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Edition 8 headphones are serious pieces of workmanship and material excellence. The ear cups have a classy rutheniumprecious metal coating, which gives them a mirrored finish. The headband and pads are covered in dark grey Ethiopiansheepskin leather – very soft and exceptionally comfortable. They have a new titanium plated tri-bass-tube driver,contributing to a frequency response quoted at 6Hz to 42kHz (yes… 6Hz), and they incorporate the Ultrasone S-LogicPlus technology (see the PRO 900 review opposite for more). Even the supplied storage bag is made from fine Madrasgoatskin, produced in France. No, I didn’t just describe the latest in designer handbag opulence – I just described apair of headphones.To test the Edition 8s I sat down with several pairs of headphones and ploughed through some favourite recordings,including some raw DSD material.The first thing to note is that the Edition 8s did sound the best. Not very descriptive, I grant you, but when it comes to,say, identifying particular strengths like bass reproduction, imaging, transient response, and so on, I got a little tied up.The fact is that the Edition 8s won on every aspect.If you want the gory detail, I found a complete and stable centre, and convincing LR soundfield in some stereo classicalrecordings that I would never normally trust to headphones. In fact, this particular focus brought it home to me exactly whynobody should trust ‘other’ headphones in a critical stereo set-up. It was also these examples that proved it is possible topick out instruments in an orchestral recording – if the recording is good enough. The less easily pin-pointed symptom ofthis was a correlated connection between the left and right channels that formed a whole image – not two speakers stuckin two ears.A couple of good vocal tracks and a drum recording to die for also cleared up a few other points. First, the LF is as clean, aspresent, and as fast as can be. That is, the bass wash you normally get with less able headphones went away – replaced by themicrophones that recorded the takes. To explain,one vocal hung out its dirty washing with somelow-down plosives from a close-miked mouth thatjust didn’t get through on the other headphones.This and a tight kick drum on another track wasenough to show that Edition 8s succeed where somany others fail – they allow you to experiencewhat it really sounds like to be the microphone.That’s something that is normally only possible witha great studio monitor.Tracking and auditioning stereo materialon headphones is usually fraught with risk.Sometimes they can tell you everything is great,until you get back to base and the monitors tellyou that you might need to have another go.I feel bound to say that I would trust the UltrasoneEdition 8s to both expose problems when it’swrong, and give you the thumbs up whenit’s right.The question of whether anybody would payover a GB£1,000 for any pair of headphones isanother thing altogether. If you want reasonable,inexpensive headphones, then the high-endUltrasone ranges don’t fit the bill. If you wantsuperb headphones that don’t cost the earth,then the Ultrasone Pro series is ideal. If you wantsuperb headphones that have something extra,then Edition 8 is your [goatskin] bag. They arethe ultimate sound person’s special present, orindulgence, or talking point, or demonstrationof appreciation that extends beyond the purelyfunctional. ∫INFORMATION£ Pro900 – GB£323.00 (exc.VAT)£ Edition 8 – GB£1,100.00 (exc.VAT)A Ultrasone AG, Bernrieder Str.17b, D-82327Tutzing, Germany/BavariaT +49 (0) 8158 9078 0F +49 (0) 8158 9078 50W www.ultrasone.comA UK Distributor: Audio Limited, Audio House,Progress Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 4JDT +44 (0) 1494 511711F +44 (0) 1494 539600W www.ultrasoneuk.comE info@audioltd.comUltrasone Edition 8ultrasone pro 900 & e8THE REVIEWERPAUL MAC is the Editor ofAudio Media magazine.AUDIO MEDIA JULY 2009 51