All irony aside, 15 years ago this was state of the art. It’s amazing how fast things move!
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That’s a nice looking setup!
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Nice, first how do the two headphones compare? I have a pair of the Aeon2 Noire, too.
Also what cables are used for each?
Thanks,
Simon
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Thanks. I’ve been working towards finding a chain with good synergy.
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The cables for Ananda Nano are Forza Noir Hybrid. The cables for Aeon Noire are from Open Heart, you can find them on Aliexpress. Very good budget cable imo.
I’ll get back to you on how the headphones compare.
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Thanks
I use a dual-mono 8 core Silver cable (5m)with my Neon’s plus I have the Dan Clark VEVO cable (3m) which is a silver plated copper, as well (just wasn’t long enough)
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Received my pair of the new Sennheiser HD 490 headphones. Really enjoying them a lot so far! Took some pictures for our site, and also put together an info page for them here if anyone’s interested in DIYing or is having trouble shopping for a cable for these:
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4 posts were merged into an existing topic: What’s in the box!
A post was merged into an existing topic: What’s in the box!
Posting my headphone collection and my impressions:
Focal Bathys - overall a nice dynamic soft v sound sig, probably the most detailed exciting wireless headphone I’ve heard yet
Bowers Px8 - a more flat, refined and relaxed sound sig, not as exciting as the Focals but it has better soundstage and noise cancellation
Beyerdynamic T1.2 - very warm sounding, natural organic mids, the sound sig is not for everyone but it’s very good for female vocals. Needs a lot of power to drive as these are 600 ohms.
Focal Clear Professionals - very detailed mids, like a lot of Focals it has a more of an analytical neutral ish sound sig, also like a lot of Focals it doesn’t have much of a soundstage
Hifiman Arya Stealth - very good soundstage, very detailed, neutral bright tuning, nothing much to complain about except the build quality isn’t great, looking forward to try the HE1000 Stealth which apparently is just more of everything the Arya has
Meze 109 Pro - fun sounding, but unfortunately doesn’t stand out all that much. I’m not entirely convinced the technicality of this headphone is worth the price they are asking. Looks great and very comfortable though.
Audio Technica AP2000Ti - one of the more underappreciated headphones? It’s the very essence of sparkling airy highs. Might be a bit too much for some people but this thing is absolutely killer for electronic music and modern pop. Makes you want to jump out of your seat and dance.
Fostex TH900 - it’s a bass monster. But a little bit TOO v shaped for my liking. I think the Denon D7200 is probably the ‘fixed’ version of this.
Dan Clark Aeon 2 - a nice upgrade over the Aeon X Closed I think. similar balanced tuning, very comfortable to wear, decent soundstage for a closed back, and more detail than the Aeon X closed. However, I still think the technicals can be improved but not without spending considerably over the price it’s asking for.
Focal Elex - very good detail for the price, I just think it’s a bit too ‘sterile’ / ‘clinical’ sounding for me and not that fun BUT it does a nice imitation of a Focal Clear for a lot less
Beyerdynamic DT1990Pro - most non audiophiles will like these, they’ve got a fun v shaped sound sig and decent soundstage and are great for gaming
Fostex TH610 - fairly neutral tuning, nice detailed midrange, wish the fit wasn’t so loose though and also not a fan of the proprietary connectors
Dan Clark Aeon X Closed - probably my pick for best all around closed back at its price range, nice balanced tuning overall and a decent soundstage
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Lovely collection! Thank you for sharing your impressions.
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Just tested the Focal Radiance vs the Denon D7200 today.
I’m not sure why the Denon D7200 is considered by some as a ‘basshead’ headphone because it’s actually reasonably balanced. Yes, there is a decent amount of bass but it’s not overwhelming at all, and the mids aren’t recessed either.
The Radiance on the other hand could actually be considered a basshead headphone because there’s substantial bass there, and it’s more of a v shaped sig (Harman sig actually) and the mids are a bit recessed on it.
Detail and soundstage are both are similar.
D7200 is just an all around great closed back, Radiance if you like your bass or v shaped headphones try it. They’re both great closed backs at it’s price range, just preference on tuning here.
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Your Atriums are gorgeous
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Hifiman HE1000 V2s… this is absolutely an end game level headphone. In some ways I actually prefer it over the $6000 Susvaras. Compared to my Aryas, it’s got a slightly flatter tuning, slightly more detail and overall sounds more smoother and refined. However the Aryas are also really good and more dynamic / lively sounding. It’s actually a bit more fun to listen to than the flatter / neutral HD800s or Susvaras although those headphones are better technically. This will be TOTL for many (although the HE1000 Stealth the successor is reasonably priced at $1400).
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Audio-Technica AWKT vs Denon D9200
so what do I think about these two flagship Japanese wooden closed backs?
I think the AWKTs are an acquired taste, for those who want an especially bright upper-midrange forward headphone then the AWKTs are definitely that, but the tuning can be considered a bit strange for some people. The upper mids and highs are much more detailed and prominent than the lower mids and lows and can sound a bit harsh and fatiguing to some, especially if you don’t burn them in. Audio-Technica’s tunings for their headphones are really kind of all over the place, they have no ‘house’ sound but in general they seem to like their highs a lot. Nor are they comfortable - which is odd considering that Audio-Technica’s lower end headphones like the R70x are quite comfortable - the earcups are simply too big and shallow and press up against your ears. I recommend definitely demoing the AWKT before buying them they are not for everyone.
The D9200 on the other hand, is a much more general crowd pleaser. Although I personally like the darker Kokutan wood of the AWKTs more, the bamboo earcups of the D9200 definitely have more texture to them. Sound wise, they are nicely balanced and even across the spectrum. I would say the bass and mids especially are nicely textured and are slightly forward but not too much. The D9200s highs are their weakest point and are just ok - that’s where Audio-Technica seems to excel in since they seem to focus on treble a lot. However, Denon seems to have much better bass than Audio-Technica headphones across the board. They are also much more comfortable to wear than the AWKTs.
So thats my conclusion of these two headphones - the AWKT retails for more, but seems to be more of a specialized headphone for people who like forward female vocals and detailed treble extension while the D9200s just seem to be a very balanced sounding headphone all around and are a much safer recommendation for most people.
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