Dan Clark Audio E3 Review: Interview, Measurements, Impressions

[kobaomg]

I sold my Ether 2s and Aeon Noires after getting the E3. It’s better than the Noires at everything, which it resembles, and yes, different from the Ether2. I never really warmed to the Ether (pun intended) as they were too dark overall for me. I think Hugo2 would be a fine pairing. Mojo2 sounds great and is a bit closer to H2 than OG Mojo.

I listened to a few tracks on the E3 and wasn't immediately impressed, but I suppose it was because I was driving it with my Mojo2. I also perhaps need to listen to more genres and give it more time to know exactly.

The Ether2 paired with the Mojo2 has a more "exciting", warmer sound signature, but it lacks the resolution that the Hugo2 gives. I'm a big fan of jazz, classical, vocal and acoustic music and I notice a huge difference in the details I hear, so much that I listen to completely different genres when I switch between these DACs.

 

[kobaomg]

I haven’t found E3 to be fatiguing ever, except one album that escapes me right now.

Good to know. I generally don't find the Hugo2 fatiguing with any headphone I tried so far, it's very detailed but without sounding too bright, it's just a very smooth sound.

 

[Frabera]

I owned an E3 since almost a year now, I purchased 2 weeks ago an Aune SR 7000 and have been very surprised..,and much easier to drive.

 

[Sproketz]

Driver burn is 100% real. Dynamic drivers settle as the surrounds and spiders get cycled, and planar magnetic as the diaphragm reaches steady tension. We burn pretty hard prior to matching and there's up to 2dB of movement. Once delivered, there is still residual burn in, it's measurable but it's more on the order of +/- 0.5db magnitude, most often as the midrange and bass stabilize, getting a little less and more respectively. Burn in is a non-linear process and what remains for the user is simply approaching an asymptote.

Brain burn in is also real, and exactly as you note, we recommend not switching headphones as you get used to a new one.

It would be awesome if DCA could share their data on planar burn-in using a similar test like this one:



This topic is always an area of great audiophile community interest and would likely be a good way to raise visibility to DCA as well.

It appears in the tests above they used dynamic drivers. Which showed no evidence of burn-in. I really like how the tester isolated as many factors as possible so that pads or other interference factors were removed from the test.

 

[Waddiewadkins]

WELL WELL WELLLLLLLLLLLL..
Okokokayyyyyyyyyy... (I'm referring to Noire X)......
I see I see I.. well alrighty then.
All my 1st world problems solved in an easy to drive (relatively) not massively huge for walkies (relatively) cheaper (relatively) sexy as hell headphone (absolutely)?.. I thought i was still dreaming when I woke up at 6am (ireland) to see my giant tv premo youtube that lives 6 feet from my bed, autoplaying the dream combo headphone that I had just seemingly pondered into existence. The Headphone Shows DMS, waxing (and fingerprinting? further 1st world nitpick) on the upgrade of the Noires! I'm gonna stop waffling on, but I'm just a bit giddy with this latest edition , addition, to this following of the overears soap opera... I think I will probably be sticking to my FT1s for a year and appreciate their science of soundstaging (this larger size thing which is new to me) and wait for due diligent consensus on these. But it's looking good innit!.. Nice one Dan Clark!

 

[brianfromspace]

What source shall i use for the E3: M17 or CMA18 portable? Anyone heard both?

 

[Frabera]

CMA18 is one of the best "on the go" source with the ONIX Dap XM5, they both have enough power to drive the E3 properly, never heard the M17.

 

[brianfromspace]

CMA18 is one of the best "on the go" source with the ONIX Dap XM5, they both have enough power to drive the E3 properly, never heard the M17.

Yeah im just doubting if tethering my iPhone to the CMA18 will become annoying after a while. Then maybe better have a all in one music focussed machine.

 

[Frabera]

The CMA18 sounds good with the iPhone, but not as good as a good DAP

 

[lateparty]

Does the CMA18 have Parametric EQ?

 

[Frabera]

No EQ and no Filters, do need any of them.

 

[lateparty]

No EQ and no Filters, do need any of them.

Different strokes for different folks! DCA is close to Harman OE, but still benefits from EQ and my bass shelf preferences are definitely beyond what comes stock. I was also thinking about another pair of headphones that I have (Moondrop Cosmo) which would benefit from the power but their stock FR is very :/ . Right now my portable solutions are ample for DCA E3.

 

[Frabera]

You should look at the AUNE SR7000, it’s an amazing closed back much easier to drive with good bass.

 

[lateparty]

Frabera I'm not sure you understood me and whilst I appreciate the suggestion, I would like to take this opportunity to attempt to clarify that, I do not have issues driving my closed back (DCA E3) and I do like its frequency response.

The headphone I have difficulty driving with my current portable DAC Amps is an open back headphone - Moondrop Cosmo - and as far as sound quality goes the Aune SR700 when looking at its frequency response graph doesn't begin to compare in smoothness, and further, it also deviates quite a lot from the Harman 2018 OE target so would require a Parametric EQ or similar to correct.

Thanks but no thanks:

 

[brianfromspace]

The CMA18 sounds good with the iPhone, but not as good as a good DAP

What is a good dap for you using the E3? Im more keen to using a dap, but find the M17 soo big.