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

Superb music quality. Very comfortable headphones, with just the right weight and pressure on the ears. Timely shipping, flawless delivery and perfect packaging.

I purchased both the Aeon 2 Noire and the Noire X about six months apart, but for some reason I’m able to post just this one review under the Aeon 2 Noire. Continue reading for the Noire X review. (Aeon 2 Noire) I’ll make this short & sweet. They sounded marginally better than my Sennheiser HD 600s which, I realize are open back. The problem is they fit so poorly. I couldn’t turn my head without the ear cups sliding. I did buy them used “like new,” so maybe that has something to do with how they fit. I found they have absolutely no clamp force. Please don’t misunderstand me, they sounded amazing. But audio quality means nothing if they’re not wearable. As far as the sound goes, I heard deep, yet controlled bass with punchy (where appropriate) percussion. Very accurate mids. They were a little too bright, but three different sets of dampening pads are included, which help counter the brightness. I settled on the thickest pads. I was also able to EQ them (they required minimal tinkering). I’ve looked over other comments and haven’t noticed other complaints about clamp force, so it may have just been a defective unit, which could explain why the original owner was unhappy with them as well. Ultimately, I returned them. Hope that helps. (Noire X) I got a brand new pair of Noire X. I paired them with an IPhone 14 Pro Max and a FiiO BTR17 DAC/Amp The BTR17 puts out 300 mw per channel when using a 4.4 mm balanced cable. The Noire X needs that power. Dan Clark Audio recommends a minimum of 250 mw per channel. Anything less and they won’t reach their potential and you’ll likely be disappointed. If you don’t already have an amp or a DAP that has sufficient power, then suck it up, do the research, and buy one. You’ll be happy you did. COMFORT They are the second-most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn (first are the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro, which I nearly prefer to wearing nothing!). The gigantic headband on the Noire X easily distributes the 385 grams over such a massive area that you never feel the weight. I also own a pair of Sony MDR-M1, which I believe weigh a feather-like 216 grams. The Noire X feel just about as light on my head. The ear pads, which are glued on, are very soft and supple. They conform gently and nicely to your head. My ears fit completely inside without touching the cups. There is minimal, yet sufficient clamp force. It honestly feels like you’re not wearing anything. I’ve worn them for hours and never once felt fatigued or warm. SOUND I was blown away from the moment I put them on. I used the BTR17’s preset EQ and tuned them to the Harman curve. I have flip flopped between that setting and an EQ bypass, but the upper treble needed some taming. So I used preset Harman settings and then went in with a scalpel and made some minor adjustments. The upper trebleI is not nearly as out of control as it is on the Aeon 2, but it is still a little spicy. I find the sound to be razor sharp, faster and more accurate than the Aeon 2’s sound, which already sounded excellent. I’d like to address the reviewer who complained about a lack of bass. First, did you give the cans sufficient power to drive them? Next, are you used to a dynamic driver? Planars won’t hit like a dynamic driver, but they will punch when the music calls for it, and the bass you do get will be faster, sharper and not at all muddy. It’s blissfully more accurate. But if you’re used to Bose or Sony’s latest Bluetooth offering, then it will take some getting used to before you realize that what you had been listening to had bloated, turbid bass. I used Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” to do an A/B test between my Bose QC Ultra and the Noire X. No comparison. I also used a song off of Katy Perry’s Unplugged album. If I try and post the title, which includes the word “kissed”, the review may not get published. Anyway, the song begins with a very deep string instrument. It’s a great song to test your gear. The Noire X got very low, yet handled it like a champ. I also sampled “Oh, Me” by Nirvana (Unplugged album). The Noire X resolved the very low frequencies without ever sounding muddy. The Bose, with a flat signal, sounded bloated and muddy, but, yes, they may make the Noire X initially seem like they lack bass. If you’re used to a dynamic driver, then be a little patient and give your ears some time to adjust to the Noire X and you’ll appreciate their accuracy. My daily drivers had been divided between my Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the HD 600, neither of which are tuned bass-heavy. There’s no comparison: the Noire X sound so much better than either. The Noire X have better instrument separation, are more detailed, and just sound more refined. Going from those two Sennheiser to the Noire X is like going from a TV with 1080 resolution to 4K. I don’t know how else to describe it. BUILD QUALITY They are built like a tank. Yes, the cups are fingerprint magnets. Either use the provided microfiber cloth to clean the cups, or try to avoid touching them. My only complaint about their build is that sometimes I get frustrated trying to fold them just right so they fit into their case…I’m quibbling. If that’s the worst thing I can say about these, then what are you waiting for, get a pair while they’re still available. Seriously, if you already own the Aeon 2 Noire, then I do not think the Noire X provide enough of an upgrade to justify the expense, unless the $800-$1100 means little to you. If, however, you have neither and are undecided, then buy the Noire X—you’ll be happy you did. Happy listening! Incidentally, I’m parting with both pair of my Sennheiser headphones…I can’t think of a reason to keep them. UPDATE: 02/16/26: I was attempting to put the folded headphones into the case the wrong way, which is why I was struggling. They are meant to go in upside down, and I was putting them in right side up. Still loving them. I think I’ve reached my endgame.

For context, I’ve owned every pair of Sony and Bose ANC headphones they’ve made going back 7-8 years. I have the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95, the Focal Bathys, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8, and you get the picture. I owned and returned the DCA Aeon 2 Noire because they didn’t fit properly. I also own two wired pair of Sennheiser headphones (the HD 600 & the HD 490 Pro) as well as the wired Sony MDR-M1. I paired the Noire X with an IPhone 14 Pro Max and a FiiO BTR17 DAC/Amp The BTR17 puts out 300 mw per channel when using a 4.4 mm balanced cable. The Noire X needs that power. Dan Clark Audio recommends a minimum of 250 mw per channel. Anything less and they won’t reach their potential and you’ll likely be disappointed. UPDATE: I’ve found that I feel like I need to run the BTR17 in desktop mode, which gives me 650 mw per channel to get the most out of them. They are very power-hungry. If you don’t already have a DAC/amp or a DAP that has sufficient power, then suck it up, do the research, and buy one. You’ll be happy you did. COMFORT They are the second-most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn (first are the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro, which I nearly prefer to wearing nothing!). The gigantic headband on the Noire X easily distributes the 385 grams over such a massive area that you never feel the weight. The self-tensioning headband makes them a pleasure to put on. The ear pads, which are glued on, are very soft and supple. They conform gently and nicely to your head. My ears fit completely inside without touching the cups. There is minimal, yet sufficient clamp force. It honestly feels like you’re not wearing anything. I’ve worn them for hours and never once felt fatigued or warm. SOUND I was blown away from the moment I put them on. These are the best-sounding headphones to which I’ve ever listened. I used the BTR17’s preset EQ and tuned them to the Harman curve. I have flip flopped between that setting and an EQ bypass, but the upper treble needed a lot of taming. So I used preset Harman settings and then went in with a scalpel and made some minor adjustments. The upper trebleI is not nearly as out of control as it is on the Aeon 2, but it is still a little spicy. I find the sound to be razor sharp, faster and more accurate than the Aeon 2’s sound, which already sounded excellent. I’m going to address the reviewer who complained about a lack of bass. First, don’t confuse percussion with bass. Next, did you give the cans sufficient power to drive them? I’ve found that the recommended 250 mw is probably too light, especially if you’re going to EQ them and need to create headroom. Also, are you used to a dynamic driver? Planars won’t hit like a dynamic driver, but they will punch when the music calls for it, and the bass you do get will be faster, sharper and not at all muddy. It’s blissfully more accurate. But if you’re used to Bose or Sony’s latest Bluetooth offering, then it will take some getting used to before you realize that what you had been listening to had bloated, turbid bass. I used Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” to do an A/B test between my Bose QC Ultra and the Noire X. No comparison. I also used a song off of Katy Perry’s Unplugged album. If I try and post the title, which includes the word “kissed”, the review may not get published. Anyway, the song begins with a very deep string instrument. It’s a great song to test your gear. The Noire X got very low, yet handled it like a champ. I also sampled “Oh, Me” by Nirvana (Unplugged album). The Noire X resolved the very low frequencies without ever sounding muddy. The Bose, with a flat signal, sounded bloated and muddy, but, yes, they may make the Noire X initially seem like they lack bass. If you’re used to a dynamic driver, then be a little patient and give your ears some time to adjust to the Noire X and you’ll appreciate their accuracy. There is one drawback to a pair of headphones that sound this good, and that’s that GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) really applies. There is no cure for a retched recording. In other words, the music that is produced very well will sound incredible, however, when music is horribly produced, the Noire X seemingly accentuate the inadequacies. That’s just the unfortunate reality of a pair of high-quality headphones. They are revealing, and that’s both good and bad. My daily drivers had been divided between my Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the HD 600.. There’s no comparison: the Noire X sound so much better than either. By way of comparison, the Noire X have a soundstage somewhere between the intimate 600 and the expansive 490 Pro. I’ve found the Noire X to be pretty expansive for closed-back headphones. The Noire X have better instrument separation, are more detailed, and just sound more refined. Going from those two Sennheiser to the Noire X is like going from a TV with 1080 resolution to 4K. I don’t know how else to describe it. BUILD QUALITY They are built like a tank. Yes, the cups are fingerprint magnets. Either use the provided microfiber cloth to clean the cups, or try to avoid touching them. My only complaint about their build is that sometimes I get frustrated trying to fold them just right so they fit into their case…I’m quibbling. If that’s the worst thing I can say about these, then what are you waiting for, get a pair while they’re still available. Seriously, if you already own the Aeon 2 Noire, then I do not think the Noire X provide enough of an upgrade to justify the expense, unless the $800-$1100 means little to you. If, however, you have neither and are undecided, then buy the Noire X—you’ll be happy you did. Happy listening! Incidentally, I’m parting with both pair of my Sennheiser headphones…I can’t think of a reason to keep them. UPDATE: 02/16/26: I was attempting to put the folded headphones into the case the wrong way, which is why I was struggling. They are meant to go in upside down, and I was putting them in right side up. In other words, the “noire” on the headband should be upside down. I was recently on a well-known discussion board and had the opportunity to chat with someone who owns the DCA Stealth (a $4500 set of cans). He also owns the Noire X. He told me to be very happy with my Noire X, which he described as 85-90% as good as the stealth, but for about 1/4 the price. I think I’ve reached my endgame. The Noire X are that good. If you’ve found this review has helped you, then please click the ”helpful” button so that I know I’m on the right track with the info I’m providing. Thank you UPDATE 03/10/26: For only $135 I have added an Apos Gremlin to the mix, and have taken things to a whole new level. The Gremlin is a hybrid tube/solid state amp that puts out 1250 mw of Class A, fully-balanced power. With it being a hybrid, it has the necessary current to drive a pair of planar magnetic headphones. The Gremlin adds warmth texture, and soul to my music that was missing from the FiiO BTR17, which is very neutral. The Noire X LOVES the clean power the Gremlin puts out. I’m falling in love with my music all over again. I cannot think of a better way to improve your sound for just $135.

I bought these for work since I am in an open office environment. Ironically, it's been really hard to do work when wearing these because they are so distractingly good. They are dynamic, lively and crystal clear. It's like sound just comes out of a still black void. I realize the name Noire here is referring to a dark, warm sound but I would say it is only mildly warm. There is plenty of air in the higher notes. Rather, I wonder if Noire here refers to how quiet and black the background - like a high quality OLED. I am coming from hifimans which are great, but the Noire just sounds more coherent and clear. I had a chance to hear the DCA Stealth and those sounded great as well, but didn't quite capture my attention like the Noire do.

(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.