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

Product Information

The innovative gimbal design also folds just as easily and smoothly as before which is one of the highlights of the build. With the comfort issue I ran into, I can say however, the sound these headphones produce is good. It isn’t a neutral sound at all. There is noticable bass and treble response. Mids seems to be recessed slightly, which gives the noire’s a much more relaxing sound. I believe if it weren’t for the comfort issues, I could listen to these for multiple hours at a time. There are many similarities between the Æon 2 and the Noire, the latter being more an evolution of the lineage than standing out on its own as the Æon 3, for instance. Firstly, both designs centre on Dan Clark's second-gen 62x34mm single-ended planar magnetic driver. This sports home-grown tech, such as the DCA Trueflow system, promising improved detail retrieval by allowing more airflow through the motor. Additionally, the Noire benefits from the company's patented V-Planar driver processing, which moulds the textures on the driver surface for low-frequency optimisation and improved diaphragm stability, says the manufacturer.

For those not totally up on this, 'the Harman curve' is a particular target frequency response for what a well-engineered set of headphones should demonstrate, as per Sean Olive and the Harman International team in 2013. Dan adds: “We did this for several reasons. The first was to offer a choice of voicing, as no curve, including Harman, is right for everyone. And by allowing any user to simply swap pads to get the voicing they want, it's also a way to offer a colour/style option, not just a tuning option.” THE LISTENING The headband and way is fixed to the wires is a very bad design choice. It came loose on me and fell off multiple times. The wires, if you touch them, are a very long sustain musical instrument playing only G#. The paint is already rubbed off on some corners and the foam tends to turn out of place inside the cushions. But they are extremely comfortable. It does not use any of the newer Fazor airflow technology, however, it does use their Ultra-thin Uniforce™ diaphragm design as well as Neodymium N50 Fluxor™ Magnets in a proprietary dual-sided staggered array around the driver. Topology is a nanoparticle coating applied to the diaphragm surface. The reasoning for this nanotechnology is that by using distinct geometric patterns in the nanocoating they can control the final sound signature with far more finesse than with traditional dynamic drivers.

Comfort & Isolation

Either in store or from the comfort of your own home. We appreciate life is busy, so why not let us make it a little easier for you. Aside from that you also get a certificate of authenticity which acts as your warranty card and some simple instructions on how to use the tuning pads. They are dead easy to insert and take out with no detaching required. Tuning Pads The central thrust of the new tuning is how close it mimics the Harman Target Response Curve and it largely does but with just a few quirks. The first is on the low-end with a slightly emphasized 80-100Hz peak and just minor roll-off below 50Hz but nothing too heavy. The second deviation is around the 3k and 5k marker with just a shade more emphasis than the curve normally offers. It makes the soundfield inside the cup very uniform, so positional variations do very minor of a sound change. If anything, the initial pressure balance has a slight lateral bias with the NiTinol “memory metal” design carrying virtually no vertical weight. However, the slide adjustment spreads the pressure really nicely across the head when in use so you also control the pressure bias relatively easily.

I knew in about 45 seconds of donning the Noires that by a long shot these were most effective anti-fatigue headphones I had ever had on my dome. The Noire design and stronger clamp do mean it isolates a lot better than the HE-R10D. I put that down to a bit more lateral pressure combined with pads that seal better and are less porous than the rounded hybrid polyester and pleather pads on the HE-R10D. Performance The size reduction does not seem to come at a cost of construction either. Its hills and valleys inside and outside perfectly form around the folded AEON 2 Noire with just enough space for a cable in a mesh canopy above and the flat mod pads below. The AEON 2 Noire should not be considered a small cosmetic tweak on the AEON 2 Closed. Far from it. This is a cleaner, more expansive sounding performance to contrast with the warmer, weighted, and more intimate delivery of the original. A sound signature for those that like a tone with more contrast, more energy through the mids, and a spritely treble.

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Still, they have surgical precision and dynamics and are definitely part of a balanced audiophile diet.

Noire listening feels like having your brain and music fused together in a honey waterfall and laid on a candy cane bed adorned with marshmallow pillows. These are the first headphones I’ve ever heard that I am entirely happy with out of the box, though they do need some power. Dongle suggestions anyone? The bass of Aeon 2 Noire is super fast, clean and clear. In fact, the best part about them is how distortion-free they are for the price range they’re being sold in. We have a deep, clean and fast bass that’s able to keep up with your music, even if you listen to technical death metal, punk or trancecore. The bass is slower, fuller and warmer if you put on acoustic dampeners. Aeon 2 Noire can softly vibrate on your head if the song calls for it, but it is not a diehard basshead headphone, having a quantity that I’d qualify as natural towards slightly emphasized. While the Aeon RT I reviewed in the past had a pretty clear U-shaped presentation, Aeon 2 Noire is more linear. Build quality is good but the star of the show is the tonality: it’s sublime! Bar a bit of extra energy around 120hz and in the high treble (both of which are subtle enough to not be bothersome) they are perfect out of the box. I thought I might miss the soundstage of the Ananda but my fears were unfounded as they are remarkably open sounding for a closed design. That means the AEON 2 Closed carries a little more warmth with it into the lower-mids whereas the Noire is comparatively more neutral-sounding in the same region.No doubt the talking point is the homage to the Sony R10 in the way Hifiman have contoured those HE-R10D cups. Whilst the Noire is a tweak of the previous AEON 2 it is hardly what you would call a nod to a past era.

in the real world at this price you aren't going to find anything as close to enjoyable, comfortable, and convenient as the finished product you get with the Noire.Now, after a weeks break in how does this new iteration of the Aeon 2 sound? First of all, while the Noire is not what I'd call a direct sibling to the original I'd be comfortable calling them a 1st cousin. The pedigree from the original is certainly there, but the Noire ultimately comfortably carving out it's own unique sound signature. And it's a darn good one indeed. That is one of the key differences normally between a dynamic driver and a planar, the level of distortion is normally a lot lower on a planar driver such as the one inside the AEON 2 Noire. The Noire uses the same comfy headband strap as the AEON 2 under the NiTinol frame for comfort and balance and added adjusters on either side for fitting purposes. Granted, that’s a fairly big jump in total ownership costs for the AEON 2 Noire but the performance of the VIVO is actually a significant upgrade. With the VIVO, the Noire is far snappier, with better dynamic range, and more resolving than the DUMMER.