[akira]

When my friend placed order for HFI-600, the order was rejected since Ultrasone is releasing new model. So I looked into Ultrasone's web site, and could not find information about new model. However I finaly found info about new model in Italian page as below. (This might be a mistake of them)

http://www.ultrasone.de/html_i/italy/prod/hfi650.htm

350g?! so heavy!?
It looks not a successor of HFI-600.....

 

[dougli]

From this I guess we can conclude that the Italian market is the most lucrative for headphone sales...

 

[Magicthyse]

They look identical to the IXOS DJ range sold in the UK. Ministry of Sound alone can't support decent sales to bolster a complete headphone range - I'm thinking these will be badged in plenty of other places...

 

[miroslav]

Ultrasone updated their english pages with info on hfi650. These look beautiful to me. I`m very impatient to hear something about their performance, so has anybody actually tried them???
http://www.ultrasone.de/grafik/produ...i650_gross.jpg

If they are any close to hfi600, I might definitely go for them...Hey, Mr. Meier, test and review these for us as soon as possible...thanx

 

[elnero]

Hmmmmmmm, they is a rather uncanny resemblance to the HD280's......

 

[JiPi]

Ooooh

These look very good indeed. Might be some picture
mastering going on but they do lok very good. Anyone know if
they sound good, or will we have to wait till Magicthyse buys a
pair?

 

[dougli]

I don't think these phones are on the market yet. There may well be a review by Dr. Meier in the next couple of weeks.

 

[radrd]

Quote:

Anyone know if they sound good, or will we have to wait till Magicthyse buys a pair?

It appears that they sit on the head the same as the HD280. I doubt Magicthyse will buy them

 

[Magicthyse]

Holy crap! It IS an HD280 headband. Exactly the same molding and exactly the same rubber bit up top...

Check out the IXOS Ministry of Sound DJ1001 - Familiar, no?

BUT, interestingly, the top rubber bit on the DJ1001 seems to be bent far more than an HD280. Perhaps an admission of the fact that the broad-shouldered nature of the phone does make you look like a dork?

EDIT: Er, maybe not. The DJ1001's are also exactly the HD280 upper molds...

 

[JiPi]

Uh, I don't see where you guys are getting that HD-280
headband thingy but I don't see ANY ressemblance at all. At least
from the pic I have..

Someone please give me another pic..

 

[Magicthyse]

Click on my 'maybe not' link...

I think they're the HD280s in disguise - given the size of the earpads and the depth of the earcups, wouldn't surprise me if they are HD280 drivers too.

 

[Magicthyse]

The HD280's are one in a long line of cans I've bought, which looked promising on the photos. However on putting them on, you realize you look a total berk.

My latest acquisition, the ATH-A9X, are a case in point. Standing by themselves, work of art. On wearing them, two shiny grapefruit halves strapped to your head.

Strangely, the Grados are one of the few phones which on paper look like WWII headphones, but on the head, exude a curious charm IMHO.

I have high hopes for the Beyerdynamic DT250-80's, which should be in some truck on it's way to me right now. Since they look so uninspiring on the photos, they might actually look good on the head.

 

[elnero]

Magicthyse,

How did you like the sound of the A9X's? In comparison to the 280's? You keepin em or are you selling them?

Phil

 

[Jan Meier]

Dear Headfellow,

A few weeks ago I was called by Mr. Hartmann, one of the managers of Ultrasone.

He told me with a lot of enthousiasm about their newest headphone, the HFI-650, and asked me whether I would be interested to test one. Now, that was a dump question; OF COURSE!

Today the phone finally arrived and I must admit, first impressions are very positive. Nicely build and a rich and warm sound. The next few days the phone will be given a decent break-in. More extensive testing, together with my friend Harry, will be done this weekend.

Cheers,

Jan

 

[Magicthyse]

Could you post how different it is to the 280?

Many thanks



And elnero, I've vandalized the HD280's a bit in the name of comfort, so they can't be sold - and a friend I offered it to was not interested. If I hadn't done the mods, they might have been gone some time ago.

The A9X would be a keeper for indoor use - just more entertaining than HD280. But, I have to ask myself whether it's worth keeping when I have something that sounds similar but IMHO superior for indoor use - the SR225. I can't get over it's slightly goofy looks on the head so it's redundant for the purposes I bought it for (outside use).

The Senn is different enough compared to the Grado for me to justify keeping them.

I never thought I would say it, but I'll probably hang on to the 280 and get rid of the A9X. In fact someone's prepared to take it off my hands for only £40 less than I paid for it - so this will probably the route I'll take.

I'll also be doing a headphone clearout/renewal in a while just to shift the more junky phones I experimented with, so that could affect what other phones I get.

The Beyers have arrived - I've been too busy playing with new non-audio gadgets, an Archos Recorder and thereafter a Sharp NetMD to give it much attention so far - and although these are pretty low-profile, and even if the sound is to my liking, they don't really say anything in terms of styling - so the likelihood is high that my quest for good looking and good sounding phones will continue!