[Audio Aficionado]

Anyone have any experience with this headphone?

Some info on the headphone:
https://www.whathifi.com/news/klh-launches-ultimate-one-the-companys-inaugural-headphones

Some more info, frequency response measurements & comparisons:
https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/headphones/179-klh-ultimate-one-headphones

https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/i...-ultimate-one-headphones&catid=263&Itemid=203

I seen it on Amazon and was intrigued by it's $380 price-tag. From what I've read, it was launched last month (June 2019). There are not many reviews of it yet but from the few I could find, it seems to be quite impressive.

 

[NHL99]

The September issue of Hi-Fi News have them reviewed. They got an 85% rating in sound quality and the verdict excellent value for money.

 

[Audio Aficionado]

I've read a couple of reviews on them across the internet now, seems to be a very good headphone indeed. One thing that interested me is that they have beryllium drivers, many high-end headphones have those types of drivers, so it seems very promising indeed.

 

[bryanswy]

It is generally superior to those based on neodymium. But not necessarily better. it's very personal. Some people speak very well of this model BLON BossHifi B8.

 

[NHL99]

Focal Utopia with beryllium is 3200 Euro.

 

[Audio Aficionado]

Haha quite a price difference between that and the KLH Audio Ultimate One huh?!

I think i'm gonna have to get an Ultimate One, I had planned on it at the time I created this thread but went for another headphone instead, but I think I will get one soon and i'll post a review right here in this thread. Stay tuned.

 

[Roderick]

It is generally superior to those based on neodymium

beryllium is material used on the driver diaphgram and neodymium is what is used on the magnet.

Focal Utopia with beryllium is 3200 Euro.

Driver on KLH is propably some sort of plastic like mylar that is just dusted with berylliym. Focal utopia driver is full beryllium driver.

I have msur N550 which has a berylliym coated driver. It is a very good headphone so I'm eager to hear what KLH has done with similar drivers.

 

[NHL99]

Haha quite a price difference between that and the KLH Audio Ultimate One huh?!

I think i'm gonna have to get an Ultimate One, I had planned on it at the time I created this thread but went for another headphone instead, but I think I will get one soon and i'll post a review right here in this thread. Stay tuned.

Looking fwd to the review! Which music categories will be included for the assessment?

 

[Audio Aficionado]

Well there are the usual recordings/songs/albums that I know very well, that I use to assess any new headphones/audio equipment I buy. Mostly acoustic, instrumental/classical, pop, pop-rock, electronic, and sometimes live music.

 

[billqs]

If you are careful you can get a set of these for much less than MSRP. Bad news is that they are SVIGA Clones... good news is that they look beautiful and for the price they are going for now are a good value... also they sound really nice.

 

[aravaioli]

Bad news is that they are SVIGA Clones...

This is really incorrect. A rumour started by the usual incompetent with its Z channel on Youtube who judged these headphones with his eyes, rather than ears. He probably made his mind before listening them.

I had both for a week before returning the SIVGA 007: this wasn't bad for the price and I almost kept it for my wife and eventually gave up as she wanted closed cans. But the similarities with the KLH end in a vague aesthetical resemblance. KLH also said they did not want to reinvent the wheel when a good shell design existed, so they do not deny the aesthetical resemblance.

The KLH are outstanding and a shocking surprise for me. I paid 94£ in the used market, possibly thanks for that crappy reviewers and its many followers. I can confidently say that if they break I would be ready to pay the full 289£ Amazon price.

These are really good headphones. I won't make any speculation about Beryllium as others have. The driver may only be sprayed with Beryllium or made with solid Beryllium: I could not care less. They sound excellent both in all frequencies to me.

If I had to describe these cans, I would put them in the middle between my LCD-2CB and Focal Clear: the clarity of the latter matching the impactful bass of the former. Imaging not far from the Clear, also decent isolation and they are not completely open back. Much more comfortable than both (I'd venture to say exceptionally comfortable) and very easy to drive.

These are not studio cans as they do not seem to attempt to reveal the problems with a recording. I am not saying they are not detailed: not to the extreme for sure but I do not think I am missing anything when I listen those.

Perhaps worth noting, to put my words in context, that I only listen acoustic music: mostly Jazz but also some Flamenco and, occasionally, some classical piano work.

 

[Beagle]

I have this. Not bad at all.

Remember when Klipsch was launching the Heritage Series (HP3) and there were originally going to be two Heritage headphones, the HP3 and a smaller less expensive one? I have a feeling this KLH is the other one. KLH is now owned by David Kelley, former Global Sales president of Klipsch. And it looks a bit similar to the HP3.

 

[Youcan1]

I just bought this. It looks and sounds nice. Lightweight, great bass performance, and the rest of the frequency range is good too. The mids might be a little muddy for my taste, and it sounds more like a closed headphone than an open one. The ear pads are too small and not thick enough for me. The real issue I have is with build quality, as one of the hinges broke after a couple days of use. I've never broken a headphone in my life, let alone in that amount of time.

 

[bigjako]

I just bought this. It looks and sounds nice. Lightweight, great bass performance, and the rest of the frequency range is good too. The mids might be a little muddy for my taste, and it sounds more like a closed headphone than an open one. The ear pads are too small and not thick enough for me. The real issue I have is with build quality, as one of the hinges broke after a couple days of use. I've never broken a headphone in my life, let alone in that amount of time.

I saw your post about it and went down a rabbit hole of reviews and bought it compulsively because of all the things it has goin for it - beryllium (to some degree), lambskin in all the right places, ebony cups, low impedance.
Just got it today and haven’t had much time to listen or to compare to others, but first the negatives: cups and pads are just slightly smaller than I’d like. I can smoosh my ears a little and they fit fine but I’d like it just a little bigger. The ebony cups feel like plastic, I dunno... They don’t feel or look like wood but maybe as they age they will. Some scratches may give it character. I am not totally sure but I find them slightly fatiguing. I think it’s due to their “energy” and my ears are fine a couple hours later but I just felt my ears being banged up on a little. It may just be their v shaped sound hitting the treble a little much. But otherwise it feels like a well thought out and considered design. The mix of cow leather and lambskin is nicely done.
For the sound, I want to take some time before saying too much. It does have a vshaped sound with strong but layered bass and some treble peaks - but without the mids sounding too recessed. It’s like the Nighthawks higher energy, brighter cousin for me. I like them a lot but I’m still trying to figure out if I love them too.

 

[bigjako]

After listening more, I have a love/hate relationship with this headphone. I think it’s very thoughtfully designed and checks all the boxes. Nothing, aside from the slightly small cups, offends or bothers me. I think the mids are slightly recessed but not by much, and the bass is impactful and full bodied. Listening to Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannonball Adderley showcases the detail and soundstage wonderfully well. I actually think it is the best headphone I’ve ever heard for that specific song. It feels like I’m sitting in the crowd and even the crowd noises, of which there are plenty, feel three dimensional across a pretty wide soundstage. I feel like I’m in the crowd, listening to the show, and can place people based on where they’re sitting around me.

The bass is plentiful but it doesn’t have the same rumble and impact of my modded EMU Teaks, but for open backs I think they’re pretty good. Slightly less bass than the X2HRs but more refined. As I said, mids feel a little recessed or muffled but not much (ie, much much less than my Nighthawks for eg). My main issue with these are how vshaped they are, specifically that the highs are a little grating. I’m very sensitive to treble, so keep that in mind. The high sax notes in Mercy Mercy Mercy are energetic but just cross my line into ‘bleating’ territory. For my point of reference, it’s got kind of a Grado trebleness but with more recessed mids and much warmer bass (and overall). Maybe I would best describe these as a mashup of the Nighthawks and Grados.

Ultimately, that treble peak is why I don’t think these will be a permanent part of my rotation. I still have less than 20 hrs on these, and while I expect the bass to adjust from burn in, I don’t think it will change the overall sound signature. I can’t return them, but put them up for sale here. I’m happy to keep them, they are unique and well crafted (beryllium, teak and lambskin! With a nice cord!) but they won’t unseat my Sundaras as my current go to open backs, which is admittedly a high bar. They do have better bass, to be fair.