AEON 2 Noire

They are a bit different as the E3 is closed and the XO is an open headphone. If you don't need a closed headphone, get the XO. If you do and If fidelity to the Harman Curve and a large soundstage are critical to you, get the E3. I have the Noire 2 (not the X) and I really like it as a slightly more fun sound than the E3. But if I want reference sound in a closed headphone I go to the E3.

I have three of these and will give my opinions. Best for music is clearly the Focal Bathys with the onboard DAC. This rivals my DCA Noire and LCD-3 headphones for separation and clarity. Not as detailed as the LCD-3 but still clearly the best sound profile of the three. The ANC is the worst of the 3 especially for low dB noises. Microphone also worst of the 3. Comfort is ok but not phenomenal. Most comfortable with the best ANC for me is the Bose QC Ultra with the Sony right behind. Bose and Sony both need EQ and I don't see much of a difference between them for that. Sony has more bells and whistles with the APP with a better environment for adaptive sound control if that is of interest to you. And out of the box Sony sound better but for me still needs a lot of EQ to even out the low and high frequencies. Also I'm not a huge fan of the lack of deep cups for the WH1000X6 but that is just my preference for comfort. But agree just test all three by going to big box store or ordering and returning them. I also agree that the #2 for sound is the Sennheiser Momentum 4 which is the best deal of the four.

I'm going to say no based on the following selection of headphones that I own: Dynamic: Verite Open, Focal Elegia, Beyerdynamic T5/3rd generation and HD650, Planar: DCA E3, DCA Noire, Hifiman HE1000 Stealth, Audeze LCD-2f. IEMs: FiiO FH7s, Westone Mach 40; earbuds: Galaxy Buds Pro 2, Galaxy Buds Pro 3, Jabra Elite Active 8, Sennheiser True Momentum 4, Bose QC II, Bose QC Ultra and ANC headphones Bose NC700, Bose QC Ultra, Sony XM5 and B&W Px8.

1. DCA E3: To me nothing else is very close. Perfect tuning out of the box for what I like and very comfortable. I can wear these all day easily. 2. Focal Elegia: With Dekoni sheepskin pads and a bunch of EQ these sound incredibly better. Agree with build comments and not a great fan of microfiber. 3. DCA Noire: Very comfortable more fun oriented sound for me. Use these for certain types of rap, rock and hip-hop where they are quite effective. 4. Beyerdynamic T5/3rd Generation: Another puzzling stock sound choice that sounds much better with EQ. Perhaps my most comfortable headphone. ANC preferences Focal Bathys and B&W Px8 the latter with EQ to fix low frequencies.

The Meze 109 is a bright headphone with a strong bass presence and is not what I would consider a "natural sounding" headphone. For me it would be much closer to the HD660s2 than the 600 or 650. It is much better made than the Sennheiser headphones which are solid made but pretty much plastic all around. The wood earcups are a nice touch and the frame is manganese and not plastic. So clearly a premier looking open headphone. If you are interested in a closed headphone that is a bit more punchy than the HD600/650 the DCA Noire which comes with different pads to change tuning is one of my favorite headphones and the best closed headphone for me at that price. And really hard to compare to the 109 as the DCA is closed so starts a bit different. But of my closed headphones it isn't that far from the Meze 109 with a very solid bass and subtle V shaped sound presentation. To be clear, if you like the Meze 109 Pro (great headphone) with an AMP you are looking at \~$1000.

I am itching to get one since I love my aeon 2 noire (despite the fact that I had to RMA twice for the channel imbalance issues). Not quite sure if I would prefer the tuning of this more though. I find harman tuning to be a little too shouty.

I use the FiiO Btr 17 dac/ Bluetooth transmitter with my wired headphones. I like a bunch of different headphones. My favorites with the btr 17 is the Aeon 2 Noir, the Sennheiser HD 650, and Sennheiser HD 560s. Not a setup I’d use out an about, but it’s excellent for the couch.

Thanks for clarifying, I think the Empy 1 would be a better approach for me but I'll keep it in the future, I just have too many cans atm :) Finding myself enjoying the sound stage of my Aeon 2 which is far lower than the HD 800S but my happy medium to what I would want on a headphone. I also want to enjoy what I have and keep the best for last.

For a relaxed and slamming bass you'd want a closed back dynamic driver headphone. I don't know what's your budget but based on my experience, these headphones are really doing a great job at that, especially for EDM: Sony MDR-Z1R, Final DX 3000 CL, Focal Radiance. Planar magnetic headphones usually produce a slight punch but they don't move as much air as the dynamic, resulting in that same experience you get on the Edition XV. I have the Edition XS and Aeon 2 Open back, I feel the same way about the bass on them. Aeon 2 feels really identical to the Z1R in my opinion, even though their drivers are completely polar opposites of each other. So you might be wanting to look for the closed back / Noire versions as they're half of the Z1R's cost and still are really comfortable + light in weight.

Never did understand why speakers are considered superior to headphones, always thought its just a matter of price, my headphones are just cheap. Boy was I wrong. So me and my friend are absolutely novice to audiophiles, he owns an ie200 (something like that) and me DT770 pro. His dad somehow bought an Audiovector QR SE 7 out of the blue. that mfer didn't tell me, secretly sets it up and invites me over. I was literally blown away. I could literally point my finger at which part of the speaker which note came from, the bass was rumbling through the floor, the kicks so strong they could send me flying, vocals clearer than ever. For the first time I could identify good mixing and bad mixing, that sone songs has the vocal right in the middle, like a flat straight line. I finally understand the difference. The biggest difference is not the details, I could hear most notes on my headphones, just a few new discoveries and the notes are much more significant with speakers. Its the soundstage, the "environmental effect", the spatial sound. The feeling of a band performaning right in fornt of me on stage, and I could just turn my head, look and hear who's playing what, where the sound comes from. That's something I never felt with headphones, not to this extent. I finally understand the importance of soundstage, and that's not something a headphone can compare with a speaker. A speaker is out of the question for me, my family would not allow it, and I like privacy to what I listen, but boy that difference is eating at me, telling me my cans are inferior. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love DT770Pro, but it's just not the same. So, yeah...I started looking for upgrades. Any suggestions for a headphone that can close the gap? I'm poor, but I'll start saving. Just want to know. Edit: The only downside of speakers from this expereience is I have to sit a fixed spot for the best effect, so I can't really move around. I feel like this will be the biggest issue for me, or its his home environment? Update: I got a Aeon 2 Noire, USD 400. Couldn't resist. Much better than DT770

I’m brand new to the hobby, but I bought a pair of DCA Aeon 2 Noires a couple of years ago on DMS’s suggestion and holy cow, I’d never heard music that way before. People who have never bought mid or hifi headphones just don’t understand it until they hear it.

I really like my aeon 2 noires so I think you made the right choice. They require a good amount of power but I don’t have any problems with them with my Apple dongle. They do sound better on my schiit lyr though