Polk Audio ULTRA FOCUS 8000 On-Ear Headphones, Black

by Polk Audio

• Audiophile Sound-Stunning detail, full fidelity and deep bass to maximize performance
• Active Noise Canceling-Battery-assisted true active noise canceling eliminates the distractions of the outside world (batteries included)
• Push-To-Hear Ambient Control-Mutes the audio and amplifies outside sounds so you can hear without removing the headphones
• Ultra Fidelity Dynamic Balance Transducers- Polk's proprietary driver technology guarantees full frequency response while minimizing distortion
• 3 Button Remote Control & Microphone-Use your iPhone and iPod on the fly with in-line controls

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 4.4 x 11.5 inches ; 1.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0080OHGZA
• Item model number: ULTRA FOCUS 8000
• Batteries 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 5, 2012

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The UltraFocus 8000 produces a truly amazing sound as easily on an airline or busy city street, as it will at home in front of your stereo system. In fact, thanks to SecureFit™ support, generously cushioned ear pads and Active Noise Canceling technology, you'll hear your music with extraordinary clarity and detail, without distortion even in locations with high levels of ambient noise. Polk's patented Dynamic Balance^® driver technology, in combination with active noise canceling and passive noise isolation, produces an audiophile-grade listening experience.

key features

• Audiophile sound, stunning detail, full fidelity and deep bass to maximize performance.
• Active Noise Canceling—Battery-assisted true active noise canceling eliminates the distractions of the outside world (batteries included).
• Push-To-Hear Ambient Control—Mutes the audio and amplifies outside sounds so you can hear without removing the headphones.
• Passive Isolation Technology— Comfortable, in-ear-canal design seals the ear minimizing outside distractions.
• Ultra Fidelity Dynamic Balance Transducers—Polk's proprietary driver technology guarantees full frequency response while minimizing distortion.
• 3 Button Remote Control & Microphone-Use your iPhone and iPod on the fly with in-line controls.

take a look inside this product

technology

Active Noise Canceling Technology with Optimized Active Tuning
Battery-assisted Active Noise Canceling technology eliminates the distractions of the outside world, and Polk's exclusive optimized active tuning takes advantage of ANC technology to improve the overall performance dynamics of UltraFocus 8000 headphones (Batteries included).

Passive Isolation Technology
The on-ear design surrounds each ear; both designs naturally minimize outside distractions.

Push-To-Hear Ambient Control
Instantly mutes audio and amplifies outside sounds so you can experience the outside world without removing your headphones.

Dynamic Balance Design Technology
Dynamic Balance is our patented advanced analysis of a speaker's entire electro-acoustic and mechanical system. It helps us select better materials and more efficient geometry. With deep analysis, we can pinpoint and eliminate things that reduce performance before they become a part of the finished product. The miniature polymer drivers in UltraFocus 8000 headphones are specially tuned to produce a flat, uncolored frequency response. This true transparency reveals a wide dynamic range, with sharp details, and no hint of strain.

Active Dynamic Balance Polymer Drivers
Drivers just like those used in full-sized loudspeaker, only a lot smaller. Designed with the same care, and the same adherence to superior performance parameters, Active Dynamic Balance technology is an exclusive combination of active noise cancelling and our patented Dynamic Balance material tuning process. Discrete crossover filters added to each UltraFocus driver system naturalize high frequencies for more lifelike sound.

Ultra-Flexible Tangle-free Planar Audio Cable
Round cables, always coiling up and twisting, are a constant source of annoyance. Repetitive twisting can result in broken cables that flop out of their connection. The UltraFocus 8000 uses a flat planar cable design that completely eliminates coiling, so your headphone cables won't tangle up. Oxygen-free cable technology enhances audio conductivity for stellar sound quality.

StrainGuard™
StrainGuard design protects the places where headphones take the most abuse. It includes a Kevlar core that provides extra tensile strength to the cables, preventing pull-aparts at common failure points, like transitions and connection points. In the UltraFocus 8000, all transitional connections are computer designed for perfect fit, to strengthen the points where they fail most.

Gold-plated 3.5 mm Connector
Designed to fit through the opening on all i-gadget cases.

Extra-long battery life
40 to 60 hours with normal ANC usage. Easy to see blinking low battery indicator. (Two AAA batteries included.)

Convenient 3-Button On-Ear Controller
3-button on-ear control & microphone lets you use your iPhone, iPod (and iPad) on the fly. Change tracks, volume, initiate play/pause or take a call (iPhone) without touching your player.

why you should consider this product

Tune out the world, tune in your music with Polk's UltraFocus Active Noise Canceling headphones. Polk has distilled 40 years of knowledge from our high-performance home speakers to craft a superb headphone listening experience. We believe the quality of the sounds you want to hear, your music, is more important than those sounds you want to cancel. That's why great audio is our highest priority. Whether airline, city street, gym or at home in front of your stereo, UltraFocus 8000 headphones perform to a level you've never before experienced in a noise canceling headphone.

technical specifications

Heaphone Specs
Type	Active Noise Canceling
Style	Over Ear
Transducer Type	Dynamic Balance
Diameter	40 mm
Input Connections	gold-plated 3.5 mm
Apple Remote	On-ear
Push-to-Hear	Yes
Built-In Microphone	Yes
External Attenuator	Yes (-10 dB)
Included Cables	55-inch length
Electrical
Max Sensitivity	110 dB
Minimum Impedance	32 Ohms
Total Frequency Response	8 Hz - 28 kHz
Shipping
Included Accessories	Protective case; 1/8" to 1/4" adaptor; Skype Adaptor; Airline Adaptor; Shit clip; Two AAA Batteries, Manual; Quick start guide
Warranty*
Parts Warranty	1 year
Labor Warranty	1 year

*To ensure a valid warranty, Polk loudspeakers must be purchased through an Authorized Polk home or car loudspeaker Dealer (such as Amazon.com). (If you're not sure a dealer is "authorized," call Polk at 1-800-377-7655, and ask us.) The warranty is not transferrable, that means it applies only to the original purchaser. If you purchase your speakers from a private individual, that product is considered "used" and has NO factory warranty, no matter what the seller implies. The warranty is VOID if the serial number of the speaker has been removed or defaced. If you have any questions about your warranty coverage, or you think you need service, call Polk Customer Service at 1-800-377-7655. We’re here to help you get the most from your new speakers!

in the box

• Headphones
• Protective case
• 55" cable (139.7 cm)
• 1/8" to 1/4" adaptor
• Skype^® adaptor
• Airline adaptor
• External attenuator
• Shirt clip
• AAA batteries (2)

downloads

Quick Fit Guide
Manual

Product Description

Tune Out The World. Tune In Your Music. Music's power is undeniable: it inspires, refreshes and motivates, even helps us escape. Lead a hectic, fast-paced life? The stylish UltraFocus 8000 is your portal to music's rejuvenating benefits. The UltraFocus 8000 produces a truly amazing sound as easily on an airline or busy city street, as it will at home in front of your stereo system. In fact, thanks to Secure Fit support, generously cushioned ear pads and Active Noise Canceling technology, you'll hear your music with extraordinary clarity and detail, without distortion even in locations with high levels of ambient noise. Polk's patented Dynamic Balance driver technology, in combination with active noise canceling and passive noise isolation, produces an audiophile-grade listening experience. In addition, an on-ear 3 button remote control and an in-line microphone enable you to use iPod, iPad and iPhone anytime, anywhere. There's also push-to-hear ambient control that mutes the audio and amplifies outside sounds, so you can hear those around you without removing the headphones. Details that add to an enjoyable listening experience include an ultra-flexible, tangle-free audio cable, made of non-microphonic material, that eliminates exterior sound transfer, while a lightweight carbon fiber headband ensures a snug yet comfortable over ear fit.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific sound but... July 25, 2012

By MC

Amazon Verified Purchase

These headphones sound very good (compared to Grado sr60, AKG k26p, Senheiser pxc-300 - all of which I own).

Bass - The bass is very tight and not overpowering but can certainly be heard. These headphones sound so good primarily due to the tight bass - definitely better than those headphones mentioned above.

Treble - crisp and clear - no shrill sound on high notes from what I have heard so far.

Midrange - voice and midrange notes are natural sounding and the overall sound of the bass, treble and mids is well balanced.

When I listen to these headphones, I realize that I am listening to a much wider spectrum of sound than with my other headphones.

Soundstage - open sounding for a closed headphone - not nearly as open sounding as the Grado SR60s but, more open sounding than any other closed headphone that I have heard

Comfort - these are very heavy headphones to wear and travel with and get very warm and sweaty very quickly. In very little time, your ears will get so warm and sweaty and you will need to take them off to allow your skin to breathe. I am guessing that the pads are made of pleather rather than leather. The earpads do not fit entirely on the ear and not entirely off the ear (take a look at the shape of the pads) which means that there are pressure points on the ear which become uncomfortable in just a few minutes.
These earphones are approx. twice the weight of the Bose (I could be mistaken but, I think that they are more than twice the weight). You will feel the weight of these on the top of your head within a very short time. The excellent build quality will explain the weight but they are really heavy to wear and to travel with....

Size - These headphones are very big and chunky - about the same size as the largest Beats headphones and are too big to travel with. The case is also very large to accommodate the headphones so they take a considerable amount of space in a backpack, briefcase or bag. The case is about the diameter of a small dinner plate and is about 1.75 inches thick.

Noise cancelling - The noise cancelling is okay but not nearly as good as either the Bose qc15s or Sennheiser pxc-300's. I would give the noise cancelling a 6 out of 10 with Bose qc15s being a 10. I am not sure who these are ideal for - too warm, heavy, bulky and noise cancelling just okay for travel, too warm and nc not needed for most people at home and for the price, there are lots of great sounding headphones that cost less without nc that could be for home use. I refused to buy Bose as they don't sound that great once you compare them to good sounding headphones and they are extremely cheaply made so I purchased these (for the record, I own Bose products including 201's and Acoustimas 10 speakers). I wish Polk would improve the earpads and (sell as replacements). These headphones take two AAA batteries and must be turned on to hear the music (which adds to the weight). It almost seems as though Polk designed these with an internal amp to produce good sound rather than effectively cancel noise.

Build - very durable headphones. There is no comparison between the build quality and fit and finish of these headphones and others including the Bose qc15s. Just check out how Bose cut and glue the cloth inside their headphones and the cheap plastic that they use. These are made extremely well and will likely take a pounding - they are made with stainless steel, carbon fibre (just for show) and plastic which even feel much better than others. These look high tech and classy at the same time. When you look at these and pick them up, you know that the people at Polk were concerned about the fit and finish of these headphones when designing them. These headphones even come with very good ribbon wire of different lengths which do not tangle very easily and they come with other accessories including an airline adaptor.

Summary

Sound: 9/10
Comfort: 4/10
Size and weight: 4/10 (not ideal for travel)
Noise Cancelling: 6/10
Build Quality: 9/10

It's too bad that these headphones are so big and heavy and the earpads are so uncomfortable as these are very, very good sounding headphones that are also very durable and impressive to look at. Read more ›

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, best part is real high end audiophile sound, for that a bargain! August 9, 2012

By C. A. Bayko VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

I was criticized recently for having an average of mostly positive reviews; well I just entered a 2 star on another product. I take reviews seriously, and do hours of research, and use every product I review. Unfortunately the bad, or the few I return, often do not get reviewed. I won't repeat most of what you will find on the Polk; but will cut to the chase!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW THESE HEADPHONES SOUND! Polk has done a superb job, these are above fray! Sound quality at audiophile level! Equal nearly to my home set at almost 4 times the price, absolutely no exaggeration. I demo'd these at the Atlanta airport, amongst the AKG, the Beats, the Bose, (which I used to own...and had a brief foray with the Parrot zik, Klipsch, and these beat them all in sound...clean, balanced, lows, mids, highs, no detectable distortion; don't want to take them off. These are sweet! Decent, base, some pulsing, good sound stage, for closed phones. As far as NC, there are a few professional reviews, one that says, they don't have any NC, that is an exaggeration. If the Bose isolate around 88% of ambient noise, these do about 65%; most average about 55% for Noise cancelers. Remember some closed phone, with no active cancellation, actually isolate better than any electronic NCs. But then the Electric NCs, have additional features, including push to talk! So + and minus, IEMs isolate the best but not everyone, wants things in their ears all the time.
One really important observation. Recently these got a so so rating on their NC ability.... Well if you read the discussion about these Polk, they talk about their dynamic tuning, and their ability to enable you to hear voices when you need to, but at the same time, push the background noise out; also to not negate the mids and highs you desire for great sound. All this comes at a trade off. Do you want perfect NCing and sacrifice sound quality, or really high end SQ, and sacrifice some NCing ability. These are the latter. In the world of overcrowded NC phones, the sound quality on these is likely unequaled. They are BIG, fit well, could be warm, but overall, fit well, superbly built, audiophile quality, tiny tiny, NC hiss, but quickly unnoticeable when listening to music; and aim to cancel out the most disturbing noise, but deliver great sound, across all genres! These are a keeper!
Tomorrow morning the plane test, I will update if anything changes, but I am glad about Polk!
PS 4 stars becasue no one has it perfect yet!

Update: 8/10/2012 5PM EST...on a plane from Des Moines to Atlanta, and then to TriCities...Active cancellation was about 65% I will go with my original estimate. I got home, and listened in my home and heard no hiss?...with NC phones I have experienced things like this in various environments depending upon sounds feedback or other wireless activity, or constant sounds in the area. Bottom line they sound quiet no hiss, and the sound is awesome. It really is so sweet, great bass, but not a bass head, these are really sweet sounding; so I had to revise my rating to 5, does not mean they are perfect, but for my purposes, top of the heap! Read more ›

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great headphones. Period. December 12, 2012

By M. Hayes

I had been looking at the Bose Noice cancellation headphones. Then I happened to be going through BWI Airport in Baltimore, where Polk has a stand. I went immediately with the Polks and immediately on to an airplane. The noise cancellation was absolute, and I heard nothing but the music despite having a seat right by the wing. With other nc headphones, you get ready to accept they may not be great headphones. You'll give up greatness for quietness. These are great, period. Beautiful bass, vocals, and highs. If I was considering buyer's remorse, it was just too hard because I was listening to the smooth sounds of Sade, the harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the soaring vocals by the Mormon Tabernacle choir. Amazing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sound quality headphone December 10, 2012

By iphone user

I will compare the Ultrafocus 8000 to the Bose QC15 and Beats Studio, all of which I currently own. I listen to these headphones with the iPhone 5 un-amped.

Build: The Polk is much better constructed than the Bose, and also the Beats Studio. I still cannot get over how cheaply constructed the Bose is with plasticky construction and thin "glued-on" fabric inside the earcups. The Beats is also plasticky. The Polk is a bit heavier than the Beats and Bose due to better construction.

Comfort: The Bose and Beats are equally very comfortable to me. The Polk is a bit less so due to weight and the fact that it clamps the part of my head above the ear lobes more than the other two. However, I've worn the Polk for over 1 hour without any fatigue and could have probably continued to do so for several more hours. A word about the "on-ear" controls of the Polk: It takes some getting used to, but works fine. Still, I would have prefered iPhone controls on the cable.

Noise cancellation and isolation: The Bose is simply the best in NC. The Polk is better than the Beats in NC. The Polk is MUCH better than the Beats in sound leakage. With the Beats, my wife sitting 4 feet away in a quiet room can clearly make out what I was listening to, even though the iPhone volume is at 40%. With the same or slightly louder volume, no one can hear my music with the Polk.

Sound quality: The numero uno criteria of a headphone. The Polk simply trounces the other two in this department. The Bose is the worst sounding to me mostly because of the "muffled" sound; I usually have to crank up the iPhone volume to listen with the Bose. The Beats amplifies the bass and is somewhat "muddy" overall.... The Polk has great detail in the vocals, mid-range, and very good bass (just not as thumping as the Beats). I am able to hear details in the strings and vocals with the Polk that I can barely make out or not even notice with the Beats Studio. There is better separation and more natural sound compared to the Beats. Soundstage is average for all 3 headphones.

Overall, I like the Polk best and will be keeping it. The other two are going to eBay. Read more ›