[mrspeakers]

Aeons definitely benefit from a good DAC and amp. The thing about the Aeons though is they are pretty low impedance and they like a lot of current. That makes most tube amps less than ideal. The exception is hybrid tube amps (combination tube and solid state to give a tube sound with solid state low impedance performance). That’s what I use (Schiit Lyr 3) and I love how it works with Aeons.

Hybrids are a great choice, generally my favorite amps are hybrids.

 

[franz12]

I found that EQ profiles for AFO/AFC are available at Sonarworks. Too bad as I just sold mine. I wish I could try..

 

[Charente]

I found that EQ profiles for AFO/AFC are available at Sonarworks

Yes, I'm trying it right now for AFO ... interesting ... my initial impression is slightly better quality, more prominent, treble for my not so young ears.

 

[franz12]

Yes, I'm trying it right now for AFO ... interesting ... my initial impression is slightly better quality, more prominent, treble for my not so young ears.

I think Reference 4 is better/more flexible than True-fi. With Reference 4, you can also boost bass or make FR tilted by adding or subtracting a few dbs.
Both seem to have all profiles.

 

[Charente]

I think Reference 4 is better/more flexible than True-fi

Ah, OK ... just trialling True-Fi with AFO ... will try your suggestion tho' ... thank-you. Will Reference 4 still work with Audirvana, do you know ?

AFO profile on True-Fi

 

[franz12]

I think so. Reference 4 works as system-wide universal EQ on Mac OSX, which means it works with everything.

 

[Focux]

I tried SonarWorks earlier today and it made the 650 sound very dead =S

 

[Charente]

Having listened to the Sonarworks AFO profile for a fair while today, personally I quite like it. I happen to have LISSTs in my Mjolnir 2 at the moment (long story !) and haven't really enjoyed their sound in the past ... but with Sonarworks/AFO they seem to come alive ... not as good as decent tubes, but nonetheless ...

 

[franz12]

Having listened to the Sonarworks AFO profile for a fair while today, personally I quite like it. I happen to have LISSTs in my Mjolnir 2 at the moment (long story !) and haven't really enjoyed their sound in the past ... but with Sonarworks/AFO they seem to come alive ... not as good as decent tubes, but nonetheless ...

Also, try the tilt function with 2-4db depending on your mood. I think that function is quite interesting.

 

[franz12]

I tried SonarWorks earlier today and it made the 650 sound very dead =S

Take some time to adjust your ears to new sound. After you listen to them for a while, then turn the eq off. Then you will get the same strange feeling again.

 

[Charente]

I have new tubes back in the Mjolnir 2 and, after a couple of days now, I must say the Sonarworks/AFO True-Fi headphone tuning is a revelation. I've never been a fan of any sort of equalization/correction, largely because I couldn't get it right ... probably through a lack of proper understanding on my part. True-Fi is a simple to use FR correction against a flat reference point, although I may actually buy the more advanced features of the Reference 4 version (per @franz12 's suggestion earlier). A little bit of knowledge is dangerous !!

Some may find the 'correction' quite startling on the AFO (I did at first) but having listened to a number of familiar tracks and let my ears/brain adjust, it sounds 'right' to me. The extra detail and ambience I hear on the AFO is excellent ... the newly acquired Metrum NOS DAC probably makes a difference here as well.

 

[Mightygrey]

I have new tubes back in the Mjolnir 2 and, after a couple of days now, I must say the Sonarworks/AFO True-Fi headphone tuning is a revelation. I've never been a fan of any sort of equalization/correction, largely because I couldn't get it right ... probably through a lack of proper understanding on my part. True-Fi is a simple to use FR correction against a flat reference point, although I may actually buy the more advanced features of the Reference 4 version (per @franz12 's suggestion earlier). A little bit of knowledge is dangerous !!

Some may find the 'correction' quite startling on the AFO (I did at first) but having listened to a number of familiar tracks and let my ears/brain adjust, it sounds 'right' to me. The extra detail and ambience I hear on the AFO is excellent ... the newly acquired Metrum NOS DAC probably makes a difference here as well.

I really should go off and research it myself, but is there any advantage to using Sonarworks over simply creating your own parametric EQ curve in programs like UAPP or Roon? Is the benefit that the "optimum" curves for each headphone model are already installed?

 

[Charente]

Is the benefit that the "optimum" curves for each headphone model are already installed?

Yes, that's precisely the point ... altho', as you say, I'm sure it could be done manually if one knows what to do. I have 3 profiles for my headphones, AFO, HD-650 and Bose QC35, and it is a simple matter of choosing the correct profile as a baseline correction and optionally adjusting to suit one's preferences. There are greater adjustment possibilities in the Reference 4 product but True-Fi does a good job IMO if you don't want to fiddle. You could even send in your own headphones for a custom profile.

 

[franz12]

I have new tubes back in the Mjolnir 2 and, after a couple of days now, I must say the Sonarworks/AFO True-Fi headphone tuning is a revelation. I've never been a fan of any sort of equalization/correction, largely because I couldn't get it right ... probably through a lack of proper understanding on my part. True-Fi is a simple to use FR correction against a flat reference point, although I may actually buy the more advanced features of the Reference 4 version (per @franz12 's suggestion earlier). A little bit of knowledge is dangerous !!

Some may find the 'correction' quite startling on the AFO (I did at first) but having listened to a number of familiar tracks and let my ears/brain adjust, it sounds 'right' to me. The extra detail and ambience I hear on the AFO is excellent ... the newly acquired Metrum NOS DAC probably makes a difference here as well.

I have an Audeze headphone, and found it also responds very well to the Sonarworks. The difference between the plug-in enabled and disabled is astonishing. Last time, I also tested it with the Utopia, but a result wasn't as good. I suspect planar headphones respond more effortlessly to EQ than dynamic headphones, but it is just my guess.

In my pure guess, Reference 4 may implement EQ in a cleaner way than True-fi, as it may take more system resources as a desktop application. After using their software for a few days, I concluded that this software is worth every penny. I am still in a trial period, but hope they run a spring promotion soon.

 

[Poganin]

I installed the Sonarworks yesterday to try it out and I couldn't listen to music with it on. My open Aeons sounded like the closed ones: tinny, thin, and with nasal vocals.
Out the Sonarworks went. I much prefer the Aeon's default signature.