[xenoVa]

I think the Aeon 2 would be right up your alley. They are anything but lifeless. And are very dynamic even at lower volume levels.

Can you tell the sonic differences between the two Aeon Closeds in detail? I hated the original AFC it has absolutely zero instrument seperation and sounds very bad overall.

 

[MattTCG]

The soundstage an instrument Separation on the Aeon 2 is quite good. I don't think you would be Disappointed. Much improved over original.

 

[441879]

Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed (A2c)

First things first. There is a name change today. MrSpeakers is now Dan Clark Audio (more on this later under the interview section. I’ve written this review over the past three days with a bad head cold, so please excuse typos and other errors.

When I arrived to pick these headphones up from the Fedex store and waiting in line, I spotted my name on a small box behind the counter. I mused to myself, “that can’t be the new Aeon 2…the box is too small.” I thought maybe I had more than one package there for pickup. Nope, the tiny box was in fact the Aeon 2 closed. Of course, not being able to wait I popped open the box right there in the store to see what this tiny package was all about.

I don’t usually say too much about the packaging and presentation when it comes to reviewing headphones. But in this case, there are a few things worth mentioning here. First, there was some considerable thought and effort that went into the physical design, materials and “experience” of opening this package. Historically, MrSpeakers packaging, travel case etc., have been rather utilitarian and functional. This is a big step up from what I was expecting. Trying to conjure adjectives to explain my meaning here, the words “slick,” and “smart” come to mind. It’s reminiscent of opening a new Apple product in that you know you getting something special when the packaging and materials are this good.

The travel case demonstrates this point quite well. It’s much improved over early MrSpeakers offerings. It has a nice rubber texture and seems impossibly small. Remember how small I mentioned the box was? The travel case only takes up roughly 75% of that smallish box (more on this soon). The other 25% of the outer box is taken by the sleeve for the cable. I don’t mean to bore anyone with such mundane details like packaging, but it impressed me, so I thought that I would share the experience.

Now, you might be wondering how the Aeon 2 fit in that tiny travel case. Let’s open it up and find out.


There are several significant new design aspects to the A2c. The most obvious one you’ll see when opening the box. The A2c now sports a collapsible hinge that when folded allows the headphone to get small, very small. Basically, the hinge allows the headband to drop straight down and hug the outside of the cups. So that in terms of girth, the folded A2c is only taking up as much space as the two cups pressed against each other. My Galaxy Note 8 is exactly the same size as the full length of the travel case. The hinge is a Marvel (pun intended and segway) of design and engineering. If Tony Stark (Avengers) were to design headphones for Iron Man, I’m pretty sure they would look a lot like the Aeon 2. Here are a few snippets from the website:

*Updated driver structure flipped 180 degrees removing magnet and flow structures from the direct signal path of the ear


*Streamlined flow elements converted to a single construction, removing air gaps to improve internal airflow

*Higher precision machined flow structures vs. injection molded parts

*Superior Driver damping for improved resolution, dynamics and a smoother frequency response

Sliding the A2c onto your head feels luxurious and is just a pleasure. There are many around these parts who preferred the oblong shape of the original Aeon to the round cups of the ETHER series. While I find both are comfortable, I can’t argue with that particular preference. Oblong or tear shaped cups follow the natural shape of the ear and seem to be more accommodating regardless of your ear shape or size. A2c clamps more like original Aeon and less than ETHER 2. I know that there were some folks who felt the clamp with ETHER 2 was a little strong. If you were in that group, then you’ll appreciate the clamp on A2c, as it is noticeably lighter.

SOUND

All the new tech is great. And I really like the use of trickle down from ETHER 2. But how do they actually sound? In a word, “fantastic.” As I played through my first half dozen test tracks, a few thoughts came to mind. First, was damn these sound fantastic! They didn’t sound like a closed headphone at all. There was good air and a spacious stage. I was picking up on subtle depth cues and room decay which I typically don’t hear at except with better open back headphones. In fact, in terms of sound stage these may be the best that I’ve heard from a closed back headphone.

The mids are gorgeous. Breathy and natural. I listen to A LOT of female vocals, so great mids are a deal breaker for me. Diana Krall, Alison Krauss, Norah Jones, Melody Gardot…all were wonderfully reproduced on A2c. I could hear subtle vocal inflection and low-level detail that I honestly wasn’t expecting from a closed headphone. I like to use Norah Jones: Live at Ronnie Scott’s for this test of late. This is an excellent live recording that isn’t overproduced and rather well mastered. Norah’s voice is front and center and has a “raw” feel. With the right gear and good headphones, you feel like you’re listening to her in a small jazz club. The A2c took me right to that performance and let Norah captivate me with her angelic voice about 5 rows back from center stage.

The bass on A2c is punchy and more visceral than most open back planars. You will “feel” the bass more with this headphone. But it still retains the audiophile moniker and doesn’t venture into “fun bass” territory with bleed into the mids. In jazz trio set pieces, an upright bass still sounds very natural and detailed. Cueing up some electronic music (Scann-Tec: Unit) is where the visceral quality of the bass kicks into high gear.

The treble on this headphone is quite extended and has more sparkle than something like an hd650 or even ETHER 2. Listening to Cloe Hanslip (a virtuoso of the violin) lead the orchestra in Paganini: La Campenella was a real treat. I really enjoy the sound of the violin and few make the instrument come alive like Cloe Hanslip. A2c reproduced the sound of the violin and strings with great speed, decay and with fully extended treble. And it was able to do this without causing me any fatigue even when I sat and let the album play through from start to finish (admittedly I’m sensitive to harshness in the treble region).

A little Q&A with Dan Clark:

1. Can you comment on the Dan Clark Audio name change? Is this change official along with the new website?
   1. Yes. Since we don’t make “Speakers” per se, we felt our brand was holding us back in getting into broader markets. We could have made up or coined a name, but then the new brand is literally building from zero, and since we’re self-funded and don’t have a big brand budget we decided to leverage my name as I’m already associated with the company brand. It was a real practical decision, and I think it’s a good one because Dan Clark Audio is a name that gives us “permission” to enter new markets and deploy totally new classes of product, which we will in fact be doing.
2. Is there a new price for Aeon 2 closed?
   1. $899.99 with one DUMMER cable in 4-pin XLR or 1/4” and 3.5mm dual tip. 1,099.99 with one VIVO cable in either 1.8m or 3m 1/4” or 4-pin XLR, or 1.1m 2.5, 3.5 and 4.4mm
3. Can you give me a brief comment on the outcome with A2c, which regard to the hinge and final sound signature?
   1. ÆON 2 is not just a minor update, it’s almost an all-new headphone. The driver is totally redesigned, and the mechanicals are re-engineered to increase function without impacting reliability, comfort or weight. All the motor technology from ETHER 2 was used in the AEON 2 driver. Personally, I really enjoy the tonal balance and coherence of these headphones, I find them to be remarkably natural sounding. As we were really able to expand the soundstage and improve imaging the headphones really sound remarkably open and to my ear there are no residual clues to indicate this is a closed headphone. Mechanically what can I say? These are a full size no compromise headphone that could fit easily in any backpack or even many purses, it’s still almost entirely metal and carbon fiber with our signature Nitinol headband so it’s also light and reliable. A cool little detail is they’re actually lighter than the first generation, by about 7 grams.

Wrap Up


I’ve written dozens of reviews on HF and other publications over the past 12 years since I’ve been serious about the headphone hobby. The great thing about writing this review is that when a headphone is this good, the writing is EASY. The words just flow onto the page and the review essentially writes itself. Such is the case with Aeon 2 Closed. It’s is simply a pleasure to listen to and naturally urges me to share my experience about it. So what does this headphone bring to the table?


Aeon 2c is a no compromise audiophile portable headphone. You’re getting flagship level performance in a closed and portable product. The A2c is a great choice for an office/work headphone. The passive isolation is quite good (noticeably better than original Aeon closed) but might not be good if you need to hear somebody call your name while you are working. But you won’t have to worry about disturbing anyone while listening to these, whether is be coworkers or your significant other. Even when played moderately loud, the leakage is minimal and tough to detect over the usual ambient noise in an office or home environment. There is a pride of ownership with this product. Something that is this well made and sounds this good gives me a peace of mind.

Finally, there are two key matters of significance with the Aeon 2c. The first is the overall performance of the headphone. The Aeon closed original was a good headphone, but categorically and sonically it belonged in “mid-fi” territory. The new Aeon 2c does not sound or perform like a mid-fi product. It sounds very much like a flag-ship product.

The second key aspect that Aeon 2c brings to the table is it’s sound staging ability. This headphone throws a sound stage that it shockingly good. When I first put them on and cued up the music, I listened for about a minute and then took them off to be sure that they were the closed version and not the open, seriously. I’ve owned good headphones that were closed and offered good “open” staging. The Sony cd3000 and the Sony r10 do a good job with staging, depth cues and air. The Aeon 2c brings that level expansiveness to the presentation (possibly better but it’s been a long time since I’ve had those headphones in house).

Performance and staging are breakthrough elements for this headphone. I expect that it will quickly become the best seller at Dan Clark Audio. I like where the headphone hobby is going over the past few years. Science and technology are playing a role in the advancement of what headphone manufacturers are able to offer. And also, I think that the willingness of makers of these products to listen to the community and develop products that offer a variation on the Harmon curve is very important. At the end of the day, all of us want to put on headphones that offer tonally correct reproduction of sound that have good staging and that are comfortable to wear for long periods. Dan Clark Audio has certainly hit the bullseye with the Aeon 2c.

Nice review. I very much enjoy my AFC and it’s nice to know Dan Clark Audio continues to improve and innovate. I watched his head-Fi interview and thought, ”this guy is a true engineer and innovator.”

 

[DangerToast]

Can you comment on which cable you ordered? If you happened to get the costlier cable, and had a DUMMER cable around for comparison, any difference you could hear between the two? $200 is a lot of money for me.

 

[xenoVa]

Can you comment on which cable you ordered? If you happened to get the costlier cable, and had a DUMMER cable around for comparison, any difference you could hear between the two? $200 is a lot of money for me.

I bought the $300 VIVO cable when I had my Aeon Closed. Absolutely zero difference compared to the stock cable.

 

[George Chronis]

I bought the $300 VIVO cable when I had my Aeon Closed. Absolutely zero difference compared to the stock cable.

Darn! I just bought the VIVO as well Hopefully less microphonics at least. Though it’s quite a bit to pay for just that.

 

[Benno1988]

If you love the Focal house sound, maybe. It isn't night and day though. It's more preference. I prefer the Aeon for sure. More natural. Supreme comfort. Elegia more detail, but Focals just don't sound right to me.

Anyway, excited by these, colour scheme aside.

 

[xenoVa]

No it doesn't. If you love the Focal house sound, maybe. It isn't night and day though. It's more preference. I prefer the Aeon for sure. More natural. Supreme comfort. Elegia more detail, but Focals just don't sound right to me.

Anyway, excited by these, colour scheme aside.

How would you describe the Focal house sound? Brighter than Aeon?

 

[Benno1988]

It's complex.

Focal grabs every detail. Sticks in somewhere in the soundscape, in its unique way. You want to hear it, it's there, distinctly in that spot, if you want it. Never seems to force anything down your throat. Dynamics are crazy good. But it can, and for me does, comes off a bit metallic or robotic. A French robot.

It takes a lot of getting used to for me. The Elegia is similar to the Clear. Even after weeks with the Clear, although better, still didn't sit right.

The Aeon sounds instantly natural. I sold mine off because they could be a bit boring sometimes. If AC2 can add in more detail and dynamics it should be win. Looks aside...

Edit: Describing Focals house sound is like trying to describe Grado's. Just go listen to them, too hard haha. You like it or you don't.

Edit 2: Price is a bit concerning. Wonder what they will come in at in Australia. Aeon 1 was about $1100 AUD new around release. I think around $850 AUD they are good value. These would need a good step up if they are going to try charge $1500 AUD for them. Puts them against Clear, Z1R, T1 and a bunch of other decent headphones.

 

[Wes S]

I personally love the red color!

 

[episiarch]

Aeon 2 closed vs other headphones:

First of all, I haven't been much of a fan of closed headphones for the most part. My listening situation doesn't "require" a closed set of headphones, although at times it would be nice to have. Here is a list of closed headphones that I've owned or had for extended audition:

1. Aeon closed original

This is the natural comparison. But it would be a mistake to expect just an evolutionary change in this particular case. It's much more than that. The Aeon 2 closed has been completely reworked from the ground up. It has a new motor, new driver and new materials internally and is essentially an all new product instead of a reworked one. And more importantly, the A2c sounds like a completely difference headphone. Think revolutionary instead of evolutionary here. I won't make comparisons here because the A2c is simply much better across the board, period. There is nothing the original does that is competitive with the new A2c.


2. ETHER C Flow

Now this gets more interesting. Based on my evaluation, having owned the ETHER C Flow for over a year, these two headphones compete well against each other, despite the price discrepancy and pecking order. But at the end of the day, I'd pick the A2c every time. It's much more comfortable for starters. There is a distinct sound stage advantage for the A2c despite the difference in the size of the cups between the two headphones.. A2c does bass better with more slam, although this is pretty close. Mids are also close with A2c delivering slightly better textural information from vocalist than ETHER C Flow. With regard to treble, the A2c is better offering equal extension of the ETHER C Flow without a small peak that can sound sibilant with some recordings on ECF.

But wait, the EFC cost $700 MORE than the A2c and it sounds arguably better than it's more expensive sibling? Well, actually it does. So why would a company do this. It's not that complicated really. Companies like Schiit Audio do this as well. The $600 Bifrost 2 sounds better than the Gungnir MB costing $1250. Much of this has to do with time schedule of releasing a new product that does improve performance to a degree that it sounds and performs better than one of your own more expensive products. Later those older products like the Gumby and EFC will also be revised and updated and likely overtake their over-performing siblings. But take this for what it is, which is an opportunity to get flagship closed headphone performance at a mid-fi price. We all love a great deal, right?

3. Audioquest Nightowl Carbon

The NOC is a polarizing product to be completely fair. I do enjoy the tone and timbre of the bio-cellulose driver in this headphone. NOC can do nuance and low level detail very nicely when the right upstream gear are used to the proper effect. But in terms of over performance sonically, the A2c is leagues better. Unless you have a bent towards the bio-cellulose sound, the A2c takes this one easily.

4. Audeze XC

Let's get this out of the way right off the bat. The XC is stupid heavy. Send me to the chiropractor heavy. I could only wear it for about 30 minutes or so before the neck pain started in. But I do like the sound of the XC. Staging is better than average, but doesn't overtake the A2c. Tone and timbre of the mids is good with the XC and competitive with the A2c. But the XC has that Audeze dip somewhere in the upper mids/lower treble that always bugged me. These two headphones are competitive with the comfort of the A2c making the choice a no brainer for me personally.

5. Sony cd-3000

Going a little old school here with the Sony cd3k. This is an early 90's product that will natural be under the radar of most folks. The stock signature of this headphone was bright and lean with good staging. But add a dual exit copper cable and a good tube amp and this becomes a very good headphone. Many say that it competes well as a "mini r10" which is legendary in the community. But at the end of the day A2c trounces the cd3k, with more body, better staging and more coherency to the overall signature.

If you can't tell, I do in fact like the Aeon 2 c quite a bit. It's fair to say that I'm a little smitten with it. Listening to this headphone is often an addictive experience for me. I want to listen to "just one more song/album" each time that I use it. Five or six years ago, we saw somewhat of an explosion of new products in the headphone hobby, especially with regard to planar magnetic products. And now that the dust is settling, we have some real leaders that are paving the way with some truly exceptional products. I'm glad that we have Dan Clark Audio as one of the real innovators working to lead the way.

Thank you for the comparison against the CD3K It's very helpful in my case.

 

[autoteleology]

I'm most curious as to how the sub-bass extension is on these, a criteria in which I find most headphones to be pretty lacking after my experiments with the SZ2000.

Also, how is the ease of fit and seal? I'm currently likely to sell my E-MU Teak after discovering that my head is too small for the headphone to clamp properly, robbing me of a substantial portion of the bass volume. How strong is the clamp?

 

[MattTCG]

I'm most curious as to how the sub-bass extension is on these, a criteria in which I find most headphones to be pretty lacking after my experiments with the SZ2000.

Also, how is the ease of fit and seal? I'm currently likely to sell my E-MU Teak after discovering that my head is too small for the headphone to clamp properly, robbing me of a substantial portion of the bass volume. How strong is the clamp?

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.

 

[Wes S]

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 love reading this, about the bass, and I am now officially sold. I am buying a pair.

 

[MattTCG]

@Wes S And I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do. The time line for getting my production pair and writing a review was very tight. And now that the A2c continues to break in, I'm even more impressed with it. Please post back with your own thoughts once you've got them in house. Enjoy!