KLH Ultimate One Open-Back Over Ear Headphones

The Ultimate One Headphones feature an over-ear, open-back design with a 50mm pure beryllium driver. The headphone headband and ear pads feature soft lambskin inner sections for ultimate comfort, with cowhide leather outer sections for lasting durability. The Ultimate One Headphones have real wood ear cups available in zebrawood. The frequency response is rated at 18Hz-22kHz.

Reviews

• Tony Reed | Professional Mixing/Mastering Engineer July 24, 2019 July 24, 2019

  I won a set of the Ultimate One headphones in the raffle at Kitsap Audio Video last month. I’m just contacting you to tell you that I am really enjoying them. I am a professional mixing mastering engineer for a living and these came to me at a time that I’ve been searching for a new set of headphones. I like the equalization of them. To me, they have a bit of a mid-cut which is what I like. They also don’t wear out my ears as quick as other headphones, not to mention they are very comfortable. I am also a touring musician and sometimes I have to do work on the road and so far I think these will be perfect for that job as well.

• Bill Bozeman October 31, 2019

  More bang for the buck than I have ever seen. A steal at $299. 5 stars as the winner in the mid-priced category.

  I currently use Grado, Hi-Fi Man and Bose headphones. I only use the Bose when traveling. Up to this point, the Hi-Fi man cans were my favorite. Now the KLH cans are # 1 and they are priced several hundred under the Hi-Fi man cans

  I just ordered the Dragonfly Red DAC/Amp. I hope this will my streaming quality.

• Kasabe Designs Inc September 2, 2020

  Very detailed sound. Imaging is very clear and distinguished. I am finally hearing details that were missing in other headphones. Accurate low end. well-balanced. Excellent build quality. Pure beryllium drivers, real ebony wood ear cups, leather wrapped ear pads. metal cup mounts. Very impressive for the price point. Feels solid. Very comfortable. I have been using them every day since I got them. Comes with a very nice carrying case and cloth cover. This is absolutely worth every penny!

• Edward Louis September 24, 2020

  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…………………………….

• Scott Busekrus September 24, 2020

  Beautiful design. Very comfortable. Awesome sound. A number of things attracted my attention about these headphones. Initially their beautiful appearance. Great on-line reviews from the audiophile market. I have a high-end sound system and turntable. Vinyl is my preferred medium. What caught my attention was 2 things. First the fact that the drivers are beryllium. If you do your research, you will learn about this rare & expensive hard metal and the acoustic benefits of beryllium for audio. Secondly, the wood outer cups. The design is basically like a quality loudspeaker cabinet and drivers for your private listening. I also like the open design vs. a closed design headphone which make them sound more like open loudspeakers. You won’t be disappointed in any way with these headphones. Delivery was quick. Quality impeccable with the hard-case for storage.

• jerick70 September 24, 2020

  I was very surprised by these. Really like the audio that comes out of these.

• Vlad Miretsky September 24, 2020

  I was a bit skeptical about these headphones at first but you can tell it’s a great product once you open the package. The headphones come with a quality case and a dedicated bag for the cable and 1/4 inch adapter (yes, it’s included too). I use these headphones to listen to vinyl and also hook them up to my Amp when playing guitar so it’s a pretty broad range of signal. I was specifically looking for quality open back headphones and they do deliver! While the sound might be slightly less nuanced compared to $1K+ headphones these KLH headphones have probably the best sound in their price range!

• ez_writer100 September 24, 2020

  I have a number of really good headphones in the $300-$500 range from Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Sony and Philips but these KLH Ultimate Ones are my favorites. They sound amazing! Very clean, deep bass and extended highs with crystal clarity across the entire range. Very easy to hear different instruments and vocals in each song. I was really shocked the first time I put these on. Beyond the excellent sound, they are extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time (I have a relatively large head and these have just the right amount of clamping pressure and the ear pads are very soft and cover my entire ear). They look really classy and come with a detachable silver braided cable, storage bag and headphone case all of very high quality. Very, very happy with these headphones!

  Update(5/2/20): Still really enjoying these headphones. Just listened to Bruckner Symphony 9 (Giulini/CSO on EMI). I could pick out individual instruments and they sounded very, very real. I closed my eyes and was transported to the symphony hall! One more thing: these are without a doubt the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn.

• raspeaker September 24, 2020

  I bought a pair of these headphones over a year ago after trying different brands such as Sennheiser (sound too dark), Grado (midrange too forward), and HiFiman (very little bass and stopped working properly very soon) among others. I am quite pleased with the Ultimate One’s low impedance (32 ohms) and relatively low price with a resulting high-end sound (the open-back design helps) that is pleasing at all frequencies. I do have speakers that sound better than these headphones but after years of searching, I have never heard any headphones in this price range that sound this good. The Ultimate Ones also look very nice and have held up admirably over the time I have owned them.

• Marquande September 24, 2020

  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 500-ish 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.

• Edward R. September 24, 2020

  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.

• Twist September 24, 2020

  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… Then decided to listen to them very carefully, before judging on design alone. It’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 too 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 headphones 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 another pair of original 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 headphones. Noticed 2 people ogling so far, both during my train journeys. Comfort is amazing. Comparing to heavy buyers with a lot 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 about 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 beryllium 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 recommend 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 everyone around me having the same cans.

• R. Ellis September 24, 2020

  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 favorable 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!

• Stephen Cuffe September 24, 2020

  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 favorite song ‘Strange’ by Celeste. All familiar songs and artists, and everyone enhanced by these headphones.

• Muhammad HUNT September 24, 2020

  The KLH Ultimate One headphones have become my favorite of all the ones I own, from B & W to Sure. As well as musically outstanding for the price, the design and build is also excellent.

• AVIRAM L September 24, 2020

  Good seller Good product A++++

• del Valle September 24, 2020

  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.

• Amazon Customer September 24, 2020

  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.

• Carlos Nunes September 24, 2020

  Après environ 1 journée de rodage car à la première mise en route il est pas vraiment top, ce casque est vraiment surprenant, je l’ai connecté à un ampli casque à tubes Woo Audio wa6. Le grave est doux très rond avec des basses profondes, le médium surtout sur les voix féminine est superbe, les aigus surtout sur les cymbales est incroyablement cristallin et doux sur du jazz avec juste ce qu’il faut, pour pas devenir envahissant, la séparation stéréo est énorme avec une scène très large. Il faut impérativement rodé ce casque, laisser un CD tourné en boucle sur une journée à volume modéré, il va changer radicalement en bien car au début le son est vraiment pas top avec une coloration dans le médium et des basses très quelconque. Après rodage miracle s’est la métamorphose complète. Le casque KLH ultimate one est très léger, je peux le garder sur la tête ½ journée sans aucune fatigue, les 340 gr se font complément oublié. Il est super bien fini, du très beau cuir partout, les pads sont très confortable. S’est presque le frère jumeau du klipsch hp3 mais en plus petit. Attention aux oreilles par fort niveau car avec les 1.8 watts qu’il peut encaissé et ses 97 dB de niveau minimum ça dépote grave. Ce casque convient parfaitement pour le jazz, blues, rock écouter du Santana avec lui vous en garderez un excellent souvenir.

• David from Springfield on 10/3/2019 October 12, 2020

  You get more than you pay for with these headphones, including great looks, solid construction, comfortable feel, low impedance / high sensitivity (they work just fine with the headphones output of a good audio receiver), and great sound. I would call the Ultimate Ones genuinely high-end. While their sound quality is a bit shy of my very best speakers, it is clearly superior to all of my mid-fi gear such as some Polk speakers and my Grado SR80e headphones. The Ultimate Ones are much more lively and engaging (without being too bright or harsh) than Sennheiser headphones I have heard in this price range. The Ultimate One’s mids are just right and the highs are detailed. The bass is deep and very impressive (it can, only when a source requires it, sound as though one had a subwoofer in the earpieces), though this low end is not overly and artificially emphasized. The open-back design provides a nice, airy quality, and the Ultimate Ones have very precise imaging with a nice soundstage. There is a break-in period, as these headphones improve with time (the rough audio edges smooth out), but that period seems to be quite short (a few days). It is good to see that the new KLH is producing such good gear at a reasonable price.

• Bob, Crutchfield customer from Conway, SC on 5/21/2020 October 12, 2020

  Excellent sound and performance for the price point. Would definitely recommend these headphones. I also have a full 7.2 Kendall system, which is great too. If you have not checked out the new KLH Audio, do yourself a favor and give them a look. You will not be disappointed.

• Over Ear, Open Back Audiophile Design
  
  
• Large, 50mm Pure Beryllium Driver for musical response
  
  
• Lambskin covered earpads for supreme comfort, Leather covered band for durability
  
  
• Frequency range of 18Hz-22kHz +/-3dB for accurate response
  
  
• Sensitivity 97dB/1mW, Max SPL 107dB
  
  
• 2m detachable cord with 3.5mm-6.3mm adaptor
  
  
• Weight 340g
  
  
• Leather Hard Case and soft travel bag included

User Reviews