[deuter]

You just called a closed HP "not closed" because it has a port, so there is a point there. And can you please name a few "good bass HPs without any opening"? Also, the fact that an opening is not in shape of an obvious port does not make a closed back HP. For example TH900 and Stellia are two obvious examples. Even R10 has a port.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-mdr-r10-owners-club.351179/post-6526521

You just called a closed HP "not closed" because it has a port, so there is a point there. And can you please name a few "good bass HPs without any opening"? Also, the fact that an opening is not in shape of an obvious port does not make a closed back HP. For example TH900 and Stellia are two obvious examples. Even R10 has a port.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-mdr-r10-owners-club.351179/post-6526521

A closed headphone for me is the one that does not leak sound.

A closed headphone light mean something else to you, I don’t really want to spend the time explaining the difference but when a need isolation and privacy nI look to my iems.
If you think the Stealth is closed I cannot help you.

 

[DarginMahkum]

A closed headphone light mean something else to you, I don’t really want to spend the time explaining the difference but when a need isolation and privacy nI look to my iems.
If you think the Stealth is closed I cannot help you.

I am not asking for help. But you are spreading misinformation, just like the initial "bad bass" wave. Most of closed back headphones have ports and this is a requirement of physics. Even the IEMs have have bass ports. This is what the market accepts as closed back, so it is a closed back. Also the leakage is very low. With my listening volume and music type, it is not at all audible if I put the HP down on the table while the music is playing.

 

[Jimthecoffeeguy]

I am not asking for help. But you are spreading misinformation, just like the initial "bad bass" wave. Most of closed back headphones have ports and this is a requirement of physics. Even the IEMs have have bass ports. This is what the market accepts as closed back, so it is a closed back. Also the leakage is very low. With my listening volume and music type, it is not at all audible if I put the HP down on the table while the music is playing.

A closed headphone is a closed headphone. Port or not.
A well designed headphone won't leak much, if any sound via the port as it's designed not to. Same as a bass port on a speaker. It's to allow proper movement of the driver only. Basically the air in the port/tube just moves back and forth so the actual noise should stay mainly contained within the housing.

As I mentioned the port does eminate sound at high volumes with your ear next to it. BUT It leaks out less sound than if you have your ear next to the earpads sealed together. Therefore I'd say it dosent really "leak" sound. And if it does, you get more through the sidewalls of the earpads.

I could try and pick it up with my mic in another video, but it would be very hard. And I don't know if you'd hear a difference honestly.

 

[xirxes]

The “lack of signiture” I’m referring to is as paradox said, it is not a heavily colored or flavored set. It aims for definition, clarity and imaging with extended sound stage without a adding a bright, or dark or bassy or v shaped color

 

[Alcophone]

A closed headphone is a closed headphone. Port or not.

I do agree with that.

Basically the air in the port/tube just moves back and forth so the actual noise should stay mainly contained within the housing.

A transducer also moves air back and forth, though. Ports on speakers have a tuning frequency for that reason. So I do find that explanation unconvincing.

 

[DuncanDirkDick]

A closed headphone light mean something else to you, I don’t really want to spend the time explaining the difference but when a need isolation and privacy nI look to my iems.

I mean that’s just trolling or pure stupidity at this point. A closed back headphone has one side of the transducer closed off from the environment, period. We can talk leakage, which goes further than ported designs anyway, because leakage usually occurs via the padded area, not the port. From what I’ve seen in the video, isolation seems to be fine.

 

[Jimthecoffeeguy]

I do agree with that.


A transducer also moves air back and forth, though.

I know, I mentioned that earlier

Ports on speakers have a tuning frequency for that reason.

We don't know if Dan tuned this port, or how it works internally. I'd be willing to bet he put as much effort into the port as every other mm in the headphone tho. He did design loudspeaker enclosures back in the day, remember!

So I do find that explanation unconvincing.

That's ok. Sometimes you just have to test it for yourself in person

 

[Jimthecoffeeguy]

A closed back headphone has one side of the transducer closed off from the environment, period. We can talk leakage, which goes further than ported designs anyway, because leakage usually occurs via the padded area, not the port. From what I’ve seen in the video, isolation seems to be fine.

As stated there's more leakage via the pads than the port.
Thank you, I'm glad you are happy with my little test! It was fun to knock together.

I am satisfied with Stealth's isolation and leakage and believe others should be too.

 

[Jimthecoffeeguy]

It's here. It's all HERE!

Balanced cable for stealth, check
Dac3 check
Hpa4 check!

I intended on a setup and quick 10-20 minute test listen, but somehow that turned into about two hours. Here's an incoherent rambling as I gather my thoughts and ears.

Impressions of benchmark stack with stealth balanced: yes. That's it, it's all you need to know. Just yes.

-Is it better than your schiit stack? Yes.
-Is it worth the $$$? yahuh
-If you had to, could you go back to your old setup and be happy? Yes. But not willingly.
-Can you hear the difference on the dac? Sure can, Stan.
-can you hear the difference on the amp yup, although less noticable than the dac imo, you notice it in other ways.



The benchmark gear plays well with Stealth's sound. Very neutral/natural/real sound. No coloring etc. You get out what you put into it. Which I like.

After this short period the big takeaways for me so far are the sound quality boost, more detail, the amp giving everything more body and oomf when needed, the fantastic quality remote control (best I've seen so far) and the lack of gain control on the amp.

Schitt: gain button = MoAr PoWeR!!!
Benchmark: lol gain button? Just keep turning the volume knob you fool.


I was surprised with a few tracks where there was a little more clarity and detail than I'd previously heard, and a bit more oomf in the bass, but not all tracks. I think the "missing bass" is sometimes the tracks and their engineering. I listened to some tracks where more bass would have been bad. So there wasn't. I listened to tracks where more bass would have been nice, but found it scaled up by the engineers in different parts of the track to emphasize different parts of the track for more meaning and emotion etc. So that's something I'm mulling over presently!

Biggest surprise was flicking through songs and landed on "hysteria" by Muse.
I like this track, am mildly familiar with it but don't love it.
but jeeeesssshhhh!!!! Listening to that track on the benchmark/stealth combo sounded sooooooo good I can barely describe it. The whole track was good but the bass, sub bass etc oh my gawd.
most of me melted and went Aaaaaaahhhhhh! While other parts of me almost went hard (yes it was that good)

dunno what else to say guys.
got a bunch of spare cash, buy the benchmark stack. Your ears will thank you for it.

sorry for the thought explosion and alphabet soup above. Needed to get it out of my head

 

[DarginMahkum]

It's here. It's all HERE!

Balanced cable for stealth, check
Dac3 check
Hpa4 check!

I intended on a setup and quick 10-20 minute test listen, but somehow that turned into about two hours. Here's an incoherent rambling as I gather my thoughts and ears.

Impressions of benchmark stack with stealth balanced: yes. That's it, it's all you need to know. Just yes.

-Is it better than your schiit stack? Yes.
-Is it worth the $$$? yahuh
-If you had to, could you go back to your old setup and be happy? Yes. But not willingly.
-Can you hear the difference on the dac? Sure can, Stan.
-can you hear the difference on the amp yup, although less noticable than the dac imo, you notice it in other ways.



The benchmark gear plays well with Stealth's sound. Very neutral/natural/real sound. No coloring etc. You get out what you put into it. Which I like.

After this short period the big takeaways for me so far are the sound quality boost, more detail, the amp giving everything more body and oomf when needed, the fantastic quality remote control (best I've seen so far) and the lack of gain control on the amp.

Schitt: gain button = MoAr PoWeR!!!
Benchmark: lol gain button? Just keep turning the volume knob you fool.


I was surprised with a few tracks where there was a little more clarity and detail than I'd previously heard, and a bit more oomf in the bass, but not all tracks. I think the "missing bass" is sometimes the tracks and their engineering. I listened to some tracks where more bass would have been bad. So there wasn't. I listened to tracks where more bass would have been nice, but found it scaled up by the engineers in different parts of the track to emphasize different parts of the track for more meaning and emotion etc. So that's something I'm mulling over presently!

Biggest surprise was flicking through songs and landed on "hysteria" by Muse.
I like this track, am mildly familiar with it but don't love it.
but jeeeesssshhhh!!!! Listening to that track on the benchmark/stealth combo sounded sooooooo good I can barely describe it. The whole track was good but the bass, sub bass etc oh my gawd.
most of me melted and went Aaaaaaahhhhhh! While other parts of me almost went hard (yes it was that good)

dunno what else to say guys.
got a bunch of spare cash, buy the benchmark stack. Your ears will thank you for it.

sorry for the thought explosion and alphabet soup above. Needed to get it out of my head

Enjoy! I don't think you would ever need to upgrade over that setup - as long as you are not suffering from upgraditis.

 

[Jimthecoffeeguy]

Enjoy! I don't think you would ever need to upgrade over that setup - as long as you are not suffering from upgraditis.

I will thanks.

No defs not upgrading for a few years minimum. Anything more would be wasted on me at this point.

 

[Nomax]

Yes with the Stealth and also Utopia most of the community are at the right place

NOMAX

Ps.but only to the end of September 2022

 

[adrianm]

I will thanks.

No defs not upgrading for a few years minimum. Anything more would be wasted on me at this point.

Congrats, looks and I'm sure that it sounds great. While the Schiit stuff is great bang for buck, it's always fun to see people's reactions when they experience something beyond that.

-can you hear the difference on the amp yup, although less noticable than the dac imo, you notice it in other ways.

Stop selling yourself short, this proves you're most discerning than a lot of people

 

[adrianm]

Ps.but only to the end of September 2022

What happens then? New flagship closed or open? since you mentioned both types

 

[newworld666]

What happens then? New flagship closed or open? since you mentioned both types

I don't know what could be a new flagship closed on the market since the DCA Stealth came out ... the two only thing that could be done are :
-> to make such headphone much more affordable ...... less than a 1.000$ (VAT included)
-> to make such planar-dynamic much easier to drive with more than 100 Db/mw sensitivity.

I was hesitating to buy the Stealth as I was thinking such price is just crazy for a closed headphone (though I already thought the Ultrasone Ed 15 Veritas at 3 000$ was already crazy) => but now, even on the way I prefer, by very far, to use mostly the Stealth than any other IEM (Z1R, IE900 or Xelento) or closed Headphones (Z7M2, Ed15 Veritas), though it's a real pain to cary a portable amp like Less BX2+ to enjoy the Stealth fully.
It seems maybe the "Meze Audio Liric Closed" is on that good way, though I am not sure if it can really offer as clean and fast low impacts as the Stealth can provide.