[TSAVJason]

I am currently reviewing the Aeon 2 Open and in short the bass is: deep, articulate, very-well defined and quick.

I agree. In fact I’d go so far as to say that with some very heavy bass tracks you might find yourself turning down the bass frequencies. Of course it’s my opinion. I’m a bassist and tend to lean toward accuracy more than abundance so hopefully that makes my frame of reference easier to understand.

 

[Cortlendt]

I have a question to Dan - any kind of upgrade program for original AFO/AFC owners planned?

(Was it answered in this thread already?)

 

[mrspeakers]

I have a question to Dan - any kind of upgrade program for original AFO/AFC owners planned?

(Was it answered in this thread already?)

No, it's genuinely a headphone replacement to do that. There's no compatibility between the parts.

 

[BobMonkhouse]

Another question to Dan:
do you know if headphones.com will carry Aeon 2 Open?

 

[mrspeakers]

Another question to Dan:
do you know if headphones.com will carry Aeon 2 Open?

Yes, they carry it. Not sure of their stock situation, they just placed another order.

 

[mrspeakers]

A fun and succinct A2C review from Singapore...

 

[metal571]

Heard the A2C today at @adcustom. I'm surprised, because judging by the FR as measured by Jude's HATS, I didn't expect there to be almost any upper midrange at ear resonance around 3.5k, and instead expected an annoying relative 6k peak from the graph. But when I do this thing called using my ears instead...the upper mids and treble levels are pleasantly not harsh or annoying at all, which plagues far too many headphones I've heard in the past and is especially aggravating in closed backs. In a very quiet environment, my 5 minute impression is just that this is just a very pleasant sounding frequency response and sounds like it is tuned well for Harman fans. Unfortunately I'm still hearing that classic Aeon compression in terms of the way the headphone presents "slam" in music, though (even on a Hugo 2). If you can get past that, detail seems right where it should be for a closed back at this price, and obviously as always, the hardware design is superb. Didn't spend enough time with it to get a really good sense of the stage yet. Instead of me being able to flat out say Elegia or A2C is better, I'd have to have them side by side to really make that call. Just my random two cents.

 

[funkle II]

Heard the A2C today at @adcustom. I'm surprised, because judging by the FR as measured by Jude's HATS, I didn't expect there to be almost any upper midrange at ear resonance around 3.5k, and instead expected an annoying relative 6k peak from the graph. But when I do this thing called using my ears instead...the upper mids and treble levels are pleasantly not harsh or annoying at all, which plagues far too many headphones I've heard in the past and is especially aggravating in closed backs. In a very quiet environment, my 5 minute impression is just that this is just a very pleasant sounding frequency response and sounds like it is tuned well for Harman fans. Unfortunately I'm still hearing that classic Aeon compression in terms of the way the headphone presents "slam" in music, though (even on a Hugo 2). If you can get past that, detail seems right where it should be for a closed back at this price, and obviously as always, the hardware design is superb. Didn't spend enough time with it to get a really good sense of the stage yet. Instead of me being able to flat out say Elegia or A2C is better, I'd have to have them side by side to really make that call. Just my random two cents.

Thanks for the feedback. Are you planning to do a video review? I enjoy your reviews al lot BTW and think you're one of the better reviewers right now. Although your feelings about the Nighhawks make me think you lean towards a different sound signature than I do.

 

[metal571]

Thanks for the feedback. Are you planning to do a video review? I enjoy your reviews al lot BTW and think you're one of the better reviewers right now. Although your feelings about the Nighhawks make me think you lean towards a different sound signature than I do.

No reviews planned at the moment. Still on the break. Chances are good when I return it'll be in the form of live streams only, which start out with a quick review and open up to questions after that. And lol Nighthawks, I can't even begin to describe how tonally wrong that headphone is. Very few headphones get FR quite that incorrect anywhere near that msrp. Bright or dark is one thing, but we reviewers have to draw the line on FR shape issues at some point. And those are far past the line.

My preference is an HD 650 with -3 dB Q 1.41 at 3.5k, merged with the flat bass response of a planar, running a 100 Hz centered low shelf at +3 dB such that the bass shelf ends by 200 Hz.

 

[funkle II]

No reviews planned at the moment. Still on the break. Chances are good when I return it'll be in the form of live streams only, which start out with a quick review and open up to questions after that. And lol Nighthawks, I can't even begin to describe how tonally wrong that headphone is. Very few headphones get FR quite that incorrect anywhere near their msrp. Bright or dark is one thing, but we reviewers have to draw the line on FR shape issues at some point. And those are far past the line.

I didn't like the NH at first, but I have gotten into some sort of dysfunctional relationship with it I guess. I've been more of a speaker guy and the headphone thing is pretty new, so don't really know what I'm talking about. I'm still really enjoying the NH now that my collection has grown, but I still haven't heard many 1000+ headphones so that may all change. The end goal is really to find the best closed back for the times when I can't use my speakers. For now I'm having a blast getting my bearings with the cheaper stuff, but will begin to ease my way into higher end and the A2C seems like a contender.

 

[metal571]

I didn't like the NH at first, but I have gotten into some sort of dysfunctional relationship with it I guess. I've been more of a speaker guy and the headphone thing is pretty new, so don't really know what I'm talking about. I'm still really enjoying the NH now that my collection has grown, but I still haven't heard many 1000+ headphones so that may all change. The end goal is really to find the best closed back for the times when I can't use my speakers. For now I'm having a blast getting my bearings with the cheaper stuff, but will begin to ease my way into higher end and the A2C seems like a contender.

There's a big difference between when reviewers say something isn't good and whether people should or shouldn't enjoy products. ALWAYS use what you enjoy, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Worrying about that or putting yourself down is ridiculous. Life's too short, enjoy the music. I'm a ridiculously picky reviewer for the most part, but I'll never tell someone they can't enjoy a thing I didn't like.

 

[jason.voegele]

The DAP market moves fast and has too many products to make an authoritative list. Some front ends I have HEARD and strongly encourage (there are many more options of course) for consideration due to price performance and general quality are:

Chord Mojo (which I adore for the price and is more than powerful enough) and Hugo 2
Higher-end FiiO players
iBasso DX220 (particularly with the Amp8, this is stellar pairing for the price but does require a 4.4mm cable)
Sony Walkman ZX300 or higher
AK Kann
AudioQuest Red or Cobalt (nice, clean and convenient but not the right solution for those wanting 120dB EDM) for a tiny USB option

A good rule of thumb to select an amp or DAC to pair with AEON is to check power at 32ohms and 16ohms. If power doubles from 32 to 16 ohms and is at least 200mW at 16 ohms it's probably fine. However, if power is 100mW at 32 ohms and 120mW at 16 ohms the amp has a weak power supply and may not be be a good pairing. These days most devices I've checked roughly double power as impedance halves from 32 to 16 (it could be 175% instead of 200% and still be OK).

Hi @mrspeakers, I've noticed that the user manual for the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt contains this warning in the tech specs:

OUTPUT: 2.1 Vrms @10k Ohms or higher; 16 ohms minimum for headphone​

I'm wondering what the consequences are for using the Cobalt with the Aeon 2 headphones, since they are lower than the16 ohms minimum specified for the Cobalt. Does it simply mean that volume levels will not go as high? Or that there will be distortion at higher volumes? Or that there is an overall degradation of sound quality regardless of volume level?

Sorry, I'm far from an expert in this area, so I'd love a simple layman's explanation. Thanks!

 

[mrspeakers]

Hi @mrspeakers, I've noticed that the user manual for the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt contains this warning in the tech specs:

OUTPUT: 2.1 Vrms @10k Ohms or higher; 16 ohms minimum for headphone​

I'm wondering what the consequences are for using the Cobalt with the Aeon 2 headphones, since they are lower than the16 ohms minimum specified for the Cobalt. Does it simply mean that volume levels will not go as high? Or that there will be distortion at higher volumes? Or that there is an overall degradation of sound quality regardless of volume level?

Sorry, I'm far from an expert in this area, so I'd love a simple layman's explanation. Thanks!

This typically means the amp will current limit and power will decrease below 16ohms, but that said I don't think I've ever heard anyone say there was an issue and to my knowledge most if not all owners feel the Cobalt works well. It doesn't put the amp at risk it just means actual power at 12 ohms will be lower than 16.

 

[MisterEwing]

Hi @mrspeakers, I've noticed that the user manual for the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt contains this warning in the tech specs:

OUTPUT: 2.1 Vrms @10k Ohms or higher; 16 ohms minimum for headphone​

I'm wondering what the consequences are for using the Cobalt with the Aeon 2 headphones, since they are lower than the16 ohms minimum specified for the Cobalt. Does it simply mean that volume levels will not go as high? Or that there will be distortion at higher volumes? Or that there is an overall degradation of sound quality regardless of volume level?

Sorry, I'm far from an expert in this area, so I'd love a simple layman's explanation. Thanks!

I'm definitely not an expert either but I do own the Aeon Flow 2 Closed (AF2C) and have used them pretty extensively with the AudioQuest Dragon Fly Red (DFR) which, I believe, has the same power output specifications as the Cobalt.

By and large the AF2C has paired well with the DFR... in fact the AF2C has paired well with all of my current sources: NFB-11.32, Asgard 3 MB, Fulla 3, iFi iDSD Micro BL, hell even the Apple Lightening to 3.5mm (albeit lacking in power/volume). The Aeon Flow 2 Closed are truly awesome cans.

Okay, on to the specific questions. From an iPhone 11 Pro Max and a 10.5" iPad Pro using both the Apple CCK and CCK 3.0 I have not noticed any distortion regardless of volume. From these sources my general listening level is probably around the 80% mark with my tolerance topping out about 95%. would I like a bit more headroom? Sure, but, for as power hungry as planars seem to be, I find the experience with the DFR in this setup to be just fine.

When switching to PC(s) things changed a bit. Volume increased dramatically with normal listening levels being somewhere in the neighborhood of 60/100 in Windows 10 with the sound getting painfully loud at about 80/100. Unfortunately the added volume has had it's trade-offs.With my desktop the pops, clicks and occasional distortion in the lower frequencies makes the DFR nearly unusable. Switching over to my laptop (Dell XPS13) things get much better. Volume stays the same but the 'artifacts' are far less and most of the distortion is gone. I'm 100% convinced this has to do with the USB ports on my devices and not an inherent flaw in the DFR, nor the DFR paired with the AF2C as these problems also exist when paired with my Focal Elex. I have a JitterBug on order from AQ and I'll report back if that makes any difference.

Moral of the story, I'm very happy with the AF2C and the DFR. It's my ultimate portable solution as everything I need for audiophile listening can fit in the compact carry case included with the AF2C. I have a Cobalt on order (because all the things) and will later post my opinions of the Cobalt vs the DFR, as well as any improvements seen with the addition of the JitterBug.

As mentioned above one really nice thing about the AF2C is that they seem to play nicely with pretty much everything. Sure, they benefit from more power, but unlike headphones such as the HD650, I don't find that massive power is required to make them sound good.

Edit: I've read that the Cobalt has something of a Jitterbug built in which could, in theory, eliminate or reduce the problems I've had with my desktop and laptop. I'll definitely test this out when the Cobalt arrives.

Edit 2: After a couple hours of testing I can confidently say, at least in my setup and to my ears, the Jitterbug does absolutely nothing. The issues present with the DFR on my PC and laptop persist. In any case I am still quite happy with the pairing of the DFR, my iPhone and the AF2C. The Cobalt arrives today, and I have a Monolith THX Portable arriving tomorrow. Within the next week or so I plan to post my impression of the AF2C with the DFR, DFC, Monolith Portable and the iFi Micro iDSD BL.

 

[bcowen]

I'm definitely not an expert either but I do own the Aeon Flow 2 Closed (AF2C) and have used them pretty extensively with the AudioQuest Dragon Fly Red (DFR) which, I believe, has the same power output specifications as the Cobalt.

By and large the AF2C has paired well with the DFR... in fact the AF2C has paired well with all of my current sources: NFB-11.32, Asgard 3 MB, Fulla 3, iFi iDSD Micro BL, hell even the Apple Lightening to 3.5mm (albeit lacking in power/volume). The Aeon Flow 2 Closed are truly awesome cans.

Okay, on to the specific questions. From an iPhone 11 Pro Max and a 10.5" iPad Pro using both the Apple CCK and CCK 3.0 I have not noticed any distortion regardless of volume. From these sources my general listening level is probably around the 80% mark with my tolerance topping out about 95%. would I like a bit more headroom? Sure, but, for as power hungry as planars seem to be, I find the experience with the DFR in this setup to be just fine.

When switching to PC(s) things changed a bit. Volume increased dramatically with normal listening levels being somewhere in the neighborhood of 60/100 in Windows 10 with the sound getting painfully loud at about 80/100. Unfortunately the added volume has had it's trade-offs.With my desktop the pops, clicks and occasional distortion in the lower frequencies makes the DFR nearly unusable. Switching over to my laptop (Dell XPS13) things get much better. Volume stays the same but the 'artifacts' are far less and most of the distortion is gone. I'm 100% convinced this has to do with the USB ports on my devices and not an inherent flaw in the DFR, nor the DFR paired with the AF2C as these problems also exist when paired with my Focal Elex. I have a JitterBug on order from AQ and I'll report back if that makes any difference.

Moral of the story, I'm very happy with the AF2C and the DFR. It's my ultimate portable solution as everything I need for audiophile listening can fit in the compact carry case included with the AF2C. I have a Cobalt on order (because all the things) and will later post my opinions of the Cobalt vs the DFR, as well as any improvements seen with the addition of the JitterBug.

As mentioned above one really nice thing about the AF2C is that they seem to play nicely with pretty much everything. Sure, they benefit from more power, but unlike headphones such as the HD650, I don't find that massive power is required to make them sound good.

Edit: I've read that the Cobalt has something of a Jitterbug built in which could, in theory, eliminate or reduce the problems I've had with my desktop and laptop. I'll definitely test this out when the Cobalt arrives.

Edit 2: After a couple hours of testing I can confidently say, at least in my setup and to my ears, the Jitterbug does absolutely nothing. The issues present with the DFR on my PC and laptop persist. In any case I am still quite happy with the pairing of the DFR, my iPhone and the AF2C. The Cobalt arrives today, and I have a Monolith THX Portable arriving tomorrow. Within the next week or so I plan to post my impression of the AF2C with the DFR, DFC, Monolith Portable and the iFi Micro iDSD BL.

This (Fidelizer) might possibly help with the glitchies:

https://www.fidelizer-audio.com/

I didn't have the same issues you're experiencing streaming Tidal through my laptop and output via USB, but I'm not using a USB plug-in device either. I got it mostly for the overall sonic improvement, but a couple friends I've passed it onto said it eliminated random clicks and dropouts they were experiencing. I have the Pro version, but there's a free version that while not being as robust as either of the paid versions, it's um, free. Might be worth a try to see if it helps, and if not just delete it. If it boils down to the DFR and your computer(s) just not playing nicely together it may do nothing, but you never know.