Quote:
I just got a pair of the Polk Ultra Focus 8000's in for review from Jimmy at Polk - and I must say:
Polks were the first high end speaker I ever owned! I bought them at a garage sale for 20 bucks in 1991 (can't remember the model, was in high school, they had two 12" drivers and a ribbon tweeter - one 12" was a passive radiator) and I owned them up until 3 years ago! They weren't my reference, but made for a KILLER bench monitor set! All those years, all they needed was to be re-foamed, ONCE.
So... Unfortunately they got sold to a big company and I thought the soul of their products slowly disappeared over time.
However: I absolutely love these headphones thus far! To be honest, I hate the controls on the outer-shell of the right ear-cup - the look cheapens them I believe,
especially with the carbon-fiber headband (very slick).
But, that's the only negative thing I have to say about them so far, and I've been listening all night! It's true, they don't do the best job of noise-canceling, but
what they do well is cancel out noise without completely sucking all the air out of the recordings! To my ears some of the active noise canceling headphones
just get so claustrophobic once you kick it in. The Polks let the instruments breath on Mogwai's Les Revenants for example. There's great dimensionality, and
the emotive power of the music is fluidly translated.
THUMBS UP
I look forward to really digging into these in a full review!
Will probably publish in Part-Time Audiophile or Positive Feedback.
Glad I found this thread!!
[size=10pt]I appreciate your review! because I have had these now for 2 weeks and can't agree with you more. I just don't understand how these are not just flying off the shelf. I have T5Ps, some potable sens at home, Shure 500's Westone ER4ps, and travel weekly. I owned Bose, and compared these to Bose at my daughters, and the sound is AMAZING. I compared them to all I own, including in a store the new Parrot Zik (I also had for a week,), PSB 's, and the MU 40, the new Senns and Beats. In most respects, the Bass is better more popping but not overbearing, the mids and highs are clear, great soundstage, detail and expressive decay; i enjoy them as much as any I have owned. The vocals, mid and highs are not recessed, but very forward and pleasing. They sound like I am in a club or demo room.. Over time of listening I actually turn down the volume. I really think Polk is doing something with the drivers, when NC is on, the only way they can be used; as in some sort of balancing. In comparison to Parrot which I thought was all DSP, and thin at best, I think these are true audio cans; and very comfortable and secure! Great build and case too boot![/size]
I just got a pair of the Polk Ultra Focus 8000's in for review from Jimmy at Polk - and I must say:
Polks were the first high end speaker I ever owned! I bought them at a garage sale for 20 bucks in 1991 (can't remember the model, was in high school, they had two 12" drivers and a ribbon tweeter - one 12" was a passive radiator) and I owned them up until 3 years ago! They weren't my reference, but made for a KILLER bench monitor set! All those years, all they needed was to be re-foamed, ONCE.
So... Unfortunately they got sold to a big company and I thought the soul of their products slowly disappeared over time.
However: I absolutely love these headphones thus far! To be honest, I hate the controls on the outer-shell of the right ear-cup - the look cheapens them I believe,
especially with the carbon-fiber headband (very slick).
But, that's the only negative thing I have to say about them so far, and I've been listening all night! It's true, they don't do the best job of noise-canceling, but
what they do well is cancel out noise without completely sucking all the air out of the recordings! To my ears some of the active noise canceling headphones
just get so claustrophobic once you kick it in. The Polks let the instruments breath on Mogwai's Les Revenants for example. There's great dimensionality, and
the emotive power of the music is fluidly translated.
THUMBS UP
I look forward to really digging into these in a full review!
Will probably publish in Part-Time Audiophile or Positive Feedback.
Glad I found this thread!!