[ksorota]

This did remind me, IDK where you live but if it's the US, there is always the Headphone Library.

Wow, the Headphone Library is a great idea...never heard of this before but will certainly be giving it a try in the near future!

 

[mixolyd]

This did remind me, IDK where you live but if it's the US, there is always the Headphone Library.

The Cable Company has a library for cables, and they did expand it for headphones as well. Basically you pay shipping (both ways) & 5% of the value, but the 5% is refundable toward ANY purchase on their website.

Not fantastic, but definitely not outrageous either, and a good option if you have nowhere to demo (they do stock Mr. Speakers, Audeze and a few others as well). I always wonder why more companies don't try something like this.

Anyway here's the more detailed description:
https://www.thecableco.com/the-cable-company-headphone-lending-library

That sounds like a great resource. I’m in the UK so no dice, but I’ve just bought an AFO from the classifieds anyway.

 

[jinxy245]

That sounds like a great resource. I’m in the UK so no dice, but I’ve just bought an AFO from the classifieds anyway.

That's awesome, enjoy them!
Please post some impressions once you get them.

 

[mixolyd]

That's awesome, enjoy them!
Please post some impressions once you get them.

Will do!

 

[RiseFall123]

You won’t be disappointed. I own the hd650 and the AFO. The AFO is a lot more comfortable, and I consider the hd650 to be a pretty comfortable headphone.

I had for some years the HD650 and I never found them comfortable.

After I bought the AFO, I immediately sold the HD650, without even wait the burn-in of the AFO.

I thought, even if AFO will sound worse than the HD650 I will use forever the AFO because are very comfortable.

After the burn-in, not only I was happy of the comfortable of the AFO over the HD650, but I was even happier because the AFO sounds BETTER than the HD650, with my setup and to my ears.

 

[ElMariachi]

I had for some years the HD650 and I never found them comfortable.

After I bought the AFO, I immediately sold the HD650, without even wait the burn-in of the AFO.

I thought, even if AFO will sound worse than the HD650 I will use forever the AFO because are very comfortable.

After the burn-in, not only I was happy of the comfortable of the AFO over the HD650, but I was even happier because the AFO sounds BETTER than the HD650, with my setup and to my ears.

Ya, they sound great! Definitely what I’ve been looking for all this time. Although mine have some slight channel imbalance, I think its the pads. I sent them to MrSpeakers to check them. Are you using them with the mojo? I am, it drives them perfectly.

 

[RiseFall123]

Yes, to be more precise: iPhone > Tidal > Mojo > AFO with the first white filter.

To my ears Mojo drives them perfectly but here someone thinks that it's not. I think Mojo didn't drive good my previous HD650 but I think it drive more than fine my AFO (so it did with my previous NightHawks).

Could you explain me better about this channel imbalance? Do you mean your "center" is more on one side?

I have the "feelings" that the center is more on my left ear, but sometimes I think it's my mind.

 

[musicfrommemory]

A minimal clamp that pretty much just sat rather than pressed with significant force would be ideal - my HD600's clamp a little tighter than that and are bearable for about three hours. My other, cheaper possibility would be a used, worn in pair of HE-560's but the HiFiMan reputation for poor reliability puts me off a little there.

I own both the AFO and the LCD2Cs - the AFO's are the more comfortable headphone by a significant margin in terms of weight, and overall I vastly prefer their sound, but to answer your question directly: the LCD2Cs sit on the top of the head and whilst the AFO's do too they also have an element of side-squeeze which doesn't have as large a foot-print on the side of the head as the LCD2Cs making them seem to me a little squeezier than the LCD2Cs. The majority of the weight on the LCD2Cs seems to be from above.

I've realised as I've been thinking about this that it's really tricky to answer your question - e.g., the foot-print of the ear pads on the side of the LCD2Cs is much larger than the AFOs, therefore it seems less squeezy but in fact might be more of a squeeze, so if it's actual side pressure you need to avoid for whatever reason then I'm not sure, but if it's the sense of side pressure, then I would probably go for the LCD2Cs by a cat's whisker.

That said, if a big foot-print will annoy you then it's the AFOs. Note too that the AFO's can be adjusted minutely so that the side-squeeze is less noticeable. It also depends in what position you listen to your headphones, e.g., lying down both sets can be deployed in a way where they seem generally weightless at all angles. The LCD2Cs win in terms of aeration of the ear as the ear cup is less enclosed.

The AFOs win on every other level.

 

[IkSak]

Could you explain me better about this channel imbalance? Do you mean your "center" is more on one side?

It occurs because the db levels of a given frequency is not the same on both sides. Normally, all headphones have some imbalance, though they are usually within a given dB range that is not perceivable. The objective way to measure it is by the frequency response of both headphone channels. One should be careful because most people have some degree of hearing imbalance and properly matched drivers may appear not to be so.

A resource you may use by yourself for an initial check is this: https://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php

If you find a large discrepancy you should contact the manufacturer. If otherwise is small, exercise caution because it may be you.

 

[mixolyd]

I own both the AFO and the LCD2Cs - the AFO's are the more comfortable headphone by a significant margin in terms of weight, and overall I vastly prefer their sound, but to answer your question directly: the LCD2Cs sit on the top of the head and whilst the AFO's do too they also have an element of side-squeeze which doesn't have as large a foot-print on the side of the head as the LCD2Cs making them seem to me a little squeezier than the LCD2Cs. The majority of the weight on the LCD2Cs seems to be from above.

I've realised as I've been thinking about this that it's really tricky to answer your question - e.g., the foot-print of the ear pads on the side of the LCD2Cs is much larger than the AFOs, therefore it seems less squeezy but in fact might be more of a squeeze, so if it's actual side pressure you need to avoid for whatever reason then I'm not sure, but if it's the sense of side pressure, then I would probably go for the LCD2Cs by a cat's whisker.

That said, if a big foot-print will annoy you then it's the AFOs. Note too that the AFO's can be adjusted minutely so that the side-squeeze is less noticeable. It also depends in what position you listen to your headphones, e.g., lying down both sets can be deployed in a way where they seem generally weightless at all angles. The LCD2Cs win in terms of aeration of the ear as the ear cup is less enclosed.

The AFOs win on every other level.

Thanks that’s a very well thought out response. Having decided on the AFO’s I’m expecting them in the next couple of days so I’ll be finding out very soon. If they don’t feel right then I can always order the LCD’s or even a Hifiman Ananda for comparison.

 

[ElMariachi]

Yes, to be more precise: iPhone > Tidal > Mojo > AFO with the first white filter.

To my ears Mojo drives them perfectly but here someone thinks that it's not. I think Mojo didn't drive good my previous HD650 but I think it drive more than fine my AFO (so it did with my previous NightHawks).

Could you explain me better about this channel imbalance? Do you mean your "center" is more on one side?

I have the "feelings" that the center is more on my left ear, but sometimes I think it's my mind.

I agree. I think the mojo hd650 sounds sterile. The mojo aeon sounds great. I’ve tried a few different amps but the difference is like splitting hairs. I don’t like being tied down to a desktop rig so for me, the AFO/mojo combo is perfect.
You are correct, the imbalance is the same as not being centered. I don’t get it on any of my other headphones, and its enough to where it distracts me from the music. Im 100% confident that @mrspeakers will help me remedy the problem.

 

[RiseFall123]

A resource you may use by yourself for an initial check is this: https://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php

I think you are referring to this "Driver Matching". I am goint to check it.

I agree. I think the mojo hd650 sounds sterile. The mojo aeon sounds great.

When I say that Mojo+hd650 sounds sterile and thin, in the mojo thread, they told me that it's not true. Because simply mojo is more accurate so it "seem" sterile because is more "focused". But to me (and to you) it sounds "thin".

Luckily, with the AFO I don't have that sterlile sounds at all, so, I am happy with that, and after I start to listen my music with the Mojo-AFO, I stop to read further headphones/dacs reviews, because I think that mojo+afo will be probably my combo forever. For the comfort and for the SQ.

 

[mrspeakers]

Driver imbalance is possible if a trace breaks. The drivers are very precisely matched, but a trace can fail. If anyone ever suspects this has happened don't hesitate to call or contact the office and we'll fix it right up. Aeon's repair rate is under 0.5% but trace failures are the biggest part of that.

 

[Wickham]

Odd resonances. Why?

I have both AFO and AFC. I have tried so hard to like them, but I experience what I would call a resonance at some frequency areas that makes the sound congested and smeared. I drive them with a Hiby R6 DAP USB out to Schiit Multibit DAC and Cavalli hybrid amp. The Focal Elex sounds fine with this combination, but having made the investment I really want to have the AF Phones sound as good as I know they can. Could my ears simply not be a good match for these cans? Should I send them to Mr. speakers to see if there is something off? I also have a HeadAmp Gilmore amp I could use. Maybe I should try that.

 

[koover]

Odd resonances. Why?

I have both AFO and AFC. I have tried so hard to like them, but I experience what I would call a resonance at some frequency areas that makes the sound congested and smeared. I drive them with a Hiby R6 DAP USB out to Schiit Multibit DAC and Cavalli hybrid amp. The Focal Elex sounds fine with this combination, but having made the investment I really want to have the AF Phones sound as good as I know they can. Could my ears simply not be a good match for these cans? Should I send them to Mr. speakers to see if there is something off? I also have a HeadAmp Gilmore amp I could use. Maybe I should try that.

I encourage you to give your Gilmore a try before giving up on the AFO. Every time I listen to the AFO, I'm a bit disappointed at first, but literally 10+ minutes or so, I fall in love with their SS again and it reaffirms why I bought these and are keeping them. It depends what you were listening to before putting these on. Do you have any other HP's in your stall other then your AFC? You have a solid DAC and some of your determinations could stem for what you listen too. I listen to a lot of poorly recorded music (can't help it because that's the genre I listen too) and that plays a huge role in how these sound which is not good at times, but that's with any of my HP's. When I listen to something that's well recorded, the AFO just signs and I can't get enough of them. Your Elex (which I haven't heard but owned and sold the Elear) is probably covering up a lot of the deficiencies you're hearing with resonance. You just may not like how they're tuned.

It's all in your taste and preferences man and you're the only one who can make the decision to keep them or let them go.

Edit: Have you tried messing around with your Loki to see if you can fix the anomalies you're hearing?