[Cirrus Socrates Particl]

I too listen to movies with headphones. I am in the market to purchase a new set for this very purpose although is will also be used for music listening.

Oh, nice!
If you get it, please let us know how it feels.
I think that movie headphones are an area that could be further developed.

 

[Currawong]

can anyone compare e3 to d8000 pro? specifically, i am interested in tonal balance comparison and which one has a more forward midrange. Also, in @Currawong 's review, he said something confusing. He mentioned a v-shaped signature but then called it forward. To me, those statements would be opposite as i would consider v-shaped to have a recessed midrange.

Note what I called forward -- the upper mids and treble. The 4k peak doesn't sit well with everyone. The D8000 Pro has a bit of a dip there instead, giving the soundstage a sense of space.

 

[mrspeakers]

On that note, any chance you'll switch from FedEx or allow shipping with UPS for a fee?

With their whole "signature needed but not really, but also maybe?" and shoddy on-time performance, buying from you guys always makes me a tad nervous. That and how their warehouse is 30 miles away for me, and they don't do weekend delivery.

I know you guys have your reasons, but still...

Yes, if you order and pay with Paypal instead of a credit card we can also use USPS, just email us after placing an order. We don’t normally allow USPS because credit card thieves use it to steal headphones while FedEx gives us a degree of protection. We can substitute USPS Priority if you choose FedEx ground at no extra charge. Sadly we are targeted by thieves and USPS is their preferred shipper for reasons I won’t get into here…

 

[McPatD]

My apologies if I missed it in this growing thread, but will DCA be releasing a tuning pack (felt, foam inserts) similar to other DCA products? I ask because I purchased the E3 and am enjoying these immensely after having installed some cut to size standard AKG foam inserts for damping in the cups. Thanks!

 

[mrspeakers]

My apologies if I missed it in this growing thread, but will DCA be releasing a tuning pack (felt, foam inserts) similar to other DCA products? I ask because I purchased the E3 and am enjoying these immensely after having installed some cut to size standard AKG foam inserts for damping in the cups. Thanks!

That is not the plan.... Most people will adjust tone just by positioning. Ear centered in the ear-well = stronger upper midrange/lower treble, ear toward top rear of ear cavity = mellower upper midrange. Position is pretty effective, you might also try that...

 

[McPatD]

That is not the plan.... Most people will adjust tone just by positioning. Ear centered in the ear-well = stronger upper midrange/lower treble, ear toward top rear of ear cavity = mellower upper midrange. Position is pretty effective, you might also try that...

I position for comfort foremost. I appreciate the candor on this topic and I always enjoy a bit of amateur reverse engineering of this sort and there are lots of materials on the market. Thank you.

 

[buffer]

Note what I called forward -- the upper mids and treble. The 4k peak doesn't sit well with everyone. The D8000 Pro has a bit of a dip there instead, giving the soundstage a sense of space.

thank you for your response. I very much respect your opinions as I hear things similarly to what you describe, and so your feedback means a lot to me. D8000 Pro is my favorite headphone but if there was one flaw I perceived, it's the dip you referenced. I might just have to give the E3 a try so long as the heart of the midrange isn't distant/recessed as a result of the forward upper mids. I do like the space provided by the D8000 Pro and I find the dip very subtle to my ears so I will always consider it one of my best, but variety is a good thing.

 

[Cecala]

can anyone compare e3 to d8000 pro? specifically, i am interested in tonal balance comparison and which one has a more forward midrange. Also, in @Currawong 's review, he said something confusing. He mentioned a v-shaped signature but then called it forward. To me, those statements would be opposite as i would consider v-shaped to have a recessed midrange.

He also said the sound stage was in front implying no width, he then posted here it has a larger stage compared to the Meze Iric which most reviews pointed to a decent stage.

 

[mrspeakers]

He also said the sound stage was in front implying no width, he then posted here it has a larger stage compared to the Meze Iric which most reviews pointed to a decent stage.

I think the reference to "in front" is that E3 places the soundstage more "dead ahead" like you experience with speakers, not that it's narrow. Nomax also commented on this.

E3's AMTS is designed to subtly change the soundstage so you're looking at the music instead of having it elevated, which IMHO is a more natural presentation. But that said, it is very wide and deep, as well as layered.

 

[Cecala]

Oh, nice!
If you get it, please let us know how it feels.
I think that movie headphones are an area that could be further developed.

I am looking into a ZMF variant, Modhouse tungsten or these E3's (more to be added I'm sure). This offering from Dan Clark is most interesting thus far also it's a closed back which is really what I'm after mostly. More reviews are needed at this point. I'm after a large stage with good technicals as it will also be used for music.

 

[Cecala]

I think the reference to "in front" is that E3 places the soundstage more "dead ahead" like you experience with speakers, not that it's narrow. Nomax also commented on this.

E3's AMTS is designed to subtly change the soundstage so you're looking at the music instead of having it elevated, which IMHO is a more natural presentation. But that said, it is very wide and deep, as well as layered.

Thanks for the much needed clarification.

 

[gonintendo]

My set came in yesterday and I’ve gotten a bit of listening, I can confirm that the stage is sort of out in front and normal shaped (rather than the sort of sphere around your head a lot of headphones do). Very spacious and airy. I wouldn’t say they sound like open backs, due to how unique the staging is, but very open sounding if that makes sense. I’m someone who hates how 99% of planars stage and image, and these seem to have solved that issue.

For context these are the first DCAs I’ve heard with AMTS. I’ve heard Aeon 2, Noire, and Ether CX. Didn’t keep any of them because I found them all either too hot in the treble (aeons) or lacking low end (ethers). E3 seems to blend all of the strengths of previous DCA products (excellent separation and detail) while smoothing out the frequency response and kicking up the technicalities quite a few notches (though they are a bit hot around 4-6k on some tracks, they’re much better than the Aeons and ether in that respect). The low end and lower midrange are really nicely filled out but never boomy. Not quite as rich and full as a ZMF, but much more than a hifiman or the ether cx.

These are also capable of being very punchy, but they need power. My cayin iha6 drives them pretty well, oor even better, but they really wake up on my ampsandsound mogwai SE. Kick drums can have huge impact if mixed well.

Over all i’m really impressed. They’re twice the price of ether or noire, but IMO sound more than twice as good.

 

[CFGamescape]

Got mine in today! So far, I’m really liking them. Very detailed, punchy, and natural. Nothing is bothering me at the moment but it’s early days. I plan to EQ to taste later on.

I love the way they feel. Weighty but not heavy. The Gorilla glass feels premium. The blue stitching is sick. It looks better in person.

 

[ronin22]

My set came in yesterday and I’ve gotten a bit of listening, I can confirm that the stage is sort of out in front and normal shaped (rather than the sort of sphere around your head a lot of headphones do). Very spacious and airy. I wouldn’t say they sound like open backs, due to how unique the staging is, but very open sounding if that makes sense. I’m someone who hates how 99% of planars stage and image, and these seem to have solved that issue.

For context these are the first DCAs I’ve heard with AMTS. I’ve heard Aeon 2, Noire, and Ether CX. Didn’t keep any of them because I found them all either too hot in the treble (aeons) or lacking low end (ethers). E3 seems to blend all of the strengths of previous DCA products (excellent separation and detail) while smoothing out the frequency response and kicking up the technicalities quite a few notches (though they are a bit hot around 4-6k on some tracks, they’re much better than the Aeons and ether in that respect). The low end and lower midrange are really nicely filled out but never boomy. Not quite as rich and full as a ZMF, but much more than a hifiman or the ether cx.

These are also capable of being very punchy, but they need power. My cayin iha6 drives them pretty well, oor even better, but they really wake up on my ampsandsound mogwai SE. Kick drums can have huge impact if mixed well.

Over all i’m really impressed. They’re twice the price of ether or noire, but IMO sound more than twice as good.

I agree with the comments here about the E3 and Noire. The E3 just sounds a lot better to my ears than the Noire in pretty much every facet, not to say that the Noire isn't good it just needed more EQ to get it where I wanted. I've streamed quite a bit of my library through these and I rarely felt the need to turn on an EQ and the tracks that I turned it on for I found that while it made the sound more "fun" I didn't really need it. To my surprise even old tracks from the 70's, 80's and 90's that I thought wouldn't sound that great because of old mixing formats sounded pretty awesome.

I'm really loving these so far and I know this might be a stretch but I think I prefer these over the Expanse that I had here for about a month.

Forgot to add- While the Expanse is one of my favorite looking headphones the E3 definitely looks better in person- it's really grown on me.

 

[dougq]

Looks like a lot of people got them today same as myself. I don't think I could really compare to anything relevant as it's been a year since I have owned / listened to my previous Dan Clark Stealth. These definitely sound familiar though for sure but with a bit more energy. If I sat here and A/B tested not sure I could pick out any difference in detail / imaging to the stealth. These feel razor sharp as I remembered the stealth being and very clean /smooth. Definitely looks better in person than pictured online. The Stealth's are the best looking and built headphones I have ever touched so the crown still remains with them...

My only existing comparison would be Audeze Maxwell which is a totally different type of headphone and I don't think worth comparing.

I will shoot a nice picture of my simple setup later. Overally really happy to get Stealth quality / comfort/ feel at a not $4k package that was hard to justify.