Kayito-san
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2009
- Posts
- 286
- Likes
- 10
Right now, I own 3 pairs of headphones: Grado SR225i, Ultrasone Pro 900s and Etymotic MC5s.
The latest purchase being the Etymotics. I can say with much enthusiasm that I've never been so impressed with a pair of headphones as I have been with the MC5s. For their price (I paid $103 even in Canada), they're phenomenal. I'm listening to Rostropovich playing J.S.Bach's Cello suites right now, and the texture alone is impressive to say the least. This of course raises a rather important question: why am I so impressed with a pair of $100 in-ear headphones when I own a pair of >$600 'top-tier', 'acoustically superior' Ultrasone Pros? When I bought the Ultrasones, I was assured they'd be really top-notch. This is a problem, because I think I've fallen out of impress with the 900s. This isn't to say they're not good headphones, they've served well, but I'm not hearing the accuracy that I should. I just don't know if I'm hearing from them what I should be.
Now, it may be ironic in fact that I like a very neutral, resolving and 'well-rounded' headphone. Admittedly, the Ultrasones are not neutral at all. When I first bought them I didn't know where my sonic preferences were. Now that I've learned a bit about my music-listening habits, and understand that Ultrasones may never give me a neutral presentation of music. But I still have hope for them. I listen to a disproportionately large amount of both classical and extreme metal. They're both highly complex genres of music, and I will say that no can I've ever heard has quite a propensity for complex drums as the Ultrasones. So, in the interest of hopefully continuing my love affair with the Pro-900s, I've decided that maybe all they really need is a good amp.
So, I'm reviewing my options. Since I am a student, I spend a lot of my time out of my home. Right now my most-used and most-loved music system is FLAC > Cowon S9 > Etymotic MC5s. I've tried using my Ultrasone headphones on the go and at home, and so far the sound quality is not enough of an improvement (debatably any improvement) over the Etys. But would a mobile headphone amp provide enough of an improvement for the Ultrasones' sound?
TL;DR: I do a LOT of mobile listening. I own a pair of Grado 225s, a pair of Ultrasone Pro 900s, and finally some Ety MC5s. My environment is too noisy to use the Grados basically ever, and the Ultrasones are purportedly 'God-tier' headphones, yet I still almost always prefer my measly Ety MC5s... would a portable amp be enough to upgrade my Ultrasones' sound? I was told Ultrasones are especially amp-sensitive.
The latest purchase being the Etymotics. I can say with much enthusiasm that I've never been so impressed with a pair of headphones as I have been with the MC5s. For their price (I paid $103 even in Canada), they're phenomenal. I'm listening to Rostropovich playing J.S.Bach's Cello suites right now, and the texture alone is impressive to say the least. This of course raises a rather important question: why am I so impressed with a pair of $100 in-ear headphones when I own a pair of >$600 'top-tier', 'acoustically superior' Ultrasone Pros? When I bought the Ultrasones, I was assured they'd be really top-notch. This is a problem, because I think I've fallen out of impress with the 900s. This isn't to say they're not good headphones, they've served well, but I'm not hearing the accuracy that I should. I just don't know if I'm hearing from them what I should be.
Now, it may be ironic in fact that I like a very neutral, resolving and 'well-rounded' headphone. Admittedly, the Ultrasones are not neutral at all. When I first bought them I didn't know where my sonic preferences were. Now that I've learned a bit about my music-listening habits, and understand that Ultrasones may never give me a neutral presentation of music. But I still have hope for them. I listen to a disproportionately large amount of both classical and extreme metal. They're both highly complex genres of music, and I will say that no can I've ever heard has quite a propensity for complex drums as the Ultrasones. So, in the interest of hopefully continuing my love affair with the Pro-900s, I've decided that maybe all they really need is a good amp.
So, I'm reviewing my options. Since I am a student, I spend a lot of my time out of my home. Right now my most-used and most-loved music system is FLAC > Cowon S9 > Etymotic MC5s. I've tried using my Ultrasone headphones on the go and at home, and so far the sound quality is not enough of an improvement (debatably any improvement) over the Etys. But would a mobile headphone amp provide enough of an improvement for the Ultrasones' sound?
TL;DR: I do a LOT of mobile listening. I own a pair of Grado 225s, a pair of Ultrasone Pro 900s, and finally some Ety MC5s. My environment is too noisy to use the Grados basically ever, and the Ultrasones are purportedly 'God-tier' headphones, yet I still almost always prefer my measly Ety MC5s... would a portable amp be enough to upgrade my Ultrasones' sound? I was told Ultrasones are especially amp-sensitive.
