[Magnum22]

Seven days ago these phones were delivered. Including listening time, I think they have over 100 hours of burn in.

From various CD players to the Penguin Royal, or the Sansa Clip, these things deliver exactly what I wanted plus more. I'm noticing new things in music I've been listening to for years. As a drummer works his way from the floor tom to the snare, I hear the drums pan from right to left. There's a hand clapping in an outro that I could never hear behind the drums. In a live concert recording, although I knew the lead guitarist was given the right side of the PA and the rhythm guitarist the left, it was never that distinct until now. Now I have a reason to use the crossfeed switch.

After I heard these things I went back to my other headphones and you can hear them, but you have to look. With the Ultrasones, they're presented to you and there is no searching. I probably didn't have to explain that to the real audiophiles of head-fi but it caught me by surprise.

I cannot listen to these things plugged directly into my MacBook. It sounds awful. I have the griffen iMic USB audio interface, which I own for recording but it is a tremendous improvement over the headphone out for listening as well.

As for character, they're pretty lively, but not as in-your-face as the Koss and Grado headphones I'm accustomed to. The big bass won't swallow up the other frequencies. This was my complaint about my HD485, which I bought for the computer. I now realize it wasn't the Senn's fault but the source, the crummy headphone out. Plugged into the sansa clip or CD players they are pretty good.

One more thing I knew existed but never heard in headphones before is separation. A high end guitar amplifier allows to you to hear each individual string ringing when you strike a chord. The Ultrasones do this. My old headphones don't.

I think the efficiency is pretty high on these things, as I keep the volume much lower (around 10:30 on the Penguin) than I do with my other headphones. I may be wrong because Ultrasone claims something about higher perceived volume at lower sound pressure levels, which I can't try to explain so I won't.

Here's a (crummy) pic with my other amps. The cups are pressed against each other at 180 degrees to stretch the headband. I left them like this for the first three days of burn in. Clamp wasn't really bad, but I am sensitive to that so I did it anyway.

...and with most of my sources. I know, nothing to be too proud of, but more's on the way. The aiwa's headphone out sounds great, but I grew up listening to aiwa CD and casette players so I may be biased. Mainly using the D-33 line out to the Royal.

 

[nhancakes]

Great looking cans. How would you rate the comfort levels and what kind of music do you listen to? and is that a SlimX Iriver CD player? I wanted one so bad when I was in middle school!

 

[Magnum22]

i think they're plenty comfortable. i was really driven to buy these because the ES-7 sounded good but felt not merely uncomfortable but painful after two hours or so.

i listen to a good mix of genres, and they all sound great. metal is my favorite and it seems to be the hardest for a headphone to nail. symphonies, hip hop, jazz, and classic rock are all really sick with these, but they also sounded great with the HD485 and SR60 for the classic rock.

Yes, SlimX. Only shines next to the others for the EQ. Aiwa sounds best alone and the Sony and Panasonic, both 90's era and made in Japan, have better (true) lines out.

 

[Ultrazino]

Great timing. I ordered mine yesterday. Makes the waiting so much harder!

 

[triple-u]

I recently got the HFI-780s also. A bit over a month ago. Your impressions pretty much sum up how I feel about them too. Going from a pair of lowend Sennheiser's as my only closed headphones, I noticed a lot in my music that I didn't before, with the Sennheisers.

I did get some Beyer pads to make them much more comfortable though. But the headband really bothers me. It pushes too hard on the top of my head, and if I loosen the headphones, they fall off when I move my head.

And about the percieved listening volumes, I really don't notice a difference, but it really depends on how you wear them and the angle the drivers are from your ear.

 

[vkvedam]

They are great cans. You'd certainly have a nice time with these.

 

[Graphicism]

Great to read some Ultrasone love, I've had mine over 2 weeks now and they haven't been off my head since they got here. I too am noticing nuances in music that I've never heard before, the way they place you in the music rather than sit you in front of it is just amazing. Being somewhat of an electronica junkie moving up to these from the Denon D2000s is just like night and day, from the dull, uninvolved, take a back seat Denons to the fun and exciting world of Ultrasones.

It take a while to get comfy with these headphones but once you find the right head spot and setting you won't even notice they're there until your ears start to sweat from there musical workout. Don't stretch the headband it alters the music in a bad way, go ahead and relieve some pressure by pulling the cups ever so slightly away from your ear... the slam diminishes.

I would strongly recommend you get a desktop amp, they open up into a completely different beast; with more slam than you've heard before, a deep low end that could mistake you for a truck outside (I've taken them off my head a few times in mistake) and a high end sparkle that will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

 

[Ultrazino]

Nice picture!
Quote:

Originally Posted by Graphicism /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would strongly recommend you get a desktop amp, they open up into a completely different beast; with more slam than you've heard before, a deep low end that could mistake you for a truck outside (I've taken them off my head a few times in mistake) and a high end sparkle that will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

I've promised myself that my next purchase will be an amp/DAC. Is there any "cheap" amp you can recommend me for use of the HFI-780?

I'm not asking for the best as I can neither afford it and it would also take the fun of upgrading.

Just something little to start with as I've never had one before.

Thanks.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultrazino /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've promised myself that my next purchase will be an amp/DAC. Is there any "cheap" amp you can recommend me for use of the HFI-780?

A Zero DAC-Amp like the one pictured above costs about $120 used on the forum, after an opamp upgrade (which is free or close too, mine came pre-upgraded) will sort you out for a while. I'd say the DAC is comparable to the Burr Brown I had previous too it and the amp is more than adequate to power these to there fullest. I've had better amps but I'm staying with the Zero for at least the next 6 months.

Also don't look at it as an upgrade, look at it as mandatory and the headphone being the upgrade!

 

[koven]

Hi Graphicism, do you still listen to your RX700's or do you find the HFI-780's better in every way?

 

[bellbrass]

I also have been trying out a pair of HFI-780s. I love them. They have great imaging. They also have about the best response curve, to my ears, of any headphone I've ever heard. The bass is impactful without being boomy or rumbling. The mids are there - you can hear vocals very well in any style of music, provided the mix is good. And The highs are perfect - no shrill, and no roll-off. They squeeze my head a little, but then again, I wear them with my portable a lot, in situations where I want isolation....so, no problem. Two thumbs-up!

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Originally Posted by koven /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Graphicism, do you still listen to your RX700's or do you find the HFI-780's better in every way?

Hi koven, I know what your like... I tell you I like the Ultrasones better and thats another dint I've put in your wallet.

Well truth is I do like the Ultrasones better in every way, there just a different beast. Think of the RX700s as open and airy while the 780s are right in the middle of the action. It's hard to explain the Ultrasone sound; while there not as open as the RX700 you would instantly think a smaller soundstage, while it might be smaller the separation in sound (spatial parameter) is much greater.

I suppose Ultrasone explain it best on there technology page..

With normal headphones you have the impression, that the music is being played in your head...

Ultrasone headphones with the patented S-Logic™ Natural Surround Sound Technology give a 3-dimensional sound impression

As far as the RX700s go, I do still use them for watching movies out of the HTC and gaming on the 360 but thats ONLY because my recable is about 1 meter in length and wouldn't reach. I watched a Blu-ray on my PC a couple days ago and it replicated a cinema extremely well, the low down deep bass, the kind you hear emitting from the walls while queuing for popcorn. Thoroughly impressed!

 

[koven]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graphicism /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi koven, I know what your like... I tell you I like the Ultrasones better and thats another dint I've put in your wallet.

Lol, you know me so well

I was just curious mainly, thanks for the response. I would love to try them but I got some SRH840's coming so I'll wait and see how that goes first.

 

[haloxt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graphicism /img/forum/go_quote.gif It take a while to get comfy with these headphones but once you find the right head spot and setting you won't even notice they're there until your ears start to sweat from there musical workout. Don't stretch the headband it alters the music in a bad way, go ahead and relieve some pressure by pulling the cups ever so slightly away from your ear... the slam diminishes.

I do NOT recommend relieving pressure by pulling on the cups. When you pull from the cups you are stressing the screws holding the three-part headband together and older Ultrasone models have been known to break from too much pressure on the screws. The middle third of the headband is the only part that can be permanently bent because there's a strip of metal in there that can retain shape, but don't go crazy doing it because 1. you need at least some sideway pressure to hold the cups against your head and 2. you don't want to break the headphones in two.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haloxt /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do NOT recommend relieving pressure by pulling on the cups. When you pull from the cups you are stressing the screws holding the three-part headband together and older Ultrasone models have been known to break from too much pressure on the screws. The middle third of the headband is the only part that can be permanently bent because there's a strip of metal in there that can retain shape, but don't go crazy doing it because 1. you need at least some sideway pressure to hold the cups against your head and 2. you don't want to break the headphones in two.

I think you misunderstood my interpretation, by 'pulling on the cups' I'm explaining how the sound changes for the worse. Very gently take a side of the ear piece, one in each hand, and remove just a little of the pressure... the result is less impact, which is why I am saying NOT to stretch the headband because they would permanently sound like this.