[Rockcoon]

Guys, i'm living in Russia and earn 300$ per month as night club security stuff.
Our customs services much like repo man, that tooks out all your organs with duty, and total price for Ether will be somwhere at 2k bucks or even more.
But God is my witness, if after release this cans achive such positive feedback, as already did, there's no doubt, that they will be under my dam* christmas tree

 

[obsidyen]

  Maybe the most compelling aspect of the Ether is it's musicality. While it's technical abilities are impressive and I'm sure that it will measure well, the musical engagement for me was just off the charts good. Many headphones can be technical juggernauts but just not deliver the music in a way that draws you in. Maybe the hd800 can be guilty of this sometimes. The only headphone that I've heard at length that challenges the Ether for the engagement crown, for me, is the he90. 
 
This quality had me wanting to listen to more and more music with the Ether. For those of us who have been in the headphone game for a while, written lot's of reviews etc, there can be a predisposition to listen only to the technical abilities of the headphone, analyze it to death and forgot to enjoy the music. With the Ether I have the opposite problem. I had to keep reminding myself to stop listening to the music and start observing the technical merits of the headphone. That's possibly the best compliment I can give. 
 
I'll be counting the days till the tracking number shows up in my in box. 

It definitely must be better than Fidelio X2 technically, I wonder is it better in terms of musicality? Fidelio X2 is a very musical, fun headphone. Disregarding technicality, would you say Ether is more musical?

 

[MattTCG]

  It definitely must be better than Fidelio X2 technically, I wonder is it better in terms of musicality? Fidelio X2 is a very musical, fun headphone. Disregarding technicality, would you say Ether is more musical?

 
After owning the x2 I would say that yes, the Ether is way for musical and fun that the x2. The x2 is a good headphone for it's price point. It's an enjoyable headphone with good highs and bass. I found the mids somewhat average which is why I sold them...I'm a mids guy. And the mids on the hd650 are much better than the x2. AND, the mids on the Ether are appreciably better than the hd650. 
 
So, this is to say that the x2 and Ether are many leagues apart, as they should be given the price discrepancy. 

 

[Serenitty]

  Maybe the most compelling aspect of the Ether is it's musicality. While it's technical abilities are impressive and I'm sure that it will measure well, the musical engagement for me was just off the charts good. Many headphones can be technical juggernauts but just not deliver the music in a way that draws you in. Maybe the hd800 can be guilty of this sometimes. The only headphone that I've heard at length that challenges the Ether for the engagement crown, for me, is the he90. 
 
This quality had me wanting to listen to more and more music with the Ether. For those of us who have been in the headphone game for a while, written lot's of reviews etc, there can be a predisposition to listen only to the technical abilities of the headphone, analyze it to death and forgot to enjoy the music. With the Ether I have the opposite problem. I had to keep reminding myself to stop listening to the music and start observing the technical merits of the headphone. That's possibly the best compliment I can give. 
 
I'll be counting the days till the tracking number shows up in my in box. 

Darn it.  These reviews are making me wonder if I should sell my T1 & Crack Combo now and get in line for the Ether (though I will have nothing to drive it with until my Liquid Carbon shows up, that cliff I already jumped off of), or wait until I have the carbon to make the decision.  Is the cable and T shirt worth having no home rig for 4 months? 
 
Will converting my T1's for balanced use and building an adapter for 1/4" SE hurt their resale or help it?
 
This site really is very bad for my wallet...

 

[Currawong]

 
This site really is very bad for my wallet...

 
Whatever you do, don't listen to the Ethers on a Schiit Rygg or maxxed WA5. Then you'll be completely screwed. Completely. 

 

 

[Serenitty]

   
Whatever you do, don't listen to the Ethers on a Schiit Rygg or maxxed WA5. Then you'll be completely screwed. Completely. 

 

 
You don't think the Liquid Carbon will be bad enough? 

 

[MattTCG]

   
Whatever you do, don't listen to the Ethers on a Schiit Rygg or maxxed WA5. Then you'll be completely screwed. Completely. 

 

 
Too late for me. But honestly the Carbon gets you in the same neighborhood. Plus you won't need to take out a second mortgage with the Carbon. 

 

[MattTCG]

 
Darn it.  These reviews are making me wonder if I should sell my T1 & Crack Combo now and get in line for the Ether (though I will have nothing to drive it with until my Liquid Carbon shows up, that cliff I already jumped off of), or wait until I have the carbon to make the decision.  Is the cable and T shirt worth having no home rig for 4 months? 
 
Will converting my T1's for balanced use and building an adapter for 1/4" SE hurt their resale or help it?
 
This site really is very bad for my wallet...

 
I never heard the T1 on the Crack, but heard it several times on the wa7 fireflies. It really didn't do a lot for me. FWIW

 

[lamode]

Guys, i'm living in Russia and earn 300$ per month as night club security stuff.
Our customs services much like repo man, that tooks out all your organs with duty, and total price for Ether will be somwhere at 2k bucks or even more.
But God is my witness, if after release this cans achive such positive feedback, as already did, there's no doubt, that they will be under my dam* christmas tree

 
You could find a friend to bring them from the US.

 

[cute]

Guys that heard the Ether, heard it at it's very best, with the Amp/DAC pairings that Dan offered at the Nashville Meet
being the very best with the Ether. Of course Dan is going to exhibit them with the best sounding gears he can. A $1499 headphone, with the equipment he brought, he knows is going to sound fantastic.  Not many of us can afford the Amp/DAC combos to get the best sound from the Ether.  My fear would be spending $1499 for a headphone, and then having the need to purchase high end gears upstream to be able to hear what others describe in their impressions.  But, that is what Headfi is all about......getting us to spend money.  I, for one have spent a lot of money auditioning different headphones, and tweaking my Amp/DAC, cables, etc, etc, to find the sound that I prefer, and I finally "get there" and would like to have the Ether, but I am skeptical because everyone has a different setup, and the impressions described my not be the same for me with my setup!

 

[Oregonian]

  ^^ There was nothing that I didn't favor the Ether with when I compared it to the he-6. 

So just to be clear - the bass on the Ether was as good as the HE-6? 

 
Did you hear the Ether out of a vintage amp by any chance? 

 

[Shmuel]

MattTCG,
Did you get to hear the Ethers with a Hugo?
Thanks,
Shmuel

 

[MattTCG]

 
Guys that heard the Ether, heard it at it's very best, with the Amp/DAC pairings that Dan offered at the Nashville Meet
being the very best with the Ether. Of course Dan is going to exhibit them with the best sounding gears he can. A $1499 headphone, with the equipment he brought, he knows is going to sound fantastic.  Not many of us can afford the Amp/DAC combos to get the best sound from the Ether.  My fear would be spending $1499 for a headphone, and then having the need to purchase high end gears upstream to be able to hear what others describe in their impressions.  But, that is what Headfi is all about......getting us to spend money.  I, for one have spent a lot of money auditioning different headphones, and tweaking my Amp/DAC, cables, etc, etc, to find the sound that I prefer, and I finally "get there" and would like to have the Ether, but I am skeptical because everyone has a different setup, and the impressions described my not be the same for me with my setup!

 
You make a good point, except this. I was at Dan's table most of the day on and off. I asked to take the Ether to my own setup. He was more than happy to oblige. And every time someone asked to take an Ether to listen on their own rig, he was more than welcome to let them do it. I listened to the Ether on several mid fi amps. The Ether is not impossible to amp in the way that the hd800 or he6 can be. Ask me questions if you want. 

 
So just to be clear - the bass on the Ether was as good as the HE-6? 

 
Did you hear the Ether out of a vintage amp by any chance? 

I don't have to tell you that the he-6 signature and bass performance is very much dictated by the amp used. I was using Theo's speaker tap amp but I don't honestly remember what it was. You could ask him though. The bass on the Ether is competitive with the he-6 IMO. I didn't have both headphones at the same table but had to go back and forth to do comparisons. 

 

[MattTCG]

MattTCG,
Did you get to hear the Ethers with a Hugo?
Thanks,
Shmuel

There was no Hugo there. My friend Joe who I carpooled with to the meet heard the Hugo/Ether/carbon at Canjam and couldn't start raving about it. The Ether scales nicely with better upstream gear. But like I said you get a lot of performance from the Ether with mid fi amps. 
 
The Ether with the Carbon and an uberfrost is just crazy good. Competes with setups that costing much much more. 

 

[Rockcoon]

cute
For me the end has begun about a year ago, when i bought ATH M- 50s, listen them direct from notebook and was happy. Then i foundout from google, that such thing as DAC/headphone AMP exist- hello my new nad d1050. Amazing! But what if m50's are not the best headphones in the world and my dac deserves better? That's when actualy pandora box has opened- i read review of HE500s on head fi, registered at forum, placed order for cans...
Now i,m sitting here and thinking, what i need more- Schiit YgyyRag combo or my kidney and apartment?