MrSpeakers ETHER C

Looks: 10

These look really good and matured in design.
The carbon fibre ear cups especially (when not covered in fingerprints)
Can't go wrong with all black. What concerns me a little is how long will the carbon fibre cups look "new"
In other words, how long before it starts to turn yellow and show up scratches.
 

 
Build: 9.5
 
Man these make my other headphones feel like toys. 
These are built with very high quality materials:
Carbon fibre ear cups, nitinol headband, machined aluminium construction and gimbals,
Italian leather head strap and lambskin ear pads.
 
One small complaint I have is about the headband.
I can't pick this headphone up from one ear cup without being
anxious about the headband because it just so wobbly and flexible
and also a bit weird to pick it up from the head strap so a small inconvenience 
for me to have to use both hands every time I pick them up so I wish the headband
was more rigid. Also the carbon fibre cups are fingerprint magnets so I have to
pay some attention when putting them on.
 
Other than that these feel like they are going to last a long time. 
Also what I love about these is because they are closed, there is no way
to get dust/dirt in to the planar magnetic driver and so, they should keep their
pristine sound their whole life.

Comfort: 9
 
The clamp force for me is little too high. I've loosened them for about a week leaving them
to be stretched over night, which has helped some but even still I can feel the pressure
from the pads all the time. First 1-2 hours it feels good but after that I have to
re-adjust the headphones or take them off for a few minutes.

The weight of the headphones is good. I just don't like the feel of lambskin against my head.
Also they get warm after a while and I have to take a small break sometimes. I do not get the same
"closed in" feeling that I got from the Alpha Dogs which is a HUGE plus.
I think the pads are what contributed for that. These pads are better IMO.

-UPDATE- Few weeks after I've now used to these and I really don't
notice much of the comfort problems anymore so giving the Comfort a 9 instead of 8.
 
Bass: 8.5
 
Overall the bass lacks around 3-4 dB of volume IMO.
The bass is quite tight but maybe not as tight as some open headphones and because 
the bass isn't elevated in anyway, it appears very tight during normal listening.

Paired with the Mojo it lowered the very low sub quantity a tad which plays to my preferences
perfectly since in closed headphones I get some pressure in my ears when there is a lot
of sub bass under ~40hz. Anyway I still find the bass really balanced but again,
It could use around 3-4 dB more volume overall.
 
Mids: 10
 
DAMN! These headphones have the most tonally accurate mid-range ever and how the hell
did they manage to do this in a closed design? Everything sounds exactly like it should.
Vocals don't sound like they have been recorded, more like the singer is singing to YOU
at this very moment. There is a lot of detail and it's presented effortlessly through
every layer.

Nothing can hide from these headphones. Coming from the Sennheiser HD600
and the Alpha Dogs, I'm hearing things that I've not heard in songs that I've listened
(analyzed!) over 50 times just listening them casually...
 
Highs: 9.5
 
Okay so at first I used the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus and the treble was quite harsh.
I got fatigue after a while and the harshness didn't allow me to just enjoy the music.
This is why you need to find the right Amp & DAC to power these. Now using the Mojo,
the treble is amazingly smooth and fatigue free and even more detailed than the DAC Magic Plus.

The tonality is spot on in my opinion. I don't hear any peaks in the treble, but it still
sounds exciting when the track calls for it. It can be a nice kick in the morning to wake you up
but after a long day it can sound fatiguing when you just want to relax. 

For rock and metal and harsh genres like that, I don't think these are the headphones you should look at.
Maybe the new Ether C Flow with it's -based on others impressions-
smoother treble and more bass should fit those genres better.

For music like EDM, Hip Hop and more "bassy" genres I think these are fantastic since
they don't usually have those crazy harsh fast hi-hats, and they have more bass compared to rock and metal
which the Ether C needs. Bands like Tool however sound very good due to their heavy guitar tones and
over all warm sound, while something like System Of A Down can be fatiguing due to bright mastering (YMMV)

You can always use the tuning filters to tame the highs but I don't like them because my (average sized) ears touch them
and that makes using them really uncomfortable. Also because the more you tame the highs,
the more details and sound stage you lose.

The mid to treble sounds very balanced and well recorded music has never sounded more real.
Overall very resolving, slightly alive sounding from neutral yet smooth.

Dynamics: 7

I can't "feel" the music hitting me. It's like it's compressed and the sound is trapped in the cups a bit...
There is really a lack of punch in the kick drums, or drums in general for that matter.
I feel like the macro dynamics are lacking but micro dynamics seem fine. Again, it's the lack of punch and
impact that is really disappointing at this price.
 
Sound stage: 8.5

Okay so for a closed headphone this would be a 9.5 because it's just very good for a
closed headphone. However I want to review these as a "Headphone" and not care
about closed or open because I feel like it doesn't even matter to these headphones
and that they can take the criticism.
 
The width is very close to the HD600s. The HD600 have more airy sound stage while
the Ether C portrays a more accurate and solid image.
which helps you hear things that you could never hear with some open headphones,
since none of the detail gets lost out of the cups.

Another fault of this headphone is the lack of sound stage depth.
It's very 2D and wide sounding when compared to my modded DT-770s
which have more realistic and deep sound stage.
This took me a long time to realize but it's really obvious now and really a shame.
Maybe it's because of the planar drivers that causes the loss of depth?

The accuracy of imaging however is INSANE. So effortless sounding sound stage with everything
from left to right -no matter how quiet- sounding present and clear. Very transparent layering.
 
Overall: 9
 
These are just fun and very immersive to listen to in my opinion. No frequency "stands out" yet they are
very engaging to listen to. I guess this what people call "musicality".
 
The biggest problem I find at the moment is cable noise. Not sure which DUM cable I have
but when I turn my head or move and the cables hit against the table or my shirt
I hear the "thumping" in my ears, which makes these a little restrictive in terms of usage
because you have to be so still when critically listening.
I recommend an aftermarket cable if you have the same problems.
 
So... Yes... These do cost 1500$+ depending on cable options (more expensive in Europe),
but the ability to be immersed in the music and enjoy it this much
without being bothered by outside noise is almost priceless to me.

 

Introduction:

I first heard the Ether back in August of 2015, I'm not sure if the Ether Cs were even announced back then.  I like what I heard but I was already starting to look for a set of closed back cans and kinda ruled out the Ether.  Almost a year later and I am in the position to by a top of the line set of cans and the Ether C is on my radar.  I spent a lot of time reading comparisons of the Ether and Ether C and decided to bite the bullet and buy a pair.  I was not disappointed.  I loved my ZMFs but after a quick initial comparison they haven’t been plugged in since.  

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Disclaimer:
I have no connection to Mr. Speakers and I paid for this pair of Ether Cs out of my own pocket.  

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About Me / My Listening Style / My Reviews:
I am not a critical listener; I don’t find enjoyment in listening to music and trying to listen for every last detail.  When I listen to music I generally am sitting in a comfy chair, or in bed, and relaxing and enjoying the music.  I appreciate detail and accurate reproduction but tend to lean towards a warmer more laid back sound.  In the past I have had a pair of DT880s which while very technically competent were just too bright and aggressive; I much prefer something like my ZMFs or the HD650 and now the Ether Cs.
 
I don’t claim to be a golden ear and all the opinions I state in my reviews are just that.  I try to use songs that I have listened to on a number of setups in my reviews; both speaker and headphone based.  I know how I have heard a song in the past and how I think it should sound and that's what I base my opinions off of.

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Hardware & Specifications:

Packaging/accessories:

I bought my Ether Cs used, so I didn’t get the first unveil and experience of the factory packaging.  I also can’t speak to the accessories as I didn’t get the whole enchilada and I can’t find anything definitive on the Mr. Speaker’s site.  From what I have seen though there is an outer box, the headphones, your selected cable(s), a cleaning cloth and the hard shell case.   
 
Technical Specifications (From Mr. Speakers Site):

Weight: 394g
Frequency response: Yes* (this obviously needs to be updated but is what is currently on the site)
Efficiency: 92dB/mW
Impedance: 23 ohms

(https://mrspeakers.com/ether/)

Objective Measurements:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MrSpeakersEtherC.pdf

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Design and Build:


The Ether C uses a 2.75” x 1.75” planar magnetic magnetic driver that was designed by Dan of Mr. Speakers ( @Mrspeakers here on headfi).  The main frame of the headphone is aluminum with a 3D printed inner structure (see pictures below).  The headband is made from two strips of Nitinol “Memory Metal” (a blend of Nickel and Titanium) and a leather comfort band.  The cups are carbon fiber and in my opinion a fantastic choice; not only for esthetic reasons but also weight savings.  During some of my research before purchasing I saw that an early prototype was a wooden cup which I can only imagine would have added weight to the final build.  There are tiny inclusions and bubbles in the carbon cups (see picture above, looks like dust) but to the naked eye they are not visible and I only noticed them after taking the above picture with my macro lens.  Otherwise, the carbon cups are flawless and have a top notch finish on them.  


All of the headphones parts are very high quality and very well thought out.  The majority of the headphone is aluminum or carbon fiber and the plastic parts are used in places where I have no concerns for longevity.  The attention to detail in the parts list is evident as you look at the fasteners and materials selected.  Everything is of a high quality and in my opinion, worthy of the price point.

The standard cable (non DUM) is great and my only complaint is that the outer covering after the split is a bit rubbery/tacky and can get tangled occasionally.  That is getting picky though.  I love the smooth connection on to the headphone and the satisfying click.  Again, top notch hardware choices.


The lamb-leather pads are very comfortable and the ear openings are of a good size.  I have larger ears and although my ears do touch the pads when wearing the Ether C, I haven’t had any comfort issues.  Overall the headphone is very light and the clamping pressure is just right for my preference.  I loved my old DT880s comfort wise and I would put the Ether C on par if not above the DT880s, they disappear on your head.  


The Ether C was released with two white felt pieces over the driver (below the ear pad) and is commonly known as the v1.0 tuning.  Later Mr. Speakers released a v1.1 tuning that now comes stock and replaces one of the felt pieces with a porous black foam.  This can be seen through the black material of the ear pad to determine what version you have.  I am not sure what method is used for the cutting of the dampening material (white felt/black foam) but again the attention to detail is evident, the pads only fit in one way as they are cut out to precisely fit the opening above the driver and around each screw.  These are not being cut in the back room with a pair of scissors.  


Final piece of the puzzle is the tuning pads.  There are additional white and black pieces of felt that can be placed in the ear pad to tune to your liking . For frequency response graphs and response with different pad combinations see Dan’s post in the Ether C thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/777735/mrspeakers-ether-c-review-announcement-a-new-closed-back-planar-magnetic-flagship-from-mrspeakers/1305#post_12082484


Isolation is pretty good, once music is playing an outside sound has to be pretty loud before I hear it over the music.  Isolation for others (from your music) is pretty good also.  My wife and I can sit in the same room, me listening to music and she is either on her phone or watching TV and not bother one another.   When I turn it up a bit she notes that she can hear it but that it is rather subtle.  Ether C is a closed and sealed headphone with the exception of one tuning port on the top of the metal ring the headband mounts to.  There are two similar looking ports right above each headband mount but they do not penetrate all the way.

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How do they sound?

All of the impressions below are with the v1.1 tuning with no tuning pads installed unless noted.  I have the standard (non DUM) cable.  

All music music used in this review was ripped from a CD in either ALAC or FLAC at 16/44.1, unless otherwise noted.  

Other gear used during this review:

[DAC] Parasound Zdac: http://www.parasound.com/vintage/zdac.php

[AMP 1] Parasound Zdac Internal Amp

[AMP 2] Schiit Lyr: http://schiit.com/products/lyr-2 (General Electric 6BZ7 tubes)

[Headphones] ZMF Master Model V1 (Fostex T50RP base): http://www.zmfheadphones.com/

[Source 1] Raspberry Pi running RuneAudio: http://www.head-fi.org/t/795895/a-70-bit-perfect-audio-player

[Source 2] Desktop PC via USB running Foobar/Wasapi.


Here is a really good post from Dan of Mr. Speakers on the bass of the Ether C and why some people may perceive it differently:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/777735/mrspeakers-ether-c-review-announcement-a-new-closed-back-planar-magnetic-flagship-from-mrspeakers/1695#post_12169428

The seal is very important from what I have found.  Lose the seal and the bass will fall away.  The Ether Cs can dig rather low and after all my listening I have never heard them not responding to the bass line in a song.  I see a lot of comments about bass quantity and I can see where they come from.  On some songs the bass line can fall behind the mids and highs a bit but to me they never really sounded bass light or lacking.  Get a solid recording with good mastering and the bass will sound very balanced.  

The mids are fantastic and have a nice snap to them.  As you can see in my detailed notes below there aren’t a lot of notes on the mids.   The mids seem to stay in line, never lacking or causing issues with balance of the other tones.  

I had the Ether Cs about a week before my v1.1 tuning kit arrived and thought the higher frequencies may be just a bit accentuated compared to the rest of the tones.  After installing the v1.1 foam all that went away.  Everything is nicely balanced and there is a nice air in the upper registers  and no issues with sibilance or harshness.  Occasionally I would want a bit more in the upper registers when listening to something like acoustic guitar and switching to the Zdac’s amplifier section took care of it.  The Lyr does have a bit of roll off in the very upper registers.  

Detail is fantastic and listening to guitar strings vibrate or subtle echoes or other sounds on a more open recording method is just fantastic.  Detail comes out without really having to listen for it or concentrate on it, a few times I would notice something in a recording and then switch to another setup and see that it is there but not as prominent.  

I had the HD800S in for review a few weeks back and that was the best headphone I have heard to date with regards to detail, placement and separation of instruments.  The Ether C is the second headphone now that I have heard what sounds like a instrument playing form a completely different source within the same cup.  There is fantastic placement and separation when the recording provides it.  The soundstage isn’t as impressive as the HD800S in terms of width, but I have heard nothing like it from another closed headphone.  

 


This is one of my favorite songs and was the first CD I ever purchased.  Needless to say I have heard this song on a lot of setups.  The guitar intro is spot on and the bassline from the congas is nice and tight.  There is plenty of bass for me and more importantly, with the heavy bass line the guitars and shakers are still very distinct and clear.

Nearing the end of the song as there are three guitars playing  all at once along with the bass from Schmidt, everything stays very separated and you can easily pick out each guitar.  



For reference this song can be download free here: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/ethosphere-existence#comments

Not my typical style of music but I love some of the bass lines from a few of the songs on this album.  The Ether C does not have the bass quantity of my ZMFs on this track but still hit all the same frequencies and do provide a nice rumble from the very heavy bassline.  Not sure the Ether C would satisfy a bass head but I think most would be happy with the bass quantity provided here. There is definately some tactile cues for the bass on this track along with what you hear from the Ether C.



Clapton’s voice comes out front and center here.  Closing my eyes, Clapton’s voice is projected  slightly in front and the guitars come in from each side.  The guitars are projected slightly to the front also but only so far as they do not sound like they are coming deadpan from the left and right cup.  The piano is projected off to the left and behind everything else.  Having watched this concert a number of times the placement of everything is spot on.  

Tonally, things are spot on.  The little bit of bass in the song is rendered nicely and the guitars sparkle without being sibilant or overdone.   

 


For reference you can download this free at 24/192 at: http://www.saintceciliaep.com/  The Foo Fighters are not known for their recording/mastering but the Ethers are handeling it well.  I am noticing the guitar loop that starts the song staying separate from the rest of the song as it continues in the background.  I have listened to this song quite a few times on my ZMFs and feel like the background is a bit more smeared in and less separated than what the Ether C is offering.  

 


I can rock along to this song on the Ether Cs.  There is a bit of bass lacking for what I am looking for in this song.  Listening specifically to the guitar & drum solo at ~3:20 there is a bit missing.  Just a touch of warmth and everything would be spot on.  Adding a single black tuning pad to each ear can help in instances like this, however, for me the straight v1.1 tuning is good enough that I wouldn’t bother to roll in the pads if I knew I was going to cue up this album.  



I love using this song for listening to a headphones ability to put you in the music.  There are sounds happening all around you in this song and the Ether C does not disappoint.  The Ether Cs do something I have only ever heard from the HD800S.  Keb Mo’ is front and center but with everything going on around you the sensation is there that there are multiple drivers within the same cup.  The main tone of the song is playing and a little detail will come up in the lower left like it’s placed just behind your earlobe coming from a completely different source.   At 1:25 there is a knock on something wooden that almost made me turn around.  Fantastic separation and placement throughout this song.  

Tonality is great here too.   On a lot of setups Keb Mo’s recordings can come off a bit bass heavy.  Here everything thing is nicely balanced.   There is still a nice full bottom end but it doesn’t seem overdone given the instruments that are playing.  

 


Hmm, this is a tough one, for me there is enough bass and great extension.  The Ether C is definitely hitting all of the low notes on this song but I can definitely see where a lot of people would not think there is enough bass quantity.   To me it sounds balanced with the rest of the song and is very tight and controlled, there is a lot of detail in the bass and you can definitely pick out the notes being played on the bass where on lesser setups it just sounds rather smeared together and electronic in origin.  



The tonal balance on the Ether C continues to work in a number of genes.  I would love to see how this was recorded.  You get a great sensation of sitting behind the drums with a horn player on either side of you.  There is a piano set off in the left corner a little bit away from the drum set.  It's been a few weeks since I had the HD800S in for review but I think this is pretty darn close in terms of soundstage and placement, I'm sure back to back the HD800S would win but the Ether C wouldn’t be far behind.  

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Conclusion:

I was looking for an end game closed headphone and really took a gamble purchasing an Ether C after only hearing the Ether awhile back.  I have not been disappointed.  The Ether C is not cheap but provides top quality materials and construction and a fantastic listening experience.   I have had the chance to listen to a lot of cans between what I have owned and at head-fi meets. There are definitely options that do specific parts of the overall equation better than the Ether C.  However, the Ether C does so many parts of the overall equation so well that they will be staying as my daily driver, and only headphone, for a long time to come.  

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Other Reviews:

http://www.head-fi.org/products/mrspeakers-ether-c

Head-Fi Ether C thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/777735/mrspeakers-ether-c-review-announcement-a-new-closed-back-planar-magnetic-flagship-from-mrspeakers
 
 
Other Reviews from Me:
http://www.head-fi.org/users/365069/reviews

First review on Head-Fi so I'll keep it short. I am reviewing from the perspective of how the headphone makes me feel and am not too clued up on the technical stuff...although not too bad either.
 
Some perspective first regarding my journey and philosophy (not completely shared with my wife I might add!). I started getting into headphones a couple of years ago when a small bonus prompted me to take a punt on a pair of K702s which were a steal. I had some Beyer T50ps before that which I blew up. The 702's were a revelation and I am sorry to say, the bug bit me. over the next couple of years I had the following headphones and gear for different purposes, some of which I still have, others I sold.
 
K702
K712 Pro - still have and will never get rid of
Oppo PM3 - Still have
Fidelio M1
Fidelio M1BT - Still have for the gym
Fidelio L2
Parrot Zik2.0
Meridian explorer
Audiolab M-Dac
IFI iDSD - great amp, underrated
Chord Mojo
Dragonfly Red
 
Anyway...onto the Ether C
 
I had been looking for an end game headphone for some time and had many months to audition a number. Oppo Pm1, HD800S, LCD 2 and LCD 3 and so on. The HD800S was the only headphone that really made me feel the investment was worth the performance improvement over my K712s and I was about set on that direction. I had only two real issues - one was the look, sorry I just don't like them, and two was the openness of them for use in a noisy house full of kids.
 
Luckily being a regular watcher of inner fidelity reviews I caught Tyll;s review on the Ether C. Wow, could it be that good and look that good as well, and be closed???
 
So thanks to local dealer, I was able to spend a good session listening to them, driven just off my Mojo, and I was blown away. So quickly onto the sound...
 
Bass 9/10
 
Um...I listen to classical and acoustic mostly and the bass is wonderfully extended. Instrumental bass is rich and full and adds power and dynamics to music I had not heard before. It has definitely improved after 100+ hours of run in, which I expected. I would say though that there is no artificial slam to drums on some genres so this is not going to excite the Beats crowd. The bass is just very real and present, and it is what it is. I do find a little boost on pop music can add something.
 
Following the Inner-fidelity review, I did play around with the tuning filters but I still preferred them 'au naturelle'.
 
Mids 10/10
 
If you want a headphone that sounds like the voice is in the room with you...buy these. Perfect mid range, liquid smooth. One thing I noted was their is no hardness at all. Often headphone, in my experience, tend to peak on certain frequencies, these do not. Beautiful. I have spend several session with the LCD3, the Ether's are light years ahead in the mids.
 
Treble 10/10
 
Wonderfully extended and detailed. The clarity and resolution, which no doubt helps the soundstage, is simply astonishing. When I first listened to these, I checked that the cups were not perforated at all and decided that some kind of witchcraft must be going on to get this type of sound from a closed headphone.
 
To sum up
 
If you want a closed headphone that sounds open (and I mean these make my 712s sound muddy and congested), you want first class looks and build quality and coupled with sound that simply makes you smile (my measure of a headphone by the way), then get these and you will never look back. The only headphone, excluding electrostatics, I have heard that come close are the HD800S but they had drawbacks for me. If I had the money to own both, I would though.
 
I took these to my office for a day to let people listen, even the most die hard believers that Apple earbuds sound the same as TOTL headphones had to concede these are something very special indeed.
 
So....onto the new amp!

INTRO
 
Planar magnetics sound awesome. When I first heard the LCD-2 I instantly noticed the difference to the somewhat mechanical sounding Beyer T1 or HD800.
 
Fostex-900 sounded more relaxed and musical for a dynamic driver than any other model I had before, but the bass was overwhelming and the absence of mids were more than dissapointing, they are a no go at that price range.
 
The LCD-2 sounded nice and thick, but also was non-consistent with playing high notes and it lacked a lot of detail. Also comfort a let down. Hifiman Ed. X choice of materials, cheap plastic and screeching metal for a headband did not make me want to part with $2K.
 
Luckily I read about the MrSpeakers Ether in one review and also the Ether C. The stellar 6moons review sealed the fate and I bought the headphone.
 
SOUND
 
Now at hour 90 of the burn in, the bass did improve nicely, soundstage is huge, and the mids are to die for. Timbre of female and male voices are great. Impact and detail of bass rock with any music, they truly shine with Classic or Acoustic. For EDM a much much cheaper Headphone would suffice. For Rap they are great, because voices are very present! Decay of notes is great, even though they are closed. Knocks on woods like guitar shells sound really authentic.
 
Brass is awesome. Acoustic Bass and E-Bass in particular will surround your ears like a Italian home-made ice will melt around your tongue. Sound is clean, transparent and extremely detailed with lots of body.
 
No Grain, No Hiss, only grunting bass, soundscapes of strings. Much to my liking I hear that wodden, authentic sound I know so well from the TH-900 when instruments made out of wood are played. Yep, these headphones sing, make no mistake.
 
MODABILITY
 
With the included tuning pads and the 1.1 foam upgrade for small money (10USD + shipping) you can tune the sound to your liking. A supplied Frequency Response Curve depicts what it would sound like. This is very nice and you instantly start modding these to your hearing. Each hearing is different, both thumbs up for mrSpeakers for acknowledging this. This is why I gave them such a high rating. 4.5 Stars for Tunability. Well done!
 
PRICE
 
€ 1500,- is a fair price, looking at TOTL competitors. I got the DUM cables for € 200 for the lack of a different offer in Europe. I wish I hadn't because I don't believe any cable is worth more than € 50-75. In conclusion € 1700,- is a bit steep for my liking, but if sound improves even more in the next 100 hours, it will be worth it.
 
ISOLATION
 
I also wonder what the open Ethers sound like, but isolation of these is surely a plus. They isolate well - but not stellar. Stellar isolation you get with Beyers 1770 Pro, which will however torture your ears with acoustic and classical music in my opinion. 
 
CONCLUSION
 
So far I do recommend these, and I am very critical of TOTL headphones. I will update this as soon as I have tried 1.1. upgrade and they have burned in 150 hours.
 
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1.1 UPDATE
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My v1.1 arrived from bytor33, it was a gift via mrspeakers, thanks again to both!
 
Changes in
 
Sound presence
 

1. Bass Frequencies are now more attentuated then before. This is can be a good thing, because after 160 hours of burn-in @90db, there was indeed maybe a bit too much of bass presence. However - in case you are a bass-adorer it could very well be that you are better of with the 1.0, in my opinion. The slight mid-bass ompfh is gone now completely, which is great!
2. Mids are creamy and beautiful as ever.
3. Highs are significantly more present now.  Highs are shining through even with 2 black or one white outer tuning pads.

 
Positioning, Soundstage and Imaging
 
This is the most notable improvement indeed. Soundstage is definitely larger now. I read that decay is better now, this might be true, but improvement in decay is minor or I can't hear it.
 
Overall
 
Sound has matured now, it is an overall better experience. I enjoy the more controlled bass, more laid-back mid-bass frequencies, which at loud volumes have been hurtful to my ears. The beautiful highs are much more present now and I needed to upgrade to the white (outer) tuning pad in order to get my preferred dark sound. Acoustic Piano Jazz just sounds absolutely marvellous now, which is the hardest discipline.Exchange of (inner) 1.1. pads were completely hassle-free compared to other TOTL headphones and indeed done in 2 minutes of my time. Applause to MrSpeakers.
 
 
 

FedEx delivered these to my doorstep, fresh out the UK. 
 
 

Unpacking 
 

Back of the Box
 
 
 

Accesoires and Premium DUM Cable. A cleaning cloth - very thoughtful.
 
 

The magnificent sounding and very comfortable Ether Cs.
 
 

Tuning Kit Graph
 
 

Tuning Kit 

I have owned the following headphones (in order):
1. Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80 (still own, use for travel)
2. Thunderpants (woody T50RP mod)
3. Audeze LCD-XC
4. MrSpeakers Alpha Prime
5. MrSpeakers ETHER C
 
I feel each headphone was a step up from the one before it. Also note that except for the Beyers, all are planar magnetic designs. I have owned nothing but planar and planar hybrid speakers for around 30 years. There is just something about their sound that no dynamic driver can equal.
 
The Audeze were great 'phones, but their weight was literally causing me pain (I wear headphones several hours a day at work). Also, they didn't have the same voicing as the LCD-2, which I loved listening to at meets. I found that while resolution was great, they were too far off neutral.
 
I bought the Alpha Prime without having heard them. I knew I liked the T50RP mods from my Thunderpants experience. Deciding I liked them better than the LCD was immediate. More neutral, and there was fatigue I wasn't even fully aware of listening to the Audeze that was completely absent with the Alphas. ETHERs weren't under consideration as I need closed cans.
 
Much to my dismay, the ETHER C was introduced not long after. I talked with Dan, the owner, and he said they were better in all respects than the Alphas, so I got on the waiting list. When I got them, I have to agree. They have the same neutral voicing as the Alphas, but beat them in detail and imaging. I had to really hunt for a single minor con to list. I have not had a chance to A/B unfortunately with other flagship headphones I have heard, but going by my memory, I have never heard a better closed headphone, and with open cans, I would need to go with something like the Stax SR009 to have a chance of bettering the ETHERs, and the Stax are in a completely different price range, especially considering how much you have to spend on electronics to have them be their best.
 
The ETHER C is completely non-fatiguing, sounds great on all types of music (I listen primarily to rock, alternative, bluegrass and classical). They are comfortable, have good isolation, and are very attractive. I recommend the DUM cable, I was not able to better them with aftermarket. Dan is great, he participates in the forums, and is always looking for ways to better the product. Since the C was released, he sent free tuning pads out to all customers and also has offered to existing buyers new backing foam which improves sound at a small cost (haven't tried mine yet). he is very responsive to email.
 
Highest recommendation for this product.

  I really wanted to make this short and sweet, start the review off by telling you that i wasn't going to make it some big audiophile editorial but a cup of coffee later and some alone time doing the dishes changed my mind.  Most of the time when i feel the need to really get into the details it's because there's a lot of headphones with flaws and it can be hard to explain exactly what's going on. Then add in trying to be nice about it and you, the reader, ends up getting a lot of blah blah blah.  With the Ether C, i could simply put a list of things it does right and be done with it. However, this headphone has done a lot for me and i'd like to help portray a little about this magnificent headphone that Dan has made.
 
 Is it famous how comfortable these headphones are yet?  Like really known by everyone?  Because it should be.  If Dan didn't live to make headphones, i think he'd have career making prosthetic limbs.  These aren't like most dynamic headphones that seem to rest lightly on your head but are still noticeable.  They also aren't like most Orthos that make you feel like you've got a very plush leather lazyboy sitting on your head trying to distribute the heavy weight as much as possible.  With these, you do the typical seating to make sure they're on just right with good seal and when you do get there, the second your fingers come off the headphone it disappears....just gone.
 
  Im getting to the sound but i wanted to tell you a little about my self real quickly.  I recently became friends with Adele.  You know the singer.  I was at a head-fi meet in Philadelphia trying to find my perfect headphone when i queued up "Hello" by Adelle and out of no where, there she was.  "hello,  it's me"  WTH just happened?!  It was as if i'd put on a virtual reality headset rather than a headphone.
Of all my years listening to high end speakers and headphones i had NEVER heard such a lifelike sound and i'd swear she was there singing to me.  It was so effortless and beautiful. The day before i had been to a stereo shop and listened to a $90k pair of magico speakers that didn't sound this real and were actually pretty bland in comparison. Most headphones easily beat speakers in the bass department as it's simply not as hard for them to pressurize a cup opposed to a speaker having to fill a room. When it comes to detail though i think it's fare to make a comparison and the ether c left me in disbelief.  There was sub-bass in just about every song i'd played through it.  Songs i'd heard a million times and never knew there was anything going on down there.  It's in the details i tell ya.  These stomp on any speaker i've ever heard as far as detail retrieval in the sub bass goes.  As you can imagine after hearing that i just compared these to a well regarded $90k speaker and that the Ether C came out on top you'd see why i find these to be the very best price to performance piece of audio gear ever.  To me anyways.
 
As i said earlier, there are usually some things i find that headphones do wrong.  With most audeze headphones i find there to be a thickness to the sound. I wouldn't say it's bad or anything but after hearing that the Ether wasn't doing this i realized that the audeze would probably be better if it didn't have it. The hd-800 is a beautiful headphone when driven right and not that it's at fault, but it presents music differently being that it's open.  It's colorful and i love that but sometimes i simply need a black background like the ether has, isolation from the outside world and some warmth. The T-1 could be beautiful as i love the body, imaging and detail but i always pick up a sheen across all of the sound. It's like the voice coil does its job perfectly then the driver material blankets it with a smooth sheen.
The HE-1000 is beautiful sounding.  Hd800 quality with more body and bit of gentleness with planar bass. However i find it to be prone to being smeared by outside noises more so than any other headphone. With most openback headphones when you hear outside sounds it just kind of interrupts your train of thought a little but doesn't affect the sound much.  With the he-1000 the sound actually radiates outside the cups and relies on the world outside to present its venue.  So when other sounds interact with it, it actually seems like it's hitting the sound and smearing it.  
 
  Now i don't have any complaints about the Ether C but there are a couple things i think would make it an even better sounding headphone like if the sound was a little bit bigger.  Like i mentioned earlier about the audeze's having a thick sound and the ether not, i feel like if it's going to lack the thickness then the soundstage should be a little bit bigger to make it seem like there was a little more going on.  This also translates to the bass department.  It's tight, controlled, detailed and digs deep as hell but could be just "more".  If i had a shrink ray gun with reverse i would make the driver and enclosure like 30% bigger.  It's comfortable and light enough it'd work i think. 
 
  I'd first heard MrSpeakers headphones 2 years ago at a meet Dan had a nice setup with Alpha Primes paired to a liquid crimson and a liquid Glass.  I wrote an impression of the meet and stated that i thought the liquid glass and prime setup was the best sound there (tie between that and wa22/hd800.)  I loved the caressing nature of the tubes Dan had in the liquid Glass.  Well imo,the ether C has similar sound to that setup but without having to have the $4k amp.  Obviously the Ether C is a better headphone than the prime no matter what the prime is plugged into but Dan seemed to carry on the beautiful nature of the glass over to the highs of the Ether.  They're so lovely and not to dissimilar to the he-1000.  The sound is effortless and every piece of gear i plugged it into was able to control it like the glass did with the primes.  
 
That's about all i've got except i wish i the rest of the day was spending time with the Ether C than getting this superbowl party going.