[Porkyan]

What IEM would you say have a similar sound signature to the AEONs?

The IM02s has more mid bass and less treble and is small in terms of soundstage (of course lol) but imaging is still ok.

I mean, that's super good for the price ^^^^ imho

 

[Porkyan]

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[Porkyan]

Topping D30/A30 stack?
Topping D3 (although the power output is a bit slim, it should be fine for most headphones).
SMSL M7 (also low power output)
SMSL v2 (should have enough power output around $100)

Basically if you want a standalone device with enough power for everything you are looking at $300+ like a Topping DX7 or a TEAC AD101 (i think that is the model)

I can make the case though that if you have an $800 headphone, you should get something like the DX7 (which is fantastic) to be able to extract all the clarity these headphones offer.

So the difference for the D3 and the DX7 for the aeons is that it simply gives more clarity? and volume, of course :>

looked for some of what topping offers here in singapore, came accross this:

Topping PA3 mini amplifier
Also a topping tp30 mk 2 but seems too weak
And topping tp32ex

 

[Jimster480]

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The D30 is just the DAC. The A30 is the amp so you need both.

 

[Lelouch]

Not sure what you mean "comfortable" ? I don't worry about it being inadequate, if that is what you mean. But I like to think that I can (mostly) keep myself from the audiophile nervosa that affects many of us. I have plenty of gear, including maybe a half dozen portable amps. I never use them with the X5 III. Once you get past thinking that every headphone "need" a full watt available, you can just be happy with something that sounds good. The X5III does that. This is not to say that there is not other gear out there that you might find you like better than the X5III. But yes, I like the Aeon with the little X5III well enough that I don't deal with the inconvenience of stacking.

The volume setting is highly dependent on input level. I need to verify, because I just set the thing where it is loud enough, without worrying about what it says. Usually it is in a pocket. I am guessing that I use 62 to 68 (low gain I think) depending on how loud any given song is recorded. This varies quite a bit and especially with highly compressed tracks that sound a lot louder.

If you have a smart phone, you can get an app that measures SPL. It may not be laboratory grade, but it will give you a reasonable idea of how loud you are listening.

I tried a smartphone app but cannot trust its result as it showed only 75-80dB at max output volume.
I usually listen at 80/120 low gain but can't understand if it's over the recommended max volume for sustained listening.

The IM02s has more mid bass and less treble and is small in terms of soundstage (of course lol) but imaging is still ok.

I mean, that's super good for the price ^^^^ imho

I used IM02 for 2 years before buying the AFC, and i learned from AFC by blindly trying them so I feel the are pretty close to my tastes so maybe also signature-wise

 

[Porkyan]

I tried a smartphone app but cannot trust its result as it showed only 75-80dB at max output volume.
I usually listen at 80/120 low gain but can't understand if it's over the recommended max volume for sustained listening.



I used IM02 for 2 years before buying the AFC, and i learned from AFC by blindly trying them so I feel the are pretty close to my tastes so maybe also signature-wise

Yeah man, the IM02s are stupidly underrated!

 

[Porkyan]

I think i can safely say, some amps make the aeons clip like the fulla 2 and the Asus soundcards
Also heard a guy from LTT forums saying that O2 amp clips also

and basically i went to check my cans at a distributor only because it had clipping and buzzing.

So all in all, what amp/dac you'll need just depends on whether it clips since the aeons are fairly easy to drive also.

 

[mandrake50]

I tried a smartphone app but cannot trust its result as it showed only 75-80dB at max output volume.
I usually listen at 80/120 low gain but can't understand if it's over the recommended max volume for sustained listening.

I saw a post by one of the members here (sorry I don't member who) that showed his setup for measuring SPL. He took a fairly thick piece or cardboard and cur a rectangular hole in it so that his smartphone would fit through the hole snugly. He would then put the cardboard on the ear pad and push the end of the phone with the mic in it through the hole and into the cavity formed by the pad and cardboard. The claim was that this give a better reading while giving some isolation from room noise and allowing more consistent placement of the mic. You might want to try that method.

 

[mandrake50]

I think i can safely say, the aeons clip with some amps like the fulla 2 and the Asus soundcards
Also heard a guy from LTT forums saying that O2 amp clips also
.

You are aware, I am sure, that headphones do not clip per se. Amplifiers clip. This term came from looking at the waveform on an oscilloscope of a sine wave of some given frequency. When the amp runs out of power, the nice rounded tops and bottoms of the waveforms becomes flat. In essence clipping off the peaks and making them flat. This causes distortion. When it gets to a certain level, it is clearly audible. In the extreme it can damage drivers. A headphone driver can be driven into over excursion or experience driver breakup, but it does not clip, at least not in the classical definition of amplifier clipping.

Amps don't clip if they are not asked to deliver more power than they are designed for. I have a couple of O2 amps that I have never heard clip. But if you ask too much from them, every amp ever built will eventually clip. Also remember that there are several forms of distortion that can become audible before an amp "clips"

Anyway, just trying to be helpful, maybe you didn't mean to write that the Aeon clips... ??

 

[Porkyan]

You are aware, I am sure, that headphones do not clip per se. Amplifiers clip. This term came from looking at the waveform on an oscilloscope of a sine wave of some given frequency. When the amp runs out of power, the nice rounded tops and bottoms of the waveforms becomes flat. In essence clipping off the peaks and making them flat. This causes distortion. When it gets to a certain level, it is clearly audible. In the extreme it can damage drivers. A headphone driver can be driven into over excursion or experience driver breakup, but it does not clip, at least not in the classical definition of amplifier clipping.

Amps don't clip if they are not asked to deliver more power than they are designed for. I have a couple of O2 amps that I have never heard clip. But if you ask too much from them, every amp ever built will eventually clip. Also remember that there are several forms of distortion that can become audible before an amp "clips"

Anyway, just trying to be helpful, maybe you didn't mean to write that the Aeon clips... ??

Fixed it.

 

[Porkyan]

I have a possibly stupid question but im very curious.

The Nad Viso HP50 has been praised as the "neutral" closed backs as well as the oppo pm 3s


I personally haven't heard the HP50s. How do they compare?


I'll give a reference to those who wanna know how these compare to the oppos:

• The aeons have better bass extension, and more clean treble that's just nice, and has of course better soundstage (I listened to my brothers HD598 and the soundstage is pretty similar w/ the 598 with slightly more at best. That's impressive!)
• The Oppos have more mid-bass causing the bass guitar to sound more emphasised. And the treble is quite weak, its ok but not enough for my taste. But I'm a treble lover so what gives?
• The aeons and oppos are both very comfortable.
• The aeons definitely has more clarity, but I can't exactly say how much as I didn't get to try the oppos long enough (probably 1 hr at best)
• One thing the Aeons really does well (forgive me, im a noob at describing) is making the decay of drums is more obvious and sound really well mixed with the rest of the song. It's not like it isn't the case for other headphones that there has no decay, but the tuning is well done such that the decay blends in. (toms, kick, etc.
• As for their mids, no comment, both sound very good, but the bass on the oppos does make the mids sound slightly off (i guess thats what you call "bleeding into the mids")

The aeons are pretty much just nice everywhere, with proper clarity and soundstage.
The Oppos are still good though. Won't really recommend anything else at that price point other than the Visos(based on the reviews) if you're into neutral sound.

 

[Jimster480]

I think i can safely say, some amps make the aeons clip like the fulla 2 and the Asus soundcards
Also heard a guy from LTT forums saying that O2 amp clips also

and basically i went to check my cans at a distributor only because it had clipping and buzzing.

So all in all, what amp/dac you'll need just depends on whether it clips since the aeons are fairly easy to drive also.

I haven't had my Aeons clip ever with my o2Amp, maybe he listens at extremely loud volumes? I'm on 1x gain and ~30% of the way into the pot. (my o2 is custom so the gain options are lower)

 

[mkozlows]

I have a possibly stupid question but im very curious.

The Nad Viso HP50 has been praised as the "neutral" closed backs as well as the oppo pm 3s

I personally haven't heard the HP50s. How do they compare?

I own the HP50 and the Aeon closed; the HP50 were my work headphones before the Aeon took the job over. To compare them:

1. HP50 has boomy, sloppy midbass. There's plenty of bass energy, but very little precision. With drums, for instance, you hear the boom but not the strike.
2. HP50 has recessed, very warm, treble. They're like the HD650, except maybe even more "polite."
3. HP50 comfort is mediocre. The headband puts some pressure on the top of your head, the earcups are smallish, but the biggest problem for me is that the cups are spring-loaded so they rotate for storage, which means they push on the head in front of the ears, which gets uncomfortable after a while. They're not terrible, but I can only wear them so long.
4. HP50 is very easy to drive, and go well with phones. The included cord is 3.5mm and short (and they even include one with inline volume/media controls), and any phone is capable of driving them well; an amp will be an improvement, but only a subtle one.

In comparison, the Aeon has a more airy/open treble, has less midbass energy but is much cleaner, has more sub-bass, is much more comfortable, and is much harder to drive (requires an amp, and apparently is too demanding for amps like the Fulla 2). I prefer them by a huge margin.

 

[Jimster480]

I have a possibly stupid question but im very curious.

The Nad Viso HP50 has been praised as the "neutral" closed backs as well as the oppo pm 3s


I personally haven't heard the HP50s. How do they compare?


I'll give a reference to those who wanna know how these compare to the oppos:

• The aeons have better bass extension, and more clean treble that's just nice, and has of course better soundstage (I listened to my brothers HD598 and the soundstage is pretty similar w/ the 598 with slightly more at best. That's impressive!)
• The Oppos have more mid-bass causing the bass guitar to sound more emphasised. And the treble is quite weak, its ok but not enough for my taste. But I'm a treble lover so what gives?
• The aeons and oppos are both very comfortable.
• The aeons definitely has more clarity, but I can't exactly say how much as I didn't get to try the oppos long enough (probably 1 hr at best)
• One thing the Aeons really does well (forgive me, im a noob at describing) is making the decay of drums is more obvious and sound really well mixed with the rest of the song. It's not like it isn't the case for other headphones that there has no decay, but the tuning is well done such that the decay blends in. (toms, kick, etc.
• As for their mids, no comment, both sound very good, but the bass on the oppos does make the mids sound slightly off (i guess thats what you call "bleeding into the mids")

The aeons are pretty much just nice everywhere, with proper clarity and soundstage.
The Oppos are still good though. Won't really recommend anything else at that price point other than the Visos(based on the reviews) if you're into neutral sound.

The Denon AH-MM400 compares to the Aeon in sound signature and comes close in micro details. But it doesn't have this magic live tonality that the Aeons have.
Also its not as comfortable (but is still comfortable).
The PM-3 lacks a upper frequency response basically, the Pm-2/Pm-1 matches the Aeons but it's open back and once again doesn't have this live tonality.

IMHO Aeon > PM-2/PM-1 > AH-MM400

 

[Porkyan]

The Denon AH-MM400 compares to the Aeon in sound signature and comes close in micro details. But it doesn't have this magic live tonality that the Aeons have.
Also its not as comfortable (but is still comfortable).
The PM-3 lacks a upper frequency response basically, the Pm-2/Pm-1 matches the Aeons but it's open back and once again doesn't have this live tonality.

IMHO Aeon > PM-2/PM-1 > AH-MM400

Live tonality?