[BrianN]

I just got Aeon Flows (closed) today and have Elegias coming in tomorrow. Really looking to get a good closed headphone for regular use at home, so I ordered them both to compare and decide which ones to keep.

I don't have a DAC/amp and am hoping to wait to make that purchase. Anyway, the AFCs sound really muffled and not that great. Am I not getting a good sense of how they sound since I'm just plugging them into my computer? (Last year I tried the FiiO E10K with my 598s—what I use day-to-day right now—and couldn't for the life of me tell a difference at all vs. straight into my computer.)

I know the 598s are no AFC/Elegia, but was thinking that my previous try with a DAC indicated my computer could power the AFCs/Elegias (note: I listen at 20-25% power with the 598s and have to go up to 75-85% on the AFCs). Anyway, am I way off base on that assumption? (If so, maybe I need to grab a DAC/amp to give it a fair shot.) Or am I part of the critics who say the AFCs are overrated? I'm not seeing how the AFCs are better than the 598s based on my (lack of) setup. They are comfortable and there are moments when I can sense something impressive, but they sound a little muffled and not great for lows.

Really confused, and I'm no audiophile, so would appreciate any help!

 

[solfanger]

i am curios what amp/dac would pair with them too
& how the Elegias sounds too let us know how it compares !

 

[PointyFox]

I was unimpressed by them. Sounded dull and muddy to me on some super expensive amp/DAC at a show. I've never seen a music player that couldn't properly drive headphones.

 

[Raketen]

They don't have have much bass- rather flat and not like the stereotyped "planar bass", though the tuning filters can help a little (maybe because the drivers are smallish? my He-560 also flat-ish but with that wall of bass feeling). Also perhaps a little dead/undynamic sounding , and you can almost "hear the earcups" in a weird way at times.... but I wouldn't describe them as muddy either, and quite impressed by them as one of the more neutral seeming and isolating closed backs I've tried.

IMO they def need a proper amp to sound their best though... at least I find them only to sound right through my small Corda Rock FF desktop amp rather than directly out of my laptop or portable gadgets (even the somewhat powerful ones). Might be worth trying w/ an affordable amp well regarded for planar headphones (which from what I understand put a different type of load on amps than dynamics... though maybe your computer's audio is perfectly capable and you just don't like them).

 

[PurpleAngel]

I just got Aeon Flows (closed) today and have Elegias coming in tomorrow. Really looking to get a good closed headphone for regular use at home, so I ordered them both to compare and decide which ones to keep.
I don't have a DAC/amp and am hoping to wait to make that purchase. Anyway, the AFCs sound really muffled and not that great. Am I not getting a good sense of how they sound since I'm just plugging them into my computer? (Last year I tried the FiiO E10K with my 598s—what I use day-to-day right now—and couldn't for the life of me tell a difference at all vs. straight into my computer.)
I know the 598s are no AFC/Elegia, but was thinking that my previous try with a DAC indicated my computer could power the AFCs/Elegias (note: I listen at 20-25% power with the 598s and have to go up to 75-85% on the AFCs). Anyway, am I way off base on that assumption? (If so, maybe I need to grab a DAC/amp to give it a fair shot.) Or am I part of the critics who say the AFCs are overrated? I'm not seeing how the AFCs are better than the 598s based on my (lack of) setup. They are comfortable and there are moments when I can sense something impressive, but they sound a little muffled and not great for lows.
Really confused, and I'm no audiophile, so would appreciate any help!

Topping DX7s Pro or Audio-GD NFB-11.28 DAC/amp

 

[BrianN]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, if I'm only getting 80% of what they're capable of, they're still not good enough to keep for my ears. What I'm experiencing is what a lot of critics (and you, PointyFox and Raketen) say about why they don't like them, so I'm thinking it's not just my lack of source.

Elegias come in today so hopefully those work out for me.

 

[Raketen]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, if I'm only getting 80% of what they're capable of, they're still not good enough to keep for my ears. What I'm experiencing is what a lot of critics (and you, PointyFox and Raketen) say about why they don't like them, so I'm thinking it's not just my lack of source.

Elegias come in today so hopefully those work out for me.

FWIW IME with some headphones you can kind of get "80%" , but AFC don't seem to scale linearly like that... either sound right or just kind of off. Whatever you land on, being already so invested in headphones it might be worthwhile to try a desktop amp at some point if budget allows. Anyway hope the Elegia work out.

 

[BrianN]

FWIW IME with some headphones you can kind of get "80%" , but AFC don't seem to scale linearly like that... either sound right or just kind of off. Whatever you land on, being already so invested in headphones it might be worthwhile to try a desktop amp at some point if budget allows. Anyway hope the Elegia work out.

Yeah after getting the Elegias I realized that I'm not getting a true listen to either of them, so evaluating my options for a decent setup. Have a post here if you can help—really confused/not sure what to do!

 

[Currawong]

The Dan Clark Audio headphones have tended away from a very tipped-up treble for some time now -- this can be off-putting if you're used to headphones which have a typical treble peak.

How much of an improvement you get out of better audio gear with them depends very much on what music you listen to. If you listen to compressed pop, maybe nothing. If you listen to well-recorded music (usually acoustic) then you will likely notice an increase in clarity, sometimes after switching back and forth.