Speaking of the Aeolus Chocolate (TM), I've been having a minor audio-related crisis for the last 4-5 days or so and decided to drill down into my music and sound signature tastes to really understand what it is that brings me enjoyment with music, and after switching to the universe suede pads, giving them a fairly major low end boost (100hz +3dB/0.25Q, 200hz +2.5dB/0.25Q, 300hz -0.6dB/0.25Q, 400hz -1.2dB/0.75Q) with EQ APO and toggling the BL's X-Bass feature on (for most songs, maybe not every single one), I think the Aeolus have been transformed into, like.. straight up perfect headphones for me.
I'm sure most would call what the EQ boost does to the sound muddy or boomy, but for me it's like genuine honey inside my ears. The low end is thick, warm, bassy. It sounds like the music is hugging you. I listen to a lot of melancholy or just straight up sad music and the added thickness and warmth almost paradoxically seem to add to the somber atmosphere of many of those songs. Somehow the higher mids and treble also retain the sweetness and beauty and smoothness, at least to my ear, that the suede pads bring.
And the comfort with the suede pads is just insane. The cans absolutely do not feel their weight with them - I listened to music quite literally all day yesterday with zero discomfort. It feels like you're wearing a pillow on your head. This might sound weird and/or dorky, but I actually feel like the soft and fluffy suede pads might even have a minor calming effect on me, probably the same way weighted blankets work for some. You just feel cozy and... safe, in your personal little suede bubble. I almost wish it was winter so I could grab a cup of hot joe, wrap myself in a blanket, put the Aeolus on and just listen to (sad) music and sip on coffee and watch the snow slowly fall outside and feel like Everything's Going To Be Alright, Actually.
I think this is it for me. I might get the Atticus for when I need more isolation (how are they with suede pads?) and I might get an OTL tube amp at some point just to see for myself what tubes are like, but other than that, this is my "end game". The need for EQ is of course an issue I'll have to solve sooner or later - I'm currently chained to my desktop for Aeolus music listening - but I highly doubt it's gonna be an impossible one to fix. Worse comes to worst, I'll just jailbreak my iPhone or even get a whole separate Android phone for portable listening so I can actually apply the exact same EQ (****ing hate the iOS Spotify's EQ setting, it's terrible) and that'll be that.
Wondering if this would be a good time to take a long break from head-fi, r/headphones and all those audiophile Youtube channels, too. Kind of a bittersweet feeling. Almost feels like a goodbye.
