[merlinzeta]

I own both and while I prefer the bass of Z1R and bigger soundstage with more of fun sounding tuning. I like the mids on the Aeon and more even tonal balance but still not too analytical. And a big plus you can tune the treble to your liking. The advantage of the Aeon is that you are dealing with small company directly and the customer service is amazing. You know if something ever happens to your headphones even after warranty expires you know you will be taken care off. With Sony I am not confident I will get proper support if something ever happens. Especially with parts and actual service. Now if I lived in Japan Z1r would be my choice. Both are great headphones

That's really helpful, thanks for your opinion. It sounds like each have their strengths and weaknesses, and there's no huge gap in performance between them (considering the Z1R costs nearly 2x of the A2C new here in Aus).

That's a good point about support as well, although the Z1R is sold locally here and presumably Sony will provide some support.

 

[Jearly410]

Just want to put some things down about the AFC1 and AFC2 in this forum while I have a spare minute...

I upgraded from the AFC1 (bought pre-order sale) to the AFC2 recently and have been very happy with my decision. I used to say the ifi black label + AFC1 was my desert island setup, but that has been changed to ifi black label + AFC2, or ES100 + AFC2.

Some comparisons and thoughts:

AFC1 was the first headphone (and only) to require burn-in. There was a sharp sibilance at the beginning of ownership which went away with time, forcing me to use the foam pad. The bass was a little weak for my taste and I would always use the xbass on my ifi BL, which was seemingly made for the AFC1. It produces a clear and quick thump rivaling the bass impact of famously bass focused headphones (th-x00, sz2000) and would be the top picked headphone during friend and family auditions. I do not use the xbass with the AFC2 and enabling it does not have the same impact as with the AFC1 sadly. There is a synergy between the AFC1 and ifi BL that is unmatched.

Being a closed back was a requirement for me, and the passive noise blocking is very impressive for both the AFC1 and AFC2. I like the hinge on the AFC2 allowing for more cup adjustment. Pads are a little stiffer as well, making the seal slightly worse than the AFC1s soft pads which seemingly melt around the ear. Tradeoff was deformation issues on the soft pads so I am ok with the stiffer set. Definitely the most comfortable pair of headphones I own.

Imaging was very good in the AFC1, with a narrow soundstage. Imaging is much more important to me anyways. The AFC2 makes the stage a little wider. There is a better sense of depth in the AFC2, with a more 3D presentation. The illusion of hearing things behind me happens more often than I'd like to admit, causing a few checks over my shoulder for "that noise I heard" while playing games. Very impressive, especially for a closed back.

The AFC1 sound profile in a word: detailed
AFC2: real
More meat in the low end and mids is appreciated. This doesn't detract from the detail, making for a less sterile sound compared to the AFC1. The AFC1 is like a scapel, and the AFC2 is like a straight edge razor. Both insanely sharp, the straight edge being used for more purposes.

The AFC2 is a worthy successor to the AFC1 and will always have a place on my desk.

Cheers to all at Dan Clark Audio for another excellent product!

 

[xRaptorxPunisher]

How is the dynamics on the newer models?? The previous Aeons and other phones made by Dan suffered form horrible compression, zero sense of dynamics, has there been much improvement in this area?

 

[ra990]

I've gone through a lot of headphones and I have a different take on this "lack of dynamics" that I've heard from some about DCA headphones. I think these headphones are designed to be listened to for extended periods of time and so there's a certain comfort in the sound that doesn't make you want to take them off, even after hours of having them on. I have noticed this difference from other headphones that tend to eventually be fatiguing. Maybe this "lack of dynamics" is what makes them easy to listen to for long periods of time. Huge dynamics in headphones can certainly be fun! I've owned Clears, Utopia, Abyss, and some others that are known for their dynamics and they're fun for an hour or so but then I need a break.

 

[Asahi Templar]

How is the dynamics on the newer models?? The previous Aeons and other phones made by Dan suffered form horrible compression, zero sense of dynamics, has there been much improvement in this area?

I havent heard the previous gen ones but the Aeon 2s dynamics sound accurate to me, if the recording is dynamic it sounds dynamic, if its compressed it sounds compressed. I dont think its enhancing or subtracting anything personally.

I will say that there is a lot of upper bass energy with the Aeon 2 and that can cover up the dynamics a bit, basically its so warm that some of the attack/energy can get hidden behind a wall of warmth if that makes sense. However when I eq that region down a bit the dynamics pop right out as they should. If I did not EQ them at all I could definitely see someone finding the dynamics compressed. I guess some people will like this effect though.

I got my Asgard 3 finally and good lord that kicked the bass up on the Aeons, I figured that the G6 was someone limiting them as its bus powered, and that is not a issue with Asgard which has power for days. I still find extension drops off at 24hz quite a bit but I wear glasses so I don't have a perfect seal. I personally don't care, as there is very little going on below 24hz anyway and it prevents me from getting a headache but figured I would mention it for dem bassheads!

Bass is quite strong now! I find no need to EQ it up anymore. Now that it has fully burned in (rather it be my brain or the driver/pads themselves) I dont need to do much EQ anymore, I just use the following now:

200hz Q4 -3db
7200 Q+ -2db

Thats it!

Most important thing for me at least is dropping the 200hz energy a bit because it is THICC sounding! Espciailly with the Asgard 3 which I think its a touch warm on its own. Still find my initial impressions on the Fr to be accurate but I have gotten to like the extra 5.6-6.1k energy, its a nice effect.With the 200hz region EQed down a little more I dont find I need any more 4k energy though one could add some if they would like more attack. I like the extra 7200 energy too on some tracks, but others that are badly recorded can be slightly annoying so I just EQ it down most the time.

 

[Monstieur]

I love the Aeon 2 Closed. The tuning out of the box is almost perfect, and I apply a +6 dB low shelf at 60 Hz for equal loudness at my listening level. This is the first headphone I've heard that sounds balanced without EQ apart from the Audeze Mobius (which uses DSP). The sound stage for a closed-back is wider than some open-back headphones.

I can't wait to try the perforated pads. If it elevates the bass to my preference, this may be the first headphone that I can run straight out of an amp without EQ.

I EQed it to the Harman target according to Oratory1990's measurements, but that resulted in ear-piercing treble with insufficient bass. The test subjects must all have hearing damage if that's the generally preferred target.

 

[Monstieur]

A problem is:, the sound starts to get worse and "clip" at higher volumes. I'm talking about just slightly louder than moderate levels. When increasing the volume, the sound should homogeneously get louder but I guess high treble gets louder than anything else and the sound quality breaks down.
This problem isn't present with Aeon 1. It starts to clip after a volume too but the threshold is very high (around 100 dB I guess). But for Aeon 2 the problems start around 80-85 dB.

I had this issue with my amp. It just couldn't hand the 13 ohm impedance of the Aeon 2 and would clip or suck out the bass with each beat. The same amp could handle my LCD-2 Classic at 2x the volume with sub-woofer like bass that rattled my head. It's a low impedance issue and not a total power issue.

When I upgraded to the Monolith THX 788 amp, the issue disappeared and my Aeon 2 Closed gets as loud as my LCD-2 Classic.

 

[roskodan]

That chap was using a Sennheiser HDV 820 with the Aeons, and got banned from head-fi for that.

 

[dcguy73]

After working at home for a month, I found that I really needed a quality closed headphone with passive sound blocking. I bought the AC2 after reading positive online reviews. I didn't really care for the AO or AC version 1 headphones, so I took a gamble that the AC2 would be better.

I'm glad I took a chance. The AC2 is the first closed-back headphone I've owned that I really enjoy. It's comfortable to wear -- not overly bulky or heavy, and the pads are comfortable. All of the other closed-backs I've tried were too heavy or used too much clamping force.

The AC2's sound is quite good across the board, though I am a bit treble-sensitive to it. I use one of the included tuning pads or EQ-ing to smooth things out. Sometimes, I use a v1 Dummer cable, which sounds smoother than the newer Vivo cable.

I'm pretty happy listening to the AC2 via my iBasso DX220 (on high gain between 40-50 volume). I do get more power and ease with my desktop headphone setup, but I like the synergy between the AC2 and my battery-powered portable DAP.

 

[roskodan]

If the AFC2 are anything like the originals, then they will definitely respond to different amps, dacs, even trying them straight from a smarphone, pc/laptop, receiver, tv can reveal if one's amp is bringing extra brightness to the table.

 

[BabetakCZE]

So far very impressed with my new Aeon 2 Open.
I find it substantially better than the previous AFO which I liked as well (A2O is more dynamic, more detailed, have a better soundstage, more clarity).
Very natural yet detailed sound with fantastic sparkle.
Next month I will upgrade from Modi 3 to the Qutest to maximize the potential.

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

So far very impressed with my new Aeon 2 Open.
I find it substantially better than the previous AFO which I liked as well (A2O is more dynamic, more detailed, have a better soundstage, more clarity).
Very natural yet detailed sound with fantastic sparkle.
Next month I will upgrade from Modi 3 to the Qutest to maximize the potential.

Awesome! I am very fond of the Aeon 2C and definitely want to Audition the Aeon Flow 2.

 

[Ficcion2]

I’m waiting on a pair of A2 opens to compare with my Sundaras.

Im ready to sell off the HiFiman if these are noticeably better as in more musical and immersive.

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

I’m waiting on a pair of A2 opens to compare with my Sundaras.

Im ready to sell off the HiFiman if these are noticeably better as in more musical and immersive.

Let me know your thoughts curious to hear them.

 

[BabetakCZE]

I’m waiting on a pair of A2 opens to compare with my Sundaras.

Im ready to sell off the HiFiman if these are noticeably better as in more musical and immersive.

A2O is for me more musical and immersive than Focal Clear so I think its on another level compared to Sundara.