Introducing the Drop + Ultrasone Signature X. Our first collab with legacy German Brand Ultrasone. Something of a dark horse brand Ultrasone has been around for a long time but was less known in Audiophile circles. They are known mainly in Europe for their professional DJ headphones and some uber high end models like the Edition 10. After listening to several models within their Signature Series Line up we decided to try and make our own tuning that used the Harman Target as a reference point. While the goal was not to get as close as possible but rather as a template for the low end response. The engineers at Ultrasone went through several iterations before landing on the tuning for the Signature X. The result was a slightly dark but wonderfully punchy sounding headphone that still has some shimmer to the highs. They are well suited to many modern recordings and bass heavy genres but we also found them to be great with live recordings where the high energy and room acoustics shine. Let your ears be the judge and give the Signature X a shot. Let us know if you’d like to see more Ultrasone models in our store for future collaborations.
Would be great if I received these... Waited over a week after "shipping" to find that there was an issue with DHL. Chased Drop but they gave me a generic response to "wait another month". However, DHL's vague status was already alarming so I hounded Drop for a week before they admitted that there was an issue. DHL then marked the package as "Returned to sender".
I have since been chasing Drop for two weeks to have a replacement sent out. They have repeatedly lied about "posting it" then two days later saying it hasn't been posted yet.
It has now been over a month since it was initially 'dispatched' and nothing has been sent.
Will definitely leave a review once I receive it sometime in 2025.
Very musical and fun. Great trade-off of extra bass and warmth yet still with quality mid-range and treble. This is one of the best values in all of headphone, from low-fi to TOTL, DROP and otherwise. These are so good I just bought a second pair as an extra. I have a lot of headphones and these are as good as any I own for "background" or non-critical "easy listening".... but at an amazingly low cost. Personally, I think DROP and Ultrasone don't appreciate how good these things are and have them way under-priced. Couldn't recommend higher...Lee
Build quality
The DJ pedigree is pretty apparent on the Ultrasone Signature X, the headphone is foldable with freely swiveling ear-cups that offer an 180° rotation and fit inside their high quality carrying case.
The headphone is made from hard plastic, it is well assembled and made durable to survive accidental drops and heavy abuse.
The headband has a thick padding that consists of perforated, breathable fabric at the inner part and faux-leather at the outer for extra durability.
The only complaint is some crackling noises every time you try to adjust the headband but it is something that doesn’t affect music listening as long as you don’t touch the headphone.
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Wearing experience
The detachable ear-pads are have a faux-leather outer surface with memory foam filling at the inside, they are slightly oval shaped but they are not large enough to house the ear.
The overall experience is like wearing an over-ear headphone but with some on-ear pressure points.
The clamping force is stronger than average, as said earlier this is literally a DJ headphone, so you get excellent passive noise attenuation but without squeezing your head in an annoying manner.
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Power requirements and associated gear
The Ultrasone Signature X has a 32Ω impedance with 115dB of nominal sensitivity so it is very easy to drive and you are not going to need something special.
A good quality portable USB DAC/amp, like the EarMen TR-Amp or even a powerful USB DAC dongle, like the iBasso DC03 Pro will suffice.
As per usual practice the Ultrasone Signature X was burned for about 100 hours before listening evaluation.
Listening impressions
The overall sound signature is exactly as described on the marketing notes by Drop that you have read at the beginning of the review.
The Ultrasone Signature X is a headphone with boosted sub-bass and emphasized bass up to the mid-bass but in a combination with mid-range transparency and an energetic but not bright treble.
The headphone reminds of a 2.1 speaker setup where a well calibrated subwoofer is there to add low end physical impact and grunt.
The tuning is pretty impressive and well executed because the headphone is deliberately bass heavy and thundering but without letting the emphasized low end to mask and mess with the rest of the frequency spectrum.
There is plenty of sub-bass extension with a rumbling quality to it but at the same time you can hear crystal clear and well defined mids with an airy and sparkling treble.
The bass is thundering, visceral, full bodied and weighty, you can feel the physical impact inside your head and your ears dancing with the tunes.
The technicalities are generally good, the bass is extremely dynamic and well contrasted with acceptable definition, this is certainly not an one-note sounding bass, it is also mostly tight and moderately fast but not without some issues.
Despite Ultrasone applying a couple of tricks to improve technicalities and fight with the closed nature of the headphone, the truth is that this design principle will not allow for any miracles, especially when you boost the low end.
The bass is on the hollow side and not that well controlled, there is cup reverb, spatial echo and lack of sharpness in definition and layering while the decay is slower than desired.
The truth is that these issues are mostly noticeable when listening to acoustic music with a lot of low pitched instruments and not much of an issue with bass heavy tunes where the listener doesn’t have such critical demands.
The same applies to the overall frequency response of the bass register up to the mid-range which sounds out of tune when listening to classical music or similar genres but it works wonders when you switch to electronic and modern stuff where it adds plenty of fun factor and greatly enhances the party mood.
Listening to popular tunes by artists like Billie Eilish and such, the listener is rewarded with a juicy bass without losing in vocal clarity and treble definition.
Truly enough, the mid-range is balanced and evenly tuned with plenty of transparency and clarity.
It is musical and engaging, with a harmonious and natural timbre while the treble is airy and extended enough with plenty of light and energy to counterbalance the prominent low end so as the headphone doesn’t sound too dark and unilaterally bassy.
The treble though is not the last word in refinement and resolution, slightly lagging in detail retrieval while it is a touch drier and leaner than the bass or the mids but it is not artificial nor metallic sounding and additionally is very well tuned as not to cause brightness and listener fatigue.
You don’t have to listen to contemporary EDM music and such in order to appreciate and enjoy the sonic virtues of the Ultrasone Signature X.
If you are an old timer like me, you can have some great time revisiting the grand hits of the past, like New Order’s “True Faith” or the electrifying tunes of Jean Michelle Jare.
Whatever your listening habits are, you are going to discover that the Ultrasone Signature X is unexpectedly open sounding, with a wide and spacious soundstage for a closed headphone.
Positioning accuracy and imaging are quite satisfying for this type of headphone and the Signature X doesn’t sound congested and claustrophobic but unfortunately the presentation is mostly one dimensional without too much of deepness and holography.
In the end
Do you feel like partying?
Then grab your Ultrasone Signature X, throw in some favorite tunes and get ready for a long lasting and frenzy night.
The Ultrasone Signature X is a party animal, a headphone capable of some really deep and thundering bass but without sacrificing in vocal clarity and treble energy.
Add the excellent passive noise attenuation that will help you reach near deafening sound pressure levels without annoying or getting annoyed by your roommates and the party’s success is totally guaranteed.
Received the replacements. The new fat pads make for a marked improvement in both comfort and sound. Penticon cable for extra added bonus points. Thank you Drop/Ultrasone for making things right.
MCPatDI am thinking the same! Those new pads make a big difference in the sound and I am liking what I hear even more now. Now I just want to know where to get more of the bigger pad.
Just got an email regarding the DDF issue and it sounds like Ultrasone will providing replacements with the waveguides properly installed! Also, penatcon cables and thicker pads?! Even if my replacement doesn't come with those additional tweaks, I'm glad they're listening to the reasonable bits of feedback. It rarely happens so it's great when companies do this.
All 3 stock cables lock on my set. Are you saying all of yours fail to lock? If so, then your issue might be the cup. But I think the cup is made up of a few different pieces and so it's a distinctly different issue than the DDF. Sorry to be delivering bad news! However, if the audio is unaffected, then it's sorta up to you on how big of deal you want to make it with The Powers That Be.
PopZeusYes that is exactly what I’m saying but it looks like they are sending new pairs out cause I got the email about the DDF and it’s showing something being sent to me soon I believe. I also don’t have any current orders with Drop. So hopefully it will be a new pair and it won’t be an issue after that. Also thanks for replying.
TeebsLooks like Ultrasone is making more, to drop in a few months. They’re changing up the accessories too. The stock package surpassed my expectations already, so I would recommend hitting the “request” button so you are notified when they’re on sale again.