Ultrasone Signature Pro Review

With so many awesome headphones here in our shop, sometimes the true gems of our inventory can escape some well-deserved attention for days, weeks, or even months.  Recently I found a pair of Ultrasone Signature Pro headphones chilling on a shelf at the back of our store, and desiring to know whether these cans qualify for their $1200 price tag, I now sit down to write this review.  At this price, though, does this closed back headphone even compete with more premium open-back models?  Why yes, yes it does.

Ultrasone Signature Pro Review

The Signature Pro is well-packaged, like any other Ultrasone product.  Inside its semi-hard case, you’ll find the headphone sitting pretty with two removable locking cables – a short, commuting-friendly cable of 1.5 meters (5 feet) with a 3.5mm stereo plug and a longer cable 3 meters (10 feet) long with a 1/4” stereo plug.

Build quality is superb: the mostly-plastic construction feels robust without being weighty.  The headband and earcups are covered in a soft pleather, while the headband offers enough clamping force to block out most ambient noise without being uncomfortable.  The slightly-oval earcups completely cover my big Dumbo-esque ears.  The extenders are made of a thick, no-nonsense plastic and the cups swivel about 120 degrees and fold up towards the headband for easy storage and transport.

Sound quality is superb, with tons of detail in the mids and the highs, and some decent detail in the lows, too.  The bass is there, but doesn’t seem overpowered, like it sometimes did with other models in the Ultrasone Pro series.  The frequency range of 8-42000 hertz is easily accessed with a portable music player, smartphone, or computer thanks to a low nominal impedance of just 32 ohms.

The soundstage is pretty wide, with a sense of space you don’t often see in closed back headphones, and putting this particular one in league with some open back models.  It isn’t quite as spacious as some open back models (think Grado or AKG or possibly Sennheiser), but the clarity and separation in this model are definitely on par.

It may not be for everyone:  for anyone looking for a pair of at-home headphones without any need for isolation, there might be better alternatives out there.  However, if you’re looking for something portable for use on the go – but doesn’t slouch when taken home for the evening – rest assured this headphone will have you covered.