[drmind]

Quote:

 
Interesting, I was listening to the sig pro's <- sansa Fuze on a long train journey, and found them a bit grating somewhere in the upper mid, lower treble area. Anyone else found that?

I think that's my expirience as well - I find sig pro's a bit stiff on the upper mid - lower treble region. I mostly listen to them from the iPhone and VAIO notebook.

 

[Stratok]

Alright imo these are much better than DT770pro in every way I can think of. Difference in bass is easily notable even to my mom who didn't know electronic music exists. Everything sounds more detailed compared to what Ive heard before and the sub bass is exactly what I was looking for. Worth the price I say 

 
It's hard to take these off. Had to skip school today for headphones.. what have I become.
 
 
 
edit: my first thoughts. Will post more later if you are interested of my super professional analysis. 

 

[fhuang]

Quote:

 
But are you going to use them at home? Or in a portable setting? Why go with an Ultrasone for the Home rig and not something like the Fostex TH900?
 
I've tried my Signature Pros with portables such as JDSLabs c421 and Leckerton UHA 6SMKII and also with my home amps Nuforce Icon HDP and Lehman Black Cube Linear and from ALL of them they sound excellent. Quite frankly, I like the pairing with my Leckerton MORE than I like it with the BCL...
 
So... basically what I'm saying is... don't expect to get all that much out of these Ultrasones just by changing amps... From the headphones I have, only the Senn HD600s and MrSpeakers Mad Dogs have benefit from ample raw power...

 
 
i don't like the th900 sound signature at all. 
 
 
and if you can't tell the sound from different amp and source.... well.....

 

[gelocks]

Quote:

 
 
i don't like the th900 sound signature at all. 
 
 
and if you can't tell the sound from different amp and source.... well.....

 
** Reading comprehension is overrated it seems ... **
 
Can you point me to the "extreme" differences you get with different amps using the Ultrasone Signature Pros? (NOT ANY OTHER HEADPHONES, just those...) Or maybe re-read what you quoted...

 

[revenge]

Sansa Fuse, iPhone, Vaio? People, these phones do provide a very nice experience with portables but they are high end enough to scale up with better sources. What do you expect from a Vaio or Sansa Fuse and have you heard a headphone that doesn't sound slightly digital and harsh from an iPhone, particularly with mp3 files?

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Sansa Fuse, iPhone, Vaio? People, these phones do provide a very nice experience with portables but they are high end enough to scale up with better sources. What do you expect from a Vaio or Sansa Fuse and have you heard a headphone that doesn't sound slightly digital and harsh from an iPhone, particularly with mp3 files?

 
The Classic line out is very good. THD competes with top-end DACs. Obviously dynamic range does not and I do prefer the tone of my Sabre-based UD100, but amped through the Meier Stepdance, the Classic is a fine portable source. It is nothing to blow one's nose at.
 
(I am not sure that this is disagreeing with you at all; just saying.)

 

[revenge]

I have an iPhone, a Sansa Clip, a Classic 5 and a Classic 6. However I also have a Dragonfly, a Hifiman HM801, a Naim DAC, a Naim CDX2, a Weiss DAC202. The better the source, the better the results. Compared to other Ultrasone's Signature Pro is probably the smoothest of the lot. If you find this one harsh Ed.8 will be a torment, Ed. 10 unbearable and 900 Pro a slice of hell.   

 

[drmind]

Quote:

Sansa Fuse, iPhone, Vaio? People, these phones do provide a very nice experience with portables but they are high end enough to scale up with better sources. What do you expect from a Vaio or Sansa Fuse and have you heard a headphone that doesn't sound slightly digital and harsh from an iPhone, particularly with mp3 files?

Tell me please where exactly I said that I listen to mp3s? Where exactly did I say that these hp sound digital? If not why do you post this kind of thoughts that were extracted from the depths of your imagination?
Regarding my vaio - I've compared it to iBasso DX100 when I had it, and this particular sound card is just slightly behind on overall performance level. But I guess you've listened to every notebook and know for sure that only external amps can sound right.
 
BTW do you know the difference between the sound signature of a hp and sound quality? I strongly believe that the sound signature can be determined without an amp dac silver made cables and other stuff. Though iPhone does not provide the quality of the home amps it does deliver a decent sound quality which is more than enough to determine whether the hp sound boomy, has sibilance or does the Monster Beats by Dr.Dre sound like a crappy hp. All of these and much more I can tell just listening to the iPhone. If I would want additional 10-30% of sound quality to be raised, I will definitely buy an amp, a dac or a high end player. But it will definitely not change my perception of the hp sound signature. Not one bit. Because all this additional stuff will improve the good sides of the hp sound and hopefully will try to hide the bad sides. But they will not be gone that's for certain.
 
So regarding the sound signature - which I was asked - yes, these HP do have a slight emphasis on the upper mid range - lower treble. And if you have some thoughts regarding how that can change with some $1000 amp - you're welcome to share you thoughts and observations.

 

[revenge]

You sound a bit harsh and offensive, like your headphones. Maybe you should calm down first, take a deep breath, relax. Now let's take your statements one by one. 
 
I have had many laptops in my miserable life. Talking about Vaio's, I will mention the three most recent: a FW31 made in China, a P21 and the top of the line business Z twenty something, carbon fibre, both made in Japan. The Z was a lovely machine, one of the best screens at the time, but a crap, tiny, distorted sound and a crap sound card. And I wouldn't say the other two were any better. Usable at best but nothing to write about. I got rid of them in the end not because of the sound but because I couldn't stand the amount of bloatware needed to keep a Sony machine running, the incredibly poor support, with driver upgrades once every few years if you were lucky to see any upgrades at all. The same thing with their media players, book readers etc. Very accomplished hardware, rubbish software.  
 
iBasso - I have yet to hear something decent manufactured by this company. I have had a few of their amplifiers / DAC's (don't ask me numbers, I really can't tell but I do remember maybe one of the worst of the lot - T10, highly acclaimed here), never been impressed. If anything they made my IEM sounding slightly better / weightier but with any proper, full size headphones they invariably degraded the sound. Mr Meier's creations, the iQube to give just a few examples are in my humble opinion in a different league.  
 
I think the sound signature of a headphone is more or less indistinguishable from its sound quality. You are free to dissect notions if it makes you feel better but harshness has as much to do with the sound signature as with the sound quality of a product. And having owned plenty of good headphones - including 900 Pro, two Edition 8's, T1, D7000, HD580, 600, 650, 800, K701, Grado - most of them up to and including GS1000, even toys like Aiaiai, B&W, plenty of IEM's including my current JH13 Pro etc, I think I have a pretty good idea about headphones generally and Ultrasone particularly. Which is not to say that my opinion is any better and more valid than yours. But...
 
Ed.8 sounded pretty bright and shrill from my Vaio sound card output, been there, done it. I don't have a Vaio anymore but since Sig Pro has a similar sound signature, I would expect similar results. Most Ultrasone headphones have a specific voicing, dividing opinions. Signature Pro however is probably the least Ultrasone-like and the most balanced, neutral, smooth headphone manufactured by the German company. You find Sig Pro bright or harsh or whatever, then maybe Ultrasone is not the brand for you.   
 
All Ultrasone headphones have a recessed midrange and an overall "V" shaped frequency plot and Signature Pro is no exception, therefore I strongly disagree with the "upper midrange" emphasis. However Signature Pro is less so than other Ultrasone headphones so it's not as striking (although still obvious). But purely for vocals, voices, Ultrasone would certainly not be my first choice.   
 
As to how certain things improve what, I have said it a million times. Garbage in, garbage out. Get the best source you can afford, then make statements. There is a reason why audiophiles don't use laptop outputs as sources in their systems and it's not snobbery. If you don't already know the reason, hopefully you will find out in time. The iPhone is also a pretty decent DAP but, sorry to report, my HDTracks FLAC's (I have the FLAC player installed in case you're wondering) sound no better than decent bitrate mp3's so the proof is in the pudding. And compared to, say, my Hifiman or bug (read Dragonfly) it sounds slightly metallic, digital, lean, harsh. So yes, I have all these toys, I can compare them, I can tell you first hand what is what. Can you try the Sig Pro on a DAC202 to see what you are missing?  
 
 
As for amplifiers, most "audiophile" amplifiers I've heard are not purely linear, transparent, "wire with gain" as they like to put it. Most of them implement various trickery to heighten and widen the soundstage, boost the bass, smooth the highs. With Sig Pro / Ed.8 you don't need quantity, they're both very efficient headphones and they hardly need any power at all (although more power always means better control) but the sound signature of certain amplifiers can compliment well their own sound signature.
 
Having said all this, I find Sig Pro one of the least harsh headphones I have heard to date and I'm not saying it because I like it, preferring in fact my Ed. 8 as I have stated before in another thread. Now I would like to hear opinions about Signature DJ please 

.

 

[AnakChan]

Before this bickering gets taken too far, I recommend you guys carry on the conversation in PM's.

Meanwhile back on topic, I've got a question for you new SigDJ owners. Do you also own the SigPros? I received the loaner SigPros & SigDJs & I'm sure mine are demo units (possibly from the show last weekend). I'm finding the two much more different than when I tried them out last Sunday. In fact the difference seems to be in the SigPro rather than the SigDJ. Last week I would have said that they had different signatures with various emphasis in the frequency responses. Now with these sample units, it's almost one is more superior over the other (won't say which until I have a greater listen).

SigPro/DJ owners, what are your findings??

 

[thisismyname]

Quote:

Before this bickering gets taken too far, I recommend you guys carry on the conversation in PM's.
Meanwhile back on topic, I've got a question for you new SigDJ owners. Do you also own the SigPros? I received the loaner SigPros & SigDJs & I'm sure mine are demo units (possibly from the show last weekend). I'm finding the two much more different than when I tried them out last Sunday. In fact the difference seems to be in the SigPro rather than the SigDJ. Last week I would have said that they had different signatures with various emphasis in the frequency responses. Now with these sample units, it's almost one is more superior over the other (won't say which until I have a greater listen).
SigPro/DJ owners, what are your findings??

 
IMO the Sig Pro and DJ need some burning
and their sound changes from time to time throughout the burning (well no change for their signature, but you may find the loudness at each frequency changes and some more...)
 
you may put the headphone(s) on, running the same song/album for few hours and you'll find the song sounds better.
 
Yesterday, I tried the ultrasone IQ
actually it's signature is similar to the signature pro I've had
I suggest to those who like signature pro's sounding, and would like to have something easier to drive and more portable

 

[AnakChan]

I'm pretty sure the loaner is a demo that's been quite burnt in (or at least the scuff marks seem to indicate). Regardless I further left both the SigPros & SigDJ burning in overnight last night.

As a side note, I've almost always had inconsistent impressions of the SigPro demoing it numerous times this year. As in the SigPro thread some members there have even speculated inconsistent manufacturing QC but I'm not so convinced yet.

 

[revenge]

Quote:

I'm pretty sure the loaner is a demo that's been quite burnt in (or at least the scuff marks seem to indicate). Regardless I further left both the SigPros & SigDJ burning in overnight last night.
As a side note, I've almost always had inconsistent impressions of the SigPro demoing it numerous times this year. As in the SigPro thread some members there have even speculated inconsistent manufacturing QC but I'm not so convinced yet.

I've had two Signature's Pro. The first was sent back after a week. It had more or less the same sound signature but the second unit is more of everything, more refined, more detailed, more involving. I would speculate, or just notice that the first had a stiffer, thicker, greyish leather while this one has softer, thinner, blackish pads and headband (the headband is so soft that is now wrinkled while the other one was more solid, cardboard like). Please keep in mind that, since I had them weeks apart and not side by side, it could very well be just my imagination. But I am pretty sure it is not. Edition 8 - the same story. I sold my wonderful "regular" Ed. 8 to get the limited edition but guess what: the LE sounds different again, this time the other way around. While preserving the same overall sound, it is slightly less involving, open, refined. It is also less hot in the treble, a slightly softer, mellower and not as fun presentation. It is maybe worth noting that my first Ed 8 had a similar problem with this new Sig. Pro, the leather was so soft that the headband developed some funny creases and it was sent back and redone. Nothing like it on the new one so, maybe, another case of thicker, stiffer leather? Again, it is pure speculation but may I remind you that the problems reported with Ed.10 were, eventually, blamed on the leather pads. Considering my first hand experience, I wouldn't be surprised. 
 
Now sorry people but can you write anything meaningful about these new headphones, in plain English? I am an Ultrasone fan, I loved my old Ed. 8, I like Sig Pro, I hated 900 Pro and I would like to know which way is this DJ going. Is it tuned to be rather neutral like the Sig Pro, fun and exciting like Ed. 8, hot and brash like 900 Pro - is it too much to ask to just write down your early impressions?   

 

[daniel521]

Quote:

I'm pretty sure the loaner is a demo that's been quite burnt in (or at least the scuff marks seem to indicate). Regardless I further left both the SigPros & SigDJ burning in overnight last night.
As a side note, I've almost always had inconsistent impressions of the SigPro demoing it numerous times this year. As in the SigPro thread some members there have even speculated inconsistent manufacturing QC but I'm not so convinced yet.

Perhaps it's because of the S-logic. The placement of the headphone is really important on your ears, so you might have placed them in different positions while listening to them. Do you think that's the cause of the inconsistencies?

 

[AnakChan]

Quote:

Perhaps it's because of the S-logic. The placement of the headphone is really important on your ears, so you might have placed them in different positions while listening to them. Do you think that's the cause of the inconsistencies?

 
Nah, not that. I've owned the Ed8LEs for 9 months and am familiar and have grown accustomed to Ultrasone S-Logic ear placement. So rules that out. I'm going to take the SigPros to the shop tomorrow and test it against another SigPro to see if the one the distributor loaned me's dodgy. If it is, then my SigDJ impressions/review won't have a reference, that's all.
 
Talking about S-Logic, this may interest you guys (yes I was attempting to do some SigPro/SigDJ testing today - but ended up taking pix instead) :-
 
 

L: SigPro    R: SigDJ 
The SigDJ opening is much bigger than the SigPro - I'm sure it's not just 'cos of the driver size difference but for other sonic tuning too (the bass, etc.).