[Currawong]

The Liric soundstage is quite a bit smaller than that of the E3. Side by side listening, the difference is quite dramatic, with the E3 sounding better in every way.

I had a spare Moon Audio Silver Dragon (which, despite being silver, is not a "bright" cable) and it makes the E3 a bit mellower, which I prefer sometimes.

 

[Clemmaster]

I was wondering why no one got theirs still. That’s messed up…

 

[Nomax]

The Liric soundstage is quite a bit smaller than that of the E3. Side by side listening, the difference is quite dramatic, with the E3 sounding better in every way.

Yes......my words

NOMAX

 

[gonzalo1004es]

I have the HE1000 Stealth and my E3's are coming in today, I'll let you know.

Did you have the opportunity to try HE1000 Stealth and E3 side by side? Really looking forward to your opinion!

 

[Nomax]

The biggest differences Stealth vs E3 because I was asked about them...my personal impressions

The Stealth is the more relaxed model that I can listen to longer at levels around 90-95 db (peak)
The E3 scores again with its action-packed performance
The vocalization of the E3 is simply terrific, due to the fact that the mids come into their own better, I can localize them (the voices ) at eye level in front of me
However, it is not this action that I blame for the fact that the E3 does not seem suitable for long-term use for me personally
There is also a kind of action that automatically increases when you turn up the volume, take my HE1.... haven't seen anyone who doesn't like to turn it up to 12 o'clock or 13 o'clock
For a certain reason, here it gets really funny because it sounds really good here and makes the right pressure from the low end...and here we are beyond 80db
Simply explained from my side...those who listen to their music quietly are really in very good hands with the E3,but above 85db there is no way around the Stealth

NOMAX

PS.And quite honestly.... I didn't buy an HE1 to listen quietly ....if I do then I want to step on the turbo without it bothering me
(️One of the greatest quality features of a tonal performance .... is that it seduces and invites you to turn up the volume️)

 

[HONEYBOY]

The biggest differences Stealth vs E3 because I was asked about them...my impresions
The Stealth is the more relaxed model that I can listen to longer at levels around 90-95 db
The E3 scores again with its action-packed performance
The vocalization of the E3 is simply terrific, due to the fact that the mids come into their own better, I can localize them at eye level in front of me
However, it is not this action that I blame for the fact that the E3 does not seem suitable for long-term use for me personally
There is also a kind of action that automatically increases when you turn up the volume, take my HE1.... haven't seen anyone who doesn't like to turn it up to 12 o'clock or 13 o'clock
For a certain reason, here it gets really funny because it sounds really good here and makes the right pressure from the low end...and here we are beyond 80db
Simply explained from my side...those who listen to their music quietly are in very good hands with the E3,but above 85db there is no way around the Stealth

NOMAX

This is an excellent point. For low level listening E3 is incredible! I was just coming to the same conclusion last night. The bass impact and treble come through perfectly, and with the sculpted midrange, despite being just a tad V-shaped relative to Stealth, you can still hear it very well. Add to that with the spaciousness of the sound stage along with the coherency of the headphone and one doesn't need to crank the volume up to get into the groove. I need a bit more on the volume dial independent of headphone sensitivity to get the Stealth going.

I’d like to recant one statement perhaps alluding to the E3 as analytical. I’d rather say it is nuanced and articulate. Often I use analytical to describe headphones that are detailed but not quite musically coherent because the details are presented in contrast to the music. E3’s musical coherency is very good !

 

[Frabera]

Will you recommend to use another cable to mellow them a little ?

 

[Barone Birra]

With which one you have a greater perception of bass weight, Stealth, Expanse or E3?

 

[HONEYBOY]

With which one you have a greater perception of bass weight, Stealth, Expanse or E3?

I reckon for bass weight: Expanse > E3 > Stealth.

Note though that Stealth actually has more sub bass emphasis than both E3 and Expanse. It provides that low bass rumble you feel rather than hear. However, Expanse and E3 have a more fleshed out mid-bass which provides a more visceral impact to the bass that you both feel and hear. Expanse even more so than E3.

The E3 seem to have a more snug fit on my head and I suspect that makes the bass perception less susceptible to headphone placement. Also the dual-mode bass ports on the E3 seem to add more to bass weight. Covering them up and bass perception is reduced dramatically.

 

[DP42]

I have been comparing the E3 to LCD-2C on MJ3, both on XLR. Back to back comparison on several albums shows the following:
Muddy Waters King Bee - LCD-2C has a much better open and live feel on some tracks, more like being there, but E3 is more consistent track to track
Arcade Fire Reflektor - LCD-2C is a wild ride with big swings in volume and nearly grating on some tracks, E3 is more controlled
Sting Ten Summoners - LCD-2C rich and euphonic, E3's clarity, balance and details are better

The LCD-2C is like a wild child, inconsistent, but occasionally mind blowing. The E3 is more controlled and consistent, with better clarity, separation, and balance between frequencies.

Bass - LCD-2C occasionally outperforms E3 with rich sub bass, but E3 covers bass well. LCD-2C bass was a lower amount and better quality on Reflektor, E3 had a bit too much mid bass. E3 bass was the right amount on the other 2 albums.

Mids - LCD-2C mids are wonderful and prominent, E3 don't grab your attention as much, but back to back the E3 has better clarity

Treble - LCD-2C can surprise you with great detail and texture on some tracks, then some details get lost on busier tracks, the E3 covers treble more consistently and is cleaner.

The LCD-2C might be a bit more fatiguing actually, maybe there are more harmonics in play, the E3 is clean and consistent. Both have emotion, maybe LCD-2C a bit more. When going back and forth you do notice E3 is a closed back, but deeper into a session you start to forget, it has a good soundstage. Both are musical and enjoyable, I can see owning both as a complementary pair.

I need more time to determine my final verdict on the E3, it is very expensive and maybe not as wow as I expected, but I have a feeling it will grow on me more with time. The LCD-2C is no slouch, and pairs very well with the MJ3.

 

[mrspeakers]

Is there anything you can share about why the Stealth is a little more resolving? I hear it, too, comparing my Stealth with the E3. Is it simply a consequence of the slightly different frequency response, or is there something else the Stealth is doing differently?

Stealth has some subtle, expensive elements to the driver design that deliver a slightly lower noise/distortion floor, especially below about 1.5KHz. It doesn't hit you over the head, but it's there. Stealth also is subtly better in the time domain. Is it 2x as good, no, but as everyone knows the law of diminishing returns apply. Our goal with E3 was to deliver a true flagship experience at a fraction of the cost, and we really think we did it, but there are differences, as there should be.

Definitely excited to 'dip' my toes back into this hobby a bit now that I've moved to a home with a larger space that will allow me to actually sit and listen to music. A bit disappointed though ordered direct through DCA, and while noted that they are in stock on the website, I guess they are building them. I probably would not have paid for expedited shipping having known that and just ordered from a place that has it in actual stock so I could have spent some time with them over the weekend.

We have shipped over 60% of the direct orders to our site, and all direct sales on the books as of yesterday will ship next week. Contact us for a refund on your expedited shipping if you wish.

We had higher sales than expected so we are a bit behind... (thanks everyone!!!!)

 

[jamato8]

Stealth has some subtle, expensive elements to the driver design that deliver a slightly lower noise/distortion floor, especially below about 1.5KHz. It doesn't hit you over the head, but it's there. Stealth also is subtly better in the time domain. Is it 2x as good, no, but as everyone knows the law of diminishing returns apply. Our goal with E3 was to deliver a true flagship experience at a fraction of the cost, and we really think we did it, but there are differences, as there should be.


We have shipped over 60% of the direct orders to our site, and all direct sales on the books as of yesterday will ship next week. Contact us for a refund on your expedited shipping if you wish.

We had higher sales than expected so we are a bit behind... (thanks everyone!!!!)

This has all made me want to add the Stealth. lol Great that you have given a great performer at half the price. It opens up the world of high end to more people and that is always a joy.

 

[Salted Peanut]

If someone can do a comparison between E3 and HEDD 2, that would be greatly appreciated

 

[24grant24]

This has all made me want to add the Stealth. lol Great that you have given a great performer at half the price. It opens up the world of high end to more people and that is always a joy.

i'm interested to see how much of the performance will be able to be trickled down to the lower price point models. E3 driver looks absolutely massive and AMT doesn't look easy to manufacture either. Hopefully we see companies continue to push the price to performance envelope.

 

[plakat]

Had another trip today, this time not only taking my Composer with me, but actually taking time to listen to both. Level matching proved to be not that easy, therefore switching over took longer than I'd like. Which makes detailed comparisons rather unreliable... but overall I think my short summary from yesterday holds up. I used my new M17 on over-ear gain setting, with the E3 around 65-73 and the Composer at around 40-45.

Interestingly those two even share some traits but have a bit different character: the Composer felt more precise to me, making it easier to hear fine details, subtle effects and made music more floating around me. The E3 is far from closed in though, giving A good impression of space as well. Overall I still think the Composer makes long term listening more relaxing, dialing bass back a bit vs. E3 while still presenting impressive detail down low. It's also quite a bit lighter with even better comfort, although the cups are a bit less deep and my ears just touch the driver cover sometimes. This doesn't happen with the E3 (but did as well with the Stealth).

The E3 does voices very well, giving them a realistic timbre and warmth without adding body that shouldn't be there. They also stand unimpressed even over heavy bass. The Composer gives me more shimmer in the treble, making voices floating in space somehow while avoiding sibilance.

Bass is actually fun on both. I normally don't like how planers present bass, with the exception of Dans creations (I used to own the Ether C and CX). Given the chance I also cross checked with the Liric, the Celeste, the Empyrian II and some closed Audeze (XC?). No news in that I still don't quite like Focals, and the planars all did not give me the kind of bass I want. The E3 did, although, as noted yesterday, I'd not go too loud to avoid fatigue. Yet at the levels I normally listen at it is a lot of fun.

After about 3h of deliberation I decided to break my self-imposed 1,5K limit just a bit, and not quite a bit, i.e. going with the E3 over the Stealth. It may be the more long-term usable one, but the E3 performs really well at a much more attractive price. I also appreciate the more present mids/treble vs. the Stealth. I like the compact case, but does the cable fit in as well? Doesn't look like there's room...