Customer Reviews

Ultrasone HFI-780 S-Logic Surround Sound Professional Headphones

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I tried many pairs of headphones, read reviews and these are OUTSTANDING, what live surround sound they have and that is just off a computer and ipod touch around the house of course.

I won't be wearing these larger cans out and about. Connecting them to my sound system gave me near the same sound as my 7 channel system puts out and of course on that level you can adjust bass and treble and so on. Even with the pod and computer the sound was simply grand to me.

Shop around as I got mine recently for $204, tax and shipping included. I did check out some others of Sennheiser and Denon, both excellent but double the price and these just have a live sound and let me hear everything.

These are closed headphones and you actually get to listen without outside noises or outside noise at a min. These are NOT noise cancelling though but they will give you sound like you have never heard from headphones. I was used to the $20 pair of ear buds so this is 200 steps up! Again go to real audio stores and try out several pairs as hearing to all is very different. Music, movies and gaming types all play a role in how things are projected or heard by each individual.

Firstly, I just want to say that I love these headphones and they are indeed 'different' from other headphones in similar price range. The HFI's come with the Ultrasone's demo CD and OMG!!! You will immediately appreciate what S-Logic can do to 'mimic' natural surround sound in a pair of headphones...you can hear musician's gasping for air, breathing, and other nuances that your 'normal' speakers don't pick up.

Okay, here are some headphones that I own or have tried in no particular order: Audio-Technica ath-m50s, Beyerdynamic dt770, Audio-Technica ath-a700, and others...anyhow, the point is, I would like to say that I know my headphones!!!

Some 'high marks' on these headphones are particularly the Highs and Lows. Highs are crisp and clear, drummers may love this aspect of the headphones as the sounds are very bright...

Low frequencies are somewhat boomy!! These are like mini-subwoofers for your ears...so bass lovers may want to try the HFI-780s cause they do deliver!!

IMHO, the midrange is the headphones 'weakpoint.' I mean, they do not sound all that bad, but unlike traditional headphones, the S-Logic tends to make the midrange, especially, vocals, sound very 'forwarding.' You also may not pick up certain sounds as 'clearly' as 'normal headphones' because of the S-logic feature...it's kinda hard to explain, but if you have an extra pair of headphones without s-logic to compare, you will notice that the s-logic does hinder certain sounds in the mix...

Comfort: 2/5...these are dead-right uncomfortable!! Give it about 30 minutes and the headphones will consume your ears as well as your skull! Really I should've rate these phones 4/5. I really wanted to like these headphones, but after long listening sessions, my ears are not only sweating, but also got very sore!


Besides comfort issues, these are very 'bright sounding' headphones...I've heard some pro-musicians mixing with them, but I can see how S-logic may throw off your senses when mixing down. That said, these may have some 'coloring' in your sounds, but like everything else, you just gotta learn your equipments to see what works and what does not.

If you desire a different kinda headphone with great sound, then these are great and worth the money!

P.S. I prefer the sounds of my Audio-Technica-ath m50s over the HFI-780s...I feel like I've found the perfect under $200 headphones (M50s)...
but, I decided to keep the HFI's because they really do compliment my M50s and I like the S-Logic for certain things like movies, drums, etc...
the bass on the HFI-780's is just a tad bit 'better' than the m50s...and the highs on the 780's are also slightly brighter than the m50s....take your pick!

When I got these headphones, I didnt expect them to be this much of a improvement over my current headphones. But I was wrong, when I put these on my head I was shocked. I heard things I never heard, not even with the AD700 I had before these.

The headphones band was tight for a while then it loosing up, also the headphones went thru the stage of burning in and still are. They sound even better now then they did when I bought them. They sound great while combine with the OPA627AU opamps that I using with my Auzen Prelude.

I wished I got these sooner.

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TL;DR version =

PROS = Deep yet controlled bass; clear mids and highs; wide soundstage; "fun" to listen to; low-impedance (easy to drive); deep earcups don't cause ear fatigue; short cord (1m) for easy portability.

CONS = "Sparkly" treble might be too harsh for extended listening; clamping force might be too much for some people.

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Now for the long version...

This might be quite lengthy, so bear with me. I take product reviews quite seriously, and as a reviewer myself, I make sure to be as informative as possible, and to be completely familiar with an item before reviewing it. Anyway, today I'll be reviewing the HFI-780, and for the past year and a half, the HFI-780 has been one of the few things in my house that I use on a daily basis. When I'm in front of the computer, 99% of the time, the HFI-780 is on my head.

First off, I'm going to give a brief background of the headphones I've previously owned, and how I ended up with the HFI-780's. My very first set of headphones were the Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone, which I bought over 5 years ago. They are still some of the best studio headphones on the market. Though personally, I found the sound signature to be a bit too flat/neutral for my liking. I wanted something that was fun. So then 3 years ago, I jumped ship to open-back headphones and bought myself a Sennheiser HD595 Dynamic High Grade Performance Premiere Headphones. The HD595 is still one of my most favorite cans, and quite justifiably, due to its very open and airy sound, as if I'm listening to speakers or listening to a live concert. In the headphone community, open-back headphones are arguably the best-sounding type of headphones, since they do not restrict airflow, thereby making them very natural-sounding. Now, one of the downsides to having open-back headphones is sound leakage. Being designed the way they are, sound that is being made around you can easily be heard, and similarly, the music you're listening to can also be heard by those around you. The second drawback to open-back headphones is that the bass response is usually not as resonant as those on IEMs (in-ear monitors), or closed-back cans. This lack of bass can usually be corrected by playing with the EQ, having a dedicated amp/DAC, and/or buying more expensive headphones like the Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones.

So, after owning the HD595 for awhile, the 2 drawbacks I described pushed me yet again to search for the "perfect" set of headphones. This then led me back into the realm of closed-back headphones, and I started doing some extensive research on forums like Head-Fi, and various other sites. After whittling down my choices, I ended up deciding between the Audio Technica ATH-M50, Berydynamic DT-770, Shure SRH840 and Ultrasone HFI580/HFI680/HFI780. I auditioned quite a few of them at local music stores, and borrowed the others from friends. Here are some of the criteria by which I made my final decision to purchase the HFI-780's:

*Clear-sounding treble & midrange
*Accurate/deep bass (yet not overpowering)
*Wide soundstage
*As open/airy sounding as possible (quite difficult with closed-back headphones)
*Able to be driven easily on a regular PC sound card or average PMP (low impedance)
*Can be comfortably worn for long periods at a time
*Versatile in all generes of music, and also be good for watching movies.

Below, I'll cover 3 main points of the HFI-780's which I feel need to be addressed:

1) Comfort/Build quality:

The HFI-780 is built very well, and although being made of mainly plastic throughout, the plastic is of high quality. There's no creaking, no rattling -- as expected from the Germany-based company. Having worn this headphone extensively, I must say that after breaking them in, the clamping force, as some have criticized the HFI-780 for, is not bad at all. If you are used to headphones that lightly rest on your head (like the HD595), the HFI-780 might feel very different and uncomfortable at first, but the clamping force is definitely not a "jaw of death" like some people make it out to be. Also, part of the reason for the relatively tight fit might be because these headphones are meant to seal off sound from the outside, so without the headphones clamping down, the muffs wouldn't form a tight seal around your ears. I'd also like to mention that the earpads on the HFI-780 are "pleather" (AKA fake leather). They are quite comfortable, but definitely not as comfortable as velour or real leather pads. In terms of durability, the pads have held up very well for me in the past year and a half. They have become less soft than they were originally, but is still comfortable to wear. Though, I can see that the pleather material is starting to show some wrinkles and very very slight cracks, so it might start peeling after another year or so of wear.

Another thing that I want to mention about the comfort is that the HFI-780's are relatively roomy inside the earcups, and don't press against the ears while wearing them. One of the things I hated about some other headphones were the shallow earcups. With shallow earcups, after only about an hour of listening, the edges of my ears would become sore from the constant contact between my ear and the drivers inside of the headphones. If you've ever listened to supra-aural headphones (on-top-of-ears), like Grados, you'll know what I mean. Thankfully, this is not the case for the HFI-780's. The 780's are truly circum-aural headphones (around-the-ear). Though, as everyone has differently shaped ears, your mileage may vary.

Also, there are 2 production versions of the HFI-780, the only difference being the length of the attached cord: 1 meter (new version) and 3 meters (old version). The 3-meter version has been phased out by Ultrasone, so nearly all of the major retailers now only carry the 1-meter version. I purchased my 780's directly from Amazon, and it is in fact the 1m version. For me, having a 1m cord is leaps and bounds more convenient than having a standard 3m cord, since on a daily basis, who really needs a 10-foot long cord? A shorter cord basically means that your chair won't be constantly rolling over the cord, and you'll be able to take the 780's on-the-go without having to tie up all of the excess cordage. Though, should you ever need the extra length, the 780 also comes with a 3m extension cord (making 4m total length).

2) Sound quality:

Sound quality is quite subjective, and is generally pretty difficult to describe precisely to others. But as this is a review, I'll try my best to give a clear description of the sound quality on the HFI-780's, without going into too much audiophile mumbo-jumbo. While open-back headphones like the HD595 would be like sitting 4 rows back at a LA Philharmonic performance in a concert hall, the HFI-780 is akin to standing in the front row of a Goo Goo Dolls concert at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre.

In other words, the HFI-780 is a very exciting pair of headphones to listen to.

A major reason for that is due to the very punchy and resonant bass. The bass response on these is very quick and clean -- nowhere even close to being muddy. When a song calls for bass, the 780's deliver it with precision and punch, then proceeds to decay perfectly, without lingering for a second too long. For those of you who are used to having 2x 24-inch subs blaring from the back of your car, these may not be the right headphones for you, but I assure you, if you like a reasonable amount of bass in your music, the 780's will deliver without a doubt.

Moving onto the midrange, the HFI-780 particularly shines in this department. Some would say that the 780's have a sort of "U" shape to its frequency curve (recessed midrange), and running alongside some other headphones (like Grado 225i/325is) that may be a fair comparison, but the midrange on the 780 is definitely not lacking. With songs that contain mainly vocals, the 780 relays with exceptional clarity. Even in songs where cymbals are crashing, drums are booming, and a million other things are going on, the vocals (midrange) never seem to get lost, and when the occasion calls for it, the midrange is as pronounced as it should be.

One criticism that I will agree with on some other reviews is that the 780's do sound a bit sibilant (harsh) and bright on the treble side. Right out of the box, the 780's seemed very shrill - an almost metallic sound. Though after the lengthy 180 or so hours of burn-in time, I picked the 780's up and I immediately noticed that the treble (highs) were toned down quite nicely, and the sound was much more balanced and pleasing to listen to. Though, comparing it against other headphones I have, I think one distinguishing factor of the 780 is that the treble still maintains a slightly metallic sparkle to it, which some may like and some may not. This will potentially make prolonged listening sessions more fatiguing for some people, but I haven't had this problem in my many hours of listening to the 780.

I also listen to quite a wide variety of music. You name it, and I probably listen to it -- from rock to pop, classical to techno, jazz to alternative, and country to R&B. I don't listen to much metal, but I'm sure if it came down to it, the HFI-780 wouldn't bat an eye.

Not only do they sound awesome with music, the 780's are also my multimedia headphones of choice. They are an absolute blast to listen to while watching movies. The lively nature of the 780 really lends itself to the excitement that movies want to portray. The HFI-780 comes with a 3 meter extension cord, and a 3.5mm-to-1/4 stereo adapter, so you can easily use the 780 with your home theater system.

One thing that I want to address is the soundstage and openness of the HFI-780. Although not being an open-back headphone, the HFI-780 is surprisingly airy and open-sounding. Ultrasone states that part of the reason for this openness is due to the incorporated "S-Logic Plus" technology, and whether or not that is true, I do notice a much more spacious sound signature on the HFI-780's compared to other closed-back headphones. Many closed-back headphones that you can find on the market today (e.g. Audio Technica ATH-M50) may sound nice, but also sound very cramped, almost as if you were stuck in a small room, or even worse, sound as if the music is coming from within your own head. For me, and many others, headphones that resemble live performances are the best kinds of headphones, and the HFI-780 is one of them. Most would immediately jump to the open-back headphone market to obtain the open sound, but as I mentioned earlier, regular open-back headphones have: 1) sound leakage, and 2) anemic bass (without investing in extra equipment or a more expensive set of open-back cans). So, I would say if you want closed-back headphones that have open-back characteristics (wide, open soundstage), then the HFI-780 is as close as you can get.

One thing to note is that the HFI-780 really comes to life after a proper burn-in period of 100+ hours. And even after those initial 100 hours, up to about 400 hours, the HFI-780's continue to settle in and round out the sound signature. So, right out of the box, you might feel underwhelmed. and you're welcome to take a quick listen. But thereafter, I would suggest that you plug the 780's into an audio source, crank the volume up slightly past comfortable listening levels, and leave the 780 in a pile of clothes for a few days. The effectiveness of a burn-in period is sometimes debated in the headphone community, but out of all of the headphones I've listened to and people I've talked to, the burn-in process really does make a noticeable difference in the sound signature. The same principle applies to breaking in new shoes to make them more flexible/comfortable.

3) Price:

With the sound and build quality you're getting with the 780's, the current price on Amazon is an absolute steal. The 780 stands head and shoulders above its competition (of which there aren't many), like the Audio Technica ATH-M50, Beyerdynamic DT-770, and Shure SRH840.

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All in all, the HFI-780 has a very energetic and dynamic sound signature -- one that certainly cannot be forgotten once you've listened to them.

Some of you may be deciding between the different HFI models from Ultrasone, so I'll give you a brief survey of the differences. The HFI-580's are more recessed in the mids than the HFI-780's, but have a bigger bass response. To me, the HFI-780's already have more than enough bass, so the 580's wouldn't make much sense in my case. The HFI-680's, on the other hand, is smack dab in the middle of the 580 and 780 in terms of frequency response. The 680 is more neutral (flat) sounding than both the 580 and 780, so might sound a bit boring in comparison. Having tried all three of them, the Ultrasones are all very good headphones, and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

Though, having had the most experience with HFI-780's, I would highly recommend the HFI-780's to anyone who wants a really nice pair of headphones on a budget, as I believe the HFI-780's would still be worth the cost even if it were selling for $200+

Anyway, I hope this review helped. Good luck choosing!

The Ultrasone 780 headphones are the most amazing headphones I have ever had the pleasure of owning. They cost a little more than normal headphones, but are worth every penny. I have tried some of the other higher end headphones and these are the best by far. I recommend these headphones for gaming, listening to music and movies. They don't have noise canceling but the closed can design reduces outside noise. The virtual surround sound actually works. With some classical music it sounds like your in a concert hall.

Coming from owning a great deal of headphones (grado sr60, 80, 225, alessandro ms1, ms2. sennheiser hd 595, 580, px100, px200, yuin pk2, ok2, koss ksc35, portapro, ultimate ears ue5, livewires T1) my experience of headphones have been the lower line of open cans or in ear monitors. So when I picked up the ultrasone hfi-780, I did not have that high of expectations, even though they cost more - they are still closed. It has been a long debate in the audiophile community about what type of headphone offers the best sound, but the general consensus is that open headphones offer just quality and clarity that you cannot get with the closed kind. With the closed you get some kind of "tin can" effect as they say..and that means exactly what you think.

What is in the box: Headphone, velvet carrying bag, 8ft extension. I bought mine from another source used (for about $130 - so consider other sources before buying new). At any rate, there may be other things that are included that I am not listing.

Construction: In audiophile communities, there have been polls to ask which is the best looking pair of headphones. The hfi-780 is a big winner a lot of the times. The headband is solid plastic, and has padding to make it comfortable. The Cups swivel to go flat, so it is an easy pack, and for DJ's out there, the cups flip around for you to monitor your sources on the fly at gigs. The cups appear to be metal - but no - they are plastic. Just shiney nice looking plastic. Definitely one of the nicer looking cans out there. The cable is a nice length for me since I use these sitting at a computer...just enough (around 3ft) I love not having excess cable. Even though they are shorter, they come with an 8ft extension. Great compromise in my eyes.

Sound Quality: Putting on the hfi-780, I was instantly surprised of the force of the sound coming to my ears. Great bass. The soundstage is a bit lacking - I feel like the band is coming from just one spot, instead of surrounding me. Highs are a little lacking, mids are very present, lows are very present. Clarity is surprising. There is limited muddyness coming from these headphones, which is a good thing since these are closed. Compared to the grado sound - I like my grados more because of the "rock" factor but these are between the grados and the senns for my tastes. I could never get used to the senns because they were so laid back. I would say that these ultrasons are the middle ground.

Comfort: This is where i have a problem. If you have a bigger head - good luck. These things will clamp on your head. I can't use these for more than an hour at a time which is okay to me, since I use these primarily for music production. The pleather headphone pads are alright but I had an extra pair of beyerdynamic velour pads for the DT250, and they fit perfectly to add on comfort. Velour > fake pleather.

Final thoughts: These are solid headphones with the above caveats. They look good, sound good...but comfort might be an issue. I would recommend these to anyone though.

When you first wonder what you are missing by listening to you music with those ear buds that came with your iPod, you can find yourself on a rewarding (and expensive)journey. I knew that the iPod earbuds were seriously lacking, many songs had muddled bass and highs.

My journey to find the perfect headphones started with the Audio-Technica Airtight Dynamic Monitor Stereo Headphones, an improvement over my iPod buds but very uncomfortable. My next leap was the Audio Technica ATH-A700 Closed-Back Dynamic Headphones With Double Air Damping and they are really a wonderful headset. The are a closed headset, and I wanted to hear an open one so I got the much touted for rock listening, Grado SR80 Headphones which for awhile became my favorites. I am using all these cans with my Toshiba laptop and iTunes, mostly high vbr mp3s. For my iPod I am using both the Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones and Yuin Pk2 Earphones both of which blow iBuds out of the water.

But once you start down this path, you seem to always want more. I had read many reviews on headfi.org and one had stated that the HFI-780 had good bass and were probably the best cans under $350, a pretty bold statement. I decided to take the plunge and they now are my favorites. I use them with my Toshiba Satellite X205-S9349 17-inch Laptop (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7100, 2 GB RAM, 240 GB Hard DRive, HD SuperMulti DVD Drive, Vista Premium), Audio Advantage Micro USB Sound Card, and a portable headphone amp (Little Micro Dot +) and this setup has the most full, crip sound I have yet to hear from any source. The lows are more defined and substantial then the Grados. The surround gives music more of a feeling that the music is being played live all around you, and you can pick out where instruments are being played.

When you upgrade to a headphone this good, there are some things you need to realize. First, there is a break-in period. Some like to use "pink noise" over a period of time. But no matter what you do, your headphones will sound different over time, usually for the better. You may also need to experiment with your setup. I initially was just playing out of the laptop jack, using the on board sound card. The Ultrasone's did not sound good with that setup, bass was not well defined, there was a hiss in the background and the music was not full. Using the Turtle Audio to process the sound removes the processing from the EM interference within the laptop that can cause distortion. The amp added fullness, I have the computer's volume to the max and adjust it with the amp's volume switch. Next, higher end headphones can amplify bad music sources. mp3s can have a whooshing noise in the background because mp3's are a compromise between file size and quality, so try and use higher vbr mp3's. And once you really hear what you are missing in your music, you know that these headphones really are worth the cost.


EDIT: For those that do not like the pleather pads, the velour pads for the Beyerdynamic DT 250 - Headphones ( ear-cup ) which can be found online will fit it nicely. There is a metal band under the plastic cover on top that can be bent for those complaining of a too snug a fit.


EDIT 4/2011 Just under 2 years and they are still going strong. Clarity, strong base, large sound stage, these cans just seem to sound better and better. Amazon carries the Beyerdynamic EDT 200 Velour Padded Earcushions for DT250, DT280, Sony MDR7506 and V6 Headphones (Pair) now and they are cheaper then anywhere else since they are Prime eligible. I don't think Ultrasone makes this model anymore so grab a pair while you can!

I love my Grados (80i) and have owned or listened to most of the other major IE and OE manufacturers: Shure, Westone, AKG, Senns, Denon, etc. Aside from my Pro 900s (Ultrasone), these are the best I have heard. Without trying to speak audiophile jargon, I will tell you they have bass, they reveal details that other expensive headphones might not, and they perform across all frequencies. Doing a real-time swap with the 80is really makes me wonder why I think the Grados sound so good--which I do, when I'm not swapping them out with Ultrasones.

I bought these because I was so impressed with the 900s and wanted something portable, even though they are billed as a video game and dvd headphone. Not sure why they didn't just say an everything headphone because that's what they are, but in any event don't think they are not musical. They are. Very.

Portable, durable, finish is extremely nice. I have no complaints.

The 900s are definitely better, but they are also heavier, much more expensive, and much larger. Read, not as portable. If you don't want to drop the money for 900s, you are not going to lose a whole lot in sound quality (especially compared to other brands) by buying these. If you want a good home-portable one-two punch and can afford both, life is good.

Broken in and tested on HiFiMan EF-2A with matched Mullard tubes and FiioE7E9 combo. Sound especially good with the tubes, but sound great with the Fiio as well--which I use as my portable/office amp.

MY HFI 780's just arrived today and sitting alongside them are my Grado SR225i's. The big difference between these headphones is that the Ultrasone's work straight out of the box, so no need for a headphone amp. I've got these hooked up to my laptop and these cans sound great, I couldn't be happier. And, I know in another 60 hours when the drivers loosen up, the Ultrasone's will sound even better :)

I'm listening to music and DVD's and WOW, they give wicked bass, finally a pair of phones that deliver in this department. Yes, watching films with these on will only make the experience better for sure. The Ultrasones are not for audiophiles, the sound is not balanced, its geared towards the low ranges. The HFI 780's have a wicked look and an aggressive sound that makes my Grado's sound wimpy. I will be using the Ultrasone's for listening to chart music, electronic and house and of course for watching DVD's and gaming. I've also owned the Ultrasone DJ-1's and these are a good notch up in most areas.

Now for the thing people seem to moan about the most, are they comfortable? These cans have faux leather pads which are very soft almost like my Pioneer HDJ 2000's. And, I'd imagine if your environment is pretty hot, then the pads will get a little hot underneath. However, I don't wear headphones when it's 25c+ outside or when I'm in the desert, so problem solved.

When I first put these on they were a little tight. I read that the HFI 780s have a metal strip in the headband. Ok, so all I did was bend the headband a few times to loosen them up, and now they fit nicely.

For under 200 bucks these can's are hard to beat. I should know I've owned a few pairs in this price range and above.

These cans get 5 stars, somethings are perfect.

I bought these about 2 weeks ago and was immediately stunned by the sound quality right out of the box. There is something very pleasing about the sound. As these head phones begin to " burn in" the bass muddies a bit and the balance of the tone gets out of whack. Then the true creaminess of the sound begins to emerge. It took about 40 hours to break them in and will likely take more time to really get the best from these. Most of the time crap like 3D surround sound is just hype. I say believe the hype. This is not movie surround sound but it does give a good sense of spaciousness especially when paired with an audiophile headphone amp like the Rudistor NX-02 (now -03) or the Grado RA 1. These are low impedance closed back headphones. This means it seals out the ambient noise and prevents leakage. I wear these in my bed while falling asleep and they are very comfortable and durable. This is the sweet spot in their line up. You can pay up for the proline but it's unlikely the sound will noticeably improve. I will try their open backed phones some time this year but I'm not looking forward to the suggested 300 hr burn in period. These are great for movies, music, and TV as well. The bass reproduction is simply MEAN. It's deep, well defined and gets better the more you use them. 40 hrs. before you can begin to understand what I mean. Sweet sound meets the sweet spot. Oops there it is.