[Dahlia]

Hey all, I'm in the market for a portable-ish closed back. I had a sony xm2 previously that just died (my fault) and am now looking into a closed wired headphone since the SQ just wasn't there for me. I was thinking of getting the AEON flow 2 closed by MrSpeaker/Dan Clark Audio due to it's portability, solid construction and overall good ratings. However, I'm a bit hesitant to spend $900 on headphones + the cost for an amp/dac and was wondering if anyone had suggestions for cheaper* alternatives. don't really have a hard budget, but trying to keep it under $1,000 and more money in the bank is a good thing.

I'm more of a hobbyist looking for a great pair of all round headphones that will last with solid construction. I'm not planning on getting deeper into this rabbithole for a looong while (as you can see by my post history...) I'd also prefer something that doesn't require a dedicated amp/dac or can be driven with a portable one (was looking into dragonfly red) as these won't stay in one place for long. Thanks!

 

[Spie1904]

AKG k371 is the best budget closed back in my opinion!
I also have a pair of aeon 2 closed and I’m enjoying it but it’s not a thing to connect directly to an iPhone for example

 

[Dahlia]

AKG k371 is the best budget closed back in my opinion!
I also have a pair of aeon 2 closed and I’m enjoying it but it’s not a thing to connect directly to an iPhone for example

Do you think a FiiO Q5s is powerful enough to drive the flow 2?

Edit: the answer is probs no.

 

[YJX94]

AKG K371 is probably the best portable closed back under $200. Very light, super comfy, foldable, removable cable and very easy to drive. The Harman tuning it has is also very appealing and sounds great.

 

[IEMusic]

Hey all, I'm in the market for a portable-ish closed back. I had a sony xm2 previously that just died (my fault) and am now looking into a closed wired headphone since the SQ just wasn't there for me. I was thinking of getting the AEON flow 2 closed by MrSpeaker/Dan Clark Audio due to it's portability, solid construction and overall good ratings. However, I'm a bit hesitant to spend $900 on headphones + the cost for an amp/dac and was wondering if anyone had suggestions for cheaper* alternatives. don't really have a hard budget, but trying to keep it under $1,000 and more money in the bank is a good thing.

I'm more of a hobbyist looking for a great pair of all round headphones that will last with solid construction. I'm not planning on getting deeper into this rabbithole for a looong while (as you can see by my post history...) I'd also prefer something that doesn't require a dedicated amp/dac or can be driven with a portable one (was looking into dragonfly red) as these won't stay in one place for long. Thanks!

Just a few questions:
What music do you like most, and what sound signature are you looking for? Lots of bass? Midcentric with clear vocals? Fun V-shaped? Overall balanced? Are you sensitive to bright treble?

 

[Spie1904]

Do you think a FiiO Q5s is powerful enough to drive the flow 2?

Edit: the answer is probs no.

I have no experience with it so can’t comment to be fair! Sorry
Maybe you can ask in the Aeon thread to be sure. Even better would be to demo before you buy at this budget.

For me it’s an excellent headphone but I also feel like akg k371 or Sony wh-1000xm3 can be good options if you just want a solid sounding more budget one and Sony is a trade off between sound quality and convenience

Also agree with the most above stating that you’d have to figure out what you want to get accurate recommendations.
If you listen to a lot of jazz you’re likely to enjoy a different sound signature than someone who listens to drum n bass or hip hop all day every day

 

[Dahlia]

Just a few questions:
What music do you like most, and what sound signature are you looking for? Lots of bass? Midcentric with clear vocals? Fun V-shaped? Overall balanced? Are you sensitive to bright treble?

I'm looking for overall balance as I listen to a bit of everything, but it's mostly rock/indie -> soul/r&b -> hiphop -> jazz/classical -> etc. my spotify's recently played is Lianne La Havas, billy woods, Sia, Hans Zimmer, Fleetwood Mac, Lizzo. I prefer clear vocals > bass. I'm not sensitive to bright treble. Also just impulse bought the Vernum 1 last night so there's that... but i do like to support small businesses. but that's an open back and I'm looking into portable amp/dacs that could power it (looking into the Monolith 124460 now), that'll hopefully power the close back i'm looking for as well.

sigh, deeper into the rabbit hole i go. i was trying to avoid this....

 

[Dahlia]

I have no experience with it so can’t comment to be fair! Sorry
Maybe you can ask in the Aeon thread to be sure. Even better would be to demo before you buy at this budget.

For me it’s an excellent headphone but I also feel like akg k371 or Sony wh-1000xm3 can be good options if you just want a solid sounding more budget one and Sony is a trade off between sound quality and convenience

Also agree with the most above stating that you’d have to figure out what you want to get accurate recommendations.
If you listen to a lot of jazz you’re likely to enjoy a different sound signature than someone who listens to drum n bass or hip hop all day every day

i would love to be able to demo it but it's a bit hard/risky with COVID and all and I need a good pair of headphones to use now during quarantine (my jabra active 65t that i use for workouts isn't cutting it anymore...). which is why I impulse bought the Vernums last night!
still looking for a pair of closed cans...

edit:

I'm looking for overall balance as I listen to a bit of everything, but it's mostly rock/indie -> soul/r&b -> hiphop -> jazz/classical -> etc. I prefer clear vocals > bass. I'm not sensitive to bright treble.

 

[IEMusic]

- Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus, closed back 16 Ohms or Custom Studio, 80 Ohms
- Even better is the MASSDROP X BEYERDYNAMIC DT 177X GO, 32 Ohms, it was recently on sale for $380, but unfortunately reverted back to $450

The Beyerdynamic sound is very clear, exciting, a little intense. The bass and treble are pronounced, and treble can be bright, but very detailed. The mids are clear, detailed, and accurate, but may need a little EQ, as they’re a little recessed. The Drop DT 177X is the most balanced of the 3 noted above. They all can be easily powered by the Dragonflys, and even by your phone if you so choose (except may be the Custom Studio).

A lot of the closed back planar headphones are big and bulky for portable use, except of course the AEON as you mentioned. If you want midcentric/vocals, the Sennheisers may be ideal, but I’m not that familiar with them.

 

[Spie1904]

- Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus, closed back 16 Ohms or Custom Studio, 80 Ohms
- Even better is the MASSDROP X BEYERDYNAMIC DT 177X GO, 32 Ohms, it was recently on sale for $380, but unfortunately reverted back to $450

The Beyerdynamic sound is very clear, exciting, a little intense. The bass and treble are pronounced, and treble can be bright, but very detailed. The mids are clear, detailed, and accurate, but may need a little EQ, as they’re a little recessed. The Drop DT 177X is the most balanced of the 3 noted above. They all can be easily powered by the Dragonflys, and even by your phone if you so choose (except may be the Custom Studio).

A lot of the closed back planar headphones are big and bulky for portable use, except of course the AEON as you mentioned. If you want midcentric/vocals, the Sennheisers may be ideal, but I’m not that familiar with them.

I definitely don’t have issues with my Aeon 2 in terms of portability or vocals but if they are really perfect for someone who is a pure vocals kind of guy, I’m not sure. Hesitant to recommend them as I feel they are more an allrounder imo.

I never heard the models you posted but Beyerdynamic ones I heard were often pretty good at vocals at the cost of quite peaky treble so careful if treble sensitive I guess. Other than that, I think these are fair recommendations! Sennheiser is more experienced with open backs imo and their closed backs don’t always work out as they often take their open and try to make it into a closed imo!

 

[Dahlia]

- Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus, closed back 16 Ohms or Custom Studio, 80 Ohms
- Even better is the MASSDROP X BEYERDYNAMIC DT 177X GO, 32 Ohms, it was recently on sale for $380, but unfortunately reverted back to $450

The Beyerdynamic sound is very clear, exciting, a little intense. The bass and treble are pronounced, and treble can be bright, but very detailed. The mids are clear, detailed, and accurate, but may need a little EQ, as they’re a little recessed. The Drop DT 177X is the most balanced of the 3 noted above. They all can be easily powered by the Dragonflys, and even by your phone if you so choose (except may be the Custom Studio).

A lot of the closed back planar headphones are big and bulky for portable use, except of course the AEON as you mentioned. If you want midcentric/vocals, the Sennheisers may be ideal, but I’m not that familiar with them.

177X GO was on the top of my list as well, but what turned me away was it's form factor not being compact enough. i'm thinking of compromising now and buying 2-3 different headphones for different applications...

 

[DenverW]

Beyerdynamic T5p can be found used for quite a bit less than aeon 2.

 

[Magicman74]

What about the Sennheiser Momentum on Ear? I picked these up about four years ago. Very solid build and do what they do.. I got them for around $100 back then.

 

[IEMusic]

177X GO was on the top of my list as well, but what turned me away was it's form factor not being compact enough. i'm thinking of compromising now and buying 2-3 different headphones for different applications...

I honestly think that may be the best way to go. There is no single HP that can truly cover all applications. Closed back is necessary when out and about, but certainly have their limitations when it comes to sound/soundstage. A lot of the best sounding HPs are huge and heavy. FWIW, my DT770s are average size for an over ear HP, and they are very lightweight and comfortable. They don’t fold in or fold flat though.

 

[bzippy]

My first set of nicer headphones when I started all this nonsense was the V-Moda XS (well, actually the M80 but I since upgraded). They beat everything else I tried at this price point from Sennheiser, Sony, Audio-Technica, etc. ~$200 new.

Now it's 7 years later and I still love them, and they are still my go to set for walking around town, errands, bus, train, etc. Warm signature, without being dull, solid punchy lows but not bloated. Full mids, slightly recessed on the very top end, but still clear and lively enough for me. A nice balance all around imo. They're on-ear and fold up nicely for super portability -- plus, they're tank-like. (V-Moda is a small Italian company, so it even satisfies your small business preference.)

Only significant downside is their narrow in sound stage. But I kinda like that intimacy when outdoors because the sound kinda seems to open up naturally in open spaces anyway.