MrSpeakers Aeon Closed Back Headphone Review

MrSpeakers is one of those small companies which gets some big attention; not content with their excellent Ether models, they’re back with another design! The MrSpeakers Aeon is a slight departure from the norm, as MrSpeakers has elected to go with some teardrop-shaped earcups for this one. Perhaps they’re designed to match the tears currently falling down our cheeks.. but are they tears of pure frisson, or rage?

Pros:

• Light and comfortable
• Excellent sound for a closed back
• Tuning/modding foam included
• Isolation impressive

Cons:

• Nothing worth mentioning!

Design and Appearance

Much like its MrSpeakers forebears, the Aeon is a light and thoughtfully constructed headphone with ‘memory metal’ headband and a decent real leather strap. The earcups are mostly plastic with metal housings for the drivers; it’s all rock solid though, despite the low weight of the Aeon.

Durability and Build Quality

There’s not a lot to go wrong with the design; there are no hinges which can sometimes give trouble eventually, and the sturdy case supplied with the headphones will protect them well between uses. The ‘Dummer’ cable is about 1.8m long and is much like those we’ve seen on the previous Ether models; fabric coated and substantial enough without becoming too cumbersome.

Comfort

Comfort is not an issue with the MrSpeakers Aeon; these are very light for what they do and can be worn for many hours. Clamping force may be more noticeable but the soft pads ensure that no pressure points announce themselves.

Suitability for intended application

The Aeon is primarily intended for the home or office, but wouldn’t look out of place outdoors. The Aeon is a little hard to drive with portable equipment so a separate amp may be required for this, or a capable player. The isolation on the Aeon is quite impressive so it could be a worthwhile thing to try.

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Sound Characteristics

At first listen the Aeon is quite a neutral-sounding headphone; nothing sticks out too much and there are no obvious dips in the frequency response. After a while though, the Aeon’s character starts to come through. MrSpeakers has also included some small foam pads to modify the sound somewhat; this fills in the upper bass and smooths upper midrange frequencies a bit if needed.

• Bass

Bass starts with a bump, and the sub bass is really rather nice; a lot of what certain tracks require is just waiting in the wings and pops out to make a great bottom end. Further up towards the upper reaches of the bass, there is a feeling that more presence would be good as it meets the midrange but it’s slight. Overall the bass is tight and well behaved, giving a solid feeling to proceedings.

• Mids

Midrange is extremely clear and revealing; it has a natural and loose feel to it which is impressive for a closed-back model. It has a well balanced quality which is not too hard, nor too lush. There’s no issue with sibilance here either, despite the impression that midrange is fully present within the tuning of the MrSpeakers Aeon.

• Treble

Up at the top, there’s good extension and a decent amount of sparkle although there is no obvious emphasis here; treble continues on from midrange without any problem. Cymbals are rendered very well with decent detail, and attacks are good and sharp.

• Soundstage and Separation

We keep needing to remind ourselves that this is a closed-back headphone; the soundstage is very impressive indeed with great depth too. Imaging and separation are excellent, making a very entertaining and enjoyable headphone.

Music genres good for and why

Many genres were tried and none failed to hit the mark. Classical is treated with delicacy, hip hop is thrown down, and jazz gets playful. The MrSpeakers Aeon handles it all equally well!

Summary

MrSpeakers’ Aeon is a very capable headphone which is worthy of the high price, and equally suitable for use outdoors as well as relaxing at home.

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