[autoteleology]

I'm also very interested in this product, but there is a stumbling block for me - I'm really not into the idea of having to pay two hundred extra dollars to get the cable I want (balanced 2.5mm, a requirement to use the new E1DA PDv2). Frankly, I see high-end cables as a cash grab, and I see no reason for this cable to be so expensive, especially considering how plainly it's sleeved and the fact that it is only a meter long. I'll have to do some searching around for aftermarkets before I commit to anything.

 

[nigel801]

Z1R are still the king of closed back!!

 

[Vitaly2017]

So how does this compares against z1r? Mdr-z1r or ier-z1r ether ones

 

[MattTCG]

Lot's of Sony fans were disappointed with the z1r, myself included. Of course it will come down to preferences here. The z1r added too much bass to the recording, that IMO sacrificed the mid-range with some bleed.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Lot's of Sony fans were disappointed with the z1r, myself included. Of course it will come down to preferences here. The z1r added too much bass to the recording, that IMO sacrificed the mid-range with some bleed.

You talking about the headphone z1r? Cause me I use the iem z1r and love it way better then the z1r headphone

 

[MattTCG]

Sorry, thanks for the correction. I'm referring to the z1r headphone. I have not heard the iem counterpart.

 

[RCBinTN]

Well done, Matt, great review & follow-up discussion. Your reviews are among the best on Head-Fi.
So, if this is what "semi retirement" is like, maybe you can become a full-time reviewer like @Currawong

 

[jsmiller58]

I'm also very interested in this product, but there is a stumbling block for me - I'm really not into the idea of having to pay two hundred extra dollars to get the cable I want (balanced 2.5mm, a requirement to use the new E1DA PDv2). Frankly, I see high-end cables as a cash grab, and I see no reason for this cable to be so expensive, especially considering how plainly it's sleeved and the fact that it is only a meter long. I'll have to do some searching around for aftermarkets before I commit to anything.

Periapt and others make nice after market cables for less.

 

[dsrk]

Clamp is in line with original Aeon closed and most other DCA headphones. ETHER 2 was calibrated for marginally more clamp with some folks found too much. Aeon 2 does not have ETHER 2 level of clamp. Hope that helps.

The sub bass on Aeon 2 is deliciously good. The bass response and sound staging (for a closed headphone) are the hallmarks of this headphone. The bass digs very deep and slam is excellent. It is difficult for open back planars to match this level of slam due to the advantage of Aeon 2 being closed. I will admit to being a little bit of a closet basshead (in an audiophile way) and the Aeon 2 closed leaves wanting for nothing with regard to bass.

I know there are raining questions for you but when you said bit of closet basshead, it felt like my taste.
Can you compare it to HD6XX? I always want little more bass with HD6XX, I have decided to get LCD2C again (sold them because of too much weight) just for that bass.
How is the bass compared to HD6XX or LCD2C (if you happen to have or heard)?

 

[jsmiller58]

Soooo... I have the AFC and the MD x MrSpeakers CX. I do enjoy them both, but like all headphones they all lack the clarity I desire. I am not necessarily saying detail, though clarity will bring out detail. All headphones suffer from a basic physics problem - a sound source one inch from your head and ears will suffer from constructive and destructive interference wherein the information contained in the original frequencies of sound is destroyed leaving behind what can best be described as “noise”, I suppose. Even worse with closed backs that also have to contend with reflections from the cups that add extra waves and now out of phase with the same sound that was supposed to reach your ear...

To listeners all of this sounds anything from ‘warm” to “muddy” depending on the extent of the frequency destruction and personal tastes (some prefer a “warmer” tone across all frequencies). Maybe, through careful design of damping materials, boosting most impacted frequencies, focusing the sound waves, etc, the sound can be made clearer by either compensating for, or reducing, some of these artifacts... Open backs have less reflection from the inside of the cup, to be sure, but there is still reflection from your head, your ears, the earpads, the drivers and housing... Closed or open back, my experience has been a lack of clarity and to MY hearing a much more muffled sound presentation than I get from IEMs.

My question to those that have heard the original AFC and AFO, do the Aeon 2 Closed (A2C?) and Aeon 2 Open (A2O?) sound clearer? I am not asking about bass or treble “extension”, I am asking if what you hear at ANY frequency produced by the A2C or A2O is more clearly presented than the AFC and AFO. My biggest care about in headphones is clarity, then tonality (how the mids are presented, the bass and treble extension), and only after those basics of the sound signature fit MY taste do I care about things like sound stage and imaging...

All opinions stated are mine and mine only. I am certain that others love the sound presentation of over ears, and I am thrilled for those people, and I do wish I was one of them! My quest for the perfect headphone for ME continues... Will these be the ones?

 

[MattTCG]

I know there are raining questions for you but when you said bit of closet basshead, it felt like my taste.
Can you compare it to HD6XX? I always want little more bass with HD6XX, I have decided to get LCD2C again (sold them because of too much weight) just for that bass.
How is the bass compared to HD6XX or LCD2C (if you happen to have or heard)?

I've owned the hd650 for many years. Love those mids! But similar to yourself, the lack of bass extension and slam just wasn't there for me. The real weakness of the 650 of soft and cloudy bass. The Aeon 2c bass certainly eliminates the missing bass issue from the 650. But of course, we are comparing to very different headphones...dynamic/planar and open/closed. I don't plan to sell the 650 and it will always have a place in the rotation. But I do think that some things on the audiophile's wish were answered with A2c.

 

[Vitaly2017]

How warm is a2c? I listened to afc and didn't like it. Felt to reference flat neutral and thin.

 

[flarex3]

Something worth to mention: Digital audio players and portable gear like Mojo often can't drive planars sufficently. Aeon 2C has very low sensitivity and impedance and portabe gears can't supply enough current.

It is not about getting loud enough. Even a smartphone may be able to provide enough decibels of loudless but the sound quality wouldn't be good. I tested Aeon 2C with Astell Kernn SP2000 DAP ($3500 !), the device was getting very hot and the battery was being drained super fast but still unable to supply enough power as the bass slam was lacking (the biggest indicator of lack of power). Most of the entry level destkop gears can't drive it as well, Chord Hugo 2 was finally able to drive it.
Such a hard to drive headphone is contradiction with the foldable portable design.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Thank you for this stunning review.
Could be the best i ever read.
I've demo'd the AFC in the past in directly comparison to Ether 2 and Empyrian, with a bad ending for the AFC.
But man, the comfortably earpads of them is outstanding. Like PM-3 with larger space. ^^

Soundwise, the AFC wasn't my cup of tea. So i pulled the trigger on Era-1.

With this review, i'm still awaiting the drop of A2C in Europe.

Thank you a thousand times for making such a great comparison.

 

[dsrk]

I've owned the hd650 for many years. Love those mids! But similar to yourself, the lack of bass extension and slam just wasn't there for me. The real weakness of the 650 of soft and cloudy bass. The Aeon 2c bass certainly eliminates the missing bass issue from the 650. But of course, we are comparing to very different headphones...dynamic/planar and open/closed. I don't plan to sell the 650 and it will always have a place in the rotation. But I do think that some things on the audiophile's wish were answered with A2c.

Thanks my HD6XX isn't going anywhere either. I am just looking for a headphone that has excellent bass without any piercing treble.