Dan Clark Audio (DCA) Expanse

DCA Expanse​

Just over a year ago, I heard that Dan Clark Audio was releasing their newest flagship: the Expanse, an open version of the closed-back Stealth. I rather like my Aeon Closed RT, as well as the Stealth in stores, so I excitedly, and perhaps unwisely, bought a pair blind and hoped FedEx wouldn't lose it. According to the serial number, provided I'm reading it right, I got one of the first hundred units made. The Club DCA 15% discount is also a very generous (and smart) way to get returning customers like me and I wish more manufacturers would do something like it.

Build, Comfort, and Accessories​

I know I write a lot on build and comfort, but I feel it's for good reason; what point is there in sounding good if they fall apart after 3 months or can't be worn for more than half an hour?

Build:​

The Expanse, in classic DCA fashion, is built extraordinarily solidly. They simply make the best built headphones in the industry, across the entire price range from the $500 Aeon RT to the $4k flagships. Nothing creaks, clacks, or squeaks, and you can tell that the entire thing is built to last. The hinge that allows it to fold is smooth and (kinda) convenient. While the headband isn't real leather, it's an extremely high-quality synthetic leather - according to Dan it's a high-end Japanese protein leather and I'd fully believe it.
With clear attachment and screw points, the headphones should be serviceable for years to come. Although, after a year of use, mine show no signs deterioration so that shouldn’t be a concern for quite a while. Some pairs that I'd seen at shows did have slightly looser clamp forces, although this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

I even rather like the Hirose connectors they use, which makes 3rd party cables more expensive (and you’ll want one) but is overall a solid feeling and convenient connector.

Comfort:​

This yet another point where the Expanse, and all DCA headphones, shines. The earcups are large and spacious, and while the tips of my ears did touch the AMTS, it wasn't very noticeable and still quite comfortable. Additionally, despite being a fairly heavy pair of headphones, the headband and clamp does a good job of distributing it on your head. My only small complaint here would be that it's a little clampier than I'd like, but not enough to be uncomfortable or skull-crushing. Definitely a pair that can be worn all day with no issues.

Accessories:​

The Expanse will lose just a couple points here from me, as I would've expected more in the way of accessories for such an expensive pair of headphones. Despite being the price of a car’s down payment, in the box you'll only get: 1 Expanse, 1 carrying case, 1 VIVO cable, 1 3D-printed earcup separator, and a warranty card (and maybe a microfiber cloth that I’ve long since lost).
The positives:

• The carrying case is quite nice. It's about as compact as possible for the headphone size and has a sturdy hard shell. No pouch for accessories, but that's an understandable compromise for the size.
• The 3D printed piece that goes between the earcups is genuinely a really nice piece for preventing the earpads from compressing during storage.

The not-so-greats:

• The cable is quite mediocre. It's heavy, microphonic, slightly stiff, and drags on the headphones as a result. I'm using a Hart Audio cable that's frankly superior in every way (and costs 1/3 what DCA is charging for the VIVO on their site). At least a replacement cable barely moves the dial on % of MSRP.
• There just wasn't very much in the box. One fixed-termination cable and basically nothing else is quite disappointing. No second cable for different sources is a little unfortunate, especially given their low power sensitivity. And while the pads are fairly long lasting, the wear on my current ones would indicate a roughly 2-year lifespan so an extra pair would've been a nice touch. There wasn't even a little pouch to carry your cable and some loose accessories, which would've been nice since the case doesn't have any space for it.

Nothing quite horrible, just a little disappointing given the hefty price of the Expanse.

Sound Quality:

This is the real point of the review, the ultimate reason anyone should be buying $4k headphones. There’s no ANC, wireless tech, or even an attached power source to speak of here. The Expanse has exactly one job, and that’s to make sounds good. And boy do they deliver.
Overall, I would describe the Expanse as a well-balanced and neutral pair of headphones. The frequency response seems relatively flat throughout, with no part overpowering another. Moreover, I would disagree with a common assessment that the Expanse lacks dynamics – I think they’re plenty dynamic, and while not quite as bass punchy as other pairs (especially dynamic drivers), they sound extremely natural as a result. I think people have come to wrongly equate bass punch with dynamics and technical performance and as a result overlook many of the technical strengths that the Expanse and other DCA headphones have.

Bass:​

Starting from the bottom of the frequency response, the bass is the weakest part of the Expanse’s performance (although it’s not bad). I’d say the biggest issue here is that the mid bass can be a little subdued and not quite as present nor quite punchy as it could be. However, a great strength here is that the bass consistently sounds natural, especially with instrumental recordings. This is especially apparent with percussive drums; in orchestral pieces, like my go to of Octopath Traveler’s main theme, you can clearly feel the heft and thump of each drum. It sounds like a real, large, drum being hit, with the appropriate length of attack, echo, and decay that comes with it.


Additionally, the Expanse has very good subbass extension in a way that many other open backs don’t. In the Octopath main theme, you can clearly hear and feel the subbass permeating the hall / recording room the orchestra was in. Instead of the sensation of sitting in a room with a subwoofer, it feels more like you’re in the room with the instruments generating that subbass. This is especially apparent with piano tracks where you can hear the bass coming from the left side of the piano, but also feel a sense of presence throughout the recording space from it.

And none of this is to say that the Expanse has poor bass impact. In my classic bass test track, Hilight Tribe’s Free Tibet (Veni Vici Remix), bass hits are still clearly delineated from each other and there is never any blurring or bass bleed, and there is still a sense of impact with each bass note.

Mids:​

This is where the Expanse’s balanced tonality and great technical performance really come together to create an incredible experience. In general, vocals are placed close, in front of the various instruments, and never lost in the mix. Everything sounds right and like a real instrument or singer is there with you. It all has the perfect amount of lifelike texture without sounding overly gritty or sharp.

In a well recorded piece like Lisa and Uru’s Saikai – From THE FIRST TAKE or audiophile’s ol’ reliable Hotel California (Live on MTV, 1994), you can hear every minute fluctuation in the singer’s, every breath they take, and the natural texture of their voice. And yet, unlike headphones or IEMs with too much bass or treble, there is never the sensation of grit and too much texture. I’d remarked before that the IE600 made Miwa sound like she had a sore throat when recording Hikarie – From THE FIRST TAKE. That isn’t the case here with the Expanse. Instead, she sounds as expected – a singer with a more textured voice in the lower range.

Treble:​

Here, the treble is a natural extension of the midrange. With such a linear response, there aren’t any unnatural rises or dips throughout the mids and treble. As a voice rises and falls throughout the spectrum, you will be able to hear it rise as they project more and fall at the natural trailing ends of notes or breathes. This is in contrast to those with uneven mids and treble where they’ll randomly fade as the singer goes into a frequency where the headphones have a dip, then suddenly become overbearing as they go into a peak.

Despite being well extended into the upper treble, the Expanse never becomes sibilant or sharp and piercing. It’s well controlled, with the right amount of sparkle and reach in the treble.

Soundstage and Technical Performance:​

As I went on and on about above, the Expanse is a wonderfully natural sounding pair of headphones. The timbre and texture of everything is perfect, especially when it’s a more “natural” source like a live instrument or voice.

Outside of that, the Expanse also excels in soundstage width and separation. Every part of the track is clearly positioned around you with a distinct point in space. For something like Hotel California, it feels as though you are on stage with the band as they perform. I wish I knew guitars well enough to name them, but it’s incredible how clearly they are placed around you. The initial guitar clearly on your right and slightly behind, a hand drum to the front left with another to the front right, with the crowd behind and even slightly lower in height.

A similar sensation happens when listening to well recorded piano pieces. In those, you feel as though you were the one playing, with the keyboard in front of you clearly outlined by the gradient of keys going from low to high, left to right.

The Expanse also excels at separation between each piece of the track. Nothing ever becomes drowned out or lost in the mix, even in the busiest sections. As above, the clear soundstage helps with this as well.

I think the one point where the Expanse might lose points is that its soundstage tends more towards width and separation rather than depth. While it does a good job of placing things around you, and even placing them in clear layers, it doesn’t make things sound quite as distant. One way to describe it would be like you were on stage with the orchestra, instead of listening in the audience; while it’s all around you, and there are definitely layers, they’re all fairly close.

Even when there is echo in a song, such as Clapping Music (1972), you can tell that there is an echo, and that it’s bouncing off a wall in front of you, but it’s hard to tell how far away that wall is beyond “it’s in front and somewhat distant”. In orchestral tracks, where the percussion tends to be in the back, you can tell that they’re behind the various strings, but not really how far away they are.

Conclusion:​

I truly love the DCA Expanse. It’s not the most in your face bass or soundstage monster, but it’s an incredibly natural sounding pair of headphones that places you there amongst the band and envelopes you in the music. Everything sounds just right, like real voices and instruments are being played around you.

If possible, I’d encourage everyone to find a quiet place where you can demo them instead of the noisy show floor. When it’s just you, the Expanse, and your music, they really begin to shine.

At first I will point out that my English is not the best...so forgive me in advance for my mistakes.
I'm not a professional reviewer, just an audio enthusiast and I'm sharing my impressions here,
Of course, everything is completely subjective and this is my experience with the headphones.
That's it, now we can start!
Equipment used for the review:
dac: denafrips ares ii
amp: ferrum oor + hypsos
Let's start with the outer and least important parts,
packing:
It's a contact with a beautiful box with the Expanse logo shining and impressive, it's beautiful but not excessive,
Inside there are the headphones, of course, a nice little carrying case with the expanse logo, a good cable with a cotton sleeve that is smooth and pleasant to the touch and look, in addition you get inside the space of the headphones two solid blocks that protect the inside of the headphones,
How does it look:
Ok, so the headphones are designed in a modern and clean design, it's not the royal wooden cans, it's more hi-tech in style, it looks very impressive and attractive, with a nice arch with the inscription expanse on top, inside it's painted blue,
The design matches well with the sound signature of the headphones,
Comfort and build quality:
The headphones are very comfortable on the head and almost imperceptible (relative to their size...) the pads are soft and pleasant to the touch and it gets softer later,
Everything is well built and feels strong and good,
The position of the headphones on the head is very significant for the sound, I put it as recommended by the company with the ear at the back and up,
Customer Service:
Yes, it is very important! Well the customer service from my short experience is very efficient and fast and kind,
Sound:
And now to the interesting and important part...for which we spend a lot of money...the sound!
Well, two necessary things need to be prefaced:
1. It doesn't 'wow' at first, in my opinion this effect is a result of warmth and swelling of certain frequencies, which makes you feel the music and it's great fun at first, but in the long run you may find it quite boring or not detailed etc.
Here the story is different, it's not inflated and hypocritical at all, on the contrary, it's insanely detailed and very accurate and like in real life, but after you get used to it you won't want anything else!!
To be clear, it's really not boring or analytical, but it is very 'true' and realistic, there is no excessive energy in the treble and no inflated bass, everything sounds as it should sound,
2. It needs a long run and your getting used to this sound signature, otherwise you'll say it's boring, and it's really not boring....
In addition it requires a strong and good and above all suitable amplifier, with some amplifiers it can sound dead and boring,
I mainly listen to classical music and jazz, all my music is in hi-res or cd.
Treble:
The treble is very extended and super detailed, there is no excessive extension and a sharp and unreal spark, it is a very natural treble and it sounds like in real life, the sounds are very realistic, it really 'touches' you,
As detailed as it is, it's very smooth, but without unnecessary warmth,
I think that treble is a result of the amts, which allows for great detail and extension without being overpowered and false,
Hi-hat and cymbals sound super realistic, it's really tangible but not sharp and painful...
mids:
The instruments are also very detailed, there is a certain precedence for the instruments, for example violins and wind instruments are slightly ahead,
Each instrument gets a defined place in space and a symphony orchestra does not sound like a wall of sound but each player is distinguished and gets a meaning, immediately very natural and realistic, you can really feel the instruments,
Everything in general is very airy and very revealing,
The bass is very good, there is a deep and kicking sub-bass, yet accurate and not inflated, a double bass sounds real at full size, even in a symphony orchestra the double basses take on a special meaning,
It transmits the bass just like in the recording, no more and no less,
bass:
The bass is very good, there is a deep and kicking sub-bass, yet accurate and not inflated, a double bass sounds real at full size, even in a symphony orchestra the double basses take on a special meaning,
It transmits the bass just like in the recording, no more and no less,
Resolution details and transparency:
This is probably the best part of the Expanse, the detail is absolutely insane, you can hear the smallest nuance easily and effortlessly, even in a stormy and busy moment of a symphony orchestra you can notice tiny micro details,
You hear an instrument with all its layers and nuances, including breaths and background noises,
You can almost feel the fingers on the strings and the bow pulling on the violin,
On many headphones it is said that you can hear micro details and background noises, here it is something completely different, I personally never cease to admire the detail of expanse,
In addition, it is completely transparent, you get all the information of the recording without missing anything and all this without effort and without fatigue,
imaging:
The visualization and presentation are very natural, everything sounds very realistic, it makes you want to listen for long hours without getting tired,
The musical instruments really touch you (almost...), it's a delightful sensory experience,
The sound is very very airy,
The positions of the musical instruments are insanely accurate, the sounds emerge from a completely silent black background and each note is well distinguished,
Sound stage:
The sound stage is wide and deep and unfolds in front of you, the sounds emerge from a black background and sparkle in front of you and then fade away, after a short time of listening the headphones disappear and you can imagine for a moment that the music is playing in the room in front of you...
In classical music, the orchestra spreads out in front of you to its full width and depth, huge and impressive, with each instrument in its exact place,
In small ensembles the stage becomes intimate and everything is closer to you,
Conclusions:
These are absolutely total headphones with an amazing reference sound that is unprecedentedly detailed, live, realistic, with a huge stage and great and accurate imaging,
You will immediately notice this black background from which the sounds come out and in which the most delicate notes and sounds are clearly distinguished, with crazy dynamics, comfort and visibility, this is a work of perfection!!!!
It's a different kind of listening experience, it makes you steal times here and there to be together with expanse.