That he6 comparison should be interesting. That's the only other headphone I'm considering.
Meet conditions are difficult especially for open headphones. I can tell the signature and if it is good or not. There isn't much past that unless it's really quiet.
A few of us at the SF Bay mini meet yesterday listened to the HE6, Ether and HD800 through a Rag/Ygg Rig and a Beautiful DIY build Dynalo MK2 fully balanced amp. On both amps, the HE6 was well driven. I've always been a fan of the HE6, though so far never enough to commit to buying and building a rig for them.
The HE6 did it's usual with great bass impact, nice mids and extended but occasionally sharp treble - a note here that I am very sensitive to treble frequencies, and I didn't get t he impression that the other two in out little listening group felt the same about the treble of the HE6 as I did.
The HD800's did their thing with detail retrieval, air, huge but realistic sound stage, good, accurate, extended bass and treble that was unpleasant to me (see note above). I regularly refer to the HD800 as a musical scalpel, as that is what they seem to me. A surgical interment for dissecting music or components. The HD800 has it's propose, and for me, is much better with the Anax mods, but still probably not a headphone I'll own.
The Ether was very at home in this crowd. As compared to the HE6, it has the bas extension, but not quite the impact, it has the detail extraction, and it has the extended treble without the edge. It also has a quality I don't know how to describe, exactly, that the HE6 really does not, at least to the same degree. The Ether has an air, an ease, or a speed that the HE6 does not, at least to the same degree. The HD800 has it, and the HE1000 has it in spades. From what I recall of the SR009 (it's been a couple of years since I've heard the SR009, so grain of salt here) also has it in spades. An effortlessness in presentation is maybe another way to put it.
Last comment on the Ether - It is light and so comfortable. This cannot be discounted or separated from the listening experience! In comparison, the HE6 is a big, heavy, firm clamping headphone. The HD800 is also a light, comfortable headphone. Say what you will, this has an effect on listening enjoyment and on the sonic perception of the headphone to me. A big, ponderous headphone (Audeze, I'm looking your way) starts to sound big and ponderous to me.
Brief conclusion - the Ether is my choice, but not by a runaway in this little grouping of headphones. I like the HE6, but I like the effortlessness the Ether has a bit better. The Ether also sounds great out of lots of different rigs, even pretty modest ones. The HE6 needs a powerful rig. I respect the HD800 a lot. It presents things in the chain or the music without moderation or apology. That is both good and bad. It definitely demands a good signal chain. The Ether has more musicality than the HD800, to me anyway. The Ether doesn't make everything sound good, crap sources and crap files sound like what they are, but it is more forgiving, and more enjoyable to me than the HD800.
One man's opinion for sure. You know what they say about opinions….
