Andy, you should definitely try out the perforated pads for your Aeons! I liked the Aeon 2’s with the stock pads and the white filters, but the perforated pads with the white tuning filters are great
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also, totally similar experience with LCD 1’s. i mostly liked them, but the creaking on my unit just drove me nuts. kept them for two weeks, then returned them.
Excellent impressions and comparisons. Oh and a very warm welcome too, to a fellow Brit.
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I do fancy trying the perforated pads for sure so thanks for the recommendation. One question - do they make the sound-stage wider?
Thanks prfallon69, good to see another Brit on the forum.
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We’re everywhere!
I enjoyed your impressions of the Aeon 2 @AndyF. I wasn’t a fan of the first version - I found them a bit too congested and warm - so your description of this second version as sounding more “open” is good to hear, especially as I found the Elegia to sound pleasantly spacious for a closed-back headphone. Thanks!
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I haven’t noticed the pad swap making a bid difference to the soundstage
My only negative with the headphone is the quality of the pads. I continually have to pull the right pad back into shape on a daily basis. The left pad is prefect but for some reason. and it may be the shape of my head, the right pad continually needs attention.
I’m tempted to try the perforated pads but at £60 I would like to think I wouldn’t have to continually adjust the foam. I notice Dekoni do a replacement pad so I am tempted to try these.
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yep, whatever the combination of soft foam and leather they use leads to the foam moving around in there and losing alignment with the seams. it doesn’t appear to affect sound quality or seal, but it starts to look slightly…off. the dekoni might be better quality pads, but i don’t see anything in their lineup that replicates the DCA perforated pads. the dekoni perf pads have holes all over, and i think that would lead to a much different sound signature. ditto the velour pads. if you’re happy with the stock pads on the aeons, then the standard leather dekonis might be a build quality upgrade while retaining a similar FR. i’m quite partial to the sound signature of the perforated DCA pads, so until there’s a dekoni with a similar structure/FR, i’ll personally stay away.
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Thanks ivanku, I have just ordered the perforated pads from electromod and look forward to hearing how they sound.
I found the following measurements which made me pull the trigger!
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yea, post your thoughts when you get them! i do EQ out some of the 100hz bump when using the perforated pads, and you can tone down the treble to taste. but even without those changes, i find the FR to be pretty good
Had then on for the last hour or so and the differences are very nice indeed. Female vocals just seem to have more presence and sound almost closer to you. Male vocals also improved to a lesser extent but still noticeable. Feels like the treble has more room so gives the impression of better separation. Bass sounds a little fuller although not by much, defiantly more impact to it.
The more I listen the more connected the vocals sound. If they sounded a little distant with the stock pads they defiantly sound closer to you now. Before some vocals seemed to stage above the top of my head, now they sit much lower which makes everything seem more natural as a presentation.
Yeah vocals sound much more nuanced and intimate - very pleased and well worth the £60!
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OK so it’s late here in the UK but one thing has struck me without noticing it. The ‘foot-tapping’ experience has increased with the new pads! At first I couldn’t stop when I first got the headphones, it tapered off over time with the original pads as the Aeon’s went through burn in. Now, without knowing it, I find the ‘tapping’ is back!
Is this the real life or is this just fantasy?
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One negative thing I’ve noticed about the Aeons, and it’s not something that’s related to either type of pad, is that the imaging and L/R balance are super seal dependent. So if I shift the headphones just a little on my head, it feels like the mix leans left. It sometimes takes some real tweaking of the headphones around my head and ears to get the center feeling…centered
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White tuning pads added! Yes this is a much more balanced approach. The slight harshness/brightness to the treble is gone without sacrificing detail and that additional presence to the vocals. This is now a very special headphone. I’m now finding that the position and clamping play a bigger impact on staging. Had to readjust to get everything sounding as it should.
I should add that these headphones change so much over time. Such a well thought out system to include the tuning pads And at the same time it’s difficult to quantify as aural memory is difficult to judge. But something is better and at times you fail to notice it until you sit back and let the music just fill you with emotion.
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Yes absolutely … I spent the last hour with the same predicament ivanku … I think with the perforated pads it is more dependent.
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Hi all,
This whole discussion is excellent as I’m starting to consider getting a pair of the Aeon 2 Closed and from what I can tell, I would be very happy with them. One side question - has anyone compared the Aeon 2 Closed with the Aeon RT Closed that are on the Dan Clark Audio site? I’m wondering if the $300 price difference is significant enough to justify? Any insight would be very much appreciated.
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They might be, it’s been difficult to get more information beyond what’s on the Dan Clark Audio site. They are retuned versions of the Aeon Flow but also appear to have the new folding form factor and case.
They are listed as the Aeon RT for $499 at https://danclarkaudio.com/aeon-2/aeon-flow-open-back-headphone.html
Edit: Guess you learn a lot if you read the entire webpage. The description is “ÆON Flow RT is a retuning of our award-winning open-backed ÆON Flow Open and Closed headphones.” Guess it doesn’t have the compact folding like the new ÆON 2 have, but perhaps good enough?
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My understanding is the Aeon 2 C is significantly better than version 1. I own them and definitely enjoy them. There can be some unit to unit variation I have heard. You may want to reach out to @taronlissimore and @andrew the sponsor of this forum as they may have an open box Aeon 2C for a very good price.
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20 characters! 
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