KLH Audio Ultimate One Audiophile Headphone Ebony…

I love music. It is one of life's greatest pleasures. I spent my twenties and early thirties building up a collection of vinyl and CDs which went into storage when kids arrived. Small children and turntables don’t mix. The kids are older now, so the vinyl came out of storage recently and I began to spend more time listening to music. Unfortunately, I have to share the house with multiple smart devices chattering away in the background, so I started looking for headphones to give me peace to enjoy my music. I wanted something really good and from reading magazine reviews it seemed like it could cost 500ish to get the performance I wanted. I needed over-ear to keep the noise out and open-back design seems to be the best way to go for sound quality. In the process of doing my research I came across the KLH Ultimate Ones in US magazines with very strong reviews and what seemed like a very competitive price. I only have them for a few days now, but they are everything I wanted or dreamed of. Pros: The sound is jaw dropping, the level of detail is almost creepy, on acoustic records you can hear the vocalist like they were standing in front of you. Piano and guitar have the same level of “in-the-room” realism. On more complicated recordings you can really hear the producer’s art with little touches clearly audible but not overpowering. I have a couple of things that I always listen out for, the first is how the bass drum and bass guitar play together, with these headphones I could hear both instruments together as rhythm but could also hear each individually in detail. I think the large diaphragm driver plays a part in that. Secondly, I like top end detail but not so much that it becomes hard to listen to. The Ultimate Ones got that right bright, accurate but not scratchy. On how they’re screwed together, the Ebony is lovely, the headband comfortably fits a big head, the headphones stay in place without any feeling of pressure and there was no problem with weight. The ear-pads are damn near perfect I wore the headphones for 6 hours straight without my ears burning off or getting sweaty, which was great. The cord feels well-made and unplugs from one side, so it won’t rip out when you stand up like fixed cords can. It comes with a solid storage case which is properly protective, real leather and feels like it should last. Cons: I have a decent turntable and cartridge and found that on some of my older/worn records I can hear more surface noise than I’d like, can’t really blame the headphones for that. Similarly, I found some early CD recordings can sound a little harsh and Spotify free showed it’s limitations too. The headphones are an open back design and so sound does leak out a little and others can hear it, honestly that’s a price I’m willing to let them pay. I’d budgeted 500 and spent 299 and am feeling very pleased with the purchase.

I can recommend the KLH headphones enthusiastically for the quality of their sound reproduction, comfort, build, materials, design and exemplary after-sales service through KLH Europe in Dublin. My basis for comparison is my first-generation Sennheiser HD600 and AKG K701, unfortunately in storage while I am in Europe and not heard for a while but well-remembered. I certainly prefer the KLH phones, which equal or exceed the Senns in smoothness, balance and detail and the AKGs in bass and impact. My critical listening is classical, especially piano, strings and vocal, both choral and individual voice. For fun, it's pop and rock from the 50s and 60s and a handful of geezers who hung in there: Neil Young, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen.... The KLH phones deliver on all fronts. Any flaws such as a hint of sharpness in strings or soprano voice, is rare and likely originates in the source, not the phones. The only phones I have heard, at an audio show, that I would prefer for the music I love are the Focal Clears, at five times the price. The phones as delivered suffered from an apparent insecure cable connection. I expect a degree of compromised quality control when one is shopping for affordable value aka made in China. Where KLH shone was the response of their personnel, by email and telephone, when I raised the problem. A telephone call from a senior account manager was followed up by a replacement cable in the mail and his further inquiries to ensure its arrival and my satisfaction. I hesitated to purchase these phones unseen and unheard since online reviews were few and the manufacturer, notwithstanding the 60-year old legacy of the KLH brand (my first speakers, in 1967!) had no track record or promise of longevity if I needed service or parts in future. However, the reviews were so unexceptionally positive and the price so attractive that I pulled the trigger. After one month, I am glad I did so and can recommend these headphones unreservedly.

Was going to give these 4 stars just because of two flat pieces pieces of metal that extend headband. Should be much better done (thicker). I will not be extending it anyway, but... Than decided to listen to them very carefully, before judging on design alone. I's almost same as sigva 007, relatively inexpensive headphones that were available in US (had known it before I bought these), but... every car has 4 wheels, matters what is under the bonnet and trust me, whatever they have placed in there is somewhat different to whatever you can buy for up to 500 or probably twice as much. I do not own to many headphones. Sold few over years and gave my wife few, who is not that much into. Maybe she is, but just takes whatever I have bought, if she likes it. So now she uses B&O (closed) for running or my old grado sr125 for traveling and for listening at home my grado sr325. I listen at home using beyerdynamic dt 1770 pro 250 ohm, lost sr325 (to her), so decided to buy something new for traveling. Don't like anything closed on the go, as almost lost my life on the zebra crossing using closed (it doesn't matter much, that driver is at fault, if you are dead)… Got these, almost out curiosity. One and half of day of constant listening using 2 cowon players (happy that tiny plenue D can drive these perfectly without amp), my wife's hires walkman (used for running), home amp + vinyl records, LG V20phone (quad DAC built in) + Fiio A5... These are just amazing. Prefer these over dt1770 pro, over sr325 grado. Trembles pierce my ears. Bass is almost neutral but can be mighty, bit concentrated on highs, that I used to, but thanks to it, I rediscover my music again. Trust me. Worth every single penny or few times more. Was going to spend around 1000 on next heaphones soon, but I've got this strange feeling, that it will be hard to beat these or that difference will not justify spending that much. Will sell dt1770 for sure... Thank You KLH! Amazing headphones. Hope parts will be awailable soon, as I would buy these tiny hinges/brackets, just to feel better and definitely would get nother pair of oryginal earpads straight away, couldn't find these anywhere. To be honest I'm thinking about buying another pair- thing that I have never done before. Seriously I have fallen in love. These make me listen to the music I would not consider worth listening before or listening again and I find plenty of lovely details, that I've missed. Will spend plenty on records this year, that's for sure... Now really quickly about the look and comfort. I wasn't sure about a wood (liked metal design of beyers), but now I love it. It's just different to what you see everywhere, but dark enough to be lost if others are not into heaphones. Noticed 2 people ogling so far, both during my train journeys. Comfort is amazing. Comparing to heavy beyers with alot of clamping force, these are like pillows around my head. Other thing worth mentioning. These don't leak much sound. Almost half of grado, so can feel comfortable on the train while listening just loud enough to hear details. This is important if you care obut others and I do. It really was an experiment. After losing last grados to wife, after reading few reviews bought these out of curiosity. Especially after reading about big berillium drivers at such a price. If these were bad, I would destroy them in my review, as I was going to give 4 stars just basing on design alone. So happy I haven't. Strangely I feel quite special having wooden cans, when everyone around have metal or plastic ones and I would like to keep it this way (never thought about headphones this way before), but it is stronger than me, to recoment these. Just buy these, whatever kind of music you like to listen, you will find something new abut it, plenty of details you have missed. I will have to cope with eweryone around me having the same cans.

I did a lot of reading of reviews on what headphones to buy before I chose the KLH Ultimate One. Funnily enough these don't appear on many of the 'best headphones of 2019/20' lists. But they should. Unboxing them you get that thrill of having bought something really special - that wood and leather combination is unbeatable. I still had this slight concern that they wouldn't live up to the look and feel - simply because they didn't cost that much compared to some of the big brands out there. I hooked them up to my Astell and Kern AK70 with a Fiio Montblanc headphone amp. And I was just blown away. The balance and the detail are wonderful - you hear every single detail but not in an overpowering way. I simply got the thing I hoped for - a way of hearing old songs in a fresh way that helps you get more detail and more engagement with the music you already love. I switched from Sarah McLachlan singing Angels, to Andrew Bird, Editors and Leonard Cohen before putting on my current favourite song 'Strange' by Celeste. All familiar songs and artists, and everyone enhanced by these headphones.

Piercing metallic treble made strings and female voice a painful listen . After a glowing review in Hi Fi News this was very disappointing. Of my large collection of headphones at different price points this was the worst. I wonder if my pair was faulty. I have returned then to Amazon Since writing this review I have received a second pair from Amazon and they are much better. The phones do have a relatively clear and detailed treble but the piercing edge of the first pair has gone.They must have been faulty. Overall the phones have a well balanced sound with excellent detail and very good transients and capture of acoustic detail. Recommended but pity about quality control.

Look them up on youtube (mainly Zeos review) and you'll see they're basically 90 quid headphone pair from SIVGA but rebranded as KLH. KLH do not manufacture audio stuff themselves, they just buy models and rebrand them and mark them up.

Was seeking out some over the ear, wired headphones, for late night home use with my audio, and after reading the reviews of the usual suspects, sennheisers, AKG’s, Sony, etc., I decided to take a chance on something different, these KLF’s, based on their almost universally favourable reviews. Nice high quality appearance with real ebony ear cups, and very soft leather ear pads. Completely different balance and presentation, compared to my ATC speakers, particularly the bass extension and detail of the phones, which took some adjusting to, but a very immersive, addictive, and non-fatiguing listen, with nice smooth upper frequency detail. Almost a give away price for headphones with beryllium drivers, for which you can pay thousands! Recommended!

The quality of build, the materials used internally and externally, the truly stunning sound, the whole package is amazing. Best value headphones I've owned.

I have several terrific headphones many of which are planar magnetic, closed & open back that up until now gave me just what i was looking for. Along comes the KLH Ultimate One which has exceeded all that i could ever ask for in a headphone. Looks, comfort, & quality. Oh yes, sound which is most important. That's where this headphone really shines. High end, mids, & low end produce a smooth rich sound that is very exciting. The richness comes through in all types of music from classical to jazz to rock. It's the only headphone that I've been listening to since I got it in December. I'm thinking that the 50 mm beryllium driver is making a major difference in the sound. Real leather & ebony wood cups round out what I believe is the best value out there period..................................

Disclaimer: I'm a music lover rather than audiophile. I've used this headphone for about a month, driven by a Topping DX3 Pro, and a Yamaha NP-S303 as music source (mostly FLAC). This headphone is simply amazing, with a very clear and vibrant treble, a well-defined mid range, and a very deep and nuanced bass. The KLH Audio One dances in circles around my other headphones (Sennheiser Momentum wired and B&W PX wireless). I know it's a cliche, but I'm so much enjoying listening to older music, finding new details in the presentation. The materials involved are nice and give a premium feel. I'm always a bit skeptical to claims of exotic woods or leathers, but then again I'm not going to use a drill or knife to literally dig deeper into this. The fit is fairly loose even for my XL head. Isolation is on the weaker side; these are purely for home listening in your favorite couch with a glass of scotch at hand.

No soy ningún experto en sonido y la opinión que voy a escribir es totalmente subjetiva según mi breve experiencia con estos auriculares que adquirí el mes pasado. Para empezar, diré que estos auriculares de grado audiófilo KLH Ultimate One cumplen sobradamente con una premisa irrenunciable en todo auricular de alta fidelidad, como es la comodidad. De nada sirve que tengan una gran calidad de sonido si se convierten para el usuario en un instrumento de tortura y te lo están recordando continuamente. Aunque el espacio para las orejas no es tan grande como en los modelos de AKG K702 y K712 o los Philips Fidelio y Sennheiser HD 599SE (sí en profundidad), para mí es suficientemente amplio para usarlos sin problemas durante horas. No hay rozaduras ni presiones molestas. Estos KLH son cómodos, muy cómodos y ligeros, debido a su acertado diseño y al uso de los materiales que entran en contacto con la cabeza. Me he informado previamente antes de comprarlos y parece ser cierto que en su rango de precio (320 euros) no hay ningún otro que use sus componentes. Piel de cordero perforada en las copas de una suavidad extrema, y resistente cuero de vaca en la diadema para una buena durabilidad. Las copas son de madera de ébano sostenible y el cable de conexión, desconectable a la copa izquierda, de 2 metros, trenzado, liso y nada rígido, es de plata. Los drivers, son de berilio puro según KLH, metal raro y el mejor para estos propósitos, (más del doble de velocidad que el neodimio, titanio o magnesio) que se encuentra en auriculares y altavoces de muy alto precio, y seguramente el uso de berilio sea el máximo responsable de la calidad de sonido que ofrecen. Con estas premisas, no es de extrañar que al hacer el unboxing se tenga una impresión más que favorable del producto que tienes entre las manos. Vienen con una caja de transporte dura de cuero y una bolsa textil, clavija de 3,5 mm. y adaptador de 6,3 mm. dorados, además del cable premium. Yo los uso exclusivamente con amplificadores hifi. Los estrené con un lector de cd Marantz CD6006 y un amplificador también Marantz PM6006 escuchando el doble cd de Crosby & Nash de 2004 y me dejaron boquiabierto. Luego he escuchado más discos, y tengo que decir que aun esperando mucho de ellos, han sobrepasado holgadamente todas mis expectativas. La escena sonora es muy amplia, hay mucha espacialidad y una separación de canales impresionante, que yo no había escuchado antes. Las frecuencias altas y medias son reveladoras, brillantes y concisas. Muy detalladas y precisas. No hay sibilancias ni asperezas. Tampoco agresividad ni fatiga. Las voces tienen textura y calidez, mucha presencia. Todo muy dulce y equilibrado. Había leído que los graves podrían resultar algo excesivos. No me lo pareció. Están muy presentes, bajan mucho sí, pero no enturbian la escucha. Los encuentro muy precisos , suaves y detallados y siempre muy controlados. Para mí, el equilibrio tonal en todo el espectro de frecuencias es espléndido. Las voces e instrumentos se ubican espacialmente y con gran precisión. Para clásica y ópera son perfectos. Cuerda, metales, maderas, percusión, voces. Una delicia. Acabo de escuchar Música Acuática y para los Reales Fuegos Artificiales de Handel, con Jordi Savall y Concert des Nations, SACD, y la Serenata K250 Haffner de Mozart por Frans Brüggen y la Orquesta del S. XVIII . No hay palabras. Para jazz instrumental y vocal resultan fascinantes. Cuando escuchas a Ella Fitzgerald con ellos, la tienes delante. No voy a entrar en comparaciones siempre odiosas con otros excelentes auriculares que también poseo y que he mencionado antes, pero estos KLH son, en mi opinión, muy cómodos y ligeros, hermosos, muy bien diseñados y construidos, con materiales premium en su totalidad y que entregan un sonido altamente fiel y adictivo, dulce, cautivador y preciso, asombroso y emocionante y todo por un precio de 320 euros, cuando fácilmente podrían valer el triple visto y oído los que ofrecen a cambio. No conozco auriculares de varios miles de euros como Audeze, Focal o Final Audio entre otros, que forzosamente deben ser mucho mejores. No los puedo comparar. Trataré de comprar también alguno que sea planar magnético de buena marca y a precio asequible para poder disfrutarlo y ver y escuchar sus características. Pero a tenor de lo que ahora sé, no dudo en recomendar estos auriculares que por diseño, precio y calidad constructiva y sonora me parecen imbatibles. Siempre que los archivos musicales, reproductores y amplificadores estén a la altura, por supuesto. Un excelente must have en toda regla. Espero poder disfrutarlos durante años. Y que este modesto comentario despeje las dudas que alguien pudiera albergar a la hora de considerar su compra. No creo que nadie se sienta decepcionado con ellos. Yo no, desde luego. Los volvería a comprar.

Bon casque mais attention aux bras des écouteurs, très fragiles !

Unlike most other reviews, mine is on the negative side. Let's start off with the appearance. These would be very good-looking headphones, however the ebony wood on both of my ear cups are very light-colored on the top quarter portion of both ear cups. I'm not sure how it got through quality control. The braided cable is also sightly damaged, and one of the ear pads appears to be permanently squished a little due to the packaging. The sound of the headphones themselves are also pretty bad. I'm coming from the Fidelio X2HR. The treble on the Ultimate One is very ear-pearcing. I have to turn my volume down lower compared to my X2HR, otherwise the Ultimate One will hurt my ears. I also seem to get rattle in the right ear cup on punchy bass sounds. I'm not sure if my whole item is just defective or what, but there are too many problems for a $250+ headphone. I'm going to return this one for another to see if it gets any better. UPDATE: The replacement unit that I got was a bit better, but still not worth the $240+tax. It still had issues with the ebony wood coloration. The top quarter portion of both cups were still very light-colored. Which completely ruined the look of the headphone. Therefore, QC doesn't care if the cups are fully dark-colored wood. The replacement headphones didn't have bass rattle, which was a plus. However, the treble was still very sharp, and the bass was too overwhelming. I'm returning my replacement as well. I'm going to get a hifiman sundara instead.