[Maxx134]

Update:

Yesterday I compared my fresh Ether of about 35 hours,
to a friend with over 250hours on his set.
I can verify the very accurate tunning and excellent tolerance between both sets.

The only difference to be detected under extreme critical listening, was the snap of a musician's finger slighlty more palpable, and some cello strings a bit more lucid on his set.

The one prevailing trait about the Ether to me, is the level of musicality.
It is such, that you forget about headphone traits and just enjoy the music.

It stikes a unique balance of many traits to make you just forget about specifics,
Like frequency response,
Or detail retrieval,
Or liveliness,
Or bass quality
Or sounstaging cues...
Or any one aspect that stands out too much over the others..

Ether tuning is an excellent blend of strengths in more equal proportions that add together into a notably musical can.
You can finnally stop obsessing over one strength, and just enjoy the music..

For example, my HD800 took much work and equipment matching to sound musical..
Also, Looking over this unit physically, I see more attention to fit and finish and detail than all previous planar cans I owned or moded.
This is a can that also looks to be tuned as I see a special black material in rear grill.

It is not a simple felt like other similar type cans...
Having a very light, yet solid feel and look, it is very obvious that this is a very well made unit. No cheap plastic feel and no fake wood looks.

Overall I am very satisfied this will be a keeper for me.
Last time I had such satisfaction was in a very differnt can, the euphoric w3000anv which made you listen to the music, not the headphone.

I have not cared for any of MrSpeakers cans in the past even though they were appealing, because owning a product to me I base only on sound and the competition was great in the mid-tier headphones, with ZMF more of a favorite for me.

But this is a TOTL level, Top-Tier level sound can and it excells at doing many things right, in comparison to other TOTL cans that have one or more glaring flaws..

So I have to say great job to Mr Speakers with a truly excellent "build quality" can that had uniquely musical sound (in open Ether) that you dont find easily today..

 

[zachawry]

Here's a translation I did of the award from HiVi magazine in Japan that Dan posted a while ago: 
 
"This is an open headphone by MrSpeakers, a new headphone company founded about two-and-a-half years ago in San Diego, California. They key here is the V-Planar driver, an original technology used by MrSpeakers to ensure that the diaphragm moves as a plane. This resolves the diaphragm flexion issue which had been the major weak point of traditional planar driver designs by attenuating non-linear deformation of the driver unit. Specifically, the diaphragm is folded like an accordion and expands or contracts with the signal to realize planar motion closer to the ideal. This results in a sound that is at once full and relaxed, a natural representation of the music without adornment. The sound is lively and crisp in terms of both micro- and macro-dynamics, and will not become fatiguing even through extended listening sessions. The natural presentation holds for high-res music as well, and voices in particular sound lush. These headphones are as comforting and inviting as a set of large speakers. I hope you can try them."
 
............
 
"Of all these, MrSpeakers' ETHER offers an amazing level of expressiveness. The transparent, pure tone combines with a powerful energetic feeling that will make the headphone world even more interesting than it was before." 

 

[flatmap]

  Here's a translation I did of the award from HiVi magazine in Japan that Dan posted a while ago: 
 
"This is an open headphone by MrSpeakers, a new headphone company founded about two-and-a-half years ago in San Diego, California. They key here is the V-Planar driver, an original technology used by MrSpeakers to ensure that the diaphragm moves as a plane. This resolves the diaphragm flexion issue which had been the major weak point of traditional planar driver designs by attenuating non-linear deformation of the driver unit. Specifically, the diaphragm is folded like an accordion and expands or contracts with the signal to realize planar motion closer to the ideal. This results in a sound that is at once full and relaxed, a natural representation of the music without adornment. The sound is lively and crisp in terms of both micro- and macro-dynamics, and will not become fatiguing even through extended listening sessions. The natural presentation holds for high-res music as well, and voices in particular sound lush. These headphones are as comforting and inviting as a set of large speakers. I hope you can try them."
 
............
 
"Of all these, MrSpeakers' ETHER offers an amazing level of expressiveness. The transparent, pure tone combines with a powerful energetic feeling that will make the headphone world even more interesting than it was before." 

I'm impressed with how much useful descriptive content they provided in a single paragraph. 

 

[aamefford]

I was going to go down to a semi local shop and try both Ethers out.  Local tax is pretty stiff though, and I hate to just use the guys for a showroom and then buy from the internet.  The tax on a pair of Ether's and a Mojo (thinking about that for a small dac for the Liquid Carbon, and for stand alone use) is about what it would cost to sell and re-buy a pair of Ethers if I decided I want the open instead of the closed Ether.
 
Note that I have heard and love the open Ether, and owned and loved the Dogs, Alpha Dogs and Prime.  I prefer a closed can, and if the C is much closer to the open Ether than it is to the Prime, I should be just fine with it.  The price of entry is high enough to make me do a bit more due dilligence.  There are a few comments out there comparing the open and closed Ethers.  Anyone else care to chime in among the few who have heard both?  

 

[Maxx134]

Opinions on the closed Ether C are now not as accurate because there is now those tuning pieces you can place into them for more variations..

I don't think they sound like past models.
Yet I do think more users will like them, coming from an Alpha or a Prime.
I like the open Ether more, but can easily hear the higher resolution level the closed version has over the past models.

 

[Jodet]

  I was going to go down to a semi local shop and try both Ethers out.  Local tax is pretty stiff though, and I hate to just use the guys for a showroom and then buy from the internet.  The tax on a pair of Ether's and a Mojo (thinking about that for a small dac for the Liquid Carbon, and for stand alone use) is about what it would cost to sell and re-buy a pair of Ethers if I decided I want the open instead of the closed Ether.
 
Note that I have heard and love the open Ether, and owned and loved the Dogs, Alpha Dogs and Prime.  I prefer a closed can, and if the C is much closer to the open Ether than it is to the Prime, I should be just fine with it.  The price of entry is high enough to make me do a bit more due dilligence.  There are a few comments out there comparing the open and closed Ethers.  Anyone else care to chime in among the few who have heard both?  

 
I'm very interested in Ether / Ether-C comparisons as well. 

 

[mrspeakers]

   
I'm very interested in Ether / Ether-C comparisons as well. 

6Moons just published a dual review here...

 

[mrspeakers]

ETHER and ETHER C just picked up a writer's choice award from headphone.guru...  

 

[Jodet]

 
6Moons just published a dual review here...

 
And more babble from the worst written audio page on the web.  (But with lots of great pictures). 
 
Honestly, can ANYONE interpret this sentence for me? 
 
'

Don't indulge silly complaints or disappointments that by using Dan's latest iteration of V-Planar tech, the open Ether still sounds more open, airy and spacious than the C.'

 

What does THAT MEAN?   Are they saying the 'open Ether' is more open than the C or it's NOT?  
 

Good God these people need to take a sophomore writing class. 
 

 

[mrspeakers]

   
And more babble from the worst written audio page on the web.  (But with lots of great pictures). 
 
Honestly, can ANYONE interpret this sentence for me? 
 
'

Don't indulge silly complaints or disappointments that by using Dan's latest iteration of V-Planar tech, the open Ether still sounds more open, airy and spacious than the C.'

 

What does THAT MEAN?   Are they saying the 'open Ether' is more open than the C or it's NOT?  
 

Good God these people need to take a sophomore writing class. 
 

Yes, Srajan's saying he finds ETHER more open.  His point is don't quibble that the closed isn't as open as ETHER because it still sounds really open.  I know, his prose can sometimes be hard to parse, but I always find it entertaining.  

 

[Jodet]

 
Yes, Srajan's saying he finds ETHER more open.  His point is don't quibble that the closed isn't as open as ETHER because it still sounds really open.  I know, his prose can sometimes be hard to parse, but I always find it entertaining.  

 
Thanks for the interpretation.   Srajan, if you're reading this check this out: 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449519467&sr=1-1&keywords=elements+of+style
 
 
It's FREE for your Kindle.   And even if you have to buy it, YOU SHOULD BUY IT.  

 

[Stereolab42]

Srajan's reviews are best approached as performance art. Strangely compelling despite being as impenetrable as Zen koans or Talmudic commentary.

 

[aamefford]

Srajan's reviews are best approached as performance art. Strangely compelling despite being as impenetrable as Zen koans or Talmudic commentary.

This changes everything! (Plus it's pretty humorous).

 

[Thorbs]

  ETHER and ETHER C just picked up a writer's choice award from headphone.guru...  

Congrats Dan! Well deserved.
 
Over 300 hours on my ETHERs now and I can't think of anything I would change on the sound side of the HP. A slightly better grip on the headband adjustment (yeah, I know you can tighten it for a single user) and these would be perfect IMHO. They are everything I need in a headphone and so musical. I like equipment that gets out of the way and brings me the music, these do. No audiophile descriptions needed, just listen and smile.

 

[RyFiman]

I have to say I'm very disappointed in the Ether. The bass roll of and lack of mid presence and grainy sound was really shocking. Paired it with the Mojo to try get the sound to fill out but it's not for me.