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Drop + Dan Clark Audio Aeon Closed X Headphones
$499
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Drop + Dan Clark Audio Aeon Closed X Headphones
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keyboard_arrow_downamangupta
32
Apr 15, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Gives your music new life!
I upgraded to the Aeon X Closed headphones from a pair of Sennheiser HD6XX headphones, both of which I'm driving from an iFi Micro iDSD Black Label DAC/AMP. I wanted a high end pair that's closed back and I thought the HD6XX and this one would make a great two pair collection. But within 5 minutes of listening to both of them, it was clear that the HD6XX are no longer needed - the jump in crispness, articulation, sub-bass quality, bass to mid transitions (and in many more characteristics) is just so high that it's hard to go back. I kept listening to my favorites in Tidal again and again because they all sounded so much better, the experience was almost like I was listening to them for the first time!
That said, these are not perfect - I get a sense of "hardness" when listening to some music - complex and loud sequences, some string instrumental sequences (2nd half of St. Apollonia by Beirut is an example) - which can make them a little tiresome to hear for certain kind of music. The pair does come with 4 pairs of dampening foam inserts, and they really make a noticeable difference. I tried the black foam and felt inserts (these are on the lower side of their dampening effect) - and it was obvious that while they reduce the "hardness" in sound, they also cause a reduction in the feeling of "airiness" in the vocals, for example. So, I now use them without any inserts.
The comfort and build are all first class. They can be adjusted to your needs and then using a screwdriver you can lock that position. They look great as well - I adore their teardrop style shape.
All in all, my online research suggested that they are the best closed back headphones for listening to music under $500, and after using them regularly for a few weeks, I believe I made the right choice.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
Resolve
112
Nov 29, 2021
As of writing this, it seems they're out of stock - but let me say that these are worth taking note of for when they come back in stock. In particular it's because they have one of the best tunings of any closed-back headphone at any price... period.
Drop was kind enough to send them over to me for a review, which you can check out here:
https://youtu.be/MRD9c4qSJbI
But I'll add my written notes and measurements here as well for both the Open and Closed (I like the Closed better).
Measurements done on the GRAS 43AG-7 with KB5000 anthropometric pinna.
Closed: No Filter
Open: No filter
Notes:
Open: No filter
Notes:
- These are generally pleasant tunings for both - but the Closed is better in my opinion.
- The Aeon X Open has better and smoother treble, while the Aeon X Closed has better/cleaner bass and lower mids.
- The Aeon X Open is considerably warmer/thicker - but once again the treble is very agreeable
- Driver resonance frequency (Fs) is around 400 - 500hz on both (very high)
- Both have significant driver damping, which is expected for this form factor - it’s how you get the tuning the way you want it, but that comes at the cost of the intangibles.
- Both are very tight and quick sounding for the initial leading edge with good instrument separation, but also walk the line as far as blunting the trailing ends of tones. The Aeon X Open is on the wrong side of that for me, but the Aeon X Closed is on the right side of it and sounds sufficiently resolving. I do not recommend using the foam tuning inserts as they blunt the trailing ends of tones even further.
- Both have some of the softest macrodynamics or contrast I’ve ever heard, for better or worse - kind of like a ‘pillow filter’ to the whole thing. If you’re wondering about what all this macro contrast stuff is, these headphones are the perfect examples of the ‘softer’ side. The Open is particularly interesting in this case because it sounds somewhat dynamically constrained to me, even though it’s significantly boosted in the upper bass and lower mids, yet again pointing to this quality not being presently available in frequency response (although I remain open-minded on that front if someone can identify some consistency there).
- Staging isn’t particularly noteworthy on both, not as good as on the Aeon 2 Noire, but still no major issues with things sounding too tight or claustrophobic or anything like that.
Recommends this product? Yes
rob-maxwell
0
Dec 1, 2023
ResolveAndrew, I have the Drop 6xx, which I really like, but my wife doesn't like hearing the leakage from these open backs. I like the tonal balance a lot - mids could be a bit less recessed, but close enough. The highs are just how I like them - smooth and non-fatiguing. A bit more bass would be nice, but again close enough. I like your description of the Drop+DCA Aeon Opens' smooth highs but need to find a closed back model. Anything come to mind in your years of reviewing? Thanks, Rob
bbs995
38
Apr 15, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Almost Perfect...
TLDR; Great sounding headphones with tons of detail. Decent build quality, with just an okay cable. Personally, not quite as comfortable as all the other reviews had me hope, but still good enough for all day use.
I've had these for ~2 months now, and figure I have enough experience with them to finally write a review.
Build: the headphones are built well. solid feeling, while not being too heavy. The pads are soft and have softened up over time. The headband stays in place well when I adjusted the size. The clamp force was originally much higher than I would have wanted. I have "stretched" the headphones a bit and worn them a bunch. I did find the clamp force to ease up a bit to where it's now reasonably firm, but not squeezing my head. Cable is okay. Somewhat flexible, decent length, and not too bulky. Though I would maybe want a thicker cable or upgrade it with a different one later. There are some creaks putting them on or off, but nothing while wearing them.
Sound: Sound is really good. This is my first step to a higher end audio experience. I am coming from using the SHP9500 for many years but needed a closed back headphone for shared office use with my partner while working from home. This was a pretty noticeable step up from the 9500. I expected it to be an enormous difference in my mind (like rewatching old tv broadcasts from the 90's to the HD stuff from today), but I'd compare it more like going from 1080p to 1440p. The difference is absolutely there, but you may not know exactly why that is right away if you don't know what you're looking for. The details provided by these headphones is incredible. The separation between instruments, and the distinction and clarity these have is one of my favorite parts about these headphones.
I don't think I’m the best audio judge, but I'd say these have pretty damn good bass (quality a touch over quantity), decent mids, and just short of a bright treble. There was a noticeable difference after burning them in after a week or so. Even slightly before that. The tuning filters can help with a lot of the sound profile, but I run these primarily without the filters (or the one notch white) for the most detail. Depending on the source file being played, I feel I could really tell what songs were recorded well or not. I also did notice how much stronger reverb is on songs with these, compared to other headphones. It's not artificially created, because it's not on every song. The ones that did have it, really seems to be noticeable on these. Especially on vocals.
Soundstage is surprisingly wide for closed back. I feel like even wider than the 9500. Imaging is also quite good. There is not a lot of center staging when going from left to right. The transition for sounds when panning from one side to the other seems like it's left going to the center, just hits the center, then very quickly to the right.
These are my first set of planar magnetic headphones and you can tell the difference. They're just so fast. It's hard to describe. They keep up with everything; drums, guitars, bass, vocals, synths, everything. I feel that I could never bog them down with too many sounds. It always kept the clarity, speed, and detail in the instruments or music track.
I drive these with a magni 3+ and modi 3 combo. I normally use the low gain setting and run around the 10-11 o'clock area around the dial. I'll go to either 1 o'clock or use high gain when I really want it loud. More than that and it's too loud, for my ears. I think that is plenty of power to drive them, but I do see how more power can bring the most out of these cans. I was able to drive them off my phone too, but it's not a use case I think I'd ever use. I would rather pick up IEMs for phone/mobile use.
The sound isolation is pretty high. Even with no music playing, the outside world sounds are dampened quite a bit. Listening at my regular volumes, I can hear when someone is talking to me or other sounds around/just over conversational volumes. With louder music playing, it's much much harder to hear all that. They don't bleed out of the pad seal at loud volumes either, which is also a big plus.
One thing to note is that I find the cable transmits a lot of sound back up to the headphones, especially with lower listening volumes; So, rubbing the cable on my shirt, or desk, seems to carry some of that sound to the headphone. It's most noticeable with taps/bumps on the cable vs sliding sounds. I don't always notice it (or got used to it) but a cable replacement may be able to change that. Unsure if it's the cable itself, or the nature of closed back headphones. Just something no one has commented on much before.
Comfort: This for me is where I struggle with these headphones the most. Everyone always talked about how comfortable these headphones are, and I was going into it with that expectation that these would just melt away. At first, I did not find these comfortable at all. Too tight clamp pressure, the pads hadn't softened up, and I found I got a lot of lower jaw pressure/tension after wearing these for a short period of time. I pressed the pads a lot to help speed up them softening and stretched the headphones a bit to help relieve the clamp pressure. This all helped some, but not as much as I would hope. Ultimately, I found that wearing them so that the bottoms of the headphones are right up against my earlobes, and with the headband much farther forward than I normally wear headphones, to be the most comfortable. I do wear glasses, which also isn't ideal for these headphones. The pads can rub on the glasses when I tilt my head left/right, or even push my glasses forward a bit (the back ends of my glasses touch the back of the earcup at times, pushing my glasses forward. I think my glasses are a frame size too big for me though, so take that with a grain of salt). Even without glasses, it's still up in the air for me. It is more comfortable, but contacts aren't as comfortable for the same amount of time as glasses. I can absolutely wear these for the day, but it took a lot of tinkering to figure out the best way to do that, and I do reposition them every so often. This is a very personal experience though, so keep that in mind.
Verdict: For what I was looking for in my next headphone, these hit basically all the marks. Closed back for office work (both for my partner to not hear my music, and for me to not hear them working), comfortable enough to be worn all day (yes, even with my complaining earlier these are still comfortable enough for all day use), and a higher end headphone than what i was previously using to venture into the world of hifi (I also had to justify the purchase of my dac/amp combo to my partner. lol). I was also really curious about trying planar magnetic headphones, and think the new experience was worth it.
My wallet wishes these were a bit more affordable, but I do see the value in these compared to other headphones. There really is a limited selection of hifi closed backs, unfortunately. I have really enjoyed listening to music with these headphones and playing games too. They're just fun.
I would totally recommend these to people who want a higher end closed back headphone with lots of detail. There could be better value headphones out there with different requirements, but these are a great buy overall.
Recommends this product? Yes
XiiNyth
0
Nov 28, 2021
your gonna want to go on high gain, schiit amps on low gain are really like no gain, it a huge difference on power output.
PDC3
45
Mar 24, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Dan Clark Audio Aeon X Closed & Focal Elex
I set out to be sooo helpful to y’all. I now have both the DCA Aeon X Closed and the Focal Elex (open) and so I could tell you, definitively, which one to own. Easy, eh?
Not so much. Y’see, they each share some important characteristics, even though they are distinctly different headphones. Most important of all: they each create a sonic reality that I want to inhabit indefinitely, to the point where I’d keep forgetting to switch to the other ‘phone. They each are comfortable, the Aeon mostly due to its suspension-with-nitinol system, the Elex with comfy and cool-to-the-touch pads. They share an approach to tonal balance, so that instruments, including the hard-to-capture piano and flute, sound life-like. As I switched (reluctantly) from one to the other, the tonal balance was quite similar. (Doing this in other comparisons of ‘phones often makes the second set seem “off” in tone until my ears “re-set” to its particular approach to sound.)
All that said, I would expect most of us to be pleased with either as a purchase, BUT… they do present their charms quite differently, and perhaps those differences are key to your enjoyment. So I’ll try to describe them.
As a closed-back headphone, the Aeon isolates better and so presents the music from an inky black background. Further, the soundstage, while as wide as the Elex, is less deep, so all the sound goodies pour into the ears up close and personal, inviting close inspection or wonder at the performer’s artistry. Very involving.
In contrast, the open-back Elex places the central performer, say Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer” vocal, a bit farther back, and surrounds it with a greater sense of space. The ting of cymbals or snap of a percussive hit echo a bit longer. Very involving. Wait, I said that about the Aeon. Well, shoot, true for each but in different ways!
I was surprised at how tame the bass lines are on “Private Dancer” (vinyl era mastering ethos, despite the electronic instruments). So I put on “Sing, Sing, Sing” from Dave Grusin Presents The Big Band (live). Great interplay between Eddie Daniels’ clarinet and Dave Weckl’s drums, which tap, ting, thwack and thump in fascinating patterns. I slightly preferred the artistry from the Elex, but was more inclined to dance to the Aeon. The Aeon propelled, the Elex revealed. I couldn’t say one dived deeper in bass or sizzled higher in treble than the other.
Herbie Hancock’s “Possibilities” album showcases a wide variety of vocalists and top notch musicians recorded beautifully. “When Love Comes to Town” was exciting on each ‘phone, with the more up-front brass blast at the end being better propelled by the Aeon. “Hush, Hush, Hush” demanded a complete listen on each ‘phone and brought a tear to my eye, as it should, in each rendition. The breathy vocals on “Don’t Explain’ resounded in a space more clearly defined by the Elex.
In conclusion, some perspective. Among my collection are Grado RS-1i $700 open-backs, and I prefer the Elex; and $500 OPPO PM-3 closed-backs and I prefer the Aeon. So these two headphones sit at the top of my collection currently in terms of their technical and emotional performance benefits. Hope one or both bring joy to you as well.
(Reviewed with Schiit Asgard 2 (pure class A), SMSL SU-9 DAC, CD-quality tracks)
Recommends this product? Yes
ScottyDC
15
Apr 15, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
Animagus
44
Mar 2, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
The review was originally published on our website - Twister6. Direct link to the Aeon Open X and Aeon Closed X Dual Review - DROP + Dan Clark Audio Aeon Open X & Aeon Closed X @ Twister6
Since this was published as a dual review, I talk about Open X quite a lot in this review too.
PROS: One of most comfortable headphones designs in the world, excellent build quality for the price, highly attractive design, good selection of materials for parts, extremely comfortable earpads and headband design with ideal clamp force. Revealing tonality, engaging, excellent technical performance for the price - open and spacious sounding soundstage, micro-detail retrieval, L-R separation and layering. CONS: Extra airy upper-treble boosts though fun could've been lower in both headphones to make for more neutral headphones and in line with reference tuning. Warmer lower-treble and extra airy in the top end.
Technical Specifications.
In the box.
Drivability - Aeon Open X and Closed X have an impedance of 13Ω and 12.5Ω respectively and are extremely easy to drive from even the SE outputs of DAPs, smartphones and laptops. Though I'd recommend using a nice source to get the best performance out of both headphones. Summary - Aeon Closed X is a neutral-bright headphone and is better tuned than Open X in my opinion. Closed X has very good sub-bass reach and rumble, around a 3dB boost in the mid-bass around 100Hz, a slight dip around 200Hz, fairly neutral lower-midrange with very slight emphasis around 1.5kHz, forward upper-midrange with around 8dB ear gain, slightly warmer lower-treble and a fairly north of neutral airy upper-treble boost which lends it some brightness as well as a good sense of airiness and spaciousness. What is highly impressive in Closed X is that it is a closed-back with a very nice and spacious soundstage with excellent technical performance, that beats a lot of open-backs in its price segment. Let's dig in deeper... Bass - Closed X has really good sub-bass extension down low and a slight bump in mid-bass around 100Hz which balances the upper-end airiness really well. The bass presentation is very clean, with a bit more oomph than neutral because of the boosted mid-bass. The bass is fast and is very well separated in the centre. Midrange - The lower-midrange is very clean and 'almost' perfectly neutral. The upper-midrange has around 8db of ear which enables a very nice forward presentation of instruments. I would've loved a dB or two more of ear gain but this is still very well executed. Both vocals and instruments are presented with very good midrange tonality, though there is a touch of thinness because of boosted upper-treble. Treble - Lower-treble is slightly warmer than neutral. I would've liked a bit more gain in the 6-10kHz region because of me being a sucker for absolute accuracy but most people won't notice it as warm because the upper-treble is boosted significantly above neutral and makes up for the warmth in the 6-10kHz region. As a result, Closed X actually ends up sounding a neutral bright headphone. It would've been great if the DROP + Dan Clark could've tamed the upper-treble a bit because the 16-17kHz boost are almost 13-14 dB above a reference target curve like the Harman target. So, a bit more lower-treble and lesser upper-treble would've been perfect but that's where EQ comes in and fans of headphones should get into the world EQ-ing too because it can greatly enhance one's experience. Headphones are not as easy to tune as IEMs and EQ-ing really works wonders most times. Technical performance - Closed X has exceptionally good technical performance for a closed-back of its price range. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that it is the best at its price. It has excellent left to right separation, depth layering and imaging. It has a proper soundstage for a closed-back and actually stages like open-backs of its price range. It has really good resolution and depth layering for its price too - makes it quite easy to focus on reverb trails disappearing into the background.
Open X vs Closed X. In a way they are tuned closely but some of their quirks make them very different sounding headphones, targeted at very different kind of people. Closed X is a neutral-bright headphone whereas Open X is a fuller bodied, slightly warm sounding headphone. Closed X has better low-end extension with better rumble and a small mid-bass boost around 100Hz that adds in a bit of extra punch to bass. Open X on the other hand has a slight sub-bass roll-off and a boost in the 60 to 500 Hertz region which boosts the mid-bass as well as instrument body and results in a much north of neutral, fuller bodied signature. It doesn't just add in a lot of warmth but also a bit of veil and boom which takes Open X away from what could've been a very well done reference signature. Besides this, both the headphones have a very neutral lower-midrange post 500Hz and a nice, forward upper-midrange with around 8dB of ear gain. Open X has slightly better, more neutral lower-treble tuning, where Closed X is warmer. Both have a very airy upper treble tuning but because Closed X does not have the added warmth in the lower-midrange and ends up sounding brighter than the Open X as a result. In terms of technical performance, Closed X has a more open, airy and spacious sounding soundstage with better left to right separation and a better separated center image. On the other hand, Open X's soundstage sounds slightly intimate with the stage depth not going as deep as Closed X's. Closed X's soundstage really has impressive depth in comparison along with impressive width for a closed-back. Closed X because of its brighter treble tuning, has better micro-detail retrieval as well as better layering and separation between instruments.
Performance with Corrective EQ. If you're a fan of headphones and still haven't gotten into the world of EQ, I highly recommend that you do because it can add wonders and take the performance to the next level, something you can't do as significantly with source pairing or otherwise. If you've never EQ'd before or don't know where to start from, you can just start with using AutoEQ presets in Soundsource or Wavelet and take it from there. AutoEQ EQs the headphone to the Harman target and you'll see a substantial improvement in tonality right away. In the Aeon Closed X, EQ-ing down the 100Hz mid-bass boost by around 3dB, filling in the notch around 200 Hz by 2dB, adding around 2dB of upper midrange in the 1.5-4kHz region, a bit more lower-treble in the 5-10kHz and EQ-ing down the upper-treble can lead to the Closed X sounding way more neutral, highly improving the tonality and making the technical performance shine even better. For starters, you can use jaakkopasanen AutoEQ settings to EQ headphones to the Harman target curve. Aeon Closed X Parametric EQ settings. You can use filters 1-5 or 1-10. Apply preamp of -4.5 dB or -4.5 dB, respectively. # Type Fc (Hz) Q Gain (dB) 1 LowShelf 105 0.7 -1.2 2 Peaking 106 1.06 -2.6 3 Peaking 186 2.38 1.4 4 Peaking 303 0.95 -1.9 5 Peaking 2130 2.4 4.4 6 Peaking 1065 4.45 1.2 7 Peaking 5610 5.95 -2.9 8 Peaking 6703 5.88 2.1 9 Peaking 9514 1.97 3.9 10 HighShelf 10000 0.7 -6.5 Comparisons with other headphones.
There are way more well tuned audiophile grade open-backs than closed back headphones. Closed back headphones are more difficult to tune and get right, which is very visible with the scarcity of extremely well tuned closed-backs in the market. Since Aeon Closed X has an excellent soundstage for a closed-back headphone and is very well tuned, I'm going to compare it to some of the best tuned popular headphones around $500 mark, regardless of them being an open or closed back design.
AKG K371 - There is no competition here to be honest. Closed X destroys the K371 left, right and centre in every aspect! Closed X has a WAY more comforatble fit which is actually a proper over ear design and where one's ears don't touch the driver assembly. K371 isn't and the fit can K371 can be seen as conforming to the Harman target slightly better but man does the Closed X beat it in every aspect otherwise. First of all Closed X as a closed back has a proper soundstage. K371 sounds like having no soundstage in comparison. Closed X has much better left to right separation and a clearer, better isolated centre image, better imaging, better depth layering as well as better imaging. To a lot of people K371 can come off a bit dark up top, which is why a lot of people preferred the K361 instead. Closed X has better bass performance that not only has better resolution and separation but also has a more accurate, quicker transient presentation. Both have really good midrange presentation but I'll give it to Closed X for having better and more even upper-midrange presentation. K371 has slightly better lower-treble quantity but Closed just aces the upper-end airiness which greatly contributes to Closed X's open, airy and spacious sounding soundstage as well as better micro-detail retrieval and the overall separation, especially relaying the space between each instrument. Sennheiser HD6XX - Closed X extends very well till 20Hz down low whereas HD6XX has a sub-bass roll. Both have a slight mid-bass emphasis but Closed X's boost is very slightly more. Both headphones have a very neutral and clean lower-midrange but HD6XX has a slightly more forward an upper-midrange, with around 2dB more of ear gain. Both headphones are slightly warmer in lower-treble but Closed X is much airier in upper-treble. Closed X completely beats the HD6XX in technical performance with a much bigger soundstage, better imaging, better left to right separation as well as micro-detail retrieval. Hifiman Sundara 2020 - Even though Sundara has quite a comfortable fit, I actually prefer the fit and comfort of Closed and Open X much more. Even the build quality of both the DCA headphones is MUCH better than HifiMan Sundara's. Sundara has a very neutral signature, quite like the HD6XX but with better treble extension. Closed X on the other hand tries to follow the Harman Target. Closed X has much better low end extension till 20Hz whereas Sundara has a slight roll-off below 50Hz. Otherwise, Sundara has a very neutral bass presentation otherwise whereas Closed X has boost in mid-bass around 100Hz and a slight cut around 200Hz. Both have a fairly neutral midrange but Sundara's upper-midrange has slightly more ear gain and sounds a bit more forward as a result. Closed X's ear gain is very slightly lesser by around 2dB. Closed X has slightly warmer lower-treble but much airirer upper-treble than Sundara in comparison. Both have really good performance but Closed X wins in this department with a slightly deeper soundstage, better left to right separation and imaging as well as better depth layering. It being a closed-back can be an added advantage for people who'd like to have a headphone to use in noisy places with some privacy. Focal Elex - There is one thing that Focals are tough to beat at and that is dynamic punch. The sheer amount of punch the Elex has is seen from the get go in an A/B comparison between these two headphones. Elex is a more neutral, slightly warmer sounding headphone whereas Closed X is more a neutral-bright, much more open and airy sounding headphone. Elex has better sub-bass rumble and punch. Both headphones are fairly neutral in their lower-midrange presentation and are similarly forward in their upper-midrange tuning. Elex is more neutral in lower-treble but Closed X in much north of neutral airier up to, which is responsible for its leaner tonality too. In my opinion, when it comes to stock signatures Elex has better tonality overall because of a more neutral signature whereas Closed X is more exciting and energetic because of its airy upper-treble tuning. But it's the Closed X that has better technical performance out of the two with a cleaner, more open and airier soundstage, better left to right separation and better micro-detail retrieval. Elex is no slouch though and is more dynamic, has better imaging and sense of instrument realism. Conclusion. This was one big review to finish but I had a really good time taking both Closed X and Open X through the paces. Both have one of the best headphone fit designs in the world, where their earcups are made to the shape of an ear and have very comfortable earpads with good padding and depth - which make them one of easiest headphones for long sessions. Both are headphones targeted at different audiences - Closed X for fans of neutral-bright reference-ish tuning and Open X for fans of fuller bodied, warm signatures. They both have really good technical performance for their price segments, especially the Closed X, which is one of the best tuned, VFM closed-back headphones you can get in the market today! If I had to choose one between them based on their stock signatures, I'd go with the Closed X myself. EQ adds on greatly to both headphones, especially the Open X, which sounds really good with a bit of sub-bass added in and the 60-500Hz wideband boost EQ'd down as the rest of the FR is very well tuned. All in all, I can recommend the Closed X as a must try headphone for everyone, especially people looking for close to reference tuning in a closed-back and the Open X for fans of fuller bodied signatures. Give 'em both a shot if you get the chance, especially the Closed-X!
Gear used for testing and review.
Artists I like and listen to.
Since this was published as a dual review, I talk about Open X quite a lot in this review too.
PROS: One of most comfortable headphones designs in the world, excellent build quality for the price, highly attractive design, good selection of materials for parts, extremely comfortable earpads and headband design with ideal clamp force. Revealing tonality, engaging, excellent technical performance for the price - open and spacious sounding soundstage, micro-detail retrieval, L-R separation and layering. CONS: Extra airy upper-treble boosts though fun could've been lower in both headphones to make for more neutral headphones and in line with reference tuning. Warmer lower-treble and extra airy in the top end.
Technical Specifications.
- Drop + Dan Clark Audio
- Headphone type: Closed-back
- Ear coupling: Over ear
- Individually serialized
- Drivers: V-Planar planar magnetic, matched (0.6 dB, 100 Hz – 8 kHz)
- Efficiency: 91dB/mW
- Impedance: 12.5 ohms
- Headband material: NiTinol memory metal
- Earcup material: Plastic frame, genuine carbon fiber inserts
- Earpad material: Japanese protein leather (removable)
- Input connector: Hirose 4-pin
- Cable: DUMMER 4-pin (3.5 mm) to ¼ in (6.35 mm) , 6'5" (2 m) long
- Weight (without cable): 11.5 oz (326 g)
- 2 year manufacturers warranty
- Made in San Diego, CA
In the box.
- Headphones
- Carrying case
- DUMMER cable with 1/4” termination
- Tuning foam inserts
Drivability - Aeon Open X and Closed X have an impedance of 13Ω and 12.5Ω respectively and are extremely easy to drive from even the SE outputs of DAPs, smartphones and laptops. Though I'd recommend using a nice source to get the best performance out of both headphones. Summary - Aeon Closed X is a neutral-bright headphone and is better tuned than Open X in my opinion. Closed X has very good sub-bass reach and rumble, around a 3dB boost in the mid-bass around 100Hz, a slight dip around 200Hz, fairly neutral lower-midrange with very slight emphasis around 1.5kHz, forward upper-midrange with around 8dB ear gain, slightly warmer lower-treble and a fairly north of neutral airy upper-treble boost which lends it some brightness as well as a good sense of airiness and spaciousness. What is highly impressive in Closed X is that it is a closed-back with a very nice and spacious soundstage with excellent technical performance, that beats a lot of open-backs in its price segment. Let's dig in deeper... Bass - Closed X has really good sub-bass extension down low and a slight bump in mid-bass around 100Hz which balances the upper-end airiness really well. The bass presentation is very clean, with a bit more oomph than neutral because of the boosted mid-bass. The bass is fast and is very well separated in the centre. Midrange - The lower-midrange is very clean and 'almost' perfectly neutral. The upper-midrange has around 8db of ear which enables a very nice forward presentation of instruments. I would've loved a dB or two more of ear gain but this is still very well executed. Both vocals and instruments are presented with very good midrange tonality, though there is a touch of thinness because of boosted upper-treble. Treble - Lower-treble is slightly warmer than neutral. I would've liked a bit more gain in the 6-10kHz region because of me being a sucker for absolute accuracy but most people won't notice it as warm because the upper-treble is boosted significantly above neutral and makes up for the warmth in the 6-10kHz region. As a result, Closed X actually ends up sounding a neutral bright headphone. It would've been great if the DROP + Dan Clark could've tamed the upper-treble a bit because the 16-17kHz boost are almost 13-14 dB above a reference target curve like the Harman target. So, a bit more lower-treble and lesser upper-treble would've been perfect but that's where EQ comes in and fans of headphones should get into the world EQ-ing too because it can greatly enhance one's experience. Headphones are not as easy to tune as IEMs and EQ-ing really works wonders most times. Technical performance - Closed X has exceptionally good technical performance for a closed-back of its price range. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that it is the best at its price. It has excellent left to right separation, depth layering and imaging. It has a proper soundstage for a closed-back and actually stages like open-backs of its price range. It has really good resolution and depth layering for its price too - makes it quite easy to focus on reverb trails disappearing into the background.
Open X vs Closed X. In a way they are tuned closely but some of their quirks make them very different sounding headphones, targeted at very different kind of people. Closed X is a neutral-bright headphone whereas Open X is a fuller bodied, slightly warm sounding headphone. Closed X has better low-end extension with better rumble and a small mid-bass boost around 100Hz that adds in a bit of extra punch to bass. Open X on the other hand has a slight sub-bass roll-off and a boost in the 60 to 500 Hertz region which boosts the mid-bass as well as instrument body and results in a much north of neutral, fuller bodied signature. It doesn't just add in a lot of warmth but also a bit of veil and boom which takes Open X away from what could've been a very well done reference signature. Besides this, both the headphones have a very neutral lower-midrange post 500Hz and a nice, forward upper-midrange with around 8dB of ear gain. Open X has slightly better, more neutral lower-treble tuning, where Closed X is warmer. Both have a very airy upper treble tuning but because Closed X does not have the added warmth in the lower-midrange and ends up sounding brighter than the Open X as a result. In terms of technical performance, Closed X has a more open, airy and spacious sounding soundstage with better left to right separation and a better separated center image. On the other hand, Open X's soundstage sounds slightly intimate with the stage depth not going as deep as Closed X's. Closed X's soundstage really has impressive depth in comparison along with impressive width for a closed-back. Closed X because of its brighter treble tuning, has better micro-detail retrieval as well as better layering and separation between instruments.
Performance with Corrective EQ. If you're a fan of headphones and still haven't gotten into the world of EQ, I highly recommend that you do because it can add wonders and take the performance to the next level, something you can't do as significantly with source pairing or otherwise. If you've never EQ'd before or don't know where to start from, you can just start with using AutoEQ presets in Soundsource or Wavelet and take it from there. AutoEQ EQs the headphone to the Harman target and you'll see a substantial improvement in tonality right away. In the Aeon Closed X, EQ-ing down the 100Hz mid-bass boost by around 3dB, filling in the notch around 200 Hz by 2dB, adding around 2dB of upper midrange in the 1.5-4kHz region, a bit more lower-treble in the 5-10kHz and EQ-ing down the upper-treble can lead to the Closed X sounding way more neutral, highly improving the tonality and making the technical performance shine even better. For starters, you can use jaakkopasanen AutoEQ settings to EQ headphones to the Harman target curve. Aeon Closed X Parametric EQ settings. You can use filters 1-5 or 1-10. Apply preamp of -4.5 dB or -4.5 dB, respectively. # Type Fc (Hz) Q Gain (dB) 1 LowShelf 105 0.7 -1.2 2 Peaking 106 1.06 -2.6 3 Peaking 186 2.38 1.4 4 Peaking 303 0.95 -1.9 5 Peaking 2130 2.4 4.4 6 Peaking 1065 4.45 1.2 7 Peaking 5610 5.95 -2.9 8 Peaking 6703 5.88 2.1 9 Peaking 9514 1.97 3.9 10 HighShelf 10000 0.7 -6.5 Comparisons with other headphones.
There are way more well tuned audiophile grade open-backs than closed back headphones. Closed back headphones are more difficult to tune and get right, which is very visible with the scarcity of extremely well tuned closed-backs in the market. Since Aeon Closed X has an excellent soundstage for a closed-back headphone and is very well tuned, I'm going to compare it to some of the best tuned popular headphones around $500 mark, regardless of them being an open or closed back design.
AKG K371 - There is no competition here to be honest. Closed X destroys the K371 left, right and centre in every aspect! Closed X has a WAY more comforatble fit which is actually a proper over ear design and where one's ears don't touch the driver assembly. K371 isn't and the fit can K371 can be seen as conforming to the Harman target slightly better but man does the Closed X beat it in every aspect otherwise. First of all Closed X as a closed back has a proper soundstage. K371 sounds like having no soundstage in comparison. Closed X has much better left to right separation and a clearer, better isolated centre image, better imaging, better depth layering as well as better imaging. To a lot of people K371 can come off a bit dark up top, which is why a lot of people preferred the K361 instead. Closed X has better bass performance that not only has better resolution and separation but also has a more accurate, quicker transient presentation. Both have really good midrange presentation but I'll give it to Closed X for having better and more even upper-midrange presentation. K371 has slightly better lower-treble quantity but Closed just aces the upper-end airiness which greatly contributes to Closed X's open, airy and spacious sounding soundstage as well as better micro-detail retrieval and the overall separation, especially relaying the space between each instrument. Sennheiser HD6XX - Closed X extends very well till 20Hz down low whereas HD6XX has a sub-bass roll. Both have a slight mid-bass emphasis but Closed X's boost is very slightly more. Both headphones have a very neutral and clean lower-midrange but HD6XX has a slightly more forward an upper-midrange, with around 2dB more of ear gain. Both headphones are slightly warmer in lower-treble but Closed X is much airier in upper-treble. Closed X completely beats the HD6XX in technical performance with a much bigger soundstage, better imaging, better left to right separation as well as micro-detail retrieval. Hifiman Sundara 2020 - Even though Sundara has quite a comfortable fit, I actually prefer the fit and comfort of Closed and Open X much more. Even the build quality of both the DCA headphones is MUCH better than HifiMan Sundara's. Sundara has a very neutral signature, quite like the HD6XX but with better treble extension. Closed X on the other hand tries to follow the Harman Target. Closed X has much better low end extension till 20Hz whereas Sundara has a slight roll-off below 50Hz. Otherwise, Sundara has a very neutral bass presentation otherwise whereas Closed X has boost in mid-bass around 100Hz and a slight cut around 200Hz. Both have a fairly neutral midrange but Sundara's upper-midrange has slightly more ear gain and sounds a bit more forward as a result. Closed X's ear gain is very slightly lesser by around 2dB. Closed X has slightly warmer lower-treble but much airirer upper-treble than Sundara in comparison. Both have really good performance but Closed X wins in this department with a slightly deeper soundstage, better left to right separation and imaging as well as better depth layering. It being a closed-back can be an added advantage for people who'd like to have a headphone to use in noisy places with some privacy. Focal Elex - There is one thing that Focals are tough to beat at and that is dynamic punch. The sheer amount of punch the Elex has is seen from the get go in an A/B comparison between these two headphones. Elex is a more neutral, slightly warmer sounding headphone whereas Closed X is more a neutral-bright, much more open and airy sounding headphone. Elex has better sub-bass rumble and punch. Both headphones are fairly neutral in their lower-midrange presentation and are similarly forward in their upper-midrange tuning. Elex is more neutral in lower-treble but Closed X in much north of neutral airier up to, which is responsible for its leaner tonality too. In my opinion, when it comes to stock signatures Elex has better tonality overall because of a more neutral signature whereas Closed X is more exciting and energetic because of its airy upper-treble tuning. But it's the Closed X that has better technical performance out of the two with a cleaner, more open and airier soundstage, better left to right separation and better micro-detail retrieval. Elex is no slouch though and is more dynamic, has better imaging and sense of instrument realism. Conclusion. This was one big review to finish but I had a really good time taking both Closed X and Open X through the paces. Both have one of the best headphone fit designs in the world, where their earcups are made to the shape of an ear and have very comfortable earpads with good padding and depth - which make them one of easiest headphones for long sessions. Both are headphones targeted at different audiences - Closed X for fans of neutral-bright reference-ish tuning and Open X for fans of fuller bodied, warm signatures. They both have really good technical performance for their price segments, especially the Closed X, which is one of the best tuned, VFM closed-back headphones you can get in the market today! If I had to choose one between them based on their stock signatures, I'd go with the Closed X myself. EQ adds on greatly to both headphones, especially the Open X, which sounds really good with a bit of sub-bass added in and the 60-500Hz wideband boost EQ'd down as the rest of the FR is very well tuned. All in all, I can recommend the Closed X as a must try headphone for everyone, especially people looking for close to reference tuning in a closed-back and the Open X for fans of fuller bodied signatures. Give 'em both a shot if you get the chance, especially the Closed-X!
Gear used for testing and review.
- Desktop setup - Universal Audio Apollo + DROP THX AAA 789 Amp
- DAPs - iBasso DX240 | Shanling M6 Ultra | Lotoo PAW6000
- Phone - OnePlus 7 Pro + HiBy FC4 / iBasso DC03 Pro / iBasso DC05
Artists I like and listen to.
- Rock – Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Switchfoot, Imagine Dragons, Daughtry, Green Day, MuteMath, X Ambassadors, Dave Matthews Band, Vertical Horizon, Our Lady Peace, Lifehouse, Fall Out Boy, Breaking Benjamin, Muse, ACDC, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Biffy Clyro, I Am Giant, Normandie, Paramore, Slash & Guns N Roses, 3 Doors Down.
- Pop Rock – John Mayer, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, James Bay, Hunter Hayes, Niall Horan, Keith Urban, The Bros Landreth, Bryan Adams.
- Progressive Rock/Metal – Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson, Karnivool, Tool, Dead Letter Circus, Periphery, Lamb of God.
- Pop/Soft Rock – Ed Sheeran, Adele, Taylor Swift, OneRepublic, The Script, Gavin James, Magic Man, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Oasis, Panic! At the Disco, TwentyOne Pilots.
- EDM – Chainsmokers, Zedd.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
MarcTheAudiophool
30
Jun 23, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Polite, clear, boring.
The only other closed back headphone I have to compare this to is the Oppo PM-3, also a planar magnetic set just like these Aeon phones. The Aeons are just as clear and dynamic as the Oppo phones, but have relatively no bass presence, no "oomph" when it is called for, no "grunt" when the recording gets grungy. The Oppo has more pronounced bass than these and can roll up its imaginary sleeves and get the job done. The Oppo provides the listener with a more engaging musical presentation and a little wider soundstage. The Aeon phones not so much. The Aeons are clear and polite, but also relatively weak and boring. I wanted to like these, but after five days of running them in (all day, every day on a Burson Conductor 3 Reference DAC/amp and occasionally on a Feliks Audio Espressivo Mk II tube amp) and trying the different "tuning pads," (which attenuated the treble in different proportions, but did nothing for the bass) I gave up.
For sound reference, I have and prefer in this order: Hifiman Ananda (best in wide, open soundstage), Audeze LCD-X (best in "grunt"), Focal Clear Pro (overall strong performer), Sennheiser HD-600 (my friend of 25 years), and the Oppo PM-3 (the only closed back, so best in sound isolation).
I have mostly listened to The Who, The Stones, Keith Jarrett (if you haven't listened to his Köln Concert, do yourself a favor and take a listen), The Talking Heads, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, and The Bad Plus during this time with the Aeons. Sources used were the Sony DVP-NS999ES SACD/DVD/CD player and Amazon Prime through the Burson DAC.
Sadly, I am going to start a return on these Aeon phones.... and give the Beyerdynamic T5 a shot.
Its a disease, I tell ya.
Recommends this product? No
Dillacorn
137
Jun 17, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
😚 there really isn't much to nit pick
Wanted a planar closed back for work.. T60RP Argon out of stock. Glad I chose these instead.
Love the design, love the pads, love the sound signature with white felt inserts. Super comfortable!! No doubting this is some damn good planar sound for this price with zero leakage. Now I'm going to get much more use out of these compared to my Ananda. ++ On the sound stage! These sound more open than some other open backs in comparison, even though they're fully closed!
So the answer is yes to these if you're wondering. I'd expect a set like this to sell for $700 because they're better built than my Ananda, come with a case, sound beautiful, sound can be modified with inserts, build quality is top notch and can be modded easier than my Ananda. If I heard these before the Ananda I'd prob pick these over them especially for this price. This is a must buy at $475 if you want a closed back.
Btw the pads are glued.. read that it's pretty easy to replace them though so I wouldn't let that deter you from the purchase. You can bet my heart on it I'm going to have to replace the pads on these one day in the future because they're going to get more use out of all my current cans.
Recommends this product? Yes
Yamez
28
Keyboard Club Member
Jun 19, 2021
DillacornHow do you find the Anandas in comparison to the Aeon closed? I recently got the closed and was looking for an open back upgrade and was looking at the anandas, any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.
Dillacorn
137
Jun 19, 2021
YamezThey're also great. Love my Anandas! For a more affordable option I'd prob go Sundara. Maybe you can pick up a pair on avexchange. I really like the Aeon Closed X. Going to use them more than the Ananda I think because they don't leak any sound. Switching to an airier sound with the Anandas is a nice change every once in a while. Sundara would prob also get you there for much cheaper though. The sound difference though is negligible..Aeon X closed is more detailed, sound stage is a bit bigger on Ananda, tbh I find the midrange and highs a bit sweeter on the Aeon but I could just depend on the day. I think having both is a great pairing with my 789 and BTR5. Oh BTW I don't think going from one or the other is an upgrade, they're just both very different in presentation.
(Edited)
bjongbloedt
13
Dec 28, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Very Positive
I have them connected up to the JDS Atom+ and JDS Dac+ and have been very pleased with the detail and open-ness of these headphones. I mostly listen to classic rock, progressive metal, with some other various genres mixed in, and they have performed exceptionally well. I have been wearing them for work pretty much every day for a couple months, and there isn't much I have thrown at them that they have not excelled at (including a number of Zoom meetings).
My previous daily drivers were a pair of Beyerdynamic Custom Studio that I really liked for their sound signature, and the Aeon closed x really complement them well for types of music where the sound signature of the Beyers fell flat. To be honest, I even prefer the Aeon closed x to the Beyers for music types I thought the Beyerdynamic headphones did really well with.
I have a fairly good sized head (I am 6'5"), so the headphones fit my head very well, but they do look large on people with smaller heads. Adjustment also took a while to get used to, but I have them dialed in now and they are exceptionally comfortable. Clamping force is enough where it doesn't feel like they will fall off, but not so strong that it feels like your head will pop off.
Overall I have been very happy with this purchase and would recommend these headphones for someone looking for a solid pair of closedbacks that don't sound like closedback headphones
Recommends this product? Yes
Subyshep
9
Sep 30, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Good quality and more detailed than HD6XX
These are more comfortable than my HD6XX and the closed design does block a lot more room noise. The only thing I noticed is the slight buildup of heat compared to the open design HD6XX. These are more detailed that the HD6XX allowing me to understand lyrics better and the Bass is very deep (when there is supposed to be Bass). Multiple voices or instruments are easily discerned. Overall listening to these make me want an even better amp than I currently own. I do not feel the need for the balanced cable on these compared to the HD6XX since the volume is fine. These sounded enough better that I donated my HD6XX Sennheisers to a family member.
Recommends this product? Yes
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