[franz12]

....

When I listen to Leonard Cohen, I can almost feel the a warm breath behind the voice in some of the closer mic'd tracks,....

Yes, that warmth is what I liked the most with the Ether 2.
But Dan needs to fix that comfort issue ASAP to sell more. I think that the most distinguishing character which is obvious is its light weight. But I saw a fair number of people were saying that this 290g headphone is less comfortable than a headphone weighing more than 400g.

 

[ra990]

Yes, that warmth is what I liked the most with the Ether 2.
But Dan needs to fix that comfort issue ASAP. I saw a fair number of people were saying that this 290g headphone is less comfortable than a headphone weighing more than 400g.

Even though I am always aware they're on my head because the clamping force makes them noticeable (unlike the Empyreans which just disappear), I like being able to move my head around, lean back or tilt my head any way I want without the Ether 2s moving at all. I am confident that they're not going to move and I can freely move my head. With the Empyreans, I have to be careful because they feel like they might fall off if I lean forward or backward too much. I think the clamping pressure is required for the bass to be so well defined on the Ether 2. So, it's a compromise, but it does have a silver lining.

 

[llcook51]

Following up, after a couple of days with the Empyrean exclusively, I started doing some more A/B'ing between the two. While the Empyrean is more comfortable, more expansive sounding, and easier to drive, I am just not feeling as engaged with the music. I'm not noticing anything new in tracks or being able to really focus on one specific instrument as easily as I can on the Ether 2. I was A/B'ing the Tron Legacy soundtrack and then the Revenant soundtrack on both. The synths, strings, and bass lines sound like they have hair on the Ether 2. The bass to mids are so raw and punchy that it instantly makes me appreciate the intensity and drama in the instruments. I can also more easily make out how many different synths are playing on Tron, or the different types of strings in the case of the Revenant. On the Empyrean, the track sounds nice and big, which actually suits both the soundtracks nicely, but that's the only thing I really notice. I don't notice anything standing out about the instruments, they just sound more distant and less detailed compared to the Ether 2. There's this dip in the middle region of the Empyrean where all the raw characteristics of the instruments seem to lie, and the Ether 2 brings out nicely while keeping the treble under control. Additionally, the lowest of the bass region is shaved off on the Empyrean and that subbass on the Ether 2 adds a lot to intensity and contains that last bit of detail.

When I listen to Leonard Cohen, I can almost feel the a warm breath behind the voice in some of the closer mic'd tracks, I'm just not having that kind of a connection to the music with the Empyreans. For my listening, Ether 2 is pulling ahead based on being noticeably more detailed and engaging.

I have not heard the Empyrean; however, I totally agree with your impressions of the E2. They are a joy to listen to in large part because I feel like I am a part of the performance: natural and alive.

 

[alota]

looking at the current prices of top headphones, ether II is a typical case of high quality/price relationship. deserves a good dac/amplifier

 

[llcook51]

looking at the current prices of top headphones, ether II is a typical case of high quality/price relationship. deserves a good dac/amplifier

Agree. As much as I love the E2, it appreciates a good source. Well-fed and it is an absolute pleasure to listen with.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Dan, I hope you're reading this and can answer a query: if I want to get as much warmth out of these cans (and this might be futile) is there an amp you can steer me to that might make things a smidgeon warmer (preferably tube)? I have a Lyr 3 powering these now which is kind of neutral-bright.

A nice black glass KenRad 6SN7GT should mellow out the upper range a bit without having to buy a new amp.

 

[FangJoker]

Agree. As much as I love the E2, it appreciates a good source. Well-fed and it is an absolute pleasure to listen with.

I'm glad that some here have the common sense to match the E2 with a good source and amp. All of those people who have given the E2 a poor review because they hooked it up cheap massdrop amps and dacs should stick to their massdrop th00 or hd6xx cans.

 

[TonyNewman]

My DUM cables have not aged well. I have two where the inner wires have broken thru the outer fabric cover in several locations. I would not buy them again. Love my Mr Speakers headphones though.

+1 on all counts. The outer cover material seems to be the problem.

 

[LCMusicLover]

I'm glad that some here have the common sense to match the E2 with a good source and amp. All of those people who have given the E2 a poor review because they hooked it up cheap massdrop amps and dacs should stick to their massdrop th00 or hd6xx cans.

<Politely disagreeing> Source chains used by those disliking E2 have been all over the map from crap to competent, quality systems. Just as there are those who love or hate Utopia/Audeze/Hifiman etc cans, there are going to be those who love E2 and those who ... don’t.

Personally, I really like them — along with Utopia and Auteur, they get all my head time. But I really wasn’t thrilled with them until I got the right tubes in my Liquid Platinum, even though the rest of my chain was unchanged. I doubt that you would say the Bryston BHA-1amp I was using before that could be characterized as a ‘cheap massdrop’ amp.

But we’re talking about opinions here. You know, that whole everyone has one and they all stink thing.

Your ears, my ears.

 

[franz12]

I'm glad that some here have the common sense to match the E2 with a good source and amp. All of those people who have given the E2 a poor review because they hooked it up cheap massdrop amps and dacs should stick to their massdrop th00 or hd6xx cans.

<Politely disagreeing> Source chains used by those disliking E2 have been all over the map from crap to competent, quality systems. Just as there are those who love or hate Utopia/Audeze/Hifiman etc cans, there are going to be those who love E2 and those who ... don’t.

Personally, I really like them — along with Utopia and Auteur, they get all my head time. But I really wasn’t thrilled with them until I got the right tubes in my Liquid Platinum, even though the rest of my chain was unchanged. I doubt that you would say the Bryston BHA-1amp I was using before that could be characterized as a ‘cheap massdrop’ amp.

But we’re talking about opinions here. You know, that whole everyone has one and they all stink thing.

Your ears, my ears.

I have been painfully A/Bing ifi Pro iDSD ($2500) and the monoprice AKM4493 and AAA-788 dac/amp module ($500) tonight.
The difference is small to my ears. In fact, the monoprice amp/dac sounds slightly cleaner with slightly more holographic imaging to my ears.
This is day-1, so I have to listen more. There might be some synergy issues, and I might be able to tell more when my he1000se arrives.
But I doubt it, as I had a similar issue with the Utopia.

EDIT: I don't listen much audiophile track/genre. Almost all my listening time goes to mainstream genre. That might be one reason why it is hard for me to differentiate them. But they don't seem practical at least in my case.

 

[ra990]

I have been painfully A/Bing ifi Pro iDSD ($2500) and the monoprice AKM4493 and AAA-788 dac/amp module ($500) tonight.
The difference is small to my ears. In fact, the monoprice amp/dac sounds slightly cleaner with slightly more holographic imaging to my ears.
This is day-1, so I have to listen more. There might be some synergy issues, and I might be able to tell more when my he1000se arrives.
But I doubt it, as I had a similar issue with the Utopia.

EDIT: I don't listen much audiophile track/genre. Almost all my listening tome goes to mainstream genre. That might be one reason why it is hard to differentiate. But they don't seem practical at least in my case.

I liked that monoprice amp. Had it for a while when I was waiting on the Hugo2TT and it did a great job.

 

[franz12]

I liked that monoprice amp. Had it for a while when I was waiting on the Hugo2TT and it did a great job.

Interesting. Do you think Hugo2TT is a significant step-up from the monoaprice akm4493 amp/dac combo?
I have owned Hugo 1 for a while, but it didn't impress me. Hugo 2TT may be different. Would like to hear your thoughts.

 

[hemtmaker]

Yes, that warmth is what I liked the most with the Ether 2.
But Dan needs to fix that comfort issue ASAP to sell more. I think that the most distinguishing character which is obvious is its light weight. But I saw a fair number of people were saying that this 290g headphone is less comfortable than a headphone weighing more than 400g.

You are absolutely right. It’s not just about the weight, it also depends on the head size and hence the percived clamping pressure and pressure points on the face. As much as I like MrSpeakers offerings (I have owned Ether, Ether C, Ether flow C and Ether 2) Once I have gotten used to HiFiman’s large cup headphones (hex, hek). I just cannot go back!

 

[ra990]

Interesting. Do you think Hugo2TT is a significant step-up from the monoaprice akm4493 amp/dac combo?
I have owned Hugo 1 for a while, but it didn't impress me. Hugo 2TT may be different. Would like to hear your thoughts.

Yes, huge step up, no comparison. The monoprice is great in its price range but it's not touching the Hugo2TT.

 

[mrspeakers]

Sorry if I missed this severa pages ago. Is there an expectation of what changes to the sound each new pad type will have?

The first pad to come out will have a larger ear hole and a perforated inner wall which gives a slightly larger soundstage and a little less upper bass warmth. The larger ear hole will make the clamp feel slightly lighter for those who want a "softer touch." We're also working on a synthetic suede version with a larger hole for those concerned about humidity.

I'll post more detailed impressions next week as we're hoping to have the final prototypes for the new pads arriving this week.

My DUM cables have not aged well. I have two where the inner wires have broken thru the outer fabric cover in several locations. I would not buy them again. Love my Mr Speakers headphones though.

While this isn't always the case, puncturing the outer housing is most often caused by folding the cable or winding it too tight and small. If the cable gets a hard kink or a fold in it, the wire can escape the housing. Since you had this issue twice, and we rarely get reports of this, without seeing it this is my best guess as to what happened. You can always send a photo and we can diagnose better. If it was a manufacturing defect and you're under warranty we'll take care of it.