[michaelbe3]

I confess, but I know little of high end cans wnd also whther price makes a lot of difference..I listened to the sony xb headphones and was pleasantly surprised with the bass...But...is the Ultrasone HFI-780 S-Logic headphones much better in bass and every range...? I hope for the real audiophiles, that they don't find this question very simplistic but is it worth spending the xtra amount of cash??

 

[warrior05]

Unfortunately, when it comes to such a highly subjective hobby such as this, there is no definitive answer to your question other than only you can decide whether the price difference is worth it. Sony's XB 'phones are fun and uber comfy. Are the Ultrasones better? They certainly offer much more controlled bass, tighter presentation overall as well as soundstage that belies their size but they also are very aggressive sounding. Not everybody likes their strong presence in the highs. Personally, I find them too harsh sounding and actually prefer the 580 and 680.

There is quite the price difference between even the upper XB model and, say, the HFI-580. If they are worth that extra money is really your call. I will say this, if you plan on listening to nothing but lossy recordings at a lowish bit rate from a DAP then the Ultrasones might not be worth it. As you climb the Head-Fi ladder, source and typical listening environment play a large part in determining if it is worth opening the wallet wider for a pair of headphones.

 

[michaelbe3]

thanks for your input warrior 05. I can afford the hFI 580 but also will listen to low bitrate so I value your opinion...

 

[warrior05]

You will find that higher end headphones bring out the deficiencies of low bitrate lossy files. They will sound kind of flat and you might wonder what the big deal is with expensive headphones. But take the same recording and listen to it at, say, V0 or lossless from an excellent source and then you will understand. Then you will be hooked by the sickness.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelbe3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I confess, but I know little of high end cans wnd also whther price makes a lot of difference..I listened to the sony xb headphones and was pleasantly surprised with the bass...But...is the Ultrasone HFI-780 S-Logic headphones much better in bass and every range...? I hope for the real audiophiles, that they don't find this question very simplistic but is it worth spending the xtra amount of cash??

I have both the HFI-780 and XB500.

The XB500 certainly has more bass, it's deep and it hits hard. With a little EQ to clean up the mid-range they are certainly good sounding headphones that improve even further on an amp. Direct from source be it my soundcard or Zune the bass doesn't extend as far and is much more sloppy.

The HFI-780s are much brighter sounding, extremely detailed and fast. The bass is more like that of a good sub woofer that strikes fast and hard but only when called for. The headstage is what sets these cans apart from everything else I've heard, really involving.

Is it worth the extra cash? Well that depends... do you have a decent source/amp? - if you do then absolutely buy the Ultrasones - otherwise buy the Sonys and use the extra cash for an amp/DAC.

 

[sfxjames]

graphicism which one would you prefer using with dolby headphone?

 

[Graphicism]

Ultrasones, love the 5.1 setup with them. I only use the XBs occasionally for D&B and the likes.

 

[sfxjames]

how bad is comfort issue, a lot of people say 780s are uncomfortable?