[MacedonianHero]

My favourite Ed. 8LE amp that I've head them with is my Meier Audio Concerto. Great bass definition, wonderful mids and great sound stage.

 

[maverickronin]

I'm looking for a really good closed headphones and the ED8 seems to be right at the very top of my budget.  For that much money I'd love to go with the LCD-2s but I'm probably going to damage my hearing If I keep using open headphones and having to fight background noise with volume.  I'm also not very interested in a pair of custom IEMs for several reasons that would take a long time to go into.
 
I'm looking for something with that somewhat resembles my SE530s (deep non-bloated bass and smooth but detailed mids, more treble is ok though) but with a larger soundstage.  I'm not expecting an HD800 sized soundstage in a closed can but I want something large enough to be useful for movies and games.  My SE530's almost pinpoint imaging within a tiny a soundstage make it sound like I've stuck my head into a miniature amphitheater where tiny actors and musicians are performing.  That doesn't bother me much with music, but with games and movies what I see and what I hear suffer a severe mismatch and alternate between sounding really odd, giving me headaches, and occasionally sick to my stomach.
 
My modded Fostex T50RPs are better in most areas but their largest flaw (to me) is deviation from my preferred frequency balance as the only way to get any soundstage out of them also sucks out the mids more than I'd prefer.  I'll probably turn them into full fledged Thunderpants somewhere down the line, but I'm not super optimistic about balancing all the competing factors.
 
I figured I'd ask here because there are several "heavy-hitters" who have a wide range of experience with different headphones.  Are the ED8s close to what I'm looking for?  How do they compare with other options like the DX1000 or the Lawton/markl modded Denons?  (Do those have anymore isolation than stock Denons?  I'd imagine they might since damping the cups should work both ways.)  Are there any options in this price range I've left out?
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[HyperM3]

I also have the s530's and loved them for what they were. It wasnt until I got the ED8's that I retired the 530's. The ED8's sound just like them but better, travel just as well in the pouch and block outside sound fantastically. Where they dominate the 530's(for me) is comfort level. I can barely wear my custom tipped 530's for more than an hour without getting fatigue. I literally wear the ED8's on the entire plane ride I take these days without any problems. This is the first headphone Ive been able to listen to for longer than a few hours and not have any ringing in my ears afterward.
 
I love these headphones, I have no doubt you will too. Oh and buy them "previously owned" if you can. Save a few hundred bucks from buying new. Most everyone who owns these headphones keeps them in pristine condition so they will be like new anyway.
 
Quote:

I'm looking for a really good closed headphones and the ED8 seems to be right at the very top of my budget.  For that much money I'd love to go with the LCD-2s but I'm probably going to damage my hearing If I keep using open headphones and having to fight background noise with volume.  I'm also not very interested in a pair of custom IEMs for several reasons that would take a long time to go into.
 
I'm looking for something with that somewhat resembles my SE530s (deep non-bloated bass and smooth but detailed mids, more treble is ok though) but with a larger soundstage.  I'm not expecting an HD800 sized soundstage in a closed can but I want something large enough to be useful for movies and games.  My SE530's almost pinpoint imaging within a tiny a soundstage make it sound like I've stuck my head into a miniature amphitheater where tiny actors and musicians are performing.  That doesn't bother me much with music, but with games and movies what I see and what I hear suffer a severe mismatch and alternate between sounding really odd, giving me headaches, and occasionally sick to my stomach.
 
My modded Fostex T50RPs are better in most areas but their largest flaw (to me) is deviation from my preferred frequency balance as the only way to get any soundstage out of them also sucks out the mids more than I'd prefer.  I'll probably turn them into full fledged Thunderpants somewhere down the line, but I'm not super optimistic about balancing all the competing factors.
 
I figured I'd ask here because there are several "heavy-hitters" who have a wide range of experience with different headphones.  Are the ED8s close to what I'm looking for?  How do they compare with other options like the DX1000 or the Lawton/markl modded Denons?  (Do those have anymore isolation than stock Denons?  I'd imagine they might since damping the cups should work both ways.)  Are there any options in this price range I've left out?
 
Thanks in advance.

 

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

I also have the s530's and loved them for what they were. It wasnt until I got the ED8's that I retired the 530's. The ED8's sound just like them but better, travel just as well in the pouch and block outside sound fantastically. Where they dominate the 530's(for me) is comfort level. I can barely wear my custom tipped 530's for more than an hour without getting fatigue. I literally wear the ED8's on the entire plane ride I take these days without any problems. This is the first headphone Ive been able to listen to for longer than a few hours and not have any ringing in my ears afterward.
 
I love these headphones, I have no doubt you will too. Oh and buy them "previously owned" if you can. Save a few hundred bucks from buying new. Most everyone who owns these headphones keeps them in pristine condition so they will be like new anyway.

Thanks.  That sounds promising.  I do like the fact that the ED8s are pretty portable too.  That would make them worth more to me than something with big wood cups which would require a Pelican case or something just to take them between home and work or something.
 
Comfort is not an issue I have withe the SE530s though.  I use the Comply Tx tips and with the PTH I can go for 8 hours at work without ever having to take them out.  IEM fit is really hit or miss though.  I tried the 535s and liked the sound better but they weren't as comfy so I had to sell them.

 

[justanut]

My Ed8 are in! Initial impressions.............. Awesome!!! Blew my TF10 away! Never thought I'd come across a pair of headphones that would rival let alone beat the IEMs in detail, but the Ed8 did, out of the box.

Amazing really. I'm hearing details, background instruments previously hidden now come alive. This is no joke.. And on stock cables too. Can't wait to head down Jaben and hopefully get a go with the Solo.

Dang and my T50p had just started coming alive after 250hrs burning in too.. Looks like they'll be headed to the For Sale section pretty soon.. I can't stop listening to the Ed8!

 

[dj nellie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyperM3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I love these headphones, I have no doubt you will too. Oh and buy them "previously owned" if you can. Save a few hundred bucks from buying new. Most everyone who owns these headphones keeps them in pristine condition so they will be like new anyway.

I think with most headphones, I would say buying used is not a problem.  But one important consideration is that Ultrasone USA offers an 8 (yes EIGHT) year warranty (5 years anywhere else in the world), whereas most other headphones have 2 years at most. 
 
Considering that you may end up bringing the Ed. 8s on trips and stuffing them in bags, I think it's important to have the extra peace of mind, if you buy from an authorized dealer, that Ultrasone will take care of you if anything happens to the headphones.

 

[Rasmutte]

But are tube amps the best choice for the ED8?
Or do you guys have something else in mind?

 

[Skylab]

I don't know about BEST choice, necessarily, but the Ed 8 are wonderful with my transformer coupled tube amps.  OTL tube amps are not as good an idea idea due to the Ed 8's relatively low impedance.  But with the Woo WA6, Trafomatic Head One, and Leben CS300XS, the Ed 8 are simply glorious.

 

[oqvist]

Head One is the only amp where I truly enjoy the ED 8. Brings life to it and there is nothing any of the solid state amps does better for it. For my ears it´s screaming for tubes whenever I am not listening to the Head One

 

[Rasmutte]

Quote:

I don't know about BEST choice, necessarily, but the Ed 8 are wonderful with my transformer coupled tube amps.  OTL tube amps are not as good an idea idea due to the Ed 8's relatively low impedance.  But with the Woo WA6, Trafomatic Head One, and Leben CS300XS, the Ed 8 are simply glorious.

Hm, okay! The Woo WA6 is interesting, but what if a tube breaks? That's what scares me the most.
Do know some not tube amps that are good too?

 

[Arnaldo]

As per my post below...
 
Quote:

My Edition 8 Limited sounds extremely happy when fed milk and honey from a Luxman P-200 amp [...] and the US price of $1,500 seems pretty reasonable. Full review at http://www.head-fi.org/products/luxman-p-200/reviews/5015
 

 
Quote:

But are tube amps the best choice for the ED8?
Or do you guys have something else in mind?

 

 

[Rasmutte]

Quote:

As per my post below...
 
 
 

Oh, I missed it. Sorry.
 
Hm, it looks nice, but maybe a bit too expensive for me!

 

[swbf2cheater]

im still waiting on someone to comment on the size of the edition 8 soundstage vs some other popular hifi models.  If anyone has experience with multiple sets including the edition 8, please let me know your thoughts on their soundstages vs the edition 8
 
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

im still waiting on someone to comment on the size of the edition 8 soundstage vs some other popular hifi models.  If anyone has experience with multiple sets including the edition 8, please let me know your thoughts on their soundstages vs the edition 8
 
 

Here are the other closed headphones that I've owned:

DT770/600
D7000 x2
SRH840

The Edition 8s best them with sound staging (and bass, mids, treble, isolation, construction ).

 

[swbf2cheater]

im more interested in thoughts vs the other expensive sets, like those you have listed in your profile :] 
 
if you could give a brief description of as many as you can, please do so