ETA Ada Headphone Review: Don't Worry, Be Happy

I wish I had more time to listen & compare them more, so I can only really answer with imperfect memory as my guide.

That being said the largest standouts are the mids being more the star of the show with Ada, and the bass being more elevated with the Mini-O.

The Mini O mids are excellent IMO, but the Ada has a bit more emphasis. Combined with Ada's comparatively sedate bass (the Mini-O being colored IMO, the Ada more in line with neutral) the nuances of Ada's mids stand out even more.

From memory I perceive a little more plankton from Ada as well, but that could easily be due to the different tuning. It could also be a better driver in the Ada, I'll let more experienced ears comment on that if they like.

Despite all that, I'm not really a "mid-head" so the Mini-O suits my preferences a bit better. YMMV ofc.

Hope that helps!

 

First of all, thanks to all that made this loaner possible, especially @E_Schaaf and @tommytakis. I really appreciate getting to hear ETA's newest creation.

I found that the Ada was difficult for me to review because it was hard for me to listen critically. I think this was because it was so easy to slip into the music and enjoy myself. The tuning was excellent to my ears, with no annoying peaks or glaring absences. As others have mentioned, the mids were definitely forward, making the sound more intimate rather than expansive, especially with vocals. From memory, the O2 had more bass and better bass extension and texture, but the bass on the Ada was still quite good. The treble didn't leave much of an impression on me one way or the other, to be honest.

Something that stood out to me was the transient response of the Ada. As with other sensitive on-hear headphones (i.e. Grado RS1e and the ETA O2), the transient response is quick and crisp. However, the Ada also exhibited some roundness to the transients such that initial attack was not sharp—just quick and precise. Again, similar to other sensitive on-ears, I found the decay to be quick with less emphasis on the sustain than my other headphones, which took some getting used to during the initial phase of the loaner. That being said, the Ada had more decay and sustain than the RS1e and O2 based on my memory.

In terms of microdetail and plankton, I thought the Ada did very well, but the RS1e and O2 managed to pull out more nuance and they had more obvious instrument separation. But the Ada certainly had enough detail as to not detract from the listening experience.

In terms of synergy and gear, I found that Ada to work well with anything that I tried it with. I used it directly out of my phone with the Apple dongle, with my iFi micro iDSD Signature Finale, with the Magni Piety, and with my DSHA-3F. I found it to scale somewhat, but not as much as most headphones that I've heard. It even worked pretty well out of my SW51+ even though the impedance of the headphones is lower than the output impedance of the amplifier.

Overall, I think these are really excellent headphones, especially for the asking price. These are my favorite of the sensitive on-hear headphones that I've tried (the others being the RS1e and O2), and I would definitely recommend them if they fit your use case. They always caused me to slip into the music and enjoy listening, which is really what this hobby is all about in my opinion. Well done ETA!

 

I've been curious about the ETA ADA headphones since the launch, primarily because they bear a high resemblance to my favorite ETA, the ETA O2, but come with a much more attractive $250 lower price tag. After spending some time with them thanks to the loaner program, here are my impressions.

The ETA Ada offers a generally well-balanced tonal presentation. The overall sound signature is pleasant and easy to listen to. However, there are a few notable characteristics worth mentioning:

• The low bass is slightly understated, while there's a bit of emphasis in the midbass region, resulting in more restricted-LF experience.
• The ada doesn't quite match the extension of the O2 at either end of the frequency spectrum.
• The upper midrange is more pronounced, giving the ada a somewhat mid-centric sound. They occasionally sounds a little too resonant in this region to me.
• To my ears, ada is mildly more withdrawn in brilliance (e.g., sax overtone, hihat sizzling, bass sheen)
• Compared to the O2 (and Grado RS2x as well), the ada audibly falls short in terms of resolution, transient response, and spatial presentation.

If you're looking for a decent pair of headphones and have a limited budget, the Ada is a solid choice. You won't be disappointed by its overall performance.

However, if you have the extra $200-ish to spare, I personally recommend stepping up to the O2. The O2 provides a more refined and immersive listening experience, with superior resolution, transient response, and soundstage. It's like treating yourself to a bit of acoustic luxury.

 

I just got a pair of Ada's... and have the O2's as well. The biggest difference I'm hearing so far is in the bass - more on O2 and less on Ada. and the O2 sounds more impactful (e.g. the beginning of 15 Step by Radiohead), and I'm guessing that's mostly due to the bass.

Fit-wise, I find the Ada more comfortable than the O2. The smaller cup and shape of the pads make for a better fit on me. The ear pads are less floppy & oddly shaped on the Ada. Both are still pretty comfortable for on-ears. Definitely way more comfortable than Grado's, but they can start to cause a bit of soreness if worn for more than an hour or two.

The new headband strap does add a bit of extra comfort to an already very light headphone. There aren't really any hotspots to eliminate, but it adds more grip to your head so it feels more secure. And, I do believe all ETA headphones now ship with the new strap (which can also be purchased a la carte).

And, both these headphones leak like crazy, so while they're nice for portability, this is something to consider.

Overall, I think I prefer the sound of the O2, but the price ($600 vs $350) certainly makes the Ada a much better value.


here's a side-by-side of Ada (left) & O2 (right) cups. On the O2s, my ear actually tends to slip inside the pad and rests against the baffle (which actually isn't uncomfortable).