[conquerator2]

I used Clear, aeon open, ether c flow, and Sundara. In my experience, mrspeskars products have relatively unique tonality than others. Other products like Clear or Sundara are more 'uncolored.' For that reason, if you A/B their products with others, you might feel its sound is strange.

Obviously, Sundara was more uncolored than ether c flow in its tonality when I A/Bed them directly. But once my ears adapt to ether c flow sound, it delivered more pleasure than Sundara. The same thing would go for afo (Tyll also mentioned something similar in his recent view on Sundara comparing afo, sundara, lcd2c).

It was quite astonishing for me to find how our ears adapt after sometime! For that reason, I always spend weeks before I decide whether I enjoy it enough or not. And going back and forth between headphones with different tonality kills musical pleasure and makes me analyze headgears rather than just enjoying music.

For the same reason, I don't feel like I need to carry more than one or two headphones in my rigs. If my purpose is to just enjoy music, one decent performing headphone is more than enough, as long as I don't start compare it to a more expensive one.

PS: When I first got Sundara, I was much impressed and planned to sell my ether c flow. After spending 2 weeks with them, Sundara went back straight to Amazon. And to my ears, afo is a clearly better sounding can than ether c flow.

I agree, but the point of this comparison was to compare. I like a neutral sound, need it for the purpose that I do, and was looking for a product that'd give me that.
I enjoy various flavor of neutral as you can see (from darker to brighter), and I think such comparisons have a place

Interesting impression, personally thought the AFO had the worst soundstage, I found the Clear to be quite a bit better in that regard. To put it in perspective in my opinion the Clear also bests the HD 650 in soundstage with a healthy margin although it still is a bit intimate sounding, but nothing too crazy.

I briefly listened to the HD600/650/660S. I won't comment much on them, but I don't think they compare in soundstage-anything. I was surpisingly underwhelmed.

 

[Ekul61]

Yes I agree small sound stage. Sometimes I wish I still owned the 800S so I could get the clean instrument separation ,large stage.

 

[TSAVJason]

Yes I agree small sound stage. Sometimes I wish I still owned the 800S so I could get the clean instrument separation ,large stage.

And unfortunately very little bass response. I’d like the 800S more if it had bass. As it is, it’s very wimpy on bass.

 

[Ekul61]

And unfortunately very little bass response. I’d like the 800S more if it had bass. As it is, it’s very wimpy on bass.

Yes hopefully they will pump up the bass someday

 

[TSAVJason]

I used Clear, aeon open, ether c flow, and Sundara. In my experience, mrspeskars products have relatively unique tonality than others. Other products like Clear or Sundara are more 'uncolored.' For that reason, if you A/B their products with others, you might feel its sound is strange.

Obviously, Sundara was more uncolored than ether c flow in its tonality when I A/Bed them directly. But once my ears adapt to ether c flow sound, it delivered more pleasure than Sundara. The same thing would go for afo (Tyll also mentioned something similar in his recent view on Sundara comparing afo, sundara, lcd2c).

It was quite astonishing for me to find how our ears adapt after sometime! For that reason, I always spend weeks before I decide whether I enjoy it enough or not. And going back and forth between headphones with different tonality kills musical pleasure and makes me analyze headgears rather than just enjoying music.

For the same reason, I don't feel like I need to carry more than one or two headphones in my rigs. If my purpose is to just enjoy music, one decent performing headphone is more than enough, as long as I don't start compare it to a more expensive one.

PS: When I first got Sundara, I was much impressed and planned to sell my ether c flow. After spending 2 weeks with them, Sundara went back straight to Amazon. And to my ears, afo is a clearly better sounding can than ether c flow.

In my opinion open almost always sounds better than closed. You wouldn’t be the first person to post they prefer the AFO over an Ether C Flow. In fact I sort of do myself. There are attributes the Ether C Flows have the AFO doesn’t. What I love is the differences between headgear and speaker/amp gear and how people come to their individual choices and conclusions. I tend to enjoy more visceral audio so I lean toward amps/speakers but under a great set of cans with a good source, I admit I have been taken away on that magic carpet too. Enjoy your AFO’s!

 

[franz12]

In my opinion open almost always sounds better than closed. You wouldn’t be the first person to post they prefer the AFO over an Ether C Flow. In fact I sort of do myself. There are attributes the Ether C Flows have the AFO doesn’t. What I love is the differences between headgear and speaker/amp gear and how people come to their individual choices and conclusions. I tend to enjoy more visceral audio so I lean toward amps/speakers but under a great set of cans with a good source, I admit I have been taken away on that magic carpet too. Enjoy your AFO’s!

Unfortunately, I don’t have afo (my father has). So I keep searching an open can to complement my closed back
Honestly, after Clear had gone, I was quite dissatisfied with ether c flow. But after my ears adapt once again, I don’t complain much. I am rocking on ether c flow again. Ear adaptation and brain burn in is real

 

[givemetacos]

How about that! We mostly agree. I’m pretty sure we don’t on the sound stage part but in most of your perspective we do

Curious how you would rank soundstage among those same headphones (Clear, AFO, LCD2C, HE4XX)? Or maybe HE-400i as substitute if you haven't heard HE4XX.

 

[TSAVJason]

Curious how you would rank soundstage among those same headphones (Clear, AFO, LCD2C, HE4XX)? Or maybe HE-400i as substitute if you haven't heard HE4XX.

I differ with you a little there. It may very well be my front end. Using the GSX mkII, DAVE & MACBook Pro I’d place the Clear out front of that list with the AFO next. Otherwise ...lol I guess it’s more than a little.

Yeah, I haven’t spent any real listening time on the 4xx but I’m pretty sure I remember the 400i and the LCD2C.

 

[NickedWicked]

Yes hopefully they will pump up the bass someday

The HD 820 is around the corner, just wait a little longer.

 

[givemetacos]

I differ with you a little there. It may very well be my front end. Using the GSX mkII, DAVE & MACBook Pro I’d place the Clear out front of that list with the AFO next. Otherwise ...lol I guess it’s more than a little.

Yeah, I haven’t spent any real listening time on the 4xx but I’m pretty sure I remember the 400i and the LCD2C.

Oh I'm not the original person that gave the comparison review. I've heard all those headphones though and was just curious as to how you hear them. And I am a bit surprised you find the Clear to be the best of all of them. I have both Elear and LCD2C and the LCD2C feels to have a bigger soundstage than Elear as Elear feels so punchy and "in your face". But to be honest, I never found any of these headphones listed to be particularly noteworthy in the souundstage department.

 

[Ekul61]

The HD 820 is around the corner, just wait a little longer.

Ok thx if Senn can add bass to the 800S we might have a new king

 

[noplsestar]

Has anyone tried the Clears with the Utopia pads (or Elear pads)?

 

[TSAVJason]

Has anyone tried the Clears with the Utopia pads (or Elear pads)?

You’ll lose bass response if you use either of those 2 types of pads on the Utopia

 

[Arthur Li]

Owned the aeon flow open before, sold it after few weeks of usage. It's a decent headphone but not the "super HD600" that I've been looking for. I compared AFO (with/ without front dampening) to my HD600 and found that HD600 sounds clearer and smoother. I actually preferred listening to the 600. Focal Clear, on the other hand, is very close to what I've been looking for (despite sounding ever so slightly aggressive in the treble region). I sold my 600 after acquiring the clear.

 

[Arthur Li]

Has anyone tried the Clears with the Utopia pads (or Elear pads)?

I tried elear pads on clear. They give the clear a bass boast. I much prefer clear with stock pads.