http://www.tellementnomade.org/test-ultrasone-edition-12/
 
Translated in english by Myself, helped (or not) by Google translate. Please forgive errors
Pictures courtesy from @Trance_Gott
 
Discovery: packaging and comfort
 

 

Obviously, Ultrasone has decided to copy Grado and give us his headphone in a stupid empty cardboard box without any associated accessory. In this case, it was not even the famous pizza box filled with foam that makes the charm (or not) of Grado headphones but an anonymous shoebox. Do not even look for 6.35mm to 3,5mm adapter to 3.5mm. Outside the headphones, usuer-manual and a cleaning cloth, there is nothing. Honestly, I laughed out loud when I discovered the package.
 
The headphone itself is beautiful. If the Edition 10 expensive woody finish and perforated goat leather pads have disappeared in favor of a metallic finish and microfiber pads, the overall design remains unchanged. It is light, refined and really impressive. Unquestionably, the Edition 12 is one of the most beautiful headphones on the market. The headband is covered in the same thin leather than Edition and Signature series. The  cable is thick and good surface quality. It ends with a 6.35mm jack neutrik that exudes quality. Note, however, that it is not detachable.
 
the Edition 12 is as light as a feather. Its weight is actually less than 300 grams. Everything exudes finesse in this headphone and we are surprised to handle it with utmost care in order to avoid altering the refined aesthetic of this Ultrasone. In terms of build quality, I'd say that it's not a headphone that looks as solidly built as a beyerdynamic T1 for example although assemblies and finishes have a beautiful appearance. Microfiber pads are pretty firm but will certainly tend to score, get dirty and aging quickly. Cups adjustment is easy, precise, solid in hand and confirms the overall good quality impression. We discover the way the serial number of the headphone and the "made in germany" which certainly are beautiful effect.
 
Once on the head, impressions are still excellent. The headphone is as light to wear as handle. The cups leave plenty of room around the ears. Clamping is a bit strong and I have to admit that after a few hours of listening, a little embarrassment appears and a such discomfort never appears with a Beyerdynamic T1. Overally the comfort stays very good.
 
 

 
 

General sound impressions.
 
The Headphone was delivered new to me and I often read Ultrasone headphones absolutely need a serious break in before producing a stable sound quality. So I took care to leave the headphones in music (music radio) for about 50 hours before allowing it any serious listening time.
 
I then used my usual system for the test: a Metrum Acoustics Octave mkI DAC and my DNA Sonett 2 headphone amplifier. I also used a Beresford Bushmaster mkII DAC and an O2 amplifier. This latter system seemed the most suitable for the Ultrasone so the following impressions was built with this system. With a HD800 myself and having spet recently a few times with a Beyerdynamic T1, those two headphones will be my reference point in order to explain my impressions about ed12. The three headphones Edition are also natural competitors in their market.
 
Upon first listen, the Ultrasone surprised me .... a lot. I was lucky enough to own or listen to several models in the range of the German manufacturer: HFI2400, Signature pro, PRO900, pro750, Edition 8 & 9. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to meet the ed10. Ultrasone headphones share a more or less typical sound signature. It is characterized by a large energy but a lack of overall refinement, a More or less V-shaped frequency response (very obvious on the PRO900 and far less on the Sig pro) with fast, tactile & live lows, somewhat recessed mids and more or less metallic treble with a lot of energy and bite. The whole family doesn't exhibit thoses charecteristics at the same level but you see the picture.  
 
So what surprises me with the Edition 12 is to see this House sound but without the excesses that may characterize some other models. Additionaly the ed12 adds some "extra" that I had personally never heard with an Ultrasone: a kind of smoothness and some euphonic warmth. The first listening to this Edition 12 immediately put a smile on my face as the sound from the headphones was very involving. This feeling never disappeared throughout my listening.
 
The Ultrasone familiar features are found here in a slightly V-shaped signature with a slight boost in the mid-bass, a slightly recessed midrange and a touch of sizzle in the treble. However, I have never felt any imabalance or excess with the Edition 12. The whole sound remains cohesive and  fluidly organized. Mids are definitely not sacrificed. The whole range of frequencies appears to have a slight warmth, a little extra body and soul without losing speed and impact. The main interest of the Edition 12 in my opinion is to provide a subtle blend of opposed lineaments to achieve a a quite enjoyable and balanced sound for the listener.
 
Usually, "euphonic" headphones may suffer of slowness and also an excess of color affecting the accuracy. It's not too much the case here : The Ultrasone does not lack speed and impact and I've just spent time with Bach partita for solo violin and compared with the rendition offered by my HD800 to realize that accuracy is not so altered. At the opposite, "fun" headphones can sometimes cause fatigue due to aggressive treble or overwhelming bass. The Edition 12 avoids both pitfalls too. Certainly the small mid-bass boost is noticable but it does not overwhelm the under or upper registers. The Edition 12 also succeeds (miracle!) to keep the exciting and energetic home treble without the usual metallic tone. At worst, some sibilance appear from time to time when the recording is right. A Ultrasone still remains a Ultrasone ! . i know that some people heard the ed12 as metallic sounding and encoutered hearing fatigue with the ED12. It's definitely not my case but I have to honestly warn about this possibility. 
 
The other highlight of the headphone is its soundstage. Ultrasone offers on all their headphones system owner says "S-Logic". This is actually a misalignment of the transducer away from the entry point of the ear and partial closure (variable depending on the model) of this tranducteur. The goal of the operation is to restore as much as possible a "surround" effect. I'm not going up there to confirm or deny the validity of the approach; I am definitely not able to do that. Still, the presentation by the Edition 12 is really excellent. It is not as wide as a HD800 but little more than a Beyerdynamic T1 and the sound is generally more upfront and closer to the listener than the HD800. So, thanks to the enveloping soundstage and the forwardness, this Ed12 has a real ability to immerse the listener who suddenly has the feeling of sitting in the middle of the musicians. I know that this statement is often overused but I assure you that for once this is very sensitive.
 
My first hours with the Edition 12 have been spent on a trip in my music Library that contains almost everything. The Edition 12 seemed to like all genres I tested and I couldn't detect from the first listen a genre where it is bad. From what I heard ed12 did wonders for Jazz, especially Classic and Fusion Jazz where his brothers tend to be masters for EDM.
 

 
 

Detailed sound impressions
 
Bass: The low register of the Edition 12 is centered around mid bass. It's not too heavy, without excess and it does not overwhelm the rest of the register. The fact remains that mid bass dominate. The sub bass extension is less good. then this registry is not as hearable that with my HD800. I have no doubt that Hi End Orthos would outperform the Ed12 too. Overally, the bass stays fast, lively and sensual with a great "fun factor" and offers a realistic reprodution of low registers . On the Classical Orchestral music, this little bass boost does wonders and strengthens a bit the foundation of the music in a very pleasant way. For more demanding tracks on detail, texture and neutrality, a HD800 or T1 will do better. The Ultrasone will naturally shine more easily on genres that benefit from its qualities: Jazz, Jazz Fusion, modern R & B, electro typed "House" will allow you to make the most of the serious Ultrasone. The beat of electronic music and a big fat Kick from Bass drum will certainly not leave you indifferent.
 
Mids: Big surprise with the Edition 12: mids are alive and full. Certainly it was not neither the definition nor the accuracy of the medium of the HD800 and even less the instruments separation of the HD800 but it provides body and soul while keeping some finesse. This is THE Ultrasone who knows how we enjoy vocals. Iin my opinion even better results are obtained with the saxophones and brass instruments in jazz. The edition 12 manage to restore energy, bite and harmonic richness but also the inherent warmth in this type of music. Dexter Gordon's Tenor Sax or Cannonball Adderley's alto sound like it should to my ears. The Count Basie Big Band realy charms and shines too. The Edition 12 reproduces really well the typical 50/60s Classic Jazz, Classic R&B from James Brown or modern variations. Caution however : family genes are not far away and the whole medium is not hollow but still slightly laid back. Do not wait of this Edition 12 to be an upgrade from the HD600 for mids. Edition 12's mids are really good but not forward. When compared to HD800 ones the ED12 mids sound a bit off. 
 
Treble: Curiously for Ultrasone, this registry does not show in my opinion any excessive aggression: Forgotten the piercing treble of the PRO900 or pro750! Forgot the stridency of the edition8. The high range of the Ultrasone Edition 12 is relatively smooth. In direct comparison with the HD800, the Ultrasone also seems to sound more neutral and less bright. However, this is not a flawless treble. I could hear a slight lack of finesse and it seems that a sharp peak is listenable to the point of a slight tendency to sibilance. Not obvious at first, but listening to some recordings of singers like Diana Krall or Norah Jones may be more unpleasant than a HD800 yet already not really forgiving. Sensitive people have to be warned, this treble can bother them. Besides the slight sibilance, the Edition 12 treble can slightly denature the  sound of strings in classical music. Nothing insurmountable, however. The Edition 12 seemed to behave quite well wit classical music without reaching the definition and clarity of its famous German competitors.
 
Soundstage: The presentation is pretty upfront. Without going to the very "In your face" grado presentation, the Edition 12 still ensures intimacy with the music. the HD800 presentation is much more distant for example. Slightly logically given the general characteristics of the headphone, depth and layering are not in my opinion as good as what offers the Beyerdynamic T1. The Edition brings something special to the table ith its ability to position the listener at the heart of music, very close to the musicians and especially the rhythm section. Overall the soundstagee is large (but less than HD800) and deep (but less than T1). The particularity of Ultrasone headphones is usually their tendency to locate us not  in front of the  musicians but more among them and often closer to the drummer and bassist that the singer. It's still true here but again not as marked here the overall rendering is more natural.
 
Resolution / Dynamics: If your thing is the precision of the attack, the best imaging and instrument separation, the articulation of phrasing, you can go elsewhere. This is not strong point of the Edition 12 in my opinion. Here, we swim in a rather refined, soft, enveloping warmth. It's not that the headphone is not fast. There is certainly no lack of energy to reproduce technical and fast style. It's just that the attacks appear to be not precise enough. Attacks are too soft. Once again, certain musical styles benefit from this organic and silky way to reproduce the sound where others definitely don't due to the lack of precision. That said, the Ultrasone rendering has the elegance of not falling into syrupy. At this point, I tend to think that a judicious combination of source and receiver must be able to help with the lack of precision of the Ultrasone. A dynamic amplifier with a headphone output with a closest to zero as possible impedance for maximum "grip" on the headphone and a neutral dac detail oriented are the best companions of the Edition 12 in my opinion; no need to round the corners here.
 

conclusion

Slight lack of detail and accuracy, lack of extension in the sub-bass, overall lack of sharpness with a lingering impression of vagueness affecting the accuracy of the image and attacks: A comparison with the HD800 or T1 start reaveals a real technical deficit in sound reproduction offered by the Edition 12. remains the fact that all even technically flaws of this edition 12 does not obliterate its coherence and especially a very real and true charm that makes you forget the rest. Ultimately, the Edition 12 is an unlikely balance between quality and flaws and even if we're not impressed by its raw performance, we should not forget that it brings real listening pleasure.
Surprisingly, I found that this headphone was not a king for Electronic music like the Ultrasone family. Ultrasone offers here a model more suited to acoustic music, vocals, Jazz, Blues where softness and slightly euphonic warmth does wonders. Although this Edition 12 Ultrasone is not a reference for neutrality, accuracy and transparency, It offers a slight but obvious colouration that will especially please fans of this kind of sound. I'm convinced that this headphone deserves more than the almost total anonymity in which he lives since its release.
I sincerely believe that the Edition 12 is also a good "all-rounder" with which we can enjoy all musics but in my opinion, it's more suitable for styles or recordingss that do not require too much technical perfection . I might as well have personally make Issue 12 a warmer complement a HD800 for example. matter of preferences as usual. 
that said, considering the price, I honestly can't say this headphione offers a great value. 
 
 

Please forgive my english. It's not my native language and the text below is translated frome the french Original feedback here
 
 

 
 
 
Introduction
 
It's really hard to give up his own tastes in any objective consideration when headphones are tested. Much of the feedback made by enthusiasts on the web related implys that the author likes enough the headphone to take the time to put his impressions on paper. However, it is uncommon to see written feedbacks dedicated to a headphone that the author does not like. But it is the case for me: I do not like the Beyerdynamic T1. If I had tried it in a store, I would have probably & definitely put it down  a few minutes later without ever touch it. It seems I'm very sensitive to the sharp 8 khz Beyer treble peak.
 
However, I made ​​the choice to keep the T1 and force me to listen to it for a few weeks because I really wanted to compare the Beyerdynamic flagship to my current sedentary headphones, the HD800. And patience have taught me a lot about my own assessment on headphones ... But also on the T1 and HD800 itselves. The T1 definitely deserves better than a flawed listening and expeditious statements, necessarily unfair, that would have resulted.
 
During the weeks of testing this Beyerdynamic T1, I gave him about twenty hours of listening and I used only my current headphone Rig : Metrum Octave DAC + DNA Sonett 2 Amp. I have often read that the T1 was not as finicky as my HD800 and the DNA Sonett 2 is technically adapteed to both HD800 & T1.
 
Now you know the context of the impressions that you'll find below.
 
 
Discovery / packaging / comfort
 
The headphone is delivered in a beautiful metal box. It looks great and the box is filled with with dense foam. The T1 is properly positioned there: In two words: A serious and useful storage. The HD800 comes in a cardboard box with a more luxurious fabric "velvet" appearance, but ultimately lower quality.
 
The headphone itself looks solidly built - we feel Beyerdynamic's experience of professional headphones - and seems to "weigh" in hand. The 350 grams of T1 are there, and you do not feel like buying a toy. Metallic cups like leather of the headband are well crafted and exude quality. Nothing flashy here: T1 has a simple appearance. Special mention to the thick, non-detachable cable that also exudes German quality. Some see non-detachable cabele as a disadvantage. Personally, it mostly means that the cable is directly soldered to the drivers, thus limiting the number of solder points between the Jack and the drivers.
 
The Beyerdynamic T1 fits very naturally on the head (mine anyway) and I forget it quickly. If the headphone "weighs" in hands, it's not the case on the head. Comfort is excellent, I have not felt any painful pressure points over time. The overall balance of the T1 is good. Moreover, the cups are wide and deep. The velours ear pads have the perfect consistency (neither too stiff nor too soft). Of course, the T1 does not  feel light and airy like the HD800 but it, unlike the Senn, doesn't infringe on my jaws. The HD800 still remains more comfortable over time. The insulation provided by the headphones is close to none. Don't expect much more insulation from the T1 against the HD800.
 

Overall impressions
 
Remember my introduction... The first impression that strucked me listening to the T1 for the first time was the assault of the treble. When I discovered the HD800, I immediately noticed the treble too, but I never had this immediate urge to remove the headphone from my head. If you are, like me, sensitive to potential peaks at 8 kHz, flee the T1 like the plague: Your ears will bleed very quickly. Many owners of T1, however, have no problem with this peak. I've personally loaned the T1 to a friend who did not feel any discomfort. Conversely, many enthusiasts who have tried this or other Beyer headphones are like me: allergic to this Treble. So this is IMO primarily a matter of personal sensitivity.
 
After several hours / days / weeks, my brain has done its job of self-equalization and peak treble became much more bearable, even for an allergic like me. I then enjoyed as it should be the other characteristics of the T1.
 
The fact is that the T1 will grow on you. It offers by no means a 'wow' effect on first listen. It is in all aspects a significant improvement over the DT880 but not really impresses during first listens. The great qualities of T1 reveal themselves gradually, hence the importance of the long term test of a headphone that could quite easily be underestimated.
 
The absolute highlight of T1, is IMO the soundstage. This was the case on the DT880, but the T1 - and the T90 for that matter - offers uncommon precision and layering. The foreground seems close and forward - much more than HD800 - and the soundstage background is distant. All that sits between the two is perfectly layered and easlily audible. The most pleasant point IMO is yet to come. The T1 has a very specific way to make audible the left and right extremities of the soundstage. In fact, T1 seems to bend the soundstage stage and bring the left and right closer to the ears, creating a very precise "bubble" in which we can locate details with much ease. This is a very cool effect. Compared to the HD800, the T1 offers a more compact and less diffuse soundstage. It feels more consistent, but weeks of listening let me feel that this consistency is a bit artificial and tends to "beautify" the crappy mixes, while not doing justice to the better recordings whose ultimate goal is to reproduce accurately acoustic resonnance, the feeling of the room , the concert hall or the studio. In this matter, in my opinion, the HD800 is the King.
 
So, The second statement I really would like to share is I felt that the T1 instills a little extra energy in the music. It's a slight effect and not at all outrageous or too unnatural. I could feel sound movements from back to front. Very 3D effect. It's really fun to listen and I feel of kind of groove/swing added to the music. The presentation offered by the HD800 is more "rigid" : it seems that The Senn places the music in air as if it was paintings and let us comtemplate the sound. Both presentation are very enjoyable in my opinion.
 
Overally and before going into the details of the various ranges, we can estimate that T1 is neutral with a feeling of extra bass and treble. We are not yet in the U-shaped or V-shaped signatures with recesseds mids, but in the slightly saline. In general, HD800 and T1 signatures are close and I do not really think that one of the two is more neutral than the other, contrary to what I read here and there.
I used the T1 to listen to all genres I usually listen to with the HD800. I was quite surprised to find it extremely good for classical. I had assumed that the HD800 would be much better in this area but it's not so true. The Beyerdynamic is truly compelling for classical, although I always tend to complain about the same flaw, namely a slight metallic treble that can affect the perfect reproduction of acoustic instruments tone. I didn't notice any music where the T1 seemed downright uncomfortable, even if it does not seem much more forgiving than the HD800 with the quality of the recordings. I finally listened to some tracks whose style is better accorded with the T1: I am thinking of "Animal As Leaders" (progressive metal) that sounds good with the HD800, but frankly better - more impacting more cohesive and just as fast - with the T1.
 
Both headphones will shine on different music and differently designed recordings. The HD800 will be more oriented to the reproduction of music as a whole including its sound environment and atmosphere. The T1 will provide a more lively and sraightforward experience with a very high level of separation of the different components of music.
 
 
In detail ( vs HD800):
 
 
- Bass: The DT880 already dealt superbly this register but the T1 does better. Excellent extension and no lack of sub-bass be felt in demanding music in this area. bass are tight and fast and does not overflow on the mids at all. they are tight without being dry. Because of the presentation that offers the T1, Bass has this elasticity and dynamic projected character that does not offer the HD800. I think the impression of "more bass" from the T1 comes from that. The drawback is that bass are slightly more "one note" than HD800. Different components are less audible less detailed, less textured than those proposed by the HD800. According to different muusic or your tastes, you can prefer one or the other. For example, I found that the electric bass (Animal As Leaders) sounded better with the T1 although the different bass layers in my favorite EDM (Shingo Nakamura, BT or Burial for example) or Doublebass (Renaud Garcia Fons) are better with the HD800.
 
- Mids:  A few month ago,I would have said that the HD800 is the king of the medium. That's not true. The medium of the HD800 lacks a slight bit of meat and body. The real King is the Stax SR009 and it needs a lot of work on the upstream HD800 rig to obtain a meatier mid with the Senn. T1 seems to be in the same boat: the midrange sounds very good, very clean. Neither hollow or pervasive. It has not, however, the slightly euphonic and refined charm of The King Stax. Overally, the T1 is not more euphonic than the HD800. The medium of the latter remains more detailed, richer, more textured, more appealing. The medium of T1 is very slightly "off" in my opinon. I listened and listened to a lot of voices (Norah Jones, Newton Faulkner, Andreas Scholl) and it seems to me that the HD800 offers a more refined level of restitution in the matter. But it does nothing to actually penalize the T1, since the HD800 is still a tough competitor.
 
- Treble: now we are going to reach points that annoy and divide. The high range of the HD800 as that of T1 can be problematic and show an excess compared to the strict neutrality. So we have two headphones who undoubtly tend to be slightly bright. I say slight, but a lover of darker headphones would certainly find that both T1 and HD800 have too much treble. Someone who loves brighter/lighter signatures (myself for example) will however appreciates the detail, the sparkle and the bite air brought by those slightly boosted treble. HD800 as T1 are moreover, one like the other, not short on details. I would say at first glance that the T1 is perhaps the best for foreground details location - see paragraph above - and the HD800 for the best reproduction of low-level detail - reverberation, resonance and acoustics of the place of recording - giving my opinion a greater sense of realism to the sound material ... When this material is present in the recording. As we say the measures (see measurements of two headphones on the web) the HD800 provides ongoing treble boost from 4 kHz to 8 kHz, with a max at 6 kHz. The T1 offers him a sudden peak at 8khz and keeps elevated treble in higher frequencies. Choose your poison depending on your sensitivity and your preferences. What's funny is that during A/B comparison between one and the other, I could hear very well the difference, and according to different tracks one or the other sounded brighter. The one and the other may show sibilances and both seem not so much forgiving for poor recordings. Personally, and my opinion has not changed in three months of T1 owning, I appreciate the HD800 treble, while T1's one is almost unbearable.
 
- Soundstage: Two beautiful soundstages, but - as I have already said - very different and thus the personal preferencs will encourage us toward the Sennheiser or the Beyerdynamic. Compactness, density, precision and sense of movement with the T1. Cloud of music with a strong sense of the different sound patches and a great feeling of the reality of the music in its environment with the HD800. The HD800 "deploys" the music. I have often thought in this roundup that eventually the T1 had the best soundstage. It's almost true. Almost, because from my point of view, although T1's soundstage is fantastic, but "headphone-like". The HD800 looses some of that accuracy to go to a more extraordinary way to reproduce the music. HD800 doesn't either offer this "Music in Motion" feeling offered by T1. The diffuse presentation of the HD800 can bother too. I also said that the T1 was ultimately more analytical than the HD800. This is not entirely true either, but the idea is there: the precision of T1 impresses.
 

Conclusion
 
I still do not like the T1, and I really had to force myself to keep on the ears since I have. However, I think I managed to be patient and try to be fair. this headphone deserved it. I have to say again that the T1 in reveals its strengths after many careflu and attentive listening. Certainly a very good headphone, so of course we are not allergic to Beyerdynamic like me.
The T1 offers its share of "fun", but can still not be considered deliberately calibrated for that. It shows very little color or added euphony and stays accurate. In Beyerdynamic family, for whis is seeking more fun and less accuracy, I sincerely think the T90 worthes a serious try.
 
Finally, T1 vs HD800 ... HD800 headphones keeps in my opinion its superiorité for a few specific reasons: Better mids, an overally more refined sound - with a blacker "background" - a hgher level of detail and resolution over the entire spectrum and especially a more "extraordinary" persentation, where T1 is still a great headphone, but only a great headphone. That said, I do think that the HD800 can demonstrate these qualities only with recordings who can highlight them and, so, although higher in absolute terms, it will not be always more enjoyable. In any case, I don't allow myself to state that HD800 will always be greater than T1 for YOUR listenings.
 
For my part, I'm ending this review while listening to Ane Brun and The headphone I've forgotten on my head is the HD800. I'll be a bit sad to see the T1 leaving the house though.