ETA Genesis 1.1 Impressions

It has taken a while to get to know these headphones. It was worth the effort! Over the last three months, @E_Schaaf has been listening to feedback and provided new tuning options that helped dial them into my preferences.

The graphene driver is explosively energetic, which can quickly become fatiguing without the included foams, cotton, felts, and pads. My favorite configuration uses blue foam instead of the standard yellow, lowering the bass by a few dB.

DNA Starlett / Holo Audio Spring 2 are my favorite chain to use with the Genesis because they increase the realism and don’t add much slam. It’s easy to get these headphones to hit hard, and while that can be fun for a while, it’s not great for long listening sessions. I've used both Hifiman's catheter cables and a Black Dragon, and I don't notice much of a difference in sound.

GenG's energy level is much like a Focal Utopia, though instead of cutting with incisiveness, Genesis hits like a firm handshake. The timbre is realistic and satisfying; it reminds me of a beefed-up ZMF Auteur. Genesis is the first dynamic headphone I've heard that competes in sub-bass foundation with planars like Audeze LCD-4, HE1000se, and HE6se. It pulls my favorite things about several headphones into one.

I can't wait to see what comes next from ETA! Highly recommended.

 

Counterpoint, I can listen to dat slam for literally eight hours a day five days a week without feeling fatigued by it, and I pair the Gen G with a Mjolnir 1 which is a slam champ.

 

If it wasn't clear v1.1 refers to these changes - https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...n-thread-3dp-version.10517/page-6#post-349798

Consider this the finalized production tuning. Every set still comes with both front foams and plugs to adjust to taste. But after settling here I haven't really changed a thing for several weeks. It's locked in.

 

That's a bit obscure to someone who doesn't have "friend" status and can't see the thread

 

There you go.

 

I -- almost impulsively -- picked up Gen-G (perhaps henceforth abbreviated 'GG') for myself days ago.

Given my preference isn't fully aligned with Evan's or Tommy's as long as I inferred from ESX900, the experience has been a full surprise. Seriously.

I'll definitely write up a full review once I collect enough thoughts down the road. But want to drop some early impression .. and a sneak peak of measurement.

Quick notes in no particular order

• Bass sounds clear and tight. Clearer than what I can recall from ESX900. Now quality-wise it almost sounds like Focal's Mg driver bass. I somewhat prefer GG around 50-100hz. Clear MG still edges out at 50hz downward. Not by a big margin in either way.
• Highs were a little bit tastefully W-shaped offering me a lot of freshness even with familiar tracks. And come with proper level of energy over entire treble spectrum. Honestly it was the most surprising part of the show.
• When just arrived, ear pads attached with thinner parts on top. But I changed them to thicker parts on top as Evan advised in his video. I testimony that's very worthy advice. Meaningful changes found in both directions (better seal on lows and smoother response on highs).
• I wouldn't say it opens up to competitive extent (referencing Focals or Senn 8s in dynamic realm). Behaves more like semi-open headphones. Maybe tad more closed than HD6x0 or JARs.
• Impressive resolving ability in micro. Not to mention already good ETA's macro stuffs.

Measurement taken with EAR today. Result is largely consistent with what I am hearing. I do hear a little differently regarding peaks and dips location on upper mid-lower treble though. Maybe waterfall plot (TBD) can reveal one story or two.

Spoiler: Marv's v1.0 EAR measurement (for comparative purpose)

I'll be getting new material to experiment next week or so. Of course very excited. Will follow up as I find anything interesting.

PS.

Spoiler: Some internal pics

Front


Back

 

You are not reviewing 1.0 @Vtory , correct? This is newest 1.1 tuning (new foam and pads)?

edit: It says 1.1 in your frequency response graph. So nvm. That graph looks approximately completely perfect btw. Amazing job @E_Schaaf !

 

I'm sending him the new machine-cut foam and fresh set of pads plus the correct stock rear grill mesh. So will have to revisit measures after all of those things arrive.

 

@Philimon

Evan confirmed mine currently 'sorta' prototype 1.1 (tuning direction same but not with fully machine-polished parts).

PS. Oh, he was faster..

 

A few more comments on ergonomics and non-sonic aspects

• Pads were a little swallower than I'd like. Verite, Clear, and LCD all had deeper ear pads. With ETA pads, I found my ears very slightly touch the inside fabric. But I do prefer ETA ones to Senn 6x0 pads. At least because of better (ergonomic) dimension and non-velour.
• Very lightweight (~300g) for its performance category. Largely in the same ballpark with JARs. Indeed this is the primary reason why I picked up GG. All my other beloved ones are way heavier (500-700g). I can comfortably say GG is the world best by performance-per-weight metric, which matters very much to me these days.
• Headband is currently the biggest complaint. Want more even pressure distribution on head. Maybe ZMF pilot or copilot pads are the easiest fix? Just a thought. I also remember ETA was planning to launch new headband.. Any suggestion from either ETA or active users would be welcome!

 

I had the same issue with the shallow pads resulting in my ears touching the inside fabric, leading to some mild discomfort over time. My solution, with the understanding that this does alter the tonality a bit, is to rotate the pads so the thick side is at the bottom rather than the top of the cups. For me, this gives a little more clearance from my ears and solves my discomfort issue for the most part. And yes, aside from the sound, I absolutely love how light and comfortable they are overall. I am a big fan of the stock 650 headband though, so I might be biased.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. I kinda agree that comfort increased a bit with the idea you said. But still hesitant against pads rotation as it did dis-stabilize highs a bit (at least to the extent I care). Anyway it became less annoying as more days spent. I can wear GG much longer than 6x0 (which I don't describe 'slightly' by any means) . So, it just may be a matter of learning curve. We will see.

By the way, I had decades of history of hatred against 6x0 ergonomics. Large and weird skull curvature makes it extremely difficult to agree with others (oh well). Personally a big fan of suspension strap. Something like Audioquest Nighthawk would be ideal to me (flawed sounding aside). I will try out some remedies for the headband. Looking forward to any meaningful changes.

 

Yeah, the sound does change a bit with the pads rotated, but IMO the increase in comfort is worth it with the thick part of the pads at the bottom.

I might be in the minority, but I feel the 650 headband was made for my head. People complain about the tight clamp, but my head is sort of smallish, oblong and skinny, so I actually welcome the death grip clamp the 650 headband provides!

Have you played with tuning plugs at all? Adding a few (for me, 2 on bottom and 1 on top) really hits the sweet spot for me on the 1.1 tuning (white foam, felt patch, two cotton rolls) by adding a bit more oomph and decay to the low mids, which I enjoy.

 

Not yet but surely TBD. I first want to apply the newest material (estimated to be here tomorrow or so) to confirm if I hear the intended voicing correctly. I'm also planning to spend at least a couple of weeks to enjoy the purest setting for 1.1 revision prior to any further changes on my end. Maybe will get my evaluation and analyses done first then move to additional tuning UNLESS I have too serious issues to enjoy stock configuration (very unlikely I guess at this point lol).

 

So I have had the GenG loaner for about a week now. I didn't have much time to listen last week, but I have some time yesterday and today, so... here we are.

Just to preface, here is how my KISS-modded HD650 measures:



I do believe most people will hear my HD650 exactly as it measures: mid-centric, with some warmth but nothing insane, and not a lot of sub-bass. Also not a lot of treble, either.

Now, with that out of the way, let's take a look at GenG. Here is how it measures:



I'm not one to show measurements before impressions. Hell, I didn't even measure the DIY headphone version that I sent to @brencho, but there is something to be said about the way GenG sounds. I think... it also sounds very similar to how it measures.

The goods:
1. Bass extension
2. Midrange is largely decent
3. Treble is non-offensive and does extend pretty far out
4. No weird peak to speak of
5. Pretty decent headstage, not super crazy but not boxed in, either
6. Resolution is indeed pretty good
7. Solid construction/build, and actually very comfy despite how it looks

The bads:
1. Bass lacks a bit of weight/impact to me. Like... I'm not sure if it's the construction or the ear pads, but the bass being as emphasized as it it can do with a bit more weight.
2. Warmth is a bit pervasive, bleeds into pretty much everything I listen to no matter the source. I don't mind this but I think someone else will. It is warmer-sounding than my HD650.
3. Upper midrange is a bit... wonky. It's not bad per se, but female vocal lacks... energy. Male vocal is okay. I think this is where Sennheiser and Audio Technica still pull ahead of the pack.
4. Treble is just about enough but... it lacks a bit of sparkle/bite to me. LIke... it's smooth and nice, but some instruments just sound a bit "off" to me. Cymbals are not as piercing as I remember them; bells don't ring out and reverberate; acoustic guitars lack the metallic shimmer, and electric guitars lack grunt. This is super nitpicky, but this is one area where the HD650 does pull ahead of GenG ever so slightly to me. On the other hand, HD650 can sound a bit shouty as well, so... there are tradeoffs.
5. Headstage as mentioned is very decent, but not amazing, and it's a bit 3-blob to me. There's the center and the sides, but there's quite a bit of space between the center and the sides that is not filled in. So... while headstage is quite decent, I think imaging can be better.
6. Resolution is just about on par with HD650 to me. HD800 still pulls ahead easily and noticeably. This may be due to the drivers more so than anything else.

So... to be fair, I really do like the GenG very much. I'm just being nitpicky when it comes to the points above. I'm certain people will enjoy the GenG for what it is, as I do. I find GenG a very good fit for electric/dance/EDM/trap, etc... any kind of music that needs this level of bass while remaining relatively clean/clear and not offensive. Surprisingly, I think this kind of tuning is sorely lacking in the market these days. Everybody is either going for a V-shaped or U-shaped or W-shaped approach. This is... very obviously a downward slope that isn't afraid to show itself off as being downward-sloped.

Now... my preference over the years has slowly shifted from a warmer, slight V-shaped approach to more of an inverse U shape, if that's believable. I now value the midrange far above everything else when it comes to audio, and... that's where I think the GenG is close, but also not close enough. HD650 to me still sounds like a better fit for certain kinds of music that need better midrange performance. As mentioned, female vocal is my biggest complaint with GenG. The upper midrange just... lacks the energy to portray female vocal well. GenG either sounds a bit... nasally, or distant with different recordings. I honestly don't mind it very much, but I also don't feel like I'd pick GenG over HD650 when it comes to female vocal.

Here's a zoomed-in comparison of GenG and HD650 on my system:



And... well, they do sound like that relative to one another. HD650 sounds sharper, with slightly more even upper midrange and even slightly more treble "bite" than GenG.

Overall, I think GenG is a good alternative for those who don't want to KISS-mod a HD650, and those who want a bit more bass extension than HD650. Considering GenG is hand-built and so much goes into making sure every unit sounds the same, I think the price of GenG is a bit of a steal due to the labor.

I think GenG is a good fit for the "tastefully warm" club. I'm still secretly a member. Hehe...

 

@Bill-P thanks for your feedback! If you haven't shipped them out, would you be open to trying a few little tweaks with the included mod kit? I think this may be up your alley for mids and reducing warmth:



the more rear driver vents you cover, the less low mid and more upper mid you get (no rolls in red, three in white below):



Consider trying out the blue foam instead of the front white foam too, independent of the above

 

Okay, so... just tried to swap foams out for a few hours. Here are the 3 best combinations, I think:

1. White foam ring with 2 rolls (green)
2. White foam ring with 3 rolls (red)
3. Blue foam ring with 2 rolls (orange)

Anything else is a bit... too much for my liking. These 3 are the "closest."

Let's just cut to the chase:


#1. Basically the same as my impressions above since this is what the headphone came with out of the box.
#2. Slightly better than #1 but for some reason, it elevates bass even more, and now bass is even more pervasive than before. Upper midrange energy is mostly there, though. I do welcome the more even upper mid.
#3. Best bass response of the bunch. Extraordinarily even considering how #1 and #2 are, but treble can be fatiguing.

I won't mention #2 again since it's largely similar to #1, and you can read my thoughts on #1 above.

#3 is... interesting. I think it's quite close, but it also misses out on a few things. The main problem is that... midrange now lacks body/warmth(?). Voices sound a bit thin, and still somewhat distant. Bass is on point. Lack of impact and weight doesn't bother me as much anymore since bass is not as elevated as before. Treble... can be fatiguing, but I think it's okay on a tube amp.

I think something between #3 and #1 is actually what I'm looking for, but I guess this is what it is. Maybe foam rolling (is that even a thing?) will be interesting for prospective owners.

And again, comparison of #3 against the legendary HD650:


650 is just... still so on point when it comes to midrange. It has warmth, presence, shout as needed (still not as much as 580/600), bite as needed, and yet it's smooth as butter and bass response is not bad for music listening. GenG is... in my opinions, a very successful attempt at trying to dethrone the "king." In some aspects, I think GenG does beat 650. That bass extension is amazing for a dynamic headphone. The lower treble region is as smooth as butter, and it has good presence for what it is. It's just that 650's midrange is still so delicious and so on point... and so hard to beat.

What matters is that GenG with this config gets very close. I think GenG at this point basically sounds like a better HD600 to me. Debatable if it is better than HD580, but it's close. Still, as mentioned above, I'm a closet "tastefully warm" club member, and I'd prefer just a smidge more warmth here. I tried all other combinations of foam placement and such and couldn't quite get close enough. It was either less upper midrange or less even treble, with hints of bass going too far south. It's actually not trivial at all to tune GenG.

All this just goes to show how much work @E_Schaaf, @tommytakis and Alex put into this headphone. My hat is off to them. It is quite a tall order trying to go up against the HD650 and not walk away with a loss. If I have to be fair, there are things 650 does better, but only ever so slightly. The GenG does all of the remaining things better, and... I think GenG is a serious contender for anyone looking for something like an alternative/replacement to HD650 without losing too much of "that sound."

 

Hey Bill, what’s your chain these days? Just curious about the system context.

 

Oh, yeah, sorry! I should have mentioned.

So these days, I use the following as sources mainly:
Schiit Bifrost 2 > ISOMAX > EC Zana Deux (with warm tube, by the way, warmer than the usual ZD)
Schiit Bifrost 2 > Drop THX AAA 789
A&Ultima SP1000

I did plug GenG into all 3 systems. I felt like the 789 was the best match for the white foam. For blue foam, ZD was the best of the bunch.

 

Wow, thank you for all the effort! Not sure if you want to keep fiddling around with it, but if you're curious and having fun with it... Feel free to cut the foam rings in half and try half-n-half blue and white foam on each side (warning-might be hard to get a good seal), or the shell vent plugs. I can always send fresh materials to the next person on the tour roster for free. But if you've had enough, I totally get it!

My dad's favorite has been blue foam with 4 shell vent plugs in an alternating pattern of open-closed on each side near the cable connector cap at the bottom. It's his fav this way. 'Stock' white foam and double cotton is the way for me and how they ship out. Preferences have been all over the map in the discord server with many people wanting even more bass than white foam and two rolls provides.

At the end of the day, you're totally right - nothing will ever best a Senn for what they do best. Some other stuff we have going on I think should be a bit more tonally distinctive and our own (though possibly more polarizing too - remains to be seen). Sometimes I need to step away from the graphs and remind myself that the best benchmark is simply engagement with the music coming thru. I'm proud of what's there on that front.