Ultrasone HFI-780 an upgrade from Denon D1001k?
Jan 6, 2011 at 9:21 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

acegazda

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I have a pair of Denon d1001's from a couple yrs ago and I'm wondering how the ultrasone HFI-780 stacks up against it. It seems to me like some of ultrasone's "technologies" that they put into their hfi series are pretty gimmicky but i don't know because I've never listened to any of them. How is the sound signature in comparison to the Denons? As a side note, I'm confused on the differences between the hfi-580 through 780... it seems to me that the 580 is a bass focused pair of phones and the 780 is supposed to be a detailed, but still bassy headphone; thoughts? Thanks
 
Jan 6, 2011 at 2:52 PM Post #2 of 9


Quote:
I have a pair of Denon d1001's from a couple yrs ago and I'm wondering how the ultrasone HFI-780 stacks up against it. It seems to me like some of ultrasone's "technologies" that they put into their hfi series are pretty gimmicky but i don't know because I've never listened to any of them. How is the sound signature in comparison to the Denons? As a side note, I'm confused on the differences between the hfi-580 through 780... it seems to me that the 580 is a bass focused pair of phones and the 780 is supposed to be a detailed, but still bassy headphone; thoughts? Thanks

 
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It really depends on what type of sound signature you prefer in headphones imo. While I haven't listened the hfi-580 that you briefly mentioned, I have owned the denon d1000, d2000, and ultrasone hfi-780. All of which were driven by either  2move or icon mobile. (see my profile for the equipment I previously owned)
 
I enjoyed the d1000 for its comfort, and somewhat warm sound signature. It had a pretty decent bass output and the highs never fatigued my ears. It was a headphone that I could listen to continuously for hours upon hours. However, as much as I enjoyed the comfort of the headphones, I eventually felt the need to upgrade because I was wanting more for my listening experience...but I didn't know what it was that I was seeking.
 
I decided to go up Denon lineup and upgrade to the d2000. It was also equally as comfortable as the d1000 and had a slightly less warm sound signature -- though I still felt it was nearly sennheiser-like in terms of warmness. I found the d2000 to be an upgrade over the d1000 in just about every facet of sound. The treble extended higher and was very crisp and presented just right imo. It worked very well with the bass that could extend incredibly low in comparison to any headphones I had previously owned. The mids were great, albeit slightly recessed in my ears. Overall, I'd have to say I completely agree with Katun's opinion of the d2000 in his review of the d2000 found  below.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/531496/d2000-vs-hd650-comparison-review
 
Though I loved the d2000 when I had them, I often found myself listening to my westone 3 more often. I finally realized what I wanted was a headphone that would be more forward and exciting to my ears. A headphone that would have more forward mids and bass that left more of an impact when it hit. After a 1.5 year hiatus from head-fi in which I sold off all of my equipment sans my westone 3 and sporta pro, I was given the perfect early Christmas gift of a pair of hfi-780. 
 
I can't tell you whether the hfi-780 will be as a big of an upgrade for you over the d1000 as it was for me because we may have different sonic preferences, but I can give you my impressions of the cans. There is a huge thread about the 780's which can be found through a quick search here. As much as I love these headphones, I can definitely see how they could be a "love it or hate it" type of headphone in terms of sound signature and comfort.
 
First off, the comfort of the hfi-780 is nowhere near the level of the comfort that denon headphones have. While I haven't experienced any clam pressure that most users complain about, I have found that the headband becomes pretty uncomfortable after awhile. It's just too narrow and hard to distribute pressure evenly over my head. So as a result, I feel a pretty concentrated pressure going along the top of my head. Now on to sound. As I said, what I wanted most out of my headphones was an exciting sound signature, and boy do the hfi-780's deliver. The highs and mids are much more forward than the denon series of headphones I previously owned. When listening to rock with these headphones, it really feels like you are on the stage with the band as they play. The denons would put me in the first few rows of the crowd. The highs and lows are the most noted things about these headphones imo. The highs are very bright in comparison to the d1000. Many feel that they are overly bright and sibilant -- though I haven't experienced much sibilance in mine. The bass delivers the impact that I've yearned for. Though I feel the d2000's bass can extend further, it doesn't give me that initial hard hit as well as the hfi-780 do. The hfi-780's are also very detailed headphones and reveal a lot of artifacts in some of the lower quality mp3 files I have. I have also been able to hear some things in songs that I had never previously heard before on my other cans. I haven't paid attention to S-logic and can't really offer an opinion on whether it is just a gimmick or not. I can say that in comparison to the d2000 I previously owned, the d2000 had a wider sound stage. It's been a bit too long for me to remember how the sound stage was on the d1000.
 
Overall, I'd say if you really enjoyed the warmness of your d1000 and want to stay true to that sound signature, the ultrasones might not be ideal for you. They would provide quite a contrast to the d1000, but you could possibly find it too big of a contrast in sound signatures to be enjoyable. I feel if you want a more relaxing can which you can listen to for hours upon hours without ever taking a short break from them, then I'd say you should stick with the denon lineup. However, if you are willing to sacrifice comfort for a more forward and, imo, exciting sound signature, then I'd recommend the hfi-780 as your next upgrade.
 
 
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Jan 6, 2011 at 3:54 PM Post #3 of 9
Thanks for the thorough reply; I have been reading up on mods for the hfi-780 and it seems like beyer dt250 pads make a big difference in comfort so I'll probably jump for those if I do end up upgrading. I do love my denons but the reason i wanted to upgrade was precisely what you stated about the exciting forward sound so thanks for affirming that. If anyone has any input on the differences in the hfi-580, 680 and 780 that would also be appreciated... ultrasone's site does a terrible job of comparing them
 
Jan 13, 2011 at 1:22 AM Post #4 of 9
So here is my situation; I'm considering either the Shure srh-840 for $120, the HFI-780 for $160 or the Denon D2000 for $198 (all shipped).
 
Shure:
pros: cheapest of the bunch, detailed unimposing sound, smooth mids
cons: may not deliver the amount of bass I want? Laid-back; some say boring
 
Ultrasone:
pros: bass! portable, good looks, supposed to be good all around sound, exciting sound sig
cons: may be uncomfortable, sharp highs, recessed mids?
 
Denon:
pros: best sound of the bunch, most comfortable
cons: most expensive, would need a better amp than the E5 I currently have, not (as) portable
 
can people comment on and/or correct any info I have above? I am currently leaning toward the HFI-780s based on the above considerations but I could be swayed if significant evidence is introduced. Thanks.
 
Jan 13, 2011 at 10:03 AM Post #5 of 9
I guess my debate boilds down to... HOW laid back are the shures... how harsh are the HFI-780s... will I be able to drive the d2000s with my E5 till I save up enough $$$ for another amp?

 
Jan 13, 2011 at 10:11 AM Post #6 of 9
I think you are about right on your comparisons.  The HFI-780s can be a little shrill at first but after a long burn in they smooth out. A great set for electronic music with the apparant lack of mids not noticable to my ears. I have been happy with them for 2 years now and would reccomend them (comfort was not an issue allthough they did clap a lot when new due to my large head but the loosen over time. The HF-780s have a good chunk of bass and 580s more so and I even considered side grading at one time.
 
With the shures The 750 DJs are a better choice over the 840s for bass punch, there is a good round up over at headphonia
http://www.headfonia.com/closed-cans-shootout-m-50-esw-9-t50p-hd25-1-beats-studio-srh-840-srh-750dj-k181dj-and-dj1pro/
If you want a good value can then they might be a winner.
 
I am looking to get some D2000 not to replace my 780's as they are used for my work cans but to have a closed back set for home to compliment my HD650s. The D2000 might be a better allrounder.
 
hope that helps
 
Jan 13, 2011 at 10:11 AM Post #7 of 9


Quote:
Ultrasone:
pros: bass! portable, good looks, supposed to be good all around sound, exciting sound sig
cons: may be uncomfortable, sharp highs, recessed mids?
 



I have a pair of the ALO-modified HFi-780s, so while I'm not sure how different the headphones are, I'd imagine that they're really close.
 
I find that the 780s really have recessed highs and forward mids, contrary to what you're saying. They never sound sibilant to me, which is good because I find them to be too aggressive in every other regard. Though it is exciting, I prefer the laid-back HD650s by a tremendous margin.
 
The 780s do drums amazingly well, excellent synth, but lose detail so I don't really like how textures can be lost (a subtle effect, but present).
 
Jan 13, 2011 at 9:53 PM Post #9 of 9
I was about to buy the HFI-780s but then I got to doing some more thread searching and I'm just wondering how good these will sound when I'm not listening to rock, pop and hip hop. I do like music from bands like metric, goo goo dolls, the fray, jack johnson... the like. Will the headphones be unlistenable with this kind of music?
 

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