[RealestLad]

How are the dynamics, separation and details on the Aeon 2? And how similar is the Aeon 2 to the Ether 2?

 

[MattTCG]

How are the dynamics, separation and details on the Aeon 2? And how similar is the Aeon 2 to the Ether 2?

Those very things you mention are the hallmarks of this headphone, along with the sound stage. Aeon 2 open might be a better comparison for Ether 2.

 

[flarex3]

We will soon be shipping the A2O! Stay tuned but its measured in days.

Also, I've just calibrated our new Audio Precision setup for the GRAS so by early next week I'll put up a few of the requested graphs; A1 vs A2 comparison and effect of tuning kits. That said, IMHO graphs don't do justice to the difference these headphones deliver. The open is real stunner.

Can you declare the necessary current and voltage the Aeon 2C needs to sound perfectly? Then we can check if a source device is suitable or not. I expect an answer such as " 5mA and 40 Volts"

 

[x RELIC x]

Can you declare the necessary current and voltage the Aeon 2C needs to sound perfectly? Then we can check if a source device is suitable or not. I expect an answer such as " 5mA and 40 Volts"

Use this, or any other calculator available.

http://www.digizoid.com/headphones-power.html

 

[flarex3]

Use this, or any other calculator available.

http://www.digizoid.com/headphones-power.html

Not really, these calculations only show the necessary power for enough loudness but don't ensure good audio quality. The calculation shows 6.47 mW for 100dB but Dan said that get a source gear which can produce at least 200 mW.

 

[roskodan]

@flarex3 just check innerfatuity database, then you can extrapolate, based on the data of some headphone you have experience with, vs aeon 1 closed data.

I suggest a portable hefty Class A solid state speaker amp. In the range of 20-50kg. Depending on your budget. The heavier the better.

 

[Jodet]

I'd love to hear any comparisons between either of the Aeon 2's and the HifiMan Arya.

I'm very happy with my Arya's but you can never get too light or too comfortable.

 

[dropadred]

Haha yeah I noticed as soon as I uploaded the picture; oops.

I had been listening with the correct orientation and reconnected later quickly for the picture

Update to answer your question to some extent:

Some initial impressions vs. the AFC 1 with the caveat that I've only spent about 3 hours with the AFC 2 and they aren't fully burned in yet. I'm currently using the two-notch white filters during burn in as the highs can be a bit sibilant during that period based on my experience with the other Aeons. My preferred signature for the 1st gen Aeons is the 1-notch white filters (that don't come with the AFC 2). You now get a thinner foam filter (that doesn't quite fit in), a stiff 1-notch black filter, and a 2-notch white filter.

Most noticeably, the AFC 2 does have a larger sound stage, but also the music has a more lively and holographic sound, which is hard to quantify. I love the AFC 1, but at times it felt dynamically compressed to me - especially with poorly recorded music. With the AFC 2 there is a more room for the music to exist and it feels like a 2D image has expanded to 3D.

The bass response is much more impactful and effortless vs. AFC 1. I can imagine AFC 2 could be too bass heavy for some people looking for a very neutral / flat signature. The mid bass is very detailed and more prominent in AFC 2 vs. 1. Sub-bass performance seems similar.

Mids are much smoother on the AFC 2. They remind me of the Ether Cx here. Vocals are really smooth. Saxophone in synthwave is very detailed. Timbre is much improved. I recall Aornic describing the AFC 1 as having acoustic guitar sounding like coming from a plastic body rather than wood. I can understand that sentiment to some extent. The improved bass response of the AFC 2 improves this a lot. I still think acoustic guitar sounds better on the Atticus. That said, classical guitar on the AFC 2 is still a real treat. There is a lot of improvement with air and detail.

Treble response is fast and retains the excellent transient response of the AFC 1. The frequency response looks like the peak at 10 kHz was removed from the AFC 2. Similar to the Ether Cx this region is really smooth now. With the AFC 1, poorly recorded music could get fatiguing in the treble very quickly even with 2 notch filters. So far I'm finding the AFC 2 to be much less fatiguing. Detail retrieval seems on par with the Ether Cx, which is really impressive to me.

Both AFC 1 and 2 seem similarly hard to drive.

Overall, the AFC 2 feels like it adopted the bass response from the AFO 1, increased the sound stage and detail, improved the macrodynamics, and reduced the treble peak of the AFC 1. The AFC 2 sounds in some ways like a closed AFO 1 but with larger sound stage. I think the AFC 2 is an overall sonic upgrade from AFC 1 in a lot of ways. That said its warmer with a more noticeable bass response and more forgiving treble. The AFC 1 seems slightly more neutral but I need more time to be sure. I still love how aggressive the AFC 1 is. In contrast the AFC 2 is a bit more smooth and forgiving; yet somehow has increased detail retrieval.

And what about AFC2 vs. Ether CX? Pretty much a direct price contender.

 

[518141]

Can you declare the necessary current and voltage the Aeon 2C needs to sound perfectly? Then we can check if a source device is suitable or not. I expect an answer such as " 5mA and 40 Volts"

You are complicating a lot here. Just look for a dap of at least 200 mw to 13 ohms. This is a good starting point. As far as I know, many of the daps are limited to 1.5Vrms - 12Vrms U (Astell&Kern KANN Cube).
So your question is how much current I (Ampere) a dap has to make?
The amount of current I your dap delivers depends on the impedance of your headphone. A headphone with a low impedance requires less current than one with a high impedance. Current is not to be confused with power. Power P (Watt) is the result of the voltage U (Volt) and the current I (Ampere).
P = U · I
P = U2 : R

 

[RealestLad]

Those very things you mention are the hallmarks of this headphone, along with the sound stage. Aeon 2 open might be a better comparison for Ether 2.

Once you get the open model will you compare it to the Ether 2 and to the closed version? By the way but how does the closed Aeon 2 compare to Ether 2 in similarity?

 

[MattTCG]

Once you get the open model will you compare it to the Ether 2 and to the closed version? By the way but how does the closed Aeon 2 compare to Ether 2 in similarity?

You got it. I'll be comparing them all. Just waiting on A2 open to arrive.

 

[tcellguy]

And what about AFC2 vs. Ether CX? Pretty much a direct price contender.

I just spent about and hour comparing AFO 1, AFC 2, and Ether Cx. Again, my AFC 2 isn't fully burned in and a lot of the frequency response in the upper mid and treble can be tuned by using the tuning filters so it's hard to define the "stock" configurations to compare. In general I prefer the 1-notch white filters for all of these headphones.

I think the most telling point about the sound stage on the AFC 2 is that at one point I thought I was listening to the AFO 1 and was shocked to realize I had a closed headphone on (AFC 2).

The AFC 2 and AFO are much warmer than the Ether Cx. Detail retrieval on the Cx seems to still edge out the Aeons, but its very close between the AFC 2 and Cx. AFC 2 has a mid-bass boost compare with the Cx. Sounds stage is wider on the AFC 2 vs. AFO 1 and Ether Cx by a pretty large margin. Ether is a bit more forward in the mids and treble is more aggressive. The AFC 1 is even more aggressive in this region.

There are some other qualities that are difficult for me to describe comparing the Cx to the Aeons. The driver on the Cx larger, so there is a sense of more weight to the music. The sub bass of the Cx seems more impactful. Perhaps there is more forward depth in the Cx vs. the AFC 2?

I think the main comparator for differentiating the Cx and AFC 2 is tonality. The Cx is much more neutral while the AFC 2 is warmer with a fuller mid-bass boost and overall the bass performance, transition into the mids, and treble response seems more tuned like the AFO 1, but with greater detail retrieval and less sibilance. The AFC 2 is way more forgiving for poorly recorded rock / metal compare with the Cx, which was in turn more forgiving vs. the AFC 1.

I like all of these headphones and it's hard to say which I like more.

 

[roskodan]

...A headphone with a low impedance requires less current than one with a high impedance...

It's the other way around.

And that is why lower loads are hard to drive.

Did anyone noticed how headphone amps, that deliver the same power into 600 Ohm as 50W/8ohm speaker amps, have way smaller power supplies?

 

[bcowen]

It's the other way around.

And that is why lower loads are hard to drive.

Did anyone noticed how headphone amps, that deliver the same power into 600 Ohm as 50W/8ohm speaker amps, have way smaller power supplies?

Thank you for clarifying that. As another example, if anybody here is as old as me and can remember the Apogee Scintilla, it was a wonderful sounding (full size) ribbon speaker that earned the nickname of "amp killer". Its impedance dropped to as low as 1 ohm at some frequencies, and required a huge amount of power (watts) to play loud -- think 500 watts/channel for starters. The lower the impedance (which is a function of resistance), the more current required to drive a speaker or headphone at any given volume.

 

[flarex3]

These theoretical calculations usually don't match the reality. The calculation tells us only 0.63 mW is required for 90 dB of loudness and all devices, even all smartphone jacks, can produce that power but most of them can't drive Aeon. Because the actual requirement for good audio quality is much more.

Secondly, power is a function of voltage and current but both the current and the voltage must be sufficent for satisfying sound quality, not just the power. As I know, enough current is essential for good bass response and enough voltage is essential for mids and highs quality.

@mrspeakers What is the neccessary current and voltage the Aeon 2C needs to sound perfectly (loud enough and good quality across all frequencies). I am expecting an answer like X Volts and Y Miliamperes.