+1 I would very much like to check out AudioQuest's NightHawk headphones, and I hope the folk, who attend CanJam, Will write about what they see.WOW super excited. Now I have even more reason to go to CanJam 2015!! Mr. Speakers Ether --> then to the HE-1000 --> then to AudioQuest NightHawk --> then to Schiit Yggy (or maybe reverse depending on what is more busy than what)
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MrSpeakers Ether Impressions Thread
- Thread starter Currawong
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- mrspeakers
m-i-c-k-e-y
Headphoneus Supremus
You may ask nicely and I'll see what I can do when I have time.![]()
If you do have the time, can you kindly post some high-res pics. Phleaassee...

Since someone asked about the HD-800s, I can A/B them on the spot with the Hugo. The HD-800s (my slightly modified version anyway) are more spacious, and the Ether more intimate with the extremely varied acoustic music I listen to. They both have a sense of effortlessness to the sound. I feel that the HD-800s might be describable as more precise but "sterile"-sounding. The music with the HD-800s seems further away in a sense, whereas with the Ethers is seems closer and all-around. For amp pairings, I suspect (excluding OTL tube amps) similar parings may be popular. The Hugo I have here will be too light-sounding for some people. I liked the Ragnarok with the HD-800s and I hope to try it later, balanced, with the Ethers. So should hopefully give some people an idea of what like.
Funnily enough, one person, who uses JH-13s and 009s a lot thought that the Ethers sounded dark, at least initially while listening. They don't have a peaky treble, so depending what a person is used to they might have that impression initially.
I haven't tried any music with deep bass yet. They need impressions from someone with different musical tastes to mine.
Negatives: We may have one or two, but we're still trying to work out if there are gremlins in the prototypes or actual issues.
About the design and comfort: The are fairly light but the sliders on the headband on the prototypes move a bit too easily. It is possible to unscrew, move and lock the metal piece to prevent them moving too far, but that might be a PITA if you want someone with a bigger head to try them.
Funnily enough, one person, who uses JH-13s and 009s a lot thought that the Ethers sounded dark, at least initially while listening. They don't have a peaky treble, so depending what a person is used to they might have that impression initially.
I haven't tried any music with deep bass yet. They need impressions from someone with different musical tastes to mine.
Negatives: We may have one or two, but we're still trying to work out if there are gremlins in the prototypes or actual issues.
About the design and comfort: The are fairly light but the sliders on the headband on the prototypes move a bit too easily. It is possible to unscrew, move and lock the metal piece to prevent them moving too far, but that might be a PITA if you want someone with a bigger head to try them.
Yes, the sliders you have are 3d printed but if fedex cooperates our molded parts will arrive today so we will have smoother slider function,
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money4me247
Headphoneus Supremus
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@Currawong, very helpful impressions! kinda sounds close to how I would describe the LCD-X compared to the HD800. do you have those on hand to compare? ortho v ortho smackdown is always funner! 

I'm going to borrow Warren's pair and compare them later. I'm uploading the video I made of Dan talking about them ATM. I'm not sure the hotel wireless will support doing that though!
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@ Currawong, thanks for the Hd800 comparison. Looking forward to listening to the Ether with the RYggy stack at the Schiit booth and comparing to my own Hd800 which are unmodified but sporting some aftermarket cables. Can't wait
. I definitely like MrSpeaker products.

DigitalFreak
镇老鹰
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What can u guys say about tonality and note decay? Is note decay on the quicker side an if so would you say note presentation is on the leaner side? My past experience has been tonality can sometimes take an ugly hit if note presentation comes across as lean so I'm curious about what you guys have to say.
ssrock64
Headphoneus Supremus
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I've been away from MrSpeakers news for awhile now, but this could bring me back into the community, pending some thorough reviews from those whose listening habits most match mine. While the looks are a little bit derivative, that's not a bad thing. And besides, what's most important is how it sounds.
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I've been away from MrSpeakers news for awhile now, but this could bring me back into the community, pending some thorough reviews from those whose listening habits most match mine. While the looks are a little bit derivative, that's not a bad thing. And besides, what's most important is how it sounds.
You still have a lot to hear

Zulkr9
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I think the Ether looks beautiful, much better than many cans from big manufacturers
.
Btw those look different from the alpha pads, the ones on these headphones

Btw those look different from the alpha pads, the ones on these headphones
cs098
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MR SPEAKERS ETHER PREVIEW:
I was wondering, was the first impression done with the dum cable or the stock cable?
kapanak
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I was wondering, was the first impression done with the dum cable or the stock cable?
Even Dan himself said in the video that the cables don't make noticeable audible differences

PacoTaco
500+ Head-Fier
I'll have to see how the reviews go after the hype dies down. Honestly, I didn't like the Alpha Dog (too boring) or the Alpha Prime (while it was exciting at first, it quickly got fatiguing and the mid-range sounded...weird at times.) Loved the Mad Dog though.
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