[JCRG]

For your budget, I would definitely give the Aeon RT/X, or a used Beyer T5/T5p which definitely has an impressively wide soundstage versus the focal which is usually pretty intimate. The DCA Aeons do benefit from more power, but not sure if you already have an amp or not.

Both are pretty good with isolation,

Do you have any practical examples of how well the Aeons or Beyers helped you isolate external noise? I'm still kinda on the fence about which pair to get haha.

 

[P007]

Do you have any practical examples of how well the Aeons or Beyers helped you isolate external noise? I'm still kinda on the fence about which pair to get haha.

They work fine with a newborn baby, but I don't have specific experiments on their isolation.

Both isolate about as well as can be expected without ANC, and when you are listening at reasonable levels you don't hear much of anything.

 

[Malevolent]

Thank you! The combo is incredible and, yes, the Bifrost 2 remains the DAC in the chain as well. The GT has phenomenal clarity but has a personality to it and isn't super clinical at the cost of fun like some SS amps can be. I think, because of that, it's a really perfect pairing for the VC. I went for it over a tube amp because of its versatility as well. This thing can run anything from my IEMS up to a Susvara with ease so I don't see myself really ever needing another SS amp for a very, very long time.

Yes, I quite enjoy the sound from the Burson amplifiers (using the Vivid op-amps). I have a Soloist 3X Performance myself, and I have, in the past, auditioned several of the other products in their contemporary stable. The house sound is punchy and musical, with the right amount of detail without straying into analytical territory. I have yet to try the Grand Tourer, but I'm certain it won't disappoint.

By the way, how are the fans in the amp? Are they noisy, or barely discernable?

 

[Malevolent]

I would 100% wager this is a long term gamble on their part. it's not like thousands of people are gonna take this offer, they'll probably get a couple dozen and yeah that'll bite into the revenue but they also can be confident that the free set will probably end up gifted or sold to someone else, so that means for one purchase they can have their name in two mouths.

That is true - word-of-mouth recommendations are a crucial aspect of the hobby, especially since a not-insignificant chunk of the population wouldn't be able to experience the headphones for themselves (prior to a purchase). Sadly, my local distributor has, ostensibly, decided against taking in the original Rognir and Gjallarhorn; thus, the newer models would fail to make the cut, too, in all likelihood.

In any case, has any one here pulled the trigger on the deal yet? I'm curious to know.

 

[Malevolent]

Contemplating a Noire purchase to upgrade from the Ether CX. Has anyone compared the two yet? I feel like I'd be sacrificing some resolving power in favor of a more agreeable signature, judging from the various reviews of the former.

Meze's LIRIC is also something I'd consider.

It's been some time since I heard the CX, and I have only heard the Noire once.

Nevertheless, if you are already considering the LIRIC, I'd suggest that you skip the Noire, and head straight for the Meze. The LIRIC has resolving capabilities that closely match the Ether C Flow 1.1 (the bigger brother of the CX), and has engagement levels and dynamics that far outstrip any of the Dan Clark Audio headphones. The LIRIC is, essentially, a "fun" planar that doesn't sacrifice too much in the way of technicalities.

 

[Quadfather]

Believe it or not, I have been using a Sony NW-WM1Z and Shure SRH1540 headphones with Lqi balanced cables for five years. I am happy and done searching. I also have Lotoo Paw Gold, HD650 headphones and AKG K812 headphones.

 

[jjsoviet]

It's been some time since I heard the CX, and I have only heard the Noire once.

Nevertheless, if you are already considering the LIRIC, I'd suggest that you skip the Noire, and head straight for the Meze. The LIRIC has resolving capabilities that closely match the Ether C Flow 1.1 (the bigger brother of the CX), and has engagement levels and dynamics that far outstrip any of the Dan Clark Audio headphones. The LIRIC is, essentially, a "fun" planar that doesn't sacrifice too much in the way of technicalities.

Yeah, it seems to be the overall sentiment about the LIRIC, very resolving but also musical and dynamic. Might be on my horizon then!

 

[Malevolent]

Believe it or not, I have been using a Sony NW-WM1Z and Shure SRH1540 headphones with Lqi balanced cables for five years. I am happy and done searching. I also have Lotoo Paw Gold, HD650 headphones and AKG K812 headphones.

It's great that you've found satisfaction in this hobby - this is a unicorn situation that's quite often unattainable, thanks to a variety of contributing factors, such as FOMO, the devil on my shoulder, need/desire to upgrade, curiosity, et al. Trust me, I know.

Anyway, the SRH1540 is a pretty good headphone that's also extremely comfortable to use. I'm glad that you're enjoying the headphone, my friend.

 

[Quadfather]

It's great that you've found satisfaction in this hobby - this is a unicorn situation that's quite often unattainable, thanks to a variety of contributing factors, such as FOMO, the devil on my shoulder, need/desire to upgrade, curiosity, et al. Trust me, I know.

Anyway, the SRH1540 is a pretty good headphone that's also extremely comfortable to use. I'm glad that you're enjoying the headphone, my friend.

Thank you. I am happy that I found them early. I stretched my budget and really couldn't go farther down the road.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

The SRH1540 seems to be the HD650 of closed backs. It's one that ALWAYS shows up when talking about top quality closed sets that don't break the bank.

 

[jonathan c]

It's great that you've found satisfaction in this hobby - this is a unicorn situation that's quite often unattainable, thanks to a variety of contributing factors, such as FOMO, the devil on my shoulder, need/desire to upgrade, curiosity, et al. Trust me, I know.

Hey! Do you not realise that music is a necessary nuisance to enjoy gear?…

 

[AudioDuck]

Believe it or not, I have been using a Sony NW-WM1Z and Shure SRH1540 headphones with Lqi balanced cables for five years. I am happy and done searching. I also have Lotoo Paw Gold, HD650 headphones and AKG K812 headphones.

Agreed: The SRH-1540 is a much-overlooked headphone, and scales well with good sources. I use mine as daily drivers due to the quality and comfort (plus, solid noise insulation).

My only complaint is the peeling of the headband after a few years of ownership. It’s in stark contrast to the amazing alcantara pads, which even come with spares!

 

[JCRG]

Agreed: The SRH-1540 is a much-overlooked headphone, and scales well with good sources. I use mine as daily drivers due to the quality and comfort (plus, solid noise insulation).

My only complaint is the peeling of the headband after a few years of ownership. It’s in stark contrast to the amazing alcantara pads, which even come with spares!

SRH1540's headband is notorious for creating hot spots, what I did back in the day was to purchase a sennheiser hd280 headband cushion, and use it over the shures

 

[AudioDuck]

SRH1540's headband is notorious for creating hot spots, what I did back in the day was to purchase a sennheiser hd280 headband cushion, and use it over the shures

Yes, good point- I bought a knitted cover on Amazon which helped, but a more “proper” cushion would be even better, I’m sure.

 

[SlothRock]

Yes, I quite enjoy the sound from the Burson amplifiers (using the Vivid op-amps). I have a Soloist 3X Performance myself, and I have, in the past, auditioned several of the other products in their contemporary stable. The house sound is punchy and musical, with the right amount of detail without straying into analytical territory. I have yet to try the Grand Tourer, but I'm certain it won't disappoint.

By the way, how are the fans in the amp? Are they noisy, or barely discernable?

Ya it’s been a fantastic amp! The fan is a non-issue. If you put your ear next to it you can hear the fan but from any reasonable listening distance you can’t hear it, no matter how soft of a song you’re listening to. It also keeps things suuuuuuper cool, barely any heat on the case even listening for hours straight. I think it was the right move to get this much power in a reasonable sized case.