Aeon 2 Noire

[sifi36]

I received these today and I had to make this thread to gush over how fantastic they are!

I bought a pair of Hifiman Ananda as my first “audiophile” headphones, based on the usual subjective reviews and found myself struggling with the sound signature. Resolved this when I found AutoEQ and eventually oratory’s EQ for them (lots of discoveries regarding target curves and the research around listener preferences along the way).

Over time I realised I’d be better served with something closed and settled on the Noire for two reasons. Compliance to the Harman target is almost as good as the recently reviewed Stealth (on the go EQ options for iOS users are limited to the Qudelix 5k and it’s PEQ and that would mean yet another battery to charge) and their low weight and folding design makes them more useful than anything comparable.

After receiving them today, I was shocked by the low weight and excellent comfort. I get the impression that some manufacturers deliberately put out heavy and bulky designs to appear more “serious” (a lot like the cable manufacturers), but in my view an uncomfortable headphone is an inexcusable failure in design.

Build quality is good but the star of the show is the tonality: it’s sublime! Bar a bit of extra energy around 120hz and in the high treble (both of which are subtle enough to not be bothersome) they are perfect out of the box. I thought I might miss the soundstage of the Ananda but my fears were unfounded as they are remarkably open sounding for a closed design.

These are the first headphones I’ve ever heard that I am entirely happy with out of the box, though they do need some power. Dongle suggestions anyone?

Bravo to @Dan Clark and the team for delivering such a thoughtfully designed product. Given how impressed I am by the Noire, I can only imagine how good the Stealth is!

 

[Jimbob54]

I received these today and I had to make this thread to gush over how fantastic they are!

I bought a pair of Hifiman Ananda as my first “audiophile” headphones, based on the usual subjective reviews and found myself struggling with the sound signature. Resolved this when I found AutoEQ and eventually oratory’s EQ for them (lots of discoveries regarding target curves and the research around listener preferences along the way).

Over time I realised I’d be better served with something closed and settled on the Noire for two reasons. Compliance to the Harman target is almost as good as the recently reviewed Stealth (on the go EQ options for iOS users are limited to the Qudelix 5k and it’s PEQ and that would mean yet another battery to charge) and their low weight and folding design makes them more useful than anything comparable.

View attachment 151115

After receiving them today, I was shocked by the low weight and excellent comfort. I get the impression that some manufacturers deliberately put out heavy and bulky designs to appear more “serious” (a lot like the cable manufacturers), but in my view an uncomfortable headphone is an inexcusable failure in design.

Build quality is good but the star of the show is the tonality: it’s sublime! Bar a bit of extra energy around 120hz and in the high treble (both of which are subtle enough to not be bothersome) they are perfect out of the box. I thought I might miss the soundstage of the Ananda but my fears were unfounded as they are remarkably open sounding for a closed design.

These are the first headphones I’ve ever heard that I am entirely happy with out of the box, though they do need some power. Dongle suggestions anyone?

Bravo to @Dan Clark and the team for delivering such a thoughtfully designed product. Given how impressed I am by the Noire, I can only imagine how good the Stealth is!

Dongle wise the only one I can see packing enough punch is the E1DA 9038S. 2.5mm balanced so if you got the xlr cable on the Aeon, easy enough to get an adapter.

 

[sifi36]

Dongle wise the only one I can see packing enough punch is the E1DA 9038S. 2.5mm balanced so if you got the xlr cable on the Aeon, easy enough to get an adapter.

Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll check it out. I went with the single ended cable to go with my L30, now to find someone in the UK who sells reasonably priced cables with a niche connector.

 

[Yawnny]

I’ve been using the Noire for about 2 months now. Easily the best sounding closed back I’ve heard to date.

I just am not finding them comfortable. They apply this unique kind of pressure between my ear and cheekbone that tends to cause dizziness over time especially if I haven’t had enough sleep. This is the first time I’ve experienced this with a headphone and I’m surprised it’s happening with one so many people rave about in terms of comfort.

I’ve tried shifting the cans more forward or more back on my head but same kind of issue persists . I’m heavily contemplating selling them. Damn shame because I really want these to be my endgame so that I don’t have to think about headphones again!

 

[Junglebook]

I use a THX Onyx and they power the Noire with tons of headroom, no issues.

 

[Rayman30]

I have heavily considered getting a pair of Aeon RT's, I love my Ananda! but I have so many hobbies, this is just another one that siphons all of my money!

 

[sifi36]

I use a THX Onyx and they power the Noire with tons of headroom, no issues.

Just a shame that it draws enough current from an iPhone to trigger the too much power warning at less volume than the Apple dongle can max out at. I’m returning my Onyx as a result. Is there an iPhone solution that works without triggering the warning?

 

[Junglebook]

That’s odd, I use an Onyx with my iPhone 12 from time to time, though I typically use my ZMF Verite Closed in that setup, those require a bit less power than the Noire.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Just placed an order for the AEON 2 Noire. Wanted to add a good closed back headphones to my collection. Going to drive them with a Topping A30Pro which I think should be more than enough to drive these, correct?

 

[sifi36]

Just placed an order for the AEON 2 Noire. Wanted to add a good closed back headphones to my collection. Going to drive them with a Topping A30Pro which I think should be more than enough to drive these, correct?

I have the L30 which drives them to deafening levels so I think you’ll have plenty of headroom.

 

[resonance_]

I’ve been using the Noire for about 2 months now. Easily the best sounding closed back I’ve heard to date.

I just am not finding them comfortable. They apply this unique kind of pressure between my ear and cheekbone that tends to cause dizziness over time especially if I haven’t had enough sleep. This is the first time I’ve experienced this with a headphone and I’m surprised it’s happening with one so many people rave about in terms of comfort.

I’ve tried shifting the cans more forward or more back on my head but same kind of issue persists . I’m heavily contemplating selling them. Damn shame because I really want these to be my endgame so that I don’t have to think about headphones again!

I registered just to say the same happens here. It doesn't quite bring me to feeling fully dizzy, but it causes a bit of jaw pressure along with my ears feeling 'fuller' than my other closed-backs (BD DT770). The pads feel comfortable overall, and the clamp force doesn't feel excessive - so I'm not too sure why it happens here. I don't reckon it'll be a dealbreaker here, I'm naively hopeful they'll relax over time, or someone will find a mod that eases it a tad.

They do sound fantastic, especially when EQ'd - their speed and accuracy is perfect for nearly everything other than classical and strong-mid music, to my ears at least.

Currently running them from an xDuoo TA-20 with JJ tubes, which does a pretty fantastic job driving them and has the potential of a fully balanced output.

Overall, what I most enjoy about them is how different they are from my other headphones (aforementioned DT770s, a pair of open backed HarmonicDyne Zeus. The latter is a wonderfully warm sounding pair with a wide soundstage, so having the contrast makes for an enjoyable time comparing how songs sound in each.

Has anyone tried the damping pads included?
I tried them all out over a couple of weeks prior to applying any EQ, certainly noticed the difference but ultimately EQ'ing them brought it closest to what I enjoyed.

 

[enricoclaudio]

The contrary applies to me. I feel they are the more comfortable headphones I have ever owned to the point that last night I fall sleep in my AERON chair while listening to music with my AEON 2 Noire

 

[resonance_]

Haha amazing! The isolation alone is superb, they're my go-to headphone if someone brings out a gas-powered garden tool outside - even ahead of ANC Sony wh-1000xm3's isolation. I've figured that the isolation and seal probably aren't possible without this level of clamping, and truth be told I have a pretty gigantic head.

 

[Yawnny]

I registered just to say the same happens here. It doesn't quite bring me to feeling fully dizzy, but it causes a bit of jaw pressure along with my ears feeling 'fuller' than my other closed-backs (BD DT770). The pads feel comfortable overall, and the clamp force doesn't feel excessive - so I'm not too sure why it happens here. I don't reckon it'll be a dealbreaker here, I'm naively hopeful they'll relax over time, or someone will find a mod that eases it a tad.

They do sound fantastic, especially when EQ'd - their speed and accuracy is perfect for nearly everything other than classical and strong-mid music, to my ears at least.

Currently running them from an xDuoo TA-20 with JJ tubes, which does a pretty fantastic job driving them and has the potential of a fully balanced output.

Overall, what I most enjoy about them is how different they are from my other headphones (aforementioned DT770s, a pair of open backed HarmonicDyne Zeus. The latter is a wonderfully warm sounding pair with a wide soundstage, so having the contrast makes for an enjoyable time comparing how songs sound in each.

Has anyone tried the damping pads included?
I tried them all out over a couple of weeks prior to applying any EQ, certainly noticed the difference but ultimately EQ'ing them brought it closest to what I enjoyed.

I use the white damping pads, I just love the gooey warmness it adds with that high end ripped out. Plus it adds to the same factor you mentioned where these cans just sound 'different' to a lot of the other headphones I own or have had.

I actually improved the pressure on my jaw somewhat by tightening up the band which moved the pads further up my head, so that the bottom of the pads are really close to the bottom of my ear. This actually improves them quite a bit. Still not 100% pressure free, but I think part of this is just the general clamp which is a big reason why the noise isolation is so damn good on these.

I think I get most annoyed when I've had too much beer the night before and the tight clamp exasperates my dried out brain..

Dan Clark Audio also sent me a free pair of pads when they saw that the shipped pair had some warped foam underneath. Part of me wonders if the more uniform pads will work out better..

For now I'm keeping these cans!

 

[Snoopy]

What kind of headphone cable do I need to look for if I want 3 meters that end In a XLR connection?

I don't want to spend 330€ on the Dan Clark Vivo cable.

Couldn't I just get a extension cable for the XLR cable that comes with the noir?

 

[Jimbob54]

What kind of headphone cable do I need to look for if I want 3 meters that end In a XLR connection?

I don't want to spend 330€ on the Dan Clark Vivo cable.

Couldn't I just get a extension cable for the XLR cable that comes with the noir?

Would be the cheapest option by far. Depends where you are but loads of places will make /sell you a couple of meters 4 pin xlr entension. Try and get decent cable and neutrik or similar connectors. Cheaper stuff will work too. Probably £50 in UK, similar in US $

 

[Snoopy]

So something like this would work?

Kopfhörerverlängerung 4-pol XLR - audio-hifi-shop

audio-hifi-shop.de

Or

8 cores 4-Pin XLR Balanced Audio Male to Female Headphone Extension Cable | eBay

Entdecken Sie 8 cores 4-Pin XLR Balanced Audio Male to Female Headphone Extension Cable in der großen Auswahl bei eBay. Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel!

www.ebay.de

 

[Jimbob54]

So something like this would work?

Kopfhörerverlängerung 4-pol XLR - audio-hifi-shop

audio-hifi-shop.de

Or

8 cores 4-Pin XLR Balanced Audio Male to Female Headphone Extension Cable | eBay

Entdecken Sie 8 cores 4-Pin XLR Balanced Audio Male to Female Headphone Extension Cable in der großen Auswahl bei eBay. Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel!

www.ebay.de

Yes, and I'd go for 1 over 2.

 

[Malaj]

I use the white damping pads, I just love the gooey warmness it adds with that high end ripped out. Plus it adds to the same factor you mentioned where these cans just sound 'different' to a lot of the other headphones I own or have had.

I actually improved the pressure on my jaw somewhat by tightening up the band which moved the pads further up my head, so that the bottom of the pads are really close to the bottom of my ear. This actually improves them quite a bit. Still not 100% pressure free, but I think part of this is just the general clamp which is a big reason why the noise isolation is so damn good on these.

I think I get most annoyed when I've had too much beer the night before and the tight clamp exasperates my dried out brain..

Dan Clark Audio also sent me a free pair of pads when they saw that the shipped pair had some warped foam underneath. Part of me wonders if the more uniform pads will work out better..

For now I'm keeping these cans!

My one pad also has a bit of warped foam but on the outer top side. Just wonder if it could even be audible? I tried the massage trick but that doesnt help.

 

[TK33]

What kind of headphone cable do I need to look for if I want 3 meters that end In a XLR connection?

I don't want to spend 330€ on the Dan Clark Vivo cable.

Couldn't I just get a extension cable for the XLR cable that comes with the noir?

I use Hart Audio cables. Their prices are reasonable and their system is really convenient. If you are in the US, I would recommend them. Not sure if they ship internationally.

EDIT: Sorry just noticed your currency as soon as I posted so i am guessing it mqy not really be an option for you.