[mandrake50]

How do you intend to play music through the Aeons. I mean source/amp until you buy something??

How much money to you want to spend?

 

[MGWS]

How do you intend to play music through the Aeons. I mean source/amp until you buy something??

I'll be using a Xduoo xd-05 from massdrop connected to either my iPhone or Macbook air and streaming spotify. Right now I am leaning towards the Queststyle CMA400i when it comes out and is reviewed but am open to anything. I do have a few parameters on size since I have a condo in Seattle and space is a premium as well as the units aesthetics.

 

[Mkoll]

What are you using to power the Z1R and AEONS? The AEON's will be my first real set of headphones and Z1r's are next on my list based off all the reading I have been doing on the froum. I have not purchased an amp/dac yet as I am waiting for pairing suggestions from everyone.

Just got my shipment notification!

I listened to the both the Z1R and the Aeons in the Woo room at Canjam Socal. I found the Z1R to have a very colored sound I'd describe as lush and warm with a big dynamic range. The Aeons have a much more reference sound that I prefer. It would be good to have a pair of both because their sounds are so different. However, the Z1R's price is very high for what you get, IMO. The Aeon price-perforance ratio is much better. I'd see myself saving for a Utopia before a Z1R.

 

[askri]

I listened to the both the Z1R and the Aeons in the Woo room at Canjam Socal. I found the Z1R to have a very colored sound I'd describe as lush and warm with a big dynamic range. The Aeons have a much more reference sound that I prefer. It would be good to have a pair of both because their sounds are so different. However, the Z1R's price is very high for what you get, IMO. The Aeon price-perforance ratio is much better. I'd see myself saving for a Utopia before a Z1R.

That is why i ordered AEON to pair them with my Sony Z7 wich i love so much. But to be honest they have the same coloration problems as Z1R.

 

[MGWS]

I listened to the both the Z1R and the Aeons in the Woo room at Canjam Socal. I found the Z1R to have a very colored sound I'd describe as lush and warm with a big dynamic range. The Aeons have a much more reference sound that I prefer. It would be good to have a pair of both because their sounds are so different. However, the Z1R's price is very high for what you get, IMO. The Aeon price-perforance ratio is much better. I'd see myself saving for a Utopia before a Z1R.

The Utopias would be great but I feel that I would have to invest more than I want to get the most out of them. This is not my primary hobby so I need to budget accordingly.

My Aeons will be here Tuesday. I'm looking forward to reading about everyones pairings and observations.

 

[rnros]

What are you using to power the Z1R and AEONS? The AEON's will be my first real set of headphones and Z1r's are next on my list based off all the reading I have been doing on the froum. I have not purchased an amp/dac yet as I am waiting for pairing suggestions from everyone.

Just got my shipment notification!

Good choice for a first set of headphones.
Yes, I do think the DAC/Amp critical to realize the full potential of any high capability headphone, AEON no exception.

HiRes FLAC > COAX > Gungnir Multibit > Mjolnir2 (RFL6N3P-E) or Lyr1 (SYL6NS7GTB)

I'm sure the AEON pairs well with many amplifiers both SS and tube, these two are tube hybrids.
The tubes do make a significant difference, I prefer tubes that are clean, dynamic, and well extended.
Not 'tube sound' in the common sense. These are the two best that I have found that meet that criteria.

 

[Reiven]

Finally I got the FedEx notification. There were maybe under 50 left when I made the preorder. #11644 if any one need to know. Aeons will be in Finland next tuesday. I'll be pairing them with Jotunheim. Long weekend ahead waiting.

 

[elan120]

Finally I got the FedEx notification. There were maybe under 50 left when I made the preorder. #11644 if any one need to know. Aeons will be in Finland next tuesday. I'll be pairing them with Jotunheim. Long weekend ahead waiting.

Sounds great! Hopefully the tail end of pre-orders will be shipping soon, as I am among the last few got on the pre-order list.

 

[Hippocamp]

Finally I got the FedEx notification. There were maybe under 50 left when I made the preorder. #11644 if any one need to know. Aeons will be in Finland next tuesday. I'll be pairing them with Jotunheim. Long weekend ahead waiting.

Excellent!! Getting close to my 11684!

 

[TimeLord]

Good choice for a first set of headphones.
Yes, I do think the DAC/Amp critical to realize the full potential of any high capability headphone, AEON no exception.

HiRes FLAC > COAX > Gungnir Multibit > Mjolnir2 (RFL6N3P-E) or Lyr1 (SYL6NS7GTB)

I'm sure the AEON pairs well with many amplifiers both SS and tube, these two are tube hybrids.
The tubes do make a significant difference, I prefer tubes that are clean, dynamic, and well extended.
Not 'tube sound' in the common sense. These are the two best that I have found that meet that criteria.

I have dabbled in tubes and own a couple of tube amps. I have found that what I'm looking for in amps and everything else, above all, is neutrality. The closer the equipment is to producing a neutral sound, the better. This means I'm not constantly looking for a "good pairing." If you break down "good pairing," you're really just trying to compensate for one less-than-ideally designed device with another one (e.g. bright headphone with warm amp). With a neutral setup, if I want to color the sound, I can EQ.

With the above as context and your preference against "tube sound," why own tube amps, hybrid or otherwise?

I think you'd be better served with a good neutral-striving amp.

 

[TimeLord]

The Utopias would be great but I feel that I would have to invest more than I want to get the most out of them. This is not my primary hobby so I need to budget accordingly.

My Aeons will be here Tuesday. I'm looking forward to reading about everyones pairings and observations.

You're right in a sense. However, the same kind of (likely more expensive than you want to spend) amp/DAC will help you get the most out of both the Z1R and the Utopia.

The difference is that the Utopia is a much better headphone than the Z1R and it scales better with better upstream gear.

Keeping in mind the Utopia is nearly twice the price of the Z1R, if I was choosing between them I'd go with the Utopia because when you eventually upgrade your amp/DAC (and you will, welcome to Head-Fi ) the Utopia's sound will continue to get better much more so than the Z1R.

When I first got the Utopia, the dealer I auditioned it at had many high end amps, but I chose the Woo Audio WA-7 to test it with because I had one and knew what it should sound like, therefore I can isolate the changes to the Utopia. It sounded great with the WA-7, but as my upstream gear improved, the Utopia just kept getting better.

I hope this perspective is helpful to you.

 

[rnros]

I have dabbled in tubes and own a couple of tube amps. I have found that what I'm looking for in amps and everything else, above all, is neutrality. The closer the equipment is to producing a neutral sound, the better. This means I'm not constantly looking for a "good pairing." If you break down "good pairing," you're really just trying to compensate for one less-than-ideally designed device with another one (e.g. bright headphone with warm amp). With a neutral setup, if I want to color the sound, I can EQ.

With the above as context and your preference against "tube sound," why own tube amps, hybrid or otherwise?

I think you'd be better served with a good neutral-striving amp.

Depends on how you define neutral. Or what you accept as neutral as defined by another.
My reference to "tube sound" acknowledged that there was a common, and limited, notion of what tubes provide. Not so.
If there was a true neutral device or chain, that is to say natural and realistic, we would all know about it and be convinced.
Personally, I am referencing neutral/natural/realistic back to live acoustic performance. Not saying it should be the same for everyone.
Solid state, tubes, vinyl, CD, Hi/LoRes files, DAC, COAX, USB, amp topologies, discrete/IC, etc, it all has some effect, be it subtraction, addition, distortion, or imbalance.
I think the assumption you are putting forth is that true, actual neutral components do exist and are ideally designed.
Wish it were so simple, we would all spend a lot less time and money.

 

[Astral Abyss]

Dan, I wanted to let you know that I am thrilled with my new AEONs. I got them for semi-portable usage with my Shanling M5 and it's better than I even imagined. Clean, clear sound, without being boomy, and with deep, hard hitting bass. I was listening to some Information Society and swear I've never heard it sound that good out of any of my other gear. The AEON is literally a godsend for synthesized music.

I had them cranking pretty loud and my wife couldn't hear it at all. Another plus. I was wearing them for a couple hours while doing chores around the house and they never once became uncomfortable, heck I didn't even know they were there, although my ears did start sweating a bit. I run pretty hot though, so this isn't uncommon for me.

The case is perfect. Great size. I can fit both the dummer cables and my M5 in there. The AEONs look to have a great future with me and will be my go-to for any travelling.

 

[TimeLord]

Depends on how you define neutral. Or what you accept as neutral as defined by another.
My reference to "tube sound" acknowledged that there was a common, and limited, notion of what tubes provide. Not so.
If there was a true neutral device or chain, that is to say natural and realistic, we would all know about it and be convinced.
Personally, I am referencing neutral/natural/realistic back to live acoustic performance. Not saying it should be the same for everyone.
Solid state, tubes, vinyl, CD, Hi/LoRes files, DAC, COAX, USB, amp topologies, discrete/IC, etc, it all has some effect, be it subtraction, addition, distortion, or imbalance.
I think the assumption you are putting forth is that true, actual neutral components do exist and are ideally designed.
Wish it were so simple, we would all spend a lot less time and money.

Note that I said the closer a device is to neutral, the better. I don't disagree that perfectly neutral devices really don't exist.

However, tubes exasperate the already difficult proposition of achieving neutrality.

 

[TimeLord]

Getting back to the AEON, I just got mine.

Shout out to Alex and Austin for their great customer service.

On initial listen, I thought they lacked bass extension and there was some loss of control in the upper mids stretching into the highs.

Then I tried the inserts Dan mentioned earlier in the thread. To my ears, there's a marked improvement in bass extension and a dampening of the biting upper mids and highs. I will be leaving the inserts in place.

The inserts ever so slightly brush up to my ears, but it's not something I have thus far found problematic.