Ultrasone HFi 2400 review
Apr 11, 2012 at 10:00 PM Post #17 of 52
Oh actually, I can spend up to 100 dollars..... Just tell me the best portable headphone amp for 100 dollars that have the best bass (in quantity and in quality,) and the best treble.....
 
Apr 12, 2012 at 4:24 AM Post #18 of 52
Just want to say thanks to the OP for doing that detailed and well-considered review.
 
I think it may be time for another set of open headphones, and these might just be the ones.
 
Especially at $200 or so.
(Amazon had them at $242 today.)
 
May 2, 2012 at 3:23 PM Post #19 of 52
I love my Q701s.  They are very detailed without being sibilant but I have always thought they could use a little more "oomph".  So, I have a pair of HFI 2400s on their way.  
 
I am very interested to see how these two stack up.  If the 2400s give me all of the details without sacrificing the deep bass I am looking for, I will be a happy man.
 
May 5, 2012 at 1:40 PM Post #20 of 52
Just opened my 2400s and gave them a listen with no burn-in at all, straight out of the box.  Hooked to my Matrix m-stage, these things rock!  Oh my!
 
I finally may have found that elusive headphone that has fantastic detail without sacrificing bass.  I am listening to songs I have listened to a hundred times before on other headphones and I am seriously getting goosebumps.
 
I am cycling between Hans Zimmer, Deftones, White Zombie.. you name it.  It seems that the 2400s are truly do-it-all headphones.  
 
Comparing the 2400s to the Q701s was a revelation.  I am now hearing a weird resonance in the Q701s that I hadn't noticed before.  This must be that 'plastic' sound some people talk about.  Going back to the 2400s, I still get all of the detail but without that.. plastic sound. 
 
Oh and of course the Q701s can't even compete in the bass dept. with the 2400s.  That's not to say that the 2400s are reproducing the bass in a more natural way, it just fills out the music to my ears.  Songs sound fuller and more... meaty.. so to speak.
 
I am going to let these burn in some more to see what happens, but I am loving them already.  These are one of the best, if not the best headphones I have ever heard in this price range.
 
May 5, 2012 at 2:49 PM Post #21 of 52
Quote:
Just opened my 2400s and gave them a listen with no burn-in at all, straight out of the box.  Hooked to my Matrix m-stage, these things rock!  Oh my!
 
I finally may have found that elusive headphone that has fantastic detail without sacrificing bass.  I am listening to songs I have listened to a hundred times before on other headphones and I am seriously getting goosebumps.
 
I am cycling between Hans Zimmer, Deftones, White Zombie.. you name it.  It seems that the 2400s are truly do-it-all headphones.  
 
Comparing the 2400s to the Q701s was a revelation.  I am now hearing a weird resonance in the Q701s that I hadn't noticed before.  This must be that 'plastic' sound some people talk about.  Going back to the 2400s, I still get all of the detail but without that.. plastic sound. 
 
Oh and of course the Q701s can't even compete in the bass dept. with the 2400s.  That's not to say that the 2400s are reproducing the bass in a more natural way, it just fills out the music to my ears.  Songs sound fuller and more... meaty.. so to speak.
 
I am going to let these burn in some more to see what happens, but I am loving them already.  These are one of the best, if not the best headphones I have ever heard in this price range.

 
 
 
Nice to hear that you like them.  By the way, burn in will only affect them in first 3-4 hours, bass will get a bit tighter. After, I haven't noticed any changes on mine.
 
Jun 2, 2012 at 2:08 AM Post #22 of 52
hey guys just a bit of a noob question here. I kno the hfi 2400 use S Logic for surround. But how does this work when dolby headphone comes into play? do they both work with eachother or does s logic just take over all the time?
 
also, in terms of fps gaming (non-competitive), and mainly pop and rap sound (so vocal heavy) how would the HFi 2400 rate? im looking for immersion, and want the surround sound to really stand out.
 
Jun 2, 2012 at 11:29 AM Post #24 of 52


S-LOGIC isn't in the same genre of "stuff" as Dolby Headphone. It's...different.

Look at how the drivers are placed on a "normal" headphone, let's pick on the Sony MDR-F1 as an example (thanks to whoever took this pic - the F1 angles its drivers for improved imaging, but that's become increasingly common since it's release some 12 years ago):



And then how they're placed on an Ultrasone with S-LOGIC (thanks to whoever took this pic - the driver is the "mouth" (it looks like a smiley face; it's actually oddly centered in this image - the proper orientation is with the left black dot at top (if you look closely you'll see the gimbal in the background, and it'll make sense)):



Here's another shot:



That off-centered placement influences the soundstaging and presentation, and the entire thing (both the placement and the result) is what Ultrasone calls S-LOGIC. It's never "off" because it's just a function of the design of the headphones. You can enable any up-stream processing you'd like, and it's really up to your own preference. It isn't the same thing as "5.1 headphones" or anything of the sort (although Koenig did propose a four-driver version, which I've never seen implemented). The sound-staging on an Ultrasone is good, if S-LOGIC works for your ear shape (which is not universally guaranteed), but there are other good choices as well. For example the F1's used as an example above (clever, aren't I?), and many Audio-Technica designs that also rely on angled drivers. Personally I've been impressed with Ultrasone and gaming, but of course YMMV. I have found that after a relatively low price/quality "break" the improvements in performance, at least for gaming, are minimal (in other words, while I feel that something like the HFI-2400 is a dramatic and huge step-up over cheap headphones or bad speakers, I don't feel that my electrostats are a dramatic and huge step-up over the HFI-2400 within the context of gaming). Finally, I will add that headphones with lots of/good bass response make gaming a lot more fun imho - the HFI-2400 are a good candidate all around based on that (assuming S-LOGIC jives with you).

You can dig up Koenig's papers on S-LOGIC for more, including his study of user preference (a word of warning: afaik he only writes in German, and the papers are (oddly/poorly) translated to English for publication; they can be somewhat kludgy to get through).
 
Jun 29, 2012 at 3:15 PM Post #25 of 52
I like that . . . " . . . there are two types of audiophiles. Those who listen to their music through their equipment, and those who listen to their equipment through music." I'm gonna put that as one of my favorite quotes on Facebook.
 
Jun 29, 2012 at 3:41 PM Post #26 of 52
I finally gave up on trying to decide whether or not to keep my Q701s and get rid of my HFI-2400s or vice versa.  I kept them both and I am very happy with the combo.  
 
When I want that expansive, airy sound I go for my Q701s.  When I want that meaty, thundering sound for rock or bass-heavy music I reach for the HFI-2400s. 
 
They really do compliment each other very well.  
 
Jul 29, 2012 at 2:05 PM Post #28 of 52
Quote:
Any comparison to Beyerdynamic DT-880 yet?

 
 
Yea DT880s are much harder to drive, much more comfortable and lighter, have better bass quality and extension, but not as much punch. Mids are about equal, with being slightly more forward on 880's. Highs are smoother on 880's as well, but it sounds more detailed and opened. And soundstage on 880's is bigger, but imaging now quite as good.
 
Aug 1, 2012 at 12:07 AM Post #30 of 52
Quote:
 
 
Yea DT880s are much harder to drive, much more comfortable and lighter, have better bass quality and extension, but not as much punch. Mids are about equal, with being slightly more forward on 880's. Highs are smoother on 880's as well, but it sounds more detailed and opened. And soundstage on 880's is bigger, but imaging now quite as good.

I am really tempted to get the HFI 2400 but I'm afraid the bass will be too much for me, and in that case are the DT 880 a better option? I don't want a boring sound, and I prefer imaging over soundstage. I listen mainly to folk and rock. Maybe the Grados SR325is are a good option aswell, but the HFI are at a really good price in amazon!
 

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