ETHER 2

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Ice-man, Oct 3, 2018.

  1. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    The AFO's one I've not had the pleasure of trying yet, or if I have I probably forgot all about it (not really a good sign if I have, haha).

    I have to agree that I'm optimistic about this one considering how much time there's been to fine tune the sound, but at $2k I might be hunting for a nice amp instead, if I even come close to spending that much, haha. I was thinking/hoping it'd burn a smaller hole in my pocket, perhaps with an unreasonable degree of optimism :p

    In short: +1 what you said :))
     
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    My main concerns with Ether were not with FR or the lack of body as I found out that these could be remedied with better seal or pads. Once optimized, I felt that the Ether tonal response was very good.

    There were two or three things which I felt held the Ether back: 1) A cloudiness to the sound despite very good distortion numbers; 2) lack of liveliness / constricted dynamics which seemed to bely its relative efficiency; 3) lack of ultimate microdetail.

    How does the Ether 2 fare in those above areas? And is the Ether 2's FR more like Ether 1 (with better low end extension) or more like the V-shaped FLOWs?

    Comparison to the LCD-4 is ... Let's say I've heard a Grade A LCD-4 and on a technical level, it's as good as Utopia (give or take in different aspects) but with a different tonal balance.

    I eagerly await the Ether 2. Thanks to Dan to reaching out and making this available to SBAF.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2018
  3. beemerphile

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    How power hungry are they? Recommended amp wattage?
     
  4. westermac

    westermac Friend

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    This was what frustrated me about the Ether 1 (the first and last flagship headphone I ever bought new). I heard it at a meet and thought it was amazing, but when I finally got my pair in I was pretty disappointed. It didn't do anything wrong necessarily, except put me to sleep which is generally frowned upon in an office environment.

    I have good faith that this has been addressed with the E2, but seeing as $2k is about double my headphone+amp budget, I'm just going to hang onto my HD600/HD6XX and keep waiting for the Liquid Platinum.
     
  5. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I can't speak definitively on how the production Ether 2 will sound. I'll see if I can borrow a pair for tests and measurements. But I did hear a unit that was close to production but with one or two minor kinks to iron out still. There weren't any major characteristic changes in the running prototypes (mostly tightening of sound), and the change from what I heard last to production should be even more minimal.

    So, here's what I heard in that last pair:

    - No lean bass or mids on Ether 2 like you could hear on first gen. Even with perfect seal on first gen, it always sounded somewhat restrained to me. Maybe I wasn't driving them with a good enough amp. The Ether 2 actually has a sense of power, dynamics, and balls to it that the first gen didn't, even from something cheap like the Magni 3.

    - Mids and treble response as a whole similar to something like the HD600/650 or LCD-2C w/ vegan pads, which is to say it sounds tonally normal for the most part. Not exactly the same, but in the same ballpark.

    - Resolution, speed, clarity all represented really well. Just sounds tight and coherent, top to bottom. Though I may not be the best judge for absolute bass quality...still seemed more akin to LCD-2C than HD650, though a little fuller on Ether 2 than LCD-2C.

    - Only real downside is a slightly steely timbre and brightness that comes from the lower treble. However, I didn't mind it so much myself, so it can't be that bad. I believe this was one of the final kinks being worked out, or a byproduct of another tweak, though it may still remain in the end. Worst case, a user could put a light foam disk over the driver to attenuate this.

    (Side note on the above, it appears the Ether 2 works with very minimal front and rear damping, as best as I could tell without taking anything apart. Worth noting for those that find damping to kill sound.)

    - Overall response has a really subtle bass lift at the lowest octaves, which then linearly transitions into the midrange. Midrange and treble are fairly balanced and smooth from there, barring the minor timbre issue I heard.

    To me, the last pair I heard sounded like a noticeable step up from the Ether and Aeon line. Less grey, clearer, tighter, more dynamic, better resolution, more normal sounding response without needing tweaks, etc.

    I don't usually focus on comfort, but these were easily some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn.

    Seal is still very important.
     
  6. Magnetostatic_Tubephile

    Magnetostatic_Tubephile Friend

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    My wallet is definitely ready for as lightweight and-yet-awesome sounding planar magnetic... if treble is rendered just right. Looking forward to see some technically clean and tonally neutral measurements of production unit, otherwise I am with k4rstar. ;)

    (MrSpeakers is the Audio-GD of headphones / American counterpart of Hifiman = endless revisions, endless revisions, endless revisions...)
     
  7. microCuts

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    Is this still with the 3-blobs soundstage? The imaging is mediocre on the OG Ethers.
     
  8. Ice-man

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    Please check earlier in the thread. I already addressed this.
     
  9. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    I had the same question earlier, and sincere apologies if I'm mistakenly conflating soundstage with imaging or something else entirely, but I don't necessarily think of the term "soundstage" as a catch-all for how well-integrated the tapestry of sound may be, i.e. something could have a massive soundstage a la the HD800 or K1000 but have breaks in the image between the extreme sides and center leading to the three-blob effect.

    Not a very flattering name but it gets to the point I guess.

    The closest I could understand from your OP is that the soundstage is convincing (unless I'm being a Dummkopf and totally missed it elsewhere), so that's a firm no on The Blob (1958)?
     
  10. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    There is NO blob effect. And thanks for pointing out the difference. The imaging is precise and creates a sizeable wall of sound with good coherency with no breaks across the spectrum.
     
  11. Ash1412

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    Does it have magnet arrays on both sides or still just one and which side?
     
  12. TMRaven

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    I skimmed through the thread quickly, but didn't see an exact mention of it. How large are the ear openings in area and depth? Namely compared to the likes of Aeon line.
     
  13. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I think they're a little larger and shaped like more the Aeon line (but with much less fickle pads)? I'm not totally sure.
     
  14. TMRaven

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    I'll break out some measurements of the Aeon pads opening and get back to you. Mostly I rather have them be, you know, an actual ear shape, rather than that rectangular mess that was the original Ether line and Mad Dog/Alpha Dog line.
     
  15. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    The openings are definitely ear-shaped. Really similar to the Aeon dimensions, though the pads overall are wider and circular. (Or so my memory tells me.)
     
  16. TMRaven

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    [​IMG]


    There we go. Could you take those 3 measurements from roughly the same spots, Hans? You know I'm just a stickler for big ear holes. Much thanks. Picture isn't necessary. (Assuming you still have a pair)
     
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    OK. That's making me feel better and reassured. The steely timbre... I assume it's not anywhere near the steely timbre of the HEK?

    I wonder if this steely timbre thing is a result of aluminum traces laid on too thin diaphragms.

    long long chi dong chiang ha ha ha
    ^
    The sound of pots and pans being banged and smashed up together as old Chinese couple fight in kitchen. A most horrible experience many years ago at THE SHOW when Thiel went insane and did aluminum drivers in a four way using what presumably sounded like first order crossovers.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2018
  18. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    @Hands is better at the technical aspects, but I'll chime in when I have something to share. Dan reports 70% reduction in metal trace mass.

    There are a few things that I keep coming back to with this headphone. One is the invisible comfort. 288 grams is just crazy for a true flagship. After they are worn for 15 minutes, they just disappear much like the 650 for me. Those who know me are aware that I am notoriously picky about weight and comfort. e2 is the most comfortable headphone that I've owned or auditioned (full sized over ear).

    The other aspect that continues to wow me is the bass response. And I swear I'm not a bass head. I'm much more of a "mid-head." Mids come first and foremost whenever I audition a headphone. If mids don't have VERY good tone and don't come across convincingly, then I'm out. The mid range vocals with e2 are remarkable. Female jazz vocals are breathy and finely detailed. I'm pretty sure when listening to Live in Paris: Diana Krall...some of her spit landed on my arm. Nah...that was me drooling because I think she's hot.

    But it's the bass response that keeps putting the silly grin on my face.
     
  19. Hands

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    @purr1n Well, consider that I found the HEK to be a bright, metallic, and sandpapery mess coupled with lumbering, bloomy bass. I never found it pleasant to listen to and to this day still wonder what the heck was wrong with y'all.

    Then consider how I found the Verum, the particular unit I sent you, to be a little too bright sounding. But it was overall much more listenable than the HEK to me.

    The Ether 2, to me, is listenable and not fatiguing out of the box, and more so than the two headphones above. Still, it has that nitpick that I'd personally want to address. I'd be a good candidate for a light layer of foam in front of the Ether 2 driver, and nothing more. So, for most users, I think the steely timbre I noticed will be a non-issue. And it might be ironed out in production. Or maybe it will be worse! I don't know.

    On the plus side, I don't think those that found the HD650 too veiled will feel the same about the Ether 2. Just in case it seemed I was steering into that territory. But I could be wrong.

    I don't currently have a pair with me. But, like I said, if the Aeon worked for you, these should too. And the pads are a little more plush anyway, so more pliable and comfy on noggins.
     
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Definitely looking forward to them. By all accounts of its performance, I don't think $2k is excessive. More than I'd like to see, but folks like Dan (and Zack) are small boutique outfits, so I get it.

    I only get upset when Sony makes their latest piece of shit for $1200, $2200, $3200, etc.
     

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