[prot]

Ableza that's a solid and very useful "initial impression"... better than most "final impressions" around here

 

[jfoxvol]

@Ableza that's a solid and very useful "initial impression"... better than most "final impressions" around here

Agreed.  I'm going to have to stay away from this page until mine show up next week.  The suspense is getting worse after reading these.

 

[zachawry]

Great comparison. Even though I have the Ether, I still use my Alpha Primes a fair amount. They do provide something that the Ether doesn't. 

 

[NZtechfreak]

Agreed.  I'm going to have to stay away from this page until mine show up next week.  The suspense is getting worse after reading these.

Man, I'm with you here,especially since mine are likely to be a couple of weeks away at least now. It's a bit like a horror movie though, where you don't want to look but can't help it.

 

[aamefford]

Yup, excellent comparison. I've suspected we might hear things similarly from other posts of yours. I hear the primes much as you do. Your comments are really helpful.

 

[bclark8923]

Got my ETHER C today and hooked up and some initial impressions before I head to bed.
 
My current reference is the HE-560 and it sounds like the ETHER C is lacking the bass impact and extension when I switch between the two. It's a great sounding bass but seems to fall heavily behind other sounds, probably more in the sub-bass. I am a bit of a bass head but not overly much, it may just be me.
 
Otherwise I like the ETHER C better in every other category than my HE-560 and will burn in and give a good listen over the weekend.
 
Anyone else feel like the bass is a bit lacking still in these compared to any of their other headphones?

 

 

[NZtechfreak]

Got my ETHER C today and hooked up and some initial impressions before I head to bed.

My current reference is the HE-560 and it sounds like the ETHER C is lacking the bass impact and extension when I switch between the two. It's a great sounding bass but seems to fall heavily behind other sounds, probably more in the sub-bass. I am a bit of a bass head but not overly much, it may just be me.

Otherwise I like the ETHER C better in every other category than my HE-560 and will burn in and give a good listen over the weekend.

Anyone else feel like the bass is a bit lacking still in these compared to any of their other headphones?

I certainly find the Ether bass performance not on a par with my HE6, although I mostly only notice it if swapping between them. I'd say give the Ether C a long run on their own and acclimate to their sound a bit.

 

[inthere]

What kind of notification are you guys receiving that your Ethers are coming? I haven't gotten anything yet.

 

[jfoxvol]

  What kind of notification are you guys receiving that your Ethers are coming? I haven't gotten anything yet.

Email and website.  You'll know.  I got an email within 5 minutes of responding to question on waiting for C case or regular case.  Site was updated pretty much instantaneously.  

 

[NZtechfreak]

Email and website.  You'll know.  I got an email within 5 minutes of responding to question on waiting for C case or regular case.  Site was updated pretty much instantaneously.  

Yes, Dan already outlined this a little way up the thread.

 

[reddog]

I have been burning these headphones for about 48 hours, and the bass has a little more impact and the mids are losing its veil and thus the vocals are getting better. Today I listened to Tim Burton's NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and the vocals sounded very nice. And the cans detailed soundstage was so holograpgic, I felt I was in the middle of the music. The ETHER C is very detailed and I heard stuff, I do not recall hearing, yet the overall sound signature is very musical.

 

[nnotis]

Has anyone measured these yet?  I keep hoping they'll turn out to be the closed back unicorn.  I expect measurements would show if there were any glaring cup resonance problems normally associated with closed backs.

 

[nnotis]

I have been burning these headphones for about 48 hours, and the bass has a little more impact and the mids are losing its veil and thus the vocals are getting better. Today I listened to Tim Burton's NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and the vocals sounded very nice. And the cans detailed soundstage was so holograpgic, I felt I was in the middle of the music. The ETHER C is very detailed and I heard stuff, I do not recall hearing, yet the overall sound signature is very musical.

 
After you've had some on head time, I hope you'll compare and contrast the sound of the Ether C to that of the HE1000 and the open Ether.

 

[gelocks]

  Got my ETHER C today and hooked up and some initial impressions before I head to bed.
 
My current reference is the HE-560 and it sounds like the ETHER C is lacking the bass impact and extension when I switch between the two. It's a great sounding bass but seems to fall heavily behind other sounds, probably more in the sub-bass. I am a bit of a bass head but not overly much, it may just be me.
 
Otherwise I like the ETHER C better in every other category than my HE-560 and will burn in and give a good listen over the weekend.
 
Anyone else feel like the bass is a bit lacking still in these compared to any of their other headphones?

 

 
Are they as "bright" as the HE-560s? (if they are as bright and have weak bass, they might not be for me...)

 

[money4me247]

  Are they as "bright" as the HE-560s? (if they are as bright and have weak bass, they might not be for me...)

based on show conditions only (so take with a grain of salt), I would say that the Ether open is brighter and the Ether C does have more bass impact. Both of them do not have that lower treble emphasis of the HE-560. The Ether open has a more of a mid-bass emphasis with a bit of a roll-off in the lowest sub-bass while I did not hear that on the Ether closed. I do personally think the Ether C has better overall bass quality than the Ether open. However, Dan did say that he thinks that the Ether open has more bass impact. I felt the opposite, but I was using unfamiliar gear and it was show conditions so hard to say. From my personal comparisons, I did feel like the HE-560's bass quality was better than the Ether open and that was the relative weakest region of the Ether open. Have not directly compared the Ether closed bass against the HE-560, so cannot really comment there, but I do personally find the Ether C's overall bass quality to be better than the Ether open for my tastes.
 
I personally prefer the Ether C against the Ether open overall and I can see myself taking the Ether C over the HE-560 (especially due to its closed nature giving it more versatility). The Ether C is likely an easier recommendation as the HE-560 can be a bit more polarizing with its tuning. I did not hear any treble peak in the lower treble region (that is found on the HE-560) on the Ether C. Treble of the Ether open is its strong suit, and the Ether C falls subtly behind in that department to my ears. I feel like the Ether C does not extend as high in the upper treble region as the Ether open and the Ether open does sound a bit more spacious overall. However, the Ether C though definitely has an impressive sound stage and if you didn't check, I think it would be difficult to say that you were listening to a closed pair of headphones.
 
If I was going to pick one, I would personally take the Ether C over the Ether. I don't think the Ether C is as bright as the HE-560, but didn't do any actual comparisons. Just based on audio memory. Do note these impressions may not be as accurate as someone who does direct comparisons of the two on their own home gear over a longer period of time.
 
hope this is helpful anyways. cheers!