RATINGS Quality Geekness

When the average Joe thinks "headphones," he thinks of an accessory ranging from US$20 to $60 that puts music in your ears via a headband and a circle-shaped speaker on each side. When your average Geek thinks "headphones," s/he thinks an advanced harmonic dual-driver accessory, ranging anywhere from $250 to $3,000 that embeds sweet, clear-sounding music in your ears. These obviously are two very different ways of thinking; both are correct, but the Geek´s version sounds better. Let´s get this out of the way right up front: the Ultrasone HFI-700 headphones are, without question, the most meritable and best sounding sealed headphones I´ve ever used.

If you don´t know, a closed headphone is a headphone from which very minimal sound escapes to the outside, whereas an open headphone is a headphone from which most or all of the sound escapes to the outside. Why would anyone want an open headphone? Because a closed headphone can sometimes modify or slightly distort the sound because the speaker is "closed," resulting in somewhat of an echo effect. The opposite is true with an open headphone--there is none of that echo because the sound extends through to the outside. More often than not, better sound is achieved with an open headphone.

The HFI-700 is both warm- and bright-sounding. It actually has a combination of the two qualities, which most people prefer. Okay, you say you don´t know what a warm or bright headphone is? Well, when someone refers to a piece of audio equipment as sounding warm, that infers that it has a sound signature that is more laid back, such as at a concert where you sit near the back of the building. Bright is just the opposite, meaning an up-front sound, as if you were in the front row of a concert. Some prefer a bright sound, some warm, and some both. I favor a bright sound, which my Sennheiser HD595s give me plenty of, although the HD595 is an open headphone. If a bright sound is what you´re after, you might want to take a look at some open headphones, since I don´t know of any closed headphone that will give you a full-blown, bright sound.

Next, let´s talk about the impedance. The HFI-700s have an impedance level of 75 ohms. This is a favorable level for those wanting to use the HFI-700s without an amplifier. Because of the 75-ohm impedance you are able to use the headphones on a device like a portable MP3 player while still being able to attain great sound. (Some of my testing with the HFI-700 was done with my 4G iPod, with which the HFI-700s performed very well.) If you are looking to use a headphone with a portable source such as an MP3 player, the lower the ohms level the better.

If you´ve got a several thousand dollar audio system, you would be much better off buying a headphone with an impedance of around 300 ohms or even greater (such as the Beyerdynamic DT-880 headphone, which can be purchased for $259 on a good day at HeadRoom). The higher impedance rating (with the right equipment), the better sound quality you will get.

Finally, onto Ultrasone´s signature feature. One of the things that set Ultrasone headphones apart from all others is the S-Logic Natural Surround Sound. Every pair of Ultrasone headphones is equipped with S-Logic. S-Logic is not Ultrasone´s only signature-feature, either. The S-Logic Natural Surround Sound is just that: a natural surround sound in the headphones. S-Logic deludes your ears into believing you are standing in a room with speakers all around you. I had my doubts about the S-Logic at first, but the reality speaks for itself. S-Logic is without question a great, innovative feature that really adds an advantage to the overall Ultrasone experience.

If I were to sum up how I feel about the HFI-700s in one sentence it would be: 
The HFI-700s are crystal-clear sounding, comfortable, portable, sealed headphones with good, not overemphasized bass.

Design
One of the most impressive features of the HFI-700s is the "reduced magnetic field emissions," which significantly reduces the radiation level that would otherwise be bathing your head. I´m no radiologist, and I´m just going by what Ultrasone says on this one because I don´t exactly have a lab where I could run radiation tests. Another thing I appreciate with these headphones is their portability. The earpieces can either swivel flat for storage in a narrow space (such as in your brief case or backpack) or fold up into the space inside the headband.

Headphones laid flat

The HFI-700s are also rather comfortable, which allows for extended listening periods. Foam pads, covered with a nice, soft leather, cushion the headband and earpieces.

The HFI-700s are an all-plastic design that, over time, will almost inevitably bring cracks to the headband. Even with the proper care this is almost unavoidable with an all-plastic, constructed headband.

I appreciate the one-cord exit, which means that the wire that connects both audio drivers on the headphones was run through the headband, creating a cleaner look with only one exiting cord (versus one on either side). The cord runs 10 feet long, although it´s spiraled to give you only the extension length you need, which keeps everything clean and uncluttered. At the end of the cord there is a stereo mini-plug; also included is a screw-on 1/8 to 1/4 inch adapter.

Profile of the headphones and cord

The plug and adapter

Conclusion
I´ve used a lot of headphones over the years, and while I´ve heard much better on open headphones, I´ve yet to hear a sealed headphone that compares to the crystal-clear sound quality of that in the HFI-700s. The bottom line is, if you travel a lot and want the best possible sound without others being able to hear your tunes, the HFI-700s are undeniably the headphones that you ought to put on your must-have gadgets of the year list. (You do have a must-have gadgets list, don´t you?)

Ratings Defense

I give the Ultrasone HFI-700 Headphones 4.5 Geekheads for Quality since the headphones are very well constructed, include a good length of cord, and sound great.

For Geekness I also award the Ultrasone HFI-700 Headphones 4.5 Geekheads due to the use of technology to protect me from radiation and portability.

As I said above, these are some of the best sealed headphones I have ever evaluated, and I am awarding them a Geek.com Pick!