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

Bah, well that's really too bad. I was hoping to eventually upgrade, but I don't think I will anymore... maybe I'll get a chance to listen sometime and hear the difference first hand. Thanks for the response.

 

Well, the company name is all about stuff that comes out in that general region.

Maybe they will announce the Uber-Ether, or Urethra?

 

Reading the Flow measurements thread is very necessary before purchase(!)


Also, out of curiosity, and just for fun:
If you have a Flow on hand, and want to detect your own ear " treble sensitivity ",

Simply pull off the two layers of materials under the pads..


Also have gauze on hand for massive ear bleed..

That's what you get for being a curious person like me.

 

lol that's unexpected to hear since people (on HF) have told it's more smooth sounding and even Dan Clark said that the C Flow in comparison to C 1.1 has a good 3dB below 150hz.

C 1.1 is already very close to perfection tonality wise to my ears (10khz spike, few dB lack of bass) Will not gamble on the upgrade lol.

 

Surely the Mr. Speakers Cloaca will be their first >$5000 headphone? If I catch sight of it, I'll try to just put it behind me and move on.

 

I'm not sure how well regarded Mike Mercer is around these parts, but he just posted this on HeadFi

http://www.head-fi.org/t/820223/201...7-9-2016-the-exhibitor-list/105#post_12902544

psyched to spend some time w/ Flow!!
LOVE my ETHERs + ETHER-C on the Schiit Jotunheim!!
[and some pics]​

 

Nah, don't do that!
I might be getting mine soon... I don't think you guys have Ether Flow-C measurements yet, so I might lend them to you/Hands/Ultra once I get settled in with them for a bit.

 

Lol omg it is actually just like that!
You do not wince from any pain, as it is not a screeching or rough elevation of the trebles.
The foam and felt combo give it an eerie sensation of constant mind control..
More like a constant air or ringing of your ears.

I did not play tracks that covers this area fully,
But noticed a peak elevation in mid to upper trebles that accentuated the ambient info in that area, which gave it a sense of liveliness at level of an hd800.

As I stated in the past posts, this gave me a nervous sensation, unlike the hd800 which was spacious.
To me, although I felt it was a fun bass and paranoia highs, it not a reference signature,
So it was still a let down for$1800.
It simply remains to me a fun can with eerie pitched trebles and fun bass.
It remains a unique and alluring can, but too me over priced.

The FOCAL ELEAR DEVASTATES this can.
Although it does have its own issues,
Yes,
The Elear is a clearly superior can(!)

The worst part about the Flow,
Is that you cannot modify the internals.
All Ethers (Flow & non-Flow) are booby-trapped..
WTF..
I pay $1,800 and I can't open up what I own.

 

Last night listening to my alpha dogs I think I finally detected the mid range planar distortion I've read about here and now I've stumbled upon this thread. Surely it's a sign that I should stop waiting and just pick up an hd6x0. It's disconcerting that even Dan's flagships resort to band aid type solutions and multiple revisions/updates after the fact to correct glaring issues.

 

Can you explain you thoughts specifically where the Focal Elear "DEVASTATES" the Flow, and is "clearly superior" to the Flow?

I'd like to know if either should be considered, or just a waste of time for me to audition!

 

I think all cans are worthy for "audition" just to know them, so you pick the right can For The Purpose Intended.

Not sure what type music or what purpose.
The flow can be a fun can addition for your harem of cans, if you like the signature.
Nothing beats hearing for yourself.
The question is what purpose is it for .
Critical? Fun? Easy listening? Portable?

Anyways, where the Flow and Elear cans differ is that the Elear simply has more realism.
Flow can be juicy and fun and alive once your ears get used to the treble elevation.
Same applies to the Elear in the once you get used to its upper bass elevation, it becomes very exciting.

Its up to you what signature you prefer, although I would say the Elear has way more potential, because the Flow drivers seems to be pre-tuned to actually "need" materials in front of it. It is designed to have a unique signature using frontal foam to give it "flow"..


Edit**
To put in perspective, I like the Flow in general.
It seemed like a worthy improvement over the original but it remains under the TOTL best cans.
There many nice cans out there, but there are certain cans you tend to keep over time, if they fit your purpose.

 

Thanks for the reply, but I don't think you made the case for "DEVASTATES", and "clearly superior". to the Flow! Sounds to me that personal preference, for you, isn't satisfied, because of the inability to mod Mr Speakers products. There is no perfect headphone, but we keep looking and trying to find one. The TOTL cans current prices, would not have the Flow even close to the competition if price per performance was a criteria. Perhaps the flow is the new Midfi headphone. No value in this world of greed!

 

hm for the price of the flow, just buy yourself a 6x0 to mod, a T3 amp, a nice steak dinner with the change, and call it good. then again, i wouldn't buy a ether/flow if it had unicorn dust sprinkled on the drivers and tiny little elves that fucked my eardrums to completion with their micro-peens. and not just because of their probably planned (or perhaps piss-poor planned) obsolescence either.

 

That philosophy would be double or triple or more with a utopia and many amps or dacs. Silly.

 

I like the Flow look and design.
I don't like the price and the soundstage.
That is the underlying reasons.

If anything, a short time ago I was clearly biased AGAINST Focals ELEAR and biased FOR the Flow..!

I purchased the Flow unheard with confidence it would be better than the previous Ether.
It was, but still brought on more issues.

I already made an Ether mod thread for first version & anyways loved the design.
It was understood to be good but not TOTL level.
So I was an Ether fan.
No more.

After not reaching the level of sound I expecting for a TOTL can, while having a TOTL price tag,
and not being able to open them was a dead end for me.

What Dan needs to put on his website, is to put a separate "drop down" option..
An option for "signature & soundstage'
Because his design does not allow a person to mod it at all.
He wants total control over that.

He gave two soundstage options on his upcoming stax demo cans.
I believe he should have also done this with the Flow...
Anyways even then I would not take what doesn't sound TOTL and just sounds like a fun U shape can.

As of now
I would prefer others over the Flow, even an audeze EL8.

Edit**
The simple truth is although the Elear signature is not balanced, it does sound with more resolution than the Flow.
The HD650 sounds with more resolution than the Flow.
Exaggerated detailing of the Flow moderate "U" shape signature does help to make you believe it is great, but actual realism not at same level.
You have to hear it for yourself as the Flow may work for you as the moderate "U" shape type signature is appealing

 

Ok you're right that the logic (vis-a-vis diminishing returns) is silly. But certain expensive gear sounds good and if one is motivated to ride the diminishing returns curve, might actually be worth it for the brain juice it'll unleash when listening to music. Not so for all expensive gear. So it depends on the gear in question whether the logic is silly or not. In my opinion, it's true of the ether, which I tried to express in my silly and hyperbolic comment my comment about the planned obsolescence was aimed at mrspeakers because of their weird trend of releasing tweaks and upgrades that cost money on products that should've been perfected before release.

basically my take is that, given a limit of 1800ish to spend (which i think is what the flow cost), i personally would get a 650 (at ~300) and a modded T3 (at ~1400) and then eat a really nice steak. or if we stuck to the two cans that were posed initially as candidates (elear and ether), i'd still rather get an elear and one or two pairs of different pads and a jodie for well <1800. p.s., i didn't write IMO or YMMV after each statement but it's implied. But maybe sbaf is turning me into a grumpy asshole!

 

I was looking at Ether Flow Closed for my TOTL end-game and awaiting shipment now totally depressed to hear that Elear sound better and cost 1 grand only, are the ether really peaky in Treble like HD800 ): what other options are there to have a closed back end-game HP I didnt like the LCD-XC for same treble issues.