[tbritton]

Well, If I were in the assuming mode, I'd assume that after they differentiated the HFI-650 DVD by renaming it the HFI-700 that they no longer felt the need to differentiate the HFI-650 by adding the "Trackmaster" text add-on on top of the headband. So, that would make the present or any non-DVD bearing edition HFI-650, by default, the actual Trackmaster item minus the old "Trackmaster" text on the headband.

To make matters even more confusing, they now have a Proline 650 also!
From UltrasoneUSA:
"PROline 650
Utilizing the same gold driver as the HFI-700, the PROline 650 improves upon the design by adding removable cables and speed switch earpads. The PROline 650s are at home in the studio, on the road and even in your home theater setup. These are some of our most versatile headphones and the warm sound they produce is good for most any application."

But if it is a Trackmaster you want, then I'd wager that the HFI-650 not having the words DVD on it is the original Trackmaster in specs and everything else.

There's my assuming mode!

If I were in "I've really got to know absolutely no questions!" mode, I'd ask Ultrasone! Or maybe Dex will be along and he might know.

I'm assuming also that you found these used, that being because Ultrasone USA doesn't show the HFI-650 anymore, only the Proline 650.
EDIT- They are still listed at Ultrasone Germany. All the pictures still show the words "Trackmaster" on the headband at the top.

Terry

 

[Zoide]

I just bought mulveling's Edition 9s! Can't wait to get them

I hope to have them sometime next week. I'll be sure to share some impressions with you guys.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbritton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm assuming also that you found these used, that being because Ultrasone USA doesn't show the HFI-650 anymore, only the Proline 650.

I might be mistaken, but I was under impression that Trackmaster were never available in US. At least when I was buying mine I had to turn to Jan Meier (Germany).

 

[oqvist]

arrg tired

 

[ldj325]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoide /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just bought mulveling's Edition 9s! Can't wait to get them I hope to have them sometime next week. I'll be sure to share some impressions with you guys.

Congratulations on your purchase. I'll be very interested to hear your comparisons with the 2500. I am hoping to hear the Edition 9s at the International meet and if all is well, a purchase as soon as I can locate a pair.

 

[Dexdexter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbritton /img/forum/go_quote.gif But if it is a Trackmaster you want, then I'd wager that the HFI-650 not having the words DVD on it is the original Trackmaster in specs and everything else. There's my assuming mode! If I were in "I've really got to know absolutely no questions!" mode, I'd ask Ultrasone! Or maybe Dex will be along and he might know.

Yes, I believe that Terry's assumption is most likely correct. Everything I've seen suggests that the HFI-650 DVD was never known without the DVD suffix until it became the HFI-700, at which point the HFI-650 Trackmaster became known simply as the HFI-650 again.

 

[Contrastique]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoide /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just bought mulveling's Edition 9s! Can't wait to get them I hope to have them sometime next week. I'll be sure to share some impressions with you guys.

Congrats man!!! Love to hear your impressions on them! Hope you will get them soon!

 

[niknik]

Thanks Terry! I think the ones I found are the Trackmasters

Anyway I'm confused at the moment, looking for a pair of closed headphones.. Can't make up my mind. I think I'll end up buying 2 or 3 and then choose between them -it's so hard to decide from reading about them although it helps a little

Maybe I should buy Andrew WOT's Prolines

 

[kschles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dexdexter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I believe that Terry's assumption is most likely correct. Everything I've seen suggests that the HFI-650 DVD was never known without the DVD suffix until it became the HFI-700, at which point the HFI-650 Trackmaster became known simply as the HFI-650 again.

I recently exchanged some e-mails with someone at ultrasoneusa about the differences between the HFI-650 and HFI-700. She said that at one time there were two versions of the HFI-650, but that only one was sold in the U.S. (the other was available in Europe). We didn't get into DVD vs Trackmaster designation. Now, however, there is only the HFI-700 worldwide to avoid confusion. The HFI-700 is essentially the old HFI-650 updated (maybe they combined the best of both versions???)

 

[analog'd]

this is a copy of something i just posted elsewhere:

got my edition 9's in the mail today. nothing ahead of time from ns&l hinting of there being emminent. just blam. here they are. ground shipped (gee thanks a lot for rushing, and for the communication), anyway...

Nice box.

no sheep but the leather is soft and smells like leather. baahhhh....

very pretty especially compared to the "uber goober" (i made that up. ain't i almost, uh, clever?) look of the prolines.

hmm, what else? oh, sound quality..lets see...oops, they need hundreds of hours breaking down, er, in. right? i mean they're gonna hiss at me and spit and crap until at least 200 hours. so there is no way i'm gonna be able to hear at all how good they are right outta the (pretty pretty) box, n'est pas?

bullsh*t! from instant uno these are amazing! pre broken in they are refined way beyond their lil cousin pl 750's and are obviously in the upper echelon of headphones. the highs are completely refined, the bass is all over the place (welll yea, it does need breaking in!!) but in many moments i can already hear some of the sweetest, most musical bass i've heard from a headphone. soundstage is crasy, more speaker like (i mean killer speakers perfectly placed and i'm in the sweet spot) than any headphone i've ever heard including my head spkrs, the k1000's. reminds me a little of the cd3000 imaging, except that always felt totally artificial to my ear and this is the opposite. bah, i'm too tired to go on now. long friggin day writing code.

no, i did not drop any acid before trying them, although that might be nice...

I have always assumed Sovkiller was completely over the top about these cans, but i do believe i'm right there with him. based on first listen...i may of course completely retract everything i just said, and abbey road may become my most hated rock album, and i may start to hate the '62 karajan beethoven symphony cycle. and i'll probably disown my daughters. and stop loving ice cream. and women. (yes, in that order!).

so sue me.

 

[Contrastique]

What a coincedence! I wanted to sent you a pm and ask if you already received the beauty you were waiting for. No need for that anymore! Wow...nice you like them! Want more impressions, really want more impressions!! Certainly compared to the prolines 750. How is Massive Attack and Air sounding through them???
I find it hard to believe that they actually beat the 750's haha! LOL! But they better should be I guess since they cost way more.
Ow, and beware of your three women haha. They might want to kill you with icecream for the ed9 haha!

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analog'd /img/forum/go_quote.gif this is a copy of something i just posted elsewhere: got my edition 9's in the mail today. nothing ahead of time from ns&l hinting of there being emminent. just blam. here they are. ground shipped (gee thanks a lot for rushing, and for the communication), anyway... Nice box. no sheep but the leather is soft and smells like leather. baahhhh.... very pretty especially compared to the "uber goober" (i made that up. ain't i almost, uh, clever?) look of the prolines. hmm, what else? oh, sound quality..lets see...oops, they need hundreds of hours breaking down, er, in. right? i mean they're gonna hiss at me and spit and crap until at least 200 hours. so there is no way i'm gonna be able to hear at all how good they are right outta the (pretty pretty) box, n'est pas? bullsh*t! from instant uno these are amazing! pre broken in they are refined way beyond their lil cousin pl 750's and are obviously in the upper echelon of headphones. the highs are completely refined, the bass is all over the place (welll yea, it does need breaking in!!) but in many moments i can already hear some of the sweetest, most musical bass i've heard from a headphone. soundstage is crasy, more speaker like (i mean killer speakers perfectly placed and i'm in the sweet spot) than any headphone i've ever heard including my head spkrs, the k1000's. reminds me a little of the cd3000 imaging, except that always felt totally artificial to my ear and this is the opposite. bah, i'm too tired to go on now. long friggin day writing code. no, i did not drop any acid before trying them, although that might be nice... I have always assumed Sovkiller was completely over the top about these cans, but i do believe i'm right there with him. based on first listen...i may of course completely retract everything i just said, and abbey road may become my most hated rock album, and i may start to hate the '62 karajan beethoven symphony cycle. and i'll probably disown my daughters. and stop loving ice cream. and women. (yes, in that order!). so sue me.

Thanks for the update and I am looking forward to getting my UE9s. Hopefully as much as a surprise for me as well.

 

[Dexdexter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analog'd /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have always assumed Sovkiller was completely over the top about these cans, but i do believe i'm right there with him. based on first listen...

Me too, but I've always been happy to humor him...now I've got the two of you to contend with.

Seriously,though, nice one, Jimmy, I guess I'll be hanging on your every word for some time to come.

Now, howsabout some photos to placate the rest of us poor unfortunates?

 

[analog'd]

gotta go to write more damn code. quick observation before i do.

they need breaking in as witnessed by the fact that they can't handle a heavy rock onslaught of a number of instruments at once. but i'm sure that will pass. if not i've got my new fave phones for all things acoustic...

in the non onslaught moments it is clear these are beautiful in ways my other best cans are not (and visa versa, nothing can replace the grado sig , wether you like that sound or not).

main observation: my main speakers are the kef 105.2 of lore. these 9's are producing a sound field very similar. never heard a headphone do this before. not the great wide deep headspace of gs1000's, or k1000's (which sound like the mini speakers they are to me). not the extraterrestrial imaging of the cd3000. these suckers sound like my speakers when i am in the sweet spot. go read about the 105.2's and you'll know that i am saying something.

wow!

please note: i am copying this to the "questions about edition 9" thread and will now keep posting there about the 9's.
hope to see y'all at that thread!

 

[ldj325]

Wow,

2 days and no posts on this thread. That must be a record for this thread. And 3 thousand posts came and went with no mention. Ah Ultrasonia what has happened to you. But then again I remember when this thread was "declared" dead just before the 2000 post mark. I guess the new action is with the Edition 9 threads, which is actually something that I too am keenly interested in. I am posting here not out of nostalgia, but because I think of this thread as pertaining to all things relating to Ultrasones.

Now for something of substance: In monitoring the Edition 9 threads, there was mention of two different Edition 9s having defective finish (both were sent back). This seems very unacceptable in flagship $1500 list HP. And now Zoide has a Edition 9 with some more minor cosmetic blemishes. I don't mean to pick on Ultrasones unfairly. I remember a Grado thread awhile back that was bemoaning some shoddy finish work on some Grados. As my experience with top tier HP is limited, maybe this is just how it is with all high end cans.

This recent quality control issue caused me to remember the defective 750 demo, with some type of "blown" driver, I ran into at a store (which may well have been due to the abuse that demo units are subjected to, but maybe not). And then my experience with one whole side going out on my original 750s that did not have any identifable type of mistreatment. And there was another poster on this thread who had a defective unit. (But so far my second 750 is just fine.)

Sometimes when I have read of the experience of Boomana with finding her 2500 (or 750?) cans having a metalic sounding high end, or others who experience the Ultrasone 2500/750 sound very differently from me, I have wondered if the differences were strictly due to personal preference (quite possibly), or if there could be other quality control issues that leads to an uneven level of sound quality between the units.

I would call myself a fan of the Ultrasone house sound--to the extent that I am looking to get the Edition 9s. But I am not a mindless fan or zealot. (I would also call myself a fan of the Senn 580/600 house sound as well, even though I generally prefer the 750 over these.) But I do have some concern about the consistency of quality of Ultrasones across the board. So if anyone from Official Ultrasone is listening, please look at these issues. And as a bare minimum you do need to tighten up your quality control with Edition 9 finish--or sell the marred units as B stock.

Awhile back I bought a new pair of Senn 580s an compaired them to my old trusty set from 12-13 years ago. Basically they were the same HP except for the extended break in of the old pair. It would be great if Ultrasone could boast of the same consistency 12-13 years from now. So far, overall the Ultrasones have been a great HP for me, and I hope that it will stay that way with Edition 9s and/or any Ultrasone I might buy in the future.