[n-phect]

^^ yea i wouldn't call the pro 900s warm.  If you wants to be lulled asleep to some nice sounds, probably not the way to go (but probable because of detail)  If you want to rock out and get some dirTAY bass or some techy beats, these will get you on your feet.

 

[Sanctuary]

Quote:

I'll chime in quick.  I find it very easy to believe that there are people who will dislike this headphone, even find it to sound horrible.  Its hyper detailed, but has such an electronic signature that it can put people off, especially if they are looking for a neutral sound.  The bass is amazing however, and for EDM, its addicting.  I'm looking to try a few other bassy heavy phones, especially the XB1000, but as of now, these headphones fit my needs perfectly.  Closed, fast, bassy; they slaughter metal and electronic music.  Works for me 

I'll probably never fully believe in the "break-in" religion, but after 24 hours these definitely seem to sound much better to me.  I cannot equate that entirely to psychological effects either, or my mind simply "adjusting" to the sound signature, because I have a pair of Phonaks that I've had for a few months that I just cannot stand listening to at all. 
 
I'm not sure how I feel about your "metal" assessment though.  I don't think they sound bad overall, but they still sound slightly dirty with some vocals (i.e. classical vocals, not the shouty/screamo stuff).  Where it really shines though is the drumming, lead work and bass (listen to Iron Maiden, Tool or Opeth with them...).  I've been listening to my Opeth CDs for the last five hours, and I'd have to say that for the majority of their songs, these headphones are brilliant, although some of the highs still need to tone down.  I've always enjoyed treble, but some notes just sound like treble with it's own treble adjustment set to max.  When I first listened to a few of their songs yesterday, many of the vocals (especially the growling parts) just sounded too distant and muffled.  It's not as bad now for those parts--not yet "perfect", but definitely better.
 

Oh, and White Zombie's "More Human Than Human" is nuts with these.

 

[Jibbie]

I think you'll find amping them to improve their performance with Metal.  The Pro 900s will speed up noticeably, and all of the bassy "mud" and "boominess" will disappear.  This clears the way for vocals and lead guitar to come through a little more, and makes metal a pleasure to listen to.  I agree though, that they do better with the heavier, bass laden metal.  But like I said, these headphones aren't for everyone.  I enjoy them, and many do, but they're unique and I can understand if someone dislikes what they bring to the table.  
 
Listening (along with taste) has to be the most subjective sense humans have.  Not everyone likes the same music, let alone the same sound signature in a headphone.  I am very eager to listen to the XB1000, and maybe give the D7000 another shot.  I'm lucky enough to know exactly what I want from a headphone setup, now all I need to do is narrow down the headphone selection.  For now, the Pro 900s are performing admirably.  

 

[Ultrazino]

The bass is still ridiculously powerful. With some Tech N9ne tracks I think there's a train running through my neighbor's house!
Listening daily for 4 hours (for one month) with the PRO 900, I say burn-in is a myth! They were very harsh (or just too detailed) in the first hour, but after that NOTHING has changed!

Amping takes harshness out of the highs and the best way to get more forward mids is to play with the position. If I move the cups to the back of my head, the mids come out noticeably. I actually prefer if they're more recessed most of the time, though.

My pair came with two black velours pairs and I also made sure to get the newest production because of the better cables. I don't care for the silver pads because I imagine them to muddy up the sound.
I love my PRO 900 the way they are! They are the most fun I can imagine - but sometimes I wish something smoother for relaxing (T1, DT880).

 

[shamrock134]

I think head size can help determine the bass you get and may explain some of the differences people experience.
 
I've got a small head, don't need to extend the headband at all and find the clamp is pretty light. Even slight pressure to the cups can make the bass go from just right to overpowering. If you have a larger head, tighter clamp and therefore better seal you'd probably get too much bass.

 

[Ultrazino]

If you're referring to me, I have a small head. I don't extend the headband at all and the clamp isn't tight at all. I think that's why I find them as comfortable. I don't notice much change in bass quantity but a more intimate soundstage if I increase pressure on the cups.

I'm not saying the bass is too much, but it definitely isn't balanced and just hits the limit of what should be allowed in regards to hifi at the price point, haha.

 

[shamrock134]

I wasn't really referring to anyone, it just seems the bass descriptions vary quite a lot. Some people find it too much, others are disappointed by it not being enough. Maybe it's just down to expectations then.

 

[BournePerfect]

Quote:

 I say burn-in is a myth! They were very harsh (or just too detailed) in the first hour, but after that NOTHING has changed!

 

 
Sanctuary, these are some of the most pickiest headphones I've ever worn where improper placement creates a dramatic shift in frequency response. That indeed explains some some of the tonal shifts a lot of people are experiencing, imo (disapperaing bass, etc).
 
-Daniel
 
 

 

[Roller]

Quote:

 
Sanctuary, these are some of the most pickiest headphones I've ever worn where improper placement creates a dramatic shift in frequency response. That indeed explains some some of the tonal shifts a lot of people are experiencing, imo (disapperaing bass, etc).
 
-Daniel
 

Precisely. It's absolutely essential to find their sweet spot, as it affects both tonal balance, panning, and even sound width.

 

[Sanctuary]

Quote:

 
Sanctuary, these are some of the most pickiest headphones I've ever worn where improper placement creates a dramatic shift in frequency response. That indeed explains some some of the tonal shifts a lot of people are experiencing, imo (disapperaing bass, etc).
 
-Daniel
 
 

I guess you're just preemtively replying to something you expect me to post?  You're quoting someone else.

 

 

[BournePerfect]

Yeah my face was for the guy who experienced burn in first hand then denied it the second. The improper ear/cup placement though, provides yet another good reason why these headphones should never be considered for portable use, since they have very weak clamping force, hard to drive, huge cups, etc.
 
-Daniel

 

[Ultrazino]

I'm not saying the harshness vanished with a one hour burn-in. I'm saying it's just a matter of getting used to. For me, it just took just one hour, thats why I didn't notice any change after that.

 

[Volta]

Hi guys,
 
about to pull the trigger on the pro900s....got a couple of questions.
 
1) I'm in the UK. Is ordering from 'buyauthorized' likely to incur any customs charges?
 
2) Amps. I'm looking at the ZERO dac/amp and the AUNE. Will these do a decent enough job? Any other recommendations? thanks
 
zero - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/09-NEW-VERSION-ZERO-24-192KHZ-DAC-HEAD-AMP-USB-OPA2604-/110606578667?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c0aa73eb
 
aune - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUNE-HIFIDIY-NET-Mini-USB-DAC-Headphone-Amp-MK2-SE-/350241031685?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers&hash=item518bfe0605

 

[BournePerfect]

Well I never got used to the harshness (treble-wise) after a thousand hours of burn in-it was the other frequencies that improved. Oh and there's no scientific proof for brain burn in-suck it haters!

 
-Daniel

 

[Sanctuary]

Quote:

Well I never got used to the harshness (treble-wise) after a thousand hours of burn in-it was the other frequencies that improved. Oh and there's no scientific proof for brain burn in-suck it haters!

 
-Daniel

Then I'll definitely need to find an amp that causes some serious high roll-off, unless the mids actually "improve" enough so that I can stop having to turn up the volume loud enough to make dialogue actually listenable--this really causes highs to physically hurt my ears.  I have zero issues with the bass though.  I actually enjoy it quite a bit, it's just that the highs make these not very nice to listen to at "adequate" listening levels for me.  I'm also hesistant on opening them up and adding felt or whatever.  It may tone down the highs, but people are saying it also affects everything else as well, and not necessarily in a good way.
 
It really depends on the game, but usually most games don't have enough dialogue to where the mids on these would be a negative, and you don't need to turn them up as loud so that the highs would hurt your ears.  So far for games, these are pretty nice, but the headphones I was after were for movies and games, and so far they aren't even any better than what I had been using as a whole.  The bass is incredible for action movies, yet I can barely hear anyone speaking clearly unless I turn it up--and then the highs just kill me.  It's not even the tone either, that doesn't bother me.  It's that they are simply just that loud and piercing.  Honestly, I have no idea what Ultrasone was thinking--were these made for people with less than average hearing?

You also talk about them being sensitive to positioning.  Ok, sure--somewhat.  The extent on which it matters though in all honesty is irrelevant.  To get a major shift you have to actually shove the headphones backwards in such a way that it's pressing hard against the front of your ears so that the drivers are closer (a lot closer to center).  This causes the highs to get super high, and the mids are also a lot more audible.  The reverse of this happens when you shove them forward so that they are pressing the back of your ears forward.  Problem is, you get neither scenario happening when you simply wear them normally, and no discenible effect really happens with slight adjustments.  Maybe if your ears are super small, but mine are average.