Dan Clark Expanse Headphone Review

[Robbo99999]

But that is the case for HD560S only isn't it. For Edition XS, HD600 and Sundara all match all the way to the target around 3K.

I think there's a couple that are a bit below target in some areas of the treble, but most of them match ok.......so it's not somekind of conspiracy, it's an accuracy of EQ issue, or additionally Resolve may be wanting to stay away from using lots of filters or high Q narrow filters as he's measured only one headphone, I think he could have gotten the HD560s a bit closer to target though without going against that.

 

[Robbo99999]

Hi, I know we've been discussing Resolve's B&K 5128 Target, and to avoid derailing this thread, (and also because I think it deserves it's own thread), I created a dedicated thread to it over here for those that are interested:

Resolve's B&K 5128 Headphone Target - you can try the EQ's.....

Hello everyone, Resolve has created a headphone target for his B&K 5128 measurement rig (which is an alternative measuring rig to the GRAS that we know that Amir uses here on ASR). Now this new measurement rig (B&K 5128) is supposed to be more anatomically accurate than the GRAS rig, but the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Zeusian]

Another test result by woodenears.com using the B&K 4128
Dan Clark Audio EXPANSE | Woodenears吾等益耳

 

[solderdude]

Not reliable above 8kHz.
3kHz +3dB ? Woodenears target even +5dB this would be quite audible as unnatural 'brightness'.
No idea what level the Stealth (THD + SPL) was measured at, perhaps around 110dB ?

 

[ugur38]

GRAS 43AG and B&K 5128 are approximately same up to 6k but B&K 4128 is very different.

Spoiler

 

[192kbps]

Dan Clark Audio EXPANSE | Woodenears吾等益耳

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www.woodenears.com

 

[sbronf]

hi, can I ask a little thing?
Why, in the roon equalizer, Amir sometime decrease the db and sometime no?
what is the use of decreasing the volume?
thank you

 

[staticV3]

hi, can I ask a little thing?
Why, in the roon equalizer, Amirm sometime decrease the db and sometime no?
what is the use of decreasing the volume?
thank you

Could you give an example please?

 

[sbronf]

hi, yes
in this test the general volume is at 0db while for example in the sundara test it is lower.

Hifiman Sundara Review (headphone)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Hifiman Sundara planar magnetic open back headphone. It was kindly sent to me by one of their retailers, Apos Audio and costs US $349. The Sundara looks elegant and no less so than higher up in the line from Hifiman: The cups don't swivel...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[sbronf]

I wanted to understand if it's important to respect this aspect of equalization as well or if it's irrelevant since it's just a volume

 

[staticV3]

I wanted to understand if it's important to respect this aspect of equalization as well or if it's irrelevant since it's just a volume

It's important that your EQ software applies appropriate negative pre gain to ensure that no audio ends up above 0dBFS.

I don't think that's what's happening in the Roon screenshots though.

 

[sbronf]

Interesting!
Why is it important that no peak exceeds 0db?(to normalize response)
thank you!!!

 

[staticV3]

Why is it important that no peak exceeds 0db?

0dBFS represents the highest value that can be stored in fixed integer audio formats (ignoring intersample overs).

If you use EQ to boost certain frequencies by, say, 5dB without applying a -5dB preamp, then this can result in clipped audio:

 

[sbronf]

0dBFS represents the highest value that can be stored in fixed integer audio formats (ignoring intersample overs).

If you use EQ to boost certain frequencies by, say, 5dB without applying a -5dB preamp, then this can result in clipped audio:
View attachment 277897

understood, thank you

 

[Jimbob54]

It's important that your EQ software applies appropriate negative pre gain to ensure that no audio ends up above 0dBFS.

I don't think that's what's happening in the Roon screenshots though.

Pretty sure I have read this before. Roon allows you to set both a generic "headroom" preamp reduction (never shown in Amirs pics, its a different setting)then an EQ specific reduction (the -2db or so in the Sundara EQ screen grab.

From memory @amirm runs a -3dB or thereabouts generic reduction and keeps eyes on the clipping indicator in Roon.

Because of the large bass bump on Sundara EQ Im guessing he introduced the EQ specific reduction too

 

[MrEWhite]

Got my Expanse yesterday and my ADI-2/4 Pro SE today. So far, I think I'm liking these headphones. They have the best, most detailed and deep sounding bass I've heard out of any headphones yet. But, I'll have to listen a bit more to form a more in-depth opinion on them.

Coming back to this, I've since returned these headphones. On more loudly produced tracks, like Andrew W.K.'s It's Time to Party, along with a lot of modern metal tracks, the audio just sounded super bloated and it was hard to pick any of the elements out. So I've since gone back to my Sennheiser HD 800 S EQed with oratory1990's preset and they sound great to me on these loud, saturated tracks. Maybe it's because the soundstage sounded more narrow compared to the HD 800 S?

That's not to say these sound bad at all. On more quiet, carefully produced kind of tracks, such as Dire Strait's Brothers in Arms, these really sound awesome. But sadly, that doesn't make up most of my library, so I had to send them off. Looks like I'm still in search of something to one up the HD 800 S.

 

[Grobbelboy]

The biggest perpetrator for the bloated sound on certain tracks is the elevated bass between 70Hz and 250Hz in my experience. I use this EQ filter for exactly that reason for about 90% of the stuff I listen to:
F: 140Hz
Gain: -2.8dB
Q: 1.7

This keeps the bass just above Harman up until around 150Hz for some added “body”, “oomph” or whatever you want to call it, but does eliminate the bloat caused by the excess of the stock FR above that.

On some occasions I also want to remove the remaining extra bass, for which I use the following:
F: 120Hz
Gain: -3.3dB
Q: 1.0

I don’t really understand DCA’s choice for the stock tuning in the bass region, when the Stealth had it pretty much down to a T.

 

[Robbo99999]

The biggest perpetrator for the bloated sound on certain tracks is the elevated bass between 70Hz and 250Hz in my experience. I use this EQ filter for exactly that reason for about 90% of the stuff I listen to:
F: 140Hz
Gain: -2.8dB
Q: 1.7

This keeps the bass just above Harman up until around 150Hz for some added “body”, “oomph” or whatever you want to call it, but does eliminate the bloat caused by the excess of the stock FR above that.

On some occasions I also want to remove the remaining extra bass, for which I use the following:
F: 120Hz
Gain: -3.3dB
Q: 1.0

I don’t really understand DCA’s choice for the stock tuning in the bass region, when the Stealth had it pretty much down to a T.

I think they wanted to do something to enhance "slam", and also the argument was made that with such low distortion headphones then you don't get some of the bass reinforcement you could get by greater harmonic distortion happening in the bass from some other headphones that have higher distortion in the bass. I don't have this headphone, but I think I'd agree with you it's a bit much, it looks that way to me.

 

[gabo4au]

As a person who spends hours every day on headphones, mixing/recording/enjoying music, I seriously want a pair of these. And I prefer open headphones so the next best option would be the Aeon 2 open, which isn't a bad choice either. Maybe I'll get the Aeon 2 open and then start saving for the Expanse.

Kudos to Dan Clark, he's spent a lifetime perfecting these cans.

 

[staticV3]

I seriously want a pair of these. And I prefer open headphones so the next best option would be the Noire 2 open, which isn't a bad choice either. Maybe I'll get the Noire 2 open and then start saving for the Expanse.

Do you mean the Aeon 2 Open? Because an Aeon 2 Noire Open does not exist. Only the Aeon 2 Noire, which is strictly closed-back.