Dan Clark E3 Headphone Review

[Chagall]

Yea, figured this would be the answer. Usually fine at lower volumes, just if im in the mood to "blast it" . Literally everything else is superior to my Atrium Closed. I'm positive that I'm selling my Atrium Closed, but now just deciding to keep the E3 or return it within my return window to get the Stealth. But not sure the $$ difference is worth it based off measurements (even though I found a deal for a new one at $3k).

That seems crazy to me I would keep E3 and EQ it when listening to metal, disable EQ with everything else - save $1k.
Do you use EQ?

 

[SlothRock]

That seems crazy to me I would keep E3 and EQ it when listening to metal, disable EQ with everything else - save $1k.
Do you use EQ?

Ya this is probably just the right move vs. spending more for what is pretty much the same headphone. I haven't really used EQ much, no. I use Apple Music for all my music - not Roon or anything with a good EQ built in. I have messed around a bit with Peace, but not heavily.

 

[SlothRock]

And, just to be clear, I really do love these headphones now. It took a few hours of getting used to a sound signature I've never really had in my staple before but this headphone is seriously incredible and I apologize for my initial negative remarks. Just needed more time

 

[Chagall]

Ya this is probably just the right move vs. spending more for what is pretty much the same headphone. I haven't really used EQ much, no. I use Apple Music for all my music - not Roon or anything with a good EQ built in. I have messed around a bit with Peace, but not heavily.

Roon has only Tidal and Qobuz integration so it won't help you, but Peace will. Not that these headphones need it, but metal usually sounds worse, the better the headphones are IMO. Peace is free and there are a lot of tutorials on YouTube, just don't use its default rock EQ and tune by adding a mid-bass bump or tame mids. You can tune it however you like.

And, just to be clear, I really do love these headphones now. It took a few hours of getting used to a sound signature I've never really had in my staple before but this headphone is seriously incredible and I apologize for my initial negative remarks. Just needed more time

All the more reason to save a buck or a thousand

 

[SlothRock]

Roon has only Tidal and Qobuz integration so it won't help you, but Peace will. Not that these headphones need it, but metal usually sounds worse, the better the headphones are IMO. Peace is free and there are a lot of tutorials on YouTube, just don't use its default rock EQ and tune by adding a mid-bass bump or tame mids. You can tune it however you like.



All the more reason to save a buck or a thousand

Thank you sir! Gonna mess around with that now!

 

[Robbo99999]

A/Bing this with my Atrium Closed this weekend there are so many benefits that I'm seeing, but one area that has been underwhelming has been rock/metal music. I feel like the inclusion of a bloated mid-bass/bass in general helps to mellow out the mids of the guitars in rock/metal tunes and so my Atrium Closed usually is a better listen for that style of music, where-as the E3 represents the guitar in these tracks as more screetchy.

Curious if the Stealth has this same issue or, because it's more "politely" tuned, it'd be able to represent this style of music a little more pleasantly? Outside of metal/heavy rock type of tunes the E3 is excelling in every other type of track and is SO revealing and fun to listen to.

That's probably how that style of music is meant to sound, unless they happened to create the music in the studio using speakers that more closely mimic your Atrium Closed, which would mean they'd be highly inaccurate speakers!

 

[Chagall]

That's probably how that style of music is meant to sound, unless they happened to create the music in the studio using speakers that more closely mimic your Atrium Closed, which would mean they'd be highly inaccurate speakers!

Probably is, but metal usually doesn't have that audiophile test track quality like other genres of music have. Or at least that is what my hard-core metal friends tell me when I catch them listening to Steely Dan

With some prog exceptions: Tool, Dream Theater, Rush, Opeth, Steven Wilson.... Rock on the other hand does have that quality, well other than RHCP Californication...

EDIT: I do think that having listened to headphones with more distortion it could take a while to get used to E3. That's why they added that mid-bass bump in Stealth.

 

[Tachyon88]

Just needed more time

Indeed, I never noticed the HD800s massive sound stage until I went back to my lcd2c. Gotta have a good amount of head time for things to settle.

 

[nonnyno]

I bought the E3's purely on Amir's review (I took the risk on the SMSL M500 Mk1/E50/L50 and the Aeon 2 Noires and the reviews didn't lie). My E3's have just arrived (last 30 mins). Current Phones are Senn HD820's, DCA Aeon 2 Noire's, Apple Airpod Pro 2's and a set of Sony WH1000-XM5's (for work). This is all entirely subjective (and thus I accept anathema to ASR readers). After just 1 hour, I am seriously thinking of getting rid of the Aeon 2 Noires and the Senn HD820's (will listen a bit more). The presentation is marginally different from the Aeon 2 Noires. Bass is very present where it's in the recording. In my view if you're not hearing bass from these, it's because it not in the recording. Detail is there in bucket loads (tighter and with less sibilance than the hd820's and Stellia's). I thought the Focal Stellia's lacked detail when compared with the Aeon 2 Noires and these give noticeably more than the Noire 2's (to my ears). The headphone also seem less fussy about seal. I do think I'll need to EQ them a weeny bit (I mean a weeny bit) though cos on a number of rock tracks (not all) certain aspects of the track (often voices) seem a bit recessed (that said it's not happening on others so perhaps its the recording) though that comment is specifically wrt. the presentation of the Sennheiser HD820's which perhaps have coloured my taste (or perhaps I'm not fully Harmann oriented). Boy oh boy, I'm hearing stuff I haven't heard with any of the others. They're also so smooth. They also seem to be quite articulate at low volumes (which I tend to listen at). Sorry this is a bit all over the place cos I'm quite excited :->. Soundstage is definitely wider than the Aeon 2's though perhaps not quite as wide as the 820's. Its really weird though as I am able to hear where the sounds was coming from more precisely. The HD820 was clearly big but I could only tell that sound was somewhere over there and point vaguely. With the E3 I can more or less point directly (very badly explained sorry). All of this is clearly my personal BS but I am not disappointed by the headphone after reading the review and then listening to it. I'd say its spot on - once again measurements trump nonsense.

I listen to most genres. Just heard the theme to Exodus by Andy William's. OMG The hair on my arms stood up. I swear he was in the room. I've never heard it like that before. hehehehe so happy. £2.7K end game :->

Cosmetically :

The images of the headphone also give the impression that the sides are white. If they're on a stand they don't look like they're white. If you look at them in direct light then they do.

Weight:

I noticed the weight when I picked them up initially wrt the Aeon2's and the Senns, but when wearing its not sufficient to make a difference and the headphone cushions are so comfy. They're actually more comfortable in my view than the HD820's because I was always aware of the headphone cups of the HD820's which are huge and would overlap the edges of my Jaw. Apart from warmth of my ears (which all headphones cause) I don't really feel them.

I'm using them with an E50/L50 combo (which you can easily calculate can drive them without a problem) and I haven't had to turn them up beyond 12 O'Clock to get plenty of volume (unsustainable volume for prolonged listening if you want your ears to last). Am currently listening at 9 O'Clock and its fine for most things.

 

[Robbo99999]

I bought the E3's purely on Amir's review (I took the risk on the SMSL M500 Mk1/E50/L50 and the Aeon 2 Noires and the reviews didn't lie). My E3's have just arrived (last 30 mins). Current Phones are Senn HD820's, DCA Aeon 2 Noire's, Apple Airpod Pro 2's and a set of Sony WH1000-XM5's (for work). This is all entirely subjective (and thus I accept anathema to ASR readers). After just 1 hour, I am seriously thinking of getting rid of the Aeon 2 Noires and the Senn HD820's (will listen a bit more). The presentation is marginally different from the Aeon 2 Noires. Bass is very present where it's in the recording. In my view if you're not hearing bass from these, it's because it not in the recording. Detail is there in bucket loads (tighter and with less sibilance than the hd820's and Stellia's). I thought the Focal Stellia's lacked detail when compared with the Aeon 2 Noires and these give noticeably more than the Noire 2's (to my ears). The headphone also seem less fussy about seal. I do think I'll need to EQ them a weeny bit (I mean a weeny bit) though cos on a number of rock tracks (not all) certain aspects of the track (often voices) seem a bit recessed (that said it's not happening on others so perhaps its the recording) though that comment is specifically wrt. the presentation of the Sennheiser HD820's which perhaps have coloured my taste (or perhaps I'm not fully Harmann oriented). Boy oh boy, I'm hearing stuff I haven't heard with any of the others. They're also so smooth. They also seem to be quite articulate at low volumes (which I tend to listen at). Sorry this is a bit all over the place cos I'm quite excited :->. Soundstage is definitely wider than the Aeon 2's though perhaps not quite as wide as the 820's. Its really weird though as I am able to hear where the sounds was coming from more precisely. The HD820 was clearly big but I could only tell that sound was somewhere over there and point vaguely. With the E3 I can more or less point directly (very badly explained sorry). All of this is clearly my personal BS but I am not disappointed by the headphone after reading the review and then listening to it. I'd say its spot on - once again measurements trump nonsense.

I listen to most genres. Just heard the theme to Exodus by Andy William's. OMG The hair on my arms stood up. I swear he was in the room. I've never heard it like that before. hehehehe so happy. £2.7K end game :->

Cosmetically :

The images of the headphone also give the impression that the sides are white. If they're on a stand they don't look like they're white. If you look at them in direct light then they do.

Weight:

I noticed the weight when I picked them up initially wrt the Aeon2's and the Senns, but when wearing its not sufficient to make a difference and the headphone cushions are so comfy. They're actually more comfortable in my view than the HD820's because I was always aware of the headphone cups of the HD820's which are huge and would overlap the edges of my Jaw. Apart from warmth of my ears (which all headphones cause) I don't really feel them.

I'm using them with an E50/L50 combo (which you can easily calculate can drive them without a problem) and I haven't had to turn them up beyond 12 O'Clock to get plenty of volume (unsustainable volume for prolonged listening if you want your ears to last). Am currently listening at 9 O'Clock and its fine for most things.

The problem is that if you listen to all your headphones at stock without using EQ then of course you can expect massive differences, and if that is the case then with the E3 I'm not surprised you think it's excellent (as it's following the Harman Curve). For me headphones get more interesting when you're EQ'ing them all to your desired Target Curve, but I'm not surprised about your observations if you don't use EQ. (I got the impression that you've not been using EQ, although you did mention that you might need to EQ the E3 a tiny bit, so maybe you have been using EQ on all your headphones you're comparing - Harman Curve EQ?)

 

[majingotan]

And, just to be clear, I really do love these headphones now. It took a few hours of getting used to a sound signature I've never really had in my staple before but this headphone is seriously incredible and I apologize for my initial negative remarks. Just needed more time

Brain-burn in kicked in yo
Will definitely audition them in the future. Stealth was also impressive during my multiple demos with it and hoping E3 will complement my Susvara and maybe replace my Sony MDR 7506 at work

 

[nonnyno]

The problem is that if you listen to all your headphones at stock without using EQ then of course you can expect massive differences, and if that is the case then with the E3 I'm not surprised you think it's excellent (as it's following the Harman Curve). For me headphones get more interesting when you're EQ'ing them all to your desired Target Curve, but I'm not surprised about your observations if you don't use EQ. (I got the impression that you've not been using EQ, although you did mention that you might need to EQ the E3 a tiny bit, so maybe you have been using EQ on all your headphones you're comparing - Harman Curve EQ?)

Actually I listened to the Noires eq'd to Harman and didn't see much need to shift and have been listening to the hd820's eq'd as well using Oratory's suggestions to Harman. I usually start by doing an EQ to Harman before trying anything myself just for comparison. I preferred the 820 (and the 820 to the Noire with and without) without but stuck to the curve and decided to wait till brain burn in occurred. The 820's still sounded very different to the Noires. The E3's I haven't heard yet with any form of EQ. Perhaps its my imagination but I've just tried the E3 back to back with the Noire (eq'd and not eq'd) and I can hear more detail with the E3. I bought the noir's was so impressed I tried the stealth's as well. They were better and more detailed but not £3000 better. The E3 is a whole different kettle of haddock to me at the moment. I definitely will not be returning them. In spite of the royal slagging off the 820's got on the review websites I have to say I'm still pretty taken with them. I paid £1399 new - not the £1799 they started at. I think their initial price point was too high. I may yet keep them for use on another machine.

I accept it all might be down to my febrile and overactive imagination but they seem to be working for me at the moment. Will try eqing them later when I've listened for a few days though I'm not sure they need it. Just listened to Tinariwen and the Pentangle and it all just sounds so right.

 

[Stevenich]

Manufacturer Specifications:

Weight. 455gr
Impedance. 27ohms
Sensitivity. -90 dB/mW
Frequency response. Yes, it has one
Distortion. < 0.1% ref 80dB White Noise

Hi Amir,

Do you think a Chord Mojo2 would drive the E3?

 

[Rhamnetin]

Hi Amir,

Do you think a Chord Mojo2 would drive the E3?

While I'm not Amir, I have the Mojo 2 and the E3 (this is the only headphone setup I use) and the Mojo 2 drives it with ease. There's headroom to spare for anyone with this combo.

 

[Robbo99999]

Actually I listened to the Noires eq'd to Harman and didn't see much need to shift and have been listening to the hd820's eq'd as well using Oratory's suggestions to Harman. I usually start by doing an EQ to Harman before trying anything myself just for comparison. I preferred the 820 (and the 820 to the Noire with and without) without but stuck to the curve and decided to wait till brain burn in occurred. The 820's still sounded very different to the Noires. The E3's I haven't heard yet with any form of EQ. Perhaps its my imagination but I've just tried the E3 back to back with the Noire (eq'd and not eq'd) and I can hear more detail with the E3. I bought the noir's was so impressed I tried the stealth's as well. They were better and more detailed but not £3000 better. The E3 is a whole different kettle of haddock to me at the moment. I definitely will not be returning them. In spite of the royal slagging off the 820's got on the review websites I have to say I'm still pretty taken with them. I paid £1399 new - not the £1799 they started at. I think their initial price point was too high. I may yet keep them for use on another machine.

I accept it all might be down to my febrile and overactive imagination but they seem to be working for me at the moment. Will try eqing them later when I've listened for a few days though I'm not sure they need it. Just listened to Tinariwen and the Pentangle and it all just sounds so right.

Cool, so you were experimenting with EQ on all of them, that does make it more interesting. You've taken the same approach as me then, using Harman EQ's on different headphones and then trying to compare them, whilst fine-tuning the individual Harman EQ's for each headphone (maybe increasing/decreasing the bass a little or EQ'ing down a few troublesome frequencies after listening). Well, that's exactly what I do, and yes we still come up with a favourite headphone even after trying to optimise each one using measurements & listening experience. I reckon some of what determines our favourite headphone is luck - stumbling upon a perfect EQ when combined with whatever unit to unit variation may exist, along with some unknowns like how well the headphone couples with your own anatomy (eg seal). I mean I have 4 units of K702 headphone for God's sake and I even have a favourite unit amoungst those even though I can measure each one on my miniDSP rig and do a perfect channel matching EQ for each one, as well as doing a compensatory Harman EQ for each of the different measured units of K702 I have - I still end up with a favourite unit out of those 4! Whatever you are doing & whatever I'm doing we're both trying to get to our best sound, and I believe you in your experiences. Your experiences can change over time, but if you keep coming back to the same headphone after repeated different experimentations & EQ's over a period of months for example then I'd say you're on your best sound.

 

[Stevenich]

While I'm not Amir, I have the Mojo 2 and the E3 (this is the only headphone setup I use) and the Mojo 2 drives it with ease. There's headroom to spare for anyone with this combo.

Thanks Rhamnetin

 

[nonnyno]

Cool, so you were experimenting with EQ on all of them, that does make it more interesting. You've taken the same approach as me then, using Harman EQ's on different headphones and then trying to compare them, whilst fine-tuning the individual Harman EQ's for each headphone (maybe increasing/decreasing the bass a little or EQ'ing down a few troublesome frequencies after listening). Well, that's exactly what I do, and yes we still come up with a favourite headphone even after trying to optimise each one using measurements & listening experience. I reckon some of what determines our favourite headphone is luck - stumbling upon a perfect EQ when combined with whatever unit to unit variation may exist, along with some unknowns like how well the headphone couples with your own anatomy (eg seal). I mean I have 4 units of K702 headphone for God's sake and I even have a favourite unit amoungst those even though I can measure each one on my miniDSP rig and do a perfect channel matching EQ for each one, as well as doing a compensatory Harman EQ for each of the different measured units of K702 I have - I still end up with a favourite unit out of those 4! Whatever you are doing & whatever I'm doing we're both trying to get to our best sound, and I believe you in your experiences. Your experiences can change over time, but if you keep coming back to the same headphone after repeated different experimentations & EQ's over a period of months for example then I'd say you're on your best sound.

That's exactly what I was doing but I don't have a measurement rig so its all by ear (not great I'll admit). I start with a Harman ref (oratory?). I try things and see if I can improve upon the sound for me. If they don't work I return to Harman and start again. I must confess I was surprised that I enjoyed the HD820 so much (it might not be perfect technically but it is an immensely detailed and enjoyable headphone with a great soundstage and impressive bass and it doesn't sound closed to me). I need closed backs. I think its initial price point was a bit silly but now. I think its an awesome headphone. I think the E3 has it beat. I must confess though that the 820 stopped me listening to the Noire and I didn't feel the need to return. The additional detail I was hearing was very compelling.

I have also been surprised by the fact that I cannot make the sound signatures of the headphones sound more similar than I do (I may just be inept/incompetent). The Audeze LCD-X just didn't do it for me at all (it just sounded odd - period no matter what I did to it (it definitely wasn't faulty and the weight ... uggghhhh). The Focal Stellia sounded good and looked gorgeous (and I don't listen at high volume so the clipping issues weren't going to affect me). If I hadn't already heard the DCA Noire and the HD820 I may have bought a pair. The Noire showed more detail and the HD820/E3's just blow it away. That is my opinion for my ears though. I have no doubt at all that my hearing will change over time and thus my preferences too. I seem to dislike a warm sound (it often makes me feel like there's cloth over the earpiece). That said the HD820 always seems to be a bit ethereal to me and slightly loose (a bit like a careless guitar player) but oh so detailed. The E3 tightens it up and fills out the sound. Both get my toes tapping and my head bobbing. I thought the Stealths were great but I think the E3 has them beat especially given the price.

I've also gotten comfortable with the E3 faster than any other headphone I've bought. Its just a very likable sound for me.

 

[Robbo99999]

That's exactly what I was doing but I don't have a measurement rig so its all by ear (not great I'll admit). I start with a Harman ref (oratory?). I try things and see if I can improve upon the sound for me. If they don't work I return to Harman and start again. I must confess I was surprised that I enjoyed the HD820 so much (it might not be perfect technically but it is an immensely detailed and enjoyable headphone with a great soundstage and impressive bass and it doesn't sound closed to me). I need closed backs. I think its initial price point was a bit silly but now. I think its an awesome headphone. I think the E3 has it beat. I must confess though that the 820 stopped me listening to the Noire and I didn't feel the need to return. The additional detail I was hearing was very compelling.

I have also been surprised by the fact that I cannot make the sound signatures of the headphones sound more similar than I do (I may just be inept/incompetent). The Audeze LCD-X just didn't do it for me at all (it just sounded odd - period no matter what I did to it (it definitely wasn't faulty and the weight ... uggghhhh). The Focal Stellia sounded good and looked gorgeous (and I don't listen at high volume so the clipping issues weren't going to affect me). If I hadn't already heard the DCA Noire and the HD820 I may have bought a pair. The Noire showed more detail and the HD820/E3's just blow it away. That is my opinion for my ears though. I have no doubt at all that my hearing will change over time and thus my preferences too. I seem to dislike a warm sound (it often makes me feel like there's cloth over the earpiece). That said the HD820 always seems to be a bit ethereal to me and slightly loose (a bit like a careless guitar player) but oh so detailed. The E3 tightens it up and fills out the sound. Both get my toes tapping and my head bobbing. I thought the Stealths were great but I think the E3 has them beat especially given the price.

I've also gotten comfortable with the E3 faster than any other headphone I've bought. Its just a very likable sound for me.

(I might be getting a used HD800 sometime soon, some parallels to your 820, and wanted to see if owning the headphone that was used in the Harman Research would elucidate some differences.)

 

[nonnyno]

(I might be getting a used HD800 sometime soon, some parallels to your 820, and wanted to see if owning the headphone that was used in the Harman Research would elucidate some differences.)

I have a pair barely used mint set which I got donkeys years ago. I loved them (absolutely superb) then got a major ear infection which stopped me using any headphones at all. I certainly wasn't going to contaminate any of my kit. I switched to desktop speakers but tinnitus caused me problems whilst the infection was ongoing (cleared up now). It took a year to clear up and my hearing had changed afterwards and they didn't sound quite the same to me (yet another example of how hearing can change). Then my circumstances changes (they've been sitting in the box for the last 7 years. Interestingly I tried them back to back with the 820's In early Dec 23 and preferred the 820's which I believe is unusual. I should probably sell them but I hate ebaying stuff. There are so many obnoxious folk who ask stupid questions about stuff which is in the ad and the scammers who try it on ....

 

[Jimbob54]

(I might be getting a used HD800 sometime soon, some parallels to your 820, and wanted to see if owning the headphone that was used in the Harman Research would elucidate some differences.)

I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on a used hd800 if you do get one. I got a pair for I think around £500 a few years ago. Fresh pads and good to go.