[hardbop]

The Audiofly guys dropped hints about becoming more than an IEM company at last year's CES and they are almost ready to make their full-size debut this year.
 
The Australian company has only produced IEMs since they launched 3 years ago and they made me an instant fan with both the quality of their sound and construction. Their packaging is always top-notch, too.
 
 
 
 
Audiofly will be releasing 2 models, the AF250 and AF240. Both are closed back and circumaural.
 
 
AF250 specs:
 
Built with die-cast alloy, the AF250 is a sensory delight and delivers beautifully balanced, honest sound. Bundled with two cables and a heavy-duty carry case, it’s a versatile companion packed with plenty of soul.

SPECIFICATIONS

Driver type: 40mm dual membrane neodymium driver 
Frequency range: 20-20 kHz 
Sensitivity: 103dB at 1 kHz 
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Straight cable length: 1.5m (60")
Coiled cable length: 3m (120")
Plug type: 3.5mm gold plated straight jack
 
 

 
The AF240 will have a plastic housing and a single membrane driver.
 
 
Prices are expected to be $350 and $250 USD, respectively and will hopefully launch in the next couple months.
 
 
 
 


 
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/audiofly-first-over-ear-af250-af240-headphones/#/7
 
 
 
 
 

 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/ces-2015-audiofly-enters-over-ear-market-af250-and-af240-models

 

[Townyj]

Saw both of these on their website a few days ago.. Hopefully they sound good. Having a pair of headphones which come from the same city as myself would be awesome!

 

[redrich2000]

Any more word on these?

 

[redrich2000]

Still no sign of these. Wonder what it means when there are really long delays after what seemed to be fully finished demo models.

 

[hardbop]

The AF250 was also quietly removed from their shop page. Curious.

 

[LordWormwood]

Their back up.
 
Link
 
 
Wormwood

 

[hardbop]

I went ahead and ordered the AF240's. They said there was a delay for US, but it's still slated to be delivered around the 4th.
 
When I asked about the AF250's, they said they scrapped the headphone temporarily, since it wasn't different enough to warrant two full-size items. The AF250's will be back when they "will be significantly different enough to add value to our range".

 

[chestnuto]

  I went ahead and ordered the AF240's. They said there was a delay for US, but it's still slated to be delivered around the 4th.
 
When I asked about the AF250's, they said they scrapped the headphone temporarily, since it wasn't different enough to warrant two full-size items. The AF250's will be back when they "will be significantly different enough to add value to our range".

 
Thanks for the update and info on the AF250's!  Really looking forward to your review.

 

[hardbop]

Have a look at what was delivered today
 

 
 
 
Out of the box, they sound quite mid-centric, but with a little treble sparkle and bass impact thrown in. I'll have some more impressions and maybe a review, depending how much I can listen to them on my trip.

 

[chestnuto]

They look good.  Is that leather around the logo on the ear cup?
 
How's the build and comfort, does the self adjusting work well?

 

[hardbop]

The self adjustments in the headband work well, even if they add a good deal of thickness on top. The spring adjusters in the cups only allow 90 degrees of motion, so they sit flat on a table with the logos face up, but the logos are face down, when worn around the neck. The included gifs should explain how they spring into position.
 
Because the cups are self-adjusting, they shake freely and while they might seem loose, these headphones are very solid and well put together. They easily adjust for a tight, but comfortable fit around the ears. The pads are made with pleather and memory foam, so they can get a little warm. I only experienced the extra heat when I was already hot, otherwise they don't get much warmer than any other full-size can.
 
The back of the cups are textured plastic, I believe, and the sides are shiny plastic, the kind that loves holding onto fingerprints. The arms of the headband are aluminum and the embellishment on the top is some type of leather.
 
The AF240's are definitely designed for portability and mobility, despite the size of the cups and the thickness of the headband. The single sided cable has an included microphone and button. Both ends are terminated in a 3.5mm jack, so the cable is detachable. No 1/4" adapter is included.
 
The canvas bag is very nice. It's thick with a soft interior and a pouch for the cable is sewn into the side.
 
I listened to these throughout a 3 hour flight and while walking around in the airport. They don't have enough isolation to block out airplane engines, but they also didn't leak enough to annoy my fellow passengers. Otherwise, the sound is good enough for a mobile setting. Bass and treble quantities are somewhat scarce, but they do present a bit of impact down low and sparkle up high. The 240's managed to introduce me to new aspects of some of my favorite music, things I hadn't heard even with my expensive, transparent set ups. Sonically, their best feature is in the middle where the vocals are. They do some pretty great things with voices.
 
 
I'll have more later, when they're fully burnt in and I can compare them with my Plantronic Back Beat Pros. For now, they may not sound as good as my IEMs (not that I expect them to), but they don't transmit every footstep or swallow directly to my eardrum either.
 

Spoiler: gifs and pics

http://i.imgur.com/TdZ2Q6V.gif
 
 
 

 
 
http://i.imgur.com/2zc7n1u.gif
 
 

 

[chestnuto]

Thanks for going into such detail along with the gifs, they seem like the type of headphones I'm after.
 
I'll be interested to see what they're like after burn in.  What's the soundstage currently like?

 

[hardbop]

Soundstage is decent for closed 'phones. It doesn't add anything to sound staging nor does it collapse it, if it's in the recording, these cans will be able to reproduce most of it. The AF240's hold their own, for the most part.
 
Treble and bass are still fairly dry, but the mids are warm and tend to straddle the line between lush and congested (depending on the recording, mostly).
 
 
I've been comparing these to the Fostex T-X00's and the K7XX's, which are both still burning in, too. I'm sticking with the m9xx for amping duties while at home. All three are great headphones in their own right. Where the Audiofly's shine is still on the go, however.

 

[chestnuto]

Well I'm getting pretty close to parting with my cash now, thanks mate!
 
Regarding 'dry' bass.  So if used with EDM, would the bass be a bit light on and without any sub bass?  Would you feel there's enough bass impact to enjoy electronic genres?
 
I plan to use them mostly for indie/alt rock and EDM.

 

[hardbop]

The impact is there, but not the decay. They still induce toe-tapping, though. So, the bass hits on beats with a strong attack, but sustained low notes are soft, but audible.
 
If the pads were a few millimeters thinner (or maybe if the headband was a tad tighter), these cans would be as bass heavy as the Fostex's. I can apply just a little pressure to the cups and my ears start rattling with the beat.
 
 
I also listen to a good deal of indie rock and electronic music. The 240's are a little pickier than I would like and their sound signature is quite different than any of my other headphones, but once my ears acclimate (which doesn't take long anymore), I can listen for hours.
 
I'm coming up on about 30 hours play time on these (the instruction booklet suggests 40 hours of burn-in), so I'll start working on a full review soonish.
 
 
 
Quick edit: since you mentioned EDM, I'm rediscovering deadmau5. I went back to Random Album Title and "agruru" sounds amazing with these cans. I might have the volume up a little too high, but it is really enveloping.