[Boogee134]

first off congrats on the masters degree! I think its cool you have the excel spreadsheet to rate and keep track of your albums. With you saying that, it makes me wonder if you enjoy bouncing between the headphones more then sitting down with one pair for long listening?

I have a friend that I consider to be the "Mid-fi King". He has about 12 headphones and a lot of them are in the $200-$450 range I would say. I tell him, "you know, if you took all that money on midfi you could easily have a TOTL flagship by now." Something that I realized over the friendship is that he LOVES to listen to each and bounce around a lot of them for different genres. So if that sounds like your cup of tea then just upgrade your Amp and DAC and have fun with all of them!

If you want 1 or 2 headphones to "rule them all" then listen to what you have an develop your tastes more.

Thank you !
Wow, 12 headphones is a lot haha. I think I'm an hybrid. I don't particularly like to bounce around headphones, but they all have their roles.
TH-X00 for hip hop, bassy stuff, doom metal, etc.
AEON C for everything else
HD-6XX for re-listens, more laid back
So I'll probably use all 3. But I also want to own 1 or 2 headphones to rule them all in the future, but as you said I wanna develop my tastes before. I feel like I won't be stuck in mid-fi hell cause I have 3 really good headphones right now to discover what I like and what I don't like. Anyway, that's exciting !

 

[shuto77]

Thank you !
Wow, 12 headphones is a lot haha. I think I'm an hybrid. I don't particularly like to bounce around headphones, but they all have their roles.
TH-X00 for hip hop, bassy stuff, doom metal, etc.
AEON C for everything else
HD-6XX for re-listens, more laid back
So I'll probably use all 3. But I also want to own 1 or 2 headphones to rule them all in the future, but as you said I wanna develop my tastes before. I feel like I won't be stuck in mid-fi hell cause I have 3 really good headphones right now to discover what I like and what I don't like. Anyway, that's exciting !

Nothing wrong with being picky and having just 3 really good mid-fi headphones, like you have. And the Aeon punches above its weight class, so one could argue it's practically a hifi headphone.

I sold off all my mid-fi stuff, and I was considering making the plunge into "hi-fi," but picking one totl headphone is daunting. They all have tradeoffs until you decide to spend ~$1500, which is a lot of money. Even then, you start running into issues with synergy with amps, and sensitivity and whether you need should go SS vs tubes. I was thinking about a Focal Clear, which I know is a fabulous headphone, but at $1500, I have trouble spending almost twice as much over the cost of an Aeon.

But I'm definitely not knocking anyone who is making the plunge. I'm just not quite there yet. YMMV, of course.

 

[Maelob]

I would tell the new member to first listen to the headphones and then figure out which one he prefers. Not everybody loves the Aeon- it took me 3 pairs to like them LOL especially coming from warm sounding headphones he might not be impressed with Aeon and may prefer the TH-x00. Sometimes we expect to be blown away by certain headphones and then we just don’t like them.

 

[phthora]

I bought a TotL earphone as my very first pair. Shure 846's. Loved them, of course, but I never really appreciated how good they were nor noticed their particular shortcomings until I started buying and listening to other earphones. As a result, now I have a much deeper, yet more realistic, admiration for them. They are not the best at everything, because that does not exist, and I have found that I am much happier enjoying several earphones for exactly what they are, rather than continually seeking out something better.

I recently had all of my headphones stolen and then covered by insurance. Which means, I found myself in the unusual situation of being able to, without any guilt or limit, buy whatever headphone(s) I wanted. Utopia, Stax 009, LCD-4, whatever. Sky's the limit. I spent a lot of time debating the question of going TotL or buying numerous 'mid-fi' options. For me, I just longed for the variety and the ability to listen to my music in a different way simply by switching headphones. So, the first ones I bought back were the AEON C's, couldn't give them up, and I proceeded from there. I've heard a few headphones that anyone would consider top of the line, and I won't lie and say there isn't much of a difference between the hi- and mid- options. There is. It just wasn't worth it for me to commit to one headphone in order to get to the summit. Plus, I've had headphones that were technically not great, but still had a magical tuning to them that made them a favorite, and I've heard technical marvels that left me cold. So, it's the mid-fi buffet for me. Call me the headphone equivalent of a committed bachelor.

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

Hey guys and dolls I did a youtube video of a comparative review of the AFC,AFO,EFC,EFO. Here's the link
Aeons+Ethers Comparison YOUTUBE
I wrote more notes down on the differences between the Ethers and the Aeons in the Aeon Open thread. Here is a link to that thread.
More Notes from AFO page
Its post #1018

Thanks!

 

[Shawnb]

Now that the Aeon Open is done and the Voce is getting ready to ship, how about a wireless Aeon Closed?

sacrilege

 

[XERW]

Just got the AFC today, any idea of a sub $300 amp to drive it? I read the iFi nano BL can but unsure. How about Corda Quickstep or TEAC HA-P5?

 

[abvolt]

Hey guys and dolls I did a youtube video of a comparative review of the AFC,AFO,EFC,EFO. Here's the link
Aeons+Ethers Comparison YOUTUBE
I wrote more notes down on the differences between the Ethers and the Aeons in the Aeon Open thread. Here is a link to that thread.
More Notes from AFO page
Its post #1018

Thanks!

Excellent reviews I just ordered the Aeon open should have them next week can't wait..enjoy

 

[shuto77]

Just got the AFC today, any idea of a sub $300 amp to drive it? I read the iFi nano BL can but unsure. How about Corda Quickstep or TEAC HA-P5?

I used an iFi idsd Black Label, which worked well when I owned mine. I'm not sure if the Nano uses a similar slightly warm dac. If it does, it's probably a good fit, if that's the sound you enjoy.

It comes down to your preferences. Do you want something to skew neutral-warm, or neutral-bright?

I personally prefer something a bit warm. I'm not sure if you're looking just for amps, or for dac/amp combos. If you're doing dac/amp combos, stuff with ESS Sabre DACs will be brighter, and not something I would personally like. YMMV, of course.

 

[XERW]

I used an iFi idsd Black Label, which worked well when I owned mine. I'm not sure if the Nano uses a similar slightly warm dac. If it does, it's probably a good fit, if that's the sound you enjoy.

It comes down to your preferences. Do you want something to skew neutral-warm, or neutral-bright?

I personally prefer something a bit warm. I'm not sure if you're looking just for amps, or for dac/amp combos. If you're doing dac/amp combos, stuff with ESS Sabre DACs will be brighter, and not something I would personally like. YMMV, of course.

Hoping to buy just amp - neutral-bright if possible - maybe a bit of added bass.

 

[shuto77]

Hoping to buy just amp - neutral-bright if possible - maybe a bit of added bass.

Poke around the Schiit threads. I just picked up a Jotunheim. I'll let you know how it goes with the Aeon closed. I should be closing on a deal this weekend for the Aeon, and getting it some time next week. If the Jot is more than you want to spend, you can look at their new Magni 3. I haven't heard it myself, but I've read it sounds great for $100. It's a desktop amp, however.

For portable stuff, I like iFi. They have lots of settings and adjustments so can tweak the sound to get it how you like it. I'd like to try the iFi nano bl some time.

 

[harris4crna]

First and foremost, what do you all determine as mid-fi HPs? Is the $500-$1000 considered mid-fi?

i have listened to the Utopia, Stax 009, HD800s ect.. and I will be honest, I would not purchase them. I have spent much time listening to the 009 on Stax amps here in Japan. I wanted to like them. I wanted to justify paying for them since I knew I would not live in Japan forever, but could not. Same with the Sen Hd800 & 800s. I have spent hours with these using multiple type amps and yet again, I felt I would get listening fatigue after while due to the lack of neutrality. I realized I was most content with a HP which could handle all types of music equally. I found this in both the Aeon Closed and Open.

I do own a pair of Sen HD700 which I bought at a discounted price on Amazon a couple years ago. I find these great for gaming and listening to Podcasts, but not music. Than I have a pair of Beyerdynamics AKT8IE MKII to match with my AK70 MKI which I use when I travel. Interesting enough, these are my most expensive, but my least favorite since I do not care for IEMs much.

So if you define mid-fi as a price range between $500-$1000 than I guess I am a mid-fi snob. Although, If I could find that magic electrostatic with tube amp than I would plunge for the novelty of it. 009 and BH combo, hmmmmm....only if I could listen.

 

[ubs28]

Depends on who you ask. For most people, anything like Bose or Beats is already considered as high-end

 

[Alcophone]

First and foremost, what do you all determine as mid-fi HPs? Is the $500-$1000 considered mid-fi?

i have listened to the Utopia, Stax 009, HD800s ect.. and I will be honest, I would not purchase them. I have spent much time listening to the 009 on Stax amps here in Japan. I wanted to like them. I wanted to justify paying for them since I knew I would not live in Japan forever, but could not. Same with the Sen Hd800 & 800s. I have spent hours with these using multiple type amps and yet again, I felt I would get listening fatigue after while due to the lack of neutrality. I realized I was most content with a HP which could handle all types of music equally. I found this in both the Aeon Closed and Open.

I do own a pair of Sen HD700 which I bought at a discounted price on Amazon a couple years ago. I find these great for gaming and listening to Podcasts, but not music. Than I have a pair of Beyerdynamics AKT8IE MKII to match with my AK70 MKI which I use when I travel. Interesting enough, these are my most expensive, but my least favorite since I do not care for IEMs much.

So if you define mid-fi as a price range between $500-$1000 than I guess I am a mid-fi snob. Although, If I could find that magic electrostatic with tube amp than I would plunge for the novelty of it. 009 and BH combo, hmmmmm....only if I could listen.

I'd say it's not about price, but performance, and it's a moving target as technology evolves. For me, the ÆONs are quite good, but the Ether Flows are superior as far as sound quality is considered, that alone makes it hard to consider both as members of the same class. Some might still prefer an ÆON due to tuning. I think the AFO is a better performer than the HD660S, but I prefer the latter's tuning (based on auditioning them, never owned either). The Sony MDR-Z1R sounded crappy to me, to the point that I had no interest in continuing to listen to them after just one minute, while I would enjoy the AFC a lot (I struggled to find differences in sound compared to the Focal Listen, which I still love), so I'd call both better than the Sony, despite being way cheaper. Maybe with some particular cable/amp combo it would start to shine, so... don't take my word for it.

The Beginner Audiophile podcast had an interview with speaker designer Andrew Jones. One of the things that made it possible for him to design speakers that sound better than others in the same price class (at least that's a common opinion about his speakers) is that he bothered to ask why certain quoted prices from suppliers were so high. In one case, he asked for some part with 2.5cm diameter, for which the manufacturer would have needed to produce new tools, increasing the price. The same part in 2.54cm (one inch) would work just as well, and was common, and so much cheaper (it may have been the other way round, but you get the drift).

MrSpeakers is a relatively low volume production and made in the US, and you pay the same prices on their website as you would through a dealer. You could probably make the same headphones a lot cheaper in China (in theory, with a lot of luck). So ignore the price when judging a headphone's category.

 

[harris4crna]

I'd say it's not about price, but performance, and it's a moving target as technology evolves. For me, the ÆONs are quite good, but the Ether Flows are superior as far as sound quality is considered, that alone makes it hard to consider both as members of the same class. Some might still prefer an ÆON due to tuning. I think the AFO is a better performer than the HD660S, but I prefer the latter's tuning (based on auditioning them, never owned either). The Sony MDR-Z1R sounded crappy to me, to the point that I had no interest in continuing to listen to them after just one minute, while I would enjoy the AFC a lot (I struggled to find differences in sound compared to the Focal Listen, which I still love), so I'd call both better than the Sony, despite being way cheaper. Maybe with some particular cable/amp combo it would start to shine, so... don't take my word for it.

The Beginner Audiophile podcast had an interview with speaker designer Andrew Jones. One of the things that made it possible for him to design speakers that sound better than others in the same price class (at least that's a common opinion about his speakers) is that he bothered to ask why certain quoted prices from suppliers were so high. In one case, he asked for some part with 2.5cm diameter, for which the manufacturer would have needed to produce new tools, increasing the price. The same part in 2.54cm (one inch) would work just as well, and was common, and so much cheaper (it may have been the other way round, but you get the drift).

MrSpeakers is a relatively low volume production and made in the US, and you pay the same prices on their website as you would through a dealer. You could probably make the same headphones a lot cheaper in China (in theory, with a lot of luck). So ignore the price when judging a headphone's category.[/QUOT

So, yet again, what makes a HP mid-fi if it is not the price? Is mid-fi a subjective term? I am asking to hear opinion how some would define mid-fi if not by price point. Now, with this said, many of us who have listened to many HPs over the years can differentiate between a poor HP to one that sounds average to magnificent. I agree price point should not differentiate what makes a HP Mid-fi to Hi-fi. Often those HP at high price points don't always sound the best, just different.

Many of the reviewers are stating the Aeons are priced at a price point which are somewhat uncharted grounds for planars....Would some say these are mid-fi HP with a hi-fi sound? I know I would!!!