Tested and compared: Ultrasone PROline 550, 650 and 750 + the HFI-550 and 650.

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johang WOW, you actually find the HD280Pro boring. I think that is a mistake, maybe you listned to a poor example or an example that wasn't burned in ? I find the HD280Pro one of the most enganging headphones ever to listen to. They isolate well, and they have SUPREME dynamics. The top end isn't the most refined, but except for that I think they are excellent. johanG.

It certainly is not a mistake. Actually, I wasn't too impressed by the 280Pro either. It offers good isolation and good sound quality for a pretty good price but it did not convince me of buying it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JensL Hehe...sorry to say so, but I'm not THAT cool, as I didn't buy any of those Ultrasones, I just borrowed some test-models for a few days. Thanks for the kind words, anyway.

You're still cool

The 750 looks really promising. If the street price drops to around $300 then this might become some serious competition for the Sony CD3000.

Would you rate the 750 above the Beyer 880 and the W1000? I mean, the W1000 is pretty expensive....

 

[JensL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johang It's also funny to see the construction of the DT660 and the 750Pro to be quite similar. I belive the hinge between the holder for the earcup and the headband is the exact same, or am I wrong ?

You are right, the headbands are actually exactly the same.
The only difference being the fork that holds the driver housings, and that's a very slight difference.

 

[JensL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00940 Could you elaborate a bit on that ? To be honnest, I find the HD280 rather awful (boring and dull)

Well, I guess it's a matter of taste, but I found the HD280 quite good, even if its midbass were a little lean. There's good amounts of details, and it isn't overachieving. The deepbass is good. Because of the extreme isolation, it sounds a little closed in.
However, if it isn't properly burned in, it really sounds thin and lifeless. A strange headphone, it is.

And...its price is below $99, and can sometimes be found at $70 (in the US), and that's freakishly good value for money.
As the Ultrasones got the same headband, and only feels slightly more exclusive, the Senn HD280 makes them feel a little overpriced. The Ultrasones DO sound better, but not THAT much better.

 

[Taurui]

I just stumbled upon yet another new Ultrasone product - the HFI-2200 ULE
Looks interesting (and a bit ugly too, but still interesting!)
http://www.ultrasone.com/htdocs/02_p...subcat=1&id=15

 

[BigD]

We appreciate your hard work JensL!
Proline seems to be a real contender...Except it's little pricey!
Hope to see what US retail prices are.

 

[JensL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda The 750 looks really promising. If the street price drops to around $300 then this might become some serious competition for the Sony CD3000.

Definitely. At that price, the 750 would be very competive and should be highly interesting for most Headfiers.
Unfortunately I haven't heard the CD3000 yet, so I can't comment on that. But I guess the Sony will dig up more details.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda Would you rate the 750 above the Beyer 880 and the W1000? I mean, the W1000 is pretty expensive....

Hmm....tricky one. I think I would prefer the DT880 for more of my music, mostly because of the effortless details and sensation of space, but the 750s bass is great fun. If your rig already is bright and detailed, the 750 would be a safer bet.
Looking at only the design and ergonomics, the DT880 wins by a wide margin.

As for the W1000, it's a close call too. Soundwise, I don't think the W1000 necessarily defends its price, but taking design and ergonomics into account, it's a damn fine phone, and just reeks luxury.
The W1000s amazing midrange really makes it a pleasure to listen to, it's just too bad that the deepbass isn't as fun as the 750s.
At their current list prices, I think I'd pick the 750, but if the W1000 still were below $400, I'd pick that simply because the way it makes me feel.

There are absolutely NO irrational feelings affecting the decision.

 

[pbirkett]

Hmm, I like the sound of this 750!

 

[HiWire]

This is a great review of the Ultrasones and other headphones. Much better than Headroom's dismissive capsule summary of the PROLine 750, for example, and an excellent comparison to comparable cans. I'm still curious about the 2500, since Ultrasone implies that it is basically an open version of the 750.

 

[augustwest]

Great review of a line of headphones that don't seem to get that much press.I hope this will be added to the perm. review file for future reference.

- augustwest

 

[kdread]

The headroom review of the 750's is really bad, it makes me think they are garbage. Yet you rank them among the best closed headphones. Perhaps you could read their review and maybe post a counter-point to some of the things they suggest?

Obviously reviews are subjective however from two experienced listeners I have seldom found such wide disagreement. Listening to speakers, generally my friends and I have always been able to come to a consensus review or comparisson.

 

[ilovesocks]

Great review! Very objective and patient. An extensive Ultrasone-line review is just what we needed!

Thanks.

 

[JensL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdread The headroom review of the 750's is really bad, it makes me think they are garbage. Yet you rank them among the best closed headphones. Perhaps you could read their review and maybe post a counter-point to some of the things they suggest? Obviously reviews are subjective however from two experienced listeners I have seldom found such wide disagreement. Listening to speakers, generally my friends and I have always been able to come to a consensus review or comparisson.

Frankly, I don't take any of the Headroom reviews very seriously anymore. It's most likely the views of one or two people over there, and they will have different tastes and setups than me.
Also, could there be other reasons behind the "reviews" at Headroom? Maybe they don't make as much money on certain phones or brands, and therefore won't recommend them?
Ok, this is just utter speculation, but worth to give a thought.

When I tested the Ultrasones, I remember that I really liked the 750, and I'm convinced that I still would.
Just note that I used the MAD Ear++ tube amp, which sometimes helps some phones more than others. I didn't try the Ultrasones very much with less "worthy" setups, like a soundcard or MP3-player.

I don't agree much with the Headroom review. They say that the HFI-550 and HFI-700 sounds better, which I find almost ridiculous.
They also state that the 750 doesn't seal well. The Beyer DT770 Pro seals better, but by no means a lot better than the PROline.

This might actually be a case of bad synergy. I didn't try the Ultrasone on other amps than my Ear++, but I can imagine the PROlines being quite bright and even harsh on some solidstate amps. Especially if the source is bright too.
The bass wasn't boomy either, but then my Ear++ controls the DT770 very well, and even brings forth the midrange quite noticably.
I also found the the 750 is quite sensitive to placement on the ear. Its sound will change noticably by pulling the enclosures further down.

Maybe the worst thing about the PROlines, is that they feel cheap. In your hands, the 750 doesn't look or feel like a $400 headphone. The headband is the same as their cheaper models, and honestly feels like more at home on a $50 headphone. Maybe because I only borrowed them, this didn't bother me too much. Seeing what's on the market today, I wouldn't pay $400 for the PROline 750. Maybe $250-280 is more suitable.

The PROline 750 is definitely a flawed headphone, mostly because of its ergonomics, but given the right setup and user, I think it could be one of the better closed headphones.

 

[Ko Nectic Jazz]

Interesting test, JensL !
Congrats for your patience and hard work.

I've been waiting an Ultrasone review for sometime as I found no retailers nearby and as you do, I don't really take Headroom's review very seriously. I actually diverged on some cans reviews.

I'm looking at these cans for sometime now as I'm looking for an upfront system for my father (he wants to find some of the feelings you can have with speakers. I do say "some of" as speakers sensations are blissed for me (and him too).
Can you tell us a bit more about "upfront sound" S-Logic system, as it is their specialty ?

 

[JensL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ko Nectic Jazz I ...and as you do, I don't really take Headroom's review very seriously. I actually diverged on some cans reviews.

Good to hear that I'm not the only one...


Quote:

Originally Posted by Ko Nectic Jazz I'm looking at these cans for sometime now as I'm looking for an upfront system for my father (he wants to find some of the feelings you can have with speakers. I do say "some of" as speakers sensations are blissed for me (and him too). Can you tell us a bit more about "upfront sound" S-Logic system, as it is their specialty ?

Well, I suspect the "S-Logic Natural Surround Sound" to be engineered mostly in the marketing department. It's just about the placement of the driver.
However, I do think that the PROline series has a nice, large soundstage for a closed construction, definitely among the better.

But I think the Beyerdynamic DT770 is the closed headphone that sounds most like a loudspeaker. I guess this is because of its "diffuse-field system". It sounds more distant, and not as you are sitting one foot from the speaker. Some say the DT770 got a recessed midrange and too bright highs, but with a good tube amp, it's pure bliss.
I think the DT770 and DT990 aren't the most correct headphones out there, but they're damned musical and entertaining. Great fun.

 

[monkeygod]

nice review jensl - i just encountered the ultrasone line for the first time at the national meet. and while listening conditions weren't ideal, i was pretty impressed by what i heard.

i was mainly comparing the proline 650 and 750s, but came out preferring the 650s a little. the 750s are amazingly detailed, and i found the soundstage to pretty spacious. but i found that some instruments sounded unnaturally sharp (violin and mandolin strings stood out painfully), and that the bass seemed lacking on some tracks, although always present and tightly defined.

what i liked about the 650s were the slightly warmer tones, more consistent presentation, and more significant bass. they do lose some detail when compared to the 750s, but they're still a very fun listen

still undecided which one i'm going to pony up for - with the price difference i think i'll end up with the 650s, but i'll try and post some thoughts once i get my hands on either