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These are at the highest end of the spectrum of headphones Ultrasone offer. That’s saying quite a lot, when we take into account that every pair of headphones Ultrasone design is centred around phenomenally clean audio reproduction. They are named the Ultrasone Signature Pro headphones, they retail within the USA for $1,300 on Amazon and within the UK they sell for roughly £769-£800 on Amazon. They’re aimed at professionals and, of course, any enthusiastic audiophiles too.

Carry Case & Cables

As we’ve come to expect from Ultrasone the packaging sets the stage for this high-end product. A sleek box presents a custom made high quality leather carry case to store the Signature pro headphones within, with additional storage space for spare cables and accessories. Two convenient B-lock detachable cables are supplied; one is 1.5m in length with a standard 3.5mm input connection and the other cable is 3m in length with a 6.3mm connection input.

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Design

The Ultrasone Signature Pro headphones demonstrate a sleek and serious professional image. We wore them whilst on the go a lot more than we expected; this is because the ear cups and headband are relatively slim, and the overall weight of 300g is really very light when compared to many other not so well designed and heftier professional headphones, some of which you'd be embarrassed to have on your head in public. The Signature Pro's are designed and handmade in Germany and the quality is exemplary. Just from holding the Signature Pro headphones, you can feel the solid and luxurious build quality. High grade Ethiopian sheep-skin leathers are used to cover the headband and ear cups, with notably precise stitching around the material. Polished toughened safely glass is situated on the exterior of each of the ear cups, glamorously displaying the Ultrasone logo and Signature Pro model name. And rugged plastics make up the rest of the build, which is entirely black, using the contrast of material textures to display a refined style.

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Comfort

We've listened to the Ultrasone Signature Pro's from six hour stretches to five minute bursts and at all times they've remained extremely comfortable to wear and the leather didn't make our heads noticeably over-heated. When listening to these for prolonged periods, it's pleasing to know that the radiation emitted has been reduced by 98% by utilising the help of ULE-technology. Soft padding is found within the ear cups which helps them mould around the ear, but also, and more importantly, harnesses tremendous sound isolation. When listening to the closed back Signature Pro's with half full volume we couldn't even hear loud external noises, so music playback is left confidently un-intruded. The ear cups are adjustable in length and swivel 90 degrees sideways for an immediate personal fit suitable for big and small head sizes. The cups can also be folded into the headband, which helps when storing them within a backpack or some similar carrying bag.

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Performance

So, the Ultrasone Signature Pro headphones have set a new bar for us when comparing future headphones. They make listening to music a pleasure and give sound a true delicacy; and there's a word you usually wouldn't associate with headphones. The low, mid and high ranges are all equally harmoniously evident. The ranges aren't fighting for attention and it's frequently difficult to believe we're listening to just two individual drivers on our head. Indeed, the 40mm titanium-plated drivers must take credit for this colossal audio quality, with a frequency range of 8-42,000 Hz and an impedance of 32 Ohm. The highs are some of the very best to which we've ever been treated; they're pin sharp with lots of room to show off. The mid ranges come through clearly and are never left muddied over by other frequencies. The low range frequencies are spectacular and can literally be breathtaking at times: for example, listening to the song 'Bangarang' by 'Skrillex' demonstrated the depths of bass the Ultrasone Signature Pro Headphones can reach. All genres of music we listened to via the Signature Pro's sounded tremendous, reflecting the richness of character and energy the original creators of the music intended.

The incredible level of high detail in the sound quality actually enabled us to hear instrumental elements in frequently heard songs that we had not discovered previously. This crisp quality is especially evident when listening to live performances; on certain recordings we could clearly hear conversations between audience members. With a 98 dB pressure level the volume can get ear shatteringly loud, with heavy resistance to any distortion. And with the volume turned down low the definition is still pumping through clearly - once again a trademark of fine audio quality.

A few headphone brands are implementing synthetic surround sound technologies, but the S-Logic Plus natural surround sound developed by Ultrasone and used within these headphones sounds believable, and definitely helps to enhance the music playback experience. We believe the S-Logic improves the separation of elements within tracks. Not only do we have a massive stereo sound stage surrounding our head, but it has genuine 3D 360 degree depth. If we close our eyes, full scale orchestras and bands can be laid out around our heads and we can pinpoint exactly where the guitar, drums etc are, just as if they were in the room with us. This generous formation of sound space is a must for professionals creating studio tracks.

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Once you're wearing and listening to music via the Ultrasone Signature Pro headphones, you're actually experiencing music with the same level of pro equipment that studios use. The trouble is, once you're spoilt with this kind of ridiculously high level audio quality, every other pair of headphones, although obviously priced lower, is noticeably inferior, and the annoying bass compensation utilised by many headphone brands today, trying to make them sound richer than they really are, becomes very apparent.

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Overall

Ultrasone have shown off their highest expertise with these Signature Pro headphones, for a price that actually seems fair given the quality. We have truly fallen for the exact and clean sound style these produce. It's like listening to a resonant reflection of how the music originally sounded. They set the solid gold standard that professionals need, but also offer the sleek attraction and functionality desired when listening to everyday music from your iPhone too.