San Diego-based Dan Clark Audio, previously known as Mr Speakers, has just launched its newly enhanced Aeon 2 headphone, the successor to the acclaimed planar-magnetic Aeon design.
Like its predecessor, the new Aeon 2 headphone comes in two versions: open and closed. Both still sport many of the key elements that made the original Aeon model so popular, however these new editions are “colossal performance upgrades” says Dan Clark, to the extent of being entirely new products.
State-of-the-art tech: for soul-stirring sound
The Aeon 2, a planar-magnetic design, features an all-new motor assembly directly derived from Dan Clark’s award-winning Ether 2 headphone. The new motor flips the magnet and flow structure to behind the driver diaphragm, and uses the same high-precision machined airflow system as the flagship Ether 2, removing air gaps to improve internal airflow. New audiophile voicing gives a warmer, fuller tone in the closed model, and a leaner lower midrange in the open one, as well as a much larger soundstage in both, while superior driver damping augments resolution and dynamics and delivers a smoother frequency response.
Compact and clever: for ultra portability
While the original Aeon was designed as a full-size headphone for listening at home or on the move, the new Aeon 2 makes it easier than ever to take audiophile quality music wherever you go. Dan Clark and his team have developed a clever folding gimbal system that not only makes portability a breeze, but also improves the clamping, fit, feel and structural integrity of the entire headphone. Unlike most designs, which fold by inverting the cups and tilting them towards the headband, the Aeon 2 goes a different way: joints on each side allow the headband to collapse on the top of the cups.
“This elegant mechanism deserved a custom designed case,” says Dan Clark. The Aeon 2’s form-fitting protective case also fits your cable of choice and takes up half the room in your bag compared with the original Aeon.
Lightweight yet rigid: for comfort and strength
Ultra-lightweight and highly rigid carbon fibre baffle plates serve as the base for the driver, and the driver assembly is mounted onto an extruded aluminium frame, resulting in a lighter and more rigid design than the original Aeon.
Both the open and closed models weigh in at an impressively light 327g (without cable).
Importantly, the Aeon 2 looks and feels great to use. It comes in a striking, dark-red tone, and its leather headband and ear pads are soft and very comfortable. The clamping force has that ‘just right’ quality: not face-ache inducing, but firm enough for the ‘phones to feel securely positioned on your head.
And if you’re worried that all of this must mean a significantly higher price tag, you can rest easy. Dan Clark’s ethos of delivering outstanding craftsmanship and performance at extremely competitive prices remains firmly intact.
Pricing and availability
Dan Clark Audio’s Aeon 2 headphones are available now, priced at £900 (including VAT; price applies to each of the open and the closed models).
