[Abodh]

You say you need soundstage and drama, yet you kept the closed and sent back the open version? That seems a little counter intuitive. So you find the Ether C Flow provides the drama and soundstage you seek?

Yes ironically the closed ones have more soundstage than the open ones.

Open(Lush, lesser soundstage, relaxed)<------>Closed(Analytical, more soundstage, punchy)

What i found is; I can tame the closed ones by pairing with a good amp but I can't bring up whats missing in the open ones with any amp.
I compared them with Jotunheim, Aune x7s +OPPO HA2Se dac and Questyle 600i
Also i found the mids on the open ones are little sticky (not muddy by any means), but they need some separation and air, because when the vocals are in higher notes, you expect them to be little brighter sometimes. But again that's the part of occasional drama i was talking about.

 

[mrspeakers]

Hm. I would say the open has a larger soundstage but while the stage is deeper ETHER Flow places the front of the stage closer to you, sort of 5th row vs 7th if you will.

 

[sbradley02]

Not to cut in, but I've used most of the Norne cables. My favorites with the Ether line are Zoetik and Draug 2c. Great build quality and complementary sonics. Nice looking too.

What differences in sound did you hear between the Zoetik and Draug? The owner is recommending Draug but I think the bulk might get annoying all day in the office.

 

[Rocco Khan]

I have the forza noir hpc mk2.
I love it. But I don't have much of comparison, as I didn't use the DUM very long. Earlier I upgraded to the same forza cable on my pm3's (with this hp I had some experience with the stock cable), and the improvement I noticed surprised me, I loved it, and I went for this for the flow.
But: the stock cable on the Flows seem much better as the stock on the pm3's, so don't know how much this is of an help
(It's not only sound in my opinion, as the forza is miles ahead of the DUM in feel)

+1. I use the Forza Noir Hybrid. Love it - sounds awesome.

- Forza cables are just very good in terms of SQ, build and value for money - I have my Ether C Flows ("ECFs") connected to a Fiio X7 AM2 (medium power) via a Forza Claire cable (all copper no silver) in the pic.
- I have a number of observations to make about the ECFs as they relate to the DUM cable, Forza Claire cable, Fiio X7 and Chord Mojo. I have been A-Bing these portable set ups for a while now.

1) The DUM cable, for an all copper cable, sounds surprising bright to my ears. Once I switched out the DUM to the Claire on the Fiio X7 AM2 (warmest module available but still a bit on the bright side), there was a slight improvement by reducing the top end in addition to the usual "sound stage improvements".
2) I owned the original Ether C which I found, like most others, a bit thin, bright, lacking in bass. When paired with the Sabre DAC of the Fiio X7 using the DUM cable, they sounded brittle, chalk on blackboard and almost unlistenable.
3) I have to agree with posters here and most of the internet that the Chord Mojo is kind of incredible especially as a pairing for the ECFs. Compared to the Fiio X7, the ECFs/Mojo combo has a warmer/fuller body sound, almost as if by reducing treble/"hiss"/digital sound, one focuses their mind on the vocal range and bass etc. Another comparison is that it's like putting in 1 black pad into the original Ether C although the main difference is that no treble/mid detail is lost - amazeballs!
4) ECFs with the DUM cable and Mojo sounds enjoyable already and with the Forza Claire, the combo satisfies even my slight basshead preferences (I am a Fostex/Denon fanboy). The resulting ECFs/Mojo/Claire end up sounding like a highly resolving, more neutral, more natural Fostex where I can still feel the sub-bass rumble! The bass texture compared to the Fostex/Denon is off the charts.
5) To my ears, ECFs/Mojo/Claire sound better than ECFs/Mojo/DUM > ECFs/Fiio X7 AM2/Claire > ECFs/Fiio X7 AM2/DUM - from warm to bright. ECFs/Fiio X7 AM2/Claire is not great but very listenable and currently my go-to portable. Even though the ECFs/Mojo sounds better, the Fiio X7 just has a form factor advantage - super convenient for walkabouts.
6) It almost seems like the DUM cable, ECFs, original Ether Cs were voiced on tube/hybrid equipment or analogue sounding solid state (Chord etc). So maybe to get back to the sound MrSpeakers intended, one cannot be using bright sounding equipment - Fiio X7 just is not ideal being a mediocre implementation of a Sabre DAC prone to sounding bright.

I love the ECFs/Mojo/Claire combo and can't wait for the Poly which will replace the Fiio X7 as my go-to portable.

 

[almarti]

Hi all, I need an 2-meter extension 1/4” jack cable for the default MrSpeakers Ether Flow DUN cable.
Which one do you suggest me?

 

[SilverEars]

Whoever said Flow C sounds better, I agree. Flow open I find issue with the mids, it sounds a bit recessed, and bass too pronounced in relation although I find the bass fantastic, but the mids being not so coherent is a bit of pitfall. Out of the two I'd go with the Flow C. Although Flow open sounds refined, the mids coherency issue turns me away and the pricing is not worth it's point.

 

[Rowethren]

Tried putting some D shaped draught tape on the inside of my Estat pads on my Ether Flows to space them out from my ears and the comfort is now perfect and the sound is great... I do have the problem though now that my speakers still sound better. ARG it is a repeating cycle of purchases lol!!!

 

[Sonic Defender]

Tried putting some D shaped draught tape on the inside of my Estat pads on my Ether Flows to space them out from my ears and the comfort is now perfect and the sound is great... I do have the problem though now that my speakers still sound better. ARG it is a repeating cycle of purchases lol!!!

You can't possibly expect most headphones to compete with such good speakers can you? Those are supposed to be very nice speakers and I take it you support them with a sub woofer?

 

[Rowethren]

You can't possibly expect most headphones to compete with such good speakers can you? Those are supposed to be very nice speakers and I take it you support them with a sub woofer?

No not really I guess and yes I do have a sub but I am probably going to get a more powerful one in the near future as well.

I guess I was more wondering how far I would have to go to get headphones that can compete, I wonder what the new Audeze MX4 will be like. Don't get me wrong though I do love listening to my Ether Flows, Z1Rs and K10s it's just none of them are quite as good overall for dynamic and clarity.

 

[sbradley02]

I feel it is unrealistic to expect headphones to match speakers. The reproduction is too different. If you really want that, look into a processor like the Smythe Realiser

 

[wirefriend]

I currently use DX200 + Cavalli Liquid Carbon to power my Ether C Flow and I like it.
I would prefer the mids and lows to be more organic / lush.
Is DX200 + Continental Dual Mono going to be an upgrade for me?

 

[earnmyturns]

I currently use DX200 + Cavalli Liquid Carbon to power my Ether C Flow and I like it.
I would prefer the mids and lows to be more organic / lush.
Is DX200 + Continental Dual Mono going to be an upgrade for me?

My experience with the LC feeding ECF, with a Bifrost Multibit DAC, is that it's plenty lush. In fact too lush for my taste, which is why replaced the LC by other amps (Jot, which I still have for other systems), then Neurochrome HP-1. My suspicion would fall on the DX200. I never heard the DX200, but I've heard other Sabre ESS-based DACs, including the DX90 extensively, they sounded harsher to me than other DACs I have heard at length: AKM-based DAC in my Hegel H360, Cirrus Logic CS4398 in my QP1R, Schiit BIfrost Multibit and Yggdrasil, and Holo Spring KTE 3.

 

[wirefriend]

My experience with the LC feeding ECF, with a Bifrost Multibit DAC, is that it's plenty lush. In fact too lush for my taste, which is why replaced the LC by other amps (Jot, which I still have for other systems), then Neurochrome HP-1. My suspicion would fall on the DX200. I never heard the DX200, but I've heard other Sabre ESS-based DACs, including the DX90 extensively, they sounded harsher to me than other DACs I have heard at length: AKM-based DAC in my Hegel H360, Cirrus Logic CS4398 in my QP1R, Schiit BIfrost Multibit and Yggdrasil, and Holo Spring KTE 3.

I use amped balanced out of DX200 + Amp1 as an input to LC. Yes, Amp1 is told to be dry. Yes, double amping is probably not the best idea.
Perhaps I could switch it to DX200 + Amp3 which has (unamped) balanced Line Out...

 

[earnmyturns]

I use amped balanced out of DX200 + Amp1 as an input to LC. Yes, Amp1 is told to be dry. Yes, double amping is probably not the best idea.
Perhaps I could switch it to DX200 + Amp3 which has (unamped) balanced Line Out...

I'd definitely try line out, but Sabre ESS DACs I've listened to have a mid-upper glare that I don't think will go away with amp choices.

 

[Rowethren]

Okay me again on pad... I just got a set of the Audeze Vegan pads and they are a tad baggy but boy are they comfortable! Turns these into the most comfortable headphones I have ever tried, just like having a slightly warm cloud sitting on your ears!

As far as sound goes to my ears they seem to have smoothed out the treble a bit more which is good for me and overall made them a bit warmer but the sound stage seems bigger . I think I have found my end game now just a shame they are brown and I can't find any black ones because Audeze stopped selling them due to people using them as cheap conversions of other headphones into the Audeze sound

But with the sound these make now I think I can live with the brown


Yes they are massively thick!