If you’re curious about BC driver, I’d say Penon Fan 3 is a fantastic set to try it.
I know that Penon is on the naughty list, as it is apparently guarding against bad reviews, which is a shady practice obviously. You could search this thread if you’re curious. Just sharing this as I’ll be praising the set, but want you to be informed on the not so glorious aspects.
In my defence @Rikudou_Goku, I already had the set when I learned about this lol
Ok so the on/off switch for BC driver is a genius move. And the rest of the setup is solid, branded BAs, and also 2 small DDs which is so cool to me and was one of the selling points too. I have hopefully somewhat described my preference in that longer Origin post and later on, so you should have an idea if that’s something you’d like. But tuning on Fan 3 is right to my preference. And midbass is amazing imo, something that lots of other sets do poorly.
I feel like it’s the cheapest real way to try BC, as the implementation is good, driver quality is good, and the switch is right there so you can definitely say if BC works for you, be it just the sound stage or the tactility as well, or maybe neither for you personally.
Well definitely sign up for their mailing list, you’ll get the coupon eventually. But I just bought it on Ali during a sale, which got me close to half off as well. Knowing about the coupons and sales it surely doesn’t make sense to buy at full price. But at around 200 it’s an absolute banger imo.
If I may, I’d argue that you’ll always be wondering what it’s like until you try it yourself, and no amount of reviews or descriptions will satisfy your curiosity. I obviously don’t know your situation, but if you can afford, go for a good implementation of BC, or hold off until you can. Instead of wasting money on something just for the sake of BC on the driver list.
Magnetic pads, too. I love the Horizon Closed (non Carbon version) which is supposed to be close in tuning. Young guy out of Houston. This is his first mass production headphone.
Oh man, I’m curious about Etude the most of the Linsoul releases. Super hyped to see what you think. I’m getting the Timeless II and planning on pitting that against Quantum but I was super tempted to ask about Etude since it’s going with BCDs there.
And glad you got Aegis! I’ve been rocking them for the past week. Unboxing experience… Chef’s kiss.
Heads up - I find that the Aegis truly shines when paired with a clean, high-resolution source.
Why? Because its dynamic driver (And BC Driver) is highly sensitive and easily reveals even the slightest digital artifacts in the signal.
The iBasso DC Elite pairs exceptionally well with it—without question, it’s the cleanest DAC/amp I’ve ever used. It offers outstanding clarity, dynamics, headstage and full-range extension from top to bottom (resolution really), which complements the Aegis perfectly, especially given its warm bass and slightly dark treble.
The BC Driver also integrates much better with the DD when fed a truly high quality signal. Otherwise, it can lag behind and feel a but uncontrolled, like the timing isn’t quite there.
So this is something I urge you to keep in mind when you try it out…
Edit: I also personally believe the accompanying Baroque Tips are the best, by far. Tried like 10 different tips. Quite tip sensitive set. It goes without saying, but make sure to get maximum shell-contact for BC driver effect.
I went with the Final Type E Clear/Reds for most of my listening. And, yeah, definitely can concur that a more neutral source works best. Ran it off my DX340 and JDS Element IV. Actually had it plugged into tubes but didn’t think they needed it at all.
Person who wants a faithful reproduction including the 808 drops.
Have never found a closed back that I love.
Susvara
He6SEV2
Modhouse (Semi open)
My faves.
The ambient noise which is like real life…it a pre requisite to enjoying.
Closed backs have not done that for me.
Bought 2 pairs of very hyped ZMF for full price and was terribly dissapointed.
Great art/cups but a couple levels down from Susvara and not worth the money asked considering Suusvara exists
Yeah, not enough bass love in closed back headphones. SJY Horizon Closed and Dan Clark’s new Noire X have been dang good for bass but they follow Harman over ear with just some slightly boosted bass over it.
The only set, for sure, that i think that may satisfy bassheads would be the Audio Technica W2022. By far the best bass I’ve heard in closed back/over ears. From my understanding, a non limited/non painted version may be out this year or next that could be the winner but would still be at a premium price.
Otherwise, the only other sets I could think of maybe like a modded Fostex or something.
