After having sold my Sennheiser HE-1 to Australia (I know it is in good hands! ) I was looking for an alternative headphone sound. I am missing the tube sound!!! I came along with a small McIntosh amp, which had a bug in its standby line, I could not start it again – needs to go back to the factory. So I switched to the Cayin HA-3A. WADIA and Cayin are connected by Kimbler silver XLR cable TGDL. Linked with the Ultrasone Signature 10 headphones it really sounds great.

Nevertheless I would have liked testing this system with a Yamaha YH 5000 SE headphone. Maybe the next jump? Yes, definitely it is! A wonderful and relaxing sound. I have to admit it is a stunning adventure, especially the wearing comfort due to the light weigh of the used magnesium material. Precise and natural, not emphasising bass too much, more or less balanced between heights, mid tones and bass. I did not realize any problems with the cables as some reviewers did.

At least let me compare my impression of the Ultrasone vs. the Yamaha. I always used the song „This town“ from Patricia Barber on Clique, SACD. While the Ultrasone focuses more on the voice and the single instruments the Yamaha puts it more onto a broader picture. The music jumps into your face when using the Ultrasone, not in an unpleasant way. The Japanese version runs into a more brilliant and more detailed direction where single instruments are highlighted in a concert of all players, making it an enjoyful succession of the story told. The music flows without getting tired.

I am pretty shure that some people prefer the effects of bass and accentuating nuances, the Focal Utopia may go much more into their direction. The YH 5000 SE on the other hand is a real High End contributor of a good system without feeling you have to wear a massive weight.

if you ask me what I do prefer, McIntosh or Cayin I will definitely go for the Cayin! More presence and clear image, not too cloudy. More dynamical and with beautiful sound. Also coming with a good solution on the power connection. I am always amused by audiophiles how they described to improve the 2 pole electric connection usually used for razor shavers in the bath studio. Congrats to the Chinese & German developers.