[Ableza]

Poor isolation is the last thing I would attribute to Ether-C.  If the fit is good they isolate wonderfully.

 

[jlbrach]

they certainly isolate better than open backed cans but they if you seek real isolation I suggest IEM's which truly do isolate and block most noise out

 

[atsq17]

  they certainly isolate better than open backed cans but they if you seek real isolation I suggest IEM's which truly do isolate and block most noise out

 
Apples and Oranges

 

[mscott58]

Apples and Oranges

True, but of all transducers I agree that properly fitted CIEMs do isolate best. Cheers

 

[buke9]

True, but of all transducers I agree that properly fitted CIEMs do isolate best. Cheers

Again Apples and Olives.

 

[atsq17]

Kinda like being in a Ferrari thread and talking up the power to weight ratio of a Ducati. It may be a valid point but it's not a particularly useful comparison for Ferrari aficionados. Just my opinion.

True, but of all transducers I agree that properly fitted CIEMs do isolate best. Cheers

 

[Ableza]

Ducatis are cool though...

 

[Stillhart]

Kinda like being in a Ferrari thread and talking up the power to weight ratio of a Ducati. It may be a valid point but it's not a particularly useful comparison for Ferrari aficionados. Just my opinion.

 
As a rider, I find this analogy highly amusing because I do it all the time.  My $12k motorcycle is faster than your $120k car.  If speed is your top priority, it's a valid point.  If speed in a car is your top priority, obviously, not so valid.  I think it really depends on the context.  I don't believe the person who originally asked specified that IEM's weren't an option.
 
Either way, they bring very different things to the table than just isolation.  Obviously, they are apples and oranges, but that's not to say that it isn't valid or useful to bring it up.  Just my $0.02.
 
On topic, I had to send my Ether C away for a bit and I totally miss it.  I've been listening to a lot of that 24-bit Ultimae stuff and it's just not the same on the HD800.  

 

[tretneo]

I'm sure this has been discussed in reviews and in this thread but can we take a moment to chat about clarity?
 
I've had the HE-560 cans for just over a year and have enjoyed them immensely. A few months ago I started itching for an upgrade and decided to buy both the LCD-X and Ether C after reading and watching numerous reviews on both. The LCD-X was the first to arrive and first of all let me say I am not at all a bass head but damn those headphones had me tapping my foot, bobbing my head (easy to do with the huge counterweight sitting on top) and practically jumping up and down. Just an all around fun sound that was very engaging in my opinion.
 
When the Ether C arrived I had been listening to the LCD-X for nearly a week and at first (I know, I know... burn-in) I was pretty underwhelmed. Comfort wise the Ether C and HE-560 of course make the LCD-X feel like a torture device but I just wasn't feeling as engaged in the music. Ultimately, and honestly based heavily on Tyll's review and my desire to have as natural/neutral a sound signature as possible, I decided to return the LCD-X and stuck with the Ether C.
 
Back to clarity, after a month and a half or so with Ether C whenever I plug in the HE-560 and give them a go there's an immediate sense of this dull, muted cloud over the music. I won't try to get into the lingo, pick apart or isolate the various sound registers, instrument reproduction, etc. but I do think this is a testament to just how clear and revealing the Ether C are. I do sometimes miss the powerful kick and fun coloration I heard with the LCD-X but over time I've come to greatly appreciate what the Ether C does and does exceptionally well, present a very very detailed and clear sound signature.
 
Edit: I should add that over time (30+ mins) my brain adjusts to the HE-560 and that sense of dulling/muting does fade. It's really noticeable when switching between the two, this experience isn't meant to suggest the HE-560 aren't amazing in their own right.

 

[SurvivorNVL]

How is the Ether C in terms of overall comfort when compared to your HE560?  As well as breath ability, like, warmth and the pads?

 

[tretneo]

  How is the Ether C in terms of overall comfort when compared to your HE560?  As well as breath ability, like, warmth and the pads?

 
I'd say overall comfort for me is equal however w/ the Ether C my ears (which are average size) don't contact the inside of the rectangular shaped pad cutouts at all while with the HE-560 I can feel contact with the circular shaped pad cutouts in a couple of places (top and lobe) slightly, not uncomfortable but noticeable. The pad material is quite different (at least where they contact your head) between the two, with Ether C being leather and HE-560 being a velour material. This of course makes switching between the two noticeable but after a few minutes they are equally comfortable. I'd have to say overall I like the Ether C cups slightly better as the velour material on the HE-560 seems to absorb heat/sweat in a way that makes me aware how swampy (I use this descriptive word loosely) they'd become when removing the headphones after a long listening session. YMMV of course.

 

[CFGamescape]

How is the Ether C in terms of overall comfort when compared to your HE560?  As well as breath ability, like, warmth and the pads?

560 is probably more comfortable, or more specifically, doesn't get hot like the C does because of the pads. But I still use the C for many hours at a time.

Both are comparable in the comfort department.

 

[cs098]

  I'm sure this has been discussed in reviews and in this thread but can we take a moment to chat about clarity?
 
I've had the HE-560 cans for just over a year and have enjoyed them immensely. A few months ago I started itching for an upgrade and decided to buy both the LCD-X and Ether C after reading and watching numerous reviews on both. The LCD-X was the first to arrive and first of all let me say I am not at all a bass head but damn those headphones had me tapping my foot, bobbing my head (easy to do with the huge counterweight sitting on top) and practically jumping up and down. Just an all around fun sound that was very engaging in my opinion.
 
When the Ether C arrived I had been listening to the LCD-X for nearly a week and at first (I know, I know... burn-in) I was pretty underwhelmed. Comfort wise the Ether C and HE-560 of course make the LCD-X feel like a torture device but I just wasn't feeling as engaged in the music. Ultimately, and honestly based heavily on Tyll's review and my desire to have as natural/neutral a sound signature as possible, I decided to return the LCD-X and stuck with the Ether C.
 
Back to clarity, after a month and a half or so with Ether C whenever I plug in the HE-560 and give them a go there's an immediate sense of this dull, muted cloud over the music. I won't try to get into the lingo, pick apart or isolate the various sound registers, instrument reproduction, etc. but I do think this is a testament to just how clear and revealing the Ether C are. I do sometimes miss the powerful kick and fun coloration I heard with the LCD-X but over time I've come to greatly appreciate what the Ether C does and does exceptionally well, present a very very detailed and clear sound signature.
 
Edit: I should add that over time (30+ mins) my brain adjusts to the HE-560 and that sense of dulling/muting does fade. It's really noticeable when switching between the two, this experience isn't meant to suggest the HE-560 aren't amazing in their own right.

 
getting new pads preferably deep leather ones can really improve the bass and even comfort. I use zmf cowhide pads and it really brings out the bass slam and subbass without messing up what the ether c is good at.  

 

[tretneo]

   
getting new pads preferably deep leather ones can really improve the bass and even comfort. I use zmf cowhide pads and it really brings out the bass slam and subbass without messing up what the ether c is good at.  

 
Nice, sounds interesting. Is there a post on this? Do the zmf pads fit/attach with minimal (or none preferably) modding?

 

[cs098]

you need to cut a bit of the sleeving (about a third to a half maybe), but after that it fits perfectly.
 
Also the black tuning pads give more weight to bass as well (but also reduces detail, clarity and imaging a bit).