Ultrasone Takes Headphones to the Next Level
by Elianne Halbersberg
Founded in 1991 by Florian Koening, Ds.C., who possesses a doctorate in audio acoustical engineering, Ultrasone has always sought to create the brand image of a high-class and innovative company for sophisticated customers. Over the past 15 years, Ultrasone AG has developed many new technologies and has applied for more than 60 patents worldwide. Along with amazing new developments in headphone technology, Ultrasone has also taken into consideration certain health concerns associated with headphone design.
Among these concerns are hearing damage associated with listening at extreme volumes and EMF emissions by headphones. In 1997, Ultrasone AG developed the first ULE shielded pair of headphones, which was released in 1999. In 2000, Ultrasone AG was reorganized, creating a new corporate design and new products. The Natural Surround System, S-LOGICT, was presented as the successor of the former FPS-System at this time.
Ultrasone is located in Tutzing, close to the Alps in South Germany. The main office team coordinates the sales and marketing activities for more than 50 countries. The technical and financial department is located in Tutzing as well. Production of the headphones is separated between several locations in Germany, the U.S. Austria and Taiwan. The company makes only headphones.
Ultrasone of America LLC, sole product distributors for North and South America, is based in Franklin, Tenn., 30 minutes south of Nashville. It was founded in 2004 and distributes only Ultrasone. The office does all of their own shipping, repairs and sales. CEO/President Cathy Kelly and her team have one major attribute that has led to their success: passion. They have made quite an impression in the music and television worlds. With their commitment to safety and the superior audio quality of their patented S-Logic system, quite a following, from the biggest studios to ESPN to Making the Band. They've won dozens of awards, from CNET to Remix to MacAddict. This year they released a consumer headphone, the iCans, for the person who loves music and wants to protect their hearing while listening. No longer does the consumer have to compromise. Now they can have the same incredible audio experience and safe listening experience the professional had when creating the music.
This past summer, the Association for Speech, Hearing and Language released a disturbing study, revealing that more than half of the high school students surveyed indicated they had more than one symptom of hearing loss. Hearing loss is a huge concern also among professional music people. Ultrasone is the only headphone that addresses this issue. How does it work?
S-logic replicates the ways we hear in everyday life. Other conventional headphones place the speaker directly in the center of the ear cup, driving an audio signal directly down the ear canal, slamming into the eardrum, completely bypassing the outer ear. S-Logic directs the audio signal to the back of the outer ear, the pinna, which is responsible for our perception of distance and direction, reflecting it down the ear canal. It uses your whole sense of hearing, giving you two things: first, an incredible natural surround sound, with three-dimensional qualities as if the music is being played live or from speakers, not headphones, and second, a dramatic 40 percent decrease in pressure to the eardrum. The result is less damage, less fatigue and safer listening. The second safety feature is the electromagnetic shielding. All headphones emit radiation or EMF's. Ultrasone uses Mu-metal, the same metal that NASA uses on the spacecraft to shield radiation up to 98 percent.
For more information, visit www.ultrasoneusa.com.
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