[AlanU]

There are two white filters, 1 notch and 2 notches. With 2 notches is more similar to lcd2

Are you also Including the similarities in sound stage ?

 

[franz12]

Black is less damping. I'm currently using the black, but still getting a touch of sibilance. I'm very treble sensitive. I might go up to the thicker ones. Although it might improve after burn-in.

I also use 1 black foam filter. I like clear and transparent treble, but hate sibilance (HD800S is quite fatguing and sibilant with female vocal). The 1 black filter is sweet spot for me, though sometimes I listen without any filters. Even without any filters, I believe it is less sibilant than hd800S. But one white filter sounds a bit muffled to me.

 

[prez]

I started with the black, and I’ve been having them burnin with pink noise for hours a day. Last night, I noticed the mids and up into treble were starting to increase, so I changed to one notch white and listened for a while. I am not decided on the best yet. I don’t want it too laid back, which is how the white filter seemed when I first put them on.

 

[Renato Fury]

Why would someone who has Focal Utopia want something like AFO ?

 

[sunneebear]

Why would someone who has Focal Utopia want something like AFO ?

Because the Focal has the most dynamic presentation of all dynamic headphones and the ALO is a planar. Kind of like saying if you own a electric guitar why would you buy a acoustic?

 

[AlanU]

Because the Focal has the most dynamic presentation of all dynamic headphones and the ALO is a planar. Kind of like saying if you own a electric guitar why would you buy a acoustic?

There are far more organic realism it many other offerings in the Planar headphone world compared to a the Aeon Open. Small Sound stage is still a much discussed regarding the semi open Aeon Open. This is where the offerings in the headphone planar world is still wide open game over semi open Aeon Open.

The Aeon Open with his headphone lineup also does not make sense to me as the Aeon Open doesn't really perform like an open headphone as well as being full bodied like other more expensive Planar headphones. As the list of Headphones in his stable of gear exudes higher end. Aeon Open is far from that league in the planar world as it was not intended to play in that tier of high end HP.

My comment on having a 2 channel hifi setup is truly a different entire world. This is where an extremely more expensive hifi 2 channel stereo matches the much cheaper world of high end headphones. However the rewards of a real 2 channel is a totally different musical experience as well.

I too wondered why a Focal Utopia owner would purchase midi headphones if it doesn't match the high end SQ level.

At the end of the day it's merely curiosity as the post seems more of selecting flavor of the month rather than getting a higher end Planar.

 

[franz12]

Why would someone who has Focal Utopia want something like AFO ?

There is no unilateral dominance in this world.
IMO, the best bang for bucks is Earpods (free bundle with Iphone purchases). All IEMs and some headphones I possessed failed to dominate Earpods considering sound quality/comfort/price, including hd598 (donated), IE800 (sold), Noble X massdrop (sleeping in sock drawer, must go).

 

[sunneebear]

There is no unilateral dominance in this world.
IMO, the best bang for bucks is Earpods (free bundle with Iphone purchases). All IEMs and some headphones I possessed failed to dominate Earpods considering sound quality/comfort/price, including hd598 (donated), IE800 (sold), Noble X massdrop (sleeping in sock drawer, must go).

Completely agree. That's why the AFO is a good choice. A $3000 planar will not sound $2200 better than the AFO.

 

[Renato Fury]

Because the Focal has the most dynamic presentation of all dynamic headphones and the ALO is a planar. Kind of like saying if you own a electric guitar why would you buy a acoustic?

This comparison has nothing to do, I'm not comparing the headphone type, but the price, is a difference of $ 3200 from one to the other, or do you really believe that the cheaper magnetic planar is better than the most expensive dynamic ? If you see his inventory he will realize that he has a very expensive "arsenal", which means that he has money and so it would be better to buy something more expensive, something to add, something that Focal Utopia can not offer, but in this price range I'm pretty sure that the AFO is inferior in every way.

 

[AlanU]

There is no unilateral dominance in this world.
IMO, the best bang for bucks is Earpods (free bundle with Iphone purchases). All IEMs and some headphones I possessed failed to dominate Earpods considering sound quality/comfort/price, including hd598 (donated), IE800 (sold), Noble X massdrop (sleeping in sock drawer, must go).

This is a perfect example of SQ ....beauty is in the "ear" of the beholder!!



I fully agree!!!!

 

[franz12]

This comparison has nothing to do, I'm not comparing the headphone type, but the price, is a difference of $ 3200 from one to the other, or do you really believe that the cheaper magnetic planar is better than the most expensive dynamic ? If you see his inventory he will realize that he has a very expensive "arsenal", which means that he has money and so it would be better to buy something more expensive, something to add, something that Focal Utopia can not offer, but in this price range I'm pretty sure that the AFO is inferior in every way.

Earpods is not inferior than hd800s in every way.

 

[AlanU]

Completely agree. That's why the AFO is a good choice. A $3000 planar will not sound $2200 better than the AFO.

If a more expensive Planar has more body/analog sound and flow to the music with a better sound stage this is worth $2200.

"Buyers Remorse" has to be judged by the headphone owner's ears and wallet. I'd say with confidence that many true open Planar headphones have SUPERIOR sound stage compared to the midfi Aeon Open.

The subjective ears will be the decision maker. The $$$$ gearlist will surely have to "settle" for the SQ of the Aeon Open and NOT meet the higher tier world of high end headphones. There is a reason why there is budget/midi and hifi differences in the audio world "in most cases".

A "good choice" can be interpreted in many ways. Comparing a high end planar to a midfi Aeon Open is definitely not apples to apples.

 

[franz12]

There are far more organic realism it many other offerings in the Planar headphone world compared to a the Aeon Open. Small Sound stage is still a much discussed regarding the semi open Aeon Open. This is where the offerings in the headphone planar world is still wide open game over semi open Aeon Open.

The Aeon Open with his headphone lineup also does not make sense to me as the Aeon Open doesn't really perform like an open headphone as well as being full bodied like other more expensive Planar headphones. As the list of Headphones in his stable of gear exudes higher end. Aeon Open is far from that league in the planar world as it was not intended to play in that tier of high end HP.

My comment on having a 2 channel hifi setup is truly a different entire world. This is where an extremely more expensive hifi 2 channel stereo matches the much cheaper world of high end headphones. However the rewards of a real 2 channel is a totally different musical experience as well.

I too wondered why a Focal Utopia owner would purchase midi headphones if it doesn't match the high end SQ level.

At the end of the day it's merely curiosity as the post seems more of selecting flavor of the month rather than getting a higher end Planar.

I found that HifiMan X failed to rise to Tyll's WOF in his review somehow. I trust his opinion as I found that his preference is quite consistent with my experience after auditioning a few high-end cans. (and he has a large group of followers internationally) Hope he provides with more comparisons along with other new products (Audeze, Focal, HifiMan..), which may involve some inevitable bashing-outs. But I can imagine that, as he gains more credential, he might be reluctant to do it with some implicit pressure from manufacturers.

 

[wazzupi]

If a more expensive Planar has more body/analog sound and flow to the music with a better sound stage this is worth $2200.

"Buyers Remorse" has to be judged by the headphone owner's ears and wallet. I'd say with confidence that many true open Planar headphones have SUPERIOR sound stage compared to the midfi Aeon Open.

The subjective ears will be the decision maker. The $$$$ gearlist will surely have to "settle" for the SQ of the Aeon Open and NOT meet the higher tier world of high end headphones. There is a reason why there is budget/midi and hifi differences in the audio world "in most cases".

A "good choice" can be interpreted in many ways. Comparing a high end planar to a midfi Aeon Open is definitely not apples to apples.

Nothing midfi about afos i think you're confusing the term.

 

[AlanU]

Nothing midfi about afos i think you're confusing the term.

What constitutes hi-fi?