Not a fair comparison at this point…I meant to relax and just listen but figured I would put a quick comparison together, as I said that I would =). Now to be fair the Aeolus is only about halfway through break-in time, and really isn’t trying to compete with the Clears. I wrote this before doing the comparison !
Tracks used (Qobuz studio streaming):
Queen (acoustic): performed by Slenderbodies
- Holy smokes, I think that I have to give it to the Aeolus…I honestly wasn’t expecting that…it has a just right there tone, with more warmth, imaging is slightly better, more enjoyable on the Aeolus…props to ZMF!!
Copland: Rodeo: IV. Hoe-Down: performed by Leonard Bernstein?
- Throw a complicated classic into the mix…lots of things going on here (one of my favorite tracks)…I was not expecting this but I think it is subjectively a draw…call it new shiny complex…mmm…ziricote… wait what were we talking about?!?..oh yea
but seriously…Aeolus is warmer, but imaging and staging are slightly wider…but spot on with the Clears. It is a toss up with this track…I could go either way…but I will say the Clears did seem to have the edge in that they pulled me closer to the orchestra, where the Aeolus gave me the feeling of sitting center row middle to the back of the room.
The Real: Performed by Busty and the Bass
- Clears have more “crispness” to them, less warmth, vocals are not as “gooey”. Aeolus feels smoother…
Up All Night (Acoustic Live Album Music in High Places): Unwritten Law
- This track can be a bit muddy sounding, I think I have to give it to the Clears on this one. The extra “crispness” helps with resolution. But the Aeolus has better vocal presence and warmth…but for me, the extra sparkle from the Clears pushes them ahead.
Ok, bedtime, early morning flight =) Also these were not easy to volume match… so that probably colored some of this a/b =) But for me, at the end of the day, both headphones are worth keeping around =) they are surprisingly close… The Clears have been my go-to for a while now…and I think the Aeolus just pushed them off that pedestal.
