Customer Reviews

Ultrasone HFI-580 S-Logic Surround Sound Professional Headphones

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Well the Ultrasone HFI-580's came in today. Guess this is a good as place as any to write my opinion. They sounded so good I had to share. :)

First impression of them. They're very meaty, much meatier than the inexpensive Koss UR-15C I was using prior. (A $20 pair of headphones (when I bought them).) The Koss don't sound "bad" per-se, especially since they've been through multi-hundred hours of burn-in, and have settled in to sound as good as they can.

The looks are very bold, and they look very impressive close up. They may be targeted towards the more edgier crowd, as they're very "in-your-face" and don't have as a muted appearance as some other higher-end phones. Could be good or bad on your point of view, personally I really like it.

Now, the sound. Since comparing it to the Koss is a travesty in and of itself (as it utterly dominates them), my other comparison comes from Sony MDR-710 LP ($70 when I bought them, Ultraportable supra-aural headphones. Owned for going on 2 years.)

Now the Sony's sound pretty darn good, but they are supra-aural versus the Ultrasone and Koss which are circum-aural. The Sony are the reason I decided to purchase these Ultrasone, because they really opened up how a decent pair of headphones can really change the way you listen to things. I have also owned a great many cheap earbuds and circum-aural headphones in my life($5 - 10), so I know how the sound stacks up to cheapy's too.

Being circum-aural has advantages because of attenuation of outside noise. I first thought about gushing about how awesome they sound, but then I decided some actual thought out impressions would be more helpful. :) It's hard to describe since I'm not in the habit of reviewing headphones, so I don't know all of the terms one uses to describe the nuances of headphones to another person, but here it goes.

The sound is very "rich" compared to my other headphones I own, I don't know how to put it, there is more detail and it just sounds "fuller". I intentionally picked tracks I had listened to many times, because I knew how they sounded pretty well from my other pairs. I was picking up pitch shifts in notes and sounds that were previously undetectable. It just seems like it covers a much broader range of sound and the sound is fantastic. I listened both to CD music, and mp3's. I didn't have any DVD audio to test... other than DVD movies.

Bass. As I said the bass notes are very important to me. They actually tie the Sony MDR-710 here, you'd be surprised at how bassy those little Sony's are, and I might go so far as to say they actually have more bass than the Ultrasones. But again, it just seemed like the Ultrasone's convey more detail in bass, probably due to being more isolated from the circum-aural design. (Keep in mind the Sony's have about 40 hours of burn-in, and the Ultrasone's are out of the box.)

On DVD's, again I was picking up more detail. The sound of peoples clothes as they rubbed together was one thing that stuck out. Footsteps, breathing, just overall much more sound detail. I was pretty impressed overall, I watched Matrix Reloaded to test the action scenes. (Say what you want about the movie itself but the action scenes are incredible.)

Gaming. Well what better game to test on than GTA-IV since it just came out. (I chose the 360 to test on because my PC although using optical out to my receiver does not output 5.1 from the optical out.) I figured here is where the much touted "S-Logic" feature pattented by Ultrasone would finally show it's colors. It just sounded like a really good pair of stereo headphones, although I haven't ever listened to a pair of "true" 5.1's (3 speakers & sub in each ear cup). But from what I read, most 5.1 headphones can't deliver other than LTB. I did actually shop around for 5.1 headphones but I didn't find any with the right combination of features and aesthetics that appealed to me (USB-based is automatic disqualification for me).

So maybe S-Logic does work, this is something I will just have to give more than 30 minutes to. I did actually stand stationary and close my eyes and spin the control stick until I was unsure of my position, then slowly started rotating, detecting if sound was coming from left or right is easy as it only plays in one ear, but as it came to front to back, I did manage to accurately pick if the source was coming from in front of me or behind me 3/3 times. This is only a rough test and 3/3 could have just been luck, but I didn't spend much more time testing this.

Ultrasone claims you can achieve the same level of listening volume with lower decibles, due to their S-Logic off-center drivers, this was something I didn't believe and was skeptical of. Turns out it is true and then some, I actually had to turn the volume down a bit from what I usually have it set it.

Overall I am very impressed and think it was money well spent. They won't be replacing the Sony as those are so compact when they fold up and can slip into a pocket easily. Rather they will compliment them mainly for home use and some mixing.

I have owned these phones for almost a year now. I have have little to no problems with them. It seems many headphone reviews in general vary because it seems with all companies (Ultrasone included sadly) the build of every product varies. I had a pair of Sennheiser HD 280's that had little to no bass and were very tight and uncomfortable. My Ultrasones have great bass and are not too tight. But surprisingly, I read a review that basically said the exact opposite. The user had HD280's and loved them. They praised the bass and said the hfi580's had no bass at all, and they said the Ultrasone hfi580's were really tight and uncomfortable.
So in conclusion, I have no idea how these headphones will turn out for you. It seems that all headphones vary drastically no matter the brand. All I can say is good luck and if they don't work, send them back and try another (or since they vary in build, try the same model again... maybe).

Just my 2 cents worth.

First, let me say that I own three pair of headphones: Denon AH-D1000S, then upgraded to Denon AH-D2000, and these Ultrasone HFI-580 S-Logic Surround. Out of the three, I prefer the Ultrasone HFI-580.

The HFI-580's are very stylish, light and comfortable. And may I add, they have outstanding sound - good clear highs and punchy base - actually better than the Denons to my ears. Also, there is no fatigue with the Ultrasones after listening a long time. As far as the surround effect, I do hear it come through in some music but haven't tried them with movies yet. The AH-D2000's have a smooth, distinct sound, and were the most expensive but are quite heavy and large. However, the base seems to be lacking in both the Denons, at least to me. I do love the AH-1000's for their comfort and good clear sound. I use a small amplifier, which tends to bring out the detail even more and add to listening enjoyment. All in all, I still prefer these Ultrasones for the bright highs, punchy base, and for the lightweight comfort and good looks. These are by far my favorite.

Wow. This is my first pair of audiophile headphones, and I don't know why I waited so long. Typically, I use $20-$50 in-ear headphones. The difference between those and these Ultrasone closed cans is staggering. The first thing I noticed is how BIG the music sounds, not loud, BIG. With the in-ears, the music sounds like it is all in your head, it is all in the same place, a single point. These cans spread the sound out immensely. Some instruments sound like they are by your left hand, some sound like they are over by the wall next to you. It sounds as if the band is all around you playing the song. With all that extra space, there is room to discover nuances in your music that you have never heard before.

If you have never owned a good pair of full size headphones, I highly recommend it. In the $100-$150 range for closed cans, your best options are these or the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s. The M50s are more popular, but I went with the HFI-580s after reading many posts from people who have used both, and said the Ultrasones had the better overall sound. Check out the forums at head-fi.org, and this post in particular: ([...]).

Happy Listening!

My new Ultrasone HFI-580's are great. I'm listening to them as I write this review. I compared them with several competitors costing much more, including the Beats by Dr. Dre, the Bose QC15, Sennheiser HD280Pro, and even a very expensive pair of Bluetooth headphones from Nokia. All of these headphones but one cost $300. I paid $140 for the Ultrasones at DJDeals.com. The Ultrasones blow them out of the water. All of them.

Why?

Well the Beats by Dre have the bass, but not the high-end clarity to match. I don't care if all you listen to is Hip-Hop, clarity still matters. You're not walking into Studio 54, you're buying a pair of headphones...

The Bose QC15...Oh man, the Active Noise Canceling is sweet. And they're the most comfortable here. But Sound quality is not worthy of $300. That's why you're buying high-end headphones, right?

The Sennheisers are a great choice for the $99 they cost. For a long time they were the champs in this range. Until Ultrasone came along. For $40 more, you're moving up a level in sound quality, particularly with bass.

Finally the Noika BH 905i is probably the best pair of Bluetooth headphones you can buy. But honestly, there is no comparison in sound quality. Bluetooth technology is simply not there yet. I wish it was, I probably would have kept them. Plus they slip off your head easily.

I should also mention that Grado offers Open-back headphones for the same price. These reportedly have even better sound quality than the Ultrasones. I haven't tried them myself but I believe it. Except because they are open-back, everyone else will hear the music you're listening to loud and clear. Isn't that the reason you're buying headphones? So you can listen privately? I mean, you might as well just buy speakers...

Anyway, you get the point...these headphones are tops. I love the bass clarity. It thumpy and clear, with just enough hit. Turn on some Bassnectar and you'll hear what I mean...Oh yes. I'm a lover of all music. I like to listen to Beethoven while studying, and these perform just as aptly for that type of music. You don't need Active Noise Canceling, these block out most of the outside noise the tried and true way, before Bose showed up.

Ok, minor gripes, then I'm gonna get out of here...

A 3 meter cord is too long. I know it's that way so you can plug into a receiver and sit across the room, but who does that? I have a thing called a computer. This is remedied by buying the Ultrasone DJ1, essentially the same headphones with a coiled cord. A side note here: These headphones work well with my iPhone 3Gs and cheap $600 Best Buy laptop. So you need not worry about a headphone amplifier as far as I can tell.

Oh and the headband could use some softer padding. Don't get me wrong, these are very comfortable. Just something they could improve on the next iteration.

Anyway, thats it. Buy these.

Just bought two pairs of these babies as monitors for live performance. They sound incredible. Great bass, smooth highs and full mids. The sound guy at the venue guessed that I paid three times as much when he heard them. Not the biggest soundstage in the world, but they are great and very listenable. After three straight hours of listening, my ears still felt great.

My previous set of cans were a pair of Audio-Technica ATHANC7 Noise-cancelling Headphones, which did a great job for almost four years but the earpads finally wore off. WIth shipping for a replacement set being in range of buying a new set of cans, I decided to look for a suitable replacement.

My choices eventually came down to the Ultrasone HFI-580 S-Logic Surround Sound Professional Headphones, Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Earphones (Black), and Audio-Technica ATHM50S Professional Monitor Headphones cans. Preferring a bass-friendly type of headphone that provided a fun sound signature for my electronica/dubstep preferences, I chose the Ultrasones from recommendations at the guys over at Head-Fi.

Fresh out of the box with no external amp, these headphones blew away my ANC7s. The sound was much more full, had a deeper bass, and featured clarity that I never heard before. There was a lot of sibilance, most of which has disappeared after burning them in.

I am now around the 80+ hour mark, and even though sibilance is still present at times the quality of these headphones continue to impress me. Supposedly they get better when you hit the 100 hour, 200 hour, 500 hour marks; I will update my review when I get to those points in time.

Binaural recordings sound AMAZING with these headphones. I'm not sure if it's the S-Logic technology or just the high-quality recordings, but it's the soundstage is beautiful and very detailed in the lower ends.

I would highly recommend these headphones for those looking for bass-friendly headphones that cater to electronica, dubstep, and D&B genres. The HFI-580 cans have extremely deep, tight bass that blows away the un-educated masses that bought the overpriced Beats; many friends who swear by Beats were very shocked that these 120 USD headphones outclassed their 300 USD cans.

These headphones aren't perfect though; genres that depend on vocals and guitars may suffer due to slightly recessed mids. The Grado Prestige Series SR80i Stereo Headphone cans would be better for those with a classic/hard rock preference. Some might not like the plain chrome on black look of these headphones, but they are acceptable for my tastes.

Bottom line: Amazing headphones for an even better price that cater to those who enjoy music featuring a lot of bass.

I'm not sure what kind of mojo is at work here -- and don't care. These bad boys are out of the box mind-blowing. I actually ruined what could have been a great first take because I couldn't contain my excitement. Crystal clear clairity. And a breathiness and spaciousness I've never heard in any pair of cans; the sound field was 360 degrees. Best of all, there was none of the ear fatigue that comes with extended listening; virtually none of the "concussed" effect prolonged headphone wearing can cause.

11 on a scale of 10.

Ordering my second pair right now.

I had researched headphones for a while since my last pair of Bose Triports needed new ear pads and Bose suckered me into upgrading to the AE2s. What a mistake that was. My triports were great, and the new ones sounded like total crap in comparison. So I tried out a really cheap pair of Audio Technicas, M30s that got good ratings here, but they sounded like the AE2s, although at least they were only 30 bucks instead of the 150 for the Bose garbage. Very flat which some people will like but I need something with balls that doesn't need a freaking powerplant to drive and sound amazing.

So I went back to the drawing board and started looking for something with massive cojones and bass that will rumble my head without sacrificing mids or highs like the Monster Beats apparently do. Also, those are overpriced junk just like Bose in my opinion, and although they probably sound alright, for the amount you pay, you could do SO MUCH better. But then I read up on these Ultrasones on Head HiFi and they always got great reviews for bass and sound in general. I took the plunge and got them of Overstock for $135 which is much cheaper than I'd ever seen on Amazon (although right now they are cheap here).

Got them today and already they sound amazing. No break in yet, and the bass is powerful as heck, the mids and the highs are both crisp. The highs are actually slightly too crispy at the moment but I've heard that they chill out and mellow as they break in and age along with the bass becoming tighter which is always a good thing. But I'm already in love with these beauties and I'd recommend them to anyone who doesn't want to spend thousands getting some godly Grados or the flagship Ultrasones which look glorious as well. These make you just smile when you listen to your music and they're EQ'd to make things sound great. Nice HUGE bass but not muddy and overpowering, great overall sound. It will make bad recordings apparent though when compared to great recordings, just FYI. Overall these are a dream, and I'll try to update this when I've gotten a chance to break them in a bit.

Before purchasing a pair of headphones I did A LOT of research, both online and in stores. I originally set myself a price limit of around $75-$100 but after having no luck finding a $100 pair that sounded much better than the $40 pair of JVC's I already own (which, to be fair do sound descent) I made myself open my price range a bit.
I looked at and listened to everything I could get my ears on. Two pair that stood out were the Bowers & Wilkins (on-ear) and the Monster Beats Dr. Dre "Studio" edition (over-ear) but both of those were $300, WAY beyond what I was willing to spend. The next level down was the Monster Beats Dr. Dre "Solo" edition (on-ear) for $180, still above what I wanted to spend but I actually purchased a pair of these, brought them home and compared them to my $40 JVC's, to which they failed miserably. The JVC's were much better in all ranges except the lowest bass (of course).
I returned the Monster/Solo's the next day and exchanged them for a pair of Klipsch for $135. The Klipsch had really good sound, much better than the Monster/Solo's, but the in-line control button made them non-functional with my computer speaker set up which will be my primary use. Back to the drawing board.
After reading the article in the link below I decided to try these Ultrasone 580's (over-ear) without even hearing them (purchased brand new online for $125).
Article link:
[...]
Now that I've listened to many different types of music through them I know I could not have made a better choice. These are easily on par if not better than both pair of $300 headphones I tested for less than half the price.
The bass is full, powerful and warm without being overbearing. The mids & highs soar with richness that's hard to describe. For someone looking for the best pair of headphones they can find under $300 do yourself a favor and buy the Ultrasone 580's for less than half that price. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. They really are amazing.