@Resolve - I stand corrected! (Or clarified.)
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I don’t want anything too bass heavy, but anything close to neutral is good.
Would the Mojo be a good pairing with the Aeon 2 Closed? I don’t know from first-hand experience. I just mention this because it’s been said that other iterations of the Aeon headphones have needed a good amp (I’m not sure if this is for current or for power). See here, for instance.
The Elegia might be better served by the Mojo, as @andris noted. The Mojo’s dark character might offset some of the brightness Pharmaboy observed. Again, I’m not speaking from first-hand experience. Sorry.
I’ve owned Æon C and then Æon 2 C since the line came out as my work headphones. They need an amp that can handle their rather low impedance, otherwise they sound thin in the low end. Amps that work include the Schiit Jotunheim and Lyr 3 amps, for instance. Amps that don’t include my A&ultima SP1000M DAP. I’m not sure in which category the Mojo falls, but I would try with the intended amp before I buy.
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Does anyone have thoughts on the Ether CX’s? They weren’t mentioned much so I don’t know how everyone thinks of these. The thing most people complain about for these(based on what I read online) is that they don’t have bass slam, which I could most likely change with a pad swap. If anyone has experience with the Ether CX, please do tell. Thank you.
after all this good recommendations based on sound - just my 2 cents
disclaimer: love both and own the Focal Elegia
while the Mojo won´t have a problem with driving the DCA AEON 2 C or the Elegia at all, I want to point out the Elegia is also fine with/from/out of other weak sources, like
DAPs,
Audio Interfaces, USB Microphone´s hf monitoring outs,
Bluetooth DAC/AMP dongles or even phones / tablets / notebooks or soundcards … gaming controllers(don´t do that!)
There are these moments, you simply want to grab a quick n easy isolating solution without tons of interconnects/cables and DAC/Amps to fiddle around. I use a ifi xDSD every day and also had the Mojo for a few weeks. So I know the hustle with the stacks in your jackets pocket
Like listening on the sofa and moving to another room, not pausing the music/netflix/youtube or stream without disconnecting and reconnecting. I know it´s more a practical approach and not very audiophile.
The Mojo sounded a bit better vs the ifi- comfort won.
Not that I would use the Bluetooth often…
The Elegia is less isolationg - vs the Dan Clark, though more than enough. No ANC or pressure effect, like with some InEars, with both.
Do you wear glasses with thick arms? - Sealing is more important with the Focals. if so, you can stop here.
The “ported” Elegia is in my humble opinion less fatiguing vs most closed planars for long sessions.
The Focals pads get less warm over long listening sessions vs leather pads. And I mean 8 and over 10 hours of relaxed listening to music or with intense gaming.
Third party cables for the Elegia are easier to get, with the 3.5 plugs and work on other brands like Hifiman, Denon and so on…
the Dan Clark Audio “hirose” plugs/hf cable ending things(you know what I mean) are my favorite looking of all manufacturers, though also a bit more pricey, at most third party custom solutions.
last but not least - the DCA is way more transportable vs the frensh ladybag carry case. If you use a backpack, it makes not the biggest difference. The DCA AEON 2C case can even fit in a bigger jacket pocket or a standard shoulder bag, which is crazy!!
one word about the Ether CX - comfort was even higher vs both above mentioned, at least it was on my big head. Though it´s sound falls behind, in my humble opinion. I am not a bass head and could live with a weaker low end. Its the midrange and the upper registers, the timbre, the staging and the airy nature of the Elegia, I prefer. It also can rumble if you feed it with the right material.
Sorry for getting back to it´s sound!
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@MartinTransporter Thank you for the comparison. I do not wear glasses, a fact I forgot to mention in the staring post(it has not been added).
@earnmyturns I wish I could try all of the headphones I want to buy but I, unfortunately, live in a city that doesn’t have a prominent audio scene (based on the research I have done through the extensive use of google translate).
@Resolve Thank you for the recommendation and the referral to the review/video!
@tjg Thank you for drawing Resolve into this thread.
@pennstac An extensive Porta-Pro collection is not particularly attractive, though I respect your taste.
@Bullpride I haven’t found many Atticus’ used. Must be because everybody likes them so much.
@Chrono I wasn’t exactly looking for “on-the-go” use as I already have a pair of beater(?) IEMS, but I appreciate the advice, though.
@Steve_Dollar I was planning on using them in a semi-public place, so open-backs are unfortunately out of the picture.
@andris Good luck to you too!
Very sorry for the long reply. The bot recommended I do one long post instead of multiple short ones. I hope nobody gets irritated.
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The Elegias are great. I would save a bit more for an Atticus with suede pads. They aren’t neutral, but come off as effortlessly organic and slightly warm. Different story for Lambskins. Anyway, they make me think of an HD 650 with a wide soundstage and vocals that aren’t too forward. Although upper mids are a tiny bit withdrawn preventing female vocals from really popping.
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@Pharmaboy Unfortunately the drop for the E-Mu Teak has ended, and I don’t think it’ll happen again anytime soon.
@BIGPOPPA Thank you for pointing me in a new possible direction. However, I find headphones to be more comfortable compared to IEMs, so I will be sticking with headphones for now.
@rrwwss52 Would a Æon RT Closed and another pair of headphones be a better choice?
@frkasper This may seem a little silly but I don’t particularly like the design of the Neumann NDH20.
@TylersEclectic Thank you for the recommendations and drawing @MRHifiReviews into this conversation.
This was what I couldn’t fit in the first long reply as there was a 10 person reference limit.
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Guilty pleasures all the way. Recently got Argon MK3 in the mail and they’re bonkers dude.
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They were extremely cold and clinical from the brief moments I got to try them at Canjam.
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I think I should get a tube amp to get a different experience. Would the Drop x Alex Cavalli amp be your recommendation?
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I wish I could go to a Canjam… My schedule never seems to match up.
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There’s one in SoCal around December. I edited the last reply I made. My vote is still to save a little longer for an Atticus and suedes. But the Elegias are solid like everyone is saying. I just prefer something more relaxed and slightly lush. Super chilled out tuning (using those pads). Think headphones well suited for albums like Abbey Road Super Deluxe Edition 2019 mix and American Standard by James Taylor.
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I don’t think I mentioned it before, but I don’t live in the US. I wish I could. I have to pay ridiculous amounts to ship anything.
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Regarding the E-Mu Teak, you can buy them direct from www.emu.com. Also have the detachable cable option which they haven’t done a Drop for in a while.
Depending on how long you’re willing to wait, you can sometimes find deals on teh Elegia too, especially around Black Friday (I got them for $450 last year). If you get luck with the deal timing, you could potentially get both the Teak’s and the Elegia’s and be at $900 total.
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I just need to be patient…
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I hear ya!! I have trouble with patience. Reading through what people have posted, they’re all solid options and doubt you’ll be unhappy with any of them.
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Where are you? I know Aornic is affiliated with a UK distributor for headphones. He may be able to get you set up with an Atticus or whatever high end headphone you’re after.
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Keep searching. The search is half the fun. I picked up a pair for around $800. Value can be found
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