Mr. Speakers ETHER Flow Headphone(?) Upgrade(?)

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by OJneg, Jul 14, 2016.

  1. Phoebus7

    Phoebus7 New

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    I am planing to use for mobile purpose with Audioquest dragonfly Red, I have also Chord Mojo but find it to buly to tag along with mobile phone at home I have LH Labs Xfi I understood from Peter from Mrspeakers that Ether C works very well with Chord Mojo. May be in 2017 I will get one on second-hand market to try out.
     
  2. SpoiledEars

    SpoiledEars New

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    Hey I may just have something here. I would recommend the T5p for $300, I have had mine for 5 years or so. Make sure they work and listen to them. Do not expect a neutral headphone, they sound as coloured as an impressionists painting, I'll bet the measurements are sick, covers the Mojo deficiencies nicely. The difference between the HD800S etc phones is crazy. Some like it.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I don't doubt your impressions and now I am wondering if the C Flows have been retuned, or perhaps all the earlier ones a few of us heard were defective. One of them had misadjusted bass ports for sure.
     
  4. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    "If you don't like it, it's probably defective." ™
     
  5. Rthomas

    Rthomas Friend

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    The Focal dealer's response to people who didn't like the Utopia on the HF thread:

    If you don't like it you're defective.

    I'm paraphrasing but just a bit :D
     
  6. zhouharvey

    zhouharvey PayPal’s $2 Sensible Enforcer

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    Those headphones are so overpriced after all...
     
  7. zhouharvey

    zhouharvey PayPal’s $2 Sensible Enforcer

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    I think Beyer won't want to gift a pair of headphone to someone who is so... ob-junk-tive. Sorry that was a typo I meant to say objective. Neither would Dan anymore with his upcoming electrostats.
     
  8. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    (I have not really followed this thread but since I had them on loan I am just posting some impressions, so just another opinion)

    I have the flow open and flow c here on loan from a friend.

    The differences are more than I was expecting. First thoughts:

    • I have to turn the opens down when swapping.
    • The macro dynamics and micro dynamics sound better on the Open.
    • Tonality in the midrange is better on the Flow right off the bat but both sound a little shouty to me
    • The HE-6 even amped by desktop has better bass extension, *transparency, and evenness in the midrange but is brighter in the mid treble(unfortunately) with better air (fortunately)
    • There is a hollowness is the Closed version specifically coming from the midrange where it sounds recessed a bit and a little more distant. The open version sounds more balanced, clear, and realistic.
    • The fact that the Closed version is actually less punchy (or snappy so you don't confuse it with bass slam) makes that hollowness more evident. If I had bought the flow C and went to a meet and heard the Flow open I would have been disappointed.
    • Though overall the closed version would be competitive to other closed backs in certain ways, because it sounds more compressed its not really up my alley.
    • The flickers, clicks, pops and smacks have better definition on the Open version. So it sounds more detailed and resolute
    • They both have decent clarity but are behind the HE-6 by a lot. The 6 will be the king of transparency for planars for a very long time. *repeating myself because they simply don't compare in that area
    • The HE-6 is a lot brighter than both under amped though. I can definitely see that being a deal breaker for some if they had to choose between the 6 and ethers.
    • The Odin is more engaging than all of the above and suits my personal tastes more but the build and ergonomics can't touch these.
    I like the flow open overall. Its balance doesn't sound to me to be way off apart from some shouty voices and lower treble like everyone talks about. I like how it has a little bit of dynamics and nuance for a planar. Also the bass is not too bad. I think the bass was done very well actually all things considered sans some extension. When I compared the Flow at a meet to the Code-X the Code-X had better sub bass extension but seemed a little less dynamic with better tonality and rendering of details. Comparing it directly to the HE-6 leaves some things to be wanted at this price even with the 6 not being amped to potential. The truth is that yes I am not unlocking its potential BUT it is still more transparent than the Flow and I can eq some of the treble of the 6 down.

    Ill get to compare them to the HE X v2 when it arrives which I think may be more of an ideal comparison.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2017
  9. LunaC

    LunaC New

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    After asking Dan about the bass increase, the more I wondered how hard it would be to just adjust the EtherC to have the same increase without the Flow guides. Was there that much of a variance between the two cups?
     
  10. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    As I understand it, the only difference in the cups from Ether C original to Flow version is cosmetic - from one carbon fiber pattern to another. In fact if you upgrade your C's to the Flow version you are given the choice of whether to keep your original cups. Cheers and HNY!
     
  11. LunaC

    LunaC New

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    Sorry,I was meaning in the unit that Marvey was talking about being out of tune. I found the measurements of that unit and it seem that the left channel has the typical 'Flow' bass hump and the right was flatter like the EtherC. Based on that and the picture of the tuning screws I was hoping there was a tuning possibility with the EtherC to achieve the bass increase. I can barely see thru the foam that covers the screws, but can see, and it is obvious mine are backed completely out. So guessing there is an internal restriction that the upgrade removes if correctly assuming more opening = more bass.
     
  12. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    Just got my "upgrade lottery" email from Dan and crew today - woo-hoo! Have packed up my trusty EC1.1's and will ship them off tomorrow back to their birthplace in San Diego for their "Flow conversion" surgery. It's going to be a long wait I'm sure...
     
  13. StandUp713

    StandUp713 Friend

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    What option did you go with? The full upgrade?
     
  14. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    Nah, just opted for the "Essential" upgrade for my EC1.1's. Don't feel like I needed to spend an extra $150 to have my CF ear-cups changed out to a different weave pattern for simply aesthetic purposes. And if I want new ear pads I can just order them directly for half that cost. Oh, and just noticed the "Full" upgrade includes a new box with the "Flow" labeling - maybe that would be worth the cost? ;)

    Anyway, I also was in the group that bought my C's right before the Flow's were released, so the Essential upgrade will only run me $200, which I can live with to get the upgraded drivers.

    Cheers
     
  15. No_One411

    No_One411 Fired by Jude

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    No no, according to Dan, it was "if you don't like it, your ears are defective".
     
  16. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    If you have it, your measurement rig is questionable, broken, unconventional and fucked up too.

    Dan's cans were not bad IMO (the not faulty port ones). But they indeed had some hollowness to it. I think @Tyll Hertsens likes them (Flow C) better than the Oppo cans and derivatives. @Hands said @Tyll Hertsens considers the Oppo cans a bit boring or something. But I still feel the Oppo. With all they're boring sound I think they sound less hollow and have better bass. I felt the Flow C where a little lean maybe on top of the hollowness. I also liked the HE-6 better and other planars, but those are open.

    We like what we like, and again, the not-faulty Flow-C cans sound OK IMO.
     
  17. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    I've never understood the Oppo PM-3 is boring thing. For the money, I think they blow any competition out of the water. And I think their tonality is overall better than any of the Ether-C's. If the Pm-3s had a little more air (that top octave) i'd say they were absolutely one of the best sounding closed 'phones under 1K. Especially when they are run balanced; they don't sound as center-weighted.
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2017
  18. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I agree. I also like the Focal Spirit quite a bit. But can be uncomfortable. @Tyll Hertsens does have the Oppo's there on the WOF though. I also saw the HD202s which IMO give any sealed can a run for their money. They are not necessarily build to last (pads eventually disintegrate), but they sound great and cost little.

    One thing that still remains to be seen IMO with the Ether's and Dan's cans in general is consistency. When @GelockS sent me his cans I really was predisposed to like them. I mean, they look relatively nice and Dan has gone through a lot with quality issues and stuff and I felt this time he was going to get it right. Nope. Port mis-tuned. What are the odds!

    Hopefully things will look up in the near future, and variability issues will be a thing of the past.
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2017
  19. LunaC

    LunaC New

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    In the same boat here but fearful of what the Flow C brings. I like the Ether C but would love to not have to worry about an EQ in the chain to boost the bottom end a little. I wonder if the extra tuning felts might assist the top end issues if I find them bothersome. This is why I'm infatuated with how I could boost the bass without affecting the rest. I also can do the lower cost upgrade since I bought the EtherC prior to the announcement

    This make me also wonder if I'd be better served going the open route now. After being elated with the decision to go with the Andromeda per feedback from you guys(and I didn't need more IEM) , I wonder if I should open. If the carbon caps are shipped back with the conversion, I could always beg to have it put back in the future.
     
  20. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    That's a really good point. I would assume (with no real data to back it up - more of an educated guess) that there is probably more to the differences of the construction of the Open and Closed Ether Flows than just the CF ear-cups versus the grills. Anyone else here have more insight into this? Cheers
     

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