tcarlson
New Head-Fier
FiiO Q15 on desktop mode.
Dan Clark Audio E3 Review: Interview, Measurements, Impressions
- Thread starter jude
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Thanks. I ended up getting the pietus Maximus. If I don’t like it I’ll try it out.
chris.d.m.
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Been listening after about 100 hour burn in and I am impressed with their overall total balance (for mixing mastering studio work & gen listening), but I have to say, I’m missing a hair of the sub ((below 100hz) region. I’m hopeful that it just may be that I need an amp with more juice, so I’m waiting to get some thing ASAP possibly an xduoo BAL2 (for port).
I’m coming from the mm-500’s fwiw. The e3 does seem like an an appreciably positive step forward, however.
I’m coming from the mm-500’s fwiw. The e3 does seem like an an appreciably positive step forward, however.
Hifiearspeakers
Headphoneus Supremus
How would you compare the two?
After a similar amount of time, I also have similar impressions. In addition to that, the sound stage feels very coherent and natural but a bit on the narrow side (quite good for closed back however). To me they're the perfect headphones for studio monitoring: accurate, balanced, comfortable, some isolation.
DCA headphones tend to be very technically "clean" in the bass region, to me the lack of distortions tend to make them sound less dramatic, but very detailed. For people who won't or can't EQ, I think the E3's about as good as it gets at the moment.
chris.d.m.
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The mm-500 also was a bit lacking in the sub region ime but, they also had an upper mid forward thing, combined with somewhat of a recession up top that meant EQ'ing them was almost a requirement for mixing etc imo. And I'm both not a great believer in the benefit vs potential issues of EQ'ing + just to damn lazy to be bothered with always doing it.
I can deal with the sound staging personally but, I did hope they'd bring a bit more sub impact vs the mm-500 for example. I agree they're the better option by far for mixing / studio work though. Engaging but not too flattering is always gonna be the fine line voicing battle I suppose. I'm still hoping to not have to deal with EQ'ing but, if I do they would just need a tad (1-2db or so?) of sub below 100-ish add. That is, compared the mm-500 that needed more upper mid / top tweaks to not seem a bit off to me.
I'm still hopeful a more symbiotic amp that's not too expensive might provide them some of the oomph the E3's seemingly really need though. Still trying to sort that.
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dougq
500+ Head-Fier
JDs Element IV. You will be able to eq exactly to your preference. The e3 doesn’t need more power to get there(assuming you already have the 1w needed for normal listening). It’s either seal issues or its preference. With the element iv you’ll be able to adjust it to your liking and it has more than enough power.
Redwingnine
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I had a pair, sold them, missed them, and just bought another pair. I really missed the clean, detailed sound. Hard to beat the E3 at it's price point.
chris.d.m.
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Ah interesting I wasn’t aware of that one. looks like it’s back ordered?
Was trying to not spend more than 400 & have a port option but I’ll have to look into it a bit.
RogueCrusher
100+ Head-Fier
Comfortable, uber resolving, very impressive soundstage for being a closed back, balanced, pretty perfect without any eq. They (and I) love a touch of XBass from my iFi iCan Pro Signature. I prefer them on Solid State mode vs my gooey, honey-sounding ZMF Bokeh’s on tube mode.
The design has been polarizing for some, but I embraced the blue and the gorilla glass “mesh grill” has really grown on me. Sorta nice that all my headphones each look very different from another.
But just wanted to add to the love for these headphones within this long thread.
- Cheers and happy listening
The design has been polarizing for some, but I embraced the blue and the gorilla glass “mesh grill” has really grown on me. Sorta nice that all my headphones each look very different from another.
But just wanted to add to the love for these headphones within this long thread.
- Cheers and happy listening
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RogueCrusher
100+ Head-Fier
As many others have discussed build quality and comfort, I'll jump right to my sound comparisons between the Dan Clark E3, Denon D9200, and Hifiman Arya Stealth. I used the Harman target from Oratory1990 on an RME ADI-2 DAC FS for listening comparisons to put them on even footing with the E3 which comes pre-tuned to this target. I'm most interested in a headphone's capabilities rather than its default tune. Though the E3 doesn't disappoint there. I used a crossfeed of 1 on all tests as it sounds more natural to my ears and removes fatigue.
This is the playlist I use to test against.
It's truly the curse of hearing something better that leaves you with no path back. That's my experience with the E3. I didn't think finding all the open and closed-back qualities I was looking for in a single headphone was possible, but the E3 delivered, effectively replacing both of my former favorites.
The E3 opened my ears to something I hadn't heard before. Rather than listening to the headphones, I finally feel I'm simply listening to the music.
The E3 resolves more detail than the Arya Stealth (AS) without the thin or grainy quality it can introduce. Where the AS excells in replication of string instruments for example, it can leave vocals feeling thin and even shouty at times. The E3 gives all the detail to strings and vocals while adding volume and body to them. It allows vocals to layer in while retaining smooth and lifelike qualites. It feels a bit like having your cake and eating it too. All the resolving clarity and sharpness when needed yet still effortlessly lush and musical.
The E3 highlights that the D9200, while previously impressive to me, can have a hollowness to its vocal that leaves it far less engaging. Even the D9200's strong suit, it's fullness of bass and sub-bass is rendered less controlled and precise than the E3. End-to-end the E3 bests the D9200 easily from the lowest lows to the highest highs. The D9200s default rumble and slam is easily replicated on the E3 with a tiny bass shelf at 105Hz. I did get a bit lost playing with this shelf as the E3 takes well to EQ. You can max the bass shelf and not incur distortion, even on a track like 2049 from Hans Zimmer's Blade Runner. A shelf will not be needed for most folks. I'm just a bass head and a little +2 shelf perfects it for me.
I also feel I'm lacking nothing in the bass department from the AS. That's saying a lot as the AS has a strong sub-bass offering.
The E3 takes the prize on soundstage from the competition. It's just as wide as the Arya Stealth yet able to produce sounds with higher precision throughout its width. This headphone sounds open. It clarifies why Dan Clark went with the grill design behind glass. Once you hear it, you instantly understand this design decision. It's not BS, it's an open-back, only with all the isolation of a closed back.
The sense of layering and separation between sounds allows for a more precise understanding of the part instruments are playing in each track. Two cymbals off to the right can sound dramatically different in depth even though they are close to one another. There is impressive precision here, and it is not available in this way on the AS or D9200.
The excellent timbre leaves vocals excelling on the E3 over its competitors by a large margin. There is no sibilance which can occur in the others. Voices have body and realism that I haven't heard before and finally sound "right" to my ear. Vocals on the AS and D9200 have long been something I struggled to put a finger on what was off. Either they were too shouty, or too hollow. This is gone on the E3.
This quality may be why people call this a mid-forward headphone. To me it feels balanced top to bottom, it's just that I can finally hear the mids they way they should sound.
The timbre of strings stands out to me as well. Along with the sharpness of a pluck there is the fullness, and warmth to the resonance of each string. Trine Opsahl's "A Star in Heaven Is Born" or Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again" really showcase this. Classical string fans will be happy with what is on offer here.
An interesting quality I wasn't expecting is that the E3 is also able to make enjoyable listening of less well recorded tracks (not in my playlist above). While you will hear the imperfections, the overall smooth and musical qualities makes the listen enjoyable, a twist of the bass or treble knob as needed makes them fun. I couldn't handle bad tracks on the AS; the D9200 was more kind to them, but often had a hollow quality. The E3 lets me enjoy my entire collection.
Overall, I don't think there is anything the AS or D9200 can do better sound-wise. The D9200 is now destined for eBay, where it will fund a mobile amp for the E3. I'll keep the Arya Stealth as it stays cool for long work sessions and allows sound to pass through so I'm not cut off from the world when needed. But I mostly put headphones on to focus on music, and for that, the E3 is my current cup of tea.
Well done Dan Clark. Thanks for making this exceptional set of cans.
I couldn’t agree more with your assessment above. I too sold my Denon 9200 after purchasing the DCA E3. Keeping my HE1000SE as you kept your AS. Another closed back set that I’m keeping around because it offers a completely different listening experience on tubes, is my ZMF Bokeh.
Frabera
500+ Head-Fier
Since I listen to the Aune SR 7000 I unfortunately cannot come back to the E3, I am finding the E3 to punchy too much dynamics that 's create fatigue quickly, anyone may use a DAP suitable to obtain a relaxed sound with the E3 ?
JackofAllSpades
New Head-Fier
Does anyone have experience with a Hifiman headphones and the E3? How does the E3's soundstage compare to the He1000se or the Organic?
bluex
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Are there custom ear pads / mesh for E3?
Thank you
Thank you
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