[Philimon]

I found the bass cleaner on the D5200, but the highs much smoother on the E-MU. The teak cups I’ve seen get the most praise. I’ll probably sell the ebony cups then . I dont know how much they go for used but Ill list them probably in a week or so. I have a few aftermarket pads I’d like to try. Ill update the thread with more comparisons and list whichever headphone I choose to let go between Denon and E-MU (with link to classified ad). See that other forum for FR mehsurements. Also, E-MU more comfortable, and prettier.

———

FWIR the Denon uses different drivers from rest of Foster variants. And the Denons appear to come with more internal dampening.

 

[bcaulf17]

Ebony is still the best!

Never heard the Teak but got the Ebony used and really happy with them! I’ve been babying them more than any other headphone I have.

 

[amoeba1126]

The grain and color on the ebonies are just so beautiful as well. Works great with the black accent of the TH-X00.

 

[The Third]

Never heard the Teak but got the Ebony used and really happy with them! I’ve been babying them more than any other headphone I have.

I have been hearing very good things about the Ebony's, even from users who also tried the Teaks. I will have to contact Chan to see if there is some supply and also to see if the cups I am still missing to review are in stock: walnut, Palo Santo Artisan, Ebony's and other requests? Right now really feeling the Rosewood signature though.

 

[bcaulf17]

I have been hearing very good things about the Ebony's, even from users who also tried the Teaks. I will have to contact Chan to see if there is some supply and also to see if the cups I am still missing to review are in stock: walnut, Palo Santo Artisan, Ebony's and other requests? Right now really feeling the Rosewood signature though.

I’ve heard good things about the Rosewood. Also probably my favorite looking cups. They’re simply BEAUTIFUL.

I think reading/listening to reviews of the Fostex Ebony will give you a good idea of how EMUs with Ebonies sound. It’s warm and bassy but still very well balanced and quick, slightly calm in the upper mids, which I like.

 

[Hallibart Aery]

I have been hearing very good things about the Ebony's, even from users who also tried the Teaks. I will have to contact Chan to see if there is some supply and also to see if the cups I am still missing to review are in stock: walnut, Palo Santo Artisan, Ebony's and other requests? Right now really feeling the Rosewood signature though.

I really like your scoring approach, it'd probably make a lot of people's lives a hell of a lot easier if you could rate the other cups the same way. Are you planning to review the Bamboo cups as well?
I don't really get how it's possible that after all this time there are still barely any reviews on these less popular cups. It's not even that people don't like them, there just don't seem to be enough people who are willing to take the leap of faith.

On another note, I just switched to Teak from my Emu Ebony, I don't know if you have read my posts, but I'm kinda regretting my choice. It might be just me, but right now to me it seems like most people would prefer either one or the other, and I can't imagine someone liking them both to the same extent. It's almost like they are opposites of each other in a certain sense, or the Teak I received just sounds weird for some reason. I can't get over how much I miss the tightness of the Ebony and the vocals had this spacial tone that I never heard in any other headphones, and I simply adored how they sounded. The Teak on the other hand sounds similar to the Fostex Mahogany in some aspects, just this time done right.

I’ve heard good things about the Rosewood. Also probably my favorite looking cups. They’re simply BEAUTIFUL.

I think reading/listening to reviews of the Fostex Ebony will give you a good idea of how EMUs with Ebonies sound. It’s warm and bassy but still very well balanced and quick, slightly calm in the upper mids, which I like.

I believe the cavity is different between the two cups which should affect the sound. I wonder why the Emu Ebonies weren't that highly regarded the first time they came out. It does seem like the trend shifted over time, though.

 

[bcaulf17]

I really like your scoring approach, it'd probably make a lot of people's lives a hell of a lot easier if you could rate the other cups the same way. Are you planning to review the Bamboo cups as well?
I don't really get how it's possible that after all this time there are still barely any reviews on these less popular cups. It's not even that people don't like them, there just don't seem to be enough people who are willing to take the leap of faith.

On another note, I just switched to Teak from my Emu Ebony, I don't know if you have read my posts, but I'm kinda regretting my choice. It might be just me, but right now to me it seems like most people would prefer either one or the other, and I can't imagine someone liking them both to the same extent. It's almost like they are opposites of each other in a certain sense, or the Teak I received just sounds weird for some reason. I can't get over how much I miss the tightness of the Ebony and the vocals had this spacial tone that I never heard in any other headphones, and I simply adored how they sounded. The Teak on the other hand sounds similar to the Fostex Mahogany in some aspects, just this time done right.




I believe the cavity is different between the two cups which should affect the sound. I wonder why the Emu Ebonies weren't that highly regarded the first time they came out. It does seem like the trend shifted over time, though.

A lot of the cup versions aren’t that common, including the ebonies I think. There are very few older reviews of the ebonies, but the ones I saw were good, which helped me decide to pull the trigger.

 

[Hallibart Aery]

A lot of the cup versions aren’t that common, including the ebonies I think. There are very few older reviews of the ebonies, but the ones I saw were good, which helped me decide to pull the trigger.

That's probably just because everyone thought the Fostex Ebony was the same, and that one is extremely well-reviewed. Probably not many people bothered to try both.

 

[bcaulf17]

That's probably just because everyone thought the Fostex Ebony was the same, and that one is extremely well-reviewed. Probably not many people bothered to try both.

True. I’m not sure how similar they sound. I will say though, there are a few people on here who have heard both (actually asked in this thread I believe) and the answer was that they are very similar, although no indication of which was better from my recollection.

 

[Hallibart Aery]

True. I’m not sure how similar they sound. I will say though, there are a few people on here who have heard both (actually asked in this thread I believe) and the answer was that they are very similar, although no indication of which was better from my recollection.

Yeah, I don't necessarily want to make this about the differences between the to, nor do I think that they must be huge, if anything, I'm more bummed out about the fact that because of this the Ebonies were never really compared to the other cups in Emu's lineup, only to the other Fostex variants.

 

[The Third]

I really like your scoring approach, it'd probably make a lot of people's lives a hell of a lot easier if you could rate the other cups the same way. Are you planning to review the Bamboo cups as well?
I don't really get how it's possible that after all this time there are still barely any reviews on these less popular cups. It's not even that people don't like them, there just don't seem to be enough people who are willing to take the leap of faith.

On another note, I just switched to Teak from my Emu Ebony, I don't know if you have read my posts, but I'm kinda regretting my choice. It might be just me, but right now to me it seems like most people would prefer either one or the other, and I can't imagine someone liking them both to the same extent. It's almost like they are opposites of each other in a certain sense, or the Teak I received just sounds weird for some reason. I can't get over how much I miss the tightness of the Ebony and the vocals had this spacial tone that I never heard in any other headphones, and I simply adored how they sounded. The Teak on the other hand sounds similar to the Fostex Mahogany in some aspects, just this time done right.




I believe the cavity is different between the two cups which should affect the sound. I wonder why the Emu Ebonies weren't that highly regarded the first time they came out. It does seem like the trend shifted over time, though.

Yes I will still review the Bamboo and Mahogany cups of the batch of cups that Chan gifted me. I think your reasoning about trying different cups is sound, it's also hard to invest in other cup types when you are already so satisfied with another. I am glad to fill in the gaps on the lack of anecdotal reports on some of these beautifully crafted cups. You got to try the Zebra's, they stand out to me especially if you like tight and holographic sound.

Interesting you prefer the Ebony's over the Teak. Teak's vocals can be a bit distant and the sound, while very smooth, isn't as thick as the other cups like Rosewood, Purpleheart and according to you the Ebony. The lower mids on the Teak aren't as upfront either, but spacious and layered. My main problem with the Teak was that the imaging, while the soundstage being big, doesn't seem as holographic as the Zebra or Rosewood cups I tried. Maybe the Teak is also too warm for you, after trying the Zebra it certainly was for me.

 

[The Third]

Yeah, I don't necessarily want to make this about the differences between the to, nor do I think that they must be huge, if anything, I'm more bummed out about the fact that because of this the Ebonies were never really compared to the other cups in Emu's lineup, only to the other Fostex variants.

I think the small differences in each cup variant has a bigger impact on sound presentation than most people would believe. Every cup for me has been a vastly different experience, never felt I was splitting hairs.

 

[Skullar]

I think the small differences in each cup variant has a bigger impact on sound presentation than most people would believe. Every cup for me has been a vastly different experience, never felt I was splitting hairs.

Youre making me want to splash out on some exotic timber now...

 

[The Third]

Just a quick update. Switched back to the Zebra cups. Instantly I notice the more neutral and detailed mids. They really do add to the extra dimension of detail and imaging the Zebra's got over the Rosewood. Though admittedly, the Rosewood makes you look through through rosy glasses at soundtracks with it's addictive low end bass and tons of excitement with calm mids. The bass of the Zebra's has a more upfront upper bass and so kicks are tighter and more impactful. Though when comparing the raw qualities of both cups, the Zebra really does separate itself away into another class because of it's higher level of detail/speed, layering and to a certain degree soundstage. These cups are a bit more analytical (neutral) and dry than the Rosewood thus I can totally understand Rosewood owners who would prefer their cups over the Zebra's because of this. But make no mistake, none of these cups are purely analytical, we are talking about the bass heavy biodyna drivers here. The fashion the Zebra's present this bass heavy soundtrack, to my ears, remains without any sacrifices, which confirm my previous findings. Though technically superior, there are times when I would love to reach for another wooden variant that is not my personal favourite, which is exactly the beauty of trying all these cups: they each bring a flavour to the sound which finally makes no variant objectively or ultimately superior to another. There will always be tracks or genres another variant simply can present in a more exciting or entertaining way. This is especially true for when running a setup with multiple headphones. I would even call the Rosewood a better addition to your collection if you already own a highly capable technical headphone. It's addictive tuning would makes it easy to like and stay in love with and would have a better chemistry with that other headphone. Zebra's would be the most versatile wooden variant so would be the best to own as if you are running a single headphone setup. More updates to come on the well documented Mahogany and the relatively unknown Bamboo wood.

 

[Hallibart Aery]

Just a quick update. Switched back to the Zebra cups. Instantly I notice the more neutral and detailed mids. They really do add to the extra dimension of detail and imaging the Zebra's got over the Rosewood. Though admittedly, the Rosewood makes you look through through rosy glasses at soundtracks with it's addictive low end bass and tons of excitement with calm mids. The bass of the Zebra's has a more upfront upper bass and so kicks are tighter and more impactful. Though when comparing the raw qualities of both cups, the Zebra really does separate itself away into another class because of it's higher level of detail/speed, layering and to a certain degree soundstage. These cups are a bit more analytical (neutral) and dry than the Rosewood thus I can totally understand Rosewood owners who would prefer their cups over the Zebra's because of this. But make no mistake, none of these cups are purely analytical, we are talking about the bass heavy biodyna drivers here. The fashion the Zebra's present this bass heavy soundtrack, to my ears, remains without any sacrifices, which confirm my previous findings. Though technically superior, there are times when I would love to reach for another wooden variant that is not my personal favourite, which is exactly the beauty of trying all these cups: they each bring a flavour to the sound which finally makes no variant objectively or ultimately superior to another. There will always be tracks or genres another variant simply can present in a more exciting or entertaining way. This is especially true for when running a setup with multiple headphones. I would even call the Rosewood a better addition to your collection if you already own a highly capable technical headphone. It's addictive tuning would makes it easy to like and stay in love with and would have a better chemistry with that other headphone. Zebra's would be the most versatile wooden variant so would be the best to own as if you are running a single headphone setup. More updates to come on the well documented Mahogany and the relatively unknown Bamboo wood.

I'm especially curious how the Zebra would compare to the Ebony which was supposed to be the most analytical from among the Fostex variants.