[Daiyama]

It is?. Noooo... No retailer doing the 1999?

They are all doing 1999, but before VAT.

 

[Lohb]

There was an impressions comment further back in how the instruments panned and decayed or such like and how the member never noticed that before on an album he was familiar with.
I just wonder if that is an arifact of the tube-like guides on the raised and angled wave guide or its revealing such things in the recording with the technical ability of the can....

I hear vocals and instruments not just panning left and right, but also forward and backward, they even seem to stretch vocals somehow, plus so many other panning and stretching effects. I am also hearing room reverb on vocals and guitars like never before, these special effects really enhance the listening experience. I have listened to my same Frampton Greatest Hits CD for years, today I heard so much more than ever before, not just micro details, but all the special effects done in the studio. The live tracks were really wide and spacious, hard to believe these are closed backs. Also recently got into the blues, Clapton, Muddy Waters, BB King, the guitars on some of these tracks sound so real with great punch, very satisfying. This setup can make previous seemingly average tracks sound like incredible tracks. It's hard to believe that these sounds are locked away in 1's and 0's, but just need a little help coming to life.

@DP42 Do you have any other technically excellent cans that you can A|B what you are noticing with your music now with E3 ?

​

 

[Jwm48324]

Ok what in ear headphone sounds similar to the E3?

 

[Majuto]

To be honest, I can’t speak if it varies from one to another (since I’ve only owned one)… but what I can say is that the first week of owning the Liric felt like it lacked bass, and I already was looking to return and replace it (hence trying the MDR-Z1R, ÆON II, E3, etc).

But then something crazy happened. Call it burn-in, some EQ, or a bit of both, but the Lirics become a bass monster.

They have the best bass I’ve ever heard on a planar, period. Tight and controlled but also hits hard when it needs to, especially down low.

This subjectively felt difference between Meze Liric and DCA E3 is very interesting. I just read a Liric review by Soundguys who made an issue of Liric's position on ears. So that the sweetpot as with loudspeakers is more difficult to achieve with Liric compared to some other headphonesphones. This perhaps might explain some subjectively felt differences. Have you tried moving the earcups with minor movements to test this?

 

[DP42]

There was an impressions comment further back in how the instruments panned and decayed or such like and how the member never noticed that before on an album he was familiar with.
I just wonder if that is an arifact of the tube-like guides on the raised and angled wave guide or its revealing such things in the recording with the technical ability of the can....


@DP42 Do you have any other technically excellent cans that you can A|B what you are noticing with your music now with E3 ?

​

Well, I have several other pairs of headphones, but none in this price category. A/B with Audeze LCD-2C shows the 2C to be more lush and emotional on some tracks, but then it is very inferior for clarity and distortion compared to the E3. I also own the Hifiman OG Ananda, again there is distortion on the Hifiman as well compared to the E3. Currently, I am still listening to the blues (I get into one genre and stay there until bored, sometimes for a couple of months at a stretch). The dynamics, spatial effects, and clarity of the E3 is what I always dreamed music could be like. The lead vocalist is in front of me, I can hear the voice so clearly, guitars follow with strong bite as these blues guys pluck the strings. Side instruments are well balanced, with some tracks too close to the ears, and some spaced out better, but the E3 is showing the recording as it really is, no magic tricks. My most recent discovery is a guy named Corey Stevens, I love SRV and Clapton, well some might think he is straight up copying them - track 1=SRV, track2=Clapton, but by track 4 he is more original. I was tapping my toes last night to this album (Blue Drops of Rain), the recording quality is unbelievable, better than any SRV or Clapton album I have heard. Every track had something special, guitars, drums, vocals, mind blowing spatial effects. You must try this album if you like the blues.

 

[chesebert]

I have. It is great sounding headphone and if I was in situation where I need isolation from ambient noise, I can't think of better. However, I found I still prefer some other top tier open back sound over this one just for the hard to explain sizing of staging... it felt wide and not so wide at same time for me. Never too small to say though. Awesome headphone over all and I see why some reviewers are excited about this.

Did you pay a restocking fee? If yes how much?

 

[Quadrangulator]

What are the E3 earpad interior measurements (height, width, and depth) in millimeters?

Additionally, is the head strap available without the blue trim?

 

[musicday]

What are the E3 earpad interior measurements (height, width, and depth) in millimeters?

Additionally, is the head strap available without the blue trim?

Why not getting a permanent black marker and colour it?

 

[chesebert]

I wear plastic frames with 1/8" thick temples, which closely hug the contour of my head. I've auditioned the Stealth probably 7-8 times, and never found removing my glasses to affect its sound perceptibly. I'm listening to the E3 as I type, and also don't find wearing (or not) my glasses to make any difference. I will say that the level of bass I perceived in any given Stealth session seemed to vary quite a bit (more than would be expected from different amps, etc.), so perhaps there were other seal issues unrelated to my glasses. I haven't noticed any variance in E3 performance across the frequency spectrum in the time I've owned them (ten days). FWIW.

The E3 has a rather different presentation from Stealth or any other DCA headphone, and features punchy, extended bass that is by no means thin or anemic.

I just got the E3 and straight out of the box I am getting great bass slam and extension with glasses - still a bit tight overall but I am sure it will improve with a couple of days of burn in. In absolute terms E3 has good potential based on out of the box performance - let's see if I come to the same conclusion as you in a couple of weeks.

Edit: Given E3 is closed, I didn't hear anything that's an obvious fault like almost all other closed cans, and so far nothing sounded annoying to me.

 

[xand1x]

I just got the E3 and straight out of the box I am getting great bass slam and extension with glasses - still a bit tight overall but I am sure it will improve with a couple of days of burn in. In absolute terms E3 has good potential based on out of the box performance - let's see if I come to the same conclusion as you in a couple of weeks.

Edit: Given E3 is closed, I didn't hear anything that's an obvious fault like almost all other closed cans, and so far nothing sounded annoying to me.

Congratulations on the purchase. I would be curious to hear your impressions of the E3 vs Utopia 2022 and HD800S after extended listening.

 

[llysender]

Got the chance to enjoy the E3 today at AV1singapore.

Personally I liked that they went back to how the ether 2 sounds instead of whatever funky tuning the steath and expense was using.

Vocals sound so good on it. Esp the hi Res weeb stuff like Nana accoustic online and kalafina. Vocal detail just sounds so natural and not forced.same thing goes to strings and chimes.

What I didn't really like was how the imaging still tends to get distorted the closer it gets to the edge. Not sure if thats a metamaterial thing since I didnt really find that to be the case with the steath besides the imaing being killed in the middle and then expending to the sides like a doughnut which was really wired.

Still would shill ether 2 over E3 but I can understand having a closed back has its advantages in not bothering others even though the isolation isnt that good and I could still follow the conversation with others with the music playing.

 

[jinu117]

Did you pay a restocking fee? If yes how much?

5% as indicated. They were painless to deal with and I can definitely recommend them. If I am in need for closed back for isolation, etc... this would be top recommendation at this point of time. For my use at this point, I was just looking for something to listen and enjoy and I ended up preferring going open back route.

 

[Cecala]

Some people here are describing the E3 as having bass slam. Would these phones be ideal for movie watching and gaming?

 

[TheMiddleSky]

It sounds sooo good and I have to take it everywhere. I did, but I have to carry a brick in my bag. This is the only downside I have. I don't expect future generations will be extremely easy to drive, but at least make a DAP friendly headphones in the future, then it will be an absolutely perfect headphone.

Many DAPs will become more powerful in the future. From 2023 to now early 2024, some Mid-Fi DAPs like Fiio M15s and iBasso DX260 and high end DAP like Cayin N30LE already produce over 1W at 32 Ohm. I think for more transportable headphone should use (around) 32 Ohm impedance as well (E3 at 27 Ohm), as lower impedance need more current, that a bit hard for portable music player.

 

[Majuto]

Many DAPs will become more powerful in the future. From 2023 to now early 2024, some Mid-Fi DAPs like Fiio M15s and iBasso DX260 and high end DAP like Cayin N30LE already produce over 1W at 32 Ohm. I think for more transportable headphone should use (around) 32 Ohm impedance as well (E3 at 27 Ohm), as lower impedance need more current, that a bit hard for portable music player.

I've tested Fiio M15S with Aful IEMs, ZMF Atrium open and Hifiman HE1000 Stealth. With battery mode Aful works really fine with medium gain, for my surprise Atrium, 300 ohm 96 db/mW works fine with battery mode and medium gain. Instead He1000stealth needs all the power in desktop(electricity) mode with Ultra high gain 1.2 W and it struggles. DCA E3 needs even more power.
It seems to be quite a task to combine power with mobility. Accu technology of course gets better all the time. We remember well the accu explosions, literally, when more powerful phones went slimmer and more. The other trend seems to be more efficient audiophile grade headphones like Austrian Audio Composer with about 112 db/mW. It's interesting to see the successor of Susvara and DCA's in this respect also.