[LCMusicLover]

What type of music do you guys feel that the Ether 2 excels in, specifically?

Honestly, I really don't have to tailor my music choices for the ETHER 2. It works well with everything that I listen to. Pop, jazz, folk/americana, rock and electronic music.

I don't disagree with @MattTCG ... that said, I especially enjoy E2 with Loreena McKennitt, Van Morrison, Cowboy Junkies, Paul Simon and a host of others. Prefer E2 for immersive music more than for in your face music. For example, I'd probably reach for Auteur to listen to 'London Calling' or 'Armed Forces' vs E2.

But I would say it's more about mood than material. E2 are my bedtime daily driver.

 

[llcook51]

Honestly, I really don't have to tailor my music choices for the ETHER 2. It works well with everything that I listen to. Pop, jazz, folk/americana, rock and electronic music.

Agreed. It always sounds natural and true to the source. You just have to feed it good quality stuff you love and you will be rewarded.

 

[nwavesailor]

E2 for the weekend!

 

[jamato8]

The Ether II sounds excellent. It is able to get the delicacy of the music right, has really good timbre for instruments and natural dynamics. Also the layering and depth of soundstage is very, very good. Great fun! Oh, and so light on the head. :^)

I made a converter for mine from the very fine 4.4 plug on the stock cable that I use out of the DX200 or DX220 and AMP8 (sounds like a home setup) to 1/4 plug for my other desktop amps.

 

[GlaSid]

It's decent. Uncolored, powerful, dead silent noise floor. Nice little amp for the money.

May I ask how you find the Ether 2 plays with your Taurus MkII?

 

[musicfrommemory]

Hi Everyone - general question regarding serial numbers and batches - there is a sticker on the bottom of the box that the headphones arrived in and I'm trying to figure out how far down the run of production my headphones are - I am guessing here but I think the serial number is the number at centre bottom, as per the photo (in this instance): 'E2X000665, A1', where A1 is class and E2X000665 is the unit number - i.e., Ether 2 number 665. I bought mine on the 18th March '19 in the UK so this will be one of a batch sent to the UK - was just wondering if anyone can very kindly have a look at their box and make a note of their serial no and date of purchase - I only need 3 or 4 of these to figure out if mine was part of the original stock to the UK or a more recent batch that was sent over - don't need a photo - just a note: e.g., E 2X000007, 1st Jan '19 - this would help me a great deal.

Big thanks,

MFM

 

[Licht]

Hi Everyone - general question regarding serial numbers and batches - there is a sticker on the bottom of the box that the headphones arrived in and I'm trying to figure out how far down the run of production my headphones are - I am guessing here but I think the serial number is the number at centre bottom, as per the photo (in this instance): 'E2X000665, A1', where A1 is class and E2X000665 is the unit number - i.e., Ether 2 number 665. I bought mine on the 18th March '19 in the UK so this will be one of a batch sent to the UK - was just wondering if anyone can very kindly have a look at their box and make a note of their serial no and date of purchase - I only need 3 or 4 of these to figure out if mine was part of the original stock to the UK or a more recent batch that was sent over - don't need a photo - just a note: e.g., E 2X000007, 1st Jan '19 - this would help me a great deal.

Big thanks,

MFM

Mine ordered on October 3, 2018, arrived my house in Japan on October 29, 2018, which was shipped directly from San Diego.
"SN: E2X00403, LOT 1, A1"

Strangely, mine has less digit (less zeros), and it shows "LOT 1" as well.
Also there are check boxes above the serial number to indicate included cables, though wasn't checked any in my case.

 

[musicfrommemory]

Thanks Licht - a couple more would be really useful...

 

[chimney189]

I’ll check my box out today and let you know.

By the way, vocals in the Ether 2 are spectacular. Very smooth and a lot of depth.

 

[musicfrommemory]

I’ll check my box out today and let you know.

By the way, vocals in the Ether 2 are spectacular. Very smooth and a lot of depth.

Thanks Chimney189.

To be of some use to fellow head-fi'ers, I'm listening to the Ether 2s through a Gilmore Lite MK 2 with no DAC - just coming off a MacBook Pro DAC - and, after initially thinking it was a little ordinary, I have to say that it is an extremely pleasant pairing.

I used to own a Lyr 3 and whilst a lot of the macro detail and plankton and sparkle is lost with its absence, the Gilmore gives the E2s a touch of warmth and the bass, and I mean bass running very, very low, really delivers in a way that I don't think I've ever heard in a pair of planars or any headphones before - and if you enjoy bass, not bloated or wooly bass, but textured, sumptuous, high-quality, linear bass all the way down, and I'm talking about all they way down to 'ghost bass', the sort of bass that you sense rather than hear - then this pairing will reward you beautifully.

I absolutely love these headphones.

 

[Focux]

Thanks Chimney189.

To be of some use to fellow head-fi'ers, I'm listening to the Ether 2s through a Gilmore Lite MK 2 with no DAC - just coming off a MacBook Pro DAC - and, after initially thinking it was a little ordinary, I have to say that it is an extremely pleasant pairing.

I used to own a Lyr 3 and whilst a lot of the macro detail and plankton and sparkle is lost with its absence, the Gilmore gives the E2s a touch of warmth and the bass, and I mean bass running very, very low, really delivers in a way that I don't think I've ever heard in a pair of planars or any headphones before - and if you enjoy bass, not bloated or wooly bass, but textured, sumptuous, high-quality, linear bass all the way down, and I'm talking about all they way down to 'ghost bass', the sort of bass that you sense rather than hear - then this pairing will reward you beautifully.

I absolutely love these headphones.

any chance you may have tried that same gilmore amp with HD650 or LCD X?

 

[musicfrommemory]

any chance you may have tried that same gilmore amp with HD650 or LCD X?

I'm afraid I haven't but there have been a few comparisons between the Ether 2 and the 650 (e.g., the Ether is like a 650 with a lot of extra bass) and the 650 is a slightly warm phone, the Gilmore is a warm amp, so I'm going to suggest that if you like a warm colouration then the Gilmore will pair well with the 650s. No experience, anecdotal or otherwise, with the LCD X, unfortunately.

 

[musicfrommemory]

Thanks Chimney189.

To be of some use to fellow head-fi'ers, I'm listening to the Ether 2s through a Gilmore Lite MK 2 with no DAC - just coming off a MacBook Pro DAC - and, after initially thinking it was a little ordinary, I have to say that it is an extremely pleasant pairing.

I used to own a Lyr 3 and whilst a lot of the macro detail and plankton and sparkle is lost with its absence, the Gilmore gives the E2s a touch of warmth and the bass, and I mean bass running very, very low, really delivers in a way that I don't think I've ever heard in a pair of planars or any headphones before - and if you enjoy bass, not bloated or wooly bass, but textured, sumptuous, high-quality, linear bass all the way down, and I'm talking about all they way down to 'ghost bass', the sort of bass that you sense rather than hear - then this pairing will reward you beautifully.

I absolutely love these headphones.

Dan, in case you read this, just wondering on the serial numbers on the Ether 2s - are the serial numbers in line with their age of production, e.g., serial no 1 is the first production Ether 2 rising to above 665 (the last reference point I have)?

I ask this because I know that there were at least two batches that were sent to the UK and I'm keen to understand which batch 665 belonged to....

Big thanks for any intel.

MFM

 

[dan3952]

I'm afraid I haven't but there have been a few comparisons between the Ether 2 and the 650 (e.g., the Ether is like a 650 with a lot of extra bass) and the 650 is a slightly warm phone, the Gilmore is a warm amp, so I'm going to suggest that if you like a warm colouration then the Gilmore will pair well with the 650s. No experience, anecdotal or otherwise, with the LCD X, unfortunately.

I have the Gilmore, and I don't think it's a warm amp.. I find it analytical, "straight wire with gain". Out of all the headphones I had tested, I felt like each set of cans had simply presented its own unique signature, and the amp had let the music flow without imparting much color of its own.

I liked midrange and vocals on the Sennheisers I had tried, but not the bass, similar to your observation.

 

[FangJoker]

I have the Gilmore, and I don't think it's a warm amp.. I find it analytical, "straight wire with gain". Out of all the headphones I had tested, I felt like each set of cans had simply presented its own unique signature, and the amp had let the music flow without imparting much color of its own.

I liked midrange and vocals on the Sennheisers I had tried, but not the bass, similar to your observation.

I used to own the Gilmore lite mk 2 and thought it was neutral and transparent. It's a much better amp than the overhyped thx amp which is all power and doesn't bring out as many details like the Gilmore amp.