[audioandy]

Yes, in fairness, I embarrassingly was wrong, that photo was from the Dekoni replacement pads (same $60 price point fwiw). They're the replacement ones I bought when I was told the below issue wasn't covered by warranty. Here's what the actual stock pads looked like:

They look great, as you can see. No issues!

Given the visual similarity between Stealth photos showing uneven edges implying foam issues, and the price of replacement pads, I'm happy not to risk that issue for this price point of a headphone. Hopefully I'm proven dead wrong in a year when no one complains of this issue!

 

[Alcophone]

Yes, in fairness, I embarrassingly was wrong, that photo was from the Dekoni replacement pads (same $60 price point fwiw). They're the replacement ones I bought when I was told the below issue wasn't covered by warranty. Here's what the actual stock pads looked like:



They look great, as you can see. No issues!

That looks gnarly. No luck fondling them like Dan does in the video?

 

[MSA1133]

How are you placing your headphones after using them? Do you hang them on a stand or just lay them down on the table?

My headphones that are placed in storage exhibit such deformations to the pads. I'm traveling right now but will check in a couple of days.

 

[Jimthecoffeeguy]

Yes, in fairness, I embarrassingly was wrong, that photo was from the Dekoni replacement pads (same $60 price point fwiw). They're the replacement ones I bought when I was told the below issue wasn't covered by warranty. Here's what the actual stock pads looked like:



They look great, as you can see. No issues!

Given the visual similarity between Stealth photos showing uneven edges implying foam issues, and the price of replacement pads, I'm happy not to risk that issue for this price point of a headphone. Hopefully I'm proven dead wrong in a year when no one complains of this issue!

Yeah, that's weird. Defs not right. How do you store them when not in use? How many hours of use have they had?

Mine just sit on my amp normally, and just started to put the factory foam spacer in them when not in use. Here's what they look like as of today. You can see the pads need re-rolled soon, mainly from wearing glasses. but again they are 1300hrs minimum, up to 2000hrs deep at this point

Last photo shows my "extensive" paint wear lol

 

[oakparkmusicguy]

Cough cough.... This ear pad was not made by us, note the stitching on the base. This pad was made by another vendor.

I don't mind accepting responsibility for our own issues, but I'm not owning this one.

Ah yes. I have pads by that manufacturer. SO FRUSTRATING! The base of their pads do not fit. The plastic with the adhesive is about 1-2mm too large so no matter what, one edge or side will not stay adhered. Their adhesive is also MUCH less sticky than DCA pads. I tried three different pairs of that brand and they are all exactly the same with the issues.

The pads are a tiny bit deeper than the stock pads which I like. The material is comfortable but not as soft as the stock pads. Every Aeon style pad I’ve tried does exhibit the foam rolling ‘issue’. I wrote ‘issue’ because I feel it’s really not an issue. It seems to me that the interior foam WILL roll a bit because of the shape of the pad and where pressure / pull happens with this shape. That said, this shape pad and both my Aeons are the most comfortable headphone I’ve ever tried. Out of the 5 or so different styles / brands of headphones I own the Aeons are by far the most comfortable.

If I ever by pads again (which it will be a long time since the stock pads are still plenty sticky and as per DCA recommendation I have them stored on wax paper), I will buy DCA stock pads. The are so soft! And they actually stick and seal!

 

[Amberlamps]

I also had the bulging pad problem, I suspect that it is caused by users adding to much clamping force by pulling the 2 thingys all the way down on the head band. There is no need to go over board with its clamping force as they clamp well without too much force needed.

However I will say that the stock pads are poop for various reasons and that the dekoni ones are superior in my opinion.

woo woo dats tha sound of da police.

 

[oakparkmusicguy]

I also had the bulging pad problem, I suspect that it is caused by users adding to much clamping force by pulling the 2 thingys all the way down on the head band. There is no need to go over board with its clamping force as they clamp well without too much force needed.

However I will say that the stock pads are poop for various reasons and that the dekoni ones are superior in my opinion.

woo woo dats tha sound of da police.

Interesting - I wouldn’t mind just a tiny bit more clamp.
I had to apply something sticky to the Dekoni pads to get them to stick and seal. I liked the stock pads. I just wanted more space / depth for my ears. I’m keeping the Dekonis on my headphones and I don’t see any reason to change them. But if I ever need pads (highly doubt it) I’ll get the stock ones.

 

[tgx78]

 

[newworld666]

He thinks DCA Stealth seems to be more comfortable, but sound quality and synergy are better with the LCD-5.

 

[TubyAndWobbly]

Honestly I don't blame them, it's so hard to put a numerical value on the performance of a headphone, especially with some thing like the stealth which is closed back. Either way you ignore that extra 5% better sound quality with an LCD 5 or ignore the added isolation, not sure you can really put a number on either side of that trade off that's fair to both cans.

 

[Toonartist]

Anyone know whether the elastic on the Stealth is easily replaceable? I'd imagine that will give over time so I'm hoping so. Cheers.

 

[mrspeakers]

Anyone know whether the elastic on the Stealth is easily replaceable? I'd imagine that will give over time so I'm hoping so. Cheers.

Very easy, 2 screws. The elastic is high grade and will last a long time.

 

[Jimthecoffeeguy]

@mrspeakers I'd like to hear your feedback on the stealth as a user. Is there anything YOU would like to share about your time with the headphones? Anything your not happy with or want to improve in future, anything you love about them etc?

Also another congrats on a top tier headphone that goes toe to to with or exceeds all other closed backs, but also flagship open backs!

I don't know how your gunna top these, but I'll look forward to it (even tho my wallet won't be!)

 

[mrspeakers]

@mrspeakers I'd like to hear your feedback on the stealth as a user. Is there anything YOU would like to share about your time with the headphones? Anything your not happy with or want to improve in future, anything you love about them etc?

Also another congrats on a top tier headphone that goes toe to to with or exceeds all other closed backs, but also flagship open backs!

I don't know how your gunna top these, but I'll look forward to it (even tho my wallet won't be!)

Thanks for the kind words!

Of course my answer on being a user is hopelessly biased as I'm the one responsible for voicing so you'd kind of expect me to gush, but there really is nothing on my radar I'd do differently. I really enjoy this as an all around headphone, I use it for pretty much everything right now and to me it's the most comfortable headphone in the line.

I've been using a DX220 with Amp 8 to wander about the house for chores, cooking, etc and the TT2/m-scaler for my main home system, a 2Go/Hugo 2 for the bedside, and a SMSL m500 at the home office. At work I'm running an Yggy driving a Liquid Glass with some Tungsol "Mickey Mouse" 12SN7GTs which throw a stunning soundstage, and an Asgard 3 on the workbench, which keeps surprising with it's smoothness and resolution (what a fantastic piece of budget kit). Everything runs off a Roon server. My home unit is a custom Linux server by Mojo audio with linear power supplies and a stripped down OS and everything running RAM Root, at the office we run a Roon NUC install on a LAN with Aloo Signature Pro endpoints.

I keep blissing out with the smoothness of the tone, rendering for vocals, soundstage, resolution, and the bottom end for electronica. I also really enjoy percussion and strings with the smoother top end the AMTS delivers, it just sounds more real/live to me, much more so than my speakers for that matter. A key thing I like about the vocals is the resolution without added breath/grain. I haven't heard others discuss this but I think a key issue many headphones have is rendering the upper mids relative to the mids. When I listen to vocals what I hear is that the tone and balance of voice just sounds right. When I listen to live acoustic singing or even just spoken word voices don't sound anywhere near as breathy as many headphones seem to make them. To me, Stealth's vocal rendering is really honest; it conveys chest without boxiness or boom, breath without excess breathless, lip sounds, and sibilance as close as I've heard to "real people" without amplification.

Right now I'm listening to Diamond Mine by King Creosote and John Hopkins and it's like it was made for the album. Hopkins' low electronica notes come through with pressure and clarity and no fuzz, the opening recording of a little shop really highlights the ambience of the room, vocals are detailed and really present, and the layering of the harmonies is really articulate with great lateral and front/rear layering. Before that I was listening to King Hannah's track Meal Deal and enjoying the thunderous bass and the layered distortion of the guitars at the end, as well as the explosive dynamics of the track. Really cool little Indy album by Hannah... Last night I listened to some of the stunning Engegardkvartetten string quartets, they are among the best classical recordings I've heard and I really love hearing the finger work and bowing, try the Red/Yellow/Blue albums...

 

[slainte]

Thanks for the kind words!

Of course my answer on being a user is hopelessly biased as I'm the one responsible for voicing so you'd kind of expect me to gush, but there really is nothing on my radar I'd do differently. I really enjoy this as an all around headphone, I use it for pretty much everything right now and to me it's the most comfortable headphone in the line.

I've been using a DX220 with Amp 8 to wander about the house for chores, cooking, etc and the TT2/m-scaler for my main home system, a 2Go/Hugo 2 for the bedside, and a SMSL m500 at the home office. At work I'm running an Yggy driving a Liquid Glass with some Tungsol "Mickey Mouse" 12SN7GTs which throw a stunning soundstage, and an Asgard 3 on the workbench, which keeps surprising with it's smoothness and resolution (what a fantastic piece of budget kit). Everything runs off a Roon server. My home unit is a custom Linux server by Mojo audio with linear power supplies and a stripped down OS and everything running RAM Root, at the office we run a Roon NUC install on a LAN with Aloo Signature Pro endpoints.

I keep blissing out with the smoothness of the tone, rendering for vocals, soundstage, resolution, and the bottom end for electronica. I also really enjoy percussion and strings with the smoother top end the AMTS delivers, it just sounds more real/live to me, much more so than my speakers for that matter. A key thing I like about the vocals is the resolution without added breath/grain. I haven't heard others discuss this but I think a key issue many headphones have is rendering the upper mids relative to the mids. When I listen to vocals what I hear is that the tone and balance of voice just sounds right. When I listen to live acoustic singing or even just spoken word voices don't sound anywhere near as breathy as many headphones seem to make them. To me, Stealth's vocal rendering is really honest; it conveys chest without boxiness or boom, breath without excess breathless, lip sounds, and sibilance as close as I've heard to "real people" without amplification.

Right now I'm listening to Diamond Mine by King Creosote and John Hopkins and it's like it was made for the album. Hopkins' low electronica notes come through with pressure and clarity and no fuzz, the opening recording of a little shop really highlights the ambience of the room, vocals are detailed and really present, and the layering of the harmonies is really articulate with great lateral and front/rear layering. Before that I was listening to King Hannah's track Meal Deal and enjoying the thunderous bass and the layered distortion of the guitars at the end, as well as the explosive dynamics of the track. Really cool little Indy album by Hannah... Last night I listened to some of the stunning Engegardkvartetten string quartets, they are among the best classical recordings I've heard and I really love hearing the finger work and bowing, try the Red/Yellow/Blue albums...

Very cool response.

What speakers do you listen to when not zoning out with cans?