Tried these at the Montreal audio show a few years back. Had the same impression, especially having listened to a few more headphones right beside it. Very muddy to me, but I can’t remember the sound signature exactly. I just know I was disappointed after hearing so many good things about them.
Yup, nailed it. And I’m a big fan of MrSpeakers’ T50RP mods - I reckon the Alpha Prime is one of the best closed-back headphones out there. It certainly sounds a whole lot better than the Ether C!
Dunc
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I’ve tried several times with different sources and genres; but I never warmed up to them. They are efficient though, so as an entry level set of cans paired with a mobile player, I can see value there.
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You probably know this already, but you can have custom molds made for most popular in ear headphones. Although it may be cost prohibitive, if you’re on a tight budget.
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That’s interesting. I wanted some cheap phones and picked up the bottom of the line Grado SR60e. For the price, they made me smile. I had a flaky wire on my Sennheiser PX-100s and was looking for something in that price range. Grados don’t fold, but I like the retro look.
So, do you think it is the SR-80s that dissapoint? Or do you dislike the entire consumer line that Grado has. I’d considered on occasion picking up something in the middle to upper range of that.
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If done some extensive reading online and I believe it’s most likely the Grado sound signature that doesn’t do it for me. They are just too bright, mids are Ok and bass is non existent. People say they are revealing, I don’t know if that’s it though. I like the sound of Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser and Hifiman for what it’s worth (even lower end models). Also, I know there are tons of folks out there who love Grado. So, you know.
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I can say that I’m not a huge fan of Grado’s.
I find their pads to be pretty scratchy and uncomfortable and their bright sound is a little too much for me. I also don’t find them very aesthetically pleasing. I know they are a pretty legendary company among headphones though and I understand that a lot of people really do like Grado which is great because there is something for everybody in the headphone world!
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If you listen to these after another pair of headphones then yes I get your point.
But if you listen to only these for a listening session then you’d understand why so many of us like them.
But then again there is a reason why so many different model headphones exist,we all have different taste in hearing ( sorry not sure if I said that correctly)
Definitely the MrSpeakers Ether C’s. I had high hopes for these headphones based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews. Overall, I found the sound emphasized the treble and did not complement my music preferences which rely on a richer midrange and fuller low end. Made me miss my Alpha Prime’s very much, which I sold to fund the Ether C purchase.
I will say though that the Ether C are probably the most comfortable headphone I have ever worn in my audio journey thus far.
I will probably be giving the Aeon Closed a try soon. Fingers crossed.
My most disappointing purchase was the Sennheiser HD-800. This was a very competent headphone that had all of the necessary technical chops. Comfortable, very detailed, probably measured great (but I don’t pay a lot of attention to measurements), The problem was that it just wasn’t fun to listen to music with it. A friend of mine and I tried for weeks…burned it in, all manner of amps, and I finally gave up. I had high hopes for a high-end dynamic headphone from Sennheiser, but wound up returning the headphone. As a point of reference, my “go to” headphones were and are the Sony R10 and the Sennheiser HE-90.
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@TaronLissimore, I thought I might’ve been the only one who rags on Grado.
They make some hella good phono cartridges, but there’s just something about the fit and finish of their headphones that isn’t all that practical. I am actually quite fond of their aesthetic–it’s different–but the pads especially just don’t feel like they’re very high quality to me.
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Sennheisers HD800 is probably the most notable headphone disappointment I’ve had. I was (and am) a big fan of the HD650, but having gotten the upgrade itch the HD800 was really tempting. It had to be better across the board, right? After all, it was 3x the price!
Unfortunately upon sitting to listen to it I only made it about three or four songs before I wanted to take them off.
There was a lot of good there … incredible speed, transient response, resolution/detail, dynamics and excellent comfort. But it was just highly fatiguing to listen to for more than a few minutes at a time.
This is pretty ironic given that, with a couple of (relatively) simple modifications, it transforms into one of the most capable and enjoyable headphones I’ve heard. I’m not big on modding things though, so it took the release of the HD800S for me to add an HD800-type headphone to my collection.
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Hmmm… probably the hifiman susvara. Despite all the rave reviews, it just sounded completely unnatural to me. I tried them in a store using an uber-expensive source that cost as much as the headphones, though I forgot the name.
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I didn’t find the HiFi-Man Susvara particularly inspiring either. I got to spend a couple of days with them a little bit ago - something prompted by my not currently having a TOTL can from HiFi-Man in my stable (have to do that for Fostex and Mr Speakers too at some point).
While their audible performance is excellent, given a suitable beefy amplifier to drive them, I didn’t enjoy them as much as I do the Abyss. They technically edge out the LCD-4 in some places. But overall it was more like listening to a somewhat more refined HE-6 … and those don’t cost anything like $6,000.
The build was disappointing as well. The window-shade grills still ring disturbingly, and while I assume some of the design choices are about minimizing weight, they feel (and look) way more cheaply made than they should for their asking price.
HiFi-Man’s own “Sundara” have a nicer, more confidence-inspiring, feel to them. And the Master & Dynamic MH40 (at 1/15 the price of the Susvara) make an absolute mockery of the build of the HiFi-Man unit.
My hopes were higher for the HD800 though, so that remains a bigger disappointment for me.
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I agree but the price factor makes them extremely appealing… Price/Quality.
As some have mentioned, the Susvara comes to mind. It was alright, but compared to the Utopia which is less expensive and does not have recycled spatulas for its build, it certainly did not impress.
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For me it was my first full size headphone experience. I was fascinated with appearance of the oppo pm1. It looks so wonderful and was extremely comfortable but It was not a SQ I did agree with. I love a detail headphone and to my ears it was a little dull. Not that is was a poor headphone Just didn’t meet my needs.
When my Grado SR 60s broke beyond repair.
I forgot this. It tops the Grado mishap.
When my dog chewed one of the iem from Sleek Audio. It broke beyond repair. I loved those iems. Too bad they did not keep records to be able to make another one and repair them.
Koss ESP950 headphones. Every other headphone they make is musically superior to this one. I thought they would be the ultimate headphone. After trying with several different receivers and amps, Nothing stands out. I spent a lot of money for these and they sit idle while I use all my other headphones.
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