Another review of the Closed. TL;DR Mark gave it a 3/5 stars. Based on his review, I cannot wait to hear what he has to say about the Bokeh Closed since midrange is his preference. And he has a squiglink for the Caldera posted here
Haha I cringed a bit when I first saw it and he said he was able to drive it off his MacBook Pro… he also likes flat frequency response with flat bass… he is a very good iem reviewer … but has completely different preferences to mine
I mean the double the price Stealth is nowhere near as enjoyable as the CC so I can't imagine the E3 would be better since it's apparently less technically proficient than the Stealth. If this guy is reviewing from his laptop headphone jack he's not reviewing for the intended market for this headphone anyway, or really any headphone from ZMF aside from the Bokehs.
Haha I cringed a bit when I first saw it and he said he was able to drive it off his MacBook Pro… he also likes flat frequency response with flat bass… he is a very good iem reviewer … but has completely different preferences to mine
I’ve watched a ton of his reviews … I was just trying to make a point that Mark likes and prefers small amounts of bass and frequently states that……. He is a very good reviewer for iems… but I know if he likes something I probably won’t …just a preference thing … I know nothing about the DCA E3 other than it looks like something to iron my clothes with …
I’ve watched a ton of his reviews … I was just trying to make a point that Mark likes and prefers small amounts of bass and frequently states that……. He is a very good reviewer for iems… but I know if he likes something I probably won’t …just a preference thing … I know nothing about the DCA E3 other than it looks like something to iron my clothes with …
Here's E3's response and how it would sound predictably based on the FR curve. No idea how Mark states that Caldera is lacking warmth on the video when the FR clearly presents the opposite . I think the MBP didn't drive it to its fullest
I've had a chance to listen again this weekend to the Stealth. A friend brought it over and we drove it off the WA23. This is entirely subjective, but something about these headphones always felt sterile and lifeless. Kind of the opposite of exciting, for my taste. They are very clean soudning, but lack dynamics. My friend, how owns them, actually has has similar impressions of them. I did not get to listen to the E3 a lot but, when they came out, I did have a chance to demo them and found them a dramatic improvement to the Stealth. Whatever DCA did, it was in the right direction. Much more engaging. So between these two, for me, E3 is much better than Stealth, whatever their respective prices may suggest.
That said, CC is much better than both for me. The texture and note weight is just wonderful. Warm yet balanced tuning, a bit dark but well resolving in the treble with a touch of air at the very top end, and remarkably spacious for closed back. It's one of my favorite headphones!
Here's E3's response and how it would sound predictably based on the FR curve. No idea how Mark states that Caldera is lacking warmth on the video when the FR clearly presents the opposite . I think the MBP didn't drive it to its fullest
I heard both the E3 and CC properly driven. I lived with the CC a few months. CC is definitely warmer and thicker. E3 is more neutral and leaner (to me less exciting/engaging).
Here's E3's response and how it would sound predictably based on the FR curve. No idea how Mark states that Caldera is lacking warmth on the video when the FR clearly presents the opposite . I think the MBP didn't drive it to its fullest
Thank you for those graphs that’s very helpful to see the differences…. I think if we all plugged our Caldera into our MacBooks as sacrilege as it is… I would imagine it would not have much body.. lol … and would prob sound like banging tin cans together …it’s like reviewing a Ferrari and only driving it in your driveway!!! Definitely a head scratcher!!!
Sorry guys - I didn't realize this and will make sure to do more research next time before sending headphones out. The Caldera Closed does indeed need a bit more juice than the open version as well due to it having the low-pass filter in it, so even more reason a computer wouldn't be able to drive it well.
Its good to send it out to as many reviewers as possible. Its better not to blacklist people unless they do something egregious. Maybe throw a disclaimer or caveat that TOTL headphones require powerful sources to get the best out of it.
At least Mark from SuperReviews mentioned it but not having a powerful source as a reviewer baffles me when it comes reviewing audio gear.
I've always liked that you aren't afraid of bad reviews, unlike other companies (I'm not singling out other headphone manufacturers here) that curate reviews and only send out samples to folks who only give their product positive reviews or try to cut out a media outlet for giving the product a bad review a la Nvidia.
In this case SuperReviews testing methodology is just plain wrong. If you feed anything that is electrically conductive (even a lightbulb) too much power or in this case not enough power, it will affect performance.
Even if all you care about is how something measures on a graph source gear matters.
So, in this case not sending out review samples to SuperReviews in the future is a good thing.
Its great to have many reviewers. One can get an idea of how reviewers do their reviews.
And I would not blacklist because its best to get everyones opinion and have people figure out if its good or not. At least the comments in video show that.
I mean the double the price Stealth is nowhere near as enjoyable as the CC so I can't imagine the E3 would be better since it's apparently less technically proficient than the Stealth. If this guy is reviewing from his laptop headphone jack he's not reviewing for the intended market for this headphone anyway, or really any headphone from ZMF aside from the Bokehs.
And I would not blacklist because its best to get everyones opinion and have people figure out if its good or not. At least the comments in video show that.
While I agree no one should be blacklisted, there are exceptions, and this is one of them.
To use another PC analogy, should Nvidia send out a 4090 for review to a reviewer who says power does not matter and reviews the 4090 running on a 500w power supply.
If the reviewer's testing methodology is wrong, do you still send a unit out for review to him or her at least until they get the testing methodology correct.
SuperReview to me is a bit of an oddball even in the AudioPhile review space. I've watched some of his videos through the years, he does not care about the quality of the digital file, and hates it when the Hi-Fi sticker shows up on a product. He doesn't geek out about any of the gear he uses like the rest of us do, and could give a rats a** if it's AKM, R2R, OpAmp or tubes. He talks about things like soundstage and treble, but I never get the feeling it matters to him, like he could take it or leave it kind of attitude.
Its good to send it out to as many reviewers as possible. Its better not to blacklist people unless they do something egregious. Maybe throw a disclaimer or caveat that TOTL headphones require powerful sources to get the best out of it.
At least Mark from SuperReviews mentioned it but not having a powerful source as a reviewer baffles me when it comes reviewing audio gear.
Its great to have many reviewers. One can get an idea of how reviewers do their reviews.
And I would not blacklist because its best to get everyones opinion and have people figure out if its good or not. At least the comments in video show that.
He uses a portable dap with 475mw of power. Still I wonder if he had proper source, would his ratings change.
I watched him when he 1st started and he mainly focus on the IEM and portable stuffs so he didn't need a really powerful source.
Still, if he moves on to review headphones like CC he needs to invest more on his sources for sure.
Sorry guys - I didn't realize this and will make sure to do more research next time before sending headphones out. The Caldera Closed does indeed need a bit more juice than the open version as well due to it having the low-pass filter in it, so even more reason a computer wouldn't be able to drive it well.
This is what he clarified under the comment section. Still, maybe just check with them 1st about the amping needed for your headphones. I feel like he would still be great to review the BO/BC due to the portable, easy to drive nature of those cans.
I heard both the E3 and CC properly driven. I lived with the CC a few months. CC is definitely warmer and thicker. E3 is more neutral and leaner (to me less exciting/engaging).
I also had the E3 for a while. It's definitely a great headphone, though needs a strong amplifier to drive it well. I ended up letting them go after finding that I rarely ever wore them after the initial "honeymoon" phase was over.
I also had the E3 for a while. It's definitely a great headphone, though needs a strong amplifier to drive it well. I ended up letting them go after finding that I rarely ever wore them after the initial "honeymoon" phase was over.
Same thing with the Expanse. I kept my pair of DCAs and they are still in the rotation but compared to a CO...........the CO is the clear winner except for one catagory, comfort. The DCA headband is so comfortable, it even beats the Meze Elite.
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