ETA Genesis-G/P Impressions Thread

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by dematted, Apr 20, 2021.

  1. Pharmaboy

    Pharmaboy Friend

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    (more thoughts on the ETA Genesis G)

    A couple longer listening sessions gave me additional insight for this headphone, which is not quite like any other I've heard. Its sound is relatively uncolored and neutral—not noticeably warm or cold, nor any one thing tonally. The sound deviates from neutral in a minor ways, but this doesn't take away from the very positive impression this headphone made on me. IMO it's an overachiever at its price point & a canny example of painstaking driver optimization and voicing.

    Please note: my hearing isn't ideal, and I usually listen with a migraine, which sometimes changes my hearing perception. So I make no pretense that my experience will match everyone else's.​

    COMFORT
    My big head reality finally set in and now I'm feeling a bit of clamping pressure. I felt that even more with the Sennheiser HD650, with which this headphone shares a headband/frame, so there's no revelation here. The earpads don't look large, but they're plenty big, deep, and cushioned enough for my big ears. Many will find the fit of this headband just right for them.

    BASS
    I would say the bass is sensational, except it rarely is sensational in the sense of calling attention to itself. Instead, the bass anchors every tune, its level perfectly balanced in the mix, but with a nice little punch from each bass note. This is bass felt as much as heard; it's planar-like in that way, unusual for a dynamic driver. Some of the bass goodness may come from the GenG's notable lack of distortion and congestion.

    When I got around to to cuing up bass show-off tunes (Jon Delerious' "One Twenty Two," Scary Pockets + Larry Goldings' "Day Old Socks," and Donald Fagen's "Morph the Cat")--Omigod this bass is amazing. Even when you don't force the issue with basstaculars, you'll still always be aware of the bass giving natural weight to any instrument grouping. The tone & timbre of bass instruments come through clearly and the sub-bass is totally for real. This is a terrific bass headphone.

    MIDRANGE
    Great bass aside, the real star here is the midrange, which is large, spacious, and packed with detail. The overall level of the mids may be somewhat elevated; if so, it's probably a broad but shallow plateau with no big spikes. The listener's ear is drawn into the midrange here. The upper mids jump out a bit more than the treble, yet never actually sound bright (can't figure that out). The amount of detail and spatial information in the mids is exceptional. I found myself seeking out female vocals, violins, mallet instruments, opera--anything with a lot going on in the midrange. At the moment I'm enjoying jazz electric keyboards…they sound particularly expressive now (and this is music I know by heart).

    SOUNDSTAGING
    There's nothing splashy & attention-getting about this soundstaging, but it's very well done. The soundstage is quite wide with each instrument clearly located in space. Layering here is excellent, and I'm also more aware of soundstage height than usual: a couple female vocalists are on a plane slightly above other instruments (as they often are in performance). Spatial information is quite nuanced, such that I easily hear subtle little spatial cues: reflections off walls, how close the singer is the microphone, and how much reverb is in the track and whether it sounds natural or not. This headphone resolves very well, and much of the detail is spatial.

    TREBLE
    I find it challenging to get a fix on the treble. Either that's because my hearing is imperfect, or because the GenG doesn't spotlight treble to any degree (probably a mix of both). I sought out a music with rich treble content (symphonies, violin concerti, choral) and believe I'm hearing everything intended in the upper registers, which seem self-effacing. Perhaps the treble here is gently shelved down…? If so, it works well for me, but as usual, YMMV.

    SOFT VS LOUD
    The GenG sounds very good at low to moderate volumes, with all the described sonic benefits present to the full degree. IMO this headphone excels at microdynamics, but is about average on macrodynamics (that's ideal for me, but perhaps not for everyone). When I crank the volume, the midrange becomes a bit "shouty" and I hear a touch of glare in the upper mids—though not nearly enough to call the sound bright. At higher volumes all the sonic goodies are present, but for me, this isn't a headphone I'd choose for headbanging (not that I do that). The GenG never sounds congested or confused at any volume, which is a testament to its low distortion and solid driver control.

    Conclusion: The GenG strikes me as an ideal headphone for both music monitoring and music enjoyment. That's rare--such headphones are few & far between. IMO at its price point, this headphone has the capacity to become a category leader & definer.
     
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    Last edited: Sep 21, 2021
  2. Mystic

    Mystic Mystique's Spiritual Advisor

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    Thank you @E_Schaaf and @tommytakis for providing your new headphone for a loaner.

    Gen G impressions

    Gear: Bifrost 2, Studio B, ZMF Auteur

    Note on tuning modifications: The “stock” config sounded great (white foam, three holes open, no plugs), so I just kept it there for most of my impressions, didn’t have enough time to try out other configurations.


    Build quality & comfort:

    Despite the DIY look, these are solidly built. Comfort was mostly great. I didn’t have a problem with the fit being too tight, but I’m used to the tight grip from years of HD650 and 600 use. The only nitpick is the pads are kinda shallow. My ears touched the inside of the headphones and would start bothering me slightly after awhile of listening, but only very slightly.

    Sound impressions:

    Holy crap bass. I’ve never heard open headphones do bass like this. Hard hitting bass I felt like I could feel. It was never too much though for me. It never drowned anything else out, never felt boomy or flabby. Just well textured, articulate, very noticeable bass.

    Nice transition into the mids. Male vocals sounded full and natural. Great separation and detail. Very cohesive sounding. Mids-highs had no noticeable scoops or peaks. Plenty of energy up top to keep things lively without any fatigue.

    Tonality is king for me. My Auteur may not have the last word when it comes to resolution, but it’s been my favorite headphone since 2017 because of its cohesive, natural tonality. This is something the Gen G absolutely nails. It has an overall warmer tilt, but I wouldn’t call it laid back. It is very dynamic and keeps you involved. Not quite to the “in your face” levels of something like the Utopia.


    Compared to my Auteur: They are VERY close and that’s saying something as the Gen G is half the price of the ZMF. They both do some things better than the other. (Note: my Auteur is in blackwood which I have found does sound a little different than softer wood Auteurs)

    Gen G pros:
    -Better, more articulate bass.
    -Little more dynamic sounding.
    -Much cheaper

    Auteur pros:
    -Mids are more nuanced and natural sounding.
    -Larger soundstage with slightly better imaging.

    These differences are noticeable, but by no means is the bass with the Auteur bad or the mids of the Gen G unnatural.

    If I had to pick one it would be the Auteur. I felt like it did female vocals, acoustic guitar and piano just a little better which I place a very high priority on. Many times it came down to the type of music I was listening to though.

    Overall, outstanding headphones. I’m not ready to buy one on the spot, but I can see myself owning a pair in the future. I’d like to see what they do with these going forward (new, unique headband instead of Sennheiser, wood options? etc). Evans tuning preferences speak to me and I’m very excited and hopeful to see their small business grow.
     
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    Last edited: Sep 14, 2021
  3. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    I was thankfully able to get in on the GenG loaner, with the standardized setup (which suits me fine because I'm not really a tweaker).

    Daily I've been using KISS-modded HD6xx's, and compared to those the first thing I noted was the clarity of the music; it was like a veil was lifted across the entire frequency range. The other thing that struck me was the tuning…to me, these headphones sound like speakers in their tuning, and to some extent in the staging. There was a really nice 3D effect going on with the GenG's that the HD6xx's don't provide.

    The bass was more substantial than the 6xx, though not particularly emphasized. It was, for me, a really nicely balanced presentation. At times, and with certain music, I found I'd like a little more kick in the bass region, which surprised me (see below re: sensitivities). I may be able to get that on a personal pair, but didn't make any changes to the loaner. I feel the same way with the 6xx's at times too.

    I'm bass-sensitive in that playing loud music with emphasized bass for 30 minutes+ tends to give me a headache in general, but I found that the GenG's didn't cause me any issues playing loudly some of my heavier-bass recordings. Strangely enough, I've found that lately I'm a little bit highest-treble sensitive too (a problem I've never had before), and again I had no issues with the GenG's.

    Everything I ran through them sounded better than my HD6xx's by a long margin, so I ordered a pair.

    Gear: Pi2AES → DAC2541 → DSHA-3F (Ni) → GenG, all balanced.
    Music: Jazz, Vocal, Classical, 70's/80's Rock, Soundtrack
     
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  4. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    You can definitely get more kick out of the bass with a few simple tweaks. Very easy to nudge the sound one way or another.
     
  5. A Child of the Jago

    A Child of the Jago Facebook Friend

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    Pleased-as-punch that someone has mentioned the 3D effect with the GenG - I thought I was imagining it. It might be because, like me, you have a DSHA-3F in the chain, but one of the stand out features of this headphone is its soundstage with the 3F - the space is wide and deep and big (reminds me a little of the Dolby audio ad before a film in the cinema when they show off the sound system, if anyone remembers those) - throw in GenG's sumptuous bass and it absolutely excels in electronica, digital ambient, etc.

    I was contemplating selling my 3F as, in spite of its many gifts, I found it a tad neutral but GenG seems to be the salt to the 3F's caramel and serendipitously I found a chain that I don't think I ever want to change.

    I'll get round to a full review when I have time but suffice to say, for now, that I've sold my other headphones.
     
  6. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    GenG (EC445/Lyr3/BF2/Unison/CD transport)

    Let me get the bad out of the way first. I don't like how this thing looks. It looks more like a prototype than a finished product. But in context, I understand the choices that were made. It's a startup/garage type project. Early days. In that sense, the look thing is not a huge deal right now. This is a headphone that, based on sound quality alone (which I'll get to), should probably cost $2K+ in today's stupefying headphone market. But it's obvious that most of the focus went into the tuning, and at $700, aesthetics were obviously going to take a hit. But $700 still isn't cheap... and for that I expect something competing with other headphones under $1K, like the Elex. The GenG is too good to be just an underground thing. Josh Velour and his zombie followers would never touch it (doesn't mesh with his slick lighting and lifestyle/tech-fi aesthetic). Not even sure head-fi at large would embrace it. This is just my opinion, but I feel like In order to penetrate those markets, the design could use a rethink. I think you could keep the tuning aspect and give the whole thing a little more polish. ZMF comes to mind as a brand that is garage in nature, but still produces some beautiful aesthetic work. Again, I think the Genesis brand deserves to be embraced by the mainstream, because, as I'll get to, it's a special headphone. But that's not going to happen when the bottom piece covering the wires just falls off (yes this actually happened to my pair)... build quality and aesthetics needs some more thought IMO.

    On the other hand, comfort is a definite plus. The HD650 headband is already great, putting almost no pressure on the head... and the pads are fairly plush. Not the most comfortable I've experienced, but good enough for long listening sessions (which this headphone encourages).

    These initially sounded quite bad out of the 445/BF2. Bright, shrill, aggressive, very fatiguing.... no matter the tuning, I could never get them to listenable levels. I was quite disappointed, because I could hear the outstanding technical qualities, but could never listen long enough to appreciate them.

    The Lyr 3/BF2 was a completely different story. Shockingly so. Everything clicked into place and they just melted over my ears. I've never heard a headphone change so drastically with different amping. But at the same time it didn't necessarily sound like I was listening to a different amp.

    And that brings me to one of the reasons (if not the main reason) this is a must buy headphone. It takes the focus off gear and puts it back on music. The GenG has the extraordinary ability to just disappear, as much as a headphone can pull that off (which is not completely, but this is the most I've heard that happen). Like the Utopia, it doesn't call attention to itself... unlike the Utopia though, it doesn't sound like anything in particular... it has no "character" as it were... part of this is it's uncanny ability to reproduce laser accurate timbre, to the point where the timbre of instruments, sounds and voices becomes more audible than any particular tuning . The GenG is able to do this, more than any headphone I've heard, by a significant margin. Utopia comes close, but does not pull it off as much as GenG, which sounds so seductive with its scarily accurate reproduction of musical sounds. This alone would make it a must have, but shockingly, there are other breakthroughs the GTA gents were able to make in the world of headphone listening.

    Bass is often a major point of contention in headphone listening circles. Most headphones present bass either limply, too overpowering or with the bass just kind of... there... without much life of its own. Just dull thumps usually with varying degrees of accuracy. I don't think I've ever been impressed with headphone bass. Until now. On the GenG, bass comes to life. It has this amazing ability to render bass texture so accurately, that it can literally make you gasp.... with not only its accuracy, but textural nuance, as well as force of presence. The bass feels tangible in a way other headphones cannot hope to convey. And still I feel like I'm underselling it. It's one of those things that must be heard to be understood. If this headphone only had the bass thing going for it, it would still be worth a purchase. But still, there's more....

    The midrange is warm, inviting, extremely pleasant to listen to, making it very easy to forget you're listening to gear and just get lost in the music. Most TOTL headphones I've heard force your attention to the point where it can be difficult to do anything else while listening. Not so with the GenG. Often I've been sitting in front of the computer and enjoying music, but able to jump back and forth between active and passive listening, with no difficulty. This is part of the headphone just presenting you with MUSIC, and not some kind of "look at me" tuning. Treble, when you get the tuning right, is also just extraordinarily balanced and gentle, while remaining extended and detailed.

    PRAT is off the charts good. Can't remember the last time I was bobbing my head and tapping my foot so much. And I almost never air guitar. I do it often with this headphone. That says alot. GenG has the remarkable ability to breathe new life into tracks you never much cared for. Stuff I normally skip I found myself embracing. GenG makes you want to seek out new music, and that's exciting.

    There is a coherency to the entire soundscape that reaches spooky levels. There is this freakish balancing act happening that makes all the frequencies sound like they belong to a whole, forming a very liquid presentation... similar to what you get with the Verite, but with MUCH more accurate timbre. The Lyr 3's fantastic microdynamics really help here. Giving everything a "you are there" feeling. There is no congestion or loss of focus during complex passages, TOTL levels of coherency. In fact, you can hear absolutely every note with perfectly clarity, no matter how much complexity is happening. Take any track from Talking Heads' "More Songs About Buildings And Food" and marvel at how easy it is to decipher those complex mixes. Classical especially benefits from not only the top tier level of focus, but the incredible timbre, making large scale orchestral pieces (like my favorite, Brahms 4th symphony, 1st, movement) explode with musical information. This extreme timbral nuance combined with the laser like focus leads to levels of harmonic clarity I've not yet heard in a headphone.

    And technicalities are there in spades... plentiful plankton, gobs of resolution, all one could ask for really... at a certain point, technicalities become "good enough" to where comparing TOTL gear becomes kind of stupid. GenG is comfortably in the same ballpark as other summit-fi headphones, and for $700 that's insane. There is a threshold that allows enough technical ability to render the proper amount of musical information to faithfully reproduce a track. The GenG has plenty. And any very slight lack (compared to say Utopia) is more than made up for by its "music first" approach, which allows the listener to focus on right brained musical enjoyment rather than left brained technical ability... with the option to bounce back and forth between the two with ease. Utopia and Verite Open allow this to a certain extent, but somehow this characteristic seems alot more effortless on the GenG.

    Though this is all somewhat mitigated by the staging and imaging... but only if you haven't worked out the tuning. At first I hated it... closed and cramped, with not much air. It took me many different configurations before finding the right combination that opened up the stage quite a bit without overdoing it on the treble and without the bass going flabby. To the point where I now have no complaints about the staging and I find no major faults with anything, from treble to bass (it wont hide faults in crappy recordings but it will make them alot more listenable). Imaging isn't as precise as on the 445, but almost nothing is compared to Eddie Current gear. In the end, this is the tuning that I settled on, for now (rear grills removed, three separated plugs at the top, two at the bottom):

    [​IMG]

    But since this thing changes so drastically with gear, everyone could get different results depending on their chain. But again, the headphone never sides with gear, only with music. It is definitely worth experimenting.

    I've never heard a headphone do what this thing does. Putting the focus back on music, where it should be. I found myself listening to whole albums again, with usually no desire to skip tracks, something that I've been drifting away from lately. Music appreciation definitely takes a leap forward with the GenG, and you can more easily understand what musicians were going for with certain choices. And their songs just seem more grand and seductive in many cases. The Lyr 3/BF2 does not sound like a mid-fi setup, as opposed to the Elex (a headphone that is decidedly more "hi-fi" sounding in comparison), and a headphone which constantly reminded me that I was listening to a (albeit very good) mid tier amp. GenG is a case of transducer first. I can't really say that about Sennheisers or Focals, since those seem to greatly depend on getting certain gear right in order to experience their true natures. While the 445 was ultimately too aggressive, it doesn't feel like a downgrade using Lyr 3. I can't say that about those other brands. And it brings amps back to where they probably should be.... devices designed to sufficiently power a transducer, and not the obsessed over centerpiece of a collection, something to be cycled ad infinitum, as one drains Junior's college fund, trying to reach audio nirvana. Well audio nirvana is possible, and it's called ETA Genesis G, and it wont cost you the price of a used car.

    With the GenG, it just feels like nothing is lacking and there is nothing between you and the notes. And that is the true goal of audio reproduction. What an exciting time to be a headphone enthusiast.

    Bravo, gents. Take a f'ing bow.
     
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  7. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Yes, although Gen utilizes the same general oval shape and headband from Sennheiser, I wouldn't assume the same gear synergy and recommend playing w diff types of gears to tailor the sound as Mr.Colt did.

    Gen aesthetics is in the process of getting a full refresh while retaining most of its sonics before going public. The janky cotton plugs will be gone and the overall look will be more polished and presentable (hopefully) More will be revealed in due time :)

    Regardless, glad you're enjoying our work @ColtMrFire
     
  8. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    That is my position as well. I didnt want to sound like a weirdo in my impressions, but I literally salivated at just the thought of listening to GenG’s bass again. I think I did say though that planar bass had become completely suspect as being principally superior. (sorry at @rhythmdevils and @planar’s main strength)
     
  9. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    I’ll have what he’s having!
     
  10. crenca

    crenca Friend

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    TLDR: Overall right between the HD6XX and Focal Clear OG for me (closer to Clear really), so probably priced about right ($800 if memory serves) and I would be considering picking one up if I did not already have both references.

    I admit after the initial first couple of weeks of discussion I signed up for the loaner and then did not pay any attention to this thread or any other about this HP. These impressions are after spending a few days with it through two chains and without reading anyone else impressions except @dematted initial ones, which may have been with an earlier iteration of the design (like I said I have not kept up with this or other threads ) :

    1) Shanling M6 Pro DAP (older AKM version) > balanced out > GenG
    2) Gungnir MB A2 > Jenson XLR to SE transform > Saga OG > DNA Starlet > Gen G

    • First impression reminds me of an vocal/mid focused HD6XX sound, but with more bass extension and better microdetail, but not that much better, and better clarity.
    • Nice wide headstage which really helps with instrument/voice separation compared to HD6XX...is this the widest headstage I have yet to hear? Maybe. However it's all width, no real depth.
    • With my big old ears, these could not be any smaller without transitioning to some hacky halfway-on-ear. Seal is good, but I wonder how placement is effecting staging. Despite this comfort is better than I expected.
    • Comparing to Clear OG, I realize that resolve/microdetail is closer to Clear than HD6XX, let's call it 2/3 of the way there. However the Clear OG digs deeper in the bass, is faster, has more "air", more spatial and inner note nuance. The GenG has less of the "grain" in the upper upper mids/treble that the HD6XX has to my ears, but some is still there.
    • After some time, I suspect there is some front damping that might be holding this HP back for me, so I remove the black webbed front damping (leaving the bluish foam ring in). Now the driver sounds faster with transients, but upper mids/lower treble are more forward in a way I don't like...nothing a bit of quality digital EQ can't fix.
    • The drivers technicalities remind me of the one in ZMF Eikon/Auteur, but the HP is obviously not a ZMF house tuning - a much more mid centric HD6XX sound like I noted.
    • What I really appreciate with this headphone is the clarity, particularly with female voices and the overall 400-1K range. I am a micro detail whore however, the Clear OG outpaces it here. That said I would reach for the Gen G overall the HD6XX all day every day.
    • The cup and overall build quality is good - I expected a more "prototype" feel but this thing feels finished even if it's not dressed up for the ball.

    I think this HP fill's in the $500-$1k space pretty well and is in keeping with many SBAF members expectations and sensibilities. If your considering HD6XX go ahead and stretch for this if you can, that's what I would do.
     
  11. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    Details @E_Schaaf ? I do not remember any front driver filters being used in your version 1.1 descriptions.
     
  12. HotRatSalad

    HotRatSalad Friend

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    Quick thoughts and impressions on ETA Genesis-G. Is there still a peerless version ? Because these seem quite peerless to me already. That is kind of the first thing that describes these to me compared to HD650 and Blackwood Aeolus which are the only headphones I love right now. I would describe as energetic Aeolus I guess. I keep going back and forth and while I hear the differences, it's quite close and hard to describe actually.

    Fully decked out blackwood Aeolus with extra pads and stuff is $1800+ ($1250 used for me) that right there is a huge win. No knock on Aeolus as I love everything about my pair, hearing both though before buying, I'd certainly buy Gen G.

    Jotunheim 2/Liquid Platinum JJ tubes and Bifrost 2 Unison USB is the chain all XLR in and out.

    Preferred Gen G out of LP, Jot 2 was good but Aeolus and Jot 2 pairs better for me. Gen G has a separation of instruments that's addicting and bass low level detail is drool worthy. I find the Aeolus a little more blended without losing the same peerless effect Gen G has if that makes sense. They are more energetic but non fatiguing for me both seemed same ish for treble no complaints. Biggest diff is upper mids I don't find bass much different honestly but blackwoods are better than sapale. Blackwoods IMO tightens things up quite a bit and just the right speed.

    I like the way Gen G looks also, pretty excited about the new revision, I did pop the covers off and re apply the cotton rolls as they came loose during transit. Was going to apply some shell plugs but I flipped the pads and I think I prefer them fat side up. Basically listening in "stock" form so far. These are so much lighter than Aeolus, using a leather pilot pad on 6xx band and much comfort for sure. My ears are on the larger side but fit inside the pads perfectly without touching anywhere inside which is surprising.
    Didn't mean this to be Gen G Vs Aeolus but that's all I got and are my reference along with HD650.

    Someone needs to plug these into Starlett and 3F those are my top tier amp references I got to spend time with, in a perfect world those would be my 2 amps.

    More coherent thoughts possibly later.
     
  13. Pharmaboy

    Pharmaboy Friend

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    2 points in reply:

    1 - I liked the Gen G a lot, too. I also have a blackwood Aeolus, though different amps than yours

    2 - And IMO "HotRatSalad" is an amazing screen name
     
  14. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    Done, it's as good as you'd expect it might be!

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
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  15. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    @crenca sorry to be late to the party. There never has been and never will be front damping on Genesis. Unless there was still speaker grill cloth still there from when @Bill-P had it before it moved on. Just commenting to clarify :) thanks to each of you for the impressions. Those loaner sets are the last v1.1 that will be sold after the tours are concluded.
     
  16. Inoculator

    Inoculator Friend

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    Well, yesterday was a fun day!

    [​IMG]

    I decided to put the ESX 900 and the ETA GenG up against the HD 600 and my wenge Auteur. The day I received them I spent a few hours listening to the ESX/GenG via my LG V60 and was instantly impressed, but it wasn't until I tried them out with my reference chain that I really understood everything these were capable of (funny enough, I thought the GenG fared better from my LG V60, opinions shuffled when trying with SW51+). My main rig is DAC-less ATM as my LIM Yggdrasil is on a west coast tour with FedEx right now, and I already shipped out my A2, so I decided to pick one record and spin it with all my reference setups. I selected the MoFi pressing of David Bowie's "Let's Dance", a wonderful pressing of a fun record I knew I would not get sick of (ok all and all I spun it like 8 total times...Bowie break for a while), and one that had enough going on to really assess things.

    Chain for testing: "Let's Dance" MoFi -> Zu 103R -> Rega P8 -> Tavish Vintage (Tung-Sol tubes) -> SW51+

    Order I tested: (when I was done I spun the record a couple more times and jumped around)

    1. LS3/5a (via Sugden A21SE, I wanted to listen to my new amp and refamiliarize with the recording)
    2. ESX900 with metal TH600 cups (stealth black build, sexy work @E_Schaaf)
    3. ETA GenG Loaner ("stock" configuration)
    4. ZMF Wenge Auteur (stock pads, furutech DIY cable)
    5. HD 600 (furutech DIY cable)

    This thread is for GenG impressions, so I will try to focus on my takes of each piece of gear in relation to the GenG (although will elaborate a bit on the ESX900 as well)

    ESX900
    I was instantly impressed by these cans straight from my LG V60, even as a self-described closed headphone hater, they won me over. The bass is as seductive as people have hyped. I do not listen to bassy setups, most bassy gear I have is my Auteur. My reference LS3/5A monitors roll-off at 70hz and that is fine with me, I found trying to integrate a sub recently insufferable. Bass was satisfying enough out of these to make me feel like maybe I am missing something in my reference rigs. In "stock" configuration with tape over the vent holes in the pads I found the bass to be just a TAD much at times, kind of like when you have a subwoofer turned up just one notch too high and it accidentally drowns out other stuff. I do plan on experimenting with "unpluging" some of these vent holes. My biggest struggle with this headphone is a head vs heart sort of scenario. When I listen with my heart I adore it, but every once in a while my head chimes in and notices the downsloping FR and I find it distracting. It sometimes just creates the feeling that some of the vocals and upper frequencies are being swallowed up. I will say though, this sensation largely disappeared via the SW51+, or maybe I just got used to it.

    Overall I am super impressed at how @E_Schaaf was able to accomplish with this driver. When I bought the stock TH900 to send for modding I didn't last 5 minutes with it on my head, I thought it sounded atrocious. Ultimately I am just not a huge fan of this driver even when "fixed". Tone and timbre are great, bass slam, texture, quantity, amazing stuff. It just does not sound very "Hi-Fi" to me, which is a sensation I had when listening stock as well. It is like the driver just lacks some technical capability that I have become used to, sounds a bit muffled/restrained at times, just less capable overall than the other gear I will be talking about.

    All that being said, these are just endlessly fun to listen to, they have a seductive quality that keeps dragging you back. After comparing with the GenG via my phone, I was actually ready to abandon them, but time with the SW51+ showed the ESX can scale and becomes much more cohesive and capable with nicer gear. I don't experience the typical fatigue issues I have with closed cans, they are lightweight and comfortable. Just really everything you could want from some closed cans! They are a nice counterpoint to my reference setups and I plan on spending lots of time with them in the coming weeks.

    ETA Gen G
    Ok, now what we are here for. I just want to start by saying, what an accomplishment, kudos to the ETA crew. I feel so lucky that we can count them amongst our ranks around here.

    Let's quickly start with build and comfort to get it out of the way. Comfort-wise these were actually the most comfortable of these four sets of cans, I think the idea to go with the Sennheiser profile for this project was a good call. I get the sense someone tastefully loosened the clamp on this headband, as I loved how it sat compared to all my past sennheisers. All just supremely comfortable and easy to wear all day if you need to. As far as the DIY sort of aesthetics, I didn't think it was that distracting (ok maybe other than the cotton rolls which is being addressed in the final version). The finish and layout of the 3d print is great, and gives these actually a very professional look. All and all excited to see this design iterated on.

    Sounds wise, I was initially won over when I listed right after the ESX via my LG V60, but I did have to go through a bit of an adjustment period after the initial wow factor wore off. Spoiler alert, after a few hours of listening, I think ETA nailed it. It takes the really seductive FR/tonality of the ESX but inserts some much-needed technical prowess. Ultimately the GenG sounds more incisive and "Hi-Fi", but maintains a very welcoming tuning. The perk you do get with the ESX is it is good at smoothly out sibilant stuff, while the GenG is less forgiving.

    Overall the GenG is just much more cohesive, component, and capable. I am not distracted by the FR downslope, and everything feels correctly sorted on the stage. While vocals could get swallowed with the ESX, with the GenG they are right where you want them mix and position-wise, and everything about the sound is nicely delineated. GenG stock tuning is also the perfect sweet spot for me as far as bass quantity. A bassy tuning compared to what I am used to, but just right to not be overwhelming for my sensibilities.

    What is really fun about the GenG is that you never feel like you are missing out on anything, it just seems natural without being sleepy, detailed without being fatiguing, dynamic without being overly boisterous. It just really lets you listen and feel like there is not a barrier between you and the music. But I want to be clear it is in no way boring, and it occasionally just hits you with really fun stuff that pops. When listening via my phone I listened to the track "Zinnias" by Clairo. This album is a Jack Antonoff production, so you get a lot of heavy-handed hi-fi aux percussion in the mix and stuff like that (I was ready to be sick of Antonoff but I love this Clairo record). Something about the energy to the drums in this mix via the GenG was just jaw-dropping.

    Auteur
    I spent a long time (and too much money) on the ZMF merry-go-round before I circled back to the Auteur as the reference cans for me. I am a tonality/timbre guy at heart, and they seem to just be the perfect sweet spot for me. Off the bat I will say that the GenG is the more technically capable headphone. Listening to the Auteur right after the GenG, the Auteur sounds much more congested as there is a lot less delineation to the edges of sounds. More smearing together, more sense of blobs of sound. Good work ETA, because I had never really had that impression of the Auteur before. Bass-wise I have always liked the Auteurs take, neutral with just enough slam to know it is there. I still enjoyed it, but it certainly does sound slopping compared to the ESX and the GenG. What was really bizarre is how noticeable the reverb is on the Auteur after coming from the Gen G. Folks mileage can vary with whether they like that effect, but the Auteur sounded downright cavernous after. I do think that the timbre of the Auteur still just slightly edges out the Gen G for me. Vocals feel just a bit more seductive/wet, saxophone sounds phenomenal and dynamic, it just has something that really draws me in. When it comes down to it though, the GenG comes close timbre-wise and is much more technically capable.

    HD 600
    I love the HD 600, it has its flaws, but I plan on always owning a pair, they just click for me. That being said NEVER LISTEN TO THE HD 600 RIGHT AFTER THIS LINEUP OF HEADPHONES. I really blew it on the order I planned on, because after this stable of cans the HD 600 sounded tinny, hollow, and almost broken how little bass there is. HD 600 is still a pleasant listen with an enjoyable timbre, but I think the GenG does just about everything better despite being a different tuning. HD 600 maybe gets an edge on vocals for me, as there were some moments that even being on my 5th spin of this record that Bowie's vocals popped with a magic quality that none of the other cans presented.

    Conclusion
    Bravo ETA, you have fully made a believer out of me. Really appreciate you bringing this opportunity to SBAF, I feel honored to have gotten to try out one of the next great headphones. Looking forward to seeing what the future holds. I am not a mod guy, so I look forward to snagging a production model. I felt pretty done with purchasing headphones, content to live out my days with the HD600/Auteur, but you have sucked me back in with a true "jack of all trades, master of most" proposition at a sane price point.
     
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  17. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    How the heck did I not know that MFSL had released Let's Dance?? I have the MFSL Ziggy from back in the day.
     
  18. crenca

    crenca Friend

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    Speaker grill cloth, that's what it was! (diamond webbed with two layers) I put it back in thinking it was part of the standard config, so those listening to it after me may want to remove it placing it in the little bag of mod material.
     
  19. Inoculator

    Inoculator Friend

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    I think I removed these/they were not there when I tested? Are there two of them total? If so they are in the mod bag as sent to @scblock. If there are more than that, I did not remove them for my impressions. I did position the cotton rolls to stock position and swapped back to white foam rings before testing.
     
  20. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    [​IMG]

    GenG mod19.jpg

    Impressions are done, just need to form into a single cogent post. Yes, much preferred to Gen1.0 because does much to improve on vocals imo. Haven't tried 1.1 yet but materials are in mail. Based on @Vtory 's 1.1 measurements I'd say mod19 would be preferred because mod19 has less highs and less 2kHz.

    edit: Not perfect. This was done with materials and pads I had already on hand. I think some other pads in hybrid would be better but I dont want to pay to play padrolling for a loaner. This is a kind loaner until Supra or ESXG300 arrives. Ultimate form GenG would be the all-new enclosure recently shared by ETA in club room thread.

    Impressions / more details coming up.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2021

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