ETA O2 Loaner Impressions Thread

As a O2 owner, I would have to agree it seems a little energetic in the air region. Otherwise the rest of the frequency response sounds pretty uncolored with very impressive bass extension.

I find the comfort of the o2 to be fantastic. For my head, it has the perfect amount of clamp and is really lightweight. Personally, I am a big fan of the design language of the headphone. Some nitpicks I have is I wish the driver wiring was a more of a muted color and rear cover was a bit stiffer. The headband did squeak for the first couple of days but it seems to be worn in now. Overall the O2 has good build quality.

Personally I am very interested to see the effects of padrolling on the O2.

 

ETA O^2 store link. $600 (599)

O^2 is described as using a “kinetic coupler” which appears to be a gasket between the driver and enclosure. Mini-c/s series does not have this. I wonder the effects. Decoupling from enclosure I guess would be to help with enclosure resonance. I wonder if Mini would benefit from the same or if its necessity for the more open and possibly lighter weight O^2.

No surprise there as the headband is a copy of the old Sony studio series which were also supraaural. CD900ST was my portable for some years… But for those who might want a sexier headband I think these might fit in combination with this or any other Grado aftermarket style leather headband.

I am excited for O^2. Its the style I was begging @E_Schaaf to make since (or before?) GenG launch. I wasnt around for the original Mini-open so missed out. O^2 supraaural looks better than I couldve imagined. GenG was kinda fugly but O^2 looks kinda perfect.

I wouldnt expect 3DP PETG(?) to break unless it was thin but it looks like ETA intended some compliance in the grill so as not to be brittle. I have more faith in 3DP than Grado’s recent offerings of Hemp wood and Hemp wood composites which have seen a few catastrophic failures without a peep of assurance from Grado for those who expect to keep their headphones past warranty which is why I havent bought an RS2x. If O^2 grill does break past warranty I suspect ETA would print you a new one without much fuss.

 

I wonder if circumarual pads would fit O^2. Kinda would cannibalize their Mini-c/s though so I will not say if I try circumaural pads during loaner. Are we allowed to take off the pads during loaner for such shenanigans? @tommytakis @E_Schaaf

 

Thanks for 64randomnumbers for loaning me the O2.. twice. First time there was something wrong with the first two revisions that were sent. I think I got the second one and k4star got the first.

My experience with ETA headphones are Gen G, Mini O1 300ohm, Mini O1 30ohm, Mini C, Mini S and now Mini O2. I currently own the O1 32ohm and it's one of my favorite headphones ever made really.

Damn.. yea this headphone is interesting.. really interesting. It's awesome that ETA put some time into developing another on-ear headphone. I've gone back to on-ears that past few years, due to their clarity, transients, energy, air and natural head stage. There's not many on-ears that are utilizing a technical driver like the O1 and O2 - both really are a standout from other headphones on the market.

So yea, the TPU around the driver does improve transients. The O2 is somehow even more clear than the O1. This sound is so clear that it will make every other headphone sound veiled. It's almost unnaturally clear, in just as bad of a way as it is good. With the O1 the driver transfers the energy to the enclosure or vibrates with the resistance of the enclosure, which creates this really great ear feel that I find so addicting with Koss/Grado. With the TPU you gain a bit of transients, but also lose that ear feel. It's still there, but not dialed up to 11 like the MO1 is.

All in all the O2 is a more balanced headphone with the adjustments they have done. I prefer my O1, but I have a feeling people here will really like the O2.

 

Just want to clarify that the grill is made of CF-TPU which is extremely flexible and durable. The body is made of CF-PC, which is one of the toughest materials we can use at the moment.

pad rolling is okay, but we need to be careful when we put the pads back or you will get a steep bass roll-off. Please refer to this guide if you plan on swapping pads back and forth:

 

I’ve had one of these on my desk for a while, and man I think ETA nailed it. I’ve heard the GenG (multiple revisions), Mini Open (with multiple ear pads), Mini C and Mini S. To me the O2 is like the Open and the GenG had a baby and I love it.

I still miss the bass on the GenG. It was tactile and fluid and had slam but also endless amounts of texture. And then I loved the mids of the Mini O. And now I feel like I’m getting GenG bass with Mini O mids and highs, but the highs to me are more controlled and have energy but never cross into sibilant or harsh territory for my ears.

Also this is hands down the most resolving ETA headphone of the ones I’ve tried. It effortlessly pulls out detail from even exceedingly modest sources.

I’ve listened to speakers about 95% of the time I put on music for a while now. Truth be told I had lost a lot of interest in headphones in the last few months. The O2 has me going back to headphones more, I just want to listen to it as much as I can. I highly recommend giving it a try.

 

Today was the first day in about 4 days that I have listened to anything due to work and family fun times, but because of the pure pleasure I am experiencing I wanted to post a bit of an update.

I was apart of a discord loaner and like @Merrick I was compelled to purchase the O2 since @E_Schaaf and @tommytakis have put together such a great product, and they were willing to allow me to keep them. This truly sounds like an evolved Genesis G, with much less thickness in the lows and better presentation of highs and air...plus it sounds good the way it is. The Genesis G gave me a sort of tuning nervosa at times, wondering how I could adjust/improve the sonic signature. With O2, Ev. has spent his countless hours of iterating and landed on the tuning which I really enjoy.

I have been running them off of both the EC Black Widow and Magni Piety, but also have been taking them on walks and driving them straight off of my iphone or mojo 2 and I am continuously impressed by the spacious and detailed presentation of music. Resolution, particularly in the lower frequency range is what I believe is keeping me falling in love with these headphones. They present with such great control and texture that they do not seem like any other on-ear headphone I have heard. While they sound great out of each of the listed sources, the Mojo2/Piety combination is kind of perfect, and as such my desk setup has become much smaller.

On ear headphones were never a love of mine, but these are less obvious. Yes they are on ear, but they are light and the pads are soft and so they just simply disappear on my head. These are extremely open sounding, with sound coming from the rear of the driver, but also from the pads as well. Easily some of the most open headphones I have heard.

Build quality is great on the cups...the headband is forgettable, but light and easy to replace if necessary. I really look forward to the ETA version of a headband at some point but really its a minor gripe. I have not had a chance (or really cared) to do any pad swaps, just using the non-foam type that is shipping with the headphones now.

My main comparison is a set of JAR660S headphones which have not had much head time since I received these around 3-weeks ago. I am going to reserve direct comparison for when I have some time to do so, but the ETA O2 does provide more of a experience, with greater amounts of goosebumps. The O2 is more of an engaging listen and is a more intimate (like being at a live show in the center of the crowd down near the stage) listen than the JAR660S, yet has surprising amounts of spatial cues that keep the listening interesting and forms those goosebumps.

This is a quick review, and I hope to do a direct comparison with the JAR660S, but due to having fun listening, I am in no rush to do so.

 

I've found the Hiby RS2 is an excellent pairing for these, but honestly I've yet to hear a source that sounds bad.

 

I picked up a pair of these and just wanted to leave a few non-sound comments in case anyone finds them useful (my ability to articulate what I hear is lacking.... but to give you an idea of what I'm into.. my daily driver these days is the Atrium, and I'm a fan of ZMF's stuff in general).

I was somewhat hesitant to purchase these due to the on-ear fit. While I have some on-ears (Grado, PortaPro), they can get rather uncomfortable with prolonged use.. but these are the most comfortable on-ears I've ever had. Further, they're also quite comfortable to wear while I have my glasses on (I wear contacts during most of the day, but switch to plastic-rimmed glasses in the evening) since the pads don't press down on the arms & the pressure of the headband isn't high enough to uncomfortably mash down my ears onto them either. The oval shape of the earpads probably adds to the comfort (all my other on-ears have round pads). Speaking of earpads, I'm using the newer E+ pads, which are a softer foam than the F cush pads. And, of course, fit will vary based on your anatomy. I think my ears are fairly "normal"... they don't protrude particularly far & I don't think I've ever really had any fit/discomfort issues with any over-ear headphones (aside from some that would get too heavy at times.... but as mentioned, I use ZMFs, so I'm also fairly accustomed to heavier headphones).

I saw that @ChaChaRealSmooth mentioned some possible concern regarding the durability of the outer mesh. I don't think it should be a problem under normal use. There is definitely some flex to it, but I didn't feel like it was going to break at all with some light-to-moderate poking/prodding. If anything, I'd think the large holes on the back side of the housing would be more prone to issues from stuff falling inside.... but again.. under normal use, you should be fine.... but I suppose given the construction, I wouldn't feel as comfortable tossing these loosely inside a backpack compared to the Mini C or S (not that I would ever do such things anyway; I tend to baby my gear).

Overall, I'm happy with the O2 so far... but I've only had them for about a week & have mainly been listening to them a bit in the evenings, so you could say they're still in the honeymoon period.

 

I've had an O2 (oxygen) for a short time. I'm at a loss of words to really describe them. It's just like "yep." Meaning - yeah, they hit a very nice balance with these. I still believe you need to enjoy the timbre that the ETA drivers produce. More close to a Denon version of a Joseph Grado. Not many on-ears can do what the Oxygen is doing. Maybe a touch thick in the bass->mid-bass area, but its only on tracks that are already thick.

They look and feel like a 3-D printed headphone, but that's not what I am paying for (at least that's my belief) The grill is really bendy - so be careful.

@Merrick 's review is what I'm hearing. I have the Gen G and Mini S all next to my listening area for switching out - but I haven't felt a need - Gen G bass can be too much at times, but it sure is enjoyable.

The new earpads which aren't shown in this thread are really weird, but strangely work very well. My ears kind of tuck-in between the pads and the driver. They are light as helk - not much ear pressure and I forget they are on my head. Very comfortable if you are OK with foam.

I don't know what else to add that hasn't been said.

Not a huge spacious sound stage, but a nice thick and full image that spreads pretty endless with the micro dynamics allowing for a sense of effortless-ness.

Nice job ETA - Maybe a mini c for me at work. Industrial blower behind me that AirPods Pro 2 are currently tasked with handling.

I've only used Piety, Vali 2++, and Qudelix 5k - haven't had the desire to hook them to anything more serious - they sound just fine with all 3 amps / sources. Don't feel like I'm not driving them correctly with the small amplifiers.

Cheers - Prost, nice headphone for real music listening and not excel spreadsheeting and graphing and etc.