[Christer]

I have played the bass clarinet for a long time; this is the first time that it has sounded correct through a pair of headphones. Not even on the Stealths did it sound right. On the Stealths the bass clarinet was missing too much of its body. Its low-end was subdued and not woody enough. On the Expanse it sounds right. On every other headphone, the bass clarinet is either missing the breath in its voice or the meat on its bones. This is the first time that I have heard it reproduced faithfully.

Wow! Not only is this a very welcome change on a Highend HiFi Forum here,actually a piece of music for acoustic instruments playing in a real acoustic space! But also very well performed and music that makes me want to really listen to it more than once.
Fascinating music that reminds me of how one of my absolute favourite contemporary composers Icelandic Anna Thorvaldsdottir also dares to play instruments in the not always the expected way. The pianist plucking the strings directly on that grand piano and the Bass Clarinet playing into the open lid of the piano create musical magic via my HEKV2 headphones.
I will use it when i get an opportunity to audition the Expanse too. And I will also listen to it via my electrostatic speakers for sheer musical joy.
Cheers CC

 

[babarrun]

We prefer Jot 2.... I also suggest an external DAC vs the internal option.



The Anni has pretty low gain and some people may have trouble getting the peak SPL they want with that pairing. For me it's OK but I listen on the lower side to protect my hearing.

Hi Dan,

Love the headphones.

the headphonia review says "If you want the EXPANSE to shine give it some tube love or pair it with a smooth-sounding powerful headphone amplifier..."
any thoughts on the Expanse pairing with the Lyr+

would love to get your thoughts on what you may like.

 

[6PANDEMONIUM6]

One thing that I have noticed about a lot of audiophiles is that many of them listen to low quality music. They purchase gear in the hopes that it will make their terrible music sound better than it really is. They want their audio system to lie to them and tell them that there is nothing wrong with their favorite songs. Thus, when they receive audio equipment that makes their bad music sound good they are delighted and when they receive audio equipment that shows them how awful their bad music really is they become angry. This is why I believe that so many of them do not like DCA Headphones.

The Expanse is an extremely honest headphone. If you plug it into quality electronics and feed it quality music it will sound magical. However, if you plug it into subpar electronics and listen to low quality music it will sound unapologetically bad. This is not a flaw with the Expanse. In fact it is a good thing. A truly excellent hi-fi system scales with your audio files. If your music is garbage it should tell you that and if your music is phenomenal it should tell you that as well. A hi-fi system that bends over backwards to make bad music sound good is incapable of making amazing music sound as amazing as it really is. Because that hi-fi system is a liar. It will make everything sound warped and pleasant because that is what is flattering to low-quality music but it will not be able to showcase the magic in high-quality music because it has handicapped itself so that it is not offensive.

I have seen people say that the Expanse lacks bass extension, it actually has amazing bass extension when the music calls for it. I have seen people say that the Expanse lacks detail but the truth is that the Expanse has amazing detail, it just doesn't boost up the highs and shove them into your ears. The same is true with their soundstage and separation. The Expanse has the purest and most realistic tonal balance that I have ever heard in a headphone. It also has an ultra low distortion, clear as day sound.

This is wonderful if you listen to high quality music but if you listen to lo-fi metal that was recorded in a suburban garage and mixed by a high-schooler it will sound very unflattering. More than any other headphone, the Expanse scales with the quality of the music you feed it. Especially out of the powerful and crystal clear SMSL SP400+M400 combo. Wonderful things sound wonderful and awful things sound awful. This is a genuine hi-fi system that tells no lies. I listen to high-quality music so I appreciate the realism and purity that the Expanse has to offer but many reviewers seem to spend all day listening to lo-fi crap. This is the real reason that they do not like these headphones. They would rather blame their equipment than admit that their music files are to blame.

 

[SolarCetacean]

One thing that I have noticed about a lot of audiophiles is that many of them listen to low quality music. They purchase gear in the hopes that it will make their terrible music sound better than it really is. They want their audio system to lie to them and tell them that there is nothing wrong with their favorite songs. Thus, when they receive audio equipment that makes their bad music sound good they are delighted and when they receive audio equipment that shows them how awful their bad music really is they become angry. This is why I believe that so many of them do not like DCA Headphones.

Agree that DCA headphones are very accurate to the source material, but then the question becomes a philosophical one about the role of gear. Should gear serve the music, or should the music fit the gear? If you're saying that the gear should prioritize accuracy and separate the good music from the bad, then you're implying that the music that one listens to should be guided by the gear. Don't listen to X or Y on this headphone, listen to A or B instead. In essence, the music serves the gear. But the other way to look at it is that music comes first, and the gear should serve the music no matter the quality of its production. From that standpoint, if the gear makes a song less enjoyable, then that gear is flawed no matter how accurate it is, because the ultimate purpose of gear is to make the music sound better to the listener. That's a fundamental philosophical divide, and people generally fall into one camp or the other (not saying that other camps don't exist, just along this axis, I see this as the main point of conflict). The best we can do is acknowledge where the other side is coming from even if we continue to disagree, and to recognize the strengths and qualities of a headphone even if it doesn't fit our personal preferences or philosophical bent.

Also, IMO being judgmental about music choice is the most obnoxious gatekeeping that exists in the audiophile community. It's trying to create division when none needs to exist and is really pointless self-aggrandizing. I'd rather have people eager to explore gear because they are passionate about bad music than people who don't care for gear or music at all because they aren't interested in so-called good music. Personally, I played classical piano for 12 years and was never interested in music during that time. I played because my parents wanted me to learn an instrument. EDM was what made me interested in music, and some of those MP3 downloads were pretty crap, but it started me off in actually enjoying music rather than viewing it as a homework assignment.

 

[iamoneagain]

One thing that I have noticed about a lot of audiophiles is that many of them listen to low quality music. They purchase gear in the hopes that it will make their terrible music sound better than it really is. They want their audio system to lie to them and tell them that there is nothing wrong with their favorite songs. Thus, when they receive audio equipment that makes their bad music sound good they are delighted and when they receive audio equipment that shows them how awful their bad music really is they become angry. This is why I believe that so many of them do not like DCA Headphones.

The Expanse is an extremely honest headphone. If you plug it into quality electronics and feed it quality music it will sound magical. However, if you plug it into subpar electronics and listen to low quality music it will sound unapologetically bad. This is not a flaw with the Expanse. In fact it is a good thing. A truly excellent hi-fi system scales with your audio files. If your music is garbage it should tell you that and if your music is phenomenal it should tell you that as well. A hi-fi system that bends over backwards to make bad music sound good is incapable of making amazing music sound as amazing as it really is. Because that hi-fi system is a liar. It will make everything sound warped and pleasant because that is what is flattering to low-quality music but it will not be able to showcase the magic in high-quality music because it has handicapped itself so that it is not offensive.

I have seen people say that the Expanse lacks bass extension, it actually has amazing bass extension when the music calls for it. I have seen people say that the Expanse lacks detail but the truth is that the Expanse has amazing detail, it just doesn't boost up the highs and shove them into your ears. The same is true with their soundstage and separation. The Expanse has the purest and most realistic tonal balance that I have ever heard in a headphone. It also has an ultra low distortion, clear as day sound.

This is wonderful if you listen to high quality music but if you listen to lo-fi metal that was recorded in a suburban garage and mixed by a high-schooler it will sound very unflattering. More than any other headphone, the Expanse scales with the quality of the music you feed it. Especially out of the powerful and crystal clear SMSL SP400+M400 combo. Wonderful things sound wonderful and awful things sound awful. This is a genuine hi-fi system that tells no lies. I listen to high-quality music so I appreciate the realism and purity that the Expanse has to offer but many reviewers seem to spend all day listening to lo-fi crap. This is the real reason that they do not like these headphones. They would rather blame their equipment than admit that their music files are to blame.

I actually found the Expanse somewhat forgiving but just not as much as others. It’s certainly more forgiving than the Stealth. And it’s not the bass extension that’s the issue, it’s bass impact. Some of this has to do with getting a good seal which is normally not the case for any other open headphone.

But I only keep one top of the line headphone, so for my preference, the Expanse didn’t work for my whole collection. So I’m willing to own a headphone that might not shine as bright on the best quality music but does a better job overall. But even with that said the Expanse does great even on stuff like the Dead Kennedys. It just was a miss on some of my collection. But for live music, it’s quite amazing.

It’s this judgement of what others listens to that pushes me away from the audiophile community. I don’t want to become an audiophile snob. The whole point is to better enjoy my music. For some that’s a more technical headphone and for others a more colored headphone. There’s nothing wrong with either of these choices. And technically the Expanse is a more colored version of the Stealth. Many Stealth owners don’t like the Expanse for that reason.

 

[6PANDEMONIUM6]

Agree that DCA headphones are very accurate to the source material, but then the question becomes a philosophical one about the role of gear. Should gear serve the music, or should the music fit the gear? If you're saying that the gear should prioritize accuracy and separate the good music from the bad, then you're implying that the music that one listens to should be guided by the gear. Don't listen to X or Y on this headphone, listen to A or B instead. In essence, the music serves the gear. But the other way to look at it is that music comes first, and the gear should serve the music no matter the quality of its production. From that standpoint, if the gear makes a song less enjoyable, then that gear is flawed no matter how accurate it is, because the ultimate purpose of gear is to make the music sound better to the listener. That's a fundamental philosophical divide, and people generally fall into one camp or the other (not saying that other camps don't exist, just along this axis, I see this as the main point of conflict). The best we can do is acknowledge where the other side is coming from even if we continue to disagree, and to recognize the strengths and qualities of a headphone even if it doesn't fit our personal preferences or philosophical bent.

Also, IMO being judgmental about music choice is the most obnoxious gatekeeping that exists in the audiophile community. It's trying to create division when none needs to exist and is really pointless self-aggrandizing. I'd rather have people eager to explore gear because they are passionate about bad music than people who don't care for gear or music at all because they aren't interested in so-called good music. Personally, I played classical piano for 12 years and was never interested in music during that time. I played because my parents wanted me to learn an instrument. EDM was what made me interested in music, and some of those MP3 downloads were pretty crap, but it started me off in actually enjoying music rather than viewing it as a homework assignment.

It's fine to enjoy listening to low-quality music. I'm not trying to say that people should only listen to high-quality music. My issue is that people will call objectively high-performance audio equipment "bad" because it tells the truth about their bad music. There is a difference between subjective enjoyment and actual performance. We shouldn't call high performance gear bad because it doesn't flatter low-quality music. It confuses the industry when we put flattering audio equipment on a pedestal and denounce revealing gear. For example, DMS called the Expanse "congested" in his review. It is not the Expanse which is congested, it is his music that is congested. The Expanse is just showing that to him honestly. When you feed them quality music, their soundstage and imaging opens up considerably.

 

[LCMusicLover]

… For example, DMS called the Expanse "congested" in his review. It is not the Expanse which is congested, it is his music that is congested …

Absolutely agree.

Right now I’m listening to

Hiby R6 Pro (S/PDIF out) ==> Hugo 2 ==> Expanse

No way I could call this chain ‘congested’. Somewhat less open/airy vs that chain driving HEKse, but certainly satisfying for music like Loreena McKennitt which really call for a spacious headstage. And I find the Expanse’s image quite precise, again, when the music calls for it.

 

[gadus]

I have option to purchase a used: Hypsos, Erco dac and Oor headphone amplifier. does anyone have experience with this setup and an Expanse.

I don't know erco, but oor and hypsos with expanse is an amazing combination. The more time passes the more I enjoy this combination!

 

[DarginMahkum]

Very interesting development indeed.
Do you have plans to audition the Elite again?

So, I tried them again at CanJam. As expected, sounded much better than the out-of-phase unit I had. Still warmer mids than what I prefer but being so easy to drive is a great thing for portables. I can EQ and not care about the gain drop (A&K players drop 5 dB when the EQ is activated).

Also after receiving the HE1000v2, I listened to them for a couple of days. I still prefer the tuning of Expanse. HEKv2 tuning is better than others in HEK and Arya line-up but is still a bright HP.

 

[6PANDEMONIUM6]

Medium gain, 60/100.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy-Not even breaking a sweat.

 

[ThanatosVI]

HEKv2 tuning is better than others in HEK and Arya line-up but is still a bright HP.

How would you rate thr Arya Organic compared to the rest of the Hek and Arya Lineup?

 

[DarginMahkum]

How would you rate thr Arya Organic compared to the rest of the Hek and Arya Lineup?

I don't remember the previous Aryas too distinctly but main issue with both line-ups is the brightness. Organic is also bright. But it has more distinct mids and a little bit more bass - at least what I heard in a crowded room, which I liked. HE1000 stealth is mids down closer to Elite but it has again brighter treble.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Some of this has to do with getting a good seal which is normally not the case for any other open headphone.

I can't repeat it enough for people in my local community. Many people forget about seal issue is sensitive with Expanse. Glasses are the biggest problem for people who not aware about this. Lack of seal create "compressed" sound: narrow imaging and thin tonality.

 

[iamoneagain]

I can't repeat it enough for people in my local community. Many people forget about seal issue is sensitive with Expanse. Glasses are the biggest problem for people who not aware about this. Lack of seal create "compressed" sound: narrow imaging and thin tonality.

Oh the other big issue with the Expanse is placement. If you put it on like a regular headphone, it can sound off. I believe it was forward and down for best results. But yes, even glasses can effect the bass.

The real reason I let them go is they sounded too much like a closed headphone. They didn’t breath and let air flow. They seemed like they were completely sealed off. I was sick at the time and these headphone were giving a sucked out feeling like older noise canceling headphones. And occasionally I would also get where whole soundstage would collapse. So at the time, I was no longer enjoying wearing them. Maybe once I was better, that would have changed but I sold them during that time.

 

[P+D-MI]

I just ordered the Expanse on friday and that's good advice about glasses. As a rule, I never wear my glasses while listening to any headphones.