Loaner: ETA Mini On-Ear Headphone

Discussion in 'Closed Loaners' started by E_Schaaf, Feb 8, 2022.

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  1. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Product Info

    Impressions go here!


    upload_2022-2-8_18-59-32.png

    Everything is included for plug-and-play. Three earpad types are provided to tailor the sound and comfort to your preference:

    upload_2022-2-8_18-39-57.png

    You can try the Geekria L pads in the forward position if you want... but backwards is suggested. If you have Grado brand pads, feel free to use them, but be aware the slightly larger barrel size of the MIni may stretch the foam.

    Loaner ships from @tommytakis and will travel W to E with a few possible jumps. I will send a 4-pin cable (for now, it will come with a 1/8" cable and 1/4" adapter).

    Terms:

    - 5-7 days per member, USA48 only (may continue into Canada as it reaches the East Coast)
    - Friends only (with others at the discretion of ETA staff)
    - All shipping carriers allowed, insure to $200
    - Impressions posted in this thread

    Roster:

    @Gazny (CA)
    @pure5152 (CA)
    @foo_me (CA)
    @Inoculator (WA)
    @Soups (WA)
    @philipmorgan (NM)
    @driftingbunnies (TX)
    @famish99 (TX)
    @Erroneous (TX)
    //

    :tour concluded:

    Please mention your location when stating interest.

    I'm very excited about this headphone and looking forward to sharing it with you all. It is quite tonally different from Genesis, so if you weren't a fan of those, you may still enjoy these. We've already sold over a dozen units and I hope it continues to be a crowd-pleaser. I definitely suggest trying them with a low-powered device like a phone/DAP or laptop jack in addition to dedicated systems - I am proudest of what these can pull out of a modest front-end.

    edit - tossing in some FPC (B&K compensated) measurements with the backwards Geekria L pads (which give the most linear balance) to pique some interest.

    upload_2022-2-8_19-58-47.png

    Mini (red) VS Stock HD650 (white), zoomed in to 50dB y-axis range.

    upload_2022-2-8_19-48-26.png

    Cheers :)
     
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    Last edited: Jun 13, 2022
  2. Inoculator

    Inoculator Friend

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    Yes please, loved the ESX900 and GenG, can't wait to hear these. Tacoma, WA
     
  3. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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    Interested! Taos, nm
     
  4. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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    Potential buyer so would love to hear it.
    SF Bay Area, CA

    Thanks!
     
  5. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    Add me to the list please. Philly, PA
     
  6. captkirk

    captkirk Khan's BFF

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    Yes please.

    Sacramento-ish, CA.
     
  7. Soups

    Soups Sadomasochistic cat

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    Yes, please! In WA.
     
  8. Accrued

    Accrued Friend

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    Potential buyer, would love to give these a listen.

    Atlanta, GA.
     
  9. captkirk

    captkirk Khan's BFF

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    You can take me off the loaner please... bought a set instead.

    I'll report back with impressions once received.
     
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  10. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    mini loaner shipped to @Gazny

    (+ his dolphin egg)
     
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  11. Gazny

    Gazny MOT: ETA Audio

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  12. Dash

    Dash Friend

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    I would like to hear these if possible.

    Ne Florida
     
  13. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    after a small delay from UPS, mini, and all the pads and cables, has arrived safely :)
     
  14. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    So guys... I ended up liking the mini so much that I talked to @E_Schaaf and outright bought the loaner set. ._. Ev will send out a new loaner when he gets back to New York early next week, so technically the loaner will be able to continue faster than normal. But just a heads up that ev will be shipping directly to @foo_me

    I will of course still post full impressions in a few days, but my god I love this headphone, it's so engaging that I just can't put it down. And at less than $400 it's a steal. You guys have to hear this.
     
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  15. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Replacement set shipped to @foo_me .

    I've included some extras vs before, the most exciting of which is this over-ear pad which has quickly become my favorite for these headphones. Geekria sells a pad of this shape on Amazon, but for whatever reason the Geekria version uses a lighter foam that leaks too much low end for me. The ones pictured below (included) are from Ali and use slightly denser foam, so it maintains a similar tonal character vs the on-ear pads. They're also angled. It has pained me to ship this loaner out because I've had a hard time taking these headphones off of my head with the synergy I get from these.

    upload_2022-3-15_18-2-0.png

    upload_2022-3-15_18-3-7.png

    The other three standard pads are included too (the ones in the first post of this thread). I've also added some foam 'socks' which can be used for a true on-ear type fitment (a la Porta Pro) or can be used alongside another pad at the same time for some light front damping. And lastly, I added some blue foam circles that can be placed behind the driver to cut the bass by about 2dB, or simply for protection when not in use.

    If my calculations are correct, there are about 28 different tuning options of various combinations of pads forward vs backward, with or without socks, and with or without the blue back foam. That being said, my favorite config is as they are packed in the box and pictured above - just plug and play. I'm happy to help tweak to taste over DM or in the impressions thread.

    By the way, I don't mind selling the loaner set and then shipping off a replacement to continue the tour like I did with pure5152.

    Thanks for your patience everyone and happy listening! I can hardly build these fast enough to meet the onslaught of orders which has been great for us :) Hopefully they continue to be a crowd-pleaser.

    edit - any Mini owners can feel free to order these pads independently or through me (I keep them stocked). Even when you order through Ali, I've had some variation in the foams used from pad to pad within the same package. If you order through me you can pick if you want a lighter or denser one according to your bass preference.
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2022
  16. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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    Can’t wait! Will this unit have new drivers? Or will it change over time with burn in?
     
  17. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    The one pictured above is what's coming to you - those drivers arrived at my door about a week ago. I've been using that specific set about 5 hours a day over the course of the week so they've just started to settle. They might still take some burn in to sound at their best. Generally I'll run some ~90dB low frequency sine waves overnight to speed up the process but normal listening is fine too. Many owners have reported that they've needed some time to sound their best.

    By the way, regarding these over ear earpads - depending on how they're received, I might include them on every set in the future and bump up the price accordingly given the added cost... or simply replace some of the other pads with these and keep the price the same. I suppose that depends on how they're received! So far, it's been all over the map who prefers which pad.
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2022
  18. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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    Received the new loaner today.
     
  19. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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  20. Inoculator

    Inoculator Friend

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    Received the loaner today. UPS did its best to destroy these (box completely crunched on one side) but they survived no worse for wear.
     
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