The Elegia is $399 at Adorama at the moment. How do they compare ?? (Aeon closed vs Elegia) Would you choose Elegia over the Aeon?
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Aeon has noticeably better FR, but the Elegia has better dynamics, detail (microdynamics on the Aeons are a bit blunted, even though the initial leading edge is fast and tight with good separation), and soundstage, so it depends what you’re looking for. For me the Elegia was a headphone I EQ’d, so if you’re never going to EQ I’d say Aeon, but if you DO EQ then maybe it’s worth looking at the Elegia.
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Elegia = textbook closed cup air pressure fatigue.
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Had the Aeon Flow 2 closed and the Elegia. I’d take the Elegia, even without eq.
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I chose the Elegia instead of the DCA Aeon Closed X, mainly because the Closed X was sold out at Drop and because the DCA’s need a powerful amp to drive them properly.
So far, so good. The Elegia’s sound just as @Resolve described them above. They’re a perfect, mids-forward, detailed compliment to my HiFiMan HE-400se. My HiFiMan’s are superb headphones for the money that punch far above their weight, but the Elegia’s are at a different level of refinement. Lovely so far, even without EQ.
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I have the thx789 and on gain 2 12 o’clock it is already at my listening loudness level. Would that mean that 789 is powerful enough for me already?
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Welcome to the forum.
Regarding amps: dB volume is not the same as electrical current potential and is not the same as timbre and tonal qualities.
You absolutely have enough power to drive DCA Aeon headphones loud enough. The concern is that many people (myself included) feel the Aeon does best with other amps and with high current amps. I felt the tone/timbre of the AFC was “okay” on the 789, but I did not prefer it over several of my other amps. I don’t own an Aeon open model, and its potential may differ from the closed.
If you are happy with the 789 then you are happy. If you start to compare then your opinions about relative preferences may change, but beware that an endless struggle to achieve ever smaller improvements may follow.
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That’s a pretty old video and I’ve changed my mind on it a bit as the landscape has changed since then, both for me and in terms of what’s available. This version no longer exists as far as I’m aware. But also, I think at the new Drop prices, yeah they’re pretty good value - but it’s the closed-back version that’s the most impressive to me.
What I really want to try now is the Aeon RTs, and to see if there’s a difference there.
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Here’s my updated take on these Drop + DCA Aeons. Bottom line for me is that the Closed is legit, and at the sale price these are great pickups. Unfortunately they’re out of stock at the moment, but worth keeping an eye on if/when they get more.
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I believe the biggest problem of X series Aeon and same with RT line is that they have the same magnets positioning of the original Aeon and physically it contributes to their lack of impact (and for the Open ones to their questionable bass bleeding in to the mids). The different magnet position that DCA choose from Aeon 2 greatly contributed to a better general sound a decent sense of impact (no, no Focal level of impact in sound for sure but definitely a decent one). I’ve had the opportunity of listening to the Aeon X Open and Closed on my Mogwai OG and compared them to my Aeon Noire and while the latter scales very well on tubes and gets a very good sense of liveliness and a certain amount of impact (using 6L6GC STR and KT88 tubes), the former get completely lost on tubes and especially the Open X have a greater bleed of basses into the mids that makes them hard to tolerate to my ears and IMO. As you stated in your review published today for the price the Aeon X Closed can be a good entry point into planar closed back headphones. The choice of using the same perforated pads on the Closed and Open is quite questionable to my ears. While on the Closed is a good advantage on the Open (if memory serves me well about the sound of original Aeon Open) it isn’t such a good idea. About tuning filters: nice to have them but they are perfect in the box aka just forget about them.
Thank you for your reply Andrew, highly appreciated.
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