[JAnonymous5150]

For the last 2 years of doing the net research on anything up to 2k (the E3 have raised the budget bar (in theory at least) I've wanted the NH20 to be better than what I've read. The black ones are top 5 best looking and that's why.. but the cons I've read can't justify it. But damn the Black Edition are gorge.

The DCA E3s are absolutely the best closed backs in the sub-$2k range that I have ever owned or heard and I have heard A LOT because I do use closed backs a lot while I'm on the road (which is like 75% of the year) and finding some great options was and is important to me. What DCA did with the E3s is really impressive, IMO.

 

[Terriero]

The DCA E3s are absolutely the best closed backs in the sub-$2k range that I have ever owned or heard and I have heard A LOT because I do use closed backs a lot while I'm on the road (which is like 75% of the year) and finding some great options was and is important to me. What DCA did with the E3s is really impressive, IMO.

And above 2K? Do you prefer the other family members -Expanse and Stealth- of from other brand?

 

[JAnonymous5150]

And above 2K? Do you prefer the other family members -Expanse and Stealth- of from other brand?

Yes, I think the Stealths are a better overall headphone than the E3. That said, they're also quite different. They E3 is clearly tuned to have a dynamic and musical presentation to it while the Stealths are more about neutrality and maximum clarity. I think they provide a nice complimentary tandem, giving me an option for fun listening (the E3s) and for more critical listening (the Stealths).

The Expanse are my overall favorite headphones currently. They take some of the fun musicality of the E3s, combine it with the critical clarity and detail of the Stealths, and add the advantages of open backs to things like soundstage and imaging. They're a heck of a headphone and represent the peak of the DCA house sound to this point. And, yes, that includes being better than the estats, Corina and Vice, IMO.

*Note* I want to be clear that I'm not implying that the E3s aren't clear or detailed. They're actually quite the opposite. I just mean that the Stealths, and Expanse for that matter, take it to the next level. That's all.

 

[llysender]

Yes, I think the Stealths are a better overall headphone than the E3. That said, they're also quite different. They E3 is clearly tuned to have a dynamic and musical presentation to it while the Stealths are more about neutrality and maximum clarity. I think they provide a nice complimentary tandem, giving me an option for fun listening (the E3s) and for more critical listening (the Stealths).

The Expanse are my overall favorite headphones currently. They take some of the fun musicality of the E3s, combine it with the critical clarity and detail of the Stealths, and add the advantages of open backs to things like soundstage and imaging. They're a heck of a headphone and represent the peak of the DCA house sound to this point. And, yes, that includes being better than the estats, Corina and Vice, IMO.

*Note* I want to be clear that I'm not implying that the E3s aren't clear or detailed. They're actually quite the opposite. I just mean that the Stealths, and Expanse for that matter, take it to the next level. That's all.

Just curous how do you get around the issue of the imaging of both the expense and steath being quite uneven. were everything that imagmes towards the outside gets significantly bigger and blurrier. And there is the annoyning part where it if your sound has instruments which image at the transition plane it has part which is significantly smaller and the other part which is the reverse.

Then again I much prefer the Voce and Ether 2 and feel that the E3 is the only headphone that does the metamaterial justice.

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Just curous how do you get around the issue of the imaging of both the expense and steath being quite uneven. were everything that imagmes towards the outside gets significantly bigger and blurrier. And there is the annoyning part where it if your sound has instruments which image at the transition plane it has part which is significantly smaller and the other part which is the reverse.

Then again I much prefer the Voce and Ether 2 and feel that the E3 is the only headphone that does the metamaterial justice.

I don't get around it because I don't hear any blurring in the imaging of the Expanse. The Stealths and E3 gave some issues in imaging and stage restrictions that I find to be a consequence of closed back design, but both are amongst the best closed backs I have heard in those particular technical areas. I think all three of these headphones are quite signal chain dependent and find that the imaging and staging capabilities in particular seem to be heavily impacted by current and voltage capabilities on amps. Adjusting the voltage on my Ferrum Oor/Hypsos stack has very noticeable effects on stage size, image clarity, detail retrieval, dynamics, separation, and layering on all three of them. All of them are still great on almost anything with adequate power, but they really become different beasts entirely when matched with a signal chain to optimize their performance.

For me, the Voces are a very cool pair of headphones and are some of the best estats I have heard, but they still have too much of the unnatural weightlessness that leaves notes without realistic body and note weight. As a professional drummer, that becomes something I have a hard time not concentrating on when I'm listening and I haven't heard a pair of estats yet that doesn't have that issue to one degree or another. I actually really enjoy the Ether line from DCA too. I don't own any of them currently, but I have owned the Drop+DCA Ether CX, the Ether Flow 1.1, and the Ether 2.

As an aside, what chain do you run the Voces off of? I'm always interested in hearing how people drive their phones.

Edit: Fixed a couple of misspellings and autocorrect errors.

 

[bluenight]

It seems like the knowledge to make a good closed back and a good open back are different. From what I can see

Yes i agree. They need to have knowledge on the reflections bouncing around inside the earcups. It seems like DCA have come furthest with this applying new tech for there higher end models and to some degree ZMF with there damping system.

I am considering strongly the ATH-AWAS for a uppgrade from Akg K371. They use som Damping system to. My feeling is it will synergy better with my system then other top contender like Zmf Atrium Closed.Also its quite expensive.
Zmf bokeh is intreresting to.

I am turning down HP that use ainimal leather so that narrow down the selection for me. If i didn't care about that I would go with DCA E3.

 

[llysender]

I don't get around it because I don't hear any blurring in the imaging of the Expanse. The Stealths and E3 gave some issues in imaging and stage restrictions that I find to be a consequence of closed back design, but both are amongst the best closed backs I have heard in those particular technical areas. I think all three of these headphones are quite signal chain dependent and find that the imaging and staging capabilities in particular seem to be heavily impacted by current and voltage capabilities on amps. Adjusting the voltage on my Ferrum Oor/Hypsos stack has very noticeable effects on stage size, image clarity, detail retrieval, dynamics, separation, and layering on all three of them. All of them are still great on almost anything with adequate power, but they really become different beasts entirely when matched with a signal chain to optimize their performance.

For me, the Voces are a very cool pair of headphones and are some of the best estats I have heard, but they still have too much of the unnatural weightlessness that leaves notes without realistic body and note weight. As a professional drummer, that becomes something I have a hard time not concentrating on when I'm listening and I haven't heard a pair of estats yet that doesn't have that issue to one degree or another. I actually really enjoy the Ether line from DCA too. I don't own any of them currently, but I have owned the Drop+DCA Ether CX, the Ether Flow 1.1, and the Ether 2.

As an aside, what chain do you run the Voces off of? I'm always interested in hearing how people drive their phones.

Edit: Fixed a couple of misspellings and autocorrect errors.

Besides the Ether 2 which I own the Steaths, Expense and E3 was demoed with the ibasso DX300 into the burson soloist. Voce and Corina I demoed off DX300 into linier tube audio Z10E.

Personally I havent found any issues with the E3 with reguards to imaging as I find the relative images with reguards to the given stage correct sounding. Personally I only have one very minor compaint in that the E3 could have been less bassy.

Interesting that you mention noteweight. Yeah Estats generally dont have that noteweight that I want. But that can be said for most planars as well including the Ether 2. Personally I besides the Quad ERA-1 I find that alot of planars cant play the recorded decay well or at all. I would say only post edition XS for hifiman and Meze planars in general have good attack decay.


My personal setup is Fiio K9 pro AKM into ATH-BHA100 hybrid amp. The only thing Im thinking of maybe adding is a R2R dac as a sidegrade for the different imaging style and the boosted dynamics.


@bluenight Just curous will the AWAS be purely for desk use? Because I dont recomend using it has a portable headphone. Something like the Tago Studio T3-01 has much better clamping for moving about.

 

[bluenight]

@bluenight Just curous will the AWAS be purely for desk use? Because I dont recomend using it has a portable headphone

Yeah only use at home.

 

[robo24]

Besides the Ether 2 which I own the Steaths, Expense and E3 was demoed with the ibasso DX300 into the burson soloist. Voce and Corina I demoed off DX300 into linier tube audio Z10E.

Personally I havent found any issues with the E3 with reguards to imaging as I find the relative images with reguards to the given stage correct sounding. Personally I only have one very minor compaint in that the E3 could have been less bassy.

Interesting that you mention noteweight. Yeah Estats generally dont have that noteweight that I want. But that can be said for most planars as well including the Ether 2. Personally I besides the Quad ERA-1 I find that alot of planars cant play the recorded decay well or at all. I would say only post edition XS for hifiman and Meze planars in general have good attack decay.


My personal setup is Fiio K9 pro AKM into ATH-BHA100 hybrid amp. The only thing Im thinking of maybe adding is a R2R dac as a sidegrade for the different imaging style and the boosted dynamics.


@bluenight Just curous will the AWAS be purely for desk use? Because I dont recomend using it has a portable headphone. Something like the Tago Studio T3-01 has much better clamping for moving about.

thoughts on the Stealth vs E3? Just got a used Stealth myself.

 

[gofishus]

Ok so I haven't tried the Dan Clark E3s everyone's been raving about, but I just got the Audio-Technica AWKTs and don't mind saying that these are definitely up there, endgame TOTL tier closed back headphones.
The best way to describe these are they have the 'W' shaped tuning of my Denon D7200s (I.e a v shaped tuning without recessed mids) with more detail, more soundstage, and the sparkling airy high end of my Audio-Technica AP2000Tis. In a way, it's the best of my two (previously) favorite Japanese headphones, with a touch more soundstage and detail than both. Now, it's definitely a bright headphone but for me it's manageable and it's quite an enjoyable listen. Not to mention.. what a looker! the craftsmanship this exudes is incredible. The mids are quite detailed, fast transients, highly resolving etc
Would love to compare to Denon D9200 if anyone has that headphone please let me know how that one is like. These high end japanese headphones are hard to try not many headphone shops around my area carry them.

 

[llysender]

thoughts on the Stealth vs E3? Just got a used Stealth myself.

If you arent having any issues with the steath enjoy no need to think about the E3. My main issue with the 1st gen DCA meta materials is the imaging uneveness otherwise I would really like the sound. Havent head enough of the E3 to say other than its good abit too bassy for my tastes seems to follow Aeon style tuning and its pretty versitile.

Ok so I haven't tried the Dan Clark E3s everyone's been raving about, but I just got the Audio-Technica AWKTs and don't mind saying that these are definitely up there, endgame TOTL tier closed back headphones.
The best way to describe these are they have the 'W' shaped tuning of my Denon D7200s (I.e a v shaped tuning without recessed mids) with more detail, more soundstage, and the sparkling airy high end of my Audio-Technica AP2000Tis. In a way, it's the best of my two (previously) favorite Japanese headphones, with a touch more soundstage and detail than both. Now, it's definitely a bright headphone and the trebles are definitely forward and might be too harsh or peaky for some, but for me it's manageable and it's quite an enjoyable listen. Not to mention.. what a looker! the craftsmanship this exudes is incredible.
Would love to compare to Denon D9200 if anyone has that headphone please let me know how that one is like. These high end japanese headphones are hard to try not many headphone shops around my area carry them.

Sweet, currently enjoying my AWKTs as well. Interestingly the AWKTs like tubes quite abit. Really opens up the stage. Maybe Im just getting old but I dont think the AWKT is harsh unless extended air is harsh to people. It has quite a big dip in the sib area which can make things sound softer. That being said it is absolutely endgame for me and is unique enough to not want to sell it.

 

[plakat]

thoughts on the Stealth vs E3? Just got a used Stealth myself.

They show family ties, with the E3 being a bit more lively while the Stealth is a bit more reserved, easygoing. E3 has a bit more midbass while the Stealth seems to focus on subbass. Extension is similar though.
Pads of the E3 are a bit deeper it seems. And the Stealth looks much better — at least to me
I still went with the E3 after multiple comparison sessions at my local shop.

 

[Barondog]

Shameless plug here, but I'm selling a pair of Kennerton Magni that would fit the description of what you're looking for... although comfort is a bit subjective.

I would try to find a pair of HP3s. They sound great with most types of music and are tuned to be more fun to listen to. I bought a pair when they first came out. They are still my favorite set of headphones. The only thing is they do not like poor quality recordings. But usually you can even use them on YouTube if you select a studio or remastered mix.

 

[subguy812]

John Massaria XTC 2.5 in Brazilian Tiger Burl Wood

 

[Alexzander]

John Massaria XTC 2.5 in Brazilian Tiger Burl Wood

Please share how do they sound like!