Dan Clark Expanse Headphone Review

[Adaboy4z]

Bingo!

I don't really need 2 kidneys, do I?

If their only offering $4k for your kidneys look else where. Lol

 

[JanesJr1]

The Noire has the bump, but no meta material...

 

[DJBonoBobo]

Are the ear cups the same size inside as the Stealth´s (width and depth)? (@Dan Clark)
I tried the Stealth once and the cups were wide enough (other than the Noire´s) but not quite deep enough for my ears.

 

[JanesJr1]

Dan Clark has talked about this extensively, try to google interviews on the Stealth. it's all part of it's AMTS system. "It integrates waveguides, diffusion control, quarter-wave, and Helmholtz resonators into one compact structure." He craft the tonality not trough passive electronics but physics.

I mentioned this above, but the Noire has the same FR bump, but not meta-materials.

 

[Jim Shaw]

Just out of curiosity, why is this evaluated as OK?

 

[Robbo99999]

Are the ear cups the same size inside as the Stealth´s (width and depth)? (@Dan Clark)
I tried the Stealth once and the cups were wide enough (other than the Noire´s) but not quite deep enough for my ears.

"Oh Granny, what big ears you have!"

But on a serious note, that's a major design plus for a headphone, fully incorporating your ears without touching them if possible - it helps comfort and also helps soundstage if I've related my experiences correctly.

 

[Oukkidoukki]

That's interesting, and I don't not believe you....comparing headphones is difficult and fraught with pitfalls.........and to be fair I wouldn't expect an accurately EQ'd cheaper headphone (as long as you chose the right one with low unit to unit variation, etc) to sound appreciably worse than the perfect headphone being reviewed here. But the truth remains that this is the best measuring open back headphone that hits Harman Bass as well as the rest of the frequency bang on without EQ and producing super low distortion.....so no other headphone can claim that, and that's worth something.

You need to test yourself and draw your own conclusions. For me it didn`t turn out as I though. Same happened with chord dave and Focal Utopia. Is that it? I thought. Something like Beyer 1990 and cabable amp gets too close to justify. But maybe thats just me.

 

[KiyPhi]

Just out of curiosity, why is this evaluated as OK?

View attachment 230480

The dip? It means it interacts with your ear. It's a good thing.

 

[Robbo99999]

Just out of curiosity, why is this evaluated as OK?

View attachment 230480

Because in that 10kHz area the measurements become increasingly unreliable with small seating changes, so ideally you'd do multiple measurements of a headphone whilst reseating it somewhat roughly on the "dummy head/ears" - then you'd average the results to achieve your final measurement. Because Amir shows just one representative measurement then the inaccuracies around/above 10kHz are more apparent.

EDIT: I'm assuming you're meaning in the channel matching. The shortfall from 6-8kHz also comes slightly under that banner, although that might be a real attribute, probably a real attribute.

 

[Yasuo]

Wonder when (or if?) the headphone revolution will happen - same as with DACs or class D amps (something which was very expensive many years ago, but now you have premium sound for a fraction of that price). Will a HP like this ever be 10% of its actual price?

 

[Oukkidoukki]

I've been told that once an adult a English speaking person will never speak Finnish. Too difficult to make the required sounds.

Could be so. Sorry about bad english if that triggered you.

 

[Robbo99999]

You need to test yourself and draw your own conclusions. For me it didn`t turn out as I though. Same happened with chord dave and Focal Utopia. Is that it? I thought. Something like Beyer 1990 and cabable amp gets too close to justify. But maybe thats just me.

Yeah, you're fine

 

[Doodski]

Could be so. Sorry about bad english if that triggered you.

Okidoki... No worries mate. Your English seems very good.

 

[thewas]

nor does it quite meet the Harman bass

Which for some people and recordings can be advantage https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...get-curve-for-headphones-bass-response.19809/ although both such good headphones can be equalised easily in either direction and that is what matters in the end, namely relatively neutral transducers which correspond well to EQ needed for different personal anatomies, tastes, recording masterings and listening levels.

 

[Robbo99999]

Wonder when (or if?) the headphone revolution will happen - same as with DACs or class D amps (something which was very expensive many years ago, but now you have premium sound for a fraction of that price). Will a HP like this ever be 10% of its actual price?

Yes, if the motivation for that goal in the industry continues on that trend. Fortunately, we have good measurements from Oratory & Amir & Crinacle & Resolve so we can EQ headphones to the target of our choice (or Harman) - but of course unit to unit variation & pad wear is a spanner in the works in terms of our experience as well as specific headphone/anatomy interactions that can't be predicted. So yes, we're part the way there already, especially if you use EQ...but the next step is personalised DSP based on your own anatomy to really make headphones properly sound like speakers - we're not there yet, unless you spend over $4000 for a Smyth Realizer and I can't vouch personally for that experience, but there's a fair few bonafide individuals here that say Smyth Realizer is groundbreaking/breathtaking.

 

[kopczas]

Just out of curiosity, why is this evaluated as OK?

Not many sounds you would hear, maybe?

 

[LearningToSmile]

Very nice. Will I ever buy it? Probably not. But it's nice that it exists. The warranty really should be better at this price, but maybe it's the spoiled European in me talking.

I also hope the tech trickles down to lower end offerings. Like an Ether CX v2 with flat bass so as to not cannibalize the TOTL headphonees, but with the smooth high frequency response at a lower price.

 

[spartaman64]

i once tried the stealth and didnt like it that much but apparently it might be because my glasses makes it not seal properly. i really want to try the expanse because it probably isnt as reliant on the seal

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Looks like it could easily take the place of my HD 800 and LCD X, but I'll have to chew on this decision for the better part of 2023.

 

[Robbo99999]

Looks like it could easily take the place of my HD 800 and LCD X, but I'll have to chew on this decision for the better part of 2023.

Like I said to the other guy, keep the HD800 until you've heard the Expanse......the soundstage is really the main thing you're not gonna know from the measurements, assuming both headphones EQ'd to the Harman Curve from dummy head measurements.