[money4me247]

Not fair. We want to know also... C'mon Dan, spread some love.

+1. yes, please share publicly! or at least PM me too heh

 

[mangler]

+1. yes, please share publicly! or at least PM me too heh

Haha, me too!

 

[Army-Firedawg]

Me 3, Evshrug spoke highly about potentially trading in his stax for these so I've been really looking into them but the Ether's are just gorgeous other than pages 7-9 this threads been really excited about these and YouTube doesn't have didly squat on these other than the ces release. 

 

[Hansotek]

  I got ears on a pre-production Dharma this weekend (updated since Canjam but still not final).  The bass was improved from the Canjam version, tightened up nicely.  The treble was good as always, tho maybe a tad sibilant?  It might just be because I was listening to a lot of neutral-to-warm headphones at the time so the bright electrostatic tweeters stood out a little more.
 
Either way, they're making good progress.  It sounds better than the last time I heard it and I'm eager to hear what they bring to RMAF in less than two months.
 
EDIT - Oh and I didn't hear any weird treble glitches.  I didn't spend a ton of time with it, but I ran through a few test tracks on two different systems and didn't hear anything weird.

 
That's great to hear that you didn't get that weird crossover "glitch" that we were hearing at the Chicago meet. It's funny though, because I didn't really catch any sibilance... Maybe some odd variations are to be expected in these soft-tooled demo versions. 

 

[Stillhart]

Okay, okay.  But I'm going to preface this by saying that the pair I heard is still not a production model so it's important to understand that things may change.
 
So at this level of headphone, you really can't go wrong.  The Dharma and the Ether C are both really good headphones.  The differences are mainly flavor differences.  By that I mean some people like chocolate and some people like vanilla and neither is right or wrong; both are great flavors.
 
The Dharma is now pretty neutral with just a bit of brightness.  It's got those wonderful electrostatic highs and very competent dynamic bass and mids.  It also has a satisfyingly large, airy soundstage.  However it didn't speak to me on that visceral level this time like it did at Canjam.  This could be due to lots of factors (different DAC, different amp, different tuning, the fact that I was listening to things like the HE-1000 and Ether C at the same time, etc) but at the end of the day, the flavor wasn't doing it for me.  Do I think the flavor might work for someone else?  Hell yeah, it's a great headphone and I think it's objectively better than it was at Canjam.
 
The Ether C is pretty neutral with a bit of darkness.  It's got that closed-can bass reverb and it does micro-detail like nobody's business.  It manages to pull off fluid musicality AND crazy detail in the same headphone, which is something I'm not used to at all.  The soundstage is surprisingly big for a closed headphone, but it has no air, being closed.  For some reason, this flavor was really working for me, despite it being a closed headphone, which I don't tend to prefer to open.
 
So yeah, chocolate and vanilla.  I highly recommend folks give these headphones a listen before making any decisions.  Picking any of them in a void will get you a very very good headphone, but you'll always be wondering about that grass on the other side and how green it looks from your side...

 

[lukeap69]

Thanks Dan. 
 
Did you hear the weird crossover as posted on the Chicago meet?

 

[Stillhart]

  Thanks Dan. 
 
Did you hear the weird crossover as posted on the Chicago meet?

 
Nope, not in the short time I had with it.  I was running it off a very resolving system (Liquid Crimson + DAC-19 + Nordost power, USB, RCA cables + Black Dragon headphone cable) so if it were there, I like to think it would have been audible.

 

[lukeap69]

   
Nope, not in the short time I had with it.  I was running it off a very resolving system (Liquid Crimson + DAC-19 + Nordost power, USB, RCA cables + Black Dragon headphone cable) so if it were there, I like to think it would have been audible.

Good to hear. Thanks!

 

[NightDayAudio]

I'm finally getting ears on these units.  The earlier prototype version was supposed to come our way for a headphone meet back in March but got held up taking part in the CanJam preview video here on head-fi....  A series of events leading up to back surgery a couple weeks ago has killed my audio show travels this year.... so I'm just now hearing them for the first time....
 
I just got the same production sample shipped to me that was at the Tweak Studio event a week or so ago.  They are for a local head-fi meet in Cary, NC tomorrow (Saturday) for folks to get a chance to hear what all the buzz is about and, afterwards, for some other customers of mine that can't make the headphone meet to hopefully get a brief demo to help them with their upcoming purchase decisions before I have to send them on to the next event.
 
I only got to spend the last day with them... so still first impressions that may change as I spend time with them... but of all the headphones I've listened to over the last few years (and it's been a LOT, pretty much every one on the market that can be distributed and sold in the USA as we evaluated options to carry in our business), these are just about the most perfect sonic signature for my personal tastes, without any manipulation, that I've yet heard.  I loooooove these headphones.  NO disrespect implied or meant to the other products out there and that we carry.  We don't sell something unless we like it enough to put our own hard earned money down and buy it, live with it in our own home, etc.. I'm an Audeze fan from the first moment I put one of their headphones on my ears.  I love what the Sennheiser HD800 can do with the right electronics in front of it.  Even though we don't sell their stuff, I have great respect for what Dan is doing with Mr. Speakers.  etc. etc. etc.  But this headphone?  At this price point?  Yeah, knowing how many customers we have in home audio that like the same kind of sound that I do, this will be a popular choice to bring them into the head-fi world if they want to dip their toes in it.......
 
The treble, much like with the Mythology M1 speakers we have here, is clear as a bell.  Incredible air and delicacy, yet also has a bit of drive to it that ribbons just can't duplicate.  Not in your face and spitty, or so zingy that it fatigues... it's got layers of detail yet overall is a bit laid back sounding compared to some of the choices out there that seems to be a competition to see how hyper lean and "neutral" they can make their stuff...  I'm a tube guy at heart and am hyper sensitive in midrange area, plus still am pretty flat to 22K in my hearing even in my 40s... so they managed to keep all the detail there without boosting anything, yet making it easy enough to listen to that I don't feel like I'm listening to nails on a chalkboard or have a headache 5 minutes in and fatigued to exhaustion not long after that....Bass could be a bit more precise and detailed.  But I fear what that would do to the rest of the sound to achieve that... 
 
These headphones sound great with a wiiiiiide variety of electronics in front of them... heck, even going direct out of a phone into them sounds pretty darn good... not in the same league as a good DAC and headphone amp separate units... but in a pinch, I could live with it..  I've run iFi Audio pieces, Alpha Design Labs pieces, the Audeze Deckard, a bunch of Fostex units, up to the more expensive stuff from AURALiC, M2Tech, Exogal, Unison Research SH (yummmy!!!), PS Audio, etc.  It shows the differences in each piece quite clearly, but isn't completely ruthless to less than summit fi gear in front of it.
 
Comfort is very good.  It's pretty light and fits on the head well....good earcup depth so things are poking the ears.... for folks with huge melons even bigger than mine, it might be a bit too small in current configuration similar to Audeze EL-8... has a bit more range than EL-8, but not a lot... not like the design/ability to expand size by adding the extended yoke rods on the Audeze LCD series....... not sure if anything will change on that front in the final final production models that will ship in the next few weeks... will have to ask... but it's a very comfy fit right now for me with the headband style, ear cup shape and size, etc...
 
I think this is going to be a very popular product....  very much worth its asking price and beyond...

 

[mangler]

@NightDayAudio thanks for the write-up! I can't wait to get my hands on a pair, but in the meantime would you have a chance to share some pictures?

 

[raybone0566]

I'm finally getting ears on these units.  The earlier prototype version was supposed to come our way for a headphone meet back in March but got held up taking part in the CanJam preview video here on head-fi....  A series of events leading up to back surgery a couple weeks ago has killed my audio show travels this year.... so I'm just now hearing them for the first time....

I just got the same production sample shipped to me that was at the Tweak Studio event a week or so ago.  They are for a local head-fi meet in Cary, NC tomorrow (Saturday) for folks to get a chance to hear what all the buzz is about and, afterwards, for some other customers of mine that can't make the headphone meet to hopefully get a brief demo to help them with their upcoming purchase decisions before I have to send them on to the next event.

I only got to spend the last day with them... so still first impressions that may change as I spend time with them... but of all the headphones I've listened to over the last few years (and it's been a LOT, pretty much every one on the market that can be distributed and sold in the USA as we evaluated options to carry in our business), these are just about the most perfect sonic signature for my personal tastes, without any manipulation, that I've yet heard.  I loooooove these headphones.  NO disrespect implied or meant to the other products out there and that we carry.  We don't sell something unless we like it enough to put our own hard earned money down and buy it, live with it in our own home, etc.. I'm an Audeze fan from the first moment I put one of their headphones on my ears.  I love what the Sennheiser HD800 can do with the right electronics in front of it.  Even though we don't sell their stuff, I have great respect for what Dan is doing with Mr. Speakers.  etc. etc. etc.  But this headphone?  At this price point?  Yeah, knowing how many customers we have in home audio that like the same kind of sound that I do, this will be a popular choice to bring them into the head-fi world if they want to dip their toes in it.......

The treble, much like with the Mythology M1 speakers we have here, is clear as a bell.  Incredible air and delicacy, yet also has a bit of drive to it that ribbons just can't duplicate.  Not in your face and spitty, or so zingy that it fatigues... it's got layers of detail yet overall is a bit laid back sounding compared to some of the choices out there that seems to be a competition to see how hyper lean and "neutral" they can make their stuff...  I'm a tube guy at heart and am hyper sensitive in midrange area, plus still am pretty flat to 22K in my hearing even in my 40s... so they managed to keep all the detail there without boosting anything, yet making it easy enough to listen to that I don't feel like I'm listening to nails on a chalkboard or have a headache 5 minutes in and fatigued to exhaustion not long after that....Bass could be a bit more precise and detailed.  But I fear what that would do to the rest of the sound to achieve that... 

These headphones sound great with a wiiiiiide variety of electronics in front of them... heck, even going direct out of a phone into them sounds pretty darn good... not in the same league as a good DAC and headphone amp separate units... but in a pinch, I could live with it..  I've run iFi Audio pieces, Alpha Design Labs pieces, the Audeze Deckard, a bunch of Fostex units, up to the more expensive stuff from AURALiC, M2Tech, Exogal, Unison Research SH (yummmy!!!), PS Audio, etc.  It shows the differences in each piece quite clearly, but isn't completely ruthless to less than summit fi gear in front of it.

Comfort is very good.  It's pretty light and fits on the head well....good earcup depth so things are poking the ears.... for folks with huge melons even bigger than mine, it might be a bit too small in current configuration similar to Audeze EL-8... has a bit more range than EL-8, but not a lot... not like the design/ability to expand size by adding the extended yoke rods on the Audeze LCD series....... not sure if anything will change on that front in the final final production models that will ship in the next few weeks... will have to ask... but it's a very comfy fit right now for me with the headband style, ear cup shape and size, etc...

I think this is going to be a very popular product....  very much worth its asking price and beyond...

Just curious if you heard any of that treble glitch that has been mentioned by others who have auditioned the dharma's. Thanks

 

[NightDayAudio]

Just curious if you heard any of that treble glitch that has been mentioned by others who have auditioned the dharma's. Thanks

 
Not yet....  I've run some sweeps and listened to different stuff specifically to hear how the drivers transition between each other.... I was curious with disparate driver tech if they would blend it together as well as they do with their Mythology M1 speakers...  it's quite good... 

 

[NightDayAudio]

  @NightDayAudio thanks for the write-up! I can't wait to get my hands on a pair, but in the meantime would you have a chance to share some pictures?

 
I'll take some and pass them along here...  there are lots of shots out there, some of the very units I have... is there something in particular you are wanting to see?

 

[AxelCloris]

Just curious if you heard any of that treble glitch that has been mentioned by others who have auditioned the dharma's. Thanks

 
I feel like people are blowing the treble "issue" out of proportion. All of us that heard it were using the exact same pair of headphones. If there was an issue with that one particular unit then it's no surprise many would hear hear it and talk mention it around the same time.

 

[conquerator2]

   
I'll take some and pass them along here...  there are lots of shots out there, some of the very units I have... is there something in particular you are wanting to see?

I'd like to see the pads, so I can judge depth. or if you could measure the depth, that would be excellent! I dunno if they're angled or not.
 
Also, what kind of signature do you like? 

 
I look forward to finally hear these at CanJam London, hopefully