I'm the first to post a review of these from the Australian tour. So first up, thanks to Audiofly, Noisy Motel and djvkool for making it happen. Now some eye candy:
Build and Aesthetics: In a word, superb. Like the other Audiofly gear I've seen, these are beautiful and very solid. Well made and with cool detailing that you expect from the big boys like Sennheiser, not from small boutiques. The case is really nice, it's a canvas material which is a nice change from the usual nylon. The cable is great, cordura covered and a little longer than usual, which is useful without being too long.
Sound: Generally these are warm, smooth and oh so sweet.
Bass: Big and punchy and very well detailed. Not as big or deep as the H300s I tried recently. I'm and ER-4 kinda guy, the bass on the AF is still bigger than I'd call natural, but not so much so that I couldn't enjoy it as a change of pace. I reckon they will put a small on all but the most severe bass-heads.
Mids: Sweet and warm but still flat and quite clean. Reasonable detail but nothing special.
Highs: This is the weak spot, they are rolled off and lacking sparkle. But with a touch of treble boost I was happy.
Conclusion: This is not a sound sig I'd normally go for. The treble roll off and overall warmth makes these sound a bit veiled and lacking in detail and clarity. But with a touch of treble boost I really, really liked them. That gives them the sparkle they need and EQd I found them quite clean and balanced and very naturally smooth. I've been using the new AT-IM02 lately, they are about the same RRP down here. The IM02 has better treble, detail and clarity but I'd rate the two phones about equal, which one you prefer would depend on whether you go for warm and sweet or sparkle. The AF140 is built every bit as well as the IM02 but has a better cable and case and looks a bit more handsome.
Build and Aesthetics: In a word, superb. Like the other Audiofly gear I've seen, these are beautiful and very solid. Well made and with cool detailing that you expect from the big boys like Sennheiser, not from small boutiques. The case is really nice, it's a canvas material which is a nice change from the usual nylon. The cable is great, cordura covered and a little longer than usual, which is useful without being too long.
Sound: Generally these are warm, smooth and oh so sweet.
Bass: Big and punchy and very well detailed. Not as big or deep as the H300s I tried recently. I'm and ER-4 kinda guy, the bass on the AF is still bigger than I'd call natural, but not so much so that I couldn't enjoy it as a change of pace. I reckon they will put a small on all but the most severe bass-heads.
Mids: Sweet and warm but still flat and quite clean. Reasonable detail but nothing special.
Highs: This is the weak spot, they are rolled off and lacking sparkle. But with a touch of treble boost I was happy.
Conclusion: This is not a sound sig I'd normally go for. The treble roll off and overall warmth makes these sound a bit veiled and lacking in detail and clarity. But with a touch of treble boost I really, really liked them. That gives them the sparkle they need and EQd I found them quite clean and balanced and very naturally smooth. I've been using the new AT-IM02 lately, they are about the same RRP down here. The IM02 has better treble, detail and clarity but I'd rate the two phones about equal, which one you prefer would depend on whether you go for warm and sweet or sparkle. The AF140 is built every bit as well as the IM02 but has a better cable and case and looks a bit more handsome.