THAT IS THE BARE MINIMUM I WOULD EXPECT! Ideally everyone would be like Beyerdynamic. They even sell you entire drivers, housings and every single screw. You can literally build a headphone using their spare part catalogue, just like god intended.
I ended up replacing mine with Dekoni pads after they had worn out too much. I find the dekoni's more comfortable and so far they have held up better than the stock supplied pads.
I own a pair of these and use them at work running off a fiio k5 pro and they’re absolutely fantastic. They’re more comfortable and sound more detailed than my focal radiance at least on this amp. When I run them at home on my topping a30pro they sound even better. I did replace my pads with a new set of dca pads that don’t suffer from the foam rolling issue. Would have been nice if dca had offered to replace them for free but it is what it is.
I owned these at one point and they're the most comfortable closed-backs I've ever worn. Fantastic build quality. But for sound quality, they sounded... dead. No dynamics. Nothing "wrong" with them but just kinda dull and uninteresting.
When I've changed ampifier to powerful A90 + balanced cable, DCA Noire went from "dead" to "rather limpy". That's my only complain, but this is a deal breaker for me and I do not recommend them for anyone, unless they don't mind unengaged sound. For me though it's super annoying, it's like watching top football team playing some friendly match right after important tournament. Not like they can't, they just barely care.
Loving my new Focal Clear headphones which I bought on a great open-box sale after your recommendation after watching your previous video 🥰💪👍🥳. It’s a beautiful sounding headphone 🎧.
The only area that the Noire can be considered weak in is dynamics. For me it’s greatest strength is imaging. Fantastic! Its soundstage is pretty good for a closed back and image placement is great with space around individual instruments. I don’t have any issues with its top end like you do. I prefer mine without the filter pads. Like all DCA headphones I’ve experienced, they do need 2 or 3 hundred hours of burn-in.
I love the Aeon 2 Noire and use them the most due to their comfort. Here's how I rate the sound among headphones I own: Diana TC > Aeon 2 Noire > DT 1990 Pro > HE 4XX > PS500e > DT 1770 Pro > HD 58X
@80sHolic7 I no longer have the Noire and 1770 (sold for a DCA E3), but if I remember correctly, Noire had better sound stage. 1770 had too much bass making it sound muddy. Noire is much better overall.
@@astifcaulkinyeras Thanks! I'll take your advice and check out the Aeon 2 Noire instead. How does the A2N compare to the E3, which seems to cost 3x the amount.
@80sHolic7 I had to send it back due to a minor manufacturing defect and should get a replacement E3 soon. I only listened to it for a day but the E3 is a noticeable improvement in all areas. Bass is better quality but not quantity.
Well done again Josh! I'd love to hear your take on the Atrium Closed considering all you just said on the Noire if you ever get the chance. The work you do in your videos is astounding.
Love my Aeon Noires with EQ. I sold my Focal Elex's and am thinking about ditching my he6sev2's because I almost always use the noires. They have an even wider soundstage than He6's and Elex and have the benefit of isolation. Plus the comfort is the best I have tried.
Call me crazy, but I overall MUCH prefer the Ether CX for most cases/genres, and especially so if EQ is allowed. Even without EQ, my opinion is: Ether CX is more comfortable, has better imaging and soundstage, has a better midrange/vocal presentation, and doesn’t have uncomfortably sharp highs (it’s raw tuning at a high level simply lacks a bass shelf). To me, the only reason to get the Aeon is for the more compact/portable design and bass shelf. I think think it gets bested in basically every other area by the Ethers, or is AT LEAST matched. Also, you can typically find it for less than the aeon. I got mine used with extra accessories (like a hard carrying case) for $400. Beautiful video by the way. Lots of fun shots throughout. Cheers
Hey - first, great review. Lots of good info in here. Really appreciate you taking the time to do these, and the production and set dec quality is excellent, as is your lighting. ... but I'm married to someone who did clothing for professional productions, and she insisted that I post to tell you that the wrinkled shirt really ruins the high-end production vibe you've otherwise got going. Great job otherwise. Keep up the good work, but don't forget the iron before you start shooting.
I absolutely love mine too, and I want to "upgrade" but so many closed backs have two cables now, the 4-pin XLR is a great idea which allows balanced on one cable which is great for travelling! I still run it on the stock single ended cable but the option is nice to have.
Awesome review as always, loving the editing man. If you ever get the chance try get your hands on the updated Audeze LCD2C closed backs, they seem to miss all the big reviewers. I picked a pair up on sale over the Aeon 2 noire and they are amazing would be a great comparison with two Planars
I wonder what he uses for mastering/checking his vids. If he leans into his preference and mixes/masters with something less forward in the treble, it would easily cause him to actually elevate the treble further than necessary. To me, his vids sound like a well done take on the popular podcaster sound - extra low mids for warmth and body, reserved upper mids, and then present highs a sense of clarity. They just always sounds like there’s a dip in the proper/upper mids in his vocals, which could be on purpose 🤷🏼♂️
@@quincyfreeman2901 true, though it sounds to me more like frequency bands that were inaudible and therefore not tamed. But perhaps that's the same thing. :D
This is a quintessential problem why the audio hobby is problematic. Video has industry standards. Where are the audio mixing standards? What frequency curves had the monitors while mixing it? There is no standard if im not mistaken, closest is the harman target but im pretty sure Studio Monitors are not harman tuned
@@KopfdesRiesen Easy solution. The only thing most people listen on these days is AirPods Pro, so everything should be mixed on AirPods Pro. You’re welcome everybody.
The Aeon Noire is F'ing fantastic for the price.. I also like the focal celestee and radiance both got used under $1k. The Noire is probably a step below in technicality and performance but it has a nice tuning and that timbre is quite good.
Focal Elegias were on sale recently for $300. They're not perfect (tuning could be a little better), but they have great imaging, soundstage, and sound very open. I've yet to hear of anything that comes close in terms of price to performance.
These headphones are not to bright if you use two foam inserts. Dan Clark designed them to be bright without foam inserts, because it's easier to reduce the brightness with the foam inserts then to add brightness.
Would love a comparison between the Noire and the DCA E3!! Any plans? Love the content. I will be testing out both myself next week..In the market for best refined bass, good quantity, slam, and midrange detail. Treble I can give or take on since I already love my DT1990’s for its detail and treble extension. Now I’m stuck on the Aeon 2 Noire and the E3.❤ Appreciate your input on this video..
I'll offer up the Denon D7200 it's a fantastic underrated closed back under $1000 it's got solid amount of detail, very slammy bass and it's a very fun headphone to listen to, more so than the DCA Aeon 2s I think
Hmmn, worth a try for me I think. My high frequency hearing loss (guitar, bands, attended so many concerts - look after your hearing kids) means I tend to favour some extra energy in the treble. What would you recommend in the highest end for closed backs?
Its insane how much better tuned IEMs are nowdays. This graph would be considered SHIT in the IEM world if we are honest. Id love for the Headphone market to evolve like the IEM market.
It is indeed cool and very good headphone, although i had it for a while and let it go with not regret. Personally, planars are not for me or i did not heard a planar that satisfy me yet. I absolutely hated soundstage and dryness of this headphone. I'm all bout immersive warmer sounds, soundstage and punchy low end. So at that MSRP I found Beyers T5p 2gen much more suited for me (easy to find used rn ~300-400€) . It needs a good push even if it is only 32 ohms but i love it + versatility, incredible soundstage, dynamics and imagine for closed HP.
@@SeanLiu4 I had to switch to closed because of my small living space. I'm a fan of open backs and LCDs were on my radar but it will have to wait for now. Thanks for recommendation.
You should try monoprice monolith m1570c as they sound really close to LCD X and some say they sound better than LCD 2c. They are also closed back with big planar drivers.
@@sspkt dont waste money on them if you dont like planars, nothing better than dynamics paired with tubes (I sold Arya, LCD 2C, T60 Argons, thou never had really expensive planars to judge)
Hello Joshua! PLEASE , can you tell me what the best choice between the FOCAL CLEAR, DT 1990 pro, HIFIMAN SUNDARA, HD800s, T1 (3nd gen), DENON AH D7200 and the CLEAR MG, for watching movies and gaming?🙏🙏🙏
Closed back headphones, nice for both at home and travel. I like it a lot, but it's a hard territory. At home? Why not get open back that sound even better? Travel? How do you focus so much attention listening while travelling? Although IEMs won't sound as good as closed, they get the travel job done pretty nicely. Convenience and technology? Why not get wireless earbuds or NC headphones on the go rather than hook a cable? The reason goes on and on. That's the why closed back wired headphones gets smaller and smaller, and fewer companies wish to do high end portable wired headphones any more.
I didn’t really like these, sounded very boring to me. I much prefer ZMF Atticus or Eikon. Better build quality, lifetime driver warranty, way better tuning, easy & plentiful pad swap options & cables are easy to find
Thanks a lot for this very good and informative video. I’m thinking of upgrading my Hifiman Ananda and have already looked at the Focal Clear (didn’t like them, don’t get what the fuss is all about) and the ZMF Aeolus (very good, this a real possibility). How would the Aeon Noire or even the E3 compare to the Ananda and the Aeolus? I use a headphone amp Naim Atom Uniti. Thanks a lot. Best wishes, Ignacio
Since you love the Beyer DT1990pro and so do I, which open headphones are better than the Beyer DT1990pro under $1k? Do you have 1-3 options for me to try? I love the Beyers for the same reason as you. Great accuracy and clarity. And yes sometimes the 8k peak is a bit too much. Super appreciate it man! Btw for some background I’m 54 ( can still hear up to 16.5khz) and a musician. I mostly listen to classical , some jazz and rock I love timbre and want maybe something with a bit bigger soundstage than the Beyer.
I also love the DT1990s! People call it siblant, with orchestra, classical piano, electronic, and soundtrack music I just hear it as being more musical and airy in the upper harmonics. My guess is it’s just more music dependent than objectively sibilant. To comment on your question though, I recently picked up the Meze 109 Primals and it is very very similar to my ears as far as detail, except with a deeper and tighter bass. By contrast I do think the 109’s have a touch more sibilance than the Dt1990’s when comparing them side by side with the same tracks. It can be just a touch “sizzly” or “sparkly,” although comparing the two frequency responses, the Meze 109 doesnt actually peak as high, it sounds a little less smooth than the dt1990’s. Which again, can be good and bad. In any case, I think the Meze 109’s for my music is a solid side-grade to the DT1990’s for now. Both the beyers and the Meze have that warm-cool quality, just slightly different tunings. And both are different and good enough to warrant owning both. If not at the very least for the Meze 109 Primal’s craftsmanship alone (see a quick unboxing on my channel). For now, I am personally looking at the Aeon 2 Noire vs the DCA E3 to compliment or overtake the Dt1990’s. Maybe also the Sennheiser HD820 if that’s in my store. The only thing is, Im personally not a fan of the E3 naming convention or aesthetics and am leaning towards the Aeon 2 Noire for its cool name, high praise, and black design choices ❤. I am testing both the Noire and E3 next week and if the two sound different enough, to warrant different usages, I may get both, starting with the Aeon 2 Noire. If they sound very close, I may just be happy enough with the Noire for its aesthetic design.
For black, it's "noir", without the "e", except with certain things like shoes "chaussure noire". But in french, about headphones, we would say "noir", or even "noirs".
Dynamics are a function of the seal of the headphones. I would bet a lot of money that you’re not getting a proper seal. Take a Phillips screwdriver and slightly tighten the 2 screws that appear on the headband slider. You’ll notice that it only takes a little tightening of the screw to get a much more stiff headband slider adjustment. With that comes a tighter clamp with a tighter seal and more dynamic bass and slam. I’ve always found it hilarious how little known this slight adjustment is, yet how much it affects the dynamics of the DCA headphones. Cheers.
@@napzap6539 it also affected by driver compression. Its impossible for a driver to have a perfectly linear extention, some drivers do a better job of that than others.
@@En_Joshi-Godrez you are correct, but with the clamp tuned correctly using a Phillips screwdriver to get a proper seal, the complaints of lacking dynamics are overblown and equally hilarious. Let’s just say that I’ve got a good amount of experience. Dynamics keep up with the price point of the headphones. They are definitely not lacking. The aeon noire had more dynamics and slam than the Ether C, Ether CX, and Focal Elegia. It has about the same dynamics as the LCD XC, and the Mrspeakers (DCA) Alpha Prime from back in the day. The Noire loses out in dynamics to the the Focal Radiance, Stellia, HE1000 v2, Abyss Diana V2, Abyss Diana TC, and Abyss 1266. Cheers.
@@napzap6539 you're definitely right, if only because his newest e-stat doesn't have the issues of his planar models. That has a more traditional oval pad, so there you go.
Hi Joshua please give me some advice, I like to listen to hip hop(21 savage and post malone etc) and sometimes Adele,Sam smith with high vocals. What headphones would you recommend me to buy? Budget is around £1500. I was thinking focal clear MG because normal clear is out of stock from where I am.
I feel like you said "...for a closed-back headphone" several times. As a noob, I'm just curious, are open-back cans generally "better" in sound quality? Thank you for your honesty and quality reviews as always!
Closed headphones have by design better bass because its one of the first frequencies that gets compromised. I think in general open back = wider soundstage and more natural tuning, closed backs are suffering a bit in that regard but are doing better with bass.
Nice review. I've been eyeing a DC headphone to add to my collection for a while now, Might give one of these ago at some point. On another note. Are you okay bro? The number of bruises you have in this video makes me think you came off a bike or something recently. Stay safe!
I think the Aeon Noire is a Drop edition. My Aeon2 Noire sound amazing on my TA-20 tubes. Because they fold up, I got them for hotel listening during travel. I tried the Hip DAC first and had to exchange it for the Gryphon and a balanced cable to get enough power to drive them well. Love your reviews!
great review and really intriguing...wonder how neumann ndh20 (also closed back) will compare to these ones for critical listening. do you or any of your viewers have an opinion? thanks!
The way you describe the sound of the Æon is almost exactly the way I would describe the SJY Starry Night closed back planar, Totally different build tho.
I wanted to like these because they were so comfortable, but the sound signature was way too bright, even with the dampening, and there were really no dynamics. It’s too bad, but I’ve always been treble sensitive and this I couldn’t stand, so I had to return them. Piercing is the right word.
I am also treble-sensitive, but I don't find them overly bright as long as you use the included filters. I don't find them to be like Beyerdynamic bright at all.
Hey people I want you to suggest me best headphone under 300$ and 500dollars according to your own experience and why? Edit- This comment is going to help thousands.
They are alright, but as an owner, who recently tried the Austrian Audio X60, I feel kinda scammed. The cheaper offering from Austria has better stock sound (if you like Harman that is) and that at 1/3 of the Noire's price. Replacement pads and cables are also a lot cheaper on the X60. The Noire folds up and the headband might be more comfortable for more people, but that is about it. I reckon that 9 out of 10 buyers will be able to get more for less with the X60.
But is the sound of x60 is better? What about detalisation? Because I have Ath-ad2000x with great detalisation and akg k371 (harman). But I want to change K371 because of sound detalisation after comparing in to ad2000x. I didn't liked Denon 7200 and 5200. Thinking about LCD2 closed and Aeon Noire closed...and now you mentioned x60.
What is "better sound"? U cant just say XY has better sound as it is highly subjective. U cant even drive the X60 with balanced output as it has built in cable. Really great headphones are the ones whos let u use any cable so u can upgrade and use them with full potencial.
@@CoffeeGameMovie to be fair i even liked 5200 more than 7200. But overall I want to stay away from strange EQ as Harman (as I said before i have 371 and those just don't sound good after ad2000x). I want as flat frequency response as possible. Highs are like chopped if we are comparing it to ad2000. Detalisation is better than k371 and I could hear better sound stage. Also 5200 are more linear than 7200 so as i said 5200 are better. Mabye that my encounter was with bad pairs or bad DAC but I want to try d7000 before claiming that i didnt liked denon though.
I have these on order. But, I'm bummed out to learn about the razor sharp treble. I'll be using it with an Schiit Asgard 3, and a Chord Mojo 2. I may be sending these back after I try them out in person.
I use it with Chord Mojo2 and with the pads (white 1) the treble is controlled to a pleasant level. So hope you bought it. Cos it's sounds amazing for all genres.
@@neywinm5431 Thanks for the advice. I have been using them and in the end I'm not bothered by the treble...maybe it is my old age hearing catching up with me! ;) I did add a Moon Audio cable, and I'm about to try the fenestrated ear pads. I just wish the ear pads were not mounted via an adhesive tape. I don't know how tricky it will be to install the fenestrated ear pads, and keep the originals in re-usable condition. I note DC recommend taking the old ones and mounting them on wax paper. This may be a job for my multi-talented spouse....instead of old fumble fingers AKA me! ;) Also I'm about ready to try them with an AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt in lieu of my Chord Mojo2, just for a simpler equipment chain for short trips. BTW the Cobalt sounds great with my B&W P9, but those headphones don't take much to drive them vs. the the Aeon (from what I've read about the Aeon). Happy Holidays all!!!
@@neywinm5431It really is an amazing headphone. I also use it with the one notch white and the Mojo 2. Just fantastic. Also the Crossfeed function really shines with the noire
What is the best closed back headphones for long wearing as i have to listen with closed back headphones 8+ hours a day. I was thinking about these but i can't handle getting a headache or other fatigue within a short time period.
If i have and like the aeon x closed a lot, so is it worth upgrading to the noire or should i just get a different headphone like the radiance and have 2 different headphones
I am so lost. So I am trying to upgrade from the sennheiser 6xx into like real audiophile headphones, like 500 - 1000 arena. I get that Its subjective though and each headphone will accentuate different sounds. Soooo I keep watching different videos on under 1000 dollar headphones and i cannot make up my mind at all becasue who knows what my taste is going to be. I do like the 6xx though and im wondering maybe if i upgrade with a drop collab, maybe thats the move so its less money. but there are also some black friday deals. Damn... ANNDDD right at this time my 6xx are broken , woke up the other day and somehow the one side was smashed and indented .. no idea how it happened.. but yea those are done, the audio sounds like its in mono now.. sooo yeah i definitely need headphones right now, but i wanted an upgrade. But yeah who t f knows if ill prefer one of these higher grade headphones when each one from my understanding seems to play the music differently ... right... so what do i do? anyone? haha smh oh i also have a diverse taste in music so the genres are typically all over the place. I love a lot of rock, but also acoustic, orchestral, edm and trap with more bass oriented stuff... all over the place... so im assuming i might need multiple headphones for different genres. Or is there a upper range headphone that is good to cover most genres very well overall...
How fast the pads degrade? My experience with hifiman is that every year, I needed to replace pads and their pads are expensive. Is this the same on DCA?
My pads lasted a year, wearing them for about 8 hours a day. I replaced them with Dekoni pads which have now lasted me 1.5 years and are only just showing some signs of wear with the same usage. I expect to get at least another 6 months out of them.
EQ doesn't fix the dynamics or the narrow center, so gaming is pretty rough on these, but it does help with taming the treble if you're sensitive. I mainly just added a bit more energy at 2khz so voices sound fuller. These aren't quite as bad at 2khz as Beyer's, but it is slightly missing some detail there.
This video is strange to watch. Half the time you're sitting in a dark room where i can't see half of you only for you to switch back to a fully lit room. The dark shot looks cool but looks a bit silly
I’ve owned Aeon Noire, sounds dead. No dynamics. Terrible with gaming and movies as well. Posted a review on my previous channel. Don’t buy it without hearing ever. So much piled up on ebay for $500
I disagree, they sound like my HD650 but closed back. Just enough timbre and dynamics but can enjoy them without bothering anyone around me. I'll agree, however, that it's way too expensive. Makes way more sense at $350-$500.
I own both, and they are totally different- the Aeon has no air and feels really in your head, whereas the LCDXC is very airy. The Aeon is warm sounding, the LCDXC is very flat sounding with zero oomph in the lower mids and bass. The Aeon will require a well powered amp as it requires a lot of power to get it sounding it’s best- my Chord Hugo 2 nearly died trying to drive them, I had to buy a balanced cable and use my Drop THX AAA789 at gain switch 2 for them to sound half decent, although my Xduoo TA20-R did okay with them, the LCDXC was pretty much the same (without nearly killing the Hugo2), they require a little less power to drive them. Neither headphone is great for sessions greater than an hour as the LCDXC are heavy, and the Aeon clamp force is stronger than any other headphones I have, and give me a sore head after around an hour or two of listening (I have a fairly small head btw). I own the Focal Elex, Elegia, Clear MG, AKG K702, K712Pro, Sennheiser HD650, HD800S, Audeze LCD2 Classics and Meze 709 (and a few others), and I would say that the Elex/HD800S are the best all rounders. Just my opinion…
I have the DCA Aeon RT closed (499 instead of 899) and was interested that you found the biggest issue I had with mine on these as well: extreme and distracting sibilance. But I was using them on Topping 50 stack, which is also a very bright dac amp combo. I also noticed it more on poorer quality recordings. So, I have a HiFiMan r2r DAC/amp that seems to treat the highs a lot better, and I pay attention to the quality of the source material. They're too good otherwise, despite those caveats. My 6xx stay on the Topping stack now, much more forgiving.
Stupid idea here: Instead of selling new pads, sell one's that are worn in, so that they can't really get more worn in, like selling headphones that have been on a burning rig until the very moment they're sold
For those interested in DCA headphones, they do sell replacement ear pads, so if they do happen to wear down on you, you can replace them.
THAT IS THE BARE MINIMUM I WOULD EXPECT! Ideally everyone would be like Beyerdynamic. They even sell you entire drivers, housings and every single screw. You can literally build a headphone using their spare part catalogue, just like god intended.
I ended up replacing mine with Dekoni pads after they had worn out too much. I find the dekoni's more comfortable and so far they have held up better than the stock supplied pads.
I own a pair of these and use them at work running off a fiio k5 pro and they’re absolutely fantastic. They’re more comfortable and sound more detailed than my focal radiance at least on this amp. When I run them at home on my topping a30pro they sound even better. I did replace my pads with a new set of dca pads that don’t suffer from the foam rolling issue. Would have been nice if dca had offered to replace them for free but it is what it is.
Holy shit, this production quality is absolutely out of control, dude. I am genuinely impressed.
I owned these at one point and they're the most comfortable closed-backs I've ever worn. Fantastic build quality. But for sound quality, they sounded... dead. No dynamics. Nothing "wrong" with them but just kinda dull and uninteresting.
That was my experience as well.
Same here. I returned mine
Yup. Welcome to the DCA house sound.
When I've changed ampifier to powerful A90 + balanced cable, DCA Noire went from "dead" to "rather limpy". That's my only complain, but this is a deal breaker for me and I do not recommend them for anyone, unless they don't mind unengaged sound. For me though it's super annoying, it's like watching top football team playing some friendly match right after important tournament. Not like they can't, they just barely care.
I recently got the Aeon X Closed and yes, dynamics are very weak, but for classical, vocal jazz etc they are lovely. Not an allrounder for sure.
the timing on this video upload is impeccable, i just started looking for good closed backs lately
Love the lighting and overall execution of this video. Very fresh and artistic!
Loving my new Focal Clear headphones which I bought on a great open-box sale after your recommendation after watching your previous video 🥰💪👍🥳. It’s a beautiful sounding headphone 🎧.
The only area that the Noire can be considered weak in is dynamics. For me it’s greatest strength is imaging. Fantastic! Its soundstage is pretty good for a closed back and image placement is great with space around individual instruments.
I don’t have any issues with its top end like you do. I prefer mine without the filter pads. Like all DCA headphones I’ve experienced, they do need 2 or 3 hundred hours of burn-in.
I love the Aeon 2 Noire and use them the most due to their comfort. Here's how I rate the sound among headphones I own: Diana TC > Aeon 2 Noire > DT 1990 Pro > HE 4XX > PS500e > DT 1770 Pro > HD 58X
But isn't the sound stage on the Aeon 2 Noire's a bit smaller, or more intimate than the DT1770's?
@80sHolic7 I no longer have the Noire and 1770 (sold for a DCA E3), but if I remember correctly, Noire had better sound stage. 1770 had too much bass making it sound muddy. Noire is much better overall.
@@astifcaulkinyeras
Thanks! I'll take your advice and check out the Aeon 2 Noire instead.
How does the A2N compare to the E3, which seems to cost 3x the amount.
@80sHolic7 I had to send it back due to a minor manufacturing defect and should get a replacement E3 soon. I only listened to it for a day but the E3 is a noticeable improvement in all areas. Bass is better quality but not quantity.
Well done again Josh! I'd love to hear your take on the Atrium Closed considering all you just said on the Noire if you ever get the chance. The work you do in your videos is astounding.
Love my Aeon Noires with EQ. I sold my Focal Elex's and am thinking about ditching my he6sev2's because I almost always use the noires. They have an even wider soundstage than He6's and Elex and have the benefit of isolation. Plus the comfort is the best I have tried.
Call me crazy, but I overall MUCH prefer the Ether CX for most cases/genres, and especially so if EQ is allowed. Even without EQ, my opinion is: Ether CX is more comfortable, has better imaging and soundstage, has a better midrange/vocal presentation, and doesn’t have uncomfortably sharp highs (it’s raw tuning at a high level simply lacks a bass shelf). To me, the only reason to get the Aeon is for the more compact/portable design and bass shelf. I think think it gets bested in basically every other area by the Ethers, or is AT LEAST matched.
Also, you can typically find it for less than the aeon. I got mine used with extra accessories (like a hard carrying case) for $400.
Beautiful video by the way. Lots of fun shots throughout.
Cheers
Hey - first, great review. Lots of good info in here. Really appreciate you taking the time to do these, and the production and set dec quality is excellent, as is your lighting.
... but I'm married to someone who did clothing for professional productions, and she insisted that I post to tell you that the wrinkled shirt really ruins the high-end production vibe you've otherwise got going. Great job otherwise. Keep up the good work, but don't forget the iron before you start shooting.
Haven't had a chance to check out the AEON, but for everything that is not classical music I completely love my Beyerdynamic/Drop DT 177X GO!
I absolutely love mine too, and I want to "upgrade" but so many closed backs have two cables now, the 4-pin XLR is a great idea which allows balanced on one cable which is great for travelling!
I still run it on the stock single ended cable but the option is nice to have.
Awesome review as always, loving the editing man. If you ever get the chance try get your hands on the updated Audeze LCD2C closed backs, they seem to miss all the big reviewers. I picked a pair up on sale over the Aeon 2 noire and they are amazing would be a great comparison with two Planars
Guessing you thought the LCD XC was a better headphone? Only asking as I'm interesting in both and can't hear ethier. Thanks.
For someone who claims to be treble sensitive, the mastering on your voice has a lot of trailing siblance and wet reverb on esses and tees.
I wonder what he uses for mastering/checking his vids. If he leans into his preference and mixes/masters with something less forward in the treble, it would easily cause him to actually elevate the treble further than necessary.
To me, his vids sound like a well done take on the popular podcaster sound - extra low mids for warmth and body, reserved upper mids, and then present highs a sense of clarity.
They just always sounds like there’s a dip in the proper/upper mids in his vocals, which could be on purpose 🤷🏼♂️
@@quincyfreeman2901 true, though it sounds to me more like frequency bands that were inaudible and therefore not tamed. But perhaps that's the same thing. :D
You have clearly never watched an “Organic chemistry tutor” video. That voice is PUNISHING
This is a quintessential problem why the audio hobby is problematic. Video has industry standards. Where are the audio mixing standards? What frequency curves had the monitors while mixing it? There is no standard if im not mistaken, closest is the harman target but im pretty sure Studio Monitors are not harman tuned
@@KopfdesRiesen Easy solution. The only thing most people listen on these days is AirPods Pro, so everything should be mixed on AirPods Pro. You’re welcome everybody.
The Aeon Noire is F'ing fantastic for the price.. I also like the focal celestee and radiance both got used under $1k. The Noire is probably a step below in technicality and performance but it has a nice tuning and that timbre is quite good.
I like the Elegia more. Sounds like an open back
Focal Elegias were on sale recently for $300. They're not perfect (tuning could be a little better), but they have great imaging, soundstage, and sound very open. I've yet to hear of anything that comes close in terms of price to performance.
200$ 6XX price/performance king
@@soulfulfool 6xx is open-back duhhh
@@PhucConMeMay yea but you wrote "anything" not specified
@@soulfulfool i didn’t say anything lol
It is very heavy, though, over 400 grams.
These headphones are not to bright if you use two foam inserts. Dan Clark designed them to be bright without foam inserts, because it's easier to reduce the brightness with the foam inserts then to add brightness.
Joshua, which amp fits the Noir best? Do you have any suggestions?
Great video editing, man. Keep it going
Golden sound said of the Meze Emps’ they were the best built $1000 headphone ever 🤣
But, these look interesting.
Great video as always 👍
Would love a comparison between the Noire and the DCA E3!! Any plans? Love the content. I will be testing out both myself next week..In the market for best refined bass, good quantity, slam, and midrange detail. Treble I can give or take on since I already love my DT1990’s for its detail and treble extension. Now I’m stuck on the Aeon 2 Noire and the E3.❤ Appreciate your input on this video..
I'll offer up the Denon D7200 it's a fantastic underrated closed back under $1000 it's got solid amount of detail, very slammy bass and it's a very fun headphone to listen to, more so than the DCA Aeon 2s I think
Hmmn, worth a try for me I think. My high frequency hearing loss (guitar, bands, attended so many concerts - look after your hearing kids) means I tend to favour some extra energy in the treble. What would you recommend in the highest end for closed backs?
Its insane how much better tuned IEMs are nowdays. This graph would be considered SHIT in the IEM world if we are honest. Id love for the Headphone market to evolve like the IEM market.
Love my DCA Stealth 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Wow! Changing your look and losing weight! Good for you Josh!
It is indeed cool and very good headphone, although i had it for a while and let it go with not regret. Personally, planars are not for me or i did not heard a planar that satisfy me yet. I absolutely hated soundstage and dryness of this headphone. I'm all bout immersive warmer sounds, soundstage and punchy low end. So at that MSRP I found Beyers T5p 2gen much more suited for me (easy to find used rn ~300-400€) . It needs a good push even if it is only 32 ohms but i love it + versatility, incredible soundstage, dynamics and imagine for closed HP.
Are you interested in open backs? If yes, you should try out the Audeze lcd lineup. The 2 and 2 classic have fairly wide soundstge and great low end
good points, my tastes are similar so I will have to check out the T5p~
@@SeanLiu4 I had to switch to closed because of my small living space. I'm a fan of open backs and LCDs were on my radar but it will have to wait for now. Thanks for recommendation.
You should try monoprice monolith m1570c as they sound really close to LCD X and some say they sound better than LCD 2c. They are also closed back with big planar drivers.
@@sspkt dont waste money on them if you dont like planars, nothing better than dynamics paired with tubes (I sold Arya, LCD 2C, T60 Argons, thou never had really expensive planars to judge)
Hello Joshua! PLEASE , can you tell me what the best choice between the FOCAL CLEAR, DT 1990 pro, HIFIMAN SUNDARA, HD800s, T1 (3nd gen), DENON AH D7200 and the CLEAR MG, for watching movies and gaming?🙏🙏🙏
What did you got then?
@@RX-rd4sc DT 1990. Disappointed 😅
Overrated
@@ef7516 😂😂😂 did you replaced them yet and did you heard d7200?
Glad to see you unifyed video aspect ratio, it looks beautiful.
Closed back headphones, nice for both at home and travel. I like it a lot, but it's a hard territory. At home? Why not get open back that sound even better? Travel? How do you focus so much attention listening while travelling? Although IEMs won't sound as good as closed, they get the travel job done pretty nicely. Convenience and technology? Why not get wireless earbuds or NC headphones on the go rather than hook a cable? The reason goes on and on. That's the why closed back wired headphones gets smaller and smaller, and fewer companies wish to do high end portable wired headphones any more.
I didn’t really like these, sounded very boring to me. I much prefer ZMF Atticus or Eikon. Better build quality, lifetime driver warranty, way better tuning, easy & plentiful pad swap options & cables are easy to find
Question Joshua,
Audeze Maxwell vs Aeon Noire, which one is better?
Thanks a lot for this very good and informative video. I’m thinking of upgrading my Hifiman Ananda and have already looked at the Focal Clear (didn’t like them, don’t get what the fuss is all about) and the ZMF Aeolus (very good, this a real possibility). How would the Aeon Noire or even the E3 compare to the Ananda and the Aeolus? I use a headphone amp Naim Atom Uniti. Thanks a lot. Best wishes, Ignacio
Since you love the Beyer DT1990pro and so do I, which open headphones are better than the Beyer DT1990pro under $1k?
Do you have 1-3 options for me to try?
I love the Beyers for the same reason as you. Great accuracy and clarity. And yes sometimes the 8k peak is a bit too much.
Super appreciate it man!
Btw for some background I’m 54 ( can still hear up to 16.5khz) and a musician. I mostly listen to classical , some jazz and rock
I love timbre and want maybe something with a bit bigger soundstage than the Beyer.
I also love the DT1990s! People call it siblant, with orchestra, classical piano, electronic, and soundtrack music I just hear it as being more musical and airy in the upper harmonics. My guess is it’s just more music dependent than objectively sibilant.
To comment on your question though, I recently picked up the Meze 109 Primals and it is very very similar to my ears as far as detail, except with a deeper and tighter bass. By contrast I do think the 109’s have a touch more sibilance than the Dt1990’s when comparing them side by side with the same tracks. It can be just a touch “sizzly” or “sparkly,” although comparing the two frequency responses, the Meze 109 doesnt actually peak as high, it sounds a little less smooth than the dt1990’s. Which again, can be good and bad.
In any case, I think the Meze 109’s for my music is a solid side-grade to the DT1990’s for now. Both the beyers and the Meze have that warm-cool quality, just slightly different tunings. And both are different and good enough to warrant owning both. If not at the very least for the Meze 109 Primal’s craftsmanship alone (see a quick unboxing on my channel).
For now, I am personally looking at the Aeon 2 Noire vs the DCA E3 to compliment or overtake the Dt1990’s. Maybe also the Sennheiser HD820 if that’s in my store. The only thing is, Im personally not a fan of the E3 naming convention or aesthetics and am leaning towards the Aeon 2 Noire for its cool name, high praise, and black design choices ❤. I am testing both the Noire and E3 next week and if the two sound different enough, to warrant different usages, I may get both, starting with the Aeon 2 Noire. If they sound very close, I may just be happy enough with the Noire for its aesthetic design.
Heyyy are you gonna give the fiio FT3 a long review? I’d love to see that. Thanks josh❤️
These or the Sony Z7M2 for trance and house music? Which is the better pick. Which is more comfortable to wear?
Finally! I bought them awhile ago because of the hype and I don't really use them because of the treble. First time I see a review pointing it out...
genuine question does joshua's voice sound a little muddy to anyone else? can't tell if i'm going crazy i'm listening on the app2
New Topping D70Pro Sabre / A70Pro - please we need your review on this new product:)
For black, it's "noir", without the "e", except with certain things like shoes "chaussure noire". But in french, about headphones, we would say "noir", or even "noirs".
Nice lighting!
Have you tried the M1570C? It would be a good comparison. Also, there are no reviews of that headset.
Who were those two artists you mentioned? Diana Craw? And Melody “something”?
I haven’t watched the video but I’m guessing Diana Krall and Melody Gardot, both generational jazz vocalists.
Im suprised you didn't pick up on how dynamically compromised they are. This is the problem with all DCA models.
Dynamics are a function of the seal of the headphones. I would bet a lot of money that you’re not getting a proper seal.
Take a Phillips screwdriver and slightly tighten the 2 screws that appear on the headband slider. You’ll notice that it only takes a little tightening of the screw to get a much more stiff headband slider adjustment. With that comes a tighter clamp with a tighter seal and more dynamic bass and slam.
I’ve always found it hilarious how little known this slight adjustment is, yet how much it affects the dynamics of the DCA headphones.
Cheers.
@@napzap6539 it also affected by driver compression. Its impossible for a driver to have a perfectly linear extention, some drivers do a better job of that than others.
@@En_Joshi-Godrez you are correct, but with the clamp tuned correctly using a Phillips screwdriver to get a proper seal, the complaints of lacking dynamics are overblown and equally hilarious. Let’s just say that I’ve got a good amount of experience. Dynamics keep up with the price point of the headphones. They are definitely not lacking.
The aeon noire had more dynamics and slam than the Ether C, Ether CX, and Focal Elegia. It has about the same dynamics as the LCD XC, and the Mrspeakers (DCA) Alpha Prime from back in the day. The Noire loses out in dynamics to the the Focal Radiance, Stellia, HE1000 v2, Abyss Diana V2, Abyss Diana TC, and Abyss 1266.
Cheers.
@@napzap6539 you're definitely right, if only because his newest e-stat doesn't have the issues of his planar models. That has a more traditional oval pad, so there you go.
Hi Joshua please give me some advice, I like to listen to hip hop(21 savage and post malone etc) and sometimes Adele,Sam smith with high vocals. What headphones would you recommend me to buy? Budget is around £1500. I was thinking focal clear MG because normal clear is out of stock from where I am.
Hi. Just so you know your the guy i go to if i need to look up a headphones reviews! Thank you by the way!
First headphone I purchased, still the best closed backs I have. Love these.
Feels like you just described my retuned Stellarius, at 1 tenth the price. Is it worth the jump to Meze Liric?
I feel like you said "...for a closed-back headphone" several times. As a noob, I'm just curious, are open-back cans generally "better" in sound quality? Thank you for your honesty and quality reviews as always!
Closed headphones have by design better bass because its one of the first frequencies that gets compromised.
I think in general open back = wider soundstage and more natural tuning, closed backs are suffering a bit in that regard but are doing better with bass.
I'm pretty sure the JM Editions XTC Closed will blow these out of the water!
Focal Raidiance or these?
Damn that intro!! 🤌🏻
Nice review. I've been eyeing a DC headphone to add to my collection for a while now, Might give one of these ago at some point.
On another note. Are you okay bro? The number of bruises you have in this video makes me think you came off a bike or something recently. Stay safe!
Very nice video Josh. What would be a couple choices to power this while using my phone on the go? Thx, keep up the great work!
I think the Aeon Noire is a Drop edition. My Aeon2 Noire sound amazing on my TA-20 tubes. Because they fold up, I got them for hotel listening during travel. I tried the Hip DAC first and had to exchange it for the Gryphon and a balanced cable to get enough power to drive them well. Love your reviews!
Nope, the Aeon drop x is quite different.
great review and really intriguing...wonder how neumann ndh20 (also closed back) will compare to these ones for critical listening. do you or any of your viewers have an opinion? thanks!
The way you describe the sound of the Æon is almost exactly the way I would describe the SJY Starry Night closed back planar, Totally different build tho.
Do you like the SJY?
Can mojo2 drive this to its full potential?
Joshua..Thanks Much !.......
I like your shirt in the intro 👍
Josh, how does this sound on the xDuoo TA-22? Does it provide enough power?
Great video as usual. Q: Can I run the Aeon Noir 2 with Cayin RU7 dongle?
Is that a 4.4mm to XLR balanced adapter at 3:32? Can I ask what brand that is? Cheers.
Awesome shirt 👕 🔥
I wanted to like these because they were so comfortable, but the sound signature was way too bright, even with the dampening, and there were really no dynamics. It’s too bad, but I’ve always been treble sensitive and this I couldn’t stand, so I had to return them. Piercing is the right word.
I am also treble-sensitive, but I don't find them overly bright as long as you use the included filters. I don't find them to be like Beyerdynamic bright at all.
can't wait to hear Baby Shark Dance on this beast of a closed back without any judgment from people nearby
Hey people I want you to suggest me best headphone under 300$ and 500dollars according to your own experience and why?
Edit-
This comment is going to help thousands.
Would a DX3 Pro (not +, so the original one) be enough to drive these?
Josh, please put a De-Esser on your videos, I love your channel but today's video seems essspecially esssssy...
They are alright, but as an owner, who recently tried the Austrian Audio X60, I feel kinda scammed. The cheaper offering from Austria has better stock sound (if you like Harman that is) and that at 1/3 of the Noire's price. Replacement pads and cables are also a lot cheaper on the X60. The Noire folds up and the headband might be more comfortable for more people, but that is about it. I reckon that 9 out of 10 buyers will be able to get more for less with the X60.
But is the sound of x60 is better? What about detalisation?
Because I have Ath-ad2000x with great detalisation and akg k371 (harman). But I want to change K371 because of sound detalisation after comparing in to ad2000x.
I didn't liked Denon 7200 and 5200.
Thinking about LCD2 closed and Aeon Noire closed...and now you mentioned x60.
@@NaticusFetch51 What was your problem with the Denons? I have the 5200 and like that a lot.
What is "better sound"? U cant just say XY has better sound as it is highly subjective. U cant even drive the X60 with balanced output as it has built in cable. Really great headphones are the ones whos let u use any cable so u can upgrade and use them with full potencial.
@@CoffeeGameMovie to be fair i even liked 5200 more than 7200. But overall I want to stay away from strange EQ as Harman (as I said before i have 371 and those just don't sound good after ad2000x). I want as flat frequency response as possible. Highs are like chopped if we are comparing it to ad2000. Detalisation is better than k371 and I could hear better sound stage. Also 5200 are more linear than 7200 so as i said 5200 are better. Mabye that my encounter was with bad pairs or bad DAC but I want to try d7000 before claiming that i didnt liked denon though.
I use your videos for testing / referencing monitor color reproduction and correction (not professionally).
I have these on order. But, I'm bummed out to learn about the razor sharp treble. I'll be using it with an Schiit Asgard 3, and a Chord Mojo 2. I may be sending these back after I try them out in person.
I use it with Chord Mojo2 and with the pads (white 1) the treble is controlled to a pleasant level. So hope you bought it. Cos it's sounds amazing for all genres.
@@neywinm5431 Thanks for the advice. I have been using them and in the end I'm not bothered by the treble...maybe it is my old age hearing catching up with me! ;) I did add a Moon Audio cable, and I'm about to try the fenestrated ear pads. I just wish the ear pads were not mounted via an adhesive tape. I don't know how tricky it will be to install the fenestrated ear pads, and keep the originals in re-usable condition. I note DC recommend taking the old ones and mounting them on wax paper. This may be a job for my multi-talented spouse....instead of old fumble fingers AKA me! ;) Also I'm about ready to try them with an AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt in lieu of my Chord Mojo2, just for a simpler equipment chain for short trips. BTW the Cobalt sounds great with my B&W P9, but those headphones don't take much to drive them vs. the the Aeon (from what I've read about the Aeon). Happy Holidays all!!!
@@neywinm5431It really is an amazing headphone. I also use it with the one notch white and the Mojo 2. Just fantastic. Also the Crossfeed function really shines with the noire
What is the best closed back headphones for long wearing as i have to listen with closed back headphones 8+ hours a day. I was thinking about these but i can't handle getting a headache or other fatigue within a short time period.
Id say check out focal as a whole because they got quit a few closed backs
Cool shirt!
If i have and like the aeon x closed a lot, so is it worth upgrading to the noire or should i just get a different headphone like the radiance and have 2 different headphones
3:07 sounds like a great meme with the dry delivery of the line
I am so lost. So I am trying to upgrade from the sennheiser 6xx into like real audiophile headphones, like 500 - 1000 arena. I get that Its subjective though and each headphone will accentuate different sounds. Soooo I keep watching different videos on under 1000 dollar headphones and i cannot make up my mind at all becasue who knows what my taste is going to be. I do like the 6xx though and im wondering maybe if i upgrade with a drop collab, maybe thats the move so its less money. but there are also some black friday deals. Damn... ANNDDD right at this time my 6xx are broken , woke up the other day and somehow the one side was smashed and indented .. no idea how it happened.. but yea those are done, the audio sounds like its in mono now.. sooo yeah i definitely need headphones right now, but i wanted an upgrade. But yeah who t f knows if ill prefer one of these higher grade headphones when each one from my understanding seems to play the music differently ... right... so what do i do? anyone? haha smh
oh i also have a diverse taste in music so the genres are typically all over the place. I love a lot of rock, but also acoustic, orchestral, edm and trap with more bass oriented stuff... all over the place... so im assuming i might need multiple headphones for different genres. Or is there a upper range headphone that is good to cover most genres very well overall...
Review denon ah d7200
Its also under 1000$ category
watching this on my Noires lmfao
Comparison with argons?
How fast the pads degrade? My experience with hifiman is that every year, I needed to replace pads and their pads are expensive. Is this the same on DCA?
My pads lasted a year, wearing them for about 8 hours a day. I replaced them with Dekoni pads which have now lasted me 1.5 years and are only just showing some signs of wear with the same usage. I expect to get at least another 6 months out of them.
What about Denon ahd7200?
I still swear by the 177x plus there's like a billion pad options
I would be curious how this headphone handles PEQ in order to tame the issues brought up in the review?
EQ doesn't fix the dynamics or the narrow center, so gaming is pretty rough on these, but it does help with taming the treble if you're sensitive. I mainly just added a bit more energy at 2khz so voices sound fuller. These aren't quite as bad at 2khz as Beyer's, but it is slightly missing some detail there.
@@AlumarsX Thank you.
Be careful with that dampening. You don't want to make it too wet.
Well, above 10k is where the technical performance lives, so I don't think these are too forward there
Let me tell you something about Joshua Valour. I’d cut off my left arm, for Joshua. That’s what I’d do!
This video is strange to watch. Half the time you're sitting in a dark room where i can't see half of you only for you to switch back to a fully lit room. The dark shot looks cool but looks a bit silly
I’ve owned Aeon Noire, sounds dead. No dynamics. Terrible with gaming and movies as well. Posted a review on my previous channel. Don’t buy it without hearing ever. So much piled up on ebay for $500
What about for music?
@@theburgerfryer Basically the same
@@coardtech That's sad but thanks for the information
I disagree, they sound like my HD650 but closed back. Just enough timbre and dynamics but can enjoy them without bothering anyone around me. I'll agree, however, that it's way too expensive. Makes way more sense at $350-$500.
@@markhanna7504 That describes my experience as well.
*00X Ebony has entered the chat laughing mockingly at the Noire*
Vs the HiFiMan HE-R9?
Would love to know how these compare to the LCD XC, anyone out there tried them both? Thanks in advance!
I own both, and they are totally different- the Aeon has no air and feels really in your head, whereas the LCDXC is very airy. The Aeon is warm sounding, the LCDXC is very flat sounding with zero oomph in the lower mids and bass. The Aeon will require a well powered amp as it requires a lot of power to get it sounding it’s best- my Chord Hugo 2 nearly died trying to drive them, I had to buy a balanced cable and use my Drop THX AAA789 at gain switch 2 for them to sound half decent, although my Xduoo TA20-R did okay with them, the LCDXC was pretty much the same (without nearly killing the Hugo2), they require a little less power to drive them. Neither headphone is great for sessions greater than an hour as the LCDXC are heavy, and the Aeon clamp force is stronger than any other headphones I have, and give me a sore head after around an hour or two of listening (I have a fairly small head btw). I own the Focal Elex, Elegia, Clear MG, AKG K702, K712Pro, Sennheiser HD650, HD800S, Audeze LCD2 Classics and Meze 709 (and a few others), and I would say that the Elex/HD800S are the best all rounders. Just my opinion…
Dang Josh, who beat you up?
I have the DCA Aeon RT closed (499 instead of 899) and was interested that you found the biggest issue I had with mine on these as well: extreme and distracting sibilance. But I was using them on Topping 50 stack, which is also a very bright dac amp combo. I also noticed it more on poorer quality recordings. So, I have a HiFiMan r2r DAC/amp that seems to treat the highs a lot better, and I pay attention to the quality of the source material. They're too good otherwise, despite those caveats. My 6xx stay on the Topping stack now, much more forgiving.
agree that these are too bright, which is weird because they don't sound like they measure to me
It is great for Daft Punk and related music, but I find it dead neutral and boring for anything with acoustic instruments.
Stupid idea here: Instead of selling new pads, sell one's that are worn in, so that they can't really get more worn in, like selling headphones that have been on a burning rig until the very moment they're sold