DROP + Dan Clark Audio Aeon Open X & Aeon Closed X

A Twin Collaboration For the Win?

PROS: One of most comfortable headphones designs in the world, excellent build quality for the price, highly attractive design, good selection of materials for parts, extremely comfortable earpads and headband design with ideal clamp force. Closed X – Revealing tonality, engaging, excellent technical performance for the price – open and spacious sounding soundstage, micro-detail retrieval, L-R separation and layering. Open X – North of neutral fuller bodied presentation for people who like fuller sounding laid-back headphones.

CONS: Extra airy upper-treble boosts though fun could’ve been lower in both headphones to make for more neutral headphones and in line with reference tuning. Closed X – Warmer lower-treble and extra airy in the top end. Open X – Needs a wide band cut from 60-500Hz to sound in line with reference accuracy as it otherwise adds a bit of boom, bloom and mud.

About Dan Clark Audio.

Dan Clark is a renowned audio engineer who has been working in the high-end audio market for more than 20 years. In founding Dan Clark Audio, his mission was simple: to create high-quality headphones that allow listeners to experience incredible audio and nothing less. To that end, headphones should also deliver exceptional comfort, because—as Dan says—uncomfortable headphones “get in the way of musical enjoyment the same way a terrible seat at a concert venue detracts from a live performance.” With a history as a community modder, Dan strives for continual improvement and makes upgrades available whenever possible.

Official Website – Aeon Open X ($499) | Aeon Closed X ($499)

Technical Specifications.

Aeon Closed X

Drop + Dan Clark Audio
Headphone type: Closed-back
Ear coupling: Over ear
Individually serialized
Drivers: V-Planar planar magnetic, matched (0.6 dB, 100 Hz – 8 kHz)
Efficiency: 91dB/mW
Impedance: 12.5 ohms
Headband material: NiTinol memory metal
Earcup material: Plastic frame, genuine carbon fiber inserts
Earpad material: Japanese protein leather (removable)
Input connector: Hirose 4-pin
Cable: DUMMER 4-pin (3.5 mm) to ¼ in (6.35 mm) , 6’5″ (2 m) long
Weight (without cable): 11.5 oz (326 g)
2 year manufacturers warranty
Made in San Diego, CA

Aeon Open X

Drop + Dan Clark Audio
Open-back headphones
Individually serialized
Drivers: V-Planar planar magnetic, matched +/- 1.5 dB 30 Hz–5 kHz
Efficiency: 94dB/mW
Impedance: 13 ohms
Headband material: NiTinol memory metal
Ear cup material: Plastic frame, genuine carbon fiber inserts
Earpad material: Japanese protein leather (removable)
Input connector: Hirose 4-pin
Cable: DUMMER 4-pin (3.5 mm) to ¼ in (6.35 mm) , 6’5″ (2 m) long
Weight (without cable): 11.5 oz (326 g)
Made in San Diego, CA

In the box.

Headphones
Carrying case
DUMMER cable with 1/4” termination
Tuning foam inserts

DROP’s collaborative changes.

Aeon Open X.

As per DROP, they listened closely to Aeon Open X’s predecessors and inputs from their community of audiophiles to create this collaboration model. Experimenting with the dampening paper covering the drivers, DROP opted to use fewer plys, creating a more even tone. To add a bit more air and extension, they used the same partially fenestrated earpads featured on the Aeon Flow 2, minimizing sound reflection back into the ear. This resulted in a wider and clearer audio presentation.

DROP + DCA Aeon Open & Closed X Driver

Aeon Closed X.

The first thing DROP team wanted to improve in Aeon Closed X over the Flow Series was the soundstage. Like the Aeon Open X, DROP added partially fenestrated earpads and reduced driver dampening to even the tone, minimize reverberation and add a bit more air and extension. With carefully selected earcups, the individually serialized Aeon Closed X gives listeners the best of both builds: closed-back isolation with an open-back-caliber soundstage. They worked closely with Dan Clark Audio to ensure that the new closed-back design didn’t obstruct the widened soundstage. At the same time, they achieved substantial passive noise isolation with closed-back earcups—making the Aeon Closed X a great choice for listening at home or on the go.

Picture Courtesy – DROP

Build Quality and Design.

Both headphones have the same ear cup and headband design and fit, and the main difference between them is one being an open back and the other a closed back. Both have high quality plastic ear cups but the Open X has a nice honeycomb grill design while the Closed X has a nice carbon fibre plate design. The headband is made of Nitinol (Nickel and Titanium), which is widely used in the dentistry for braces and as files to clean and shape the root canals during the root canal procedure. The headpad is made of leather is quite comfortable. The ear pads are made of Japanese protein leather and are removable. They follow the shape of the ear cups, designed to the shape of an ear and are well padded for a comfortable wearing experience.

Picture Courtesy – DROP

Cable – Both headphones come with 2m cable with Hirose push pull connectors, 3.5mm jack and a 3.5mm to 1/4″ adapter. The cable is soft and does its job. No complaints there. I just wish they had included a balanced cable as stock.

Hirose Push Pull Connectors

Case – I really dig the Dan Clark headphone cases and this stock case is no different. It fits the headphones and has a pouch for the cable too.

Picture Courtesy – DROP

Fit and Comfort.

I think every headphone manufacturer should learn from Dan Clark and make their ear cups to the shape of an ear! The earpads engulf the whole ear and are very well cushioned. Both the headphone are extremely comfortable and have one of the best headphone wearing experiences. They are light, the ear cups are well padded for one’s ear to not touch the driver assembly and the headband has just the right amount of clamp force for them to remain comfortable for hours on an end. All in all, this is one of the best headphone designs in the world in my opinion.