[asphyxiation]

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I'm not sure if I can extrapolate from the ESW9's for my ES10's but do they sound significantly different between amped and unamped? 

Not a night and day difference IMO - no more so than with the MS400 or HD25. The majority of so-called 'DJ' headphones that people use portably are much more amp-dependent IMO,

Thanks for the reply! Was eyeing the Meier Corda Stepdance, but I guess I'll hold on to cash for a while. Perhaps drop by somewhere to give them an audition before I decide. : D

 

[ljokerl]

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All three are just awesome in their own ways.  

Thanks - that's a very succinct way to put it. Your description of the MS400 vs ESW9A bass makes perfect sense to me but then I've heard both side by side. I had a tough time figuring out why the ESW9 sounds so different from both the HD25 and MS400 at the low end and an even tougher time putting it down in words so I can definitely see the problem.
 
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I'm buying this phone now...

 
Amazingly I've seen people have a hard time selling PRO650s for $100-120 on the forum here while the M50s get snatched up. Not that the 650 is a superior phone outright but it's definitely at least as good. It's colored and a little distant-sounding but at the same time hard-hitting, spacious, and sparkly. I would call it the Triple.Fi 10 of the headphone world. Naturally not everyone will like it as it's just not very aggressive but it's all the more interesting for its delicacy. Out of a very powerful amp my PRO 2500 sounds a tiny bit more resolving but obviously the need for an A/C-powered beast of an amp rules it out for portable use.

 

[nonsupremous]

Nice write up on the ESW9A's. 
 
Out of all the headphones and IEM's that you have reviewed over the past year or so.  Which of them is still your go to when you are just wanting to listen to music or when you're out and about and you're not focusing on a review set? 
 
Over the past 8 weeks or so I have been listening to my Zino's a lot!  I really like these little guys.  They are kind of a fun headphone for me.  I don't find the S Logic playing such a role in these cans as I have noticed in other Ultrasone headphones.  For an Ultrasone under 100 dollars they are my favorite.  Not quite as well rounded ast the HFI-15G for sure.  I could see the Zino's not being for everyone though.  They sometimes border along harsh in the high notes. 

 

[Olimoronio]

Quote:

Quote:

I'm buying this phone now...

 
Amazingly I've seen people have a hard time selling PRO650s for $100-120 on the forum here while the M50s get snatched up. Not that the 650 is a superior phone outright but it's definitely at least as good. It's colored and a little distant-sounding but at the same time hard-hitting, spacious, and sparkly. I would call it the Triple.Fi 10 of the headphone world. Naturally not everyone will like it as it's just not very aggressive but it's all the more interesting for its delicacy. Out of a very powerful amp my PRO 2500 sounds a tiny bit more resolving but obviously the need for an A/C-powered beast of an amp rules it out for portable use.

 
[size=10pt]You know, I don't need another aggressive phone. It seems like that's all I have actually. I'm one of those guys who is blessed with a liking for many presentations - it's why I can listen to my Selah SS3DP's dipole speakers one minute and switch over to my trusty, rusty old Cornwall's the next. The only thing I can't stand is bad or bloated bass and/or shrill obnoxious highs. Other than that “hard-hitting, spacious, and sparkly" sounds absolutely perfect.[/size]
 

 

[ljokerl]

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Out of all the headphones and IEM's that you have reviewed over the past year or so.  Which of them is still your go to when you are just wanting to listen to music or when you're out and about and you're not focusing on a review set? 

To be honest I rarely take headphones outside with me except for the purposes of a real-world review test. On my own time it's always an IEM. Normally it would be the CK10 but that's been out on loan for months. Currently the RE262 which is simply brilliant in every way except how it drains the batteries of my J3 in about 6 hours. 
 
I really value durability almost as much as sound quality out in the real world. I love the ATH-ESW9 but it wouldn't be my choice for the daily grind - I can be careful with my headphones but for the sake of my own peace of mind I'd rather not be. The HD25-1 and CK10 are two sets I don't have to worry about.
 
At home I usually find myself going for comfort - the Maxell DHP-II gets a lot of use because it is light, circumaural, not too isolating, and the cord length is perfect for stationary use. Ditto on the Pro 650. In fact I sometimes use them over my home cans when I'm too lazy to fire up my desktop amp/dac. 



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Originally Posted by Olimoronio /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
[size=10pt]I'm one of those guys who is blessed with a liking for many presentations [...][/size]

You and me both 

 

[Magitek]

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Well, theoretically the HD25-1 and ATH-ESW9A *should* be my 10/10 (outstanding) headphones since I scale my reviews to the best I've heard (otherwise the 'ceiling' becomes a very vague construct).

 
So the 8.5 sound rating of the Creative Aurvana Live isn't the same as the 8.5 sound rating of the ESW9A? The ESW9A sounds better?

 

[ljokerl]

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So the 8.5 sound rating of the Creative Aurvana Live isn't the same as the 8.5 sound rating of the ESW9A? The ESW9A sounds better?

Oh, forgot about those. They're substantially different from the ESW9A in sound (closer to the MS400 IMO) but on the same level overall. There's approximately a +/- 0.5 tolerance with the numbers anyway (more if you factor in personal preferences).

 

[Magitek]

I see, thanks for clearing that up. Wow, those CALs really do have a great bang-per-buck.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

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I see, thanks for clearing that up. Wow, those CALs really do have a great bang-per-buck.

absolutely. and they are around 68$ in amazon right now... i shall take this into consideration for my xmas self-present

 

[ljokerl]

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I see, thanks for clearing that up. Wow, those CALs really do have a great bang-per-buck.

 
They are. Only issue is, they are not as portable as the other cans on the list. Still pretty nice for home use though.

 

[Olimoronio]

[size=10pt]ljokerl, are there any other full-sized, non portable Ultrasone's that you consider better than the PRO 650? I'm not really looking for portability here but it doesn't matter one way or the other.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Just looking for a really good reference phone. [/size]

 

[rawrster]

I'll take a guess and say edition 8 although they are a bit more expensive

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Joker, dont mean to be picky but, have you tried the Akg K27i? they seem a bit expensive to me for what they offer, if they compare with jvc flats and ath7fc00A that are like half of the price. they do look nice tho.

 

[ljokerl]

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[size=10pt]ljokerl, are there any other full-sized, non portable Ultrasone's that you consider better than the PRO 650? I'm not really looking for portability here but it doesn't matter one way or the other.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Just looking for a really good reference phone. [/size]

I haven't heard any Ultrasones higher up than the PRO 650 aside from the 2500 and like I said, the 2500 can be a little better with one hell of an amp but I'll probably end up selling it soon as the 650 is just more convenient. From what I've read the pricier Ultrasones might be bassier than the 650 which is not necessarily a selling point for me. I'd want to try the PRO 900 but that runs at least $350 which would make it my most expensive headphone.
 
That said, I don't think the 650 makes a very good reference or monitoring phone - just a very enjoyable listening experience (for me at least). It's colored an has some characteristic dips and crests. Here's the graph from Headroom against the ATH-M50, which I like a little bit less. As you can see they are nearly identical in bass extension but the Ultrasoones' bass hump actually comes in a little lower which is good:
 

 

 

[Hero Kid]

Great write up on the ESW9s. I've considered them a few times for a nice warm sounding portable headphone and I think if I ever was in the market for one I'd check these puppies out.