[Swisshead]

I would like to back up my above assessments with a concrete example.

It's about this album. I am a very big fan of Simple Minds. I even had concert tickets in March for a live concert in Zurich. Unfortunately it was postponed to next year due to Corona. It really annoyed me! This Corona theatre worldwide, I can't listen to it anymore! I get so angry when I just hear the word already. I think a lot of you feel the same way. But that's the way it is.

But back to the album. Listen to it and you'll know what I mean if I express myself badly. It's incredibly bright and colourful mixed. Very special. You're listening to Midnight Walking and Big Music. It'll make it clear to everyone what I'm getting at.

With the LCD-X I can hardly hear it. It really hurts my ears. There's a headache after a few minutes. It's no fun. Too garish, too aggressive.

With the A2c it is simply wonderful, intoxicating, perfect. Absolutely super due to the defused upper pitches! Not aggressive, no headaches. But still you feel in the middle of a live concert! You have the vastness, the wonderful live sound, also the width and spatiality! Also the wonderful growling bass foundation, which immediately disappears in the LCD-X. Not at all here.

You get the feeling that Dan heard this album when he mixed the A2c, wonderful! Hope you understand what I'm talking about from this example.

With headphones it's always very important how the recordings are mixed. Unfortunately there are extremely big differences. There are also a lot of really bad recordings, which sound awful with every album. Negative example: Asia. It's a shame what they deliver. No headphones help there anymore. Or as they say, crap in, crap out! That is 100% true there. That's why it's so difficult for the manufacturers to find a tuning that allows you to hear everything in good sound! A Herculean task.

Dan did it very, very well here.

 

[tcellguy]

Can anyone here say whether the Aeon 2 Closed has the same amazing sub-bass as the original Aeon Flow Closed? I have a feeling the perceived strength of the sub-bass in the AFC is related to the relatively quiet mid-bass - does the improvement in mid-bass in the A2C reduce the perceived sub-bass? Or is the sub-bass just as satisfying?

Sub bass is still very present. Mid bass is definitely greater on the AFC2 vs. 1, but sub bass on a few test tracks sounds even more impactful on AFC2.

The biggest difference I note on a quick A/B: AFC2 wider stage, stronger bass impact, elevated mid bass, recessed vs. neutral mids; AFC1 narrower stage but more aggressive and in your face, flatter mid bass, forward mids, hotter treble.

In the beginning I thought I liked AFC2 better across the board. Now I think I like them equally due to different tonality.

 

[headwig]

Sub bass is still very present. Mid bass is definitely greater on the AFC2 vs. 1, but sub bass on a few test tracks sounds even more impactful on AFC2.

The biggest difference I note on a quick A/B: AFC2 wider stage, stronger bass impact, elevated mid bass, recessed vs. neutral mids; AFC1 narrower stage but more aggressive and in your face, flatter mid bass, forward mids, hotter treble.

In the beginning I thought I liked AFC2 better across the board. Now I think I like them equally due to different tonality.

Thanks for that. One other characteristic I like about the original Aeon Flow Closed is what I'd call "airiness" - the sense of open space and atmosphere that its treble focus conveys. I notice it particularly in electronic music that uses reverb for subtle atmosphere, in sounds that come from behind, and in the general sense of the music sharing an open space. Does the Aeon 2 Closed lose any of that airy quality due to the reduced treble? Or is it still airy?

 

[tcellguy]

Thanks for that. One other characteristic I like about the original Aeon Flow Closed is what I'd call "airiness" - the sense of open space and atmosphere that its treble focus conveys. I notice it particularly in electronic music that uses reverb for subtle atmosphere, in sounds that come from behind, and in the general sense of the music sharing an open space. Does the Aeon 2 Closed lose any of that airy quality due to the reduced treble? Or is it still airy?

I'm curious to find out how others feel about this. I'm still trying to understand what I'm hearing. I think brighter headphones give the sense of more air, but so can improved instrument separation.

The AFC2 has really excellent treble, very similar vs. AFC1. I think the perceived difference is due to the upper mids. The AFC1 is definitely brighter in this region and that can give a better sense of air around stringed instruments. Female vocals especially have more energy and sound closer in with the AFC1 and sound a bit further out with AFC2.

However AFC2 has better instrument separation and larger sound stage. So if this makes any sense, AFC2 somehow has better instrument separation and definition, but does it in a way that does not sound bright. With AFC1 I can often get a sense of where the cup wall is (maybe reverb), while with AFC2 it can be easy to forget I'm using a closed headphone. It's not that the stage is super wide, its just that the cupped sound of a closed headphone is really well controlled.

These are both very different sounding headphones in terms of tuning. AFC2 sounds much more like AFO1. I can't really think of another headphone that sounds like AFC1 other than ETHER CX.

 

[Spie1904]

I just recalled the video of Jude talking to Dan about these headphones as I was listening to some indie and classical music today. One thing that really hit me was the comment Dan made about the soundstage in that video. It really does feel like you’re sitting a few rows out and that’s something I’ve really started to appreciate a lot about these headphones.
Besides that I personally really like the following aspects:
- Great comfort
- Portable design
- One of the better tunings for a closed back
- No leakage / zero complaints from my wife in bed
- Soundstage and imaging
- Filters are welcome but not necessary as even stock sounds pretty good in my opinion. Having the option is nice though.

This is the first portable headphone that I’d actually feel comfortable recommending in general as I feel like they do well for most genres

Some things I personally struggled with were:
- Initially getting the fit and the seal perfect was a bit tricky as I found I didn’t put enough clamp force and just put it on the appropriate size. Fine tuning it from there makes the seal better
- Changing the pads isn’t as well executed as the ZMF or Campfire Cascade system imo.
- Connector was new to me as I was used to the more common XLR but I find the connector to be so easy in use now that I’m used to it

 

[Huxo]

Would be great if someone can tell me the inner dimensions of the pads (height/width)?

 

[Billheiser]

...never overwhelms you with the information it provides. Everything is very well maintained and reserved. Nevertheless everything is there, every sound, everything, nothing is missing!

It sounds "stable". Strong, not weak. Yet absolutely precise.

I love it. I like headphones that are tuned rather reservedly. Extremely nice, too, as it responds to very slight EQ corrections. So you have all possibilities to perfect the whole thing...

Chris, nice remarks describing Switzerland! CORRECTION: I mean describing AFC2.

 

[Reader]

I consider 3.5mm to be a poor choice because it's easy to pull them out and the jacks have limited lifespans. When we started making headphones, mini-XLR was not widely used, and even now to call it a "standard" is not accurate, at all, given the number and variety of connectors on the market.

The Hirose style connector we selected is stunningly reliable, we have had one failure since we started using them 7 years ago. It also has better ergonomics than the Mini-XLR, which sticks out much further, forcing the cable to project further out over the chest, to avoid interference with the shoulder, and that increases the length and thus the effective weight of cable pulling on the headphone, decreasing comfort.

We love this connector, it's reliable as could be, has great ergonomics, and since we have sold tens of thousands of headphones and cables with it, we're not changing, as that would be a massive inconvenience to our owners. Really, I've always wondered why other vendors don't start using it, it's truly a great connector.

So I have a pair of Aeon 2 Closed in hand now, the connection feels loose and has a bit of wiggle room, is this normal?

 

[roskodan]

So I have a pair of Aeon 2 Closed in hand now, the connection feels loose and has a bit of wiggle room, is this normal?

It's not normal. Unless you didn't connect it properly. It must be aligned correctly when connecting. When pushing the connector into the socket, it makes a distinctive clicking sound, and locks firmly, and slides pretty deep (like 1/2 inch or more).

 

[roskodan]

Chris, nice remarks describing Switzerland! CORRECTION: I mean describing AFC2.

Did you receive yours? I saw in my shopping cart the Closed version are still on back order.

 

[mrspeakers]

So I have a pair of Aeon 2 Closed in hand now, the connection feels loose and has a bit of wiggle room, is this normal?

The connector has a locking mechanism to hold it in place and prevent accidental disconnect, but there is a little play with the plug, it's not a 100% rigid.

 

[FullBright1]

Pros :

Worth their money in Sound.
Balanced tone.
Slight edginess to the sound right out of the box.
A hint of "airy" throughout the sound signature.
Nice immersive sonic experience.
Mids are well designed.
Comfortable fit.
They make a strong case for "best in class".

Cons :

Not my favorite cable connections.

Mine shipped same day purchased from Moon Audio, FDX, 2nd day, free ship.
Good price also.

 

[Reader]

The connector has a locking mechanism to hold it in place and prevent accidental disconnect, but there is a little play with the plug, it's not a 100% rigid.

I see, then it's normal, thanks for the fast answer!!

 

[Maelob]

Pros :

Worth their money in Sound.
Balanced tone.
Slight edginess to the sound right out of the box.
A hint of "airy" throughout the sound signature.
Nice immersive sonic experience.
Mids are well designed.
Comfortable fit.
They make a strong case for "best in class".

Cons :

Not my favorite cable connections.

Mine shipped same day purchased from Moon Audio, FDX, 2nd day, free ship.
Good price also.

As you probably know, play with the filters they tame the edginess at various levels. I use the black felt pad - no edginess at all, but if you prefer some airiness the black foams will tame some of the edginess but just a bit. Hope that helps.

 

[Billheiser]

Received my Aeon 2C this morning. My first impressions/review: First, a little about me. My grandfather was born... HA!
These are very good.