Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones hands-on and impressions
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 17th 2009 12:45PM
posted Jul 17th 2009 12:45PM
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Make no mistake, these cans are for audiophiles (affluent ones, at that) only. We mean, $1,500 headphones are hard to justify regardless of your salary, but those obsessed with hearing only the best have proved time and time again that they'll pay absurd quantities of cash in order to do so. At any rate, we have to admit that the fit and finish here really shines. Every square millimeter of these just scream precision and luxury, and the materials chosen for construction are just delightful to the touch. The headband and earcups are soft and supple, and the extensions on both sides were easy to adjust. We'll confess -- we weren't huge fans of the chrome cup exterior, as our fingerprints managed to mar the shine within a few seconds of looking things over. The cabling that extends down is nothing too fancy, and while we're sure it'll hold up just fine, we honestly expected something a bit more extravagant given the price.
Frankly, the earcups are on the small side. We got the feeling that Ultrasone built these to barely fit around one's ear in order to provide maximum isolation from outside noise, but in practice, it's a design that will very likely irritate wearers after an extended period of time. While testing, our head and ears were perfectly comfortable for around 1.5 hours (and noise from the outside was essentially nonexistent), but into the second straight hour of listening, we were finally forced to remove them due to noticeable discomfort. We made sure to tweak the headband and all, but we never could wear these for over three hours without having to give our ears a break. Granted, most listeners won't sit for three solid hours and listen to their headphones, but if any niche would, it'd be the hardcore audiophiles (read: the very segment these are targeting).
So, we know you're curious about the sound quality, and we have to say -- it's downright dazzling. We listened to these on everything from a janky $20 MP3 player to an iPhone to a Denon SACD deck, and one thing became glaringly apparent: if you're listening to lossy tracks through these, you'll know it. These are amongst the few cans we've ever tried where the detail was so great that you could literally tell a difference between sources. We heard background vocals and subtle instrumentation changes for the first time in jams that we'd been listening to for years, and we were simply astonished that actual head pain set in long before ear fatigue. The Edition 8s did a marvelous job of projecting the highs and mids in a way that really cut through, yet we never grew tired of hearing cymbal crashes and squealing vocals. "Clarity" was the one word that kept popping to mind when switching from track to track; it was almost as if the fog we'd been listening through on stock earbuds had finally been removed.
Though, for as well as the cans handled the highs and mids, we have to admit that we expected more from the bottom end. From the factory, the bass lines are nearly non-existent. We had to bust out the equalizer and boost the bottom frequencies to bring the bass more in line with the mids and highs, and in most instances, that sufficed. When given a little incentive, the Edition 8s handled kick drums and bass runs like a champ, but they didn't seem to get along so well with pulsing beats and electronic booms found frequently in the techno genre. In fact, we heard audible distortion in the bass frequencies alone on a number of occasions with the volume at around 40 percent, and while killing the EQ fixed the issue, it also removed the drive that's so crucial in these types of tracks.
All in all, we were absolutely impressed with the overall clarity and build quality of Ultrasone's new flagship headphones, but the quirks present weren't minor enough for us to totally forgive. If you're the type who listens exclusively to Johnny Cash, Nickel Creek and Dolly Parton, you've found your perfect cans. If your playlists contains artists such as LCD Soundsystem, M83 and Brothers, you should probably look for a set that's built to handle the low-lows a tad better. If you're somewhere in between, we'd say that you'll be thoroughly pleased with the output of the Edition 8s, but unless you've got boatloads of cash and a dearth of ways to spend it, we don't feel that these perform $1,300 better than, say, the also marvelous Audio-Technica ATH-A900s.
i still love my audio technikas
I had a very low end pair of on ear audio technika's. I must say for $15, I was very impressed with them. I was disappointed when I put them in my backpack and the plastic broke. If they made them that folded flat, I'd buy them in a heartbeat.
Too bad there's no popular music mastered in the last decade that even warrants $200 headphones. Thanks to dynamic compression, music is ruined before it ever reaches us. To make matters worse, record companies are going back and destroying their entire back catalogs with "remastering".
Ripping consumers off is bad enough, but now these jerkoffs are destroying artists' work and our entire musical heritage. FOR NO REASON.
Infocentral, that was stupid. Not everyone listens to 128kbs mp3s....
@King Luke III: Maybe before you spout off one of the stupidest things I've heard in a while and make yourself look like a complete ass, you'd take a minute to think of why someone would make such a post. Perhaps he's talking about the dynamic range compression that happens in recording studios or that audio engineers perform before a cd is pressed. Maybe Infocentral's knowledge of the audio world goes past your novice understanding of MP3s to where music is actually made and how it is distributed. Next time, think before you type.
On a side note, why is it that all these manufacturers these days think that shiny metal or chrome is the end all be all to design. I think these would look so much better, and be more functional, if they were in a brushed aluminum.
Wow, a Hard Rock glass from Guam. Who was visiting there? I used to live there for a few years back around 2000.
Wow, you're cool now.
@10minutehobo Every comment of yours is asshole-like.
You do understand that your life is not our fault, right?
Same Here! In fact the ONLY reason I clicked on the link is because of the Hard Rock Guam glass. I lived there as a kid and I'm dying to go back and visit some day. Hello fello guamanians...native or not!!
Had a cousin there in the Air Force. I collect HRC glasses so I couldn't resist getting him to snag one for me. I definitely want to go myself sometime!
To: Hell: Really? You've read all of my comments? Are you stalking me? :-/
I just find it silly people get excited over souvenirs.
i love my bose headsets... would get a new bose home theatre at this cost instead
Its people like you I feel sorry for, all caught up in the marketing hype of Bose to realize you can get something so much better for the same price. Bose isnt bad, they're just terribly over rated, home theatres included.
You can get better headphones for the same price that you are paying for Bose products.
The two guys above me are right, Bose headphones aren't all that great. I mean, $50 Porta-Pros and PX100 are arguably better than the $200 Bose around ear.
perhaps he was making a joke?
Hey totally off-topic, but, I own the Ultrasone HFI-580s!
I really like them more than my Grado SR125s in terms of comfort and the sound quality is just about the same -- except the lows have more oomph (but that's probably because the Grados are open air).
(On-topic below)
No need to spend a couple thousand when the lower end models would get the job done for $200 or less...
...well if these pretty things were put up as a Recession Antidote and you won 'em...
If I won these, I would frame them... I'm not entirely certain I could hear the difference between these and a $150-$200 set of phones...
Darren, is "wicked" going to become some engadget staple with your posts?
Engadget is located in New York- welcome to the Northeast dude. I'm willing to wager Darren has spent a fair amount of time in MA/New England.
Wicked pissah!
Don't let them get you down Darren.
New England FTW!
Well, welcome to the world of Head-fi, Engadget. =) We'll see how long it takes for you to break down and get a HD800 and some crazy amp.
I just got these:
http://www.trittontechnologies.com/products/TRIGA611.htm
They were a little over $100, but sound amazing! With individual channel control, (plus the fact that you can integrate with XBOX Live), the 8 speakers 1" from my head with considerable clarity allows me to laugh in the general direction of headphones that cost 15x as much.
Have a great day everyone!
what headphones have you heard "that cost 15x as much"? actually, what other headphones have you heard at all?
8 crappy little speakers are not equal to 2 quality drivers... "But I want surround" - then check out Dolby Headphone or other similar processing effects (Yamaha Silent Cinema).
There's a very good reason that you won't see any reputable headphone manufactures such as Beyer, Sennheiser and AKG integrating 8 drivers into their headphones. Because inevitably each of those separate drivers have to be cheaper than what could otherwise be afforded by a single driver/earphone setup, they end up sounding like tosh while offering no actual surround sound benefits over a standard full-sized headphone.
In other words, enjoy your toy.
I'm all for surround sound headsets... I just bought and reviewed a pair of Razer Megalodons and I am about to buy a set of Astro A40's to compare.
BUT, you are comparing apples with oranges my good man. Surround sound is great for games and immersion while you play, but they won't compare to a set of high end stereo headphones for music.
Good lawd did I strike a nerve?
@roosta.6: I have heard the Ultrasone Edition 9 set a few years back, Sennheiser HD800's and the like more recently. "actually, what other headphones have you heard at all?" Thats kinda dick? How about, "How many pots have you smokin?" - That's how your question sounded to me. Unfounded. Feel lucky I graced you with a response.
@Chad: "8 crappy little speakers are not equal to 2 quality drivers..." I'm starting to get the feeling that no one here has even tried the Trittons?
@RedSky: "In other words, enjoy your toy." Thank you! I have and will continue to do so.
For you guys up top, this was completely my opinion which I am more than entitled to. If you want to spend $1500 on some headphones, you go right ahead! My financials (girlfriend) prevents me from doing so. If I did, i highly doubt I would spend that much regardless, as the difference in sound is far less than the difference in price from what I currently use. Nothing is stopping you from testing out the Trittons though :) For my needs, they are more than I could have hoped for. Good luck!
@Richard: "BUT, you are comparing apples with oranges my good man. Surround sound is great for games and immersion while you play, but they won't compare to a set of high end stereo headphones for music" I think you might have nailed it- to some extent. It all comes to a matter of opinion, and what your own ears are capable of hearing. The Astro's are a nice step up from what I have :). However, the multi-channel audio that I frequently listen to, along with the games and movies make this the right set for me.
-Rock
Imo, a home theater system would be a much better choice for this much money. I'm perfectly fine with my Bose QuietComfort 2s.
But not everyone has the space or a room with perfect acoustics.
I guess that's true, but if someone is willing to spend 1,500 on headphones, I'm sure that more often than not these people will have a room with enough space for a home theater system.
That's not true, a lot of people invest a lot of money into audio equipment and live in small apartments.
Well look at it this way - with the money you spent on your QC2's, you could have bought a far better set of cans.
Yeah, but you are happy with Bose, so you don't no shit about decent audio reproduction.
*know
Imo, a home theater system would be a much better way to spend those $1,500 dollars. I'm perfectly fine with my Bose QC 2 headphones though they're overpriced as well.
No, Head phones offer way more sound quality for the dollar than traditional speakers. In order to achieve the same sound quality out of a home theater system you're spend upwards of $10k you also need more expensive Amps, Receivers and you need a place to put all that shit, and you can't take it on the bus with you, or use it to listen to music at work.
Not to mention some material to play on it, and that means recordings (and, most importantly, pressings) from the mid-'90s or earlier. Everything since has been ruined to make it sound "louder" with dynamic compression, rendering a good (or even decent) stereo pointless.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
just a thought, it was more likely to be your amplifier causing the distortion when you cranked up the EQ rather than the drivers. plus you do not mention any kind of burn-in period given to the headphones. since bass requires the most movement of the drivers it would probably have loosened up after a decent burn in period.
to any fan-boys of bose, what other headphones of a similar price bracket have you heard to compare them to? so many bose owners say "bose are better than xxxx" but they have never heard anything else. they go into a shop, listen to a bose headphone thats being marketed, and buy it, without any comparason to any other product. they are just sucked in by the marketing department at bose.
x2
I agree with you as well Roosta, I've yet to see an audio gear review from Engadget that takes things like that into account (or at least mentions it).
I've been rocking the HD595s by Sennheiser for a while (admittedly not in the same price range, I'm poor) and I absolutely love them, totally destroy any Bose 'phones I've heard (all of 'em.) I use a Total Bithead (http://www.headphone.com/products/headphone-amps/the-mobile-line/headroom-total-bithead.php) to drive them, and it's an excellent little amp, especially for the price.
Dear engadget: please check out www.headphone.com to see some good reviews of headphones that go in depth. You'll learn a LOT.
High-end headphones can take as much as 100-200 hours to fully burn in according to people on Head-Fi.
tried Edition9...great can...
this one looks a bit ugly to be honest~
Damn for 1.5k I'd rather buy the HD800. The HD800 simply looks more like a 1.3k headphone considering the build quality and design...
*cough cough* spray painted plastic *cough cough*
Just kidding, I wish I heard it when I had the chance to.
One could purchase a nice stereo system for $1300 and buy a $200 pair of Grados for headphones. I'm convinced that being an audiophile has nothing to do with the actual sound. It is more of a status symbol.
That may be the case for some, but not all audiophiles. If you like Grados then it must mean you appreciate sound quailty. To some folks a $1000 headphone is no different than a $200 headphone to others, it's matter of how much you can and are willing to spend.
For me my mid-level, sub-$200 Shure IEMs and my Grado SR60's get the job done and give me some great unamped sound quality to boot. That said, these were my first entry into Head-fi, and I'm sure that I'll keep buying cans and IEMs that are "just $50 more than the last ones" until I'm at the point that I've spent $500 on each. ;D
Yeah, true audiophiles are worried about status symbols when the hide themselves away to a room by themselves for listening. Totally.
People who want more RAM and faster processors are really just gloating too. It doesn't actually make anything work better.
@NoAndThen
Whatever. The A/V world is full of snake oil, that's just common knowledge. And you'll almost never see any self professed audiophile agree to any sort of blind testing, this is also common knowledge. OTOH, I'd be will to bet that just about any computer nerd would gladly test out two computers and guess which is faster.
True audiophiles gave up on popular music 10 years ago, when it became clear that every recording was destined to be destroyed with dynamic compression.
There is no reason to buy a good (or even decent) system to listen to anything mastered after the mid-'90s. It's a depressing fact that even recording engineers will attest to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
The HFI Line has better low ends then their other models, as i believe they are tailored more as monitors for say a drummer.
I prefer my set of PRO 750s. the detail the create is wonderful... i would say they might be a little too smooth for an audiophile, but i find this to be of great benefit when listening for more than an hour. other than wanting just a little wee bit more from the bottom end my only complaint is that the ear cushions don't stay on. that and the color blue...
I would agree with this review if the Edition 8's are anything like their other products. Great headphones, Audiophile quality... or close to, but price... that's another story.
The HFI Line has better low ends then their other models, as i believe they are tailored more as monitors for say a drummer.
I prefer my set of PRO 750s. the detail the create is wonderful... i would say they might be a little too smooth for an audiophile, but i find this to be of great benefit when listening for more than an hour. other than wanting just a little wee bit more from the bottom end my only complaint is that the ear cushions don't stay on. that and the color blue...
I would agree with this review if the Edition 8's are anything like their other products. Great headphones, Audiophile quality... or close to, but price... that's another story.
I own a pair of the Senn HD600 (open air), Shure SE530 (in-ear), and got a pair of the Ultra 900's (closed) for use at work. They are incredibly detailed and sound great.
Why do the writer's of Engadget and Gizmodo always refer to themselves in plural in their own articles? Sure both are blogs but the freedom of that does not warrant such bad style. There's clearly only one author and frankly it's ridiculous to read. Sure both a blogs but the freedom of that does not warrant such bad style. Either the writers should look up a psychiatrist with this problem or go back to school.
Maybe because several people listened to them?
Possible, but then why isn't it stated who was present and/or had a go with them? It's just we-we-we-we-we... It can't be that everyone thought the same. There's a lot of such articles here where the author expresses his subjective opinion with 'we'.
Sennheiser's FTW
Fanboy alert. Sennheieser makes great products but so does Ultrasone, AKG, Beyer, AT, Denon, Grado and others.
All so you can listen to music that was most likely mixed using a pair of $200 headphones
Not for nothing, but you'd think at $1500 they'd offer a replaceable cable or AT LEAST a one-sided cable that doesn't come out of both earcups.
I'd take a 2 sided cable over a 1 sided cable anyways.
1 sided cables feel unbalanced.
The padding has creased leather. Seriously? I pay $1500 and I get CREASES ON THE PADDING??? WHAT AN OUTRAGE.
They should come to my house, measure my ear and then mold that shit to my head for $1500. J.k. but $1500 is really expensive for headphones.
Fuck those headphones. Imagine the pair of speakers that can be had for the same price.
I'm imagining a fairly shitty sound system. Headphones are way cheaper than sound systems, even if you ignore the fact that your speaker amp is going to cost a lot more than a headphone amp.
My receiver alone costs more than those headphones.
Imagine this. Only 5.1 but that's enough.
http://www.orbaudio.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3
So it sounds like these aren't actually that great. For $1500, you shouldn't have to put up with any discomfort at all, let alone sound that isn't that great. I also don't really see the point of closed headphones at this price. If you want to use them on the go or in a plane, you'd be better off with some in-ear buds from Shure, etc. If you're using them at home, you would get much better sound with some open headphones. I picked up some Sennheiser HD580 for $120, and they are pretty damned good.
If you guys are going to start reviewing high end headphones, I would get a headphone amp to match them. Rule of thumb in the audio community seems to be to spend about as much on the amp and DAC as the headphones because those are just as important. Good headphones are going to sound like crap with a poor source. I don't know what price range that Denon SACD player was in so it could have been good enough. Even then though, since ultrasone makes headphone with electrostatic drivers, you need an amp that works well with those as they are much different than normal ones.
A lot of bigot customers assume that price = quality.
I also would rather have a pair of HD800's or maybe a D7K or that JVC model that's also around this price. I own a pair of W5000's myself which are also around that price, but I would recommend another one of this short list over them. They are fantastic if you like a relaxed sound but the others are just cooler.
For that price. rather HD-800.
For bang-4-buck, HD-650/600 FTW. The rest are just there to fill the void. Details are overrated once you had your burn-in, seductiveness and emotional highs are wut get ppl coming back for more, and hate to say it, senn gets it done without compromising too much.
I'll stick to my Ozma 7's thanks.
Hafa Adai!
I haven't heard Hafa Adai in like 5 years. To cool!