ULTRASONE NEW ANNOUNCED HEADPHONE Signature Pro

[MuppetFace]

I was talking about MSRP, but in terms of deals they can both be had for around $1000 if you aren't adverse to making some phone calls. I believe some sellers have been posted around head-fi, and you can try calling some of the bigger name Amazon re-sellers too.
 
Personally I'm not sure if many of these budget sellers are actually authorized retailers, which makes warranties questionable.

 

[Ahzari]

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Only going to comment on the price because I haven't heard either, but where can I get the Ed8 for 850? I'll buy one right now.

Saw a used Ed8 on the head-fi for sale forums for $850 a few days ago

 

[MorbidToaster]

Saw a used Ed8 on the head-fi for sale forums for $850 a few days ago

Pft used.

I was really just arguing for the sake of arguing.

 

[raelamb]

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are you sure youre not falling into flavor of the month zone when saying sig pro is better than edition 8s. the edition 8s are better quality and part of the prestigious edition line, they wouldnt make a cheaper headphone sound better. the 8s have a magic to my ears that no headphone has matched

I only tried the ED8's once but felt there was a little too much emphasis on the highs and that the bass was a tad rolled off. The Sig PRO's are just exemplary throughout the sound spectrum. For me the ultimate complement I can pay them is that when I'm listening after I get over the first 5 minutes of "wow" they simply become invisible and I'm just enjoying my music.

 

[BoxBoxBox]

I will have to try it, it is just strange that when a new product comes, one of the most loved headphones on headfi people are treating like it's junk now, I still listen to Edition 8s every day

 

[shamrock134]

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one of the most loved headphones on headfi

 
I dunno, the Edition 8 seems to be like marmite; people either love it or hate it.

 

[wilzc]

When has the Edition 8 become the most loved headphone?
 
Its probably more hated than loved.
 
I love mine to death. But I accept that the SigPros..  to me..  are better ..  sonically..

 

[MuppetFace]

Yeah, the Edition 8 is very controversial. It's an Ultrasone after all.
 
I will say that it has been one of the most widely accepted of the Edition series. The Edition 9 on the other hand gets panned quite a bit as glamor-coated junk. The Edition 10 may very well be the most hated $2000+ headphone of all time. By comparison the Edition 8 is practically canonized, but it's still met with skepticism and outright hostility by plenty of head-fi regulars. It's perhaps the most well loved Ultrasone but by no means one of the most well loved headphones.
 
I also think most of the Signature Pro reviews have been pretty well balanced so far. Who is trashing the Edition 8, exactly? Most in this thread seem to agree that they're tuned differently enough to appeal to different tastes. In all of my impressions I've made it clear that the Signature Pro appeals more to me personally. Others have said similar things: the Signature Pros are more balanced, less bright, and so sonically preferable for them.
 
That's not exactly FOTMism at work. Even if we were raving about the Signature Pros and trashing the Edition 8, how many of us owners are there in this thread? Four? Five? Hardly a viral hype machine at work there.
 
If you want a clear example of FOTMism, I'd invite you to do a search for some of the earliest LCD-2 rev. 1 or ASG-1 threads.

 

[wilzc]

The Ultrasone Pro 900 seems to be the most universally loved ultrasone.

 

[MuppetFace]

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The Ultrasone Pro 900 seems to be the most universally loved ultrasone.

 
 
More people own the Pro 900, so more people are going to be fans of it. However I've also seen a wider range of opinions as a result. The Pro 2900 on the other hand is owned by fewer people, but there seems to be a more favorable ratio of satisfied owners compared to the Pro 900.
 
Seems to me like the Edition 8 is the only Ultrasone to be accepted by a semi-large contingent of people on head-fi as being "audiophile grade" so to speak. Several of the old guard have proclaimed it to be the only Ultrasone they like, others less flatteringly saying it's the only Ultrasone they can remotely tolerate.
 
Of course, the Signature Pro has yet to be widely heard.

 

[Audiowood]

Among all the headphones I have try so far, the LCD-3 and sig pro are the 2 best for most occasion. You can't go wrong with either..IMO

 

[Fegefeuer]

Just came back from the HIGH END in Munich. The Signature Pro is Ultrasones best product so far. I A/Bed with Edition 8 and 10. Both are under the Signature Pro, it is that well made. I would bother with the ED8 if you prefer the looks but tonality, musicality, performance-wise they are below the Signature Pro. Hooked up my mobile player as well and smiled happily. Told the Ultrasone guys how amazing the Signature Pro is in comparison. They know.
 
I actually asked about an open version and their engineers just laughed and smiled with a hint at the next HIGH END in 2013. Sooooo, who's looking forward to it? I really really hope they do it.

 

[MuppetFace]

An open version would be interesting, though I personally think one of the main selling points of the Signature Pro is that it's a truly closed, fully isolating flagship level headphone---something or a rarity in our hobby. In that sense it has little competition and is pretty much at the top of the heap. Moving over to an open design, it's going to have a lot of tough competition.

 

[Voohoo]

I will wait for the open equivalent of the Sig Pro. Or for the Edition 8/10 styled version. I don't like the "cheap" (yes, I know it's durable) and old design of the Sig Pro. It's the same as my old Senn HD 280s! It would feel weird for me to buy a ~$1000 headphone with this generic 3rd party design. And yes, I realize that Ultrasone purposefully went with this design for travel and studio use. I'm just saying it's not for me. And I'm sure others would love to see an open/luxurious Sig Pro equivalent too!

 

[Ahzari]

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I will wait for the open equivalent of the Sig Pro. Or for the Edition 8/10 styled version. I don't like the "cheap" (yes, I know it's durable) and old design of the Sig Pro. It's the same as my old Senn HD 280s! It would feel weird for me to buy a ~$1000 headphone with this generic 3rd party design. And yes, I realize that Ultrasone purposefully went with this design for travel and studio use. I'm just saying it's not for me. And I'm sure others would love to see an open/luxurious Sig Pro equivalent too!

 
I should to ask if you have actually held/demo'ed the Signature Pro, because they are nothing like the HD280s. Those Senns felt cheap, the Signature Pros on the other hand do not and thats because they have much better build quality. There is no creaking / no cheap plastic parts and very fine sheepskin leather; while it may not look expensive in photos, I think it feels the part in person, especially when comparing them to my experience with rather flimsy and expensive headphones like the HifiMan HE500 and Audeze LCD2 who's prices approach the Signature Pro. Stylistically though, to each his own, I too enjoy a nice lavish looking phone, but the Signature Pros have it down for what they are, and thats definitely not a HD280 clone in any sense.