Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire Review

[sharock]

Qdelix outputs a bit more than specced and in balanced mode it's actually quite powerful, as I said earlier. But that 13Ohm load will be a limiting factor.
I'm sure it will work for some, depends on music taste and loudness habits too, but just saying that dongles work is not very good recommendation.

For me, this headphone initially seemed attractive as a higher end, somewhat portable option for office use. It's not practical to bring a larger amp and DAC to work. A qudelix is perfect for my phone or laptop.

 

[CedarX]

I'm fairly convinced that having more Amp headroom does not increase sound quality in any way.
In my experience, a weak Amp playing at 90% will sound identical to an overkill Amp playing at 10%, if you do proper level matching.

Is this true for dongles/portable amp,l where power supply (internal DC-DC or external 5V) transient distortions and lack of bulk capacitors (space constraint…) may become the main issue?

 

[amirm]

Is this true for dongles/portable amp,l where power supply (internal DC-DC or external 5V) transient distortions and lack of bulk capacitors (space constraint…) may become the main issue?

In a lot of my subjective testing, dongles actually do better in transient response compared to static. This is because their caps will serve the needs of music for a few milliseconds, but not the longer interval used in measurements. To be sure, a desktop product with higher static power will be better still but wanted to make sure this point was not lost.

 

[jdjung]

I've been running the Noires with my Astell & Kern SR35 on single ended (balanced cables haven't arrived yet) and never thought about running it on the Qudelix till I read the comments regarding it in this threadl The Qudelix 5K on single ended high gain is enough to drive these with auto EQ! I'm trying it now and continue to be amazed by the Qudelix 5K. If you don't own a Qudelix, you should buy one. It continues to shock me for the price per quality of this device with the auto EQ settings oratory1990. My source is Roon with crossfeed enabled playing LDAC from Samsung Fold 3, Sarah Brightman Hymn.

 

[jdjung]

For me, this headphone initially seemed attractive as a higher end, somewhat portable option for office use. It's not practical to bring a larger amp and DAC to work. A qudelix is perfect for my phone or laptop.

You won't be disappointed! The output on single ended right now is loud at the settings I posted the image on with Roon Crossfeed and EQ on the Qudelix, which reduces volume. On balanced it will be more than enough. It sounds as good as my THX 789 and Zen Q Dac, actually better because of the auto EQ. I dont believe I'm going to say this but the Qudelix sounds better right now then my SR35, also not fair though because I have no EQ settings done on the SR35. With the EQ, these things are on another level. With balanced the Qudelix will be more than enough.

 

[sharock]

You won't be disappointed! The output on single ended right now is loud at the settings I posted the image on with Roon Crossfeed and EQ on the Qudelix, which reduces volume. On balanced it will be more than enough. It sounds as good as my THX 789 and Zen Q Dac, actually better because of the auto EQ. I dont believe I'm going to say this but the Qudelix sounds better right now then my SR35, also not fair though because I have no EQ settings done on the SR35. With the EQ, these things are on another level. With balanced the Qudelix will be more than enough.

Thanks. I'm currently using the SRH440 and will need to save up a bit.

You mention you're using the AutoEQ Oratory preset. Have you tried this Oratory one? It seems to be different.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[DJBonoBobo]

The Qudelix has been recommended a lot for the Noire. I also used it and i agree it works fine for typical pop/rock etc. music. Maybe not enough for very quiet classical stuff, but everything else IMHO, if you don't want to damage your ears. Single ended was enough for me, balanced added a little headroom.

 

[PeteL]

In a lot of my subjective testing, dongles actually do better in transient response compared to static. This is because their caps will serve the needs of music for a few milliseconds, but not the longer interval used in measurements. To be sure, a desktop product with higher static power will be better still but wanted to make sure this point was not lost.

I suspect the battery powered ones to also be better in that regard than those without power supply at all. At least in theory it should help to build a power supply that a bit more capable for audio.

 

[MiqaFox]

Thanks for the review! These are my everyday headphones (or rather Aeon 2 Closed with perforated pads, so they are red!). Great to finally see some good measurements.
I have tried the other EQs available in AutoEQ, all of them sound off. This eyeballed EQ is the only one I have found to be an improvement. Personally, I find them great even without it though.

The headband clamps have a tendency to move somewhat, which is a minor annoyance. Otherwise I find the comfort excellent.

 

[JanesJr1]

I'm fairly convinced that having more Amp headroom does not increase sound quality in any way.
In my experience, a weak Amp playing at 90% will sound identical to an overkill Amp playing at 10%, if you do proper level matching.

Though should you have measurements showing otherwise, then I'd love to see them!
The obvious diferences in "authority, dynamics, slam, impact, ..." that people claim to hear when they upgrade their Amp should be child's play to measure.

I always respect your opinion, Staticv3 ... do you have a take on a dongle that can drive the Noire with enough "authority, dynamics, slam, impact" to satisfy a reasonable audiophile? (By reasonable, I mean not cathedral-ceiling, show-off-demo SPL's but satisfying normal use...)

Just using the Headphonesty calculator, with 84 db sensitivity and 13 ohm impredence, a current draw of about 88 mA would deliver an SPL of 104dB, which is plenty for me. I believe one of my dongles, the Hidizs S9 Pro, is current limited above 90, so it would fit inside that envelope. Is that analysis valid? (I don't know if there's a given limit for the E1DA dongle that both you and I use ...) PS in my application, both dongles are balanced.

 

[JanesJr1]

I suspect the battery powered ones to also be better in that regard than those without power supply at all. At least in theory it should help to build a power supply that a bit more capable for audio.

With the possible exception that there are some USB dongles that draw on laptop-battery or connected-AC power pretty freely and can therefore handle a pretty hefty current draw....

 

[JanesJr1]

In a lot of my subjective testing, dongles actually do better in transient response compared to static. This is because their caps will serve the needs of music for a few milliseconds, but not the longer interval used in measurements. To be sure, a desktop product with higher static power will be better still but wanted to make sure this point was not lost.

Interesting! I use 2 reasonably capable dongles*, connected in balanced mode, with the 13 ohm Noire, and keep expecting, but at most rarely hearing, transient distortion or limiting on peaks. I've done subjective but level-matched A/B comparisons with demanding music that seem to validate that conclusion. Still, I have sometimes bounced back and forth between gratification that it is so, and the suspicion that I just can't hear everything that's going on with short transients. But bottom line, I like the Noire with my 2 dongles at normal SPL's as well as I like the Noire with my desktop amps, and maybe your observation about dongle transient response partly explains it.

And truth be told, even with sustained sub-bass demands with electronica or metal, these dongles seem to handle it....

The dongles I use just sound dynamic and capable at normal to high-normal volumes. (Yes, I can drive them into trouble with high volumes, but who cares? I've also heard truly underpowered dongles with the Noire, and they sound not even remotely the same.)

* see signature line equipment caption below

 

[Dan Clark]

For me, this headphone initially seemed attractive as a higher end, somewhat portable option for office use. It's not practical to bring a larger amp and DAC to work. A qudelix is perfect for my phone or laptop.

The Mojo 2 is very compact and it's very powerful and clean sounding. That's my go-to small portable device.

 

[Walk]

First of all I want to say I love this headset. Unfortunately I've had a bit of a run-in with it.

I was told to post here from the Head-Fi Thread on the Noire. Basically, my Noire has had a fluctuating impedance imbalance on the right side almost its entire life and after repeated RMAs I'm at a loss. There was another user that experienced the same thing in the Head-Fi thread, "hellsgod". My warranty has now lapsed and still no resolution. This is the post:

Here is my story:

Purchased 3/16/21 - If I remember correctly they worked fine for a while and it took me some time to notice the dropouts, I thought it was other things.
1st RMA 2/17/22 - They said there was nothing wrong and replaced the earpads and sent them back.
2nd RMA 5/21/22 - They said it was not the cable, replaced the headset, and gave me a new headset.
3rd RMA 10/31/22 - Happened again, I sent them back on Nov 3, they got them Nov 14 and said there is no ohm Differential and replaced the earpads and sent them back.
4th Occurrence Noticed (and continued afterward as normal) 1-2/13/23 - Warranty Ends 3/16/23 so I wanted to work on the issue. I emailed Creative Labs about my AE-9 and they said it was likely not their device.
Warranty has now lapsed - I’ve done extensive testing on many different headset/amp combos and the Noire is the Outlier in being imbalanced, specifically with the right sight seeming to be quieter and fluctuating.

Left is 12.8 ~13 ohms
Right is 25 ohms or so. I'll try to get the right when it's REALLY bad and see what it's at. I'll edit this post.
EDIT: Measured when a shift happened, hit 30 ohms. I know it goes higher.
Here is my test:
https://streamable.com/bdjdyg

Aeon 2 Noire Sound Shifting To The Left.
Right driver dropout so I perceive it shifting left.

Nature of the issue:
AT ALL TIMES the audio is slightly front-left. From there, the audio will shift to the left more. It can also shift back but is never perfectly centered. It’s not consistent in any pattern that I’ve found so far. I could be gaming or doing nothing. I could be listening to my speakers and then change to my headset and it’s already shifted left (again likely right driver impedance issue)
Sometimes it will reset back. Sometimes abruptly, sometimes slowly. Sometimes it will go VERY far to the left, and again I think it’s the right side dropping out a lot.
It will constantly shift which is part of the issue - I can’t just set a headphone balance and leave it, I constantly have to baby it to keep things centered. If it was just a static imbalance I could adjust for it but the issue is that it fluctuates.

Degrees:
It feels like it will be shifted maybe 5-10 degrees to the left. But can sometimes be like 80 degrees.

Comparisons:
This is the list of comparisons I’ve done on various hardware.

My Sennheiser PC38X is perfectly balanced at all times in all scenarios connected to all devices.

Drivers are always up to date, I’ve even tried experimental Reddit drivers on the x570 platform specifically but to no avail. (I also tested on z790 and x670e)

I contacted Creative Support and after various escalations they concluded it was not their product.

When I use the Sound Blaster AE-9 ohm switch on the desktop audio module to go from IEM (low impedance mode) to N (normal) and back, it sometimes seems to “reset” the audio temporarily back to normal (normal = still slightly to the left, I can’t ever get it perfectly centered), but then the shift will happen again shortly.

I’ve done driver matching tests, flipped the headset, and had friends listen to it when the shift occurs, and the consensus is that it is definitely occurring.

When the shift occurs, I’ve tried immediately swapping the headset to a different audio device by replugging, and it will sometimes be as left as it was, and sometimes “reset” back to slightly left.

I’ve also tried immediately plugging in my Sennheiser PC38X headset when the shift occurs to the same audio device to see and the audio is always centered on that headset. The PC8X is always perfectly centered.

When I plugged the headset into my friend’s PC with a Fiio k7 and a Soundblaster GC7, it was immediately left and actually in that one listening period, it shifted VERY left.

I’ve sent the headset back three times to Dan Clark Audio and they tell me that their tests show no driver mismatching.

DCA said it’s not the cable.


DRIVER TESTING:
I've tested this on 5 different computers.
Completely removed both Realtek/Sonic, Sennheiser, and SoundBlaster. Prevented Realtek from reinstalling and deleted all drivers. Windows HD sound installed automatically for the mobo/front port.
I reinstalled SoundBlaster and updated both the firmware and software.
Sennheiser GSX 1000 is still front-left just like AE-9.
Unplugged everything except mouse and keyboard, exited all programs except overwatch, discord, chrome.
Unplugging doesn’t matter.

Additional testing:

Headphones imbalance changes when I turn headset around as expected.
Mono is still left.
I tried the volume pot as well, still happens. (Decreasing and increasing volume from amp)
I switched the L/R cable plug going into the headset, still left (and when I say left in all of these, I think the right is quieter?)

My guess is that the issue is ohm related, since switching the impedance switch on my AE-9 causes it to kinda snap back a bit.


IN CONCLUSION:
- After exhaustively testing the headset in different hardware scenarios, it is ALWAYS shifted and will fluctuate further.
- It appears to happen specifically with the Aeon 2 Noire.
- All other Headsets/IEMS are perfectly centered in all of the same hardware scenarios.

It seems regardless of the situation being hardware/software/drivers etc, the only constant is that the Noire is shifted/fluctuating and no other Headsets/IEMS are.

Not sure how DCA is testing the ohms but my reading is very clear, and my ears hear it every day. Sometimes the right side is nearly completely off.

At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I don’t want to sell a broken headset on the market.
What are my options?

Appreciate any help
~Hans

 

[holdingpants01]

First of all I want to say I love this headset. Unfortunately I've had a bit of a run-in with it.

I was told to post here from the Head-Fi Thread on the Noire. Basically, my Noire has had a fluctuating impedance imbalance on the right side almost its entire life and after repeated RMAs I'm at a loss. There was another user that experienced the same thing in the Head-Fi thread, "hellsgod". My warranty has now lapsed and still no resolution.

I'm in the same position, local dealer just ghosted me after the warranty expired even when I said I'll pay for next replacement, but before claimed it wasn't possible that I have a drift again after they supposedly replaced the drivers the first time. I have a 1000€ doorstopper now. I stopped recommending DCA headphones to my friends even if I liked how they sounded when were working properly.

 

[Dan Clark]

I'm in the same position, local dealer just ghosted me after the warranty expired even when I said I'll pay for next replacement, but before claimed it wasn't possible that I have a drift again after they supposedly replaced the drivers the first time. I have a 1000€ doorstopper now. I stopped recommending DCA headphones to my friends.

First of all I want to say I love this headset. Unfortunately I've had a bit of a run-in with it.

I was told to post here from the Head-Fi Thread on the Noire. Basically, my Noire has had a fluctuating impedance imbalance on the right side almost its entire life and after repeated RMAs I'm at a loss. There was another user that experienced the same thing in the Head-Fi thread, "hellsgod". My warranty has now lapsed and still no resolution. This is the post:

Here is my story:

Purchased 3/16/21 - If I remember correctly they worked fine for a while and it took me some time to notice the dropouts, I thought it was other things.
1st RMA 2/17/22 - They said there was nothing wrong and replaced the earpads and sent them back.
2nd RMA 5/21/22 - They said it was not the cable, replaced the headset, and gave me a new headset.
3rd RMA 10/31/22 - Happened again, I sent them back on Nov 3, they got them Nov 14 and said there is no ohm Differential and replaced the earpads and sent them back.
4th Occurrence Noticed (and continued afterward as normal) 1-2/13/23 - Warranty Ends 3/16/23 so I wanted to work on the issue. I emailed Creative Labs about my AE-9 and they said it was likely not their device.
Warranty has now lapsed - I’ve done extensive testing on many different headset/amp combos and the Noire is the Outlier in being imbalanced, specifically with the right sight seeming to be quieter and fluctuating.

Left is 12.8 ~13 ohms
Right is 25 ohms or so. I'll try to get the right when it's REALLY bad and see what it's at. I'll edit this post.
Here is my test:
https://streamable.com/bdjdyg

Aeon 2 Noire Sound Shifting To The Left.
Right driver dropout so I perceive it shifting left.

Nature of the issue:
AT ALL TIMES the audio is slightly front-left. From there, the audio will shift to the left more. It can also shift back but is never perfectly centered. It’s not consistent in any pattern that I’ve found so far. I could be gaming or doing nothing. I could be listening to my speakers and then change to my headset and it’s already shifted left (again likely right driver impedance issue)
Sometimes it will reset back. Sometimes abruptly, sometimes slowly. Sometimes it will go VERY far to the left, and again I think it’s the right side dropping out a lot.
It will constantly shift which is part of the issue - I can’t just set a headphone balance and leave it, I constantly have to baby it to keep things centered. If it was just a static imbalance I could adjust for it but the issue is that it fluctuates.

Degrees:
It feels like it will be shifted maybe 5-10 degrees to the left. But can sometimes be like 80 degrees.

Comparisons:
This is the list of comparisons I’ve done on various hardware.

My Sennheiser PC38X is perfectly balanced at all times in all scenarios connected to all devices.

Drivers are always up to date, I’ve even tried experimental Reddit drivers on the x570 platform specifically but to no avail. (I also tested on z790 and x670e)

I contacted Creative Support and after various escalations they concluded it was not their product.

When I use the Sound Blaster AE-9 ohm switch on the desktop audio module to go from IEM (low impedance mode) to N (normal) and back, it sometimes seems to “reset” the audio temporarily back to normal (normal = still slightly to the left, I can’t ever get it perfectly centered), but then the shift will happen again shortly.

I’ve done driver matching tests, flipped the headset, and had friends listen to it when the shift occurs, and the consensus is that it is definitely occurring.

When the shift occurs, I’ve tried immediately swapping the headset to a different audio device by replugging, and it will sometimes be as left as it was, and sometimes “reset” back to slightly left.

I’ve also tried immediately plugging in my Sennheiser PC38X headset when the shift occurs to the same audio device to see and the audio is always centered on that headset. The PC8X is always perfectly centered.

When I plugged the headset into my friend’s PC with a Fiio k7 and a Soundblaster GC7, it was immediately left and actually in that one listening period, it shifted VERY left.

I’ve sent the headset back three times to Dan Clark Audio and they tell me that their tests show no driver mismatching.

DCA said it’s not the cable.


DRIVER TESTING:
I've tested this on 5 different computers.
Completely removed both Realtek/Sonic, Sennheiser, and SoundBlaster. Prevented Realtek from reinstalling and deleted all drivers. Windows HD sound installed automatically for the mobo/front port.
I reinstalled SoundBlaster and updated both the firmware and software.
Sennheiser GSX 1000 is still front-left just like AE-9.
Unplugged everything except mouse and keyboard, exited all programs except overwatch, discord, chrome.
Unplugging doesn’t matter.

Additional testing:

Headphones imbalance changes when I turn headset around as expected.
Mono is still left.
I tried the volume pot as well, still happens. (Decreasing and increasing volume from amp)
I switched the L/R cable plug going into the headset, still left (and when I say left in all of these, I think the right is quieter?)

My guess is that the issue is ohm related, since switching the impedance switch on my AE-9 causes it to kinda snap back a bit.


IN CONCLUSION:
- After exhaustively testing the headset in different hardware scenarios, it is ALWAYS shifted and will fluctuate further.
- It appears to happen specifically with the Aeon 2 Noire.
- All other Headsets/IEMS are perfectly centered in all of the same hardware scenarios.

It seems regardless of the situation being hardware/software/drivers etc, the only constant is that the Noire is shifted/fluctuating and no other Headsets/IEMS are.

Not sure how DCA is testing the ohms but my reading is very clear, and my ears hear it every day. Sometimes the right side is nearly completely off.

At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I don’t want to sell a broken headset on the market.
What are my options?

Appreciate any help
~Hans

There is clearly a broken trace on the driver here, there should never be an ohm imbalance. If the break is a small fracture in the AL it can be intermittent which is why it can go back and forth a bit. An ohm imbalance is never a cable or downstream issue.

1) If a dealer ever fails to provide support contact us at [email protected] and we'll help you out. Be sure to let us know the dealer and send communications so we can sort that out too!

2) It looks to me like you assumed we would not help because you were out of warranty but normally if you contact us post-warranty with an issue after having had service we don't just stick to the exact date. If we did a repair or replace and that had issues so quickly it is on us and we make it a policy to extend coverage.

That said, so sorry for this experience! I will look into it on our end because I don't have any details or knowledge of the specifics. Again contact our info and you can cc me at dan@....

 

[jdjung]

The tip of the connector is connected to the left wire, the ring is connected to the right side

Thanks. I'm currently using the SRH440 and will need to save up a bit.

You mention you're using the AutoEQ Oratory preset. Have you tried this Oratory one? It seems to be different.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

I have not but when I have some time I will try it with the Roon EQ.

 

[nigma]

To clarify, here's what ships with the products.

Aeon 2:
2mm Black Foam
Black Felt
2 Notch White Felt (W5)

The following shows the effect of various filters on frequency response. For myself I generally use 1 notch white + 1 black as shown in the blue line. The reason the filters reduce the amplitude of the peaks and sometime valleys is they serve to reduce standing waves.
[...]
As is evident, the blue curve is significantly smoother than the no-pads tuning, and is also therefore easier to PEQ, using the following settings

Thanks, this is really useful information.

My Aeon 2 Noire came with 3 sets of filters as listed above. What is the combination of filters and corresponding PEQ settings that would give me the closest effect to using 1 notch white + 1 black with the PEQ that you provided in the previous post?

 

[Walk]

There is clearly a broken trace on the driver here, there should never be an ohm imbalance. If the break is a small fracture in the AL it can be intermittent which is why it can go back and forth a bit. An ohm imbalance is never a cable or downstream issue.

1) If a dealer ever fails to provide support contact us at [email protected] and we'll help you out. Be sure to let us know the dealer and send communications so we can sort that out too!

2) It looks to me like you assumed we would not help because you were out of warranty but normally if you contact us post-warranty with an issue after having had service we don't just stick to the exact date. If we did a repair or replace and that had issues so quickly it is on us and we make it a policy to extend coverage.

That said, so sorry for this experience! I will look into it on our end because I don't have any details or knowledge of the specifics. Again contact our info and you can cc me at dan@....

Thank you so much for the response.
I've sent you an email with all of my information.

This is the post from the other thread with the same issue:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dan...ssion-impressions-thread.956878/post-17484059
and link to his video here
Later he replied with results when it had a fluctuation similar to mine, where the impedance on the right side goes up.

What's weird is that my headset was replaced and it happened again. I am extremely delicate with the headset, wondering if this is an ongoing issue.

 

[byfang]

Hey i just wanna say for a PC user like me(gaming, watching videos, that sort of things), these are pretty nice.
My reasons are obvious. It's overall comfortable on my head, and just light enough. So i can sit and play all day long w/o much fatigue. And it's closed-back to block out my computer fan and mouse/keyboard noise. And more importantly, it do sounds nice.
My another pair is Sony MDR-Z7M2, which also meets these needs. But I prefer Noire's sound a little more.

There is one thing though, they don't sell Noires in my region so i had to get mine elsewhere. I hope it lasts long enough to not let me regret this purchase. Please keep up the nice design.