[glinty766]

Great thread. I had a good read. Now I am convinced to get one asap.

 

[cangle]

I've been trying out the other pads on the o2, the f-cush. I can't get a perfect seal with them, I think they are too long for my ear shape and even after some fiddling there is a gap towards the bottom of my ear. I like the sound with them but switching back to the stock e+ pads that seal for me, and the bass really fills out. It didn't sound lacking on the f-cush pads at all but there's certainly more bass and slam with the e+ pads that seal better against my ear.

I also got the Audiophile Ninja ETA cable the other day. I mostly just got it for better ergonomics and it's great to use. Very flexible and lightweight with good quality connectors.

 

[skeeb23]

I've really enjoyed the time I was given to spend with the ETA O2. I can definitely see how these will strike an interest with many enthusiasts. Especially those that adore the KOSS Porta Pros as I see this as a comparison product albeit high end and better all around.
The bass response is really the star of the show here but I don't want to fail to recognize these also have some excellent details and a bit of airiness to them. I know ETA is working on more projects and I'm looking forward to see what they do next.

I did also post a video about the O2 on my YT channel. I'll link it here for anyone interested in my full thoughts on them. I wish Yaxi would make some dope colored pads for these also!

 

[Shane D]

I've been trying out the other pads on the o2, the f-cush. I can't get a perfect seal with them, I think they are too long for my ear shape and even after some fiddling there is a gap towards the bottom of my ear. I like the sound with them but switching back to the stock e+ pads that seal for me, and the bass really fills out. It didn't sound lacking on the f-cush pads at all but there's certainly more bass and slam with the e+ pads that seal better against my ear.

I also got the Audiophile Ninja ETA cable the other day. I mostly just got it for better ergonomics and it's great to use. Very flexible and lightweight with good quality connectors.

The cable looks Awesome!

Wouldn't the F-pads put the drivers right against your ears? They come stock on the Hemp's, but it is too "in-ear" for me.

 

[cangle]

Wouldn't the F-pads put the drivers right against your ears?

Yeah it is a thinner pad bringing the driver closer to your ear. I just can't get the seal I need with that pad to bring out the bass the o2 is capable of.

 

[Shane D]

Yeah it is a thinner pad bringing the driver closer to your ear. I just can't get the seal I need with that pad to bring out the bass the o2 is capable of.

The E+ pad looks like an L-Cush or G-Cush pad that has been stretched weirdly? Or do they keep that shape?

The sound, as described, seems pretty interesting.

 

[cangle]

The E+ pad looks like an L-Cush or G-Cush pad that has been stretched weirdly? Or do they keep that shape?

The sound, as described, seems pretty interesting.

Not sure about the similarity to the L or G pads. But yes the E+ pads do keep their shape. I've put a lot of hours on the o2, it's actually a demo pair that I bought, and they haven't deformed at all

 

[smodtactical]

For those considering these headphones and who keep seeing people say 'they are good vs koss'... please realize that these headphones can go toe to toe with true flagship headphones and absolutely hold their own (hd800S, well amped hd650, atticus. caldera). So please don't fall into the trap of these being simply an upgraded porta pro. They are a TOTL headphone through and through (at least sonically... maybe not aesthetically).

 

[Philimon]

For those considering these headphones and who keep seeing people say 'they are good vs koss'... please realize that these headphones can go toe to toe with true flagship headphones and absolutely hold their own (hd800S, well amped hd650, atticus. caldera). So please don't fall into the trap of these being simply an upgraded porta pro. They are a TOTL headphone through and through (at least sonically... maybe not aesthetically).

A Porta Pro with totl capabilities is my dream headphone.

I messaged ETA for purchase related query. This review is convincing.

 

[M3NTAL]

I will not convince you either, but I am in agreeance to the general idea of the Koss vs. O2, but being a more fleshed-out and technically savvy headphone.

 

[Beagle]

I have the Mini S which is one of my fave headphones. I’d be interested as to what direction these lead from those.

 

[M3NTAL]

The O2 makes the Mini S seem more closed than they do on their own. Speed & Ease, transients.

 

[Fuku]

So I've had the o2 on loan for a few days now and I think I've finalized my opinions on them. They sound great, the bass is the best I've heard on an on-ear headphone by miles, the treble and mids are very clear and dark enough for my personal tastes. My only gripes are with the build and comfort, these are unfortunately not for me comfort wise, I could only wear them for an hour at a time before my pinna would throb and the headband had 2 hotspots on either side of my skull. This may all be because I personally have a large cranium. The Grille on the back of the headphones being gyroid infill looks nice but is too thin and flexed when I touched it making it nerve-racking to handle. The cable that was sent with the was really nice though, not at all microphonic in my listening. Overall though sound is what matters and these are great, definitely worth their weight. The chain I listened to them on was windows asio -> Dangerous Music Source -> Jonokuchi. As someone who also designs 3d printed headphones these are a huge inspiration, thanks ETA for loaning these to me!

 

[DenverW]

I had the chance to briefly try the O2 yesterday at a local meet here in San Diego and was really impressed! There was a lot of sonic clarity packed into a small form factor. Very light, and very clear. I came away liking them.

 

[Svados]

I'm at a fun point in my audio dive after sitting on a HD600 on a weak chain for about 5 years.
Still pretty new and have some stuff left to try, but I'm feeling like I've settled into having a decent sense of what I like.

Was really just at a point to completely move away from an on-ear/over-ear headphone for a daily and do an IEM instead, but the O2 is pulling me back a bit.
I'm not having the comfort issues some folks have talked about, and I typically dislike this type of headband, but it's something I can keep wearing no prob.
I feel like it sits on my ears a little weird, but not really something that sticks in my head after putting on a song.

The other headphone in this range that I'd go for is the HiFiMan XS, but I hate the headband so unlucky. These are also something I won't worry about bringing outside.

Getting a really great forward balanced sound with bass depth that I'm just hoping to find with my estats... eventually haha....
I tend to prefer brighter stuff, but the balance here is really pleasant.
There are some tracks that I'm not preferring boomier bass presentation, but I think there's a lot of people looking for this kind of thing. I definitely was before I jumped into estats.
O2 is definitely one of those "just get this" headphones with quality that's retained with whatever you power it with. If only it got a little louder off my PC's headphone jack lol, but a Qudelix 5k does the job well.
My chain is iFI ZEN One Signature as ddc, Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 Mk2 for dac, a custom AVC as pre, Harmon Kardon 770 amp, and iESL transformer.

Switching between the ZENOne (with HQ Player) and SFD dacs was a pretty big change that I wasn't expecting. Improving staging on a sound you really love is a lovely thing and a nice change after running around with them. I'm trying to limit the amount of boxes I end up with, so thats all I've got for now kek.

Having a lot of fun, thank ya for the loaner, and looking forward to revisit down the road.