MrSpeakers ETHER C

Looks: 10

These look really good and matured in design.
The carbon fibre ear cups especially (when not covered in fingerprints)
Can't go wrong with all black. What concerns me a little is how long will the carbon fibre cups look "new"
In other words, how long before it starts to turn yellow and show up scratches.
 

 
Build: 9.5
 
Man these make my other headphones feel like toys. 
These are built with very high quality materials:
Carbon fibre ear cups, nitinol headband, machined aluminium construction and gimbals,
Italian leather head strap and lambskin ear pads.
 
One small complaint I have is about the headband.
I can't pick this headphone up from one ear cup without being
anxious about the headband because it just so wobbly and flexible
and also a bit weird to pick it up from the head strap so a small inconvenience 
for me to have to use both hands every time I pick them up so I wish the headband
was more rigid. Also the carbon fibre cups are fingerprint magnets so I have to
pay some attention when putting them on.
 
Other than that these feel like they are going to last a long time. 
Also what I love about these is because they are closed, there is no way
to get dust/dirt in to the planar magnetic driver and so, they should keep their
pristine sound their whole life.

Comfort: 9
 
The clamp force for me is little too high. I've loosened them for about a week leaving them
to be stretched over night, which has helped some but even still I can feel the pressure
from the pads all the time. First 1-2 hours it feels good but after that I have to
re-adjust the headphones or take them off for a few minutes.

The weight of the headphones is good. I just don't like the feel of lambskin against my head.
Also they get warm after a while and I have to take a small break sometimes. I do not get the same
"closed in" feeling that I got from the Alpha Dogs which is a HUGE plus.
I think the pads are what contributed for that. These pads are better IMO.

-UPDATE- Few weeks after I've now used to these and I really don't
notice much of the comfort problems anymore so giving the Comfort a 9 instead of 8.
 
Bass: 8.5
 
Overall the bass lacks around 3-4 dB of volume IMO.
The bass is quite tight but maybe not as tight as some open headphones and because 
the bass isn't elevated in anyway, it appears very tight during normal listening.

Paired with the Mojo it lowered the very low sub quantity a tad which plays to my preferences
perfectly since in closed headphones I get some pressure in my ears when there is a lot
of sub bass under ~40hz. Anyway I still find the bass really balanced but again,
It could use around 3-4 dB more volume overall.
 
Mids: 10
 
DAMN! These headphones have the most tonally accurate mid-range ever and how the hell
did they manage to do this in a closed design? Everything sounds exactly like it should.
Vocals don't sound like they have been recorded, more like the singer is singing to YOU
at this very moment. There is a lot of detail and it's presented effortlessly through
every layer.

Nothing can hide from these headphones. Coming from the Sennheiser HD600
and the Alpha Dogs, I'm hearing things that I've not heard in songs that I've listened
(analyzed!) over 50 times just listening them casually...
 
Highs: 9.5
 
Okay so at first I used the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus and the treble was quite harsh.
I got fatigue after a while and the harshness didn't allow me to just enjoy the music.
This is why you need to find the right Amp & DAC to power these. Now using the Mojo,
the treble is amazingly smooth and fatigue free and even more detailed than the DAC Magic Plus.

The tonality is spot on in my opinion. I don't hear any peaks in the treble, but it still
sounds exciting when the track calls for it. It can be a nice kick in the morning to wake you up
but after a long day it can sound fatiguing when you just want to relax. 

For rock and metal and harsh genres like that, I don't think these are the headphones you should look at.
Maybe the new Ether C Flow with it's -based on others impressions-
smoother treble and more bass should fit those genres better.

For music like EDM, Hip Hop and more "bassy" genres I think these are fantastic since
they don't usually have those crazy harsh fast hi-hats, and they have more bass compared to rock and metal
which the Ether C needs. Bands like Tool however sound very good due to their heavy guitar tones and
over all warm sound, while something like System Of A Down can be fatiguing due to bright mastering (YMMV)

You can always use the tuning filters to tame the highs but I don't like them because my (average sized) ears touch them
and that makes using them really uncomfortable. Also because the more you tame the highs,
the more details and sound stage you lose.

The mid to treble sounds very balanced and well recorded music has never sounded more real.
Overall very resolving, slightly alive sounding from neutral yet smooth.

Dynamics: 7

I can't "feel" the music hitting me. It's like it's compressed and the sound is trapped in the cups a bit...
There is really a lack of punch in the kick drums, or drums in general for that matter.
I feel like the macro dynamics are lacking but micro dynamics seem fine. Again, it's the lack of punch and
impact that is really disappointing at this price.
 
Sound stage: 8.5

Okay so for a closed headphone this would be a 9.5 because it's just very good for a
closed headphone. However I want to review these as a "Headphone" and not care
about closed or open because I feel like it doesn't even matter to these headphones
and that they can take the criticism.
 
The width is very close to the HD600s. The HD600 have more airy sound stage while
the Ether C portrays a more accurate and solid image.
which helps you hear things that you could never hear with some open headphones,
since none of the detail gets lost out of the cups.

Another fault of this headphone is the lack of sound stage depth.
It's very 2D and wide sounding when compared to my modded DT-770s
which have more realistic and deep sound stage.
This took me a long time to realize but it's really obvious now and really a shame.
Maybe it's because of the planar drivers that causes the loss of depth?

The accuracy of imaging however is INSANE. So effortless sounding sound stage with everything
from left to right -no matter how quiet- sounding present and clear. Very transparent layering.
 
Overall: 9
 
These are just fun and very immersive to listen to in my opinion. No frequency "stands out" yet they are
very engaging to listen to. I guess this what people call "musicality".
 
The biggest problem I find at the moment is cable noise. Not sure which DUM cable I have
but when I turn my head or move and the cables hit against the table or my shirt
I hear the "thumping" in my ears, which makes these a little restrictive in terms of usage
because you have to be so still when critically listening.
I recommend an aftermarket cable if you have the same problems.
 
So... Yes... These do cost 1500$+ depending on cable options (more expensive in Europe),
but the ability to be immersed in the music and enjoy it this much
without being bothered by outside noise is almost priceless to me.

 

Introduction:

I first heard the Ether back in August of 2015, I'm not sure if the Ether Cs were even announced back then.  I like what I heard but I was already starting to look for a set of closed back cans and kinda ruled out the Ether.  Almost a year later and I am in the position to by a top of the line set of cans and the Ether C is on my radar.  I spent a lot of time reading comparisons of the Ether and Ether C and decided to bite the bullet and buy a pair.  I was not disappointed.  I loved my ZMFs but after a quick initial comparison they haven’t been plugged in since.  

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Disclaimer:
I have no connection to Mr. Speakers and I paid for this pair of Ether Cs out of my own pocket.  

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About Me / My Listening Style / My Reviews:
I am not a critical listener; I don’t find enjoyment in listening to music and trying to listen for every last detail.  When I listen to music I generally am sitting in a comfy chair, or in bed, and relaxing and enjoying the music.  I appreciate detail and accurate reproduction but tend to lean towards a warmer more laid back sound.  In the past I have had a pair of DT880s which while very technically competent were just too bright and aggressive; I much prefer something like my ZMFs or the HD650 and now the Ether Cs.
 
I don’t claim to be a golden ear and all the opinions I state in my reviews are just that.  I try to use songs that I have listened to on a number of setups in my reviews; both speaker and headphone based.  I know how I have heard a song in the past and how I think it should sound and that's what I base my opinions off of.

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Hardware & Specifications:

Packaging/accessories:

I bought my Ether Cs used, so I didn’t get the first unveil and experience of the factory packaging.  I also can’t speak to the accessories as I didn’t get the whole enchilada and I can’t find anything definitive on the Mr. Speaker’s site.  From what I have seen though there is an outer box, the headphones, your selected cable(s), a cleaning cloth and the hard shell case.   
 
Technical Specifications (From Mr. Speakers Site):

Weight: 394g
Frequency response: Yes* (this obviously needs to be updated but is what is currently on the site)
Efficiency: 92dB/mW
Impedance: 23 ohms

(https://mrspeakers.com/ether/)

Objective Measurements:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MrSpeakersEtherC.pdf

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Design and Build:


The Ether C uses a 2.75” x 1.75” planar magnetic magnetic driver that was designed by Dan of Mr. Speakers ( @Mrspeakers here on headfi).  The main frame of the headphone is aluminum with a 3D printed inner structure (see pictures below).  The headband is made from two strips of Nitinol “Memory Metal” (a blend of Nickel and Titanium) and a leather comfort band.  The cups are carbon fiber and in my opinion a fantastic choice; not only for esthetic reasons but also weight savings.  During some of my research before purchasing I saw that an early prototype was a wooden cup which I can only imagine would have added weight to the final build.  There are tiny inclusions and bubbles in the carbon cups (see picture above, looks like dust) but to the naked eye they are not visible and I only noticed them after taking the above picture with my macro lens.  Otherwise, the carbon cups are flawless and have a top notch finish on them.  


All of the headphones parts are very high quality and very well thought out.  The majority of the headphone is aluminum or carbon fiber and the plastic parts are used in places where I have no concerns for longevity.  The attention to detail in the parts list is evident as you look at the fasteners and materials selected.  Everything is of a high quality and in my opinion, worthy of the price point.

The standard cable (non DUM) is great and my only complaint is that the outer covering after the split is a bit rubbery/tacky and can get tangled occasionally.  That is getting picky though.  I love the smooth connection on to the headphone and the satisfying click.  Again, top notch hardware choices.


The lamb-leather pads are very comfortable and the ear openings are of a good size.  I have larger ears and although my ears do touch the pads when wearing the Ether C, I haven’t had any comfort issues.  Overall the headphone is very light and the clamping pressure is just right for my preference.  I loved my old DT880s comfort wise and I would put the Ether C on par if not above the DT880s, they disappear on your head.  


The Ether C was released with two white felt pieces over the driver (below the ear pad) and is commonly known as the v1.0 tuning.  Later Mr. Speakers released a v1.1 tuning that now comes stock and replaces one of the felt pieces with a porous black foam.  This can be seen through the black material of the ear pad to determine what version you have.  I am not sure what method is used for the cutting of the dampening material (white felt/black foam) but again the attention to detail is evident, the pads only fit in one way as they are cut out to precisely fit the opening above the driver and around each screw.  These are not being cut in the back room with a pair of scissors.  


Final piece of the puzzle is the tuning pads.  There are additional white and black pieces of felt that can be placed in the ear pad to tune to your liking . For frequency response graphs and response with different pad combinations see Dan’s post in the Ether C thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/777735/mrspeakers-ether-c-review-announcement-a-new-closed-back-planar-magnetic-flagship-from-mrspeakers/1305#post_12082484


Isolation is pretty good, once music is playing an outside sound has to be pretty loud before I hear it over the music.  Isolation for others (from your music) is pretty good also.  My wife and I can sit in the same room, me listening to music and she is either on her phone or watching TV and not bother one another.   When I turn it up a bit she notes that she can hear it but that it is rather subtle.  Ether C is a closed and sealed headphone with the exception of one tuning port on the top of the metal ring the headband mounts to.  There are two similar looking ports right above each headband mount but they do not penetrate all the way.

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How do they sound?

All of the impressions below are with the v1.1 tuning with no tuning pads installed unless noted.  I have the standard (non DUM) cable.  

All music music used in this review was ripped from a CD in either ALAC or FLAC at 16/44.1, unless otherwise noted.  

Other gear used during this review:

[DAC] Parasound Zdac: http://www.parasound.com/vintage/zdac.php

[AMP 1] Parasound Zdac Internal Amp

[AMP 2] Schiit Lyr: http://schiit.com/products/lyr-2 (General Electric 6BZ7 tubes)

[Headphones] ZMF Master Model V1 (Fostex T50RP base): http://www.zmfheadphones.com/

[Source 1] Raspberry Pi running RuneAudio: http://www.head-fi.org/t/795895/a-70-bit-perfect-audio-player

[Source 2] Desktop PC via USB running Foobar/Wasapi.


Here is a really good post from Dan of Mr. Speakers on the bass of the Ether C and why some people may perceive it differently:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/777735/mrspeakers-ether-c-review-announcement-a-new-closed-back-planar-magnetic-flagship-from-mrspeakers/1695#post_12169428

The seal is very important from what I have found.  Lose the seal and the bass will fall away.  The Ether Cs can dig rather low and after all my listening I have never heard them not responding to the bass line in a song.  I see a lot of comments about bass quantity and I can see where they come from.  On some songs the bass line can fall behind the mids and highs a bit but to me they never really sounded bass light or lacking.  Get a solid recording with good mastering and the bass will sound very balanced.  

The mids are fantastic and have a nice snap to them.  As you can see in my detailed notes below there aren’t a lot of notes on the mids.   The mids seem to stay in line, never lacking or causing issues with balance of the other tones.  

I had the Ether Cs about a week before my v1.1 tuning kit arrived and thought the higher frequencies may be just a bit accentuated compared to the rest of the tones.  After installing the v1.1 foam all that went away.  Everything is nicely balanced and there is a nice air in the upper registers  and no issues with sibilance or harshness.  Occasionally I would want a bit more in the upper registers when listening to something like acoustic guitar and switching to the Zdac’s amplifier section took care of it.  The Lyr does have a bit of roll off in the very upper registers.  

Detail is fantastic and listening to guitar strings vibrate or subtle echoes or other sounds on a more open recording method is just fantastic.  Detail comes out without really having to listen for it or concentrate on it, a few times I would notice something in a recording and then switch to another setup and see that it is there but not as prominent.  

I had the HD800S in for review a few weeks back and that was the best headphone I have heard to date with regards to detail, placement and separation of instruments.  The Ether C is the second headphone now that I have heard what sounds like a instrument playing form a completely different source within the same cup.  There is fantastic placement and separation when the recording provides it.  The soundstage isn’t as impressive as the HD800S in terms of width, but I have heard nothing like it from another closed headphone.  

 


This is one of my favorite songs and was the first CD I ever purchased.  Needless to say I have heard this song on a lot of setups.  The guitar intro is spot on and the bassline from the congas is nice and tight.  There is plenty of bass for me and more importantly, with the heavy bass line the guitars and shakers are still very distinct and clear.

Nearing the end of the song as there are three guitars playing  all at once along with the bass from Schmidt, everything stays very separated and you can easily pick out each guitar.  



For reference this song can be download free here: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/ethosphere-existence#comments

Not my typical style of music but I love some of the bass lines from a few of the songs on this album.  The Ether C does not have the bass quantity of my ZMFs on this track but still hit all the same frequencies and do provide a nice rumble from the very heavy bassline.  Not sure the Ether C would satisfy a bass head but I think most would be happy with the bass quantity provided here. There is definately some tactile cues for the bass on this track along with what you hear from the Ether C.



Clapton’s voice comes out front and center here.  Closing my eyes, Clapton’s voice is projected  slightly in front and the guitars come in from each side.  The guitars are projected slightly to the front also but only so far as they do not sound like they are coming deadpan from the left and right cup.  The piano is projected off to the left and behind everything else.  Having watched this concert a number of times the placement of everything is spot on.  

Tonally, things are spot on.  The little bit of bass in the song is rendered nicely and the guitars sparkle without being sibilant or overdone.   

 


For reference you can download this free at 24/192 at: http://www.saintceciliaep.com/  The Foo Fighters are not known for their recording/mastering but the Ethers are handeling it well.  I am noticing the guitar loop that starts the song staying separate from the rest of the song as it continues in the background.  I have listened to this song quite a few times on my ZMFs and feel like the background is a bit more smeared in and less separated than what the Ether C is offering.  

 


I can rock along to this song on the Ether Cs.  There is a bit of bass lacking for what I am looking for in this song.  Listening specifically to the guitar & drum solo at ~3:20 there is a bit missing.  Just a touch of warmth and everything would be spot on.  Adding a single black tuning pad to each ear can help in instances like this, however, for me the straight v1.1 tuning is good enough that I wouldn’t bother to roll in the pads if I knew I was going to cue up this album.  



I love using this song for listening to a headphones ability to put you in the music.  There are sounds happening all around you in this song and the Ether C does not disappoint.  The Ether Cs do something I have only ever heard from the HD800S.  Keb Mo’ is front and center but with everything going on around you the sensation is there that there are multiple drivers within the same cup.  The main tone of the song is playing and a little detail will come up in the lower left like it’s placed just behind your earlobe coming from a completely different source.   At 1:25 there is a knock on something wooden that almost made me turn around.  Fantastic separation and placement throughout this song.  

Tonality is great here too.   On a lot of setups Keb Mo’s recordings can come off a bit bass heavy.  Here everything thing is nicely balanced.   There is still a nice full bottom end but it doesn’t seem overdone given the instruments that are playing.  

 


Hmm, this is a tough one, for me there is enough bass and great extension.  The Ether C is definitely hitting all of the low notes on this song but I can definitely see where a lot of people would not think there is enough bass quantity.   To me it sounds balanced with the rest of the song and is very tight and controlled, there is a lot of detail in the bass and you can definitely pick out the notes being played on the bass where on lesser setups it just sounds rather smeared together and electronic in origin.  



The tonal balance on the Ether C continues to work in a number of genes.  I would love to see how this was recorded.  You get a great sensation of sitting behind the drums with a horn player on either side of you.  There is a piano set off in the left corner a little bit away from the drum set.  It's been a few weeks since I had the HD800S in for review but I think this is pretty darn close in terms of soundstage and placement, I'm sure back to back the HD800S would win but the Ether C wouldn’t be far behind.  

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Conclusion:

I was looking for an end game closed headphone and really took a gamble purchasing an Ether C after only hearing the Ether awhile back.  I have not been disappointed.  The Ether C is not cheap but provides top quality materials and construction and a fantastic listening experience.   I have had the chance to listen to a lot of cans between what I have owned and at head-fi meets. There are definitely options that do specific parts of the overall equation better than the Ether C.  However, the Ether C does so many parts of the overall equation so well that they will be staying as my daily driver, and only headphone, for a long time to come.  

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Other Reviews:

http://www.head-fi.org/products/mrspeakers-ether-c

Head-Fi Ether C thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/777735/mrspeakers-ether-c-review-announcement-a-new-closed-back-planar-magnetic-flagship-from-mrspeakers
 
 
Other Reviews from Me:
http://www.head-fi.org/users/365069/reviews

First review on Head-Fi so I'll keep it short. I am reviewing from the perspective of how the headphone makes me feel and am not too clued up on the technical stuff...although not too bad either.
 
Some perspective first regarding my journey and philosophy (not completely shared with my wife I might add!). I started getting into headphones a couple of years ago when a small bonus prompted me to take a punt on a pair of K702s which were a steal. I had some Beyer T50ps before that which I blew up. The 702's were a revelation and I am sorry to say, the bug bit me. over the next couple of years I had the following headphones and gear for different purposes, some of which I still have, others I sold.
 
K702
K712 Pro - still have and will never get rid of
Oppo PM3 - Still have
Fidelio M1
Fidelio M1BT - Still have for the gym
Fidelio L2
Parrot Zik2.0
Meridian explorer
Audiolab M-Dac
IFI iDSD - great amp, underrated
Chord Mojo
Dragonfly Red
 
Anyway...onto the Ether C
 
I had been looking for an end game headphone for some time and had many months to audition a number. Oppo Pm1, HD800S, LCD 2 and LCD 3 and so on. The HD800S was the only headphone that really made me feel the investment was worth the performance improvement over my K712s and I was about set on that direction. I had only two real issues - one was the look, sorry I just don't like them, and two was the openness of them for use in a noisy house full of kids.
 
Luckily being a regular watcher of inner fidelity reviews I caught Tyll;s review on the Ether C. Wow, could it be that good and look that good as well, and be closed???
 
So thanks to local dealer, I was able to spend a good session listening to them, driven just off my Mojo, and I was blown away. So quickly onto the sound...
 
Bass 9/10
 
Um...I listen to classical and acoustic mostly and the bass is wonderfully extended. Instrumental bass is rich and full and adds power and dynamics to music I had not heard before. It has definitely improved after 100+ hours of run in, which I expected. I would say though that there is no artificial slam to drums on some genres so this is not going to excite the Beats crowd. The bass is just very real and present, and it is what it is. I do find a little boost on pop music can add something.
 
Following the Inner-fidelity review, I did play around with the tuning filters but I still preferred them 'au naturelle'.
 
Mids 10/10
 
If you want a headphone that sounds like the voice is in the room with you...buy these. Perfect mid range, liquid smooth. One thing I noted was their is no hardness at all. Often headphone, in my experience, tend to peak on certain frequencies, these do not. Beautiful. I have spend several session with the LCD3, the Ether's are light years ahead in the mids.
 
Treble 10/10
 
Wonderfully extended and detailed. The clarity and resolution, which no doubt helps the soundstage, is simply astonishing. When I first listened to these, I checked that the cups were not perforated at all and decided that some kind of witchcraft must be going on to get this type of sound from a closed headphone.
 
To sum up
 
If you want a closed headphone that sounds open (and I mean these make my 712s sound muddy and congested), you want first class looks and build quality and coupled with sound that simply makes you smile (my measure of a headphone by the way), then get these and you will never look back. The only headphone, excluding electrostatics, I have heard that come close are the HD800S but they had drawbacks for me. If I had the money to own both, I would though.
 
I took these to my office for a day to let people listen, even the most die hard believers that Apple earbuds sound the same as TOTL headphones had to concede these are something very special indeed.
 
So....onto the new amp!