[Seanmike]

Bought the 900's along with the Fiio E07K about a month ago through Amazon. First pair were defective (loose part in the left ear piece which caused it to rattle, anything under 50hz.) Amazon sent out a replacement. Had them for about a few weeks and the right speaker went out. Another defective product. Im not placing blame on either the brand or Amazon. 
I was pretty happy with them, but some of the main cons on these headphones got to me. The unforgiving nature of these headphones ruins the listening experience for me with some of my music. The sibilance got to me as well. But with some music they sounded fantastic. 
I have a pair of KRK 8400, which are flat monitoring headphones. Powered by the E07k with the Treble 2 and the Bass 8-10 they sounded quite nice! Made me realize how much I miss having the mid range. Especially with EDM/Dubstep, the kicks and snares are so PUNCHY. I feel like I was enjoying those more than I did the 900's.
So needless to say, I refunded the 900's. 
 
Now Im back on the market for some different headphones, to replace them.
My price range is between $300-$400  
Closed-Open back are fine. They're only being used for home use.
Ill be sticking with the E07k for an amp.
Genres: R&B, EDM/Dubstep, Hiphop, some Rock/Metal.
 
A couple headphones have popped up in my research such as the HE-400 and Beyerdynamic 880-990. Just wanted to get some feedback on these, and even some recommendations for other headphones.

 

[obobskivich]

Not that I expect you want an Ultrasone as a recommendation, but I'd suggest the PRO2900 to be quite honest. Yes you'll get your mids back, but you'll retain some of the punchy flavor of the 900 (the 2900 are like the 900 after being told to "tone it down" - and it's for the better imho). They're still bassy, they're still fast and detailed, but they aren't as extremely v-curved as the 900.

No idea about the other three - I've continually heard over the years that the 990s are a fairly v-curved headphone, but for all I know they're n-shaped; never touched a pair.

 

[Tsujigiri]

Well that's disappointing. That's the first I've heard of the Pro 900's being really fragile.

 

[Seanmike]

Quote:

Not that I expect you want an Ultrasone as a recommendation, but I'd suggest the PRO2900 to be quite honest. Yes you'll get your mids back, but you'll retain some of the punchy flavor of the 900 (the 2900 are like the 900 after being told to "tone it down" - and it's for the better imho). They're still bassy, they're still fast and detailed, but they aren't as extremely v-curved as the 900.

No idea about the other three - I've continually heard over the years that the 990s are a fairly v-curved headphone, but for all I know they're n-shaped; never touched a pair.

Thanks for the response. The Pro2900 are out of my price range. $400 is even pushing it.

 

[Seanmike]

Quote:

Well that's disappointing. That's the first I've heard of the Pro 900's being really fragile.

Yeah, I bought a pair of the ultrasone HFI-580 through Amazon, had them for over a year with no issues. Maybe just a stroke of bad luck. But after having the 900's for a while I just wasnt completely satisfied with them. 

 

[Povell42]

I am looking into the Pro 900s.  But it is not very clear as to why they are so much more expensive then the other headphones like the HFI line.  I will be mainly using them for PC gaming of all genres with a Sound blaster Zx sound card.
 
I can see that the Pro 900 may not be ideal for audiophile music in many genres, but has anyone used them for gaming?   What interests me in the Pro 900's is the highly reviewed bass...with the so called wider sound stage of the S-Logic design.
 
However, I am not sure if the audio differences in the Pro 900 justify the price increase for gaming audio.  Any thoughts, suggestions? 
 
I think I am set on the Ultrasone brand because they are a closed back headphone that supposedly retains a decent sound stage with the S-Logic tech.
 

 

[Tsujigiri]

Quote:

I am looking into the Pro 900s.  But it is not very clear as to why they are so much more expensive then the other headphones like the HFI line.
 

Well part of it is likely due to the accessories the Pro 900's come with. There's an extra cable, a case, and spare pads, which total to $185 if you bought them separately from the Ultrasone site. The HFI's just come with a bag and adapter I think. I'm not sure how they compare soundwise because I have not heard the HFI 780's.
 
OP: Most users who have heard both say the DT990 has punchier bass than the DT880. But Beyer is famous for a treble spike, so that may be an issue. Also, as obobskivich noted, they have a v-shaped response compared to the highly neutral DT880's.

 

[obobskivich]

Thanks for the response. The Pro2900 are out of my price range. $400 is even pushing it.

Wait, how much do the PRO2900 cost today? h34r:

I am looking into the Pro 900s.  But it is not very clear as to why they are so much more expensive then the other headphones like the HFI line.  I will be mainly using them for PC gaming of all genres with a Sound blaster Zx sound card.

I can see that the Pro 900 may not be ideal for audiophile music in many genres, but has anyone used them for gaming?   What interests me in the Pro 900's is the highly reviewed bass...with the so called wider sound stage of the S-Logic design.

However, I am not sure if the audio differences in the Pro 900 justify the price increase for gaming audio.  Any thoughts, suggestions? 

I think I am set on the Ultrasone brand because they are a closed back headphone that supposedly retains a decent sound stage with the S-Logic tech.

 

The PRO900 are a lot of fun with gaming, but the HFI-2400 will get you most of the way there for a little less money (they run around $200, vs ~$300 for the 900). The PRO900 cost more than most other Ultrasones because along with the 2900, they're top-of-the-range until you get into the special edition stuff.

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

Thanks for the response. The Pro2900 are out of my price range. $400 is even pushing it.

$400?  They are currently $549.95 on amazon new.  Is that way overpriced currently? Where did you get the $400 price?

 

[Tsujigiri]

Strange, despite having the same list price, Amazon consistently shows a much higher price for the Pro 2900's than the Pro 900's...

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

Wait, how much do the PRO2900 cost today?

The PRO900 are a lot of fun with gaming, but the HFI-2400 will get you most of the way there for a little less money (they run around $200, vs ~$300 for the 900). The PRO900 cost more than most other Ultrasones because along with the 2900, they're top-of-the-range until you get into the special edition stuff.

I think I am attracted to the bass of the Pro 900?  I am not sure though....I'm kinda new to headphone audio and I am discovering my personal preferences.  But I can tell you that i love nice sub-woofers in a speaker set up for gaming and movies.  I have heard the 2400 have less bass and are the HFI 550 but open backed.  But I do not know how the 550s are either so that did not help me that much either. 
 
I recently bought a Buttkicker BK-GR as a silent sub-woofer and love it.  It made me realize that I want to hear more bass from my headphones to match what I can feel.  ( I currently use the Superlux HD668b)  I just don't want to spend literally twice as much if the HFI 780 was very similar in sound to Pro 900.  Does it justify the larger price for gaming?  I know the 900 is suppose to be technically better and have more bass.  Just curious if someone has auditioned both of them in a gaming environment.  
 
You said the Pro900 is a lot of fun for gaming.  Have you used them for gaming yourself?  If so, what setup did you use it with?  Did you play with a virtual surround sound card, or in stereo mode? 

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

Strange, despite having the same list price, Amazon consistently shows a much higher price for the Pro 2900's than the Pro 900's...

Yeah, I see that now that you mentioned it. That is weird.  Maybe they don't have as many in stock.  Supply/Demand effect.  It seems like that is the way amazon does their pricing.  It is almost like they are the stock market for consumer product purchases.

 

[obobskivich]

$400?  They are currently $549.95 on amazon new.  Is that way overpriced currently? Where did you get the $400 price?

The 2900 were $400-$450 with relative frequency not long ago...

Strange, despite having the same list price, Amazon consistently shows a much higher price for the Pro 2900's than the Pro 900's...

Today they do; they used to run pretty close (the 900 have come down and the 2900 have gone up h34r. That kinda sucks.

I think I am attracted to the bass of the Pro 900?  I am not sure though....I'm kinda new to headphone audio and I am discovering my personal preferences.  But I can tell you that i love nice sub-woofers in a speaker set up for gaming and movies.  I have heard the 2400 have less bass and are the HFI 550 but open backed.  But I do not know how the 550s are either so that did not help me that much either. 

No idea about the "open HFI-550" comment - but the 2400 are a fine headphone. They aren't as bassy as the 2400, but bass isn't everything, and they have a smoother top-end. Have you heard any of these?

I recently bought a Buttkicker BK-GR as a silent sub-woofer and love it.  It made me realize that I want to hear more bass from my headphones to match what I can feel.  ( I currently use the Superlux HD668b)  I just don't want to spend literally twice as much if the HFI 780 was very similar in sound to Pro 900.  Does it justify the larger price for gaming?  I know the 900 is suppose to be technically better and have more bass.  Just curious if someone has auditioned both of them in a gaming environment.  

You will never "feel" the bass from a headphone. My advice would be to integrate the Buttkicker with your headphone system, and get headphones that extend relatively low; the PRO900 and HFI-2400 should both satisfy that imo. Then you'll have tactile feedback + headphones (and the whole sub + headphones or tactile LFE + headphones thing has been done before, if you dig around the computer audio section there's probably some threads about it and hooking it up; or I can explain if you're stuck).

You said the Pro900 is a lot of fun for gaming.  Have you used them for gaming yourself? 

If I hadn't used them, I wouldn't be talking about them. I've owned all three Ultrasones I'm talking about here, and used all of them for gaming. The PRO900 are the most "fun" because of the bass boost, the 2900 are the "best" overall (because you get the speed/accuracy of the 900, pleasant bass impact, and better comfort (the pads are thicker + they breathe due to being open)), the 2400 are the best value at ~half the price of either of the PROline models (and they include relatively similar accessories).

If I had to rank them:

Most Fun:
900
2900
2400

Most comfortable:
2900 / 2400
900

Most accurate (positioning):
2900
900
2400

If so, what setup did you use it with?  Did you play with a virtual surround sound card, or in stereo mode? 

See my profile.

Yeah, I see that now that you mentioned it. That is weird.  Maybe they don't have as many in stock.  Supply/Demand effect.  It seems like that is the way amazon does their pricing.  It is almost like they are the stock market for consumer product purchases.

I'm really not sure what would've caused the 2900 price to jump - they aren't extremely popular (at least compared to the 900), and frankly I'm kind of surprised that the price has gone up. I think you're bang-on with the supply/demand thing, but I don't see a lot of "demand" on the 2900 (at least around here), whereas the 900 are probably one of the more popular Ultrasone models (and have been on GoldBox at least once recently).

 

[Povell42]

obobskivich.  Thanks for the detailed reply.  I have decided to get the Pro 900 for $295 on amazon.  Thank you for your ranking system on the headphones.  I may have bought the 2900 if they were not $250 more than the Pro 900 currently.  I will keep my eye on them to see if or when their price drops.
 
In regards to your statment: 
   "You will never "feel" the bass from a headphone. My advice would be to integrate the Buttkicker with your headphone system, and get headphones that extend relatively low; the PRO900 and HFI-2400 should both satisfy that imo. Then you'll have tactile feedback + headphones (and the whole sub + headphones or tactile LFE + headphones thing has been done before, if you dig around the computer audio section there's probably some threads about it and hooking it up; or I can explain if you're stuck)."
 
Reply:  I already have the buttkicker synced with my current headphones and I love it, except that I wish they had better bass.  And what you explained is exactly what I meant when wrote:
   
                      Quote: "It made me realize that I want to hear more bass from my headphones to match what I can feel."  (feel from the buttkicker)
 
 That is why I was interested in a great bass headphone that still keeps a decent sound stage.  And the Pro 900 fits that build from reviews. I think I will like them....Its a bummer the 2900 is so expensive right now.  Maybe one day I will be able to hear them and compare them with my Pro 900s.  Can't wait to get them in the mail later today!!

 

[Tsujigiri]

Let us know how you like them!