[penguinofsleep2]

Hey, folks who have other ETHER or Aeon headphones, are you enjoying the VIVO cable with them?

This may not be as helpful, but I did try the VIVO briefly (<5 min) with my Ether 1.1 and liked the cable. With that being said, there is nothing wrong with the original DUM or DUMMER cable for the 1.1 and IDK if I'd purchase a separate VIVO cable.

 

[penguinofsleep2]

On a completely different note, I can only say that the Ether 2 is too small for my head. I will say my head is larger than average, but not huge by any means. (ex Size L or XL helmets, hats, etc.). Other MrSpeakers product fit my head fine as well with a little room to spare.

Point is, this is one headphone I would advise trying before buying if your head is larger than average.

 

[llcook51]

When I first got the Ether 2, I thought they were a very warm headphone. As I’ve burnt them in (mostly from listening) I’ve noticed that they sound pretty much neutral but with nice bass when called for. It might be my brain burning in, but I’m thinking it’s more likely the gear. anyone else share this experience?

I had generally the same experience. It is probably a combination of both the E2 and brain adjusting through a symbiosis.

 

[musicfrommemory]

It’s the v-planar knurling on the driver settling.

I've had a set of Ether 2's for about a week now and am probably at around the 50-hour mark - I too have noticed the difference between how the Ether 2's were warm at first and have become more neutral - if I'm being honest I preferred them with their original warmth.

I own a pair of Aeon Flow Opens and love the warmth of those cans but felt they lacked just a little in the very low end - thus the Ether 2s.

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.

 

[MattTCG]

I've had a set of Ether 2's for about a week now and am probably at around the 50-hour mark - I too have noticed the difference between how the Ether 2's were warm at first and have become more neutral - if I'm being honest I preferred them with their original warmth.

I own a pair of Aeon Flow Opens and love the warmth of those cans but felt they lacked just a little in the very low end - thus the Ether 2s.

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.

From my own experience, if you are looking for more bass response you might try the headamp gsx mkii. It's a clean, quick SS amp has extra punch down low. You might also consider adding a schiit LOKI to give you some physical EQ control.

Edit...you might also consider tube rolling with your current amp. Many have reported good results using certain tubes to add warmth.

 

[ra990]

Now that my Empyreans have broken in I have some listening impressions after about a month with the Ether 2. Cross-posting this on both threads.

Empyrean:
+ soundstage significantly larger than Ether 2
+ holographic sound with alcantara pads
+ by far the most comfortable headphone I've owned
+ easier to drive than Ether 2
- lacking bass extension compared to Ether 2
- mid bass hump with leather pads that can be fatiguing
- not as smooth to listen to at louder volumes due to U signature and treble emphasis

Ether2:
+ noticeably more accurate and linear bass that extends lower than the Empyreans
+ fleshy mids that bring out a nice texture on vocals and brass instruments
+ more neutral sounding across range with a smooth treble
+ natural sounding even at louder volumes
- tight fit is noticeable and I have a normal sized head
- less open and airy sounding than Empyrean

Summary: I am really impressed with the Ether2's bass and mids, they have a really natural sound signature that just lacks air and space compared to Empyreans or Abyss, but more open sounding than the Utopia. The Empyreans throw out a really nice large image with the velour pads, which are noticeably more neutral than the leather ones. The imaging is almost holographic like the Abyss. They just don't do bass as well as the Ether 2 or Abyss, for my preferences. I really like that I can plug Empyrean into my macbook pro or phone and get a very decent results. They're so comfortable that I forget I have them on after a while, they just disappear on my head.

I am torn, I don't know which one to keep yet. I'm going to listen to the Empyrean for a week then switch back to Ether 2 and see if my impressions change.

 

[mrspeakers]

I've had a set of Ether 2's for about a week now and am probably at around the 50-hour mark - I too have noticed the difference between how the Ether 2's were warm at first and have become more neutral - if I'm being honest I preferred them with their original warmth.

I own a pair of Aeon Flow Opens and love the warmth of those cans but felt they lacked just a little in the very low end - thus the Ether 2s.

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.

If you have the stock 6Sn7 you may change that first. The Gilmore Lite Mk2 is an alternate with a bigger bottom. A nice upgrade is a Mjolner 2.

 

[mrspeakers]

The new pads options are coming along. I expect to be able to ship in a bit over 2 months.

Cheers!

 

[JM1979]

The new pads options are coming along. I expect to be able to ship in a bit over 2 months.

Cheers!

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

 

[LCMusicLover]

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

Not yet. We're holding our breath in anticipation.

Here's the most info posted so far:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ether-2-impressions-and-discussion.890282/page-96#post-14759893

Some info about the mounting system and the build of the new pads, but not much about the impact on the sound except for the mention that a tighter seal will give 'the best bass response'.

 

[llcook51]

If you have the stock 6Sn7 you may change that first. The Gilmore Lite Mk2 is an alternate with a bigger bottom. A nice upgrade is a Mjolner 2.

I will add that the Cavalli Liquid Platinum is a great match for the E2.

 

[BeAsTMode4MVP]

Hey, folks who have other ETHER or Aeon headphones, are you enjoying the VIVO cable with them?

Mr Speakers (or anyone else), can you speak to the weight difference between the VIVO cable & the DUM or DUMMER cables?

 

[VandyMan]

This may not be as helpful, but I did try the VIVO briefly (<5 min) with my Ether 1.1 and liked the cable. With that being said, there is nothing wrong with the original DUM or DUMMER cable for the 1.1 and IDK if I'd purchase a separate VIVO cable.

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.

 

[alota]

today, in a audioshow in Lisbon, i tried the ether II connected to an amplifier from luxman in balanced mode.first, the ether II, with the aeon, is the most confortable planar i´ve tried in my life. really light and fits perfectly my head. so a miracle from mrspeakers.
i really enjoyed the sound despite the headphone still being broken. at the same able was the aeon open, so i tried at same time. the family sound is th same, i think, but ether II is clearly superior.about bass response, in my opinion, ether II does a good job.
of course, it´s a show experience so too much limites. but i think ether II deserves one chance. about the cable, the quality seems superior to dum cable. for now, good job to mrspeakers
Edit: despite the low impedance, in my opinion ether II needs power. same impression i had with aeon closed(this last i had in my house)

 

[ra990]

Now that my Empyreans have broken in I have some listening impressions after about a month with the Ether 2. Cross-posting this on both threads.

Empyrean:
+ soundstage significantly larger than Ether 2
+ holographic sound with alcantara pads
+ by far the most comfortable headphone I've owned
+ easier to drive than Ether 2
- lacking bass extension compared to Ether 2
- mid bass hump with leather pads that can be fatiguing
- not as smooth to listen to at louder volumes due to U signature and treble emphasis

Ether2:
+ noticeably more accurate and linear bass that extends lower than the Empyreans
+ fleshy mids that bring out a nice texture on vocals and brass instruments
+ more neutral sounding across range with a smooth treble
+ natural sounding even at louder volumes
- tight fit is noticeable and I have a normal sized head
- less open and airy sounding than Empyrean

Summary: I am really impressed with the Ether2's bass and mids, they have a really natural sound signature that just lacks air and space compared to Empyreans or Abyss, but more open sounding than the Utopia. The Empyreans throw out a really nice large image with the velour pads, which are noticeably more neutral than the leather ones. The imaging is almost holographic like the Abyss. They just don't do bass as well as the Ether 2 or Abyss, for my preferences. I really like that I can plug Empyrean into my macbook pro or phone and get a very decent results. They're so comfortable that I forget I have them on after a while, they just disappear on my head.

I am torn, I don't know which one to keep yet. I'm going to listen to the Empyrean for a week then switch back to Ether 2 and see if my impressions change.

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.