[LoveAndHonor]

haloxt >> Well, I've been going back and forth with the seller and he said he would ship the missing pieces to me but eventually he told me that Ultrasone ship them to him without the adapter and silver velvet pads. The box included a pair of extra black earpads (instead of silver/grey) but no adapter. Other than that, it was brand new. I've been complaining to him but then I realized his feedback on eBay is really high so I'm not sure if he's really lying about that.
 
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On Kees Mod: after removing the metal plate, I'm lost on what to do, especially with the cotton wool. Some people said they put the entire circle, others said they only put the part that doesn't cover the holes. I know it must be such an easy mod and that's why I might be the only one around here not getting it right at all. Is the soundstage affected by the mod? If so, how?
 
Also, I found someone who did it in a different way. Has anybody tested this ?
http://www.sgheadphones.net/index.php?showtopic=10383&mode=threaded&pid=119983 (4th post)
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by tisb0b /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 
@LoveAndHonour: I have no idea what you aren't understanding with the mod just look at the pictures and go from there: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/396267/how-bright-is-an-ultrasone-pro-900/60#post_5248583 
  
 

 

[tisb0b]

You stick the felt pad randomly on the cup then you just place the cotton pad in there and screw it all up. 
 
Quote:

On Kees Mod: after removing the metal plate, I'm lost on what to do, especially with the cotton wool. Some people said they put the entire circle, others said they only put the part that doesn't cover the holes. I know it must be such an easy mod and that's why I might be the only one around here not getting it right at all. Is the soundstage affected by the mod? If so, how?

 

 

[haloxt]

LoveAndHonor, it is the reseller and manufacturer's business if the adapter is missing. The product page says there is an additional silver earpad set and adapter, and it ought to include it. I guess you don't have to ask for additional silver pads since you got additional black pads instead, but you should ask for ~$5-10 back for the missing adapter since you have to purchase it yourself now. Simply letting it drop is unacceptable to me for headphones that cost so much.
 
Was your pro 900 advertised as brand new? If so, I would also check to make sure there is still plastic covering each earcup, and nothing seems used and no visible grime or rust or anything when you remove the earpads, because I get the feeling it was a refurbished pro 900, or a used one.
 
Mod your pro 900 however you want, I think Kees' descriptions on how to mod is a good starting point, but you can mod it to your taste. You may even cover all 5 upper holes for a very direct sound. I opened all 5 holes for a more diffuse sound.

 

[Kernmac]

LoveAndHonor- The updated accessories:-Both switch pads are now black and cables include one long 3m coiled 1/4 Neutrik plug, and one short 1.5m terminated with 3.5 or 1/8 plug., plus CD.  That is it. Silver pads have been replaced by extra black pair and there is no adpater as the shorter straight cable has 1/8 plug and the longer coiled cable has 1/4 plug.
 
Hope that helps. 

 

[LoveAndHonor]

Quote:

LoveAndHonor, it is the reseller and manufacturer's business if the adapter is missing. The product page says there is an additional silver earpad set and adapter, and it ought to include it. I guess you don't have to ask for additional silver pads since you got additional black pads instead, but you should ask for ~$5-10 back for the missing adapter since you have to purchase it yourself now. Simply letting it drop is unacceptable to me for headphones that cost so much.
 
Was your pro 900 advertised as brand new? If so, I would also check to make sure there is still plastic covering each earcup, and nothing seems used and no visible grime or rust or anything when you remove the earpads, because I get the feeling it was a refurbished pro 900, or a used one.

 
 
Thanks haloxt and Kernmac, I really appreciate it. That is very true and I wouldn't let it drop that easily too. I mailed people who bought the Ultrasone from this seller and people who replied to me got the exact same set (headphones + black earpads and no adapter). They also wondered the same thing but the Ultrasone site says it is packaged without adapter. I don't know since when but it seems Ultrasone brought some changes to the packaging of the Pro900.

The set I received was advertised as brand new (it said 2010 model, showed the official picture from Ultrasone with the adapter but wasn't written in the auction listing): it had the plastic covering the earcups and no trace of rust and I saw no hint of a refurbished unit. The headphones case was top-notch and the demo CD in the cardboard case was factory-sealed. I guess there won't be any refund, however small it may be, but I purchased them at a fairly good price so I consider myself even... (EDIT: I got $15 back from the seller, yay! (look for north-america on eBay, they still have a couple Pro900 at a very good price).
 
About the mod: I'll need a new screwdriver. The one I have is too small for me to apply decent pressure on it as these headpones have very tight screws!

 Thanks for the advice, tisb0b: I'm not confident about it but I'll report back when I'm done with the mod. If successful I'll be playing around with the cotton wool and the holes to see what kind of effects I can get.

 

[tisb0b]

I was extremely nervous the first time I opened them up but a few months later when I decided to remove some of the cotton I didn't feel nervous at all. 
 
Quote:

tisb0b: I'm not confident about it but I'll report back when I'm done with the mod. If successful I'll be playing around with the cotton wool and the holes to see what kind of effects I can get.

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

What kind of screwdriver is needed to open up the Pro 900s? A very small philips or something other than that?

 

[oqvist]

LoveandHonor I would gladly replace my old Pro 900 for yours. At least if it still comes with that handy hard case.
 
The adapter that comes with it make it impossible to use the Pro 900 as a portable because sooner or later you will break either the portable player or the adapter if you happen to sit on it. Makes more sense having the second cable with a 3,55mm connector and shorter.
 
I haven´t used the coiled cable much though.

 

[jpelg]

My PRO650's didn't come with an 1/8" adapter either, although the PRO2500's did. **shrug**
 
However, as oqvist mentions, it is not recommended to use it anyway as it puts undue strain on the portable player's headphone jack. Far better to use the Ultrasone iPod cable (which has a mini termination) or a Grado-type 1/4"->1/8" cable to avoid such strain.

 

[sferic]

Got my 900's about 2 weeks ago and I'm really happy with them. My preferred phones are my Grado PS1000's, but needed a closed set for when the household is "busy".
 
First got the HFI580's. Then got Pro750's.
 
After burn in, did a Kees'ish mod. Dynamat Extreme (with electrical tape covering the foil) in the circles and a small crescent on the metal plate. This really tightens up the bass. I also put a tiny amount of acoustic fiberfill to kill any standing waves & bring out the treble a hair. I'm pushing 50, and still I started with what I thought was just a little bit and on both cans opened them up twice to remove more of the fiberfill until they sounded right. If you are young and have great sensitivity to highs you might not need any fiberfill, but I firmly believe the Dynamat really improves the bass tightness - plastic is just not rigid enough as a housing material for good bass.
 
So, the 580's are AWESOME for techno/electronica. But switch to thick textured classical or subtle vocals, and they become a bit muddy. So I'd switch to the 750's depending on type of music.
 
Then I got the LDMKiii and rolled some tubes, and let's just say that machine is a miracle. My LC CuteBeyond with upgraded op amps (Burr Brown) and Supplier power source are in a drawer now. (DAC is Apogee Duet, needed inputs as well as outputs).
 
The HFI580's sounded better than ever with the tube amp, but the 750's became kind of hard to listen to.
 
Have to say the 900's are best of both worlds. Both highs & lows beat the 750's by a long shot. I was pretty skeptical because other than color, they look exactly alike. I wondered if the only difference was some resistor or capacitor or another messing with the freq response, but no, these are truly different.
 
I'd still give the 580's a slight edge on bass, there's just no substitute for those 50mm drivers. But the 900's come close enough where I don't have to switch at all anymore. The 750's have, sadly, become dust collectors. The HFI580's earn their keep as the best bass phones. And honestly, the treble is pretty damn great. Plus, they are easy to drive from any portable. (Pro series need more amplification). But the 900's are an incredible set of all round audiophile phones.
 
Not sure why so many folks think Ultrasones aren't good with tube amps. If the source is good, and you have the right model, they convey the soundstage & warmth really well. Having the PS1000's as a reference has been really helpful. The Pro 900's can't put you in a room with the musicians like they can, but it doesn't feel like going from a Mercedes into a 1992 Geo. They are comfortable, warm, and very involving with plenty of detail and some great thumping bass.
 
 

 

[tisb0b]

How do the Pro900's compare with the PS1000's in other areas?
 
Quote:

 
Not sure why so many folks think Ultrasones aren't good with tube amps. If the source is good, and you have the right model, they convey the soundstage & warmth really well. Having the PS1000's as a reference has been really helpful. The Pro 900's can't put you in a room with the musicians like they can, but it doesn't feel like going from a Mercedes into a 1992 Geo. They are comfortable, warm, and very involving with plenty of detail and some great thumping bass.
 
 

 

[sferic]

Good question. It's a different experience. I think it might boil down to the fact that music has evolved into 2 branches (and every combination imaginable). One is an acoustic phenomenon captured by microphones. Two is an electronic phenomenon (synthesized instruments, autotuned/chorused vocals, etc.). 
 
I remember when "Switched on Bach" came out (this was when cars were still made of wood academics still argued whether it could actually be considered *music*. 
 
Both types require a sound reproduction system that gets you closest to the original sound generation method. I think with acoustic music, open air headphones, electrostatic speakers, reproduction methods that take the physical space into account are necessary for getting you to that place. They bring the performers into your physical space, and the music will sound different depending on the room you are in, if you are outside, etc. For electronic music, you want to get as close as possible to those waveforms without any outside influence.
 
I think electronic music thru the 900 closed cans is sublime, thru the PS1000's it's a bit like seeing Jean-Michel Jarre live (except for the fireworks it's not quite the same intense plugged in effect that you want.) Likewise, hearing acoustic music thru the 900's (or probably any closed cans) takes away the air, the subtlety, the emotion. For example, the sound of fingers squeaking on strings is too sterile, too prominent.
 
That said, both phones do a great job on both, but in an ideal world, living by myself in a silent environment, I'd probably use the 900's for pop/electronica and the PS1000's for jazz/classical/vocals. And whatever your preference in closed/open headphones, I'd imagine this dichotomy holds up.
 
You really need at least 2 sets of phones, if not 10  There's no such thing as 1 size fits all at any price. IMHO (of course).
 

 

[Jibbie]

Can anyone tell me how these compare to Beyerdynamic's DT 990? 

 

[matthewh133]

Think I will take the plunge on these as soon as I can get my hands on either of the amps I've been looking for. Anyone here tried both the Pro 900s and the AD900s? I have the AD900s now but they lack detail in the low end, as well as the bass punch/quantity I love from the kick drum in my rock music.

 

[tisb0b]

I didn't post this review on head-fi but when I owned the Pro900's and AD900's I did write this review comparing the two, the bottom half is mainly the relevant area: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1363862 
 
Bottom line I think I found the Pro900's to be a clear step up from the AD900's.  
 
Quote:

Think I will take the plunge on these as soon as I can get my hands on either of the amps I've been looking for. Anyone here tried both the Pro 900s and the AD900s? I have the AD900s now but they lack detail in the low end, as well as the bass punch/quantity I love from the kick drum in my rock music.

@Sferic: Thanks for the impressions