[oldmankensey]

Looks amazing! Can’t wait for my AC to arrive.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

So far I’m really enjoying the AC with my Mjolnir 3. I’ve only listened for about an hour so far, but I have no complaints. The bass really is something else on these things!

Decided to warm up my SW51+ and see how the AC sounds from a nice neutral tube amp with a higher output impedance (54 ohms from the high-Z output). Just plugged the AC into the SW51+ and it sounds amazing! I’ll need more time, but it is definitely not being embarrassed by the MJ3. My Meze Elite is much better on the MJ3, but with the AC it seems I’ve got two great amp options at hand.

 

[Toonartist]

I’ve been listening yo the AC with the Auteur suede solids of late for the better isolation over Christmas when using the mojo 2 and really enjoyed the sound.

Even on my main system when I didn’t need the isolation i found the slightly increased bass over the caldera suede perf to be worth the trade off of losing a little size in soundstage. They also have a little more ear clearance which made them feel more comfortable. These two sets of pads are definitely my favourites over the stock.

After only having one pair of headphones for so long, being able to swap between the Elites and AC depending on the album playing makes me feel really lucky.

Just love the smooth detail and soundstage of the Elites and the dynamic detail plus bass impact of the AC… spoilt

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I’ve been listening yo the AC with the Auteur suede solids of late for the better isolation over Christmas when using the mojo 2 and really enjoyed the sound.

Even on my main system when I didn’t need the isolation i found the slightly increased bass over the caldera suede perf to be worth the trade off of losing a little size in soundstage. They also have a little more ear clearance which made them feel more comfortable. These two sets of pads are definitely my favourites over the stock.

After only having one pair of headphones for so long, being able to swap between the Elites and AC depending on the album playing makes me feel really lucky.

Just love the smooth detail and soundstage of the Elites and the dynamic detail plus bass impact of the AC… spoilt

Consider me equally "spoilt"! The Elite and AC are a great duo of headphones to choose between daily. I can already see that the AC is not going to be my daily driver because the bass, although amazing, is a bit fatiguing after an hour or so. Then again, I haven't tried any of the 3 suede pad options yet (Caldera Suede, Bokeh Suede, and Auteur Suede Solid). I also haven't fully burned in the headphones. I should probably hold off any judgment until I have more time with the AC.

 

[erics75]

Consider me equally "spoilt"! The Elite and AC are a great duo of headphones to choose between daily. I can already see that the AC is not going to be my daily driver because the bass, although amazing, is a bit fatiguing after an hour or so. Then again, I haven't tried any of the 3 suede pad options yet (Caldera Suede, Bokeh Suede, and Auteur Suede Solid). I also haven't fully burned in the headphones. I should probably hold off any judgment until I have more time with the AC.

The Auteur suede will not lower the bass much, but the other two will for sure. With the stock Caldera suede the bass is mitigated quite a bit. It changes the AC's sound signature pretty dramatically, IMO. It goes from dark and bassy to airy and balanced when going from the stock lamb to stock suede pads. The Bokeh suede is pretty similar to the Caldera suede.

 

[Toonartist]

@ckhirnigs113 yeah, if the bass is a little fatiguing, swap the pads to the Caldera suede perf… they reduce the contrast. Think angled Elite pads but with more bass. Once i swapped over never went back… well, occasionally

I felt for the first 20-30hrs or so the highs could be tiring for long sessions but they smooth out nicely after the 50-100 mark.

 

[AudioDuck]

[I felt for the first 20-30hrs or so the highs could be tiring for long sessions but they smooth out nicely after the 50-100 mark.

I’ll second this- after 50+ hours (I ran my ACs in for 120+ hours) there is definitely no harshness to the treble with high-impedance-friendly amps.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

The Auteur suede will not lower the bass much, but the other two will for sure. With the stock Caldera suede the bass is mitigated quite a bit. It changes the AC's sound signature pretty dramatically, IMO. It goes from dark and bassy to airy and balanced when going from the stock lamb to stock suede pads. The Bokeh suede is pretty similar to the Caldera suede.

According to Zach, the sound of Bokeh Suede should fall somewhere between the stock Caldera Lambskin Thins and Caldera Suedes due to the unperforated portion of the pads. I've been pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the stock Caldera Thins though. I have pretty big ears, so I thought I'd have to switch to the Caldera Suedes or Auteur Suedes for the added depth they provide. I think now I'll be able to choose based solely on sound instead of comfort.

And to be clear, I think it was the strenth of the bass not any harshness in the treble that might have been a bit fatiguing on my first listen last night. I'm definitely not complaining!

 

[AudioDuck]

[I felt for the first 20-30hrs or so the highs could be tiring for long sessions but they smooth out nicely after the 50-100 mark.

I’ll second this- after 50+ hours (I ran my ACs in for 120+ hours) there is definitely no harshness to the treble with high-impedance-friendly amps.

 

[erics75]

According to Zach, the sound of Bokeh Suede should fall somewhere between the stock Caldera Lambskin Thins and Caldera Suedes due to the unperforated portion of the pads. I've been pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the stock Caldera Thins though. I have pretty big ears, so I thought I'd have to switch to the Caldera Suedes or Auteur Suedes for the added depth they provide. I think now I'll be able to choose solely based on sound preference instead of comfort.

And to be clear, I think it was the strenth of the bass not any harshness in the treble that might have been a bit fatiguing on my first listen last night. I'm definitely not complaining!

Good point on the side walls of the pads, the Bokeh ones are indeed solid and should raise the bass levels a bit vs the perforated Caldera thins. I'll have to go back and check that myself, I didn't notice a huge difference between them, but I didn't put a lot of time into them as they seemed so similar. A deeper dive is in order!

 

[robo24]

The Auteur suede will not lower the bass much, but the other two will for sure. With the stock Caldera suede the bass is mitigated quite a bit. It changes the AC's sound signature pretty dramatically, IMO. It goes from dark and bassy to airy and balanced when going from the stock lamb to stock suede pads. The Bokeh suede is pretty similar to the Caldera suede.

For me the Bokeh suede are a significant improvement over the regular Caldera suede. Too much bass is lost going back to the Caldera suede and I can't see using them on the AC again.

 

[mattiastomas]

For me the Bokeh suede are a significant improvement over the regular Caldera suede. Too much bass is lost going back to the Caldera suede and I can't see using them on the AC again.

Really? Thats interesting. I should give it a shot. I got the tuning kit with my Bokeh and am set on the hybrid pads for now on that. I do like my AC with caldera suede pads. So maybe the Bokeh AC will kick it up a notch.

 

[Toonartist]

For me the Bokeh suede are a significant improvement over the regular Caldera suede. Too much bass is lost going back to the Caldera suede and I can't see using them on the AC again.

Do you know how the Bokeh Suede compares to the Auteur Suede Solid with the AC?

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Do you know how the Bokeh Suede compares to the Auteur Suede Solid with the AC?

I'll try all these pads soon on my AC, but it's my understanding that the Auteur Suede Solid pads sound more "closed in" like a typical closed-back headphone. The upside is better isolation and added comfort from the thicker Auteur pads.

 

[Toonartist]

I'll try all these pads soon on my AC, but it's my understanding that the Auteur Sueded Solid pads sound more "closed in" like a typical closed-back headphone. The upside is better isolation and added comfort from the thicker Auteur pads.

They are more comfortable. I guess the Aegis is helping me here as it doesn't feel closed in as such. If I were to switch to the Elite I notice the stage is a lot smaller but there's still an open feeling...just a smaller playing field if you see what I mean. If the Bokeh pads provide the same bass impact but with a wider stage then I would certainly look to add them to the others whenever thats possible to do so!