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Drop + MrSpeakers Ether CX Closed Headphones
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Drop + MrSpeakers Ether CX Closed Headphones
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keyboard_arrow_downHivehand
28
Aug 20, 2019
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Great sound, fantastic design
The first planar magnetic headphones I owned are a pair of Audeze LCD-2Cs, which have their virtues, but whose weight and relatively loose fit made bobbing my head while listening to music a risky proposition. The Ether CXs, on the other hand, aren’t unreasonably heavy, and keep a firm-yet-comfortable hold on my skull.
As for the sound quality… I’m not saying that the soundstage is stupefyingly expansive. I’m just saying that I turned my head twice while listening to Mango and Shingo Nakamura’s “We Don’t Want To Change”, because it was the only way to tell whether the approaching car was part of the recording, or coming from the intersection behind my right shoulder.
Update: These made a good first impression. It’s only getting better with time. The sound is phenomenal. But equally good, and worth calling out, is the physical design. These have the best headband and adjustment mechanism of any headphones I own — so much better than the competition that I wish other vendors would just clone, or at license, the design.
Most of my other headphones have set notches, limiting the set of possible size adjustments. Some of them have a looser notch-locking mechanism than I'd like, with the result that they sometimes slide out of their set fit when I pick them up or set them on the headphone rest. Others are self-adjusting, using a spring mechanism that makes some creaky noises when you first put the headphones on, while things settle into place.
The Ether CXs use a simple friction mechanism: the component holding the leather headstrap slides along the two frame wires. Their grip is extremely firm, which is exactly what you want: once you’ve set a size, the headphones will retain it. Meanwhile, the sliding nature of the pieces, completely absent of notches, means that you can tune the fit exactly to your liking.
The page for the headphones notes that extreme comfort was one of creator Dan Clark’s goals: I can only say that he hit that target squarely.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
NoelSibs
41
Aug 13, 2019
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Great set of cans period. This is quickly gonna become my all around headphone
I’m about 120 hours into burn in. Right out of the box these things are very very comfortable. So, off on the right foot there. Pad material is quite smooth and plush. It helps the cans disappear which is typical for my limited experience with Mr. Speakers headphones. I’ve tried the Aeon closed and have an Aeon Open. The weight seems just about right and have made this pair really really comfortable to wear.
Listening impressions: Detail is quite good and not sibilant. It is quite forward and reminds me of a more laid back Senn HD650 in that sense. But it’s not as “in your face” as the HD650. It has opened up as it’s been burned in but at this point, it still has a forward presence. Imaging is really good. Precise. I think that is a good word for these headphones... Precise. I don’t tend to like extremely detailed cans because they tend to be fatuiging but these don’t seem to do that. They are enjoyable and precise.
I haven’t used the tuning pads yet, I’ll try them out when burn in is complete. I’m hoping that it will bring the bass out more because at the moment, the bass is there, but it’s JUST there. It is present and it has good bass detail but it seems to be just an appropriate amount of bass. Not at all boomy which is good for the bass detail. It just feels like something is still missing in the lower frequencies that I can’t put my finger on. It’s not quantity... neither is it quality. In fact it has good very good bass quality. I was worried for a bit during burn in. At around 50 hours, I gave it a listen and there was no bass at all! Kept the burn in going now and there it is. There is the bass but theres still kindo of a gap between midbass and sub bass somewhere. Perhaps further burn- in will improve it. If not, I’ll EQ it in. It’s kinda scary when the sound changes like that because you don’t know exactly how it’s gonna change and if you’ll like the end result. I’ll update this review when this set has settled into it’s groove.
To eliminate the “placebo” effect of having new cans, I alternate with other headphones while I’m taking the Ether Cx’s for a spin. Of the headphones I’ve used, the LCD-X seem to be pretty similar to the CX. Sometimes I think that the CX’s have better space and imaging! That’s really cool considering these are closed back. The big difference is that the Ether CX seem more relaxed and easy than the Audeze cans. The timbre and tonal balance are somehow both relaxed yet not lacking in micro detail. Both the LCD-X and the CX resolve quite well and both sound great!
So far, in listening, I’ve grooved to Jill Scott, gotten lost in a little Trjnjte Oosterhuis tribute to Burt Bacharach, floated away in a Lionel Richie song and had a really intense Adele and Sam Smith session. In short, a great sounding headphone so far and is light enough to carry around and seems durable enough to travel with. It’s my new all around... a home run headphone for sure... Great job Dan Clark, Mr. Speakers & Drop! Thanks
Edit...
I’ve gone way past the burn in period and decided to bring these along on a long haul trip. (Over 12 hours flying without my kids.) These are a great set of cans. I brought a big back pack beacuse they’re bulky and not ideal to travel with but I thoroughly enjoyed them on my long haul flight and now that I’m at our destination for a few weeks, I’m loving “ coming home” to them everyday. I didn’t pack an amp, just some DAPS and my phone. I’m running it off of an Onkyo DPx-1, a Hiby R6 and I brought along my well used and loved Opus #1 Dap as well. All of the above have no issues powering the headphones and I’ve been running the headphones out of their balanced outputs with no issues for the volumes I listen at. So, its not difficult to drive with todays more modern gear I’m sure.
The sound has fully opened up and developed. It’s good with movies (on the plane) and the bass is finally all there with the tuning pads. I’ve decided on the 2notch white filters like most and I’ve added the black foam inserts as well. I’m quite impressed with the depth and separation without losing detail. Normally, you get a compromise edging towards detail OR depth but I really like the “compromise” that these headphones have reached. In my opinion, it’s just enough detail and just enough depth plus a really pleasant timbre.
A great set of all around headphones. I am very happy with my purchase.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
NoelSibs
41
Mar 4, 2021
From memory, I love my aeon open v the closed. The closed had a bit better mid bass, Bit oddly, I found the open had better bass overall. I'm talking about quality not quantity of course. They are both not for bass heads. Another unconventional thing was, the Aeon closed had great space and imaging! It seemed that the Open, didn't fully benefit from being open! Not that it's congested or anything. On the contrary, it has more than sufficient space and imaging. It's just surprising how open and airy, the closed sound. I prefer the open's sound... I love the comfort on both as well.
(Edited)
MadHero
5
Aug 9, 2019
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My first pair of expensive cans!
Running them on a Schiit Jottunheim with included DAC. Love these things. Not gonna go into detail, don't have many references at the price range, but the detail is amazing. I have noticed that bad recordings or compressed files are worse in these. But I will listen to anything on these cans, the sound is delicious.
Recommends this product? Yes
egglizhen
57
Jun 20, 2019
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My Closed-back Endgame
I like to put my conclusion out first: I am very satisfied and this is my closed-back endgame for the time-being.
I would say I agree with most of the folks who reviewed these before me (bass is accurate but lacks quantity , mid is smooth and the treble is exquisite, great comfort, etc.), so I will just point-out the couple things I like the most.
1) the Sonic Balance
I mostly listen to classical musics and movie soundtracks so I value the sonic balance very much! I own or used to own some expansive closed backs like Sony MDR Z7m2 and Audeze LCD-XC, Ether CX is the first and only pair that really provides a balanced sonic performance.
2) the Soundstage
First , Ether CX has a surprisingly large soundstage since it's closed back. This is a very open-sounded closed back. It is actually right up there with some of the highly-regarded open-backs that I own or used to own (DT1990 Pro, Massdrop x Focal Elex, HD6XX, and HD700, LCD-3).
Also, the positioning of the sound is incredibly precise. The vocal or the lead instrument is in front of you, with certain distance, while other instruments like bassoons and trumpets comes behind the vocal and lead instrument, perfectly mimicking a auditorium listening experience.
PS: when comparing two Massdrop flagship product: Elex vs. Ether CX, I say Ether CX wins. Elex has a more punchy bass but the over-emphasis in mids makes you feel like the vocal is singing right in front of your face. In fact, I sold my Elex because of this.
My set-up: Monolith THX AAA 788 dac/amp, or Schiit Bifrost dac - Valhalla 2 amp.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
egglizhen
57
Aug 11, 2019
Quantity wise probably not differ too much, but quality wise, Elex wins it all day long.
Personally I don't like the tuning tools they provide. Only increase the quantity, doesn't have the fast response, and kinda skew the mid a little.
That being said, I still like my Ether CX better because I value its analytical sound signature. Don't buy these if u prefer quality bass.
AllegroMaestoso
113
Apr 14, 2019
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I notice the Massdrop x MrSpeakers Ether CX headphones have just dropped again. Lots and lots of users requested these after the first drop ended. I said some nasty things about these cans on the discussion page, and I meant them at the time. Now that I've had more time to get to know these excellent phones, I hope my comments here will help others make an informed decision before shelling out a lot of cash on something they probably haven't listened to before. Ok, here goes.
Visual appeal, construction quality, and comfort. The carbon fiber cups are absolutely lovely. So good looking. The synthetic protein Napa leather earpads are sumptuous, just pure luxury. The cables: meh. I'm thinking Periapt or Ursine a little bit later down the road, something that flows and drapes more smoothly and not so crudely as the included DUM/DUMMER cable. (Someone please remind me which one comes with the CX.) These are some heavy cans, and they clamp a little much for my taste, although that force is probably necessary for a good closed back seal. These factors cause me some physical fatigue after a while, but please note that I have not experienced any listening fatigue. The one bad design decision was to leave the underside of the head strap unfinished. The rough leather pinches and musses my hair. I call it the MrSpeakers Noogie.
I agree with everyone else regarding the packaging. Very unimpressive. I'll leave it at that.
The Great Burn In Debate. After some coaching and encouragement from friendly Massdroppers, I went full steam ahead with burn in. I used two adapters (the included XLR-1/4" and a Sennheiser 1/4"-3.5 mm) to connect the Ethers to my FiiO X3 2nd gen, playing pink noise at first, then switching to a long playlist on repeat at low-to-moderate volume. I let them run around the clock for a few days. I wonder if burning them in under powered amplification would have sped things up, but I wasn't set up logistically for that procedure. Did burning them in improve the sound quality? I must grudgingly admit that yes, it did. Do they sound like $900? Hmm. Errr... Well... Does my hesitation speak volumes? More later about the very important question of these being worth the money.
What ticks me off is that MrSpeakers does not burn in the headphones before shipping them out. We waited a LONG time for these headphones to ship. Another week for the factory to burn them in would have made their arrival and first listening so much sweeter. This feels like a mind game: "We're going to send you an unfinished product. Please don't criticize it until your buyer's remorse wears off and you've gotten used to how unremarkable it sounds." The case could be made that it can be enlightening and exciting to listen to your headphones evolve, but to me, it's just tedious labor.
Sound quality. Ok. These are headphones for the connoisieur. The seasoned, sophisticated, savvy listener. They take some effort to reap their rewards. If you're like me and want totally ready to go, plug and play satisfaction, you won't find that here with the Ether CX. They are not an instant gratification machine.
The sound is thick, dark, and dense. Almost - but not quite - sluggish. Full. Rich. Strong. You get all the music, just not in stunning detail. To me, they are the audio equivalent of vaseline on the camera lens. Tastefully blurred. Softened. Reduced glare. We are spared potential ugliness that may exist in the music. This is why I haven't experimented very much with the included tuning kit. It seems like it would just be adding more vaseline to the lens.
I plugged my Ethers into my Massdrop x Cavalli Tube Hybrid amp and did extensive A/B listening with my Focal Elex, Beyerdynamic DT-880 Premium 32 ohms, and Audioquest Nighthawk Carbons. The breakthrough moment I had was with Avicii's "Levels." Even in mp3, this was an immersive, transcendent musical experience. It was like the Ether CX were made for this music. In contrast, Richard Strauss's Duett-Concertino was disappointing. My Elex gave this piece a lively, natural, engaging performance, with better bass and balanced cohesion of the different instrumental parts.
So yes, these headphones will probably work better with some genres than others. I suspect that they may demand more from other devices in the signal chain as well. Something Zeos Pantera has said more than once in his recent YouTube reviews is that he had heard and enjoyed certain favorite headphones, but never really heard them until he paired them with the right DAC/amp combo. I'm waiting for the THX AAA 789 to drop again. I have a feeling this amp might really take my MrSpeakers phones to the next level.
Conclusion. Are they worth $900? I can't tell you whether to bet it all or play it safe. I can only tell you my reaction. Like another Massdropper, I sold my Fostex TR-X00s and replaced them with the Ether CX. I never developed a connection with the Fostex, but I am coming to love the Ethers. They are growing on me, in spite of my bad attitude. I will not be selling these headphones anytime soon. I would happily pay $500 for a headphone of this quality. Which implies that I unhappily paid $900 for these ones. Live and learn. As much as I lusted after these and as thrilling as it was to be in on the first drop, it was a risk to buy something that no consumer had ever heard before. I hope to attend expos in the future, so I can actually experience stuff before making purchase decisions.
As I get to know my MrSpeakers, I am learning things about myself - how I listen and how I think about and enjoy music. I thought I knew these things pretty well before, but this experience has shown that the old cliche about how we never stop learning actually has a lot of truth in it. If you buy a pair, maybe you'll learn something about yourself, too.
(Edited)
steve.hill
29
Jan 22, 2020
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NO!
I have over 20 pairs of headphones and these are one of the worse.
No amount of “burn in” will make any difference. You are the only one that will be “burned.” Tuning felts make no difference.
The sound is pinched, thin, uninviting. The bass is weak with no presence. The mid-tones are just full of gray. The highs mimic what highs are supposed to sound like. In a word these phones are no “fun”
Remember the remake of the movie The Fly ? Jeff Goldblum sent a cooked steak through the tele-porter. On tasting the meat on the other side it was found to taste strange, it looked like meat, tasted like meat but something was missing...the essence of meat-ness. The soul of meat. These cans sound like they went through his tele-porter.
I tried different amps, different music sources, all with the same disappointing results. Even tried EQ before it became a schmear-fest.
Not worth the money. So many better cans at a lower price. DROP usually does a fine job but they DROPped the ball on this one.
No amount of “burn in” will make any difference. You are the only one that will be “burned.” Tuning felts make no difference.
The sound is pinched, thin, uninviting. The bass is weak with no presence. The mid-tones are just full of gray. The highs mimic what highs are supposed to sound like. In a word these phones are no “fun”
Remember the remake of the movie The Fly ? Jeff Goldblum sent a cooked steak through the tele-porter. On tasting the meat on the other side it was found to taste strange, it looked like meat, tasted like meat but something was missing...the essence of meat-ness. The soul of meat. These cans sound like they went through his tele-porter.
I tried different amps, different music sources, all with the same disappointing results. Even tried EQ before it became a schmear-fest.
Not worth the money. So many better cans at a lower price. DROP usually does a fine job but they DROPped the ball on this one.
Recommends this product? No
DarrylG
49
Feb 21, 2020
ASR doesn't test headphones, so I don't know what you mean. Amir has started testing speakers here recently, though. Are you going to refrain from buying speakers now?
Gabriel_Melaia
3
Mar 11, 2020
steve.hillI agree with you. I own the Ether CX's. I also own HifiMan Edition XX, Koss Drop ESS, HiFiMan HE560, 400, Sennheiser HD6xx, Beyer Dynamic, Fostex Planar Wood cans etc. These Ether CX's are somewhere between the 560's and the 400's. They don't even approach the Edition XX's. My son has a pair of XX's as well. I bought them for him. Definitely worth the Drop price. The Ether CX's aren't worth half the USD900 I paid for them. And the packaging?! Really sub-standard for the price. Not even a decent case.... My opinion: Lots of marketing hype. Not even close to what they are advertised to be. I would sell them if I could get a decent price but no wonder they are now on Drop again for USD750. I won't be surprised if they are again later for even less. My observation that is not in the negative reviews: They have definite sibilance - that should never be the case with USD500+ headphones. One positive I like: They are closed back so good to have planars I can listen to in quiet areas (office).
mohfuu
42
Nov 21, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Good materials used in a poorly conceived way
I'm conflicted about these headphones.
On one hand they're the best headphones I've heard.
On the other hand, there are a multitude of design decisions made in these headphones that ultimately make me kind of scratch my head.
The Good. From most enjoyable qualities to less impacting qualities.
Accurate sound, the sound that these headphones introduce to your ears are pristine, crystal clear, I feel like no frequencies in these headphones stick out, I never get tired of listening to them. The bass is pretty weak, again, if you're a gamer, anemic bass isn't all bad. You generally don't need any help hearing the in-game sources that typically produce low frequencies because they get in the way of your awareness, what you want to hear is footsteps, the clickety clack of guns being reloaded and gunshots not grenades or atomic bombs. Otherwise if I had to categorize the music I enjoy listening to on these headphones, I'd say just about any natural sounding music, songs with excessive bass will become unbearably tame - these headphones could do bass better and that's about the extent of my sonic qualms here. I mean the bass is.. well I can't think of an adjective that describes "barely acceptable" but the point is - I can still enjoy a lot of techno or metal and what-have-you.. the bass isn't really bad but a lot of bass heavy songs aren't as outrageous on these headphones as I know them to be and that isn't necessarily a bad thing, 90% of actually good songs still sound amazing, 10% of the bass heavy minority of songs that are a worthwhile audio experience suffer a bad fate in these headphones, I might be able to listen to Meshuggah or Tool on these headphones, but I can't really enjoy it, Primus still manages to feels very flicky and impactful but part of me always wonders how much better could it be (or if at all would be?) with more present bass, but then I imagine scenarios where that bass just gets in the way, like, I'm not overly concerned with bass if I'm listening to Phineas Newborn Jr. or Lubomyr Melnyk, or reloading guns and footsteps.. regardless of how I feel about bass here I can't deny that these headphones have produced some of the most enjoyable sounds I've experienced on a headphone and these also happen to be my currently most expensive headphones.
Accurate soundstage, if you're a gamer you might often find yourself correctly locating audio cues that your friends (that you always assumed were competent) might not pin-point as accurately as you do with these bad boys on your braincage, but there are headphones out there that perform that job at a similar level to the CX's which "image" just about perfectly too, though finding them in a closed back design of an overall similar quality-level can prove difficult.
Doesn't Bleed, it doesn't bleed sound out of the headphone when you wear it but the moment you open the seal around your ear it bleeds out just like an open back headphone perhaps even with more heft, which really showcases how well it contains all that sound within its closed-back design.
Quality Materials and aesthetics, I don't have to tell you that this is made with nitinol and carbon fiber because people can't seem to stop talking about it, sure it's impressive and equally handsome, the headset looks like it's ready to set a record at the Nürburgring and it feels like it would survive any eventual collisions.
The Bad. - From most severe to least.
Hirose connectors, the metallic connectors that plug into the cans produce an annoying sound when you move around (walking) or even when stationary if you tilt your head or look to your side which is very noticeable at low volumes or during lulls in a musical composition or some other kind of media. I've come to genuinely loathe these connectors, they're like an ex that won't stop calling me, or like sitting down on a stone cold toilet seat in the morning - it has become one of the seemingly unavoidable unpleasantries of my life. This is my crux, these hirose connectors are beyond saving. They generate these noises because of little collisions between the little moving parts of the connector, and the amount of "play" between these moving parts and even the female connector and the headset itself. Nothing short of gluing the male into the female, and gluing the female onto the actual cans will likely stop this noise. Is there a functional benefit to these connectors I'm not seeing here? This seems like an unnecessary compromise, the cost is an occasionally clicking connector but what is the payoff? Even being able to detatch the cable isn't worth this price.
Height adjustment clamps, the clamps that adjust the height of the headband will sometimes hop or "skip" along the nitinol bands as if the clamps suddenly lose traction and regain traction, you can imagine yourself dragging your finger across a squeaky clean surface, if that surface is a guitar string connected to a cup and your ear is in that cup, you'll year a little *pop* as the guitar string transmits that energy of your finger doing a little "skip" across that string when it suddenly loses and regains traction. This occurs when I turn my head to either left or right, due to twisting at the cups because of how the trapezius displaces the area around the cup against my ear as the muscle flexes and extends - respective to which side I turn my head. I could go into further details about the likely construction-related causes and possible solutions, but the point I'm trying to get across is that an unwelcome sound occurs. I could see z-axial swivel joint circumventing the issue. This skip-pop sound happens infrequently compared to the hirose connector. Still, there are a multitude of cheap solutions that could have circumvented this. Even notched levels on the nitinol band that the clamps could rest on would stop this from happening, not to mention keeping compulsive users from continuously readjusting the clamp height.
Insufficient Pads, the earpads are thin, my ears feel cramped in these otherwise large cans, the earpads have also become noticeably compressed at the bottom area over the course of the eight months of semi-daily use (as of writing this, not bad really, even when the headphone is resting it gets clamped on, so it's pretty much compressed 24/7 from the time it leaves the factory). I don't like the pads one bit, their only redeeming quality is that they can be removed easier than they can be put on. Did I mention they feel clammy, because they do.
Uncomfortable, I've established that the pads on these headphones are of inadequate thickness, the clamping force (which is slightly tight but not really "bad") coupled with the already thin earpads, leaves very little ear-space inside the "listening chamber" it feels like my ear is pressed into my head, and my ear is otherwise in contact with the pleather on every facet of my ear. The lack of a secondary axial swivel joint somewhere to add a bit of free articulation means that pressure on the already lacking earpads will be distributed more unevenly. The leather strap is not to my liking, the texture is acceptable when my noggin is freshly shaved, but once my hair grows to a normal length, say an inch or so the grippy nature of the suede along with the rigid and thick nature of my hair.. well this combination seems to dig my stiff hairs into my scalp causing irritation, otherwise grippy and neat when I'm clean shaved though I would like to chamfer the edges of the leather strap, I think a padded and less grippy strap would be better for hairy situations. Like the pads, it gets a little point for being removable, but that isn't an admirable quality in any component.
Stiff and coarse cables, the cables due to their rigidity exacerbate (or at least increase the likeliness of occurrence) the unwanted sound the hirose connectors occasionally make (as the cables are stiff, they act with more leverage as the weight of cable causes the connector to rattle) and I can't help but to imagine that the hirose connectors would be less prone to shifting around and slapping around between the male and female, and the female and the cups if it were being acted upon by a more pliable cable with less leverage and weight. A less coarse outer-layer insulation would also result in less vibration from general motion that transmits to the cup structure resulting in noise, I could see a more pliable and lighter cable would also help.
Break-in, I don't really feel this is a big issue, I initially noticed artifacts in the form of pops and crackles as the diaphragm shook itself into shape which stopped almost entirely by day 2 but I read the manual beforehand which did briefly mention break-in period and thus I was mentally primed for that break-in period so it didn't really annoy me. The break-in is just a brief transient phase whereas the hirose connectors and lack of Z-axis swivel well.. those are here to stay. Replacing the pads and the cable will at the very least cost you additional time, money or in most cases both.
Final Words.
So to conclude, I would like to reiterate my first statement, I am conflicted.
They sound great.
They also make sounds that don't sound so great, so your options are:
Sit motionless in a corner.
Don't shrug.
Don't move your head around.
Try not to move the cable around too much (you're gonna have to breathe at some point)
Cease being irritated by trifles.
or
Just crank up the volume to drown out all the little noises.
You can get new pads and a headstrap if they bother you, amazing, but should I have to? I haven't done it yet, I don't know if pads will negatively impact the sound, seal or comfort of the product (I'm not an audio engineer, or any other kind) but I guess the great thing is that I can always switch back to the setup that I'm already discontent with, the downside: additional costs but possible salvation. I am reluctant to buy anything else from MrSpeakers but I know they have suede angled earpads. And my reluctance really stems from these headphones, these are my first MrSpeakers headphones and.. they are absurd.
This headphone seems like it's trying to deliver greatness and to an extent does, but is also trying to cuts corners in weirdly select and absurd areas and showcases bad decisions, the worst among them would be the hirose connector, the second would be the pads. It looks, sounds and feels like a premium headphone yet it has all these issues that affect the fundamental function of a headphone: producing sound - this headphone produces all sorts of creaking and clattering when it's not producing some of the best sounds I've heard. So when it's clearly so capable, why is it so marred by finicky and entirely resolvable problems? Why does it have a carbon-fiber backplate but a centimeter thick pleather earpad? Why does it have a very advanced planar magnetic driver, but it can't swivel on two axes - making things swivel is not some art long-lost to the ages (although it's been around for a long enough time to be forgotten to history or maybe even pre-history) it's fixable. quite easily fixable. This can't be incompetence this has to be straight up absurdity, right? How can a headphone sound this great, have this great a build quality and simultaneously have such simple issues that seem directly related to its construction? I can't imagine a more absurd juxtaposition, Is this creation meant to troll and enrage? This is the most expensive headphone I've purchased so-far and it met my expectations and then some, but my frustrations with it is growing - it's like a frustration-machine, I love it one day and I hate it the next. I am growing increasingly convinced (along frustrations) that it is not worth 900 dollars, if cash is leaking out of your pockets, well the question of value is entirely subjective and it may very well be worth it to you.
I find it analogous to a soured relationship between friends in that this headphone actually makes me resentful at times, and resentment has a way of cycling around until something gets kicked to the curb. Most of these flaws shouldn't exist at all, let alone in a 900 dollar headphone.
Paperdragons
65
Dec 29, 2019
mohfuuOh man, I would have sent them back if I had your experience. ZMF offers plenty of deeper more substantial pads if it helps at all (literally any of the zmf pads fit the ether series). I'm a fan of the suede. It will effect the tuning but not really for the worse. Comfort is kind of the most important thing.
raansire7
1507
Jan 1, 2020
mohfuuI can't avoid noticing all the compromises a lot of popular high-end headphones make. When I buy new headphones in the $500 and lower range, I don't worry about break-in, I get no funky noises, no design flaws, NOTHING. I simply unbox them and start enjoying them. THE END!
Look at all you wrote about your $900 headphones. It's crazy! You shouldn't be able to write all you did when spending that amount of money. You should've received something flawless.
I keep reading reviews like this on expensive headphones and it makes me scratch my head in disbelief!
I've yet to read about desirable high-end headphones that I felt confident spending a lot of cash on no matter how good people say they sound, to be honest! The compromises or flaws are always deal-breaking! There's always an axe-wielding maniac waiting behind a wooden door, ready to say "Here's Johnny!" Never fails.
Binge
163
Binge
Aug 22, 2021
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A capable tuner, comfortable, and built to last
This headphone isn't perfect, but I've found none are. There's always a kind of juxt to position where a manufacturer has to balance aspects of the design to suit goals. From what I can tell this was meant to be comfortable, durable, and have the potential for accurate sound reproduction. I'll talk about those aspects of it.
Comfortable: There's nothing like a featherweight desktop headphone and this headphone exceeds my expectations. Usually planars have rely on suspension straps or clamping force to excuse weights exceeding 350-400grams. The material choices and design used to make the Ether CX weigh less than their competitors and have the same suspension mechanisms meant to relieve the wearer of any potential fatigue. While the world is rife with annoying background noise these isolate to improve the black background one should experience in a more critical listening session or just to get away from it all for a moment.
Durable: While this headphone produces delicate sounds it does not falter at having one of the best build qualities of any headphone on the market. Plastic where it matters, less common materials where it matters, premium synthetic leather, and solid disconnects for cable swapping/storage.
Comfort & Durability A Canine Review:
My best friend is deathly afraid of fireworks. This year I acquired the product before July 4th, and we were struggling to get away from our proximity to the local stadium located just under a mile away. They generally put on a display for several hours and this generally terrifies him greatly. I was desperate to try something and I just remembered how isolating this headphone can be. The ether cx met its fair share of shake-offs as we got prepared for the larger fireworks to be set off, and the CX met the floor a few times. As soon as the large exhibition started he really didn't resist it like he has other things like blankets, compression wraps, or the like and was instead pretty calm and more observant of the event instead of terrified. He was even able to lay down and nap soon after the experience and did not shake off the CX. We have a non-headphone solution now, but the impacts of being shaken off didn't phase this device. It works fine, he's fine, and we are happier for the discovery.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
devolutionary
84
Jul 3, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Surprisingly comfortable; balanced frequency response.
Massdrop X MrSpeakers Ether CX:
I've owned these for a few months. I may elaborate later on when I'm comfortable weighing the pros and cons. It does require a bit of a burn-in even though I was initially a skeptic to it. Did a very minimal initial listening test and some frequencies sounded off to my ears. After doing a 100-hr pink noise burn-in I haven't noticed anything odd since. In the end, I've preferred the default sound with just the original black pads inserted in.
Not a headphone that will appeal to everyone. Definitely not extremely lively or musical but deceptively good detail retrieval in the high treble. If the price was even $100-200 less, this would be a safe pick for Planar all-rounder. It handles most music seamlessly but certain genres will sound better than others. The even response means that even poorly recorded music won't sound offensive or abrasive. Something like the Sennheiser 58X Jubilee or 6XX will sound sweeter and more engaging in the mids for vocals and certain other planars or dynamics may sound more engaging in the mid-bass. But the Ether CX still relays all of that accurately to my ears. However, it will definitely expose poorly recorded or heavily compressed music. Imaging is quite good but you may not notice that unless you listen to a quality source. The sound-stage is surprisingly not bad for a closed-back planar. Nothing amazing, but at least the music feels like it's coming from the edge of the cups and not against your head. The excellent imaging complements this however.
Probably the closest thing to a studio reference headphone I've heard in the closed-back planar category. Impact isn't the greatest in the sub/mid-bass but extension is still quite good (easily hear below 50 Hz). However, I haven't heard anything uncomfortable related to sibilance or higher treble frequencies. So at least this won't be a bad choice for those who are treble-sensitive. The only question is whether this is worth $900 + customs/shipping etc. Obviously the presentation is lacking with a packing box that resembles a shoebox or B-Stock product. The balanced cable adapter is a nice touch but I wish Dan had at least provided the balanced version of the DUM cable. The DUMMER cable will suffice but it's very microphonic and while made of good quality, has a very janky feel to shape retention. I bought a Periapt cable which has done the trick as a quality replacement. I'm sure the audio quality is of no difference though. The felt bag is a nice storage bonus but I probably wouldn't travel with it. Feels like an amenity rather than a necessity.
While the nitinol bands obviously make the Ether line extremely flexible and deceptively durable, they are a bit awkward to place on your head. But, once you get the cups on, they're extremely comfortable and the only inconvenience is the protein leather pads get a bit warm after awhile. Otherwise, they are surprisingly light with well distributed weight across the cups. You could probably listen to them for hours on end.
Testing: I mostly listened in tandem with the THX AAA 789/SMSL-SU-8 DAC, Aune X7S/X1S and XDuoo X20 DAP for mobile use. Not the easiest to drive, but not the hardest either.
Review: I would dock a point (4/5) if price is a concern.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
BigEdMustapha
221
Jul 5, 2019
Cool, thanks for shedding some light on that a bit. Coincidently, the Ether C Flows and Aeon Closed are on my radar as well, but with all these fancy (Mass)Drop collaborations like these Ether CXs, I was getting too many choices to pick from.
SurviveD
18
Apr 30, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Massdrop X MrSpeakers Ether CX...
Short Initial Impressions
Wow, what a mouthful. Some people were asking what I though about these. Personally, it took me 3 times listening to them at shows/stores to finally actually want a pair. Just a few weeks ago at AXPONA I had a good talk with Dan Clark and he had his own Ether CX with him that he let me listen to. He said that break-in and tuning pads are critical for this headphone, and his set up was awesome. I used my own Hugo 2 at the show and really fell in love with them so I had to get my hands on a pair.
Packaging 3/10 - Pretty minimal mark here because it's just a plain cardboard box. Also this pair does not come with the brown MrSpeakers carry case I expected to see. Most shoe boxes have better presentation than this did, but the headphones came to be through UPS to me in good shape so the box integrity was good enough I suppose.
Build 8/10 - It's a great build and the carbon fiber ear cups are absolutely fantastic to behold. They look great absolutely stunning. The headphone adjustment is smooth and easy to use. The leather headband is find and the nitinol wire gives decent clamping support and feels like its going to retain the shape intended.
Sound 8/10 - This is definitely a touchy subject. I've heard a lot of people say they felt lifeless to them and there's no bass! Well, that's only partially true. First, if you don't believe in break-in, then these aren't for you. That, or this headphone will make you a believer, because it's critical with this pair. I haven't even had mine for long enough to fully break them in.
Anyways, I have them tuned with a warmer sound signature, which I love. Definitely adds a little bit of bass. The extension to low frequencies is there but it isn't overpowering. You hear all the notes but without the rumble. I love it, but it took me a bit to understand it. Now I can listen to music and there's not bass notes that seem overpowering making it hard to hear the mids and highs come through. It's an experience for sure, that to me is brand new. It's also the most open/airy sounding closed back I've ever heard. There's a real sound stage, and great imaging. There's nothing I've heard quite like it, and with the benefit of the a Tube amp it adds even more warmth to the whole experience. I've not heard many headphones that can have that warm and inviting of a sound signature while retaining an open and airy sound and being a well isolated closed back so you can take them anywhere. Every time I pick them up it seems to get better and better. Brass instruments sound lovely from big band/orchestra, to a single saxophone that just sounds like your favorite artists are in the room playing 10 feet in front of you. I even like EDM stuff on here just because it's a different presentation than the norm by so much it feels like a different experience and makes me listen to things I already know all over again.
Conclusion. I don't think this should be anyone's only headphone. It definitely could be your only closed back if you aren't a bass-head. If you mostly like EDM type music then look elsewhere really. If you're looking for an easy to drive and easy to travel headphone that won't disturb those around you, and you like an even presentation of everything across the board, give these a try. But, give them a fair try, listening to one or two tracks will not do them justice. These took me a good 10-15 hours just to start understanding them, and it was so worth it.
Dms1998
10
May 24, 2019
THX 788 i will buy, su-8 v2 is very good price, but i see VMV SMSL D1 also very strong but this price is hard to accept.
cpurdy
4
Aug 14, 2019
SurviveDNote: I don't have the MassDrop edition of these; I have the original Mr Speakers edition.
Yes, these are light on bass -- I'd say that they are "correct" on bass, i.e. they don't artificially pump up the bass. I really love my Mr Speakers.
The Monoprice 1060C headphones is roughly the same voicing as these, but comes with super heavy bass. I have both and have A/B compared them extensively; the Monoprice 1060C is a steal if you like bass and crystal clear drivers at a regular ohms level. (Note: The price is 1/4 as much, and the build unfortunately reflects that.)
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