[jinxy245]

this morning i had the chance to try two pair of afo. one not burned in without filers and the other burned in with black filters. i compared them to my atticus ..
there was less sibilance in the afo even with the not burned in pair... i'm 90% sure the pair i had was flawed. i had them running for more than 100 hours..
very disappointed and sad because i find them even punchier than atticus and better with metal. zero fatigue even at very high volume, i don't know why , probably the frequency response chart can tell that but i can't "read" it..

Just curious, but what amp were (are) you using? More punchy than the Atty is pretty cool (forgive me if you've mentioned already & I don't recall)

 

[colinallcarz]

This is my first real impressions write-up, sorry if I miss anything. Obviously this is entirely subjective. I started this as a versus sort of thing, but they're both awesome and I ended up just adding some of my notes. Take it how you will.

I did not use the filters in the AFO during my listening, but did use the Norne cable. I used my laptop / Spotify to iFi Micro IDSD Black Label.

Construction: The AFO is definitely well built, but is a bit plasticky when placed next to the tank-like LCD-2C. They are both comfortable, but do clamp a bit on my (I guess) bigger than average head. That said, both are easy to wear for long periods, with the ALO edging out the LCD-2C due to the lighter weight.

I'll list the song title and then give you my impression notes for both.

Lorde - Still Sane

LCD-2C: Good seperation, highs hurt a bit, impactful bass. Very clear voice with these.

AFO: More laid back (not as articulate) and easier to listen to this song with. Bass less controlled though.

Hallelujah - Tori Kelly

LCD-2C: Detailed, but a bit picky with this song.

AFO: More forgiving (especially the instrumental part), smoother with her voice.

Once Upon a Dream - Lana Del Ray

LCD-2C: Heard more going on in the background, almost hearing too much. The rumble sounds awesome.

AFO: Good balance of voice and background. Overall more haunting (which this song is supposed to be).

La Grange - ZZ Top

LCD-2C: Instrumentals are excellent, with the vocals detailed too - super fun to listen to with these.

AFO: More laid back/not as much energy. Voice and instrumentals more blended.

Easy - Sky Ferreira

LCD-2C: Voice not as forgiving. Instruments overpowered vocals a bit with these.

AFO: Relaxed and easy (see what I did there?) to listen to, ethereal quality.

Harry Potter Prologue - John Williams

LCD-2C: Can hear the instruments being played, extremely detailed. Highs a bit harsh. Great low end strings blending in as song progresses.

AFO: Can also hear the instruments being played, but not as precisely. Highs not as harsh. Sound more blended - individual instruments do not stick out as much (not better or worse, just different).

These are both excellent headphones that have their own individual strong points in differing music. I think they complement each other and don't find owning both of them redundant.

 

[lentoviolento]

Just curious, but what amp were (are) you using? More punchy than the Atty is pretty cool (forgive me if you've mentioned already & I don't recall)

We used nfb r2r, nfb 11.28, audio gd precision 2 balanced, ifi idsd bl.... I don't see how it is possible.. I remember listening to sister of night by depeche mode, my ex gf heard the sibilance while staying in the same room and laughed because she knows how much i hate sibilance.
It slammed even harder then atticus imho. Expecially with Songs like paul kalkbrenner or royksopp. Miss them(my ex and afo).

 

[TK16]

Recently bought both the cans. Was not expecting that amount of detail from the LC2 C, knew what I was getting from the bass. The AOF was really a good compliment to the LCD2 C. Both very different sounding. Laid back is a term I would also describe the AOF.

 

[x RELIC x]

We used nfb r2r, nfb 11.28, audio gd precision 2 balanced, ifi idsd bl.... I don't see how it is possible.. I remember listening to sister of night by depeche mode, my ex gf heard the sibilance while staying in the same room and laughed because she knows how much i hate sibilance.
It slammed even harder then atticus imho. Expecially with Songs like paul kalkbrenner or royksopp. Miss them(my ex and afo).

FYI Sisters of Night, from the Ultra album, is terribly mastered and there is a lot of sibilance in the song itself. I wouldn’t use it for judging gear for sibilance, distortion, or dynamics. I believe the 1990 release of Violator was the last well mastered new DM album (unless listening to the vinyl versions).

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/140295

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

48 hours in the cans sound much better than the start. I took out the stock 1 notch white damper or whatever it's called. Detail suffered with it in.

Are you listening with no tuning pads? I find it the most pure. The black one is ok but I prefer no pads at all.

I agree I was using the black pads but removed them it sound better at least to me..enjoy

Everyone seems to like pad-free, but agrees that before and even after burn in, they could use a touch less treble in a few hot spots, perhaps if they make an ASO (Aeon Semi Open) for more sub bass like their closed, and more overall warmth like the open, they tweak the drivers to have a bit less higher end peaks people unanimously notice (even treble heads), while not affecting other areas of their highs. It could result in their not needing tuning pads, they will be in that zone. Kind of like the Meze 99 high end. It's detailed but smooth, and only super treble heads say it's lacking in their Neo version (the Classic has more, and for those of us more sensitive to treble, it is a bit too much at times). Other than a bit of mid bass bloat, and occasional peaky mids, the Neo are close to my ideal sonic vibes.

I quoted all the above posts because I think its so cool to have so many people feel a certain way about pads in our out. To add the foam inserts (notches they are called by Mr. Speakers) to change the sound to YOUR own preferences is so cool!! Very intelligent move by Dan Clark, and it goes to show how much time and effort goes into his engineering and decision making. I prefer notches IN on both AFC and AFO but thats just me... So speak for your self @Mark Up!! haha

I wish all headphone companies utilized this cost effective solution to make their customers happy.

They are not sewn in. Use fingers or, if needed, tweezers to grasp the filter pad to remove it. Should be one black and two white filter pads.

I highly recommend using just your fingers. I have pretty large fingers and I can still get them out ok. Don't worry about pinching them, they will hold up. I just wouldn't want someone to accidentally poke into the driver with a piece of metal is all.

Notches in or out, happy listening y'all

 

[IkSak]

I agree with Craig about several points:

First, this headphones require burn in.

Second, nice engineering decision to include the tuning filters. I've been experimenting with them and although I prefer the one notch filter, there are songs that sound better with other filters. For instance, elegy for the arctic is better without filters, just like some Latin music.

Is it me or the soundstage seems a bit bigger without the filters?

 

[mrspeakers]

AEON Flow Open just won another award, this from Audio-Bacon...

Full review here.

 

[IkSak]

Well deserved award! Congrats! It's interesting to see how different reviewers, just like users like different filters, but it seems to me that a the no filter and one notch are the most frequent

 

[lentoviolento]

This is my first real impressions write-up, sorry if I miss anything. Obviously this is entirely subjective. I started this as a versus sort of thing, but they're both awesome and I ended up just adding some of my notes. Take it how you will.

I did not use the filters in the AFO during my listening, but did use the Norne cable. I used my laptop / Spotify to iFi Micro IDSD Black Label.

Construction: The ALO is definitely well built, but is a bit plasticky when placed next to the tank-like LCD-2C. They are both comfortable, but do clamp a bit on my (I guess) bigger than average head. That said, both are easy to wear for long periods, with the ALO edging out the LCD-2C due to the lighter weight.

I'll list the song title and then give you my impression notes for both.

Lorde - Still Sane

LCD-2C: Good seperation, highs hurt a bit, impactful bass. Very clear voice with these.

AFO: More laid back (not as articulate) and easier to listen to this song with. Bass less controlled though.

Hallelujah - Tori Kelly

LCD-2C: Detailed, but a bit picky with this song.

AFO: More forgiving (especially the instrumental part), smoother with her voice.

Once Upon a Dream - Lana Del Ray

LCD-2C: Heard more going on in the background, almost hearing too much. The rumble sounds awesome.

AFO: Good balance of voice and background. Overall more haunting (which this song is supposed to be).

La Grange - ZZ Top

LCD-2C: Instrumentals are excellent, with the vocals detailed too - super fun to listen to with these.

AFO: More laid back/not as much energy. Voice and instrumentals more blended.

Easy - Sky Ferreira

LCD-2C: Voice not as forgiving. Instruments overpowered vocals a bit with these.

AFO: Relaxed and easy (see what I did there?) to listen to, ethereal quality.

Harry Potter Prologue - John Williams

LCD-2C: Can hear the instruments being played, extremely detailed. Highs a bit harsh. Great low end strings blending in as song progresses.

AFO: Can also hear the instruments being played, but not as precisely. Highs not as harsh. Sound more blended - individual instruments do not stick out as much (not better or worse, just different).

These are both excellent headphones that have their own individual strong points in differing music. I think they complement each other and don't find owning both of them redundant.

As soon as i get my lcd2c

FYI Sisters of Night, from the Ultra album, is terribly mastered and there is a lot of sibilance in the song itself. I wouldn’t use it for judging gear for sibilance, distortion, or dynamics. I believe the 1990 release of Violator was the last well mastered new DM album (unless listening to the vinyl versions).

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/140295

yeah i know , i use that song on purpouse..but with my aeon was piercing...not with the other two pairs

 

[franz12]

As soon as i get my lcd2c



yeah i know , i use that song on purpouse..but with my aeon was piercing...not with the other two pairs

I will look for your impression against lcd2c. And I agree. afo has a great dynamic punch.

 

[Badas]

My AFO's have cleared customs and should be delivered tomorrow.
Real quick. America to New Zealand in four days.

How long should I burn these suckers for before listening? 50 hours?

Woo WA22. Should I use high or low setting?

 

[lentoviolento]

100 hours..

 

[Badas]

100 hours..

Damn. That’s a lot. Is it listenable during that time?

 

[lentoviolento]

Damn. That’s a lot. Is it listenable during that time?

Of course they are.. Don't be silly LOL