Sound Impressions
Summary
The Noire is not the AEON 2 Closed V1.1. This is quite a different sound signature with a cleaner tone and a more expensive staging quality compared to the richer more intimate delivery of the AEON 2.
The central thrust of the new tuning is how close it mimics the Harman Target Response Curve and it largely does but with just a few quirks. The first is on the low-end with a slightly emphasized 80-100Hz peak and just minor roll-off below 50Hz but nothing too heavy. The second deviation is around the 3k and 5k marker with just a shade more emphasis than the curve normally offers.
The original AEON 2 sub-bass response does not deviate much from the Noire sub-50Hz. However, its mid-bass bump around 100Hz seems a little more prolonged with more elevation around 300Hz compared to the Noire’s quicker drop around 200Hz.
That means the AEON 2 Closed carries a little more warmth with it into the lower-mids whereas the Noire is comparatively more neutral-sounding in the same region.
In all other areas of the stock tuning, the Noire does largely follow the response curve though due to the peak at 100Hz the drop into 200Hz is a bit more abrupt. Following the curve also means a very gentle rise into the mids to around 1k of not more than a few dB and then a fairly pronounced presence and lower-treble region from 2-5k.
There is a minor drop around the 4k marker but it’s nothing like the AEON 2 Closed’s original mids FR which is far more relaxed offering less elevation into the lower-treble and more fade post 5k.
Timbre
With the above adjustments, the Noire delivers what I consider to be a comparatively lighter and cooler midrange timbre with a more ethereal high contrast quality compared to the AEON 2 Closed.
The original has a more weighted focus sub-1K pulling your ear further down into the mids and bass response with a broader richer texture steeped in a strong fundamental with even-harmonic overtones. Instruments and vocals have plenty of sustain, a wetter decay, and a softer attack.
The Noire’s comparative constraint through the upper bass and lower-mids combined with that peakier upper mids and treble response delivers a livelier but cleaner tone. It offers better instrumental separation, perhaps a more noticeable level of articulation on the highs but also less body through the mids.
The harmonic bias is a little more on the upper over the even with a firm attack, a perceived pacier transient response but a drier shorter decay, particularly through the upper mids. Percussion has more energy and will sound livelier but on some sources, it will convey a slight harmonic dissonance that might require a studied matching process to get the balance just right.
The tuning pads are a big help in that regard if you are unable to swap the source and amp around to suit your own listening preferences. You can read about what each one does further down this review but usually the white or felt black pads are ideal if you want a softer upper-mids or treble performance from the Noire.
Staging
The Noire delivers a more expansive airy soundstage over the original closed-back AEON 2. I would not say that the Noire is heavier or more aggressive on the low-end, in fact, I find it relatively controlled but rather the separation from bass to mids is greater with more treble extension to create that stronger perception of space.
With the flatter lower-mids and greater bass to mids separation, lower-pitching instruments are pushed back to a more neutral position in favor of the elevated upper mids presence and the mid-bass punch.
Though relatively forward to my ears, there is far less of an elevation on the AEON 2 from 1-5k compared to the Noire. If a high pitching vocal hits the 3k marker on the Noire it is going to sound very vivid, strong, and clean whereas the AEON 2 has a good presence but not quite as laser-focused.
Generally, the AEON 2 offers a more relaxed staging quality and a more intimate midrange and slightly less top-end air or treble extension compared to the Noire.
Tuning Pads
It is not a DCA creation if there no tuning pads, that is the audio law. In the case of the Noire, we get the classic triple combo of white pads, black felt pads, and lighter foam pads.
Primarily, the pads seem to target the upper mids and treble presence which in turn alters the midrange timbre from clean and cool to somewhat warm and smooth sounding. You can instantly tell the change when you swap them around after a few minutes of listening to each one. The white pads I find to be the most dramatic in terms of how they change the sound.
White Pads
The white pads will drop the elevation through the mids and treble a bit more to create a smoother sound. I think treble-sensitive people will want to use these if their source and amp are clean, to begin with.
My only reservation with the white pads is the effect on vocals. Since the staging has a more ‘distant’ quality than the original the softening of the response might seem slightly veiled compared to the non-stock sound.
My own take was I actually preferred not to have the white pads in and change to a more suited source instead for tweaking to preserve the vivid clear mids the Noire can offer. One such combo was the iBasso DX300 which I think is just perfect with the Noire. You can read more about that on page 2.
Black Felt Pads
The black felt pads do drop the upper mids and treble a bit also compared to the stock tuning but are a bit more subtle compared to the white pads and do a better job of keeping the mids clarity on the Noire. I would suggest using these for just some minor tweaking compared to the stronger white pads effect.
Black Foam Pads
The black foams are very subtle, as was the case with their use on the AEON 2 Closed. They seem to be more about shaving off a little treble sparkle but not by a huge amount. You will notice it a bit more on hi-hats where the attack is a bit more blunted sounding and the stock signature has more bite in the percussion timbre.
Synergy
Portability
DCA has ditched a typical rating system for impedance and SPL on their new website design. However, this is still an AEON 2 closed-back internally so the 13Ω and 92dB SPL rating should still apply.
That does mean that despite its relative portability and 3.5mm terminated DUMMER cable, the Noire does need plenty of juice to sound optimal.
If you are coming from the 100dB SPL of the LCD-2 Closed Back you do need marginally more current though the LCD-2 Closed Back 70Ω impedance rating is considerably higher. Dynamic driver headphones such as the costlier Hifiman HE-R10P are easier to drive but at 32Ω and 103dB SPL that should not be surprising.
My relative sweet spot with the AEON series for a good synergy has typically been around 1W into 32Ω and the Noire is no different in that regard.
Previously, a lot of top-tier DAPs might have struggled with that but with recent releases capable of hitting that 1W and above such as the balanced output of the iBasso DX300 and the HiBy R8 balanced Turbo mode then going portable with the Noire is within reach.
If you do intend to use a DAP or portable amp with the Noire then I do suggest you get the DUMMER terminated with 4.4mm or 2.5mm TRRS. Going SE will reduce a lot of potential output power and channel separation so going balanced is ideal. Upgrading to VIVO balanced is even better for the dynamic range and overall clarity but that’s an additional $200.
DAP Pairings
As far as DAP pairings go testing was done with the HiBy R8, iBasso DX300, and FiiO’s M15. All three matched my own personal criteria in terms of the minimum output power of around 800mW to 1.2W into 32Ω with the gain set to ‘high’.
Out of those three, the DX300 was tailor-made for the Noire in terms of timbral synergy and dynamic range. The DX300 is a smooth, slightly relaxed stock sound with a very expansive staging quality. That is perfect for the stock performance of the Noire.
You do not need to try the tuning pads with this combo because the warm analog sound of the DX300 introduces a mild liquid overtone to the Noire top-end and upper-mids without any loss of detail. You get the same vivid energy, the same expansive soundstage but with reduced sibilance and less of a metallic aftertaste.
The FiiO M15 was a little too bright in the treble when paired with the Noire without the white tuning pads. It is already quite a clean sound signature and though I loved the separation and definition on the low-end the sibilance and harmonic dissonance on percussion timbre and soprano vocals sounded unnatural to me.
A middle path between both of these DAPs is the R8. With the Turbo mode, you get excellent dynamic range from the Noire and a hefty full sounding low-end. You also get a bit of enhanced warmth from that bass response which is enjoyable.
However, it is not quite as smooth over the percussion as the DX300 with a slightly sharper response though not as bright as the M15. The black felt pads should tidy up that slightly abrasive upper mids.
Desktop Pairings
I tested the Noire with 5 different amplifiers and DAC sources including the Chord TT2, the Rupert Neve RNHP, the Violectric V590, and the Bakoon’s current mode HPA-01.
Source matching did play a fairly critical role in each amp’s performance. For example, the line out of the iBasso DX300 was excellent sounding very balanced and spacious with the Bakoon HPA0-1 current mode amplifier.
Typically, the current mode output of this amp is quite neutral and clean but with the Noire pairing using the DX300 source, it was a lot smoother and yet still very detailed and articulate.
The Rupert Neve RHNP can also get a nice timbral match with the DX300 as the source. However, this setup turned a little on the clinical side with the Cayin N6ii/E02 as a source instead. The RNHP can be a fairly transparent amplifier but overall it should create a fairly punchy sound with the Noire.
The TT2 stole the show in terms of dynamic range and the sheer crazy amount of detail you can get out of the Noire. The dynamic range was excellent but the focus shifted a little more to the midrange in terms of presence with excellent instrumental separation, speed, and clarity.
The top-end still showed a little bit of that aggression but not as much as I thought might be the case. I tended to insert the black felt pads with this pairing for a good harmonic balance. The white pads are not necessary actually and dull the sound a bit too much with this pairing.
R2R
If you are after a pure desktop system with a very smooth synergy with the Noire then I highly recommend the Musician Audio Pegasus R2R DAC behind your amplifier of choice for the same reasoning as the DX300.
In our test scenario with the Violectric V590 using its internal delta-sigma dual AK4490 DAC the performance tended to emphasize those upper mids on the Noire with the tone a little on the hard and clean side.
Switching to the Pegasus introduced some lovely body and smoothness to vocal and instrumental timbre with those upper-mids sounding perfectly balanced for my tastes.
This is a much better solution than using the tuning pads for my money which tend to smooth over the vocals as well as the treble. You lose none of the vivid detail but gain a very solid harmonic balance across the range.
Click on page 3 below for select comparisons
