[Sound Eq]

it would be really cool if we can have a closed either, any signs of that ????

 

[money4me247]

  it would be really cool if we can have a closed either, any signs of that ????

lol alpha prime? =P

 

[Twain250]

  It was great being able to hear Ethers at the Nashville meet yesterday.  I thought that moving here from LA would mean missing out on some of the opportunities one gets by living in a major metropolitan area.  So far Nashville is great and so were the Ether headphones...

 
 

  Lovely write-up of your impressions, mbritt.  Thanks!

 
+1
 
Yes mbritt, I appreciated being able to read about your impressions on the Ethers also.  Thanks for the write-up!
 
Edit:
And thanks also to MattTCG and others who given us their impressions also.  Cheers guys.

 

[Sound Eq]

  lol alpha prime? =P

well no need to have a lol about it, if u already not know that the ether uses a new driver and not an old driver 
 
so my question was legit when i asked if there are any sign that a closed ether will come out using the new driver technology

 

[Rockcoon]

so my question was legit when i asked if there are any sign that a closed ether will come out using the new driver technology

I think, mr. Speakers himself can give us a clue, if we ask kindly.

Dan, tell us please, is there any secret "Closed back Ether" project exist?

 

[vhsownsbeta]

 
well no need to have a lol about it, if u already not know that the ether uses a new driver and not an old driver 

so my question was legit when i asked if there are any sign that a closed ether will come out using the new driver technology

Any sign? In currawongs video Dreadnought started life as a closed back so it isn't beyond the realm of possibility...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd4i3EMKCTU

I'm down for an Ether. Very excited, it's my first open back. Given the overwhelmingly positive impressions in this thread I am hoping it will also be my last!

 

[obsidyen]

MattTCG, thanks for the impressions. I really like Philips Fidelio X2 and have been trying to find a flagship grade headphone with similar sonic qualities. Great sub-bass, non-fatiguing sound, full and rich sound signature. I know you had Fidelio X2s at some point and recommended HE-4 to me. I don't like Hifiman headphones as I find them too bright. New Audezes and Sennheisers are also disappointing. I'm also looking for headphones that can be driven by portable amps. Your impressions led me to think Ether could be answer to my search. I do hope it's not another EL-8 though.

 

[mrspeakers]

I think, mr. Speakers himself can give us a clue, if we ask kindly.

Dan, tell us please, is there any secret "Closed back Ether" project exist?

 
Sorry, I don't discuss future products. 

 

[rollinbr]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Quote:

  It was great being able to hear Ethers at the Nashville meet yesterday.  I thought that moving here from LA would mean missing out on some of the opportunities one gets by living in a major metropolitan area.  So far Nashville is great and so were the Ether headphones.  Based on impressions from shows, meets and during personal demo's, my Audeze preference has leaned towards LCDX but yesterday I bought the EL-8s from Joe Saxon of HeadphoneAudiophile.com (a Nashville meet sponsor).  I have a Centrance HiFi-Skyn coming for my iPhone and I felt it would pair perfectly with the EL-8 for listening sessions sitting on the deck.  I love the looks/design and the sound from the EL8 and was hesitant to have them immediately overshadowed by hearing a Mr Speakers Ether but there's no way to pass up hearing Dan's latest creation before it even starts shipping.  Especially since I already own the Mad Dog 3.2's and am considering upgrading to Alpha Prime after hearing them yesterday.
 
I've always thought the Mad Dog's were comfy and that the Alpha was even more so but the Ether's were so comfortable it was surprising.  They look kind of large and I thought they would be like the Audeze LCD lineup which seem a bit heavy on my head.  Dan had them running through some amazing rigs whose pairings created a smile inducing sonic magic (new acronym - SISM) when paired.  It was a joy listening on his rigs but the real test for me is how it works on my own gear once I get it home.  Hooking these up to a DragonFly 1.2 dac feeding a Yulong A100 is probably like test driving a Porsche in a school zone but it's one of my desktop rigs with the other being a Peachtree Audio MusicBox.
 
The Ether's didn't lose any of their magic on my rig.  They had plenty of slam, bass and clarity.  They seem to offer everything I like in a pair of headphones.  The music is really engaging, which is one reason I listen to headphones.  I like to be able to focus on the music without it being in the background.  The other reason I use headphones is that my musical taste runs a wider gamut than my wife's and NIN blasting on our home system inevitably gets the "can you turn that down or change albums" reaction.
 
I ran quick comparisons between the Ether and my new EL-8's and while the EL-8 holds up pretty well, the impact present in the Ether is evident.  Being a photographer I'll use a camera analogy.  You can create beautiful imagery using a 35mm camera that can be used in high end advertising and sold as fine art at top galleries but when you compare an image taken using an 11"x14" view camera there's more "there, there".  More glass to gather light and details, a longer throw through the bellows and a significantly larger film plane that doesn't try and shove so much detail into a small area.  Breathing room for all the visual components is what I think it comes down to (sound familiar).  That being said, most pro's use 35mm cameras because they are good enough, easier to work with and less expensive.  Large format is a specialty tool used when you want to extract that extra impact that might be barely perceptible to a lay person.  Wow, I'm off down a coffee fueled rabbit hole with this impression analogy!  I'm at home listening to the EL-8's and enjoying every minute of it without feeling that I'm missing anything.  But, side by side the Ether shows itself as a near perfect headphone to me, especially when it comes to the bass.
 
I'm not a bass head but I like impact in my music.  I see a lot of live shows (one of the reasons I was attracted to Nashville) and I don't like feeling the bass resonate through my chest cavity.  At a rock show Thursday night my beer can was vibrating like a Honda with a trunk full of subwoofers - it wasn't pleasant.  The bass in the Ether's was perfect for me.  I don't think I've ever heard so much clear bass simultaneously with great mids and fun treble.  I'm drawn to a warmer sound (the HD800's are too sterile for me) and I love the Ether's clarity and impact.  If I had the budget to spend $1500 on a pair of Ether's I wouldn't hesitate.

Thank you for your write up on the Ether, especially the photography description. Gives a different sensor, vision, way of describing how the Ether sounds to you. I'm looking forward to when mine arrive as I pre-ordered back in March.   

 

[Sound Eq]

   
Sorry, I don't discuss future products. 

i am sure there is one ;0

 

[Robert777]

@mbritt and @MattTCG
 
Thank you for your impressions.
 
The Ether's are just slightly out of my budget when you calculate import fees to the UK, but these impressions are making me think I should save up and be prepared for the extra fees. I kind of have my eye on the free cable upgrade and t-shirt. Maybe I can sell something to make the cash. Damn you Head-Fi... You are a blessing and a curse.
 
I was going to pull the trigger on the HE-560 but was never sure if my amp would drive it sufficiently.
 
Cheers.

 

[vhsownsbeta]

  @mbritt and @MattTCG
 
Thank you for your impressions.
 
The Ether's are just slightly out of my budget when you calculate import fees to the UK, but these impressions are making me think I should save up and be prepared for the extra fees. I kind of have my eye on the free cable upgrade and t-shirt. Maybe I can sell something to make the cash. Damn you Head-Fi... You are a blessing and a curse.
 
I was going to pull the trigger on the HE-560 but was never sure if my amp would drive it sufficiently.
 
Cheers.

I know the feeling. The USD/AUD exchange rate and import duties are going to make this a very expensive headphone. I wouldn't have imagined spending this much on head-fi a couple of years ago. However, climbing the ladder of IEMs taught me that you are often better off waiting, saving and buying endgame the first time around. I have cut down my inventory in preparation for the right open headphone to come along and, although I can't audition where I live, the shared impressions of people whose opinion I respect has given me the confidence that Ether will more than likely be the one.

 

[Robert777]

 
I know the feeling. The USD/AUD exchange rate and import duties are going to make this a very expensive headphone. I wouldn't have imagine spending this much on head-fi a couple of years ago. However, climbing the ladder of IEMs taught me that you are often better off waiting, saving and buying endgame the first time around. I have cut down my inventory in preparation for the right open headphone to come along and, although I can't audition where I live, the shared impressions of people whose opinion I respect has given me the confidence that Ether will more than likely be the one.

That is good advice. Thank you.
I think Australia gets hit even more that the UK.
Although, at the moment the GBP is particularly weak against the USD.
 
Cheers.

 

[MattTCG]

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. 

 

[reddog]

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. 

+1 Thanks Matt for your impressions on the Ether. Impressions such as yours makes the count down for the ether easier to bare.