[Slim1970]

In a sotto John Wayne voice: "Well Slim, you've got some mighty fine cans and equipment there... what is your current favorite combo? What will you be shooting for next?"

Thanks! I can't say that I'm wanting to try anything at the moment. For the first time since joining Head-fi, I'm content.

 

[bagwell359]

Thanks! I can't say that I'm wanting to try anything at the moment. For the first time since joining Head-fi, I'm content.

That's always the goal. Ever try the Raal CA-1a w/ the filter? Made me forget about possible smaller upgrades such as the: HEK v2, E2, OG LCD-4, HD-800S, etc.

 

[Slim1970]

That's always the goal. Ever try the Raal CA-1a w/ the filter? Made me forget about possible smaller upgrades such as the: HEK v2, E2, OG LCD-4, HD-800S, etc.

Yes, I have but not with the filter. Without the filter they were a no go for me. I'd be curious to here them with the filter to see if that would change my mind

 

[barbz127]

Ether is one of my favorites and one I've owned a couple of tkmes but sadly my ears aren't what they used to be and any form of headphone is causing me grief.

My ether 2 is up in the classifieds if anyone is looking for one.

 

[zappazappazappa]

I have a pair of the suede earpads which have lost most of their stickiness. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the stickiness could be 'revived' with isopropryl alcohol. Does this work and if so what is the technique? Apply and wipe off or apply and leave? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Chris Kaoss]

I wouldn't go for alcohol for cleaning the ear pads.
Best practice is to use active foam cleaner and a (very) soft brush or a piece of foam.
Cleaner such as car seat/interior cleaner would be best, for what I know and used to.

Apply the cleaning solution to the foam and squeeze it until there's cleaning foam coming up.
Apply the detergent foam to the surface of the ear pad and gently rub with the piece of foam, very gentle with the soft brush.

This will lift the fibers to there prior state and dissolve the grime in a soft manner.

Rinse with a bit of water and let them dry for at least 24 hours, depending on the foam inside the pads.
After that you can use the soft brush again to lift the fibers once more.

Hope this helps you out.

 

[JerseyD]

I have a pair of the suede earpads which have lost most of their stickiness. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the stickiness could be 'revived' with isopropryl alcohol. Does this work and if so what is the technique? Apply and wipe off or apply and leave? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I read somewhere that you can use an Elmer’s Glue stick. Won’t damage anything and adheres well enough.

 

[igniter]

Hi All

Looking for guides / input on pairing the Ether's with a portable amp+dac combo.
Anyone tried out the below with them? Or recommendations?

1: iFi Audio Micro iDSD Signature
2: Earman Angel
3: xDuoo XD05 pro (just released)
4: Dethonray Honey H1

Thanks

 

[MattTCG]

I thought iDSD was quite good for portable. I used that for about a year.

 

[scotantol]

I've tried a few portable options and at this point I am very content with using the AK SE180/SEM2 balanced output. Here's a really basic rating of what I've tried. I like detail but I will listen to music for long periods of time and don't like listening fatigue. The ratings are 1 to 5 and listed as SE/Bal. The ear pads on the Ether 2 also make a significant difference in sound. Going from the stock pads to the suede for me made the sound much more 3D.
Xduoo Link2 Bal 2/3
Lotoo Paw S2 2.5/3.5
Chord Mojo OG 4/-
AK SR25 MkII 2.5/3.5
AK SE180 SEM2 3.5/4.5
Hopefully helpful.
One more thing. The ratings for the dongle's are based on being fed from a computer/laptop. I have a iPhone12 mini and it did'nt have the power to drive the Ether 2 through the dongle's.

 

[igniter]

I've tried a few portable options and at this point I am very content with using the AK SE180/SEM2 balanced output. Here's a really basic rating of what I've tried. I like detail but I will listen to music for long periods of time and don't like listening fatigue. The ratings are 1 to 5 and listed as SE/Bal. The ear pads on the Ether 2 also make a significant difference in sound. Going from the stock pads to the suede for me made the sound much more 3D.
Xduoo Link2 Bal 2/3
Lotoo Paw S2 2.5/3.5
Chord Mojo OG 4/-
AK SR25 MkII 2.5/3.5
AK SE180 SEM2 3.5/4.5
Hopefully helpful.
One more thing. The ratings for the dongle's are based on being fed from a computer/laptop. I have a iPhone12 mini and it did'nt have the power to drive the Ether 2 through the dongle's.

Appreciate the above gives me a good idea - if the above are able to power them, then 1 of the 4 i mentioned should be spot on. Thanks

 

[freelancr]

Posting a few findings to make the Ether 2 sound more dynamic and fun.

First of all no headphone is perfect. I love the Ether 2 for the flat, detailed and analytical sound signature but when I want to rock out I tend to use other sets. Today I gave the Ether 2 the parametric eq treatment and, wow, they are very versatile and take well to eq in general.
My issues with the Ether 2 in regard to fun focused listening sessions:

• Very flat frequency response: lack of dynamics
• Only little ear gain around 2.7 kHz (<5dB): lack of dynamics
• Peaks at 5khz and 6.2 kHz: leading to listening fatigue

What constitutes a fun listening experiences in my book:

• Ability to listen to loud volumes without being assaulted by harsh, sibilant, shouty frequency bands
• Boosted sub and mid bass
• 5 - 10 dB sloping ear gain
• Preferably slow sloping late ear gain peaking at 3 kHz
• Subdued 4kHz to 6.5 kHz frequency range

Why is this a fun signature?
Boosted sub and mid bass:
No need to comment on that

Sloping ear gain:
Brings overall excitement (the spice)

Slow sloping late ear gain peaking at 3 kHz:
Late ear gain at around 3 kHz in contrast to early ear gain at 1.5 kHz - 2 kHz makes vocals less shouty and less in your face.

Subdued 4kHz to 6.5 kHz frequency range:
A must have setting for long listening sessions and a must have when cranking up the volume from time to time. It also leads to a more "holographic" sound experience, imho.

So this is the peq settings I came up with.:
Preamp: -6 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 32 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 0.5
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 55 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 1
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 120 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 1
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 3000 Hz Gain 5 dB Q 1
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 5000 Hz Gain -4 dB Q 1
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 6200 Hz Gain -4 dB Q 1
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 9000 Hz Gain 3.5 dB Q 1
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 12000 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 1

All in all I am really surprised how eq-able the Ether 2 is. With this setting I'm almost forgetting I'm listening to a planar -which is a good thing.
Genres used with these settings: Rock, EDM, Hip Hop

 

[eobet]

All in all I am really surprised how eq-able the Ether 2 is. With this setting I'm almost forgetting I'm listening to a planar -which is a good thing.
Genres used with these settings: Rock, EDM, Hip Hop

I EQ the heck out of mine to get a more fun sound too, so it's interesting to see someone else do it as well.

Out of curiosity I compared our curves, though I listen to more ambient or melodic electronic music, a lot of jazz and more laid back vocal music, so not sure if any knowledge can be gained from a comparison or not but I still wanted to have a look:

* You seem to have a bump for the mids at 3k while I do it at 1k (in your graph at least, your values seem different)?
* Your biggest dip is at 5-6k while I have two at around 3k and 7k (I actually ever so slightly bump 4k).
* You bump high frequencies while I kill them (but that's due to me having tinnitus).

My method for doing EQ is very unscientific (I posted a few words about it here) but so if the definiton of "fun", I guess.

 

[freelancr]

not sure if any knowledge can be gained from a comparison

It shows that the ear gain area (2,000 to 5,000 Hz) is highly individual. It's like a personal ear fingerprint and is determined by primarily your ear anatomy and second by music genre preferences, personal preferences and mood.

* You seem to have a bump for the mids at 3k while I do it at 1k (in your graph at least, your values seem different)?
* Your biggest dip is at 5-6k while I have two at around 3k and 7k (I actually ever so slightly bump 4k).
* You bump high frequencies while I kill them (but that's due to me having tinnitus).

I too have tinnitus on one side. It sucks. I find raising the treble goes hand in hand to balance out lower frequency boost. High frequencies, especially around 8,000 to 12,000 Hz, are critical for the perception of detail and clarity in music and even more so with increased bass level.

Not too long ago I found out about Frequency Response Adjustments for Spatial Perception: reducing the sound pressure level in the 5000 - 6000 Hz range can create a perception of more space or 'airiness' in the sound. This is because these frequencies are often associated with the sharpness and directionality of sound. Lowering them can make the sound feel less confined. This was really a mind blown finding.

Back to your initial question 'if any knowledge can be gained': Armed with all these fun and spatial perception tweaks I was surprised how I am able to eq crappy tuned headphones and IEMs to very enjoyable levels.

 

[zappazappazappa]

I appreciate that this thread is pretty much moribund but has any one compared the Ether 2 with the new closed back E3?