For Reference:
IEMS I have owned and like (...at least for some time):
Universal: Shure 215, Hyla CE-5, AAW W900, Inear SD-5, Sony ex800st, ibasso IT01, Vision Ears VE6XC, Lime Ears Aether
Custom: Custom Art Fibae 2, Custom Art Harmony 8.2, Avara AV2, Warbler Prelude, Lime Ears Aether R, Vision Ears VE8, Fitear TG334
Music i like:
Metallica, Porcupine Tree, Rush, Tool, Beck, Brandi Carlile, Buckethead, Dave Matthews Band, Disturbed, Jason Mraz, Joe Goddard, Hans Zimmer, Vivaldi...
Sources:
LPG, DTR1, Calyx M, Corda Classic, Sony NW-A105, Xperia XZ1 compact
What's in the box:
You get the minimum accessories with the Aethers R. There are a pelicase, cleaning tool, dry capsule and stock cable. There is no flashy presentation and unboxing and all the money is going into the iems and not some fancy stuff that sits in the drawer, i like this. The only thing i wish to see is an upgraded cable. I instantly changed the stock one to an aftermarket cable. The hybrid iem from Forza Audio is a great match and helps a little with extension on both ends.
Build, comfort and usebility:
The craftsmanship on these is outstanding. I just love the flashy design and how the colors morph in the sun from green to blue and a great glittery effect. Just stunning. Additionally the shell is smooth with a very nice switch, that is well build and seems of high durability. It's positioned at the low end of the shell and i never had problems with it. I don't accidently press it while putting the iems in or taking them out.
One more on the switch. It will not change the whole signature it will just provide a little more body and bass as it adds some below 100Hz. I mostly go with a the more bass position as i like the fuller sound a little more.
The fit is definitly on the pro side. It is quite tight. Therefor i never loose seal whatever i do. Sport...no Problem. I can wear them in any situation but would prefer a more comfort fit when using it on hours. Despite the relativ short canal the isolation is not lacking as is to be expected with a tight fit.
Sound impressions:
The first thing that came to my mind when i heard the Aether R "this will be a great Allrounder". It got a bump in the area of 2-3 kHz and will provide a dense midrange with a more focus to E-Guitars and Voices.
At first I thought the bass is a little behind and tried to bump it with an EQ but after some dayes of usage I changed the setting back and got much more balance and this in the end works much better with the whole presentation. Some brain burn-in and the bass is not lacking in any area. It's nuanced and plenty deep. I like the layered bass and the bigger than live sound image.
It is by no means a reference sound but also not midcentric or V shaped. It kind of mixes some aspects of all this generic terms. There is no strong lifted bass but some inherit warmth and nice slam. The mids are boosted but not in the way of iems like the warbler prelude where this is the main focus and you loose some other traits like a nice bass fundament. The treble is very linear and there is no early roll off but it is not piercing...a little wet and full...just right to me.
To conclude the sound description the Aether R is very engaging and i didn't heard any kind of music it strugles with. I think it goes exeptionaly well with rock and metal. The Aether R is some kind of raw and fun but more refined than the classic Aether. In the end Aether R surely has the same toe-tapping genes.
Sources:
The Aether R scales nicely with source but is not picky. I can easily enjoy them from my xperia xz1 but with the a nice dap like the Calyx M or the DTR1 you get more soundstage, better imaging and more detail as you would expect. I like espesially the synergie with the Sony dap and would like to try them with a wmz1 as i think this will be a very nice pairing.
Hiss was never a problem even with my desktop amp (Meier Audio Classic) which needs an iematch with most of my other iems.
Comparisons:
I am not that into those technical terms thats why i try to compare them more on an emotional level.
vs. Aether (classic)
They both are monitors that make you move. They are fun and make you smile. The original is sharper in the treble and gives you more bass. To me that is borderline basshead but it is never the less a very nice package. The Aether R seams to be more serious. Like the youngster (Ather classic) has grown up but you can see the child in his (Aether R) eyes once in a while. It's focus is more on the mids and less on the upper or lower end of the sound spectrum. To me they both are great allrounder but the original Aether demands more of your attention where the Aether R gives you all that is in the music if YOU decide to focus on it.
vs. Vision Ears VE8
I said before both are in the same league and today i still think so. Yes, the VE8 is more refined and technically stronger but when i listen to music i can enjoy both on the same level and don't miss anything. When i said the Aether R is the grown up compared to the original Aether the VE8 is one more step in the same direction. The VE8 is the warm monitor with all details that offten is glanced over with other monitors that have this warm tuning. But it manages to be even and coherent where the Aether R has some peaks. Sometimes I crave for the excitement i get from the Aether R and sometimes it's more the eveness of the VE8.
