Ultrasone Edition Eleven Open Back Headphones Review - Next Level Sound?

Ultrasone is a highly prestigious brand in the headphone game, and for a reason. Their headphones are known to go above and beyond when it comes to their tuning, handling, and sense of space. I’ve had incredible experiences with other models from Ultrasone in the past, such as the Veritas, so I had high expectations for the Edition Eleven when I got my hands on it. Running for $1,199.99, let’s see what this fancy machine has to offer.

What’s in the Box

• Ultrasone Edition Eleven
• Braided Cable with 0.78mm Connectors and 3.5mm Termination
• Leather Carrying Bag
• Motega Headphone Stand

Look and Feel

The Edition Eleven is a very regal looking headphone that definitely makes you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. The wooden ring around the ear cups adds a vintage touch and the metal headband has a sleek, modern feel. The plush, super soft cushioning around the headband and ear pads makes for an extremely relaxing, gentle fit on these. The Edition Eleven ensure that before you’ve even pressed play, the experience already feels luxurious.

Design

The Edition Eleven uses 40mm drivers with something called “TruText bio-cellulose fibre compound membranes.” The sound transducers are decentralized to “incorporate the outer ear into the hearing process,” which is supposed to improve the soundstage. These have an impedance of 32Ohms and a frequency response of 6Hz to 42kHz.

Soundstage

The Edition Eleven’s soundstage is by far its most striking feature. While all open backs will have considerable width, the Edition Eleven does something truly unique. The sound feels completely outside of our heads, to the point these headphones are more of a speaker-like experience than anything. The width and spaciousness offered by the Edition Eleven is wide enough it will likely disorient you at first, as you’ve likely never heard anything like it. Once you do settle into this extremely unique, immersive experience, it becomes invigorating. The best way I can describe the Edition Eleven’s soundstage is “stadium like.”

Lows

These have a booming, stereo-spread low end. They’ll get all the sub frequencies incorporated and give the performance of a very clean subwoofer in a home theater system. The lows on the Edition Eleven feel incredibly intimate and realistic, allowing the full extent of each unique bass, kick, etc. timbre to be fully represented. Low end on the Edition Eleven sounds how a great low end response, satisfying and physical but kept at bay when needed. These are a headphone that can respect a more understated, gentle baseline as much as they can blast a thudding, thundering drum section.

Mids

The mid range on the Edition Eleven is extremely balanced and unobtrusive. Listening to Tame Impala’s “Let it Happen,” the Edition Eleven adds a light blanket of coloring to the low mid, which is fairly controlled but given a lot of room to breathe. As the vocals flow over the driving beats, I notice there’s a tighter grip on the high miid, which I appreciate as it maintains the balance of presence and resonance. The Edition Eleven’s midrange excels most at cleanliness and precision, it never seems to miss the mark. To me, mid range should never be something your ears jump to, it should be a functional, well-incorporated part of a headphones tuning, and Ultrasone seems to understand that.

Highs

The high on the Edition Eleven is fairly neutral, not feeling overtly bright or dark. It reminds me of the high end I hear on many HifiMan headphones or other popular open backs like the LCD-X. It’s a lofty, airy high end with enough added warmth to keep it married to the delicate, fluid high mids. These have a subtle crispness to them, it doesn't add any extra sizzle or snap to most songs, instead letting each composition speak for itself. The highs on the Edition Eleven seem to excel at balance and versatility, never seeming to force a particular timbre or leveling upon any given song. These let the music have a lot of freedom while breathing some extra lightness into it.

Overall

The Edition Eleven are one of the most fascinating headphones I’ve ever listened to, and that’s saying something. Their insanely spacial sound is something no other headphone can execute quite the same, and reframes your music into a completely new realm. The Edition Eleven are the kind of headphone that will make you fall in love with your favorite songs in new ways, making you remember why you love high fidelity sound so much in the first place.

You can purchase the Ultrasone Edition Eleven here