I found that the black felt inserts (which may be ordered from Mr. Speakers direct) added back the missing bass without sacrificing the midrange or treble tonality. If you still have these headphones on hand I would highly recommend trying them.
Unfortunately I no longer have them as they were loaned to me for review purposes. Are the felt inserts that you're talking about the same as the filters that were released a few months back,or something else entirely?
Hey Ryan, Unfortunately I havent had the chance to hear either of those Beyers. Back in the day I had the T1,DT770 and DT990 and none of them really did it for me,so I have sorta missed out on the later Beyer releases.
Two very different sounding headphones. It would depend upon what other headphones you have in your collection,and personal preferences. The AFC is quite neutral,with stellar tonality and supreme comfort. The Aeolus is a warmer,fun sounding headphone,with lots of slam and lovely mids. If you already own neutral headphones,or if you like extra but tasteful bass grab the Aeolus. If you already have other bassy headphones and you want to add something more neutral sounding to your collection,grab the AFC. Both are excellent,and compliment each other very well.
HeadKarma I have the 650 at the moment. Demo-ed the AFC and liked everything abt it but the lack of oomph made it sound less emotional. Hence was thinking of the AFO. Aeolus was highly recommended by a friend as a 650 on steroids lol
HeadKarma very tough decision. I know the Aeolus is abt 1.5times the price but god it looks so good too. Is it a bigger step up from 650 than from 650 to Aeon Flow?
@@TheMightyMedia I still havent heard the AFO. Regarding the AFC,and which is a "bigger step up",I cant answer that for you. At the end of the day,regardless of price,if you dont like a particular headphone's sound,then whats the point in buying it? I will say the AFC is a bigger departure from the HD650s sound. If youre looking to diversify your collection I'd take the AFC,but again if you've heard it already,and didnt like some aspects of it,then I think you already know which to get.
@HeadKarma / Monsterzero - I stumbled across your reviews, and am also a metal-head. I've been scouring the web for reviews on closed-backs; in your opinion, if you had to go with a closed back what would you choose for metal? I've currently got an HD 569, but even with amp (Apogee Groove) and software eq (EqualizerPro / Peace) I'm souring on the sound. I'm a musician and really appreciate liveliness & soundstage (the closed back set I'm searching for would be to enjoy music - not studio monitors). There just aren't a lot of options in closed backs. I'm hesitant here because of the bass-lite quality, but I'm close to pulling the trigger anyhow and hopeful I can eq the lows up. Thank you!
Hey Wave,thanks for the comment/question. The AFC sound great,but as I mentioned in my review the lack of bass and texture do not lend themselves to metal. There's no "chunk" to guitars,and no slam to bass/drum hits. You might be able to EQ some thump back into the mix,but youre still left without texture,which kills the aggressive nature of metal. Next you mention soundstage as an important factor. Metal generally doesnt have a lot of staging,at least the metal I listen to. Also closed backs typically have less staging than open backs. If you're using these at home I'd consider an open back if you want to get the most staging out of your next set. Without knowing your desired usage(home or away)genres of metal and budget its hard for me to make a good recommendation,but heres three to check out: $ no object for home use: ZMF Atticus + Glenn tube amp,or another top quality OTL. Budget friendly for home use: AKG K240 Sextett (MP)+ vintage receiver---check my Sextett review. For on the go Meze 99 Classic or Neo Hope this helps Monster
@@headkarma Thank you for the detailed information! I am an office worker, and need something that is closed-back to enjoy music for 2-4 hours a day while I'm away from home at work but does not disturb my co-workers and is discreet (professional) if they happen to walk by or enter my office. Cost is not an issue (of course we're all looking for a good value) however and I was happy to see the Aeon Closed for $800; My main requirement is over-ear & closed-back to be discreet. In my research I have found how far behind the Closed-Back market is compared to Open or Semi-Open. I really enjoyed the review you had of the Sextett and am certainly considering that for a home upgrade when the time comes. I was also excited to see other reviews on the new Ether 2 open-back, but that would be down the road as I'm looking to enjoy my office set most for now as I started w/ the HD569 but am souring on the sound. FWIW My home pair is the HD 598 and I do really enjoy that for a budget home open-back phone. Genres, well - my favorite bands are Metallica, NIN, Led Zeppelin, Pantera, Deftones, Stone Temple Pilots to name a few. I also enjoy newer stuff from The Ocean, Vexes, Azusa, Intronaut, Pelican, Between the Buried and Me, Animals as Leaders, Cloudkicker. Maybe there are some fun artists in there to check out. Thanks for your help!
@@wave640 For $800.00 you can get a pair of Meze 99s,a pair of Sextetts AND a decent mid watt vintage receiver and still come in at around $800.00,and be set up for home and at the office. To surpass what I get from the sextetts and old receiver I have spent $2500.00 on gear,and I still enjoy the hell out of the Sextetts. I listen to a lot of what you described above--Thin Lizzy,Deep Purple,Sabbath,Pink Floyd,Queen,Zeppelin,Hendrix,Alice Cooper,Beatles,Stones,etc... Metal--Classic stuff--Priest,Motorhead ,Maiden,Accept,Angel Witch,Witchfynde,Riot,Saxon,etc... Newer Metal--Agalloch,Unleash the Archers,Gygax,Niche,I/Immortal, Tyrptikon,Tulsadoom,Amon Amarth,Dawnbringer,Falkenbach,Windhand,Royal Thunder,Ruby the Hatchet,Alunah,etc... Also big into Blues,Folk,Americana
@@headkarma Excellent suggestion and I appreciate the time. The Meze 99 wasn't even on my radar, and I see the Neo version is only $200 currently. That's definitely something I can snatch up either way for fun and to check them out. I actually priced out a pair of the MP Sextett's on Ebay for $149 shipped. I'd have to read-up on classic amps and take a look at your review again for suggestions there! It would definitely be a lot of fun to have some vintage equipment at home. I run everything at home from my PC over Spotify (Premium subscription). Should I look at a pre-amp out like the Apogee Groove to interface between my PC and the classic amp/receiver? Any experience you can share with interfacing between PC and Legacy Gear? Thank you! Also, thanks for listing out some of your favorite artists! I'll check them out as I always enjoy delving into new music.
@@wave640 Yes. My system is a bit more complex,so dont think you NEED all these products but I run: PC>iFi USB3.0 Micro>Vinshine R2R Ref DAC/Amp>Gilmore Lite Mk ll/Glenn Studios OTL/Sansui 881>Focal Aria 905 speakers. Everything is plugged into a PS Audio Dectet power conditioner. iFi USB 3.0 cleans up the dirty USB signal,passing it thru to the Vinshine which is my DAC. Using Vampire splitters I send it out to my Gilmore Lite Mk ll,which I use to drive easy/low ohm headphones. My Glenn OTL drives my 250-600ohm headphones. T%he Sansui 881 I use only for the Sextetts and feeding my Focal speakers. To answer your question directly,you should always try to put a DAC in-line before the amp/receiver. The other gear I have is to fine tune and clean up the remaining noise.
When you say these have no bass, I immediately realized that I am normal. You see, many so called "respected reviewers" praised these headphones. I bought them used, and still I hated them. IMO, the bass is not anemic, its pathetic. And that's come not from a basshead. My all time fave hp is Sennheiser HD 580. Many consider HD 580 to be bass light. But when I could't hear John McVie' bass in many "Tango in the the night" songs, I knew immediately that its the headphone. When I couldn't hear bass in most songs in "The Language of Life" album from Everything but the girl, again its the headphone. Even Grado sr80e has much better low end for enjoying music than these. And then lastly, my decades old hd 580 has better mid than this. So I'm done with these so called 'Neutral" headphones. Thanks for your honest review sir
They are absolutely mindblowing for this price point. Just dont use stock cable, get some high quality silver one. Then you can hear the difference in details and perfection.
yeah, no texture. No bass. No bueno. You may want to check into the Aeon 2. Supposedly it has addressed the bass issue, but I cannot confirm as ive yet to hear a pair.
I found that the black felt inserts (which may be ordered from Mr. Speakers direct) added back the missing bass without sacrificing the midrange or treble tonality. If you still have these headphones on hand I would highly recommend trying them.
Unfortunately I no longer have them as they were loaned to me for review purposes.
Are the felt inserts that you're talking about the same as the filters that were released a few months back,or something else entirely?
Yeah there’s a pack you can purchase for $25 with four filter options. They should have really come with the headphones.
I did try those actually but they werent to my liking. Apparently there are new filters theyve released as well. Didnt get to try them.
These vs DT 1770 or 1990 bass...thoughts?
Hey Ryan,
Unfortunately I havent had the chance to hear either of those Beyers. Back in the day I had the T1,DT770 and DT990 and none of them really did it for me,so I have sorta missed out on the later Beyer releases.
Which do u prefer? this or aeolus..??
Two very different sounding headphones. It would depend upon what other headphones you have in your collection,and personal preferences.
The AFC is quite neutral,with stellar tonality and supreme comfort.
The Aeolus is a warmer,fun sounding headphone,with lots of slam and lovely mids.
If you already own neutral headphones,or if you like extra but tasteful bass grab the Aeolus.
If you already have other bassy headphones and you want to add something more neutral sounding to your collection,grab the AFC.
Both are excellent,and compliment each other very well.
HeadKarma I have the 650 at the moment. Demo-ed the AFC and liked everything abt it but the lack of oomph made it sound less emotional. Hence was thinking of the AFO. Aeolus was highly recommended by a friend as a 650 on steroids lol
@@TheMightyMedia that's a fair comparison your friend made
HeadKarma very tough decision. I know the Aeolus is abt 1.5times the price but god it looks so good too. Is it a bigger step up from 650 than from 650 to Aeon Flow?
@@TheMightyMedia I still havent heard the AFO.
Regarding the AFC,and which is a "bigger step up",I cant answer that for you. At the end of the day,regardless of price,if you dont like a particular headphone's sound,then whats the point in buying it?
I will say the AFC is a bigger departure from the HD650s sound. If youre looking to diversify your collection I'd take the AFC,but again if you've heard it already,and didnt like some aspects of it,then I think you already know which to get.
@HeadKarma / Monsterzero - I stumbled across your reviews, and am also a metal-head. I've been scouring the web for reviews on closed-backs; in your opinion, if you had to go with a closed back what would you choose for metal? I've currently got an HD 569, but even with amp (Apogee Groove) and software eq (EqualizerPro / Peace) I'm souring on the sound. I'm a musician and really appreciate liveliness & soundstage (the closed back set I'm searching for would be to enjoy music - not studio monitors). There just aren't a lot of options in closed backs. I'm hesitant here because of the bass-lite quality, but I'm close to pulling the trigger anyhow and hopeful I can eq the lows up. Thank you!
Hey Wave,thanks for the comment/question.
The AFC sound great,but as I mentioned in my review the lack of bass and texture do not lend themselves to metal. There's no "chunk" to guitars,and no slam to bass/drum hits. You might be able to EQ some thump back into the mix,but youre still left without texture,which kills the aggressive nature of metal.
Next you mention soundstage as an important factor. Metal generally doesnt have a lot of staging,at least the metal I listen to. Also closed backs typically have less staging than open backs. If you're using these at home I'd consider an open back if you want to get the most staging out of your next set.
Without knowing your desired usage(home or away)genres of metal and budget its hard for me to make a good recommendation,but heres three to check out:
$ no object for home use:
ZMF Atticus + Glenn tube amp,or another top quality OTL.
Budget friendly for home use:
AKG K240 Sextett (MP)+ vintage receiver---check my Sextett review.
For on the go
Meze 99 Classic or Neo
Hope this helps
Monster
@@headkarma Thank you for the detailed information! I am an office worker, and need something that is closed-back to enjoy music for 2-4 hours a day while I'm away from home at work but does not disturb my co-workers and is discreet (professional) if they happen to walk by or enter my office. Cost is not an issue (of course we're all looking for a good value) however and I was happy to see the Aeon Closed for $800; My main requirement is over-ear & closed-back to be discreet. In my research I have found how far behind the Closed-Back market is compared to Open or Semi-Open. I really enjoyed the review you had of the Sextett and am certainly considering that for a home upgrade when the time comes. I was also excited to see other reviews on the new Ether 2 open-back, but that would be down the road as I'm looking to enjoy my office set most for now as I started w/ the HD569 but am souring on the sound. FWIW My home pair is the HD 598 and I do really enjoy that for a budget home open-back phone. Genres, well - my favorite bands are Metallica, NIN, Led Zeppelin, Pantera, Deftones, Stone Temple Pilots to name a few. I also enjoy newer stuff from The Ocean, Vexes, Azusa, Intronaut, Pelican, Between the Buried and Me, Animals as Leaders, Cloudkicker. Maybe there are some fun artists in there to check out. Thanks for your help!
@@wave640
For $800.00 you can get a pair of Meze 99s,a pair of Sextetts AND a decent mid watt vintage receiver and still come in at around $800.00,and be set up for home and at the office. To surpass what I get from the sextetts and old receiver I have spent $2500.00 on gear,and I still enjoy the hell out of the Sextetts.
I listen to a lot of what you described above--Thin Lizzy,Deep Purple,Sabbath,Pink Floyd,Queen,Zeppelin,Hendrix,Alice Cooper,Beatles,Stones,etc...
Metal--Classic stuff--Priest,Motorhead ,Maiden,Accept,Angel Witch,Witchfynde,Riot,Saxon,etc...
Newer Metal--Agalloch,Unleash the Archers,Gygax,Niche,I/Immortal, Tyrptikon,Tulsadoom,Amon Amarth,Dawnbringer,Falkenbach,Windhand,Royal Thunder,Ruby the Hatchet,Alunah,etc...
Also big into Blues,Folk,Americana
@@headkarma Excellent suggestion and I appreciate the time. The Meze 99 wasn't even on my radar, and I see the Neo version is only $200 currently. That's definitely something I can snatch up either way for fun and to check them out. I actually priced out a pair of the MP Sextett's on Ebay for $149 shipped. I'd have to read-up on classic amps and take a look at your review again for suggestions there! It would definitely be a lot of fun to have some vintage equipment at home. I run everything at home from my PC over Spotify (Premium subscription). Should I look at a pre-amp out like the Apogee Groove to interface between my PC and the classic amp/receiver? Any experience you can share with interfacing between PC and Legacy Gear? Thank you! Also, thanks for listing out some of your favorite artists! I'll check them out as I always enjoy delving into new music.
@@wave640
Yes. My system is a bit more complex,so dont think you NEED all these products but I run:
PC>iFi USB3.0 Micro>Vinshine R2R Ref DAC/Amp>Gilmore Lite Mk ll/Glenn Studios OTL/Sansui 881>Focal Aria 905 speakers. Everything is plugged into a PS Audio Dectet power conditioner.
iFi USB 3.0 cleans up the dirty USB signal,passing it thru to the Vinshine which is my DAC. Using Vampire splitters I send it out to my Gilmore Lite Mk ll,which I use to drive easy/low ohm headphones. My Glenn OTL drives my 250-600ohm headphones. T%he Sansui 881 I use only for the Sextetts and feeding my Focal speakers.
To answer your question directly,you should always try to put a DAC in-line before the amp/receiver. The other gear I have is to fine tune and clean up the remaining noise.
I have these. Pull out a screw driver and tighten the clamps.
When you say these have no bass, I immediately realized that I am normal. You see, many so called "respected reviewers" praised these headphones. I bought them used, and still I hated them. IMO, the bass is not anemic, its pathetic. And that's come not from a basshead. My all time fave hp is Sennheiser HD 580. Many consider HD 580 to be bass light. But when I could't hear John McVie' bass in many "Tango in the the night" songs, I knew immediately that its the headphone. When I couldn't hear bass in most songs in "The Language of Life" album from Everything but the girl, again its the headphone. Even Grado sr80e has much better low end for enjoying music than these. And then lastly, my decades old hd 580 has better mid than this. So I'm done with these so called 'Neutral" headphones. Thanks for your honest review sir
It’s an anaemic amp. Don’t be fooled by the 13 ohm impedance, these require tons of current
They are absolutely mindblowing for this price point. Just dont use stock cable, get some high quality silver one. Then you can hear the difference in details and perfection.
Bad for metal? Urgh.
yeah, no texture. No bass. No bueno.
You may want to check into the Aeon 2. Supposedly it has addressed the bass issue, but I cannot confirm as ive yet to hear a pair.
@@headkarma So hard to find a decent closed back, especially under 1K.
@@therazmatazz732 Have you looked into the ZMF Atticus?
@@headkarma That would definitely be an endgame for me. Can't afford it currently. (:
Maybe the RT version of these is better with metal now?