Drop Ether CX Review (Closed Planar Headphone)

[Jimbob54]

I don't think anyone's provided a link to these headphones yet:
https://drop.com/buy/drop-mrspeakers-ether-cx-closed-headphones#overview
I can't tell if the pads are angled or not from the pics, I don't think they're angled - anyone know if these headphones use angled pads or angled drivers?

Nice low distortion in the headphone, probably way better than it needs to be though, but why not. The frequency response looks a bit peaky from about 2800Hz-4000Hz though with quite a lot of sharp dips & peaks, which makes it difficult to EQ those out....and if you did EQ those out fully it might be worth running a tone generator frequency sweep through that area to make sure you're not adding to the waviness with the EQ (rather than improving it) - because you'd be using really quite narrow peak filters which may or may not target the actual peaks & dips when they're on your own head, that's why I don't like to see those sharp peaks & dips in the frequency response there.

Not angled, nor do I think are the drivers. Soundstage is not the forte of either DCA I have, quite an in head /just outside experience.

 

[Rottmannash]

I’m seriously considering the Drop Aeon RT - what is your opinion on how easy these are to drive with a DAP? I would get a balanced cable and use these with my HiBy R5 Saber, which is about a watt per channel @16 ohms.

I have a Hart Audio cable ordered so when it arrives will try it balanced on high gain with my R5 and let you know. I'll PM you to start a discussion so I won't forget

 

[DualTriode]

I wear glasses and isolation is very good. It is worlds better than any open back but not as good as noise cancelling headphone.

@amirm and All,

That GRAS 45CA on your bench is also made to test hearing protection devices; ear plugs and ear muffs.

Will you test the isolation of this set of closed back headphones and show us the attenuation vs. frequency plots?

Thanks DT

 

[manisandher]

Totally off topic..

My lab is in the loft so heat rises...

Seeing as this is Audio Science Review, it would be remiss not to point out that heat doesn't rise.

Hot air rises.

 

[dorirod]

Hey. Was wondering if someone can recommend a good android app I can use that has peq. I am headed to the olympics and have a long plane ride ahead of me and will have time to mess around with it. Thanks for any suggestions.

See this thread: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ows-linux-macos-ios-ipados-and-android.18450/

 

[Acerun]

I thought Amir's EQ helped my CX experience a lot. Thanks for the review!

 

[Jimbob54]

Hey. Was wondering if someone can recommend a good android app I can use that has peq. I am headed to the olympics and have a long plane ride ahead of me and will have time to mess around with it. Thanks for any suggestions.

Let's make it easy. If youre using local files, Tidal or qobuz (even tidal with mqa) get usb audio player Pro. 6 band peq built in. Can pay a couple $ more to get 10 band.

 

[jae]

Hey. Was wondering if someone can recommend a good android app I can use that has peq. I am headed to the olympics and have a long plane ride ahead of me and will have time to mess around with it. Thanks for any suggestions.

Wavelet - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pittvandewitt.wavelet

 

[Jimbob54]

Wavelet - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pittvandewitt.wavelet

Not PEQ though. GEQ. But the best option I've found for applying eq to Spotify

 

[jae]

Not PEQ though. GEQ. But the best option I've found for applying eq to Spotify

Not even the autoeq profiles? In that case USB Audio Player PRO is always a good option.

 

[Jimbob54]

Not even the autoeq profiles? In that case USB Audio Player PRO is always a good option.

Nope. Not adjustable at each frequency or specifying the type of filter. I believe the auto eq import is a very detailed GEQ happening behind the scenes

 

[dorirod]

Not PEQ though. GEQ. But the best option I've found for applying eq to Spotify

Actually you can get the same thing essentially, but you need to go through the extra step of converting the PEQ to GEQ which you can load, works all right with 127-band (credit to @sweetchaos ):
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/list-of-amirs-headphone-geq-filters.20043/

Not even the autoeq profiles? In that case USB Audio Player PRO is always a good option.

Yes Wavelet can grab autoeq profiles directly, but I wouldn't advise it. They never sound right to me, I gave up using AutoEq.

 

[Jimbob54]

Actually you can get the same thing essentially, but you need to go through the extra step of converting the PEQ to GEQ which you can load, works all right with 127-band (credit to @sweetchaos ):
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/list-of-amirs-headphone-geq-filters.20043/


Yes Wavelet can grab autoeq profiles directly, but I wouldn't advise it. They never sound right to me, I gave up using AutoEq.

Indeed. But the initial poster wanted to fiddle with PEQ on a long plane ride.

 

[Dan Clark]

First, thanks for the review, @amirm!

EDIT: I saw a lot of requests for an Noire, A2 Open, and RT Open, we'll send them to Amir, no point making a user send a unit.

The most obvious difference between the open and closed Aeons is the upper bass, A2 Open has a "bigger" bass sound (admit I particularly like this for EDM).

As a general comment on measurements; when I started the company we had very poor gear and the very first thing we did when cash flow allowed it was invest in the GRAS.

We actually mostly voice by ear and use measurements to verify and reproduce what we hear, but we start by ensuring the core technical parameters line up before we voice, so we only build the rest of the system up once we have a foundation of low THD and dood time and frequency domain behavior.

The RT has a sensitivity of 677 mv and this is only 182 mv. Is that because the RT has more bass?

Different driver architecture gives the Ether class an output advantage. Not enough space to apply the same architecture in AEON, plus that's part of the cost reduction, we traded some efficiency in AEON to avoid degrading driver performance.

I second this. In my opinion, the Aeon Noire is an important headphone to test, as other tests have shown it to be incredibly close to the Harman target. If that was verified and engineering is at least as good as other Dan Clark models, it would surely become our reference for what good looks like.

@amirm do you have a Noire sitting in the queue somewhere or do we still need someone to submit one for testing?

We will send one. I meant to and forgot...

If it is just pad and cosmetic differences, im not sure why anyone would buy the non-Drop version its such a steal. If its more fundamental differences, different story (but I still think you'd be mad to get to non Drop)

We no longer sell the ETHER C that was the basis for the Drop product. The ETHER C Flow has an enhanced motor design, and a lot more bass.

Thanks Amir. Great to see these. They are especially important because they are the reference headphone for drawing lots of current with flat low impedance.

I will second comments that I wonder how these compare to Aeons, and that I am looking forward to Noire.

As for bass preference, it is the one part of preference that tends to vary among people with normal hearing according to Harman research, though a good majority of people prefer something like the Harman curve. Dan Clark has said he prefers something like this, listens to a lot of live acoustic music, and finds this type of curve to be more realistic. I personally have a very slight preference for Harman-type bass response, but am also usually happy with something like this. for me, It makes a big difference with bass heavy music, and less with the sorts of music Dan Clark described himself listening to live.

I've actually come to focus on listening to acoustic sweeps and tones to assess linearity, and found that perceptually this is kind of close to the Harman curve, but not quite the same. From this I've kind of evolved to a curve that's got more bass, as all our more recent products suggest.

The exception is VOCE, but we did work to rebalance the midrange and highs to sound more linear with a flatter measured response, VOCE sounds way better than bumping the bass, I suspect there's something going on there due to the 88mm driver and how it couples but this is just a guess.

Wonder that difference then. Their website only says this:

”Utilizing TrueFlow technology to improve the performance of the critically acclaimed ETHER C headphone, it delivers mind-blowing planar magnetic bass and dynamics, with near-electrostatic resolution while sounding even more open and spacious than the ETHER C.”

That statement relates to the ETHER C, not the Drop ETHER C. As noted, the Drop version retuned it and modified pads as well, the Drop ETHER C is a definite upgrade to the original ETHER C and closer to C Flow in many respects except bass output and soundstage where C Flow does a better job, at least without EQ.

I believe Bruce Thigpen of Eminent Technology was the engineer behind the drivers in Dan Clark's current designs.

That's not quite correct... Bruce was very generous in answering questions we had when we started out and one of his answers sparked the idea that led to our v-planar patent. Because I wouldn't have had the idea without some past research he'd done and a prior patent he explained to us, we wouldn't have had the idea for v-planar. As without his generosity and deep expertise we wouldn't have had the idea, we felt he was part of the team and added him to the patent. He's just a super guy at every level, it was a real treat to get a chance to talk to such a great engineer.

 

[Remlab]

First, thanks for the review, @amirm!

When I started the company we had very poor gear; the very first thing we did when cash flow allowed it was invest in the GRAS. We actually mostly voice by ear and use measurements to verify what we hear, but we start by ensuring the core technical parameters line up before we voice, so we only build the rest of the system up once we have a foundation of low THD and dood time and frequency domain behavior.



Different driver architecture gives the Ether class an output advantage. Not enough space to apply the same architecture in AEON, plus that's part of the cost reduction, we traded some efficiency in AEON to avoid degrading driver performance.



We will send one. I meant to and forgot...


We no longer sell the ETHER C that was the basis for the Drop product. The ETHER C Flow has an enhanced motor design, and a lot more bass.



I've actually come to focus on listening to acoustic sweeps and tones to assess linearity, and found that perceptually this is kind of close to the Harman curve, but not quite the same. From this I've kind of evolved to a curve that's got more bass, as all our more recent products suggest. The exception is VOCE, but we did work to rebalance the midrange and highs to sound more linear with a flatter measured response, VOCE sounds way better than bumping the bass, I suspect there's something going on there due to the 88mm driver and how it couples but this is just a guess.


That statement relates to the ETHER C, not the Drop ETHER C. As noted, the Drop version retuned it and modified pads as well, the Drop ETHER C is a definite upgrade to the original ETHER C and closer to C Flow in many respects except bass output and soundstage where C Flow does a better job, at least without EQ.



Not at all. Bruce was very generous in answering a few questions I had when we started out, one of his answers sparked the idea that led to our v-planar patent, and because I wouldn't have had the idea without the chat and his insight we added him to the patent. But we

Got it. I was hoping you would elaborate. Thanks for the correction. Wonderful job by the way.

 

[tential]

Dont disagree but I have never actually had a bad Drop experience. If it was only saving $100 or so I wouldnt even think it was worth it for reasons you mentioned, but I got these on offer for $750. A no brainer.

I haven't either, just was giving that viewpoint. I would roll the dice on these. I just already bought the mod house argon since those were on a "drop" as well but I do want these too. Hopefully they don't get discontinued like the Fostex tx/tr series which was supposed to have amazing bass. I really wish that had stuck around. I'm holding out for open back set reviews below $1000 that I really like though. I want to see the open back Dan Clark's reviewed.

Lol, and of course Dan Clark says he'll send them. Finally...

Maybe we'll get to get to see an ether 2 open eventually even.

 

[usern]

I saw a lot of requests for an Noire, A2 Open, and RT Open, we'll send them to Amir, no point making a user send a unit.

Can't wait to see the Noire review as these are some of the few being sold in Europe right now.

 

[Fritz-Kola_Enthusiast]

Can't wait to see the Noire review as these are some of the few being sold in Europe right now.

I bought one this year, based on the measurements Oratory1990 did. I have to say that it is the only headphone Ive ever had, which works for me without EQ. Portable, comfortable, well built and great sounding. DCA has struck gold with the Noire and I hope that a review on ASR will promote it some more, since I feel like DCAs headphones are criminally underrated in the Audiophile community.

 

[Jimbob54]

I haven't either, just was giving that viewpoint. I would roll the dice on these. I just already bought the mod house argon since those were on a "drop" as well but I do want these too. Hopefully they don't get discontinued like the Fostex tx/tr series which was supposed to have amazing bass. I really wish that had stuck around. I'm holding out for open back set reviews below $1000 that I really like though. I want to see the open back Dan Clark's reviewed.

Lol, and of course Dan Clark says he'll send them. Finally...

Maybe we'll get to get to see an ether 2 open eventually even.

Yup. Something of a benchmark for low distortion phones, love to see more I can't afford

 

[respice finem]

Yup. Something of a benchmark for low distortion phones, love to see more I can't afford

Sell what's in your sig, then you can afford it
I might be tempted to do the same one day, but generally prefer open-back designs, and few headphones fit my head.