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CEE_TEE
3480
Sep 24, 2018
When the timing is right…
Dan Clark’s operations are in San Diego.  (I imagine it’s gotta be hard to be productive in such a nice place, but Dan has always seemed driven.)  We checked in with Dan a couple of times throughout the years about working together and usually he is improving his headphones, developing new models, and keeping up his production. Earlier this year, he said that with enough time to plan he could increase production capability plus he had some ideas for our project.  We were a go!
Thrilled to have a couple of prototypes bouncing back and forth (between Dan, ourselves, and a couple of community members) we made some adjustments to the frequency response and subjectively validated the balance of spatial & tonal considerations.  Targets are a balanced, open-sounding tonality with a soundstage that has natural sonic size and weight.
Some concepts at work with MrSpeakers: DIY Spirit = Appreciating the people & process of improving headphones with modifications Kaizen = Discipline & Practice of Continuous Improvement Customer Care = Making improvements available to existing customers
Dan comes from the DIY audiophile community, where he originally worked on tuning Fostex T-50RP headphones. Eventually, he set a goal for himself and a new company:  offer commercial mods on Fostex T-50RP headphones and save up to launch a whole new headphone line made entirely by MrSpeakers within 3 years.
DIY spirit we give Dan credit for: making upgrades available for existing headphones.  When possible, Dan offers new tuning upgrades for purchase and self-installation.  When the mod requires more than swapping out easy tuning materials such as foam and felt, he has allowed people to send in their headphones for swapping of updated drivers or baffles at reasonable prices.  This speaks to Dan’s ethos of wanting people to have the best sound he can make.
The MrSpeakers line of Fostex T50RP modded headphones: Mad Dog
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Alpha Dog
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Alpha Primes
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Those are the steps Dan took so he could make the leap to his Ether line of headphones.   MrSpeakers did in fact release the first headphone from the ground up within three years:  the Ether Open with new V-Planar drivers.
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Flying V V-Planar Drivers utilize MrSpeakers’ proprietary version of the planar driver diaphragm knurling technique invented by Bruce Thigpen.  This is an accordion-type of folding method that adds surface area to allow for more linear excursion with the rapid tensioning of diaphragms during dynamic music.  The goals are natural sound with high dynamics and low distortion, even when stressed.
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Closed Back, Open Sound In general, with open-back headphones, pressure doesn’t build up as much in the earcups and reverberations or ringing is minimized. Sound is natural, open, and clear.  (Imagine speakers playing in your backyard vs. in your closet.)
However, sound leaks in & out of an open-back headphone.  With a closed-back headphone, more care needs to be taken in order to absorb reflections and pressure from a closed system but benefits through isolation from outside noise.  If you can pull it off, the ideal for many is the sound of an open-back headphone with the advantages of a closed-back design.
Business is now Open AND Closed No sooner than he successfully launched his Ether Open, I know that Dan started getting requests for a closed version. (I was one of those people.) Luckily he had the chops from all his T50RP modding days and the Ether C (Closed) was created…
Fast-forward another few years and our new Massdrop x MrSpeakers Ether CX contains continued improvement on the original (non-Flow) platform of the Ether C.  
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The Ether CX is still using the extremely clean V-Planar drivers along with some changes to damping and ear pad material/shape to get the sound we were searching for.
Product goals for our flagship closed-back headphone: · Isolating · Accurate · Open-sounding · Resolving · Fast · Clean · Sleek
Personally, I’m stoked about the clean sound these produce, how they feel in the hands/on the head, and I LOVE how they look.  Designing and tuning closed back headphones is not for the faint of heart- or people wary of driving towards constant improvement.  We’re so happy to be adding these to the exclusive Massdrop Made product line and to have our flagship closed back headphone at last…we hope you enjoy!
wyd4
37
Sep 24, 2018
CEE_TEEHow does the sound of these/tuning differ from the Ether C/C Flow? I sold my Ether C some time ago in favour of the Aeon C for my tastes, though I still miss the open sound and mids from the Ether C. I would love to hear your thoughts as this may be a drop I have to jump on.
Volly
328
Sep 25, 2018
CEE_TEEAny chance we'll be seeing the Alpha Primes come back in to production with MD @CEE_TEE? That would be fun times! ;D
NimosX
1
Sep 25, 2018
wyd4This. I'd love to see some comparison measurements with the original Ether C. Furthermore according to innerfidelity's Ether C review : " Bass response is a bit low ". I wonder if CX has any improvements in the low freq range .
CEE_TEE
3480
Sep 25, 2018
NimosXHi NimosX, Here are some preliminary measurements from MrSpeakers and some answers from Dan: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-mrspeakers-ether-cx-closed-headphones/talk/2210847
NimosX
1
Sep 25, 2018
CEE_TEEGreat ! Thanks
HitsOfMisses
20
Sep 28, 2018
CEE_TEEI have always preferred Closed back over Open due to it's versatility. Trust me, nobody likes listening to a scaled down, muffled voice oozing out of somebody else's headphone. And I'm not even talking about whether you enjoy that genre of music or not.
However, considering the specification listed here & on Mr. Speaker's website, it appears that it will require a dedicated Amp & that's a BIG Show-Stopper for me. I cannot imagine myself (or anyone for that matter) lugging around with a Dedicated Amp along with a giant headphone & a smartphone while catching a public transportation or on a flight. It's just not practical.
For the record I've tried Mr. Speaker's Aeon Flow Closed, which seemingly has a much forgiving specs for mobile usage, with my iPhone 6S & Oppo BDP-105 headphone jack. I compared them (AFC $800) with Shure SRH1540 ($500), Oppo PM-3 ($400), & Sony MDR-7506 ($100) with several different types of music. To me and my classically trained daughters' surprise (both vocal & flute), the only headphone that sounded 20-30% better than the Sony MDR-7506 was the SRH1540! The others were either similar & not even worth mentioning inspite of price difference & advancement in technology.
That being said, the Ether CX might sound better than the AFC. However due to need for a dedicated Amp at work or while traveling, it is definitely not for me. Though it would be an interesting comparison of Ether CX against AFC & Massdrop Fostex TR-X00 Ebony ($520) !!!
jsmiller58
804
Sep 28, 2018
HitsOfMissesOut of curiosity, have you tried portable amp/DACs for your mobile comparisons? When I go mobile I use an iFi xDSD which allows me to drive pretty demanding cans like the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 (not to mention it supports balanced out as well with the right cables and connector)
Of course sound preference is ultimately very subjective, and probably why there are so many options out there!
willf
3
Sep 29, 2018
HitsOfMissesYup- no question the AFC needs a decent amp. I use a FIIO Q5 when I’m traveling with it. IMHO, as long as the amp can deliver enough current for 80 or mW at 13 ohms, it should work fine For the AFC, but that’s more than you can probably expect from a smarphone. That said, the CX should be an easier headphone to match.
HitsOfMisses
20
Sep 29, 2018
willfwillf, Can you explain what do you mean by ' CX should be an easier headphone to match'? The CX has almost double the impedance (23) than the AFC (13), doesn't it?
HitsOfMisses
20
Sep 30, 2018
jsmiller58Hi, as mentioned previously I did not try & do not intend to use any portable DAC/Amp. I just don't find it practical.
However, I did compare with Oppo BDP-105 which has a reference quality DAC & Headphone Amp. I wasn't impressed either.
jsmiller58
804
Sep 30, 2018
HitsOfMissesOK, no worries. As they say, different strokes for different folks!
shimage
228
Sep 30, 2018
HitsOfMissesIt's right there in his post: "as long as the amp can deliver enough current". Aeon needs about 33% more current than the Ether to get the same volume.
DiMora
263
Mar 2, 2019
jsmiller58For portability, try an AudioQuest DragonFy red which will give you a two volt output. It also hooks up to an iPhone with the USB3 camera adapter.
jsmiller58
804
Mar 2, 2019
DiMoraThanks for the suggestion! I actually have the iFi xDSD and Hidizs DH1000 so good for portable DAC/amp... I am actually thinking g of going the DAP route - waiting for the Hunt R6 Pro to come out (and bugs worked through)...
Oddiophile
9
Mar 13, 2019
CEE_TEEAny chance that this drop will be back soon? Barely lasted a few hours.
phoenixsong
1055
Mar 25, 2019
OddiophileHey it's in now XD
Oddiophile
9
Mar 25, 2019
phoenixsongThanks so much for the heads-up!
Ecoli_o157
9
Jul 5, 2019
CEE_TEEAny chance to see them available to the EU as other headphones are?
Shawnb
6
Jul 13, 2019
HitsOfMissesHeadphones in this range aren’t really meant to be used with a smartphone. They need more power, plus if you find Sony MDR-7506 better then the AFC’s then likely these aren’t the headphones for you. You either need a DAP or need to add a portable DAC/amp to really get the most out of these
LinkSTM
2
Aug 13, 2019
ShawnbThey sound pretty good on an LG G8, though LG puts a decent DAC/amp in their products. Not claiming the dragonfly, or whatever else, wouldn't be a better portable solution, but I'm not left wanting for more. For reference, volume goes up to 75 and I'm usually listening at between 60 and 65, so not a ton of headroom but it gets the job done. Max volume is very loud, but not deafening. Just got these and I'm in the process of moving. All my electronics are boxed up on some moving company's truck. Glad my phone can drive them, they sound great.
phoenixsong
1055
Aug 13, 2019
LinkSTMYeahhh LG ftw XD
chichaz
8
Mar 2, 2020
LinkSTMGlad to know my V30+ can work with these in a pinch.
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