagships left right and center for any mid-fi portable..

You can't say it's hate. With that S-Logic, except few, all of Ultrasone headphones have been bass monsters. If would had been still ok if those bass headphones would give decent and clean bass sound expected from the price tags, and pretty much all of them aren't. Not just bass, treble is also downright painful (I still remember returning Pro 750 two times, strongly believed they were defective. Even the seller believed after he heard the returned headphones from me. Then he opened one of his stock, and we all realized they were not broken.)
 
That said, like AKG K551, which is about 300 bucks made for portability, gives much better balanced sound and clarity than Edition 9 if my memory has not betrayed me. Now I did not indeed hear about Sign Pro, but the one of the very first thread contained information that it is basically slightly inferior version of Edition 9.
 
And well, I did give up getting LCD-3 because it was simply not better than my LCD-2 (tho I have to confirm with 'good' LCD-3 again since people keep telling me I must had listened 'bad' LCD-3), and probably the ones I listen most is Sennheiser HD650, despite I have a lot more expensive ones.
 
 
 
 
 
   
No, since that Signature Pro is nothing more than rehash of Edition 9,
 
Like new Edition 5 priced at 5K USD, Ultrasone is really just lavishly overpriced.

 
Rehash with different headband, driver, enclosure, dual entry vs single sided-not to mention removable cable, pads, have I forgotten anything else that is different between the Ed 9 and Sig Pro? Well apart from the sound signature which is different of course, for those that have actually heard them.  Not that there is anything substantially wrong with the ED9, it just simply isn't a Sig Pro.
 
And if you auditioned the ED5 how come you haven't commented as such on the thread? Or have you decided that they are lavishly overpriced based on your bias?
 
Anyway thank-you for your opinions and insightful facts.

 
See the response above, and no I have not heard ED5 nor I claimed I heard/owned it. But with the comments who actually heard it and indications from their previous Edition 10, charging 5K USD on slightly better than Edition 8 one is not a good idea.
 
 
 
 
 
Not even worth consider buying them. Philips Fidelio series do not have any spare parts available, and they refuse to sell/provide things like spare pads. Even for their high end X and L series.
 
It it downright laughable some companies do provide spare parts / accessories for their cheapest headphones. Say, Philips does not respect their own products for what they deserve, hence we have no reasons to do otherwise.

 
 
No kidding. This is one big reason I have not bought a single Philips Fidelio product yet.

 
LOL.....like anyone here would still own the headphones by the time they needed new pads...
tongue.gif
  
 
Anyway, I wouldn't have missed out on the fantastic X1 just because I can't replace the pads myself. And does anyone have actual proof that Philips will not offer replacement pads on their headphones?

My HD650 is more than 5 years old. If I could not exchange the pads, I would be forced to throw it away 3 years ago and buy a new one. My K701 was more than 7 years old until its drivers finally died recently.
I have some really old headphones like HP1000 and K501. Without proper supports I would not be able to use those a decade old headphones.
 
I think there are like multiple threads about whining about not getting pads and the headphones being not pad replaceable. I mean you can call Philips to confrim that... 
wink.gif
  Who knows if they had changed their policies now. But I just did quick search on google, and I do not see any site selling the pads for Philips X1 and others.
 
 
 
*edited for typos.
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 9:28 PM Post #884 of 4,373
Ironically, I just read a post over in the NAD HP50 thread from a Sig Pro owner saying the $300 HP50 sound better than his Sig Pros.

Hey, one person. Maybe they do, in which case great, the hp50 must be great value. Tyll seems to think so, though he also says they sound 'slightly better' than momentums. So I wouldn't be so sure they're flagship killers. Like to hear em though. Pity the shiny plasticky build and design are so bad though, one contributing factor to the price no doubt.
 

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