[monf3307]

Ordered!

 

[iFi audio]

the iFi Zen Air didn’t really sound much different between SE and BAL

Yup, the difference between both ZEN Air CAN headphone outs isn't big. ZEN CAN is a different story, however

 

[AlwaysForward]

Day 1 impressions: meets expectations.

Absolutely lovely as DJ headphones. Earned a keeper spot on along with the Senn HD25 and AKG K371.

For pure listening enjoyment, the VZR Model One is just on a different tier. Including bass performance. These will not steal any music enjoyment time.

Will do more in depth impressions after break in.

 

[AlwaysForward]

I think I prefer the original pads, actually

 

[StarTreker]

What an awesome thread, I have read every post! I just wanted to say that I ordered these can's, and they are supposed to be delivered on Wednesday. I am grateful that I'll be getting the 2nd generation of the Ultrasone Signature X's with the thicker pads!

 

[StarTreker]

I have amazing news folks, my Drop Ultrasone Signature X's came by UPS today. This was a first time experience ordering from Drop as well, so I wasn't expecting the long wait times. Having said that however, good things come to he who waits, as I've discovered. Lets open the package and see what I got!

I feel like Christmas has come early for me folks. Signature X, X for Xtreme! Well, I learned from Jack Black that you arn't hardcore unless you live hardcore, and I can tell you right now, these can's are very hardcore. Drop & Ultrasone represent, salute!

I agree with the rest of you, this is a very nice case indeed, they spent some money making this thing for sure. But one has got to ask, how is it that I missed the plastic peal over the label before I took the picture? Perhaps it was the adrenaline that I was feeling in anticipation of these wicked cans! My apologies folks.

So you know how garbage zippers get caught on themselves, and quality zippers just glide like butter? Case has the butter zippers. Once I opened the case, my jaw dropped, I couldn't believe how much sexy was contained within this case. Not only do the can's themselves look amazing, but they really filled this case up with some goodies. Extra pair of pads contained within, looks like the version 1 pads, before they upgraded the cans to the version 2 extra thick pads. Plus they included the fortold ultimate balanced cable of your dreams. ( However most can't use ) And they also included the short 3.5, the long coiled 1/4, and the special TRSS cable with mic.

Oh...My...God! These can's look freaking amazing yo! And I do the best I can with my photography, to try to emphasize the beauty that I see here with these can's. I really love the black and silver look of them. The logo looks like its stamped in stone, well, for 200 dollars, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love the look of the girthy hinges, looks like something out of Doom Eternal or something. Unlike my V-Moda headphones, who's headband padding said, I'm going to dent your skull in, the Ultrasone's say, I'm going to cradle your skull in comfort because I like you.

Lets have a look at them pads. WOW, whats going on inside them cups, are aliens paying a visit with their modern triangle technology? Take me to your ear canals! Are my pads ever so slightly defective with that crease at the bottom, or is that how all the thick pads come looking on these? Well, as it turns out, that crease is not a problem, when it comes to listening to these can's. I've heard some folks state that the opening on these cups, are smaller then the average over ears can's. But here's the thing, I've used the tiny oddly diamond shaped V-Moda can's, and I can get my ears inside them with a wiggle, the experience was no different with the Ultrasone's.

Look at them lovely thick boy pads, ears aint touching the driver with these! I will admit, when it came to both my JVC SZ1000's, and my V-Moda LP2 can's, I had to upgrade the pads on both, to get my ears off the drivers, and to increase the comfort and sound quality. I have no issues with these extra thick pads, on the Ultrasone Signature X, my ears are kept off the drivers. Some folks love their comfort so much, they will probably try to put Alpha pads on these, but lets not go too far now. lol As far as the quality of the pads is concerned, its Pleather, and they are pretty much all the same. It will be interesting to see how long the pads last, as typically I find with most headphones, the pads have to be replaced after a couple years of extensive listening.

How are you doing over there? Don't worry, I'll have you jumping down the rabbit hole to purchase these can's before my post is over. Resistance is futile, restraint is not necessary, you only live once, might as well enjoy life with a set of these don't you think? LOL! I tell ya what, I personally can't resist the silver stone logo, plus I love the way those hinges look as I've said before. Nice breathable mesh on the underside of the headband too, gotta appreciate that, after long listening periods during the hot summer time.

​

Oh, look there's the jack, and its actually on stage left, good, cause thats the direction that I have to rout my cable, so that works in my favor. If your ever confused as to what side is what, look for the L and the R, located on the hinges.

I don't know about you, but that looks like some quality stitching to me. I have something in common with emperor Palpatene, I appreciate sound a little on the dark side, so its fitting that these can's are black in color as well, I approve!

S-Logic 3, because it took 3-attempts to make it right. Made in Germany cause why not?​

While I appreciate the style and everything else, I can confirm what other's have said, that the build quality seems a bit on the lower side, for a 200-250 dollar headphone. These do indeed creek a little bit when I am putting them on, taking them off, moving my body around, eating food. Other's have mentioned that previous era Ultrasone can's did not do this, and that its a sign that they went cheap on the build, this appears to be the case. Please note that this is also my first pair of can's at this dollar level as well. My now broken JVC SZ1000 can's, and my also now broken V-Moda LP2 can's, were the best can's I owned previous to the Ultrasones. I have other headphones as well listed in my signature, but they aren't audiophile quality by any means. So even these got to be better build quality then a 50 dollar can!

In terms of comfort, I have the headband set on 7 visible notches from fully closed, and the headband is plenty comfortable on my head, no problems there. The headband on my V-Moda can's was so bad, I had to buy a headband cushion for it! In regards to the upgraded pads that already came installed on my Ultrasone's, they are decent, I don't think that they are probably the best out there for comfort, however, like the headband, it gets the job done, my ears are kept off the driver, I have no complaints.

In regards to my choice cable used, I am using the coiled 1/4 cable, because I am plugging these can's into my S.M.S.L SP200 AMP, which uses a 1/4 single ended cable jack. If Ultrasone had included an XLR balanced cable, I would have used that port instead. Although I am fully aware that my SP200 AMP is not truly balanced, they just provide the connector for convenience. Still, it would make me feel better if I plugged into that, yeah I know, I'm nuts lol. My JVC and V-Moda can's came with such garbage cables, I was forced to use a quality Canare Star Quad 22-gauge cable. But the coiled 1/4 cable that comes with the Ultrasone's is plenty good enough quality for me, I think I will stick with that.

Now lets talk about my experience with these bass monsters. Folks like to talk about burn in, and I agree, I've experienced it before. But you know what? I am the type that likes to say, screw burning in the engine, I am hopping in, and hitting peddle to the metal. For reference, I am running my SP200 AMP in HIGH gain mode, and I have the volume set to 45%, and its already easier to drive then my JVC SZ1000's, and my V-Moda LP2 can's, the Ultrasone's get considerably louder! Now, I would like to put out a disclaimer that I use hardware based physical EQ, I am using a vintage Realistic 12-band equalizer. I decided to leave my frequencies up where I had them, just incase I liked the settings as they were, I didn't want to fiddle with them, as it would be extra work to dial all them back as I had them, if I were to listen to them stock.

There are plenty of reviews from other's who have listened to them stock, so if you really need that sort of review, go read their's. These are the settings that I was using for both my JVC SZ1000's and my V-Moda LP2's, and are now using for my Ultrasones Signature X's. See, the thing is, I really like bass, I am a basshead, the more I can bring the thunder to my skull, the better. And I also appreciate the higher frequencies as well, so I like to give those a bit of a boost as well. I got the sub-bass range set to +9 DB, and the higher frequencies set to +9 DB as well. I am keeping the mid range flat. Basically, its your standard V-Curve.

When I came to Head-Fi, I learned how to test bass cannons, you going to test it, with Wiz Khalifia to see if your on the level. For 50mm drivers, I expected nothing less, and I was happy to see the Ultrasone's pass the test! Bass hits hard, punchy, not lazy or muddied, its in my face, and its really demonstrating its resolve with me sending +9 DB to pop a nut range. His vocals coming in nice and clear as well, they are not being shrouded in darkness by the base.



One of the members posted listening to this tune in this thread. I decided to listen to it as well, and this is the tune that showed me the control that these can's have with the bass. Cheap can's will produce loose muddied like jelly bass. But these can's have quality control on the bass, its punchy, its tight, while still being able to maintain getting down low like a low rider. So I can most certainly confirm what other's have said!



While I do know a lot of music, my knowledge is based on the days of old. I am not well versed in much of the modern music, so you folks bring a lot of interesting music for me to listen to on Head-Fi, and I appreciate that. lol This was another song that same member posted in this thread, and I listened to it on my Ultrasone's. And what really blew me away, was just how amazing the guitar sounded, as well as the quick violin segments, and strong bass delivery. This was the first tune I listened to on these can's, that brought the emotion out of me, and almost made me tear up. If people know more excellent tunes for me to listen to on these can's, please do share!



While I know that most folks on Head-Fi listen to only music on their can's, I am one of those folks that use my can's for everything, music, movies, streaming, gaming. So the next thing I listened to, and was consistently blown away, was one of the best gaming soundtracks you could ever listen to, the Half Life 2 soundtrack. Have a listen, crank up the volume, and enjoy life.



One of the great things about most game music, is that its non-lyrical, so it really gives you a chance to just hear what can's can do with instrumental, without vocals getting in the way. As I said above, I was consistently blown away while listening to this soundtrack. I've been an HL2 player since the game came out, so I know the soundtrack very well. Which is why it came as my surprise when I was hearing bits in the tracks I never heard before. And the bits in which I had heard, I am now hearing better and more substantial. As mentioned, the bass is tight, punchy, hits hard, and gets down low, thats what I want and like! Guitars and Piano's are so much easier to hear their notes with these can's, and using my EQ settings as well.

I can't tell you how many times I raised my eye brows like Spock in Star Trek, simply because I was pleasantly surprised. My JVC and V-Moda can's did impress me. Having said that however, the Ultrasone's impress me even more. These can's actually make me smile, and bring tears of joy to my eyes, and it just invigorates my soul. I don't own, nor have used, nearly the amount of can's that many of you folks have on Head-Fi, so I come with limited experience. But what I can tell you right now, coming from what I have used in the past, these Ultrasone Signature X's are a huge step up for me in terms of sound quality, a serious upgrade, and because of it, they are the best pair of can's I have ever owned.

I say this because they sound far better then my JVC SZ1000's did, and they sound better then my V-Moda LP2's as well. I know this is hard to believe for a closed back can, but these things have some impressive sound-stage going on. Don't believe me? Try a pair for yourself, and you will be double checking the outside of the can's to see if their open or closed. lol The only real strong negative that I can give to these can's, is the creaking when putting the can's on/off, moving around, and eating. It is annoying, and it might be too much for some folks. My recommendation is to just not move, be still, and enjoy a whole new world with Ultrasone!

I still got a lot more listening to do with these can's, obviously, but so far, I am going to overlook the creaking as I don't want to insult them by dropping a star for that, as it does not impede the functions of the can's, or the listening experience provided one does not move. With that said, I am going to give these can's a preliminary 5 out of 5 stars, as I am super happy with these. When these can's fully burn in, in what will probably take 300 hours of listening, I might be able to provide an update. But I really doubt that these are going to improve that much.

 

[Teebs]

@StarTreker Cheers for sharing your thoughts. Glad you're enjoying them. Beautiful vintage equalizer you've got there as well. Haven't EQ'd these as of yet as I'm really enjoying the stock sound, but it's great to hear that they take well to some EQ.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Had a chance to sit down at my Audeze Deckard and spend more time A/Bing the pads of the Sig-X in compare with the VZR M1 as reference anchor.

The Sig-X large pads present a wider sound stage and are more comfortable. However, when I go back and forth with the VZR, I experience a fairly visceral disorienting and nausiating reaction to the Sig-X with the fatty-pads. It ends up feeling disorienting and congested.

The Sig-X original pads have less of a wide sound-stage but sound much more natural. It appears clear that the headphone was tuned with those pads. It makes the sound much less disorienting and easier to listen for extended periods. The comfort is not bad but I have an average or slightly smaller adult male head size.

I used to have a set of the JBL Club One which I sadly lost in a move. Those, like the Sig-X, were tuned to the Harman-Bass-Curve (+3db shelf at 120hz and below on Harman standard reference). Purely by memory, the JBL presented a slightly more cohesive and snappy image but with less soundstage and significantly less SPL. Additionally, because of the S-Logic acoustic lens, the Sig-X can sound louder with less ear-fatigue/damage.

At this point, I am confident I will only use the stock pads going forward.

 

[StarTreker]

At this point, I am confident I will only use the stock pads going forward.

Question? How are you going to survive with your ears on the drivers? I have my can's on my head for hours, no way I could do that with the stock pads.

​

BTW, something that I forgot to post in my review, these can's have excellent sound isolation! IMO, they block outside sound better then my previous JVC's and V-Moda's. This is important to me, because when I have an air filtration machine, air conditioner, or desk fan running, they can get quite annoying during silent moments in movies, shows, or games. So, these can's would be a perfect fit for those who require a quiet noise floor.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Question? How are you going to survive with your ears on the drivers? I have my can's on my head for hours, no way I could do that with the stock pads.

​

BTW, something that I forgot to post in my review, these can's have excellent sound isolation! IMO, they block outside sound better then my previous JVC's and V-Moda's. This is important to me, because when I have an air filtration machine, air conditioner, or desk fan running, they can get quite annoying during silent moments in movies, shows, or games. So, these can's would be a perfect fit for those who require a quiet noise floor.

I'm not going to sit and listen the same way as you. To me, they're just not worth any time in that use case when the VZR curb stomps them the way it does. I do think they've supplanted my other DJ cans. I think it would I would be comfortable making the argument that these are actually better than the HD25, which I did not expect.

 

[jsmiller58]

I am interested in the Signature X, but have been put off by the comments that the pad openings are so small that they are more on-ear than over-ear. Do the new pads have larger openings, or are these still somewhat on-ear cans?

 

[AlwaysForward]

I am interested in the Signature X, but have been put off by the comments that the pad openings are so small that they are more on-ear than over-ear. Do the new pads have larger openings, or are these still somewhat on-ear cans?

Yes, the big pads are big

 

[StarTreker]

I am interested in the Signature X, but have been put off by the comments that the pad openings are so small that they are more on-ear than over-ear. Do the new pads have larger openings, or are these still somewhat on-ear cans?

As I said in my review, I can get them over my ears just fine. I too found the comment strange, as at no point, could these cans be considered on ears. Maybe the stock pads are different from version 1. But my cans came with the version 2 large pads already installed, and I have no issues fitting them over my ears. A bit of a wiggle, they fit right in.

 

[jsmiller58]

@AlwaysForward and @StarTreker thanks for the confirmation… I think… I now have no excuse to prevent me from buying…!

(I have 16 headphones already, and countless IEMs… help me, I have a problem!)

 

[AlwaysForward]

@AlwaysForward and @StarTreker thanks for the confirmation… I think… I now have no excuse to prevent me from buying…!

(I have 16 headphones already, and countless IEMs… help me, I have a problem!)

What do you want? I obviously recommend the VZR over these for non-mixing purposes (mastering or critical listening)