gearocdguy
100+ Head-Fier
Every DCA headphone I have owned, including the Ether 2, has been ultra-comfortable.Surprised at the comfort rating, as the Ether 2 is supposed to be one of the most comfortable sets out there. Sound used to be all I cared about but comfort is becoming of equal importance. But the discomfort I feel with headphones is never on the top of my head; it's around my ears (particularly the left one for some reason). Weak clamping force is a plus for me as long as they don't slide back and forth too easily.
What's different on the Stealth is (1) the mechanism that attaches the comfort strap to the headphones is an elastic band vs. a sliding mechanism and (2) The comfort strap is a large quilted solid piece of high-end leather vs. thinner more flexiable.
For my large melon-head, the new confront strap mechanism is less comfortable (at the moment) because most of the weight of the headphone is carried by the clamping force, so the force of the elastic band just pulls the comfort strap tight to the top of my head.
I assume if you have a normal person-sized head the force of the elastic band would be offset by the weight of the headphone. So, I think most people will find the Stealth as comfortable as other DCA headphones.
I am hoping the leather strap will break in overtime and it will not be an issue.
If I could replace the elastic bank with a sliding mechanism, I would do it in a second. But, the nitinol bands are different on the Stealth, the distance between the two is not constant, so I don't think that would work.
The elastic band mechanism does eliminate all the constant fiddling you have to do with the sliding mechanism which is less of an issue with the Ethers but does get annoying the Aeon 2s and the folding mechanism.