Great review!! Would the noire run properly with the ifi xdsd gryphon and a balanced 4,4mm trrrs cable properly? I’m looking for a mobile combo. Furthermore I would be happy to see some dac/amp or dap/amp combos with headphones, to see some mobile combo solutions.
Great review as usual. Just a reminder for people considering closed-back headphones at the $900-1000 range: the Celestee can be driven out of a phone while the Noire needs more power than that, if you are planning for portable usage.
@@knowledgelibrary1141 I honestly don't know the answer to that because I don't have a pair of Noires. Maybe search for the Noire's sensitivity in some forums to see what the experience has been for owners that use them with different sources. I can say that the Focal (I own an Elegia) line is very sensitive, an Apple dongle has enough power to drive them, but they do benefit from an amplifier
@@kvnngkronos Both Aeon Noir and Celestee CLAIM to be able to be driven by a phone but in real life and unless you enjoy tinny sound not worthy of these phones. Even though Focal and Dan Clark won't admit it in so many words they are made for home use using a dedicated amplifier, ideally complimented with a good quality DAC. Nothing too fancy, something like the iFi Zen combo does nicely with both. Applies to Elegia (nearly identical to Celestee) as well.
@@kavemankarl2588 I have not any DCA's, but I still own my Focal Elegia. It can be driven by a phone (or Apple dongle), but I agree with you that it benefits from using a dedicated amp.
After nearly one year of use I have to say that macro dynamics have become far better than they were in the first months. Not being a believer of "burn in" drivers I believe it comes from pads wear: the distance between ears and drivers with time is reduced and macro dynamics become quite good, not comparable with Focals but actually pleasant and present. Having heard many DCA headphones I believe this one is one of the best ones produced. Very enjoyable to my ears.
I'm using the Noire since 3 months and I can't agree more with your analysis. Great microdynamic, great details but total lacking of punch and slam. I also believe that using the filters on the Noire brings to nothing than lose details and turn the Noire into a muffed sounding thing. Noire are also officially approved by the "Dead Inside Society" ;) Great review Andrew, thank you for sharing.
I completely disagree. I love these headphones for their comfort, detail and neat design. They need a lot of driving to bring out the best in them, but my sources cope very well. I also use the Vivo upgrade cable, which is excellent. After testing, I now use the mid level black tuning filters, which I personally enjoy. I acknowledge that these headphones do not have the dynamism of my Focal Utopia headphones, but they are very much more expensive. At the end of the day, a lot depends on one’s choice of music. I listen to classical, modern jazz small combos and folk, with a limited amount of electronic and popular. Perhaps, your own tastes are very different.
@@michaelwadge5999 I agree, they need power. None of my other cans (including a Sundara and Aeolus) open up same as these with increased gain. On my Zen Can I run them on +12 DB gain, though I don't really run past 10 o'clock with them. That excess energy does wake up the dynamics. I think they're probably worth balancing as well. Personally I'll probably invest in a Hart Audio cable for them, but yeah I wholly disagree that these sound "dead". I don't see them as mobile cans because of what I'm finding it takes to drive them.
Would the Aeon 2 Noire, overall, be a worthy upgrade to the DT770(250ohm)'s? I keep hearing how the DT770's have an unusually wider sound stage than most closed backs, and that even the Aeon 2 Noire's can't quite match them, specifically in that area.
If someone wants to reduce the upper treble, just use 1-2 plies of toilet paper cut to shape. My experience with various front damping is that cloth materials have an influence on upper mids as well - sometimes moreso than in the air frequencies - whereas toilet paper (or handkerchief) makes a better treble rolloff.
I found similar advice reading Solderdude, diyaudioheaven. Different materials will affect the freq resp differently. When I got Beyers the upper frequencies are so bright that it needed something more than just another layer of foam. In fact the Beyer drivers have a piece of felt to curb the highs down. And then are, say HD 650, with the opposite warmish tone and taking the foam out brightens them considerably - something like 2 layers of ladies stockings will keep the dust off, but the thicker grill cover material will attenuate more than the original foam. You can even buy foams from AKG, Beyer parts distributors that sell Pro Audio and recording gear. The reason why some replacement pads sound way off is also because the material used as dust cover and inclusion or lack of the filters, other than shape and material of the pads themselves.
You get slam and punchiness when you have a fast and uniform sound wave resulting in a bass wave slamming your eardrums at a whole instead of reaching incrementally like what most planars and estats do. They got the speed but usually lack the sound uniformity of a stiff cone or well traced or coated planar diaphragm. Old planars slam like mad because they were having a fast but thick and kinda stiff diaphragms compared to thin limp planar diaphragms we have nowadays. You can go thin with diaphragms but you have to be genius at tracing them or coat them with something stiff like what ABYSS or Hifiman (Susvara) do. Not only bass but any percussive sound like pianos or cymbals need a stiff (whole) delivery of sound but it's more noticeable for bass as its wavelengths are significantly longer so the incremental delivery of a sound wave is more noticeable.
I recall the reviewer criticised the Aeon 2 Noires for a lack of “slam”. I did not really know what he meant by that, so I looked up the definition. I have since listened to Take Five from the famous original Dave Brubeck recording. This has a long and very energetic drum solo. I used my Aeon 2 Noires with my Questyle QP2R DAP and a balanced cable recently acquired and I thought the reproduction was terrific with “considerable slam”, at least in my book, at appropriate moments. With their ingenious design, easy storage and delicacy of sound, I really do feel these headphones represent excellent value for money.
Great review Andrew. A couple of years ago I bought an Aeon Closed and listened to them for exactly 5 mins. The lack of macrodynamics was shocking compared to my HD650 which was my daily driver at the time. I have no clue how ''macrodynamics'' could be quantified but for me it is the quality that has me bobbing my head/tapping my toes to the music. The Aeon seemed to suck all the joy out of the music. Hopefully you can get to the bottom of it for us someday :D
Same with me. Sometimes I see them sitting over there collecting dust. With all the good reviews they get, I'm a bit stand-offish from buying any Dan Clark headphones in the future.
Funnily enough I experienced the opposite, this one sounds very alive to me and makes me absorbed into the music. More so than the Celestee for sure. But I think I'm probably the odd one out, it's not the first time I prefer the one others call dead.
@@bram1027Why do you think that is? I am curious and looking for a very natur sounding headphones, which makes my food tap by themselves, because they draw me into the music. I also like details, like the differences in a note of the intrument...
I owned these, and I always experienced the strangest phenomenon that I couldn’t explain. No matter how loud I made them, they always sounded “quiet”. I know that’s a poor description, but that’s the best way I could describe the sensation. I think this was probably the lack of macro dynamics.
@@FerventDissent I don’t think it was that; I don’t listen to music extremely loudly. Plus I’ve owned many headphones over the years and this is the *only* headphone where I’ve experienced this (despite always listening at the same level). I’ve since moved on to a dynamic driver, and it’s a night and day difference.
Regarding perforated pads, I had an epiphany. I had purchased the Elegia and only found them to sound so-so, I was about to return them when I decided to use the Dekoni Elite Hybrid sheepskin pads on them. They are only perforated on the inside ring. I had purchased those pads for the Elear and was under the impression that they were only suited for open-backs since Dekoni listed only Elear, Clear and Utopia as compatible on their website. But what the heck, it could do no harm to try them on the Elegia now could it. Snapped them on and was immediately delighted with the result. The sound was full, rich and clean very similar to the Clear but with extended low-end that did not, to my relief, wander into the low mids. Treble required a hint of a boost at 6500Hz but that was it, the returnee turned into a keeper, it's one of my favorite phones and I have many including the Clear.
I have auditioned the following recently (June 2023): Dan Clark A2 Noir, Audeze LCD-2 Closed, Audeze LCD-XC, Focal Celestee, ZMF Atticus. The first that I dropped from my competition was Celestee. It just did not resolved details as well as others. LCD-XC somehow did not show anything to justify price hike of another ~ 600 Euro / USD. Supposedly, when applying proper EQ they really shine. I did not try any EQ so my tests are as it is from the box. Atticus was really good but also did not beat Audeze LCD-2 closed in any way, except the weight (Atticus is lighter). At the end it was between LCD-2 and A2 Noir. I consider Audeze LCD-2 the best from the above list. Details resolution marginally better than A2 Noir across all spectrum. One big difference - Andrew is right, A2 Noir is light in macrodynamic low tone punch. If you like deep powerful bass Audeze is wonderful (Atticus also). For me A2 Noir was good enough especially when listening to EDM, jazz with heavy bass, rock and classical music. I would prefer LCD-2 closed but I was concerned about their size and weight. My audition was from Qobuz using RME ADI-2 DAC FS. Enjoy your music.
Makes me wonder if it could be better to down-shelve the treble air and the sibilance peak with EQ instead of using the filters. Or they could have put a passive filter inline with the cable inside the chassis. Lots of options
That's what I do. I just sort of fill in that mid treble and reduce the air. If you JUST reduce the air, then that 5khz peak comes through too strongly, so better to adjust both.
@@ResolveReviews That makes sense. This is also where we differ, what does "boost treble" mean? Like what even is that? 😂 I would certainly reduce both the air and the sibilance instead of adding haha
@@metal571 in my mind the issue is that because the mid treble is so relaxed, it pronounces that 5khz region. So, when considering overall balance, it's less about shaving down the peaks, and more about bringing up the mid treble to match - at least in my opinion. I think preference based EQ could go the other way.
To reduce the upper treble, just use 1-2 plies of toilet paper cut to shape. My experience with various front damping is that cloth materials have an influence on upper mids as well - sometimes moreso than in the air frequencies - whereas toilet paper (or handkerchief) makes a better treble rolloff. I experimented quite heavily with an Audeze EL-8 Titanium, and got a very good sound signature. However I ended up selling, because I really don't like planar dynamics and imaging. (Just a few months later got a Clear and that blew out of the water anything I had beforehand)
I demoed a BUNCH of sub-2-grand headphones last week, and the Aeon 2 series were among the more pleasant to my ears. That said, I found the 2 Closed vastly superior to the 2 Noire, whose V-shaped tuning was definitely on the obnoxious side. Even the Flow was nicer IMO, and I'm aware open backs are not DCA's forte. Had I not heard the Stax I ended up purchasing, I probably would've gone home with a pair of 2 Closed (over and above Clear MG, Meze 109, LCD-X, LCD-2C, Arya Organic, Sendy Peacock, ADX5000 and others).
I think the dynamics problem with the Aeons is mainly due to their smaller drivers and magnets, than the others. They can move less air for this reason, most noticeable in the bass. I had LCD-3s for a bit, and I could make a direct correlation between their weight and how I had heard kick drums, and the like. Those have magnets. on both sides.
Loved the info on the Aeon 2 Noire perforated ear pads! Right now at my age the high treble doesn't bother me with the exception of a some tracks one in awhile. If so would I still benefit from the perforated ear pads? Is it hard to replace the ear pads? Is there a way to preserve the standard ones for future use?
Why is the frequency response so different from e. g. the measurements from Oratory1990 of the Noire 2? Is ther such a big amount of unit variance going on?
Great job really enjoyed this one. Love to hear "this is what the headphone offers over that other one" and "this headphone is for a person who likes blah".
Hi, thanks for the helpful review. Do you think Astell Kern Maxx can drive these headphones properly without any problem. Without any amps whatsoever? Thanks in advance.
I had a listening session of these. I compared it with my Denon AH-D9200 and Audeze LCD-5. I was considering this set as my on the go because of its portability. I used a BTR7 as my amp. No, I could not accept them becase of their lack the macro dynamic punch. also becausez they drained the battery and I had to put all settings including max gain to max to get them to perofrm which means that my portable amp is not enough to provide them with the power to make them sing. To power these you need at a minium a desktop amp, a brick which does not make the whole setup portable.
Great review and good comment on the macro dynamic I think that’s one thing that DC headphones are not good at, I really like the company and great customer service but if you want punch and slam look somewhere else
The lack of macrodynamics on the Aeon threw me for such a damn loop. It was my first headphone upgrade from a Porta Pro and I just could not for the life of me figure out why I preferred the Porta Pro. I thought that well maybe that's what Hifi sounds. Looking back it was just about the last headphone I should have purchased for my first hifi headphone.
not exactly...alot of people bought the Aeon and used those damn filters (which they shouldnt have) paired with weak amps. If you go this route, the damn aeons are stellar... with microdynamics and everything.
Really nice Review Andrew, I was waiting for this one. What do you think would be a suitable DAP/Portable Amp for these? A portable headphone that needs extra power is kinda counterproductive but I actually think about buying these and pairing them with a decent (portable) Amp (that shouldn't be too expensive).
@@corbinchristensen1555 This is true, but neither of those are 'strap it to your phone' portable. I would recommend trying out the hip-DAC (also ifi)- it's relatively cheap and very portable and sounds great IMO.
@@amargnwalkr Thanks for your answer. Yes, that's what I mean. A lightweight, small formfactor amp. Nothing too bulky and nothing too expensive. I will take a look at the Hip Dac.
Sorry if I've misunderstood. Resolve mentioned this is better with the perforated pads. Do they come as stock with the headphones or are they aftermarket pads?
Please could you tell me how these compare to the Aeon flow 2 open, I realise one is closed and one is open but which do you prefer please. Thanks for another great review too.
Beside the Aeon 2 Noire and Celestee it could be interesting to put into the mix the Denon D7200! Maybe its just between the other two: better soundstage than the Celestee and better dynamics and punch than the Aeon. Better build quality than the other two too.
I had the Celestee and LCD-XC to A/B test... and kept the XC. Celestee are really good... but the LCD-XC are easily the best closed back HP I've ever heard
@@JTB-- I completely understand I would probably do the same if it was just about sound quality but in my situation for the celestee along with most people is about the convenience factors with good looks as icing on the cake/ for strictly sound quality you can get better sound from open-back headphones anyway
@@theodorezurla496 I would definitely still recommend the Celestee to people. It's the best Focal sound signature I've heard so far and it looks sharp. And it's a headphone you can take on the go if you wanted to. The XC are a headphone that never leaves the house imo
I have the noires and the celestee right now. I think the description of the noire is spot on. Though I really dislike the celestee. The stage is soo small, bad and diffuse with a hollow echoy quality that no EQ can fix. A big disappointment for me.
Sort of confused about this pad stuff. Did these test Noires come with solid pads? I just got a set new, and the pads seem to be the perforated ones you’re describing. Totally confused as to whether I should be looking to swap or not...
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Ha, gotcha, was just trying to figure out if these testers came with different pads than what I received. The emphasis on going with perforated pads as opposed to solids made it seem like this test set came with solids that needed to be swapped out (or that solids were an option when ordering). Mine came with only one set of semi-perforated pads, so I was confused by the discussion about the solids. Doing some overthinking over here probably...
I am very new to this environment. I am considering to buy these headphones but I still don't know how to use them properly what is the ideal AMP/DAC. (I know their function, also question for that too. Why we need an amp cannot we just use internal software to EQ, amplify it?} How to use them outside? What cable option to buy on the original there is like 10 different options. Should I buy instead the cheaper model Aeon Closed X?
GREAT REVIEW ANDREW! I have just purchased the DCA Aeon 2 noire and it did not come with perforated pads. Thought the AEON noire all came with perforated pads? Anyone know why this mite be? I purchased 2 weeks a go in the uk
Interesting review. I'd be curious as to how many hours you had on the Noire's before the review. The reason I ask is that DCA headphones generally require a notoriously long break-in period. I don't know if the Aeon line requires the same as I don't own any of them. I do own the Ether CX & macro dynamics didn't significantly kick in on them until somewhere north of 350 hours. They weren't at the level of a Focal but they definitely reached the point of being acceptable. I'd be surprised if the same wasn't true for the Aeon 2 Noire.
I have owned a pair of these for four weeks or so and have played them to death, but not literally! They are clearly getting steadily better as time goes by and I think they are great. They require a good power source, which I am fortunate to own (Chord Hugo TT2 and Chord M-Scaler). I simply do not accept they are dead sounding. I wonder what sort of music those people who claim they are listen to. Certainly, the reviewer’s choice of music in the past did not impress me, but thankfully we are all different.
@@michaelwadge5999 I completely agree. I own a pair and have let them burn in with 48 hours of pink noise followed by 50 hours of music and they really sound a lot better now then when I first tried them. Dan Clark even provides printed instructions to burn them in for a while to get the proper experience with them.
Hopefully someone can help me out, I own a Topping EX5 and am curious if that Amp+Dac would be able to power these properly? Thanks for any and all help
@@TheHEADPHONEShow May I ask how the Noire compares to the Focal Elegia or Celestee? My music preferences are orchestral music, specially film scores, so again I want detail, fidelity, stage and basically that organic feel from music.
How does the Noire compare to the Elegia for music quality and enjoyment? Especially for electronic music Also Andrew, can you please ask Focal to keep making the Clear? Some people won't buy its replacement, the MG, because it has worse sound quality Same for the Elegia, they shouldn't have stopped making it. Some people won't buy the Celeste because it has a narrow soundstage
No, it’s the exact same as the standard A2C. Dan himself mentioned this in a comment on the head fi thread, stating that there’s no loss in isolation/leakage since the perforation is only on the inside wall of the pads. And I can attest to this, these headphones isolate like crazy, honestly probably one of the most isolating closed backs I’ve ever heard.
About what you said regarding the drivability of this headphone at 1:11: Lesser impedance doesn't mean better drivability. A zero-ohm headphone wouldn't produce sound.
The portability of these headphones suggests they could be used with say an ipad + Dragonfly Colbalt on vacation, is this the case or are they only really for a separate hifi amplifier.
All I will like to know is what I need to get the best out of the Apple Music hi resolution lossless audio ? Are this headphones 🎧 good 👍? With a mojo amp will do the job ? Also I care about my safety on my hearing and ears 👂.. should I go with the filter ?
Now I would normally never write in and say something like "Well unlike you this other reviewer said this and that about this headphone..." because as we all now it is the nature of the game called headphones that impressions do vary. BUT - in this case I think a comment pointing in that direction might just be justified. So - if I may - how is it possible to hear great bass and great slam and punch from this basshead pleasing headphone as DMS does - and to hear what you are hearing? So pretty please - enlighten me Sir. Cheers
It's bass elevated, especially in the mid bass, but it still lacks macro dynamics. At the moment, that quality isn't associated with measured bass response.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Yeah, that is what I heard you say in the review - however, I'm just wondering how two healthy young man with hopefully intact hearing can hear a.) no macro dynamics as in zero, zilch, none, null, nada and b.) great slam and punch. So unless my understanding of macro dynamics is way off I think that is quite a drastic difference in perception of the way a headphone sounds. And that just made me wonder ...
Some people interpret elevated bass response as slam/punch. I don't think we had a different experience, we just likely interpret that experience differently.
A factor too I think is that all of Dan's headphones except the ether 2 (IIRC) use heavy rear damping & the drivers aren't tensioned like most other planars, seems to choke the drivers a bit. The driver design in the Ether/Aeons are like glorified t50's lol and they were never known for their dynamics
@@MAELOB certainly the Prime's had better macro-dynamics out of all the t50rp mods, even better than the Ori/Blackwood from ZMF. The t50rp has a fairly thick diaphragm and when subject to correct damping (i.e. more driver damping & less cup damping) can definitely yield more slam than you'd expect
Is there a reason to spend double on these over the Fostex TR50 which I believe originally Mr. Speakers was using the same exact drivers for? They cost $169 and $100 used, and with proper pads would be really less than half the price.
I find these reviews to be pretty much worthless. I bought these headphones and listened to them with a quality DAC/amp with and without the filters. In a nutshell they sounded awful. They were muddy and lacked detail. My Focal Bathys are light years ahead in sound quality. Needless to say I returned them the next day.
Very strange opinion piece?! So basically its meh 😑 or clearly bad but for a bit of soundstage and weird treble it’s highly recommended? I don’t get it.
For reference, I did not wear these glasses during the evaluation. This is not responsible for the comments surrounding dynamics.
How much detail is lost by using the white foam inserts on the Noire 2 in your opinion?
Great review!! Would the noire run properly with the ifi xdsd gryphon and a balanced 4,4mm trrrs cable properly? I’m looking for a mobile combo.
Furthermore I would be happy to see some dac/amp or dap/amp combos with headphones, to see some mobile combo solutions.
Great review as usual. Just a reminder for people considering closed-back headphones at the $900-1000 range: the Celestee can be driven out of a phone while the Noire needs more power than that, if you are planning for portable usage.
wild considering they did all that extra to add the folding hinge....
id love to see that on the cheaper, easier to drive models instead
So something like a Sony Walkman still wouldn't have enough power to drive a pair of these?
@@knowledgelibrary1141 I honestly don't know the answer to that because I don't have a pair of Noires. Maybe search for the Noire's sensitivity in some forums to see what the experience has been for owners that use them with different sources. I can say that the Focal (I own an Elegia) line is very sensitive, an Apple dongle has enough power to drive them, but they do benefit from an amplifier
@@kvnngkronos Both Aeon Noir and Celestee CLAIM to be able to be driven by a phone but in real life and unless you enjoy tinny sound not worthy of these phones. Even though Focal and Dan Clark won't admit it in so many words they are made for home use using a dedicated amplifier, ideally complimented with a good quality DAC. Nothing too fancy, something like the iFi Zen combo does nicely with both. Applies to Elegia (nearly identical to Celestee) as well.
@@kavemankarl2588 I have not any DCA's, but I still own my Focal Elegia. It can be driven by a phone (or Apple dongle), but I agree with you that it benefits from using a dedicated amp.
I lost it when you laughed after stating you'll put a finger in there. You are such an incredible personality in the audiophile world. We love ya
After nearly one year of use I have to say that macro dynamics have become far better than they were in the first months. Not being a believer of "burn in" drivers I believe it comes from pads wear: the distance between ears and drivers with time is reduced and macro dynamics become quite good, not comparable with Focals but actually pleasant and present. Having heard many DCA headphones I believe this one is one of the best ones produced. Very enjoyable to my ears.
I'm using the Noire since 3 months and I can't agree more with your analysis. Great microdynamic, great details but total lacking of punch and slam. I also believe that using the filters on the Noire brings to nothing than lose details and turn the Noire into a muffed sounding thing. Noire are also officially approved by the "Dead Inside Society" ;) Great review Andrew, thank you for sharing.
I completely disagree. I love these headphones for their comfort, detail and neat design. They need a lot of driving to bring out the best in them, but my sources cope very well. I also use the Vivo upgrade cable, which is excellent. After testing, I now use the mid level black tuning filters, which I personally enjoy. I acknowledge that these headphones do not have the dynamism of my Focal Utopia headphones, but they are very much more expensive. At the end of the day, a lot depends on one’s choice of music. I listen to classical, modern jazz small combos and folk, with a limited amount of electronic and popular. Perhaps, your own tastes are very different.
@@michaelwadge5999 I agree, they need power. None of my other cans (including a Sundara and Aeolus) open up same as these with increased gain. On my Zen Can I run them on +12 DB gain, though I don't really run past 10 o'clock with them. That excess energy does wake up the dynamics. I think they're probably worth balancing as well. Personally I'll probably invest in a Hart Audio cable for them, but yeah I wholly disagree that these sound "dead". I don't see them as mobile cans because of what I'm finding it takes to drive them.
What amp and DAC are you using, and are you running these balanced or unbalanced?
which one you think is better?
Would the Aeon 2 Noire, overall, be a worthy upgrade to the DT770(250ohm)'s? I keep hearing how the DT770's have an unusually wider sound stage than most closed backs, and that even the Aeon 2 Noire's can't quite match them, specifically in that area.
andrew > sliced bread
If someone wants to reduce the upper treble, just use 1-2 plies of toilet paper cut to shape. My experience with various front damping is that cloth materials have an influence on upper mids as well - sometimes moreso than in the air frequencies - whereas toilet paper (or handkerchief) makes a better treble rolloff.
I found similar advice reading Solderdude, diyaudioheaven. Different materials will affect the freq resp differently. When I got Beyers the upper frequencies are so bright that it needed something more than just another layer of foam. In fact the Beyer drivers have a piece of felt to curb the highs down. And then are, say HD 650, with the opposite warmish tone and taking the foam out brightens them considerably - something like 2 layers of ladies stockings will keep the dust off, but the thicker grill cover material will attenuate more than the original foam. You can even buy foams from AKG, Beyer parts distributors that sell Pro Audio and recording gear. The reason why some replacement pads sound way off is also because the material used as dust cover and inclusion or lack of the filters, other than shape and material of the pads themselves.
You get slam and punchiness when you have a fast and uniform sound wave resulting in a bass wave slamming your eardrums at a whole instead of reaching incrementally like what most planars and estats do. They got the speed but usually lack the sound uniformity of a stiff cone or well traced or coated planar diaphragm.
Old planars slam like mad because they were having a fast but thick and kinda stiff diaphragms compared to thin limp planar diaphragms we have nowadays.
You can go thin with diaphragms but you have to be genius at tracing them or coat them with something stiff like what ABYSS or Hifiman (Susvara) do.
Not only bass but any percussive sound like pianos or cymbals need a stiff (whole) delivery of sound but it's more noticeable for bass as its wavelengths are significantly longer so the incremental delivery of a sound wave is more noticeable.
This is something I'm currently investigating.
I recall the reviewer criticised the Aeon 2 Noires for a lack of “slam”. I did not really know what he meant by that, so I looked up the definition. I have since listened to Take Five from the famous original Dave Brubeck recording. This has a long and very energetic drum solo. I used my Aeon 2 Noires with my Questyle QP2R DAP and a balanced cable recently acquired and I thought the reproduction was terrific with “considerable slam”, at least in my book, at appropriate moments. With their ingenious design, easy storage and delicacy of sound, I really do feel these headphones represent excellent value for money.
Great review Andrew. A couple of years ago I bought an Aeon Closed and listened to them for exactly 5 mins. The lack of macrodynamics was shocking compared to my HD650 which was my daily driver at the time. I have no clue how ''macrodynamics'' could be quantified but for me it is the quality that has me bobbing my head/tapping my toes to the music. The Aeon seemed to suck all the joy out of the music. Hopefully you can get to the bottom of it for us someday :D
Same with me. Sometimes I see them sitting over there collecting dust. With all the good reviews they get, I'm a bit stand-offish from buying any Dan Clark headphones in the future.
Funnily enough I experienced the opposite, this one sounds very alive to me and makes me absorbed into the music. More so than the Celestee for sure. But I think I'm probably the odd one out, it's not the first time I prefer the one others call dead.
@@bram1027Why do you think that is? I am curious and looking for a very natur sounding headphones, which makes my food tap by themselves, because they draw me into the music. I also like details, like the differences in a note of the intrument...
I owned these, and I always experienced the strangest phenomenon that I couldn’t explain. No matter how loud I made them, they always sounded “quiet”. I know that’s a poor description, but that’s the best way I could describe the sensation. I think this was probably the lack of macro dynamics.
Yep
I feel this same way about my LCD-X’s but couldn’t put it into words. I crank the volume up until my ears hurt but it still doesn’t sound loud..
Sounding loud is usually a result of rising distortion with volume level. th-cam.com/users/hardisj
@@FerventDissent I don’t think it was that; I don’t listen to music extremely loudly. Plus I’ve owned many headphones over the years and this is the *only* headphone where I’ve experienced this (despite always listening at the same level). I’ve since moved on to a dynamic driver, and it’s a night and day difference.
You should ditch those glasses, they are killing the audio experience. You should use a monacle.
😂😂😂
My Audeze LCD-XC Carbon weighs 760 grams and is the heavyweight champion. 🤣
Regarding perforated pads, I had an epiphany. I had purchased the Elegia and only found them to sound so-so, I was about to return them when I decided to use the Dekoni Elite Hybrid sheepskin pads on them. They are only perforated on the inside ring. I had purchased those pads for the Elear and was under the impression that they were only suited for open-backs since Dekoni listed only Elear, Clear and Utopia as compatible on their website. But what the heck, it could do no harm to try them on the Elegia now could it. Snapped them on and was immediately delighted with the result. The sound was full, rich and clean very similar to the Clear but with extended low-end that did not, to my relief, wander into the low mids. Treble required a hint of a boost at 6500Hz but that was it, the returnee turned into a keeper, it's one of my favorite phones and I have many including the Clear.
I have auditioned the following recently (June 2023): Dan Clark A2 Noir, Audeze LCD-2 Closed, Audeze LCD-XC, Focal Celestee, ZMF Atticus. The first that I dropped from my competition was Celestee. It just did not resolved details as well as others. LCD-XC somehow did not show anything to justify price hike of another ~ 600 Euro / USD. Supposedly, when applying proper EQ they really shine. I did not try any EQ so my tests are as it is from the box. Atticus was really good but also did not beat Audeze LCD-2 closed in any way, except the weight (Atticus is lighter).
At the end it was between LCD-2 and A2 Noir. I consider Audeze LCD-2 the best from the above list. Details resolution marginally better than A2 Noir across all spectrum. One big difference - Andrew is right, A2 Noir is light in macrodynamic low tone punch. If you like deep powerful bass Audeze is wonderful (Atticus also). For me A2 Noir was good enough especially when listening to EDM, jazz with heavy bass, rock and classical music. I would prefer LCD-2 closed but I was concerned about their size and weight. My audition was from Qobuz using RME ADI-2 DAC FS. Enjoy your music.
"So when I'm doing measurements on the test rig, I'll put a finger in there" - Resolve 2021
Makes me wonder if it could be better to down-shelve the treble air and the sibilance peak with EQ instead of using the filters. Or they could have put a passive filter inline with the cable inside the chassis. Lots of options
That's what I do. I just sort of fill in that mid treble and reduce the air. If you JUST reduce the air, then that 5khz peak comes through too strongly, so better to adjust both.
@@ResolveReviews That makes sense. This is also where we differ, what does "boost treble" mean? Like what even is that? 😂 I would certainly reduce both the air and the sibilance instead of adding haha
@@metal571 in my mind the issue is that because the mid treble is so relaxed, it pronounces that 5khz region. So, when considering overall balance, it's less about shaving down the peaks, and more about bringing up the mid treble to match - at least in my opinion. I think preference based EQ could go the other way.
To reduce the upper treble, just use 1-2 plies of toilet paper cut to shape. My experience with various front damping is that cloth materials have an influence on upper mids as well - sometimes moreso than in the air frequencies - whereas toilet paper (or handkerchief) makes a better treble rolloff.
I experimented quite heavily with an Audeze EL-8 Titanium, and got a very good sound signature. However I ended up selling, because I really don't like planar dynamics and imaging. (Just a few months later got a Clear and that blew out of the water anything I had beforehand)
A reason to entirely avoid front damping as resolve said, is because it hurts resolution. Sure is convenient not to have to run an EQ though
Some reviewer said DCA has upgraded cables available for Noire and that it makes a significant difference?
Awesome, thank you! So glad I found your channel!
How would you think the sound would be with the Aeon Noire would be paired with the ifi Gryphon please? Thankyou
Damn, this reviewer has really become the best.
Reviewer says “limp” and everyone cringes a little
How about relative to the LCD-2 Closed Back?
Save up some more money and just get the DCA E3's.
They retail for $2699 CAD BTW. :D
I demoed a BUNCH of sub-2-grand headphones last week, and the Aeon 2 series were among the more pleasant to my ears. That said, I found the 2 Closed vastly superior to the 2 Noire, whose V-shaped tuning was definitely on the obnoxious side. Even the Flow was nicer IMO, and I'm aware open backs are not DCA's forte. Had I not heard the Stax I ended up purchasing, I probably would've gone home with a pair of 2 Closed (over and above Clear MG, Meze 109, LCD-X, LCD-2C, Arya Organic, Sendy Peacock, ADX5000 and others).
I think the dynamics problem with the Aeons is mainly due to their smaller drivers and magnets, than the others. They can move less air for this reason, most noticeable in the bass. I had LCD-3s for a bit, and I could make a direct correlation between their weight and how I had heard kick drums, and the like. Those have magnets. on both sides.
How about Dan Clark Audio Aeon RT compared with Noire?
Today's life advice "Don't scratch your Carbon Fibre"🙏
You can coat the headphone with ceramic coating to make it very scratch resistant.
Great review and comparisons.
Hello, which one has more sub bass?
Loved the info on the Aeon 2 Noire perforated ear pads! Right now at my age the high treble doesn't bother me with the exception of a some tracks one in awhile. If so would I still benefit from the perforated ear pads? Is it hard to replace the ear pads? Is there a way to preserve the standard ones for future use?
Why is the frequency response so different from e. g. the measurements from Oratory1990 of the Noire 2? Is ther such a big amount of unit variance going on?
Great job really enjoyed this one. Love to hear "this is what the headphone offers over that other one" and "this headphone is for a person who likes blah".
What he means by the lack of dynamics and punch? It somehow lacks sub-bass?
Hi, thanks for the helpful review. Do you think Astell Kern Maxx can drive these headphones properly without any problem. Without any amps whatsoever? Thanks in advance.
I had a listening session of these. I compared it with my Denon AH-D9200 and Audeze LCD-5. I was considering this set as my on the go because of its portability. I used a BTR7 as my amp. No, I could not accept them becase of their lack the macro dynamic punch. also becausez they drained the battery and I had to put all settings including max gain to max to get them to perofrm which means that my portable amp is not enough to provide them with the power to make them sing. To power these you need at a minium a desktop amp, a brick which does not make the whole setup portable.
Great review and good comment on the macro dynamic I think that’s one thing that DC headphones are not good at, I really like the company and great customer service but if you want punch and slam look somewhere else
Don't scratch the carbon fibre true, I would always keep these in proper protective cases. Thanks for your review.
The lack of macrodynamics on the Aeon threw me for such a damn loop. It was my first headphone upgrade from a Porta Pro and I just could not for the life of me figure out why I preferred the Porta Pro. I thought that well maybe that's what Hifi sounds. Looking back it was just about the last headphone I should have purchased for my first hifi headphone.
not exactly...alot of people bought the Aeon and used those damn filters (which they shouldnt have) paired with weak amps. If you go this route, the damn aeons are stellar... with microdynamics and everything.
Solid show, subscribed
Really nice Review Andrew, I was waiting for this one. What do you think would be a suitable DAP/Portable Amp for these? A portable headphone that needs extra power is kinda counterproductive but I actually think about buying these and pairing them with a decent (portable) Amp (that shouldn't be too expensive).
Ifi idsd signature or Diablo would give you more than enough power, and they sound awesome
@@corbinchristensen1555 This is true, but neither of those are 'strap it to your phone' portable. I would recommend trying out the hip-DAC (also ifi)- it's relatively cheap and very portable and sounds great IMO.
@@amargnwalkr Thanks for your answer. Yes, that's what I mean. A lightweight, small formfactor amp. Nothing too bulky and nothing too expensive. I will take a look at the Hip Dac.
@@amargnwalkr I velcro them to my phone and carry them around 🤷♂️
@@corbinchristensen1555 Have you tried the hip dac with this headphones?
Hi Andrew! I'd be very interested in your opinion on the DCA Aeon RT Closed, there's not too many reviews out there on it. Personally I'm a big fan.
Have you tried it with the AmpsandSound Kenzie? Aeons seem to only come “alive” with good desktop amps with hefty supplies..
Sorry if I've misunderstood. Resolve mentioned this is better with the perforated pads. Do they come as stock with the headphones or are they aftermarket pads?
Please could you tell me how these compare to the Aeon flow 2 open, I realise one is closed and one is open but which do you prefer please. Thanks for another great review too.
Resolve here - this is one where the closed is a lot better than the open, at least in my opinion.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thank you
Beside the Aeon 2 Noire and Celestee it could be interesting to put into the mix the Denon D7200! Maybe its just between the other two: better soundstage than the Celestee and better dynamics and punch than the Aeon. Better build quality than the other two too.
D7200 is in the mid tier, the best part are the bass but it has at least 3db shelf
Celestee all day it looks way nicer and is easier to drive those two qualities alone are a big win
I had the Celestee and LCD-XC to A/B test... and kept the XC. Celestee are really good... but the LCD-XC are easily the best closed back HP I've ever heard
@@JTB-- I completely understand I would probably do the same if it was just about sound quality but in my situation for the celestee along with most people is about the convenience factors with good looks as icing on the cake/ for strictly sound quality you can get better sound from open-back headphones anyway
@@theodorezurla496 I would definitely still recommend the Celestee to people. It's the best Focal sound signature I've heard so far and it looks sharp. And it's a headphone you can take on the go if you wanted to. The XC are a headphone that never leaves the house imo
I have the noires and the celestee right now. I think the description of the noire is spot on. Though I really dislike the celestee. The stage is soo small, bad and diffuse with a hollow echoy quality that no EQ can fix. A big disappointment for me.
How does the soundstage for the noire compare to the lcd xc?
About the purchase these. Would you recommend the VIVO cable upgrade?
No, go with an aftermarket cable from like hartaudio. It's cheaper and light
Sort of confused about this pad stuff. Did these test Noires come with solid pads? I just got a set new, and the pads seem to be the perforated ones you’re describing. Totally confused as to whether I should be looking to swap or not...
Perf pads good, solid pads not so good.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Ha, gotcha, was just trying to figure out if these testers came with different pads than what I received. The emphasis on going with perforated pads as opposed to solids made it seem like this test set came with solids that needed to be swapped out (or that solids were an option when ordering). Mine came with only one set of semi-perforated pads, so I was confused by the discussion about the solids. Doing some overthinking over here probably...
Please get your hands on the LSA HP-2 Ultra horn loaded closedback...!👍🤖👍
🙏😘
Can anyone tell me the dimensions of the case? How small do these actually fold? How portable are they?
„Macrodynamics“ normally is defined by the slew rate of the drivers, their ability to jump up/down a step signal curve fast.
I am very new to this environment. I am considering to buy these headphones but I still don't know how to use them properly what is the ideal AMP/DAC.
(I know their function, also question for that too. Why we need an amp cannot we just use internal software to EQ, amplify it?}
How to use them outside? What cable option to buy on the original there is like 10 different options. Should I buy instead the cheaper model Aeon Closed X?
i have hifiman he500 and in my openion it have very good dynamic and micro dynamics
what do you think??
It's very good yes
Do you think DCA Noire , DCA Stealth would pair well with tube amp like schitt lyr or mojo 2 or Cayin ru6 will be enough to run these?
GREAT REVIEW ANDREW!
I have just purchased the DCA Aeon 2 noire and it did not come with perforated pads.
Thought the AEON noire all came with perforated pads?
Anyone know why this mite be? I purchased 2 weeks a go in the uk
Maybe they made a mistake? I'd ask them about that.
@@ResolveReviews thanks sending them back for sure.
Keep up the good reviews. Best by far
Interesting review. I'd be curious as to how many hours you had on the Noire's before the review. The reason I ask is that DCA headphones generally require a notoriously long break-in period. I don't know if the Aeon line requires the same as I don't own any of them. I do own the Ether CX & macro dynamics didn't significantly kick in on them until somewhere north of 350 hours. They weren't at the level of a Focal but they definitely reached the point of being acceptable. I'd be surprised if the same wasn't true for the Aeon 2 Noire.
I have owned a pair of these for four weeks or so and have played them to death, but not literally! They are clearly getting steadily better as time goes by and I think they are great. They require a good power source, which I am fortunate to own (Chord Hugo TT2 and Chord M-Scaler). I simply do not accept they are dead sounding. I wonder what sort of music those people who claim they are listen to. Certainly, the reviewer’s choice of music in the past did not impress me, but thankfully we are all different.
@@michaelwadge5999 I completely agree. I own a pair and have let them burn in with 48 hours of pink noise followed by 50 hours of music and they really sound a lot better now then when I first tried them. Dan Clark even provides printed instructions to burn them in for a while to get the proper experience with them.
Hopefully someone can help me out, I own a Topping EX5 and am curious if that Amp+Dac would be able to power these properly? Thanks for any and all help
So whats your recommendation for the best closed back HP around the same price of the Aeon Noire? ($900) If I want that microdetail and microdynamics?
No the Aeon 2 Noire probably is the best around that price for those qualities.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you!
@@TheHEADPHONEShow May I ask how the Noire compares to the Focal Elegia or Celestee? My music preferences are orchestral music, specially film scores, so again I want detail, fidelity, stage and basically that organic feel from music.
Aeon 2 noire or Focal Elegia?
Which did you choose? I’m not a fan of metallic timbre, which is apparently the main issue with focal
Well done !
Are the pads as deep as the LCD 2 closed back?
How does the Noire compare to the Elegia for music quality and enjoyment?
Especially for electronic music
Also Andrew, can you please ask Focal to keep making the Clear? Some people won't buy its replacement, the MG, because it has worse sound quality
Same for the Elegia, they shouldn't have stopped making it. Some people won't buy the Celeste because it has a narrow soundstage
I wonder if if hip DAC 3 could drive this with balanced 4.4mm
How close is the 2 Closed with perf. pads to the Noire?
I want a 4.4 balanced cable, so what sucks is that you have to pay USD 200 extra for a balanced cable -- that holds me back.
I have a stupid question: would an EQ not be a better option than using the filters?
Not a stupid question at all. Yes, EQ would be better. But not everyone is in a situation where that's easy to do.
would an lg v60 be able to power this?
I want to know too because i have V60
Do the perforated pads lose isolation or cause more leakage?
No, it’s the exact same as the standard A2C. Dan himself mentioned this in a comment on the head fi thread, stating that there’s no loss in isolation/leakage since the perforation is only on the inside wall of the pads. And I can attest to this, these headphones isolate like crazy, honestly probably one of the most isolating closed backs I’ve ever heard.
@@MMRSean Fantastic, thank you for the detailed answer!
What's MICRODIMAMICS?
most planars imo chews power for fun..... never purely judge on paper specs
They would be perfect for me 😍😍
They just 900 🥵
I need closed back headphone with punch and slam, I wan't dynamics! Any suggestion? Under $500.
Thanks!
@@nhatlam96 maybe something that is still in production?
@@nhatlam96 I'll look for used E-MU Teak or ATH WP900. Those seem like a good option
@@nhatlam96 I would like to buy it but it is to much for me unfortunately
DT1990Pro. No need for eq
@@westernartifact580 they are open back
Solve the mystery
About what you said regarding the drivability of this headphone at 1:11: Lesser impedance doesn't mean better drivability. A zero-ohm headphone wouldn't produce sound.
Yes, but I also think if you look at sensitivity, it should be 'driveable' by most things, but my testing found that's not the case.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow can it be driven by a iFi Hip-Dac? If so, does it need the balanced output to have enough power?
The portability of these headphones suggests they could be used with say an ipad + Dragonfly Colbalt on vacation, is this the case or are they only really for a separate hifi amplifier.
The Celestee to my ear is horrible. My 10 year old Bose QC25 sound little worse so the Focals went back.
All I will like to know is what I need to get the best out of the Apple Music hi resolution lossless audio ? Are this headphones 🎧 good 👍? With a mojo amp will do the job ?
Also I care about my safety on my hearing and ears 👂.. should I go with the filter ?
Review denon d7200
Drinking a hot cup of coffee watching Resolve at 9:30 am is relaxing
Now I would normally never write in and say something like "Well unlike you this other reviewer said this and that about this headphone..." because as we all now it is the nature of the game called headphones that impressions do vary. BUT - in this case I think a comment pointing in that direction might just be justified. So - if I may - how is it possible to hear great bass and great slam and punch from this basshead pleasing headphone as DMS does - and to hear what you are hearing? So pretty please - enlighten me Sir. Cheers
I rather trust him than DMS with his Abyss cap.
It's bass elevated, especially in the mid bass, but it still lacks macro dynamics. At the moment, that quality isn't associated with measured bass response.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Yeah, that is what I heard you say in the review - however, I'm just wondering how two healthy young man with hopefully intact hearing can hear a.) no macro dynamics as in zero, zilch, none, null, nada and b.) great slam and punch. So unless my understanding of macro dynamics is way off I think that is quite a drastic difference in perception of the way a headphone sounds. And that just made me wonder ...
@@fan2hd277 to me this is not about who's right or wrong - the gap here is just so enormous
Some people interpret elevated bass response as slam/punch. I don't think we had a different experience, we just likely interpret that experience differently.
Aeon 2 proves that small plannars physically can't be good for dynamics. They just sound too sterille and lifeless.
LCD-1 has the same problem, interestingly. That does seem to be the case in terms of "slam"
A factor too I think is that all of Dan's headphones except the ether 2 (IIRC) use heavy rear damping & the drivers aren't tensioned like most other planars, seems to choke the drivers a bit. The driver design in the Ether/Aeons are like glorified t50's lol and they were never known for their dynamics
@@dnalekaw4699 interestingly his old dogs and prime headphones had excellent punch and slam but it all changed with the Ether and Aeon
@@MAELOB certainly the Prime's had better macro-dynamics out of all the t50rp mods, even better than the Ori/Blackwood from ZMF. The t50rp has a fairly thick diaphragm and when subject to correct damping (i.e. more driver damping & less cup damping) can definitely yield more slam than you'd expect
@@metal571 Did you heard denon d7200? If yes
Which is better this or denon?
Can I plug in this headphones to my pc and do 24bit studio quality? And not blow the speakers?
Just spitballing but for punch and slam might it have something to do with how pressure is generated and diffused in the earcups?
Totally possible
Is there a reason to spend double on these over the Fostex TR50 which I believe originally Mr. Speakers was using the same exact drivers for? They cost $169 and $100 used, and with proper pads would be really less than half the price.
The drivers are completely different
😊
Hirose (pronounced hee-ro-se) connectors.. I believe they are Japanese.
The price of some of these headphones 😳
It’s only $900…
I think he's getting paid for every perforation on those pads.
Thanks, Seth Rogen
Really wish the noire wasn't so ugly.
Celestee is out of the equation for its looks alone. Focal, please, bring back the Elegia or the Elegia look.
You need to cogently define "maco-dynamics". It is annoying to listen to you.
I find these reviews to be pretty much worthless. I bought these headphones and listened to them with a quality DAC/amp with and without the filters. In a nutshell they sounded awful. They were muddy and lacked detail. My Focal Bathys are light years ahead in sound quality. Needless to say I returned them the next day.
Your other mic was better and didn't make you sound like a radio host.
It was more detailed, because it's a condenser, but the problem is that it picks up so much room tone. With this one I have much more flexibility.
Apparently Noires are shit dynamic slam and punch. Wow that sounds great for a pair of headphones.
Very strange opinion piece?! So basically its meh 😑 or clearly bad but for a bit of soundstage and weird treble it’s highly recommended? I don’t get it.
Not sure how you got that from this review. It does everything right, except for dynamics.
I wish i didnt buy this they sound completely dead
Transient response/attack/speed/decay. Aeon 2 Noir lacks.
With wath amp were you using them?
your name is "Resolve"?
How weird