[deuter]

Play my Ultrasones 5 days a week for over 2 hours each day.

They get the most run compared to my open headphones at home.

It's amazing how your lifestyle dictates your headphone listening.

 

[TWerk]

These headphones have the most incredible bass I have ever heard, beats all headphones I've tried. It's tight, impactful as hell, fun, punchy, deep, all of it. I can't believe more isn't spoken on how amazing the bass is on the Edition 8.

 

[Maxx134]

Edition 8 will always be one of the top portables ever.

Hard to dethrone.
Maybe the ed5, but I found the ed8 more satisfying in tonality, while the ed5 was surely more refined, the ed8 was a bit more alive to me, maybe due to the less neutral signature then the ed5.

While the ed5 had bigger stage,
But with my ED8 mod,
It was more panoramic and fun.

Scroll back to the mod post in this thread if your curious.

 

[TWerk]

Agreed. The quality of sound on them is terrific and took me by surprise. In addition, they are fun as heck. Those two traits are very hard to find in the world of high end headphones. They are the whole package. Some of the most beautiful and comfortable headphones I've used and they sound terrific without need for lots of expensive add on gear.

 

[gfunk4698844]

Hey guys, I just got my Ed 8s, and wanted to ask you guys why I'm having some reservation about them.  I'm not a very experienced audiophile, but I'm a musician and enjoy great detail, which these phones have.  But, I find the highhat and snare very harsh.  I'm not sure what "bright" sound means, but I'm thinking that my disapproval of the very high range being harsh means that it is "bright"?  I love the vocals and mids.  My other qualm is with the bass that everyone here seems to love.  I like very deep rumbling bass that resonates deep within, but not muddy bass.  I have Denon AH-D7100s and I LOVE the bass of those cans, I actually prefer the sound of my denons to these Ed 8s.  Denons seem fuller, warmer.  Do you think my reservation has to do with the fact that I haven't burned in the Ed 8s yet?   Please help, I want to love these because they fit me so well and are more portable.
 
Cheers you all!

 

[Bopper29]

E8 needs a long burn in - at least 400 hours. Then you begin to appreciate what they can offer.

 

[Maxx134]

I have also noticed a difference between the older units seemed more v shaped in signature while the new units seemed more flat .

Also there is a difference in the cups with will also impart a different tonality.
Of you get the newer fancy wood grain, it will be a flatter softer sound.
If you get the old shiny cups , they have a more vivid bassy sound.
When you tap in the cup with your nails you will note a difference in tonality of the cup.
Stiffer= more vivid

If you have an issue with the trebles, you can either get another ed8 version or mod them like I did a few pages back..

 

[TWerk]

I own a pair in the 300's, and I must say it sounds pretty V shaped to my ears, so maybe there is something to your theory (although I have not tried a newer pair). The bass is extremely impressive (up there with the best of them) and it is, overall, a very exciting headphone with great detail. It has an exceptional design to boot. Vocals are crisp and clear.
 
The ear-pads are also great, provide a great seal and isolation without getting really hot like most leather/pleather pads get.
 
Has anyone with a pair of these heard better bass on a headphone? I think these (along with Pro 900) are right at the top.

 

[elwappo99]

  Hey guys, I just got my Ed 8s, and wanted to ask you guys why I'm having some reservation about them.  I'm not a very experienced audiophile, but I'm a musician and enjoy great detail, which these phones have.  But, I find the highhat and snare very harsh.  I'm not sure what "bright" sound means, but I'm thinking that my disapproval of the very high range being harsh means that it is "bright"?  I love the vocals and mids.  My other qualm is with the bass that everyone here seems to love.  I like very deep rumbling bass that resonates deep within, but not muddy bass.  I have Denon AH-D7100s and I LOVE the bass of those cans, I actually prefer the sound of my denons to these Ed 8s.  Denons seem fuller, warmer.  Do you think my reservation has to do with the fact that I haven't burned in the Ed 8s yet?   Please help, I want to love these because they fit me so well and are more portable.
 
Cheers you all!

 
 
Hey there! 
 
The "brightness" you are referring to is called sibilance. You'll notice it a lot when you hear high hats or "s" sounds in vocals. Unfortunately just about every ultrasone tends to be that way. It's also the reason the somewhat falsely sound really detailed. 
 
 
If you're coming from a Denon D7100 I doubt you'll get more bass from just about any headphone without major sound EQ. The D7100 have almost no damping so the sound resonates in the cup. Gives it that odd punchiness in the bass. 

 

[TWerk]

The brightness is not simply "sibilance". Yes it has some of that, but it also has air and treble extension as well. Sibilance is in the 7-9 k region, and while they might have it, the brightness is not limited to and only because of sibilance. I actually think for me, it's the higher highs that tend to cause fatigue. (10K+)
 
I do think these are a very aggresive headphone, with sharp highs and the impactful bass. V shape for sure.
 
Another quality that is amazing to me (besides the awesome bass) of the edition 8, is the speed of the headphone. It is incredibly fast sounding. I like listening to electronic music, and it just sounds so speedy in attack. They are really dynamic and quick.
 
Mine is re-cabled, i don't know how much this improved it over a stock, but they sound as fast as heck.

 

[gfunk4698844]

Hey guys thanks a lot for the explanations. I even learned about sibilance which is exactly what I'm hearing and I don't like it. Also I think the earlier poster is right about the newer phones being flatter (less v) because the low end really isn't there for me. Too bad because these are great phones, I love the build and sound isolation, there is some real detail but the highs arw just too hard on my ears and the lows are too absent. Thanks again everyone!

Hey there! 

The "brightness" you are referring to is called sibilance. You'll notice it a lot when you hear high hats or "s" sounds in vocals. Unfortunately just about every ultrasone tends to be that way. It's also the reason the somewhat falsely sound really detailed. 


If you're coming from a Denon D7100 I doubt you'll get more bass from just about any headphone without major sound EQ. The D7100 have almost no damping so the sound resonates in the cup. Gives it that odd punchiness in the bass. 

 

[Riley Beale]

Hi!  I listen to a lot of music.  Mostly various Rock, Pop, and Metal.  I listen to a lot of Sammy Hagar, Van Halen, Montrose, Chickenfoot, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Pusicfer, The Birthday Massacre, And various Power Metal and Symphonic Metal as well as getting into some different Black Metal.  Would the Edition 8 be good for me?  I have a Fiio X5 and am planning to get an Onkyo DP-X1.  Would those drive the Edition 8 well enough?  What version of the Edition 8 would be the best?  I do not need a microphone or controls for an Iphone at all.  I would prefer not to have to purchase a non mic cable additionally.  Thanks!

 

[donwhee]

Hello,
 
Just recently purchased a used pair of these edition 8.  The serial number is in the 3300s.  I also own a pair of the ultrasone 990i and was curious if anyone knows how much bass the edition 8 have. 
 
I'm aware the 990i have a very strong bass signature (compared to the edition 8), but from reading this threads, I was getting the impression that there would be decent bass from the edition 8...I feel the treble is much more emphasized, and sometimes seems to drown out the bass. also, I'm not sure if this has to do with the s-logic, but when I turn my head to the left, I hear a bit more pronounced bass, and then more bass when I turn my head to the right.  I can't replicate this with the 990i.  
 
Also wondering if the older ultrasone 8 do indeed have a more v shape signature.
 
I listen mostly to K-Pop, pop, and some acoustic, r&b, rock, jazz, classical...etc.  Any assistance greatly appreciative.
 
PS: I'm really enjoying the detail and mids from these headphones, but not sure if the bass is suppose to be more on the subtle side.

 

[nanaholic]

Pretty sure the Edition 8 has less emphasised bass, but what it does have is better lower extension and less valleys and peaks in comparison to the 990.  Yes it's still V-shaped and not ruler flat, but the V is not as steep.  I think the issue with a lot of comments in this thread is that when the Edition 8 came out a lot of comparison was made to the flagships of the same price range at that time - namely phones like Senns HD800 and the Beyer T1, and compared to those the ED8 very much has emphasised bass, which may lead to people falsely assuming these are boom machines, of which they are not. The sound signature of preference back then for audiophiles was very much going to ruler flat FR....
 
Also it sounds like you may not be wearing the ED8 in the best position for S-Logic to work. Usually Ultrasone recommends wearing them forward, with the headband slightly tilted front from the middle of the top of the head.  What I personally find is that I put them on as forward as I can such that the back of the ear cups touches my ear lobes and then I pull them back slightly, that seems to get them to be in the right position most of time for me, you may have to try experimenting what method gives you the best fit. S-Logic is a bit picky about that and yes if you don't get the right position the ED8 does sound very weird.
 
EDIT: Also maybe consider getting new ear pads since you got them used - the foam in the pad may have been compressed and lost their shape thus affecting seal and positioning

 

[donwhee]

Hello Nanoholic and thank you! Your explanation makes complete sense.  Also thanks for the tip on getting the correct fit.  I realized it should be 900i and not 990i...
 
Nevertheless, will continue to use the Edition 8 and hope extended listening sessions will further enhance the sound quality.