Dan Clark Expanse Headphone Review

[Rthomas]

It depends on what you mean by 'full potential'
A90D can output 10W (balanced out) and 2.5W in SE mode.
The ADI2 DAC can do about 1W in 20 ohm.
So the A90D can reach higher peak levels. At 97dB/V the ADI-2 can reach 110dB peak SPL (so about 90-100dB average) and the A90D (balanced) can reach 117dB so can go quite a bit louder.
I would assume you value your hearing and don't EQ the DCA so would expect you will always remain below 1W in which case the A90D has no benefits.
But on occasional 'let's see how impressive this headphone really is' moments and you crank it up with music that has a ton of bass in it then chances are you may be clipping the RME and would not yet clip the A90D. In that case one could say the A90D may be worth the extra expense.

Thanks a lot!

 

[oscar_dziki]

But on occasional 'let's see how impressive this headphone really is' moments and you crank it up with music that has a ton of bass in it then chances are you may be clipping the RME and would not yet clip the A90D. In that case one could say the A90D may be worth the extra expense.

One could say that's a lot $/sec pleasure, especially that L30 II will go over 2 watts with expanses and costs 450$ less than a90d.

 

[Grobbelboy]

It depends on what you mean by 'full potential'
A90D can output 10W (balanced out) and 2.5W in SE mode.
The ADI2 DAC can do about 1W in 20 ohm.
So the A90D can reach higher peak levels. At 97dB/V the ADI-2 can reach 110dB peak SPL (so about 90-100dB average) and the A90D (balanced) can reach 117dB so can go quite a bit louder.
I would assume you value your hearing and don't EQ the DCA so would expect you will always remain below 1W in which case the A90D has no benefits.
But on occasional 'let's see how impressive this headphone really is' moments and you crank it up with music that has a ton of bass in it then chances are you may be clipping the RME and would not yet clip the A90D. In that case one could say the A90D may be worth the extra expense.

Thanks a lot for that! Good to know this “issue” is inherent to the design of the HP.

 

[solderdude]

One could say that's a lot $/sec pleasure, especially that L30 II will go over 2 watts with expanses and costs 450$ less than a90d.

L30-II is about 3W in 20 ohm, so 5dB louder than ADI2 DAC but the A90D (in balanced mode) can go 5dB louder than L30-II.

 

[Robbo99999]

Something I’m (perhaps needlessly) concerned by is the slight creaking/crackling sound coming from both cans when I put just a bit of pressure on them. It doesn’t occur on any other occasion so isn’t a problem during regular listening, but I’m wondering if it’s just a normal phenomenon when the planar driver gets flexed, or something to be more worried about. The Noires or Hifimans that I’ve had never did this. Would be nice if someone could go into this.

Isn't that just the sound of the external hinges and structure of the outer earcups and headband "rubbing on each other" as they change position & shape - the vibrational sound of that gets transferred through the earcup - it's the same on all of my headphones (pretty much) if I move them subtley when I'm wearing them either with my hand or occasionally if I chew or move my jaw by a large amount. So to me what you describe doesn't sound like anything to do with the driver or anything to be worried about. (similar idea as "microphonic cables")

 

[oscar_dziki]

L30-II is about 3W in 20 ohm, so 5dB louder than ADI2 DAC but the A90D (in balanced mode) can go 5dB louder than L30-II.

Yeah, that's about $100/dB. And a difference that I would experience maybe on few occasions + I would need to buy HP cables that are less universal then jack of l30 II. That's like a pinnacle of diminishing returns I'm not that rich.

 

[oscar_dziki]

@Grobbelboy
The L30II can output about 9Vrms into the Expanse before clipping, at frequencies where music is loudest (bass).

That'll give you 94+20*log10(1/0.665) + 20*log10(9) = 116.6dB SPL peak.

For reference, 115dB SPL is very loud already.
On my HD600 my regular volume is about 80dB SPL peak, or about 8% the perceived volume that the L30II+Expanse is capable of.

Correct me if I'm wrong but for me it looks more like ~8,2 Vrms for 20 ohm

 

[solderdude]

People buying the Stealth or Expanse usually don't care about how much an amplifier costs per Watt.

 

[staticV3]

Correct me if I'm wrong but for me it looks more like ~8,2 Vrms for 20 ohm

Notice how I said "about 9Vrms into the Expanse before clipping, at frequencies where music is loudest (bass)"

At low frequencies, the Expanse has an impedance of about 28Ω, which means the Amp is less stressed and can output higher voltage before clipping.

 

[oscar_dziki]

People buying the Stealth or Expanse usually don't care about how much an amplifier costs per Watt.

I bought it. I care.

 

[oscar_dziki]

Notice how I said "about 9Vrms into the Expanse before clipping, at frequencies where music is loudest (bass)"

At low frequencies, the Expanse has an impedance of about 28Ω, which means the Amp is less stressed and can output higher voltage before clipping.

You are correct. Thanks for that. But than again clipping point for E30 II doesn't seem to progress linearly and we have no data for 28 ohms... maybe I'll try to measure it somehow once expanses arrive

 

[solderdude]

8V, 9V is merely 1dB difference in level.
At 100Hz the efficiency of the Expanse is 4.5dB higher than at 400Hz so about 115dB peak SPL above 200Hz but about 120dB peak SPL at 100Hz using the L30-II
It'll be more than enough for impressively loud listening levels.

 

[Robbo99999]

I bought it. I care.

Yeah, but you can't drive in it to work!

 

[oscar_dziki]

Yeah, but you can't drive in it to work!

Lol. Joke's on you-I work from home

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Lol. Joke's on you-I work from home

Still!
you can't drive in to work.

 

[oscar_dziki]

Still!
you can't drive in to work.

Sir, that's point well taken

 

[Robbo99999]

Lol. Joke's on you-I work from home

Well the important thing is you care....but it does make it more painful!

 

[GaryH]

 

[smodtactical]

 

[oscar_dziki]

Coming from the guy who endorsed all the Abyss abomination...
Maybe if Dan Clark would take him on a payroll same as Abyss did...
I love how he said that its 'that is a personal subjective bit' about his midbas hump experience, like all the rest his sound review, would be anything different