Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire Planar Closed Back Portable Audiophile Headphones with 2m Dummer 3.5mm/1/4-inch Cable (Black)

Do you want to experience music as though you have high quality studio monitors attached to your ears? If so, this is your ticket. These don't require any EQ to enjoy a fantastic response across the entire audio spectrum, which is just crazy to find in a closed-back headphone. The sound stage is impressive especially for a closed-back, I'd say only slightly reduced from high end open-backs. The clarity and sensitivity are fantastic, but you really must use them a headphone amplifier to get the full experience. I'm getting great results with the Topping G5. The build quality and fit is excellent. They came with very high quality cables and a nice case. These are fairly heavy (especially compared to open-backs), but I have found them very comfortable even for extended listening sessions. There's no denying that these headphones are very expensive, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anything close to this performance and quality for a similar price point, particularly in a closed-back design.

(Aeon 2 Noire) These are honestly the best headphones I've ever owned. They do require an amp, and they are neutral sounding enough that your source probably matters a lot more than you're used to. Any reviewer who says they are bad likely have them hooked up directly to a PC output or phone with less than powerful output.While they are portable, I suspect most phones can't really provide the necessary quality or power without a dac/amp. Trying it with a Galaxy S10+, the sound quality was OK, but the volume had to basically be cranked up to max to get anything useful out of them.This is not a detractor to me, it was expected before purchasing, but it's worth noting that you will need to spend some money on a source, they can't magically make your bad sound output or recording sound good. And the technology they are based on requires more power than regular drivers.I've been driving them with a Schiit Fulla E (listen at my PC mostly, EDIT: now a Schiit Hel 2E, the Fulla E is in the low range of power for these*), which is modestly priced and do a decent job.Finally if you are trying to decide between the Aeon 2 vs the Noire, the only difference is the color and ear pads. The pads make a big difference in sound, but they are interchangeable and can be purchased from Dan Clark audio if you wish to change the sound. The Aeon 2 pads make the performance more up close and intimate, while the perforated Noire pads give you more clarity with a somewhat more clinical sound and wider sound stage.Finally I'm no audio expert with Golden ears, so keep that in mind, just a guy with an opinion.* Since you are thinking of spending close to $1000 on headphones, you should probably invest in a good headphone amp regardless. My gaming DAC/amps are good but I'm sure you could spend a little more and get even better sound out of the Dan Clark Aeon Noire.

These are well built, beautiful and cleverly designed.For the people saying that the bass is light. Maybe they need more amplification?I will admit that these SHINE when you plug into a amp with power, the bass is punchy and detailed but separation of instruments is fantastic. They don't sound like closed headphones to me, are very light and comfortable.The package is nice but I would've liked more accessories or a second cable (shorter) for portability.Still 5/5 for me.Buy it and try it out. You won't regret it

4/29/25 update. I replaced the cheesy stock Dan Clark (DCA) head band with a custom version from Understated Montreal. You can Google their website. The new strap is perfect - looks great, far more comfortable and is a big improvement over the POS OEM DCA head strap.DCA should source all their headbands from Understated Montreal. It would improve their quality instantly. See the photos of the new headband with the yellow piping around the perimeter of the band.In the interest of clarity and balance, this review of the Dan Clark Aeon 2 Noire (DCA) headphones will offer a detailed outline of the amplifiers, sources, comparative headphone and DAC equipment used to write this DCA performance overview.I used 2 headphone specific amps. The Rupert Neve RNHP solid state amp and the xDuoo TA-20A plus hybrid/tube amp. The xDuoo uses the upgraded Ray 12AU7 tubes. The music sources were a Bluesound Node X with a Schiit audio Modi Multibit DAC connected via RCA to the Neve and a "vintage" (circa 2006) refurbished McIntosh MVP 861 CD player connected via XLS.Personally, I would never buy the DCA's or any $900 - $1000 headphone for use with a cell phone or laptop because those devices lack the power and DAC quality for this level of headphone and the audio quality will be poor compared to a dedicated headphone amp and upgrade DAC. I plugged the DCA's into my iPhone 15 Pro Max with a dongle DAC and I get better sound from my Sony XM4 wireless earbuds.When a reviewer does not specify what gear they listening to with the DCA headphone, you have NO idea if the review in meaningful to you. And despite the clarity attempt on the gear on my part, your opinion may vary from mine.I listened to the DCA's on both amps and used a pair of Focal Celestee headphones for comparison though I will not dwell on the Focal phones because this is a DCA review. Photos of both headphones and amps are included so you can trust that this equipment was actually used.I bought the DCA's from Gramophone via Amazon from Amazon Sales (formerly warehouse) in "like-new" condition - thanks to Gramophone and Amazon! That saved me $200 over the list price. The DCA's were in fine condition on arrival. The DCA box was not in good shape but I'm not listening to the box.DCA Pro/Con:Pro:- excellent detail and clarity- limber and flexible cable- expansive sound stage- The DCA required between 30% and 50% more amp power from both the Neve and xDuoo amps than my Focal Celestee- very light weight, low pressure head clamping force. The DCA's weigh 328 grams and Focal are 430 grams, a difference of about 3 1/2 ounces lighter than the Focal. The head clamp force of the Focal is higher than the DCA.- The DCA fold down very small and tight, a better travel choice than the Focal but not by much.- I won't bore you with the genre of music in the tests, but the DCA performed exquisitely with a wide array of high-quality audio sources from CD quality to high resolution streaming audio.-The DCA are cleaner, more detailed and have better bass than the Focal. The DCA are more comfortable than the Focal but the build quality on the Focal is FAR superior to the DCA.Con:-The cheesy leather head strap and the case with the DCA are both junk. For an $899 retail headphone this is nearly unforgiveable. The Focal head padding is top quality, and the case is very well made. I located an aftermarket leather strap for the DCA headphones the cheap OEM one will be gone shortly.-Not a fan of the ear pad attachment system. 2-sided glue seems barbaric to me compared to the twist and click setup on the Focal.- I preferred the tighter clamping force of the Focal. The DCA's tended to "wander" a bit around my head with the cheesy leather strap provided.Sonically the DCA sound is 5 stars for me using the aforementioned audio gear The Celestee are extraordinarily close but just a touch less detailed.The Focal overall build quality is far superior to the DCA and that's why I knocked the DCA from 5 star to 4 star. It's actually 4.5 stars for the DCA but I can't give that rating, and I cannot get over the cheesy leather strap and case and the far less robust build quality of the DCA compared to the Focal.I can replace the leather strap on the DCA but even when that is complete, they do not come close to the Focal build quality.Overall, despite the bit of audio advantage for clarity with the DCA's, the Focal are better due to the far better build quality - if you can tolerate their larger size and extra 3 ounces of weight.The choice is yours.