[mandrake50]

Has anyone tried the Aeon's with the xDuoo XD-05? For now that will be my commuting setup paired to my iPhone (Spotify). I'm leaning towards the HA-2se due to the size of the XD-05 though.

Have you read the HA-2 thread. Lots of people are having drop out problems with the latest revisions to IOS. This could be a consideration.

 

[MGWS]

Thanks for the heads up! I like the Xd-05 but it's a bit bulky for walking around. I'll just keep looking and reading; maybe the cavalli liquid spark will come out or a Sony.

 

[burningv]

I haven't considered the Fiio X5, but I don't think I will. I need a DAP that has enough juice and is resolving enough for the Aeon. That's why I listed the aforementioned DAPs. Also, I own the DX90 and love it very much. I was wondering if the DX200 on its own is able to make the Aeon work its magic.

 

[mandrake50]

Up to you, of course. But I don't find the X5 III to be lacking in resolution at all. The tonality, or the ultra smoothness of the AKM DACs may or may not be for you, but resolution is really quite good. If you get a chance to try it, it would be good to do that. Sometimes ruling something out due to only price or brand name can be counterproductive.
Whatever you decide, do let us know what you think.While I have many choices for driving the Aeon, I have an open mind on the subject.

 

[LaCuffia]

You could get a DragonFly black or red ($100/$200), hook it up to your existing phone and you are good to go. I use the Red and it does a good job with a wide range of headphones. I am sure the Aeon will be no exception. I stay away from DAP's as there seems to be new and better one coming out every 5 minutes.

 

[x RELIC x]

I haven't considered the Fiio X5, but I don't think I will. I need a DAP that has enough juice and is resolving enough for the Aeon. That's why I listed the aforementioned DAPs. Also, I own the DX90 and love it very much. I was wondering if the DX200 on its own is able to make the Aeon work its magic.

The AEON dosn't require a lot of juice according to the specs (I haven't heard them) so your choice will likely be down to synergy and source implementation.

The DX200 is a powerful DAP (AM1) and will have no issues at all with the AEON but some say it sounds rather bright and flat, others say it's neutral and revealing.

The X5iii will also drive the AEON with no issue, from a power perspective. I use the ETHER Flow C with the X5iii and they have no issues being driven from the FiiO unit, so I imagine the easier to drive AEON will be no problem as well. Some say the X5iii is veiled and too warm, others say it's musical. I think that AKM's 'Velvet Sound' is an apt description for the X5iii.

The QP1R is the weakest DAP of the three but many find it still able to drive full size headphones just fine. There's the simple interface and scroll wheel to consider as well as a lack of ability to load apps like Tidal because of the simple Linux OS. The QP1R is also said to be on the neutral / bright side compared to some other DAPs. Even though the output power isn't that much compared to other DAPs the Current Mode amplification is said to be very well done.

My point is raw power isn't the only requirement and many people simply think raw max power is all they need. It isn't, and is often the least concern once there is enough for headroom (you'd be surprised just how little headphone's need to reach 90dB SPL). Look for opinions on overall synergy and clean, and well implemented drive for your headphones.

Personally, for audio quality under $1000, I'd say just get a Mojo and be done with it, but then it's a stack you need to deal with.

 

[XERO1]

I've borrowed a pair and they are quite impressive.
On the good side is the easy comfort of the design and very revealing sound, which is voiced fairly neutral.
On the less impressive side is that the neutrality can make music feel less engaging. A couple of dB up in the bass would be great, especially the low bass, which felt a bit lacking on a couple of tracks.

I agree with this.

But I would add that even though the Aeon's bass is essentially dead-flat sounding, because it is so tight and low in distortion, it sounds lighter than it actually measures.

There is a similar phenomenon when comparing the bass of a sealed vs. ported sub. Even when all things are equal, including the measured output levels, the ported sub will almost always sound more "powerful" than the sealed sub.

And by looking at the FR of the Aeon, it seems that Dan has somewhat compensated for this with his voicing of them, but he seems to prefer a dead neutral signature, so that's how they sound.

Whether that's a good or bad thing will largely depend on how closely your own sonic preferences align with Dan's.

 

[burningv]

The AEON dosn't require a lot of juice according to the specs (I haven't heard them) so your choice will likely be down to synergy and source implementation.

The DX200 is a powerful DAP (AM1) and will have no issues at all with the AEON but some say it sounds rather bright and flat, others say it's neutral and revealing.

The X5iii will also drive the AEON with no issue, from a power perspective. I use the ETHER Flow C with the X5iii and they have no issues being driven from the FiiO unit, so I imagine the easier to drive AEON will be no problem as well. Some say the X5iii is veiled and too warm, others say it's musical. I think that AKM's 'Velvet Sound' is an apt description for the X5iii.

The QP1R is the weakest DAP of the three but many find it still able to drive full size headphones just fine. There's the simple interface and scroll wheel to consider as well as a lack of ability to load apps like Tidal because of the simple Linux OS. The QP1R is also said to be on the neutral / bright side compared to some other DAPs. Even though the output power isn't that much compared to other DAPs the Current Mode amplification is said to be very well done.

My point is raw power isn't the only requirement and many people simply think raw max power is all they need. It isn't, and is often the least concern once there is enough for headroom (you'd be surprised just how little headphone's need to reach 90dB SPL). Look for opinions on overall synergy and clean, and well implemented drive for your headphones.

Personally, for audio quality under $1000, I'd say just get a Mojo and be done with it, but then it's a stack you need to deal with.

I appreciate your input on the matter. It seems like the DX200 will be to my liking as I like a neutral and/or bright sound signature, especially for metal. However, the key strength of the DX200 is its interchangeable amp section. If the Amp1 is too bright, then the Amp2 should be just right, considering it's warmer and works well with colder sounding phones.

 

[x RELIC x]

I appreciate your input on the matter. It seems like the DX200 will be to my liking as I like a neutral and/or bright sound signature, especially for metal. However, the key strength of the DX200 is its interchangeable amp section. If the Amp1 is too bright, then the Amp2 should be just right, considering it's warmer and works well with colder sounding phones.

Yes, absolutely. Reports are that the AM2 is more musical. Question is how will it synergize with the AEON. Might want to ask in the DX200 thread as well in case someone has tried the pairing or has more insight.

 

[PWilson]

We have lots of new photos coming, and a new website. I'm hoping to go live this weekend, but in the meantime, here's a little candy... (pardon the white image, the photographer did a goofy hang on the band and kind of wrecked the shot, so better will have to follow...)

If I may; you'd benefit from shooting in better lighting with a lower ISO. Part of why the shots aren't really showing the phones off properly is that they've got a lot of high ISO noise. They're grainy & gritty rather than smooth and rich (white photo notwithstanding).

 

[earnmyturns]

Once I purchase the Aeon, I'm thinking about getting the DX200 and pairing it up with it. Does the Aeon require an additional amp, or is the amp 1 in the DX200 enough? Also, I'm wondering if I should get the QP1R over the DX200. Which stackless pair is the better match?

I have a QP1R but I've not yet tried my Æeons with it, so far only listening with my home office system (see sig below). I'll give them a spin tomorrow and write a short report.

 

[Stillhart]

If I may; you'd benefit from shooting in better lighting with a lower ISO. Part of why the shots aren't really showing the phones off properly is that they've got a lot of high ISO noise. They're grainy & gritty rather than smooth and rich (white photo notwithstanding).

I agree with this to a point, but they are actually pretty hard to photograph well. The color is subtle so too much light and the headphones look much bluer than they are, too little light and they look black. And of course CF is notoriously hard to shoot well.

I'm not super crazy about any one of the shots I got for my review, but I think the group of them together gives a decent idea.

 

[earnmyturns]

The QP1R is the weakest DAP of the three but many find it still able to drive full size headphones just fine. There's the simple interface and scroll wheel to consider as well as a lack of ability to load apps like Tidal because of the simple Linux OS. The QP1R is also said to be on the neutral / bright side compared to some other DAPs. Even though the output power isn't that much compared to other DAPs the Current Mode amplification is said to be very well done

The QP1R DAC and amp are very good, they don't put themselves to shame relative to my stationary systems (see my sig for details). I don't care about apps, just the most storage (2x200GB microSDs) and good, neutral sound quality. I've never tried them with full size headphones (after all, it's my travel system), but with ProPhile 8 IEMs, it sings. As I wrote above, I should give it a try with my new Æons.

 

[intlsubband]

Still no word about shipping... but I'm very much excited to test these headphones out. I imagine that my main desktop amp, the Meier Audio Corda Classic, should fit this headphone perfectly - very powerful and clean amp with minimal output impedance.

I'm curious to see how it will compare directly out of the AK240. I will hopefully get a balanced AK cable at some point so only SE for now.

Anyone tried these with AK players, SE and/or balanced? if so, how did you find it?

 

[reddog]

The Aeon is a great headphone. I used my QP1R to drive the Aeon, and was very happy with how they sounded. I also really like how the Aeon sounded, when driven by my Jotunheim. But I feel the Aeon sounds best out of a tube amp. I have used all three of my tube amps and the Aeon sounded great.