If you don't need bass, I would say skip on buying these and look for used DCA AEON Closed X. Sound is amazing, comfort is the best, and their build is one of the most unique of any headphone.
You know what, that’s not a terrible idea!
I actually ordered a drop + Dan Clark audio aeon closed x after the responses on this post. I had the closed sundara in my cart and am damn glad I didn’t go with that! Appreciate yall!
Skip the Beyerdynamics unless you can listen to them first. They’re … very trebly. If you go that route, buy from somewhere with a good return policy AND get the lowest Ohm version you can find.
If you can buy them from someone with a better return policy than Hifiman directly, the Arya Stealth is a great gaming headphone around $500 USD. I prefer the Meze 105 AER and 109 Pro personally for music (warmer tune), but any of those will be great.
If you really want closed backs (and it doesn’t sound like you do), the best value on the market is the Fiio FT1, an excellent headphone at any price but currently $160 USD. (Their open back sister the FT1 Pro are also excellent). The closed back upgrade pick is the DCA Aeon Closed.
Reviews:
- Arya https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/02/hifiman-arya-stealth-my-new-favorite-objective-open-back/
- 109 pro https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/meze-109-pro-review/
- 105 AER https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/meze-105-aer-review-another-great-meze-product/
- FT1 https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/
I personally like the DCA Aeon X Closed at $499 better than the Fiio FT1, but not three times more. That said, I basically don't use the FT1 anymore because I have a few things I like better.
If you can find one, I personally think the Focal Elegia is the best closed back I've ever heard. They're not as prominently bassy as a lot of closed backs, but they have just the right amount for me. They've been out of production for a few years, but they're frequently available used for right around $300.
For me: Focal Elegia > Aeon X Closed > FT1. There's not much on the market that I would consider worth listening to, and I've definitely tried! Folks really like the Focal Azurys, but it's just not for me, as much as I like their wireless brother, the Bathys.
DCA Aeon RT sounds the best to me out of anything I own. I've stopped buying other pairs since I got those and sold a bunch of others that didn't get much use anymore. I'll use those until the day they die and then I'll probably buy another DCA headphone. Boggles my mind most people mention Hifiman or Audeze when talking about planars but I rarely see DCA mentioned.
Not really, no. Open backs are more comfortable and the occlusion effect you get with closed backs and IEMs is annoying once you get used to talking with open backs on. With that said, I really love DCA's closed backs and prefer them to a bunch of open back headphones so eh, it depends I guess.
I had the Closed Drop version of the RT before the Noire X. I never listened to them as I found them muffled and lacked dynamics. Noire X is a whole league above with great separation and stage. I'm set now for closed cans
I have the Closed X and love them. They are the DCA model with less forward upper mids, so they will sound more like the Arya than the Clear with vocals. They aren’t as bright as the Arya but still plenty of treble for my ears. The bass is fine in quantity but lacks the feeling of punch that the Clear or even the Arya have. The bass is a bit softer feeling. I sometimes add a bit of bass with EQ. The sound in general is sort of “damped” like a studio monitor in a treated room. They are very comfortable and reasonably lightweight. The sound isolation is pretty good. I’ve cycled through a bunch of closed backs to see if I like anything better and haven’t found anything yet (though I have the ZMF Bokeh Closed for a very different flavor).
Top Headphones (Over / On Ear) on Reddit
1
Sennheiser
HD 560S
79% positive of 619 users
Budget gaming king with clear sound, but tight fit.
AntOk463
