Ultrasone HFI-2000SE Headphones, by Greg Weaver

"You're listening to headphones? You haven't done that since the '80's. What's going on?" quipped the "Tin Ear." True enough. Even though I've had Sennheiser HD-580s for years, I rarely listen to them. Why? Shucks, that's my question to you.

One of the joys of listening to a two-channel system is the recreation of a recording's physical space in my listening room: to "see," with aural knowledge, instruments and musicians stretched across a stage. Headphones have never done that. I've been single for the last 21 years. There's never been privacy or personal consideration issues in my household to worry about. Until recently I've had no impetus to listen to headphones. Life's positive changes breed extra sensitivities.

After a truly "educational" conversation with Linda Albright of Ears Audio, who, by the way, speaks with a uniquely enchanting southern lilt, I found three sets of Ultrasone headphones on my doorstep for evaluation. Linda sent an HFI-650 DVD Edition, an HFI-2000LE (both at $250 MSRP) and the slick-looking HS-15LE ($115 MSRP) designed for voice-over-IP applications. Most gracious of Linda, but, then, Linda is a gracious lady.

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this evaluation. Headphones? How'd I allow myself such a diversion? What's to get excited over? Due diligence being the order of a professional reviewer's work day (not to mention my promise to Linda), I broke out the HFI-2000LEs and proceeded to shock myself. I am so taken with these "cans" that I have to share my initial impressions on the way toward a fuller review down the road (thanks to my colleague, Jim Merod , who is following up my cursory comments). First things first.

I don't have a good headphone amplifier and my two-channel system has no headphone output. Thus, I headed into the Warren Street Theater (the dedicated theater room in my home) and picked out an appalling film with deserving, award-winning sound, Pearl Harbor [Touchstone 23899]. I plugged in the new cans and hit play. I jumped right to chapter 21: the one where the Mitsubishi Zeroes ("Zekes") fly into the scene from back to front. I'm here to tell you that the space the Ultrasone 'phones created is first rate!

Better, in fact. Bass was fast, tight, and deep! The Sennheisers are excellent cans, but they do not grab me like the HFI-2000LEs. Amazing. Treble, often sharp or bright with DVD soundtracks, is detailed, but not "in your face" with Ultrasone 'phones... and vocals are unreal. Wow! Listening to good soundtracks with these go-for-broke cans is fun!

I was somewhat under the spell, so I threw on a CD to see if I was hallucinating. More Wow! Ivan Moravec's piano, Jascha Heifitz's violin, and Stevie Ray Vaughn and Beth Orton's voices all took on body with space—a reality I'd not ever experienced with headphones. Never! Silly me. Unlucky me. Now... fortunate me! Bass definition with Ultrasone 'phones is not merely audible, but visceral. You feel it. It rocks your world. Treble is detailed, clean, and extended. This review process of a unit (an entire class of audio gear long-deferred) was getting interesting.

I dug into my resource kit and pulled out my Sennheiser DSP-Pro Headphone Surround Sound Processor. This gizmo is difficult to set up. Even on the best days, it requires a good bit of time and effort to adjust properly. No matter how much I fussed with it, using my HD-580s, I'd never coaxed it into the warm/fuzzy auditioning result I hoped for watching surround sound movies with headphones. Never happened. End of story. Period. Good idea. No positive results.

Out with the old. In with Ultrasone HFI-2000LEs. After 10 minutes of adjustment, I had the processor dialed in. Ten minutes! Ridiculously easy (thank you, Linda). I've spent hours using HD-580s, a genuinely terrific headphone, and never gotten results like this. Replaying the scene that got my attention from Pearl Harbor nearly blew me out of my home theater rig (you talkin' to me?)... those Zeke's actually moved from the rear of the stage to the front…just like they did in room with my 5.1 theater system! Slow this down. They "moved" sonically with headphones! Really! No, BS; they moved precisely (exactly) in sync with visual queue's. Batman! Honest Abe! Help... what the bleep is going on? I pulled out all kinds of things: Q-Sound CDs; films loaded up with Sound FX. Me just listening and listening.

Next thing I knew, I'd been listening to my glorious HFI-2000LEs for more than two and a half hours. Such "headphone forgetfulness" from someone who hasn't spent ten hours listening to music or film with headphones in the last ten years... miracles still take place.

My reference, Sennheiser HD-580s, flat and neutral as all get out, are ho-hum by comparison. Keep in mind that (unlike Jim) I don't do recording or mixing. I use headphones only occasionally. While I firmly believe there are more tricks up Ultrasone's sleeve than just the S-Logic phantom (of my operatic listening) and the depreciated magnetic field emission they tout on their website, Ultrasone 'phones are so damn engaging that I now use them often... over and over. They are my new headphone references.

Since my pal Kyle needed a good set of headphones for mastering work, I sold him my Sennheisers. Jim Merod (headphone guru par excellence) has more to say on the subject of Ultrasone headphones. So will I... you can bet on that!

For the meantime, Linda Albright's effort as a graduate instructor of things sonically intimate, regarding Ultrasone HFI-2000LEs, is responsible for creating a born-again headphone listener! Who'd have ever believed it?

Thus, I salute the Ultrasone flag. Hail! My next step is to find a good headphone amplifier and give it a workout. Does anybody have one of Steve McCormack's headphone amps not in use? Write me.