So my setup is in the living room and I live with 3 other people, right now all of the headphones I own are open back. (HD 560s, Sundara, LCD-2) This is problematic of course because all of my roommates can hear what I’m listening to and there’s 0 noise isolation plus sometimes my mic picks up noise from my cans when I’m chatting with friends on Discord.
Been trying to research some closed backs and am having trouble deciding what I want but I’ve started to zero in on the DCA Aeon X Closed. It seems like its pretty well regarded and also they look dope as hell. I’ve heard the soundstage is decent for a closed back and they’re comfortable so I think they’ll be great for gaming and casual listening.
Just putting this out there because I was wondering:
Has anyone had issues with them/are there better headphones in a similar price bracket?
How good is the durability/QC bc while I know the price has gone down to $360 a few times on Drop I will probably just get an open box pair on eBay rather than waiting who knows how long for Drop to have another deal on them.
Should be a good all day listening HP sound and comfort wise but you’ll need some power to drive them and I did see a post on head-fi that the pads can separate from the foam and you’ll loose all bass but not sure right now how wide spread the issue is
They are decent but I’d look at the RT. It’s basically the same and you get DCAs great customer service.
One thing is you might find them less exciting to listen to than your other headphones as they have less dynamics.
If you have power modhouse argons would be a fun choice. An easier pair of closed back to drive would be the focal elegia and it has a strong following.
Stretch your budget a bit and you can get the Audeze LCD2CB. It is a great closed back that sounds wide and has very fun tuning.
If you like your bass or are a fan of biodynamic drivers a fostex or my choise as an European a Denon 7200 are also good choices that are reasonable to drive with a bit more rumble
Driveability changes if you go to the 900 territory but that is a can of trouble on its own
I ordered the R/T closed directly from DCA and am still very satisfied with it today.
I also wore it on the train and it was great not to hear anything from the neighbours during the journey.
I also use it for lounging together with the Ifi hip dac 2 which is also my mobile amplifier.
And the pairing is very good.
You can’t go wrong with the Aeon R/T.
What is supposedly an issue with the Aeon headphones at the moment is the PAd problem that tends to roll up.
DCA is supposedly working on a solution, but I don’t know how far they’ve come with it.
That would be a question for support.
I only have it on one side of the pad which is usually resolved by rolling it back in, but it shouldn’t be.
Otherwise, it’s one of the best headphones for $500.
I have never regretted buying them, it is always refreshing to have them on my head and enjoy them when the drive is right.
DCA plusses:
– Great build quality except for the pads.
– Rich sub-bass.
– Rolled-off treble if you’re treble sensitive
DCA minuses:
– Won’t overwhelm you with detail.
– Tight clamping force. Caused me to reluctantly sell mine.
– Weird pad roll-up problems. The pads tend to roll up on themselves, altering the seal. Basically, the foam is far too soft for the clamping force, and the pads collapse and curl. Plus the pads are glued to the cups, so replacement can be tricky.
I absolutely love my Aeon Closed X. They’re my favorite closed back under $500. Super comfy with non-fatiguing tuning that still maintains some energy and has good separation and imaging. The soundstage is better than average for a closed back and the Closed X can certainly serve up plenty of detail. For the money, you’d be hard pressed to find a better closed back.
Edit: The Closed X is responsible for kicking off my DCA journey thatt has culminated this year with me putting together a rig from the ground up based around the Stealth and Expanse. DCA makes some great cans. Period.
