Dan Clark Audio ETHER 2 headphone is an open-back planar magnetic headphone from Dan Clark Audio.

ETHER 2 has the motor designed around the concept of TrueFlow technology. Instead of designing TrueFlow into the motor, they have designed the motor around the TrueFlow technology to realise a major improvement in linearity, dynamics, and detail. And they didn’t stop there. To make the most of the increased resolution of the motor Dan Clark Audio developed an all-new diaphragm that’s 70% less aluminium trace weight than the original ETHER driver. As a result, ETHER 2 delivers incredible clarity, powerful, fast bass, liquid mids, and a smooth, balanced top end that’s incredibly resolving yet not at all bright to deliver a coherent, dynamic and remarkably balanced performance.

Shedding Weight, Not Strength ETHER 2 is light. Really light, almost 90 grams or 3.75 ounces lighter than the comfortable ETHER Flow headphones. Amazingly, this weight drop didn’t involve switching from metal to plastic components, which would compromise sound and reduce product life. ETHER 2 sports an all-metal headphone cup and headband, with a carbon fibre driver baffle, so it’s built to last, in style. At under 290 grams, ETHER 2 is not only one of the lightest full size planar magnetic headphone on the market and it may be the lightest top-of-the-line headphone from any high-end vendor. Ultra lightweight design with a new ergonomic ear pad and an enhanced webbed head-strap combine to make ETHER 2 the new standard in high-performance headphone comfort and ergonomics.

Using a patent-pending “peel able” ear pad design, you can swap between any of the three pad options in just a few seconds. While each pad is suitable for any genre, they all carry a unique voice that can be chosen based on your preferences of the day (or hour). The original pad delivers a midrange forward sound that’s great for vocals and acoustic music, while perforated pads give a bit more of a “fun” response curve and project a larger soundstage. Suede, which is incredibly comfortable, offers a warm tone with powerful bass - great for electronica and rock.

With Dan Clark Audio's Vivo cable, this fully custom cable design incorporates silver plated OFHC copper and top-quality connectors available in 2m and 3m lengths 6.3 mm and 4-pin XLR terminations, also portable-friendly 2.5, 3.5 and 4.4 mm cables. VIVO projects a wide open and holographic soundstage with precise imaging and tons of smooth detail. And VIVO feels as good as it looks, and sounds. VIVO has a remarkably supple feel and is so light you’ll hardly notice it’s there and careful construction means it’s non-microphonic for comfortable and “quiet” listening.