This is a review, listening tests, detailed measurements and optional EQ of Dan Clark Audio (DCA) NOIRE X closed back headphone. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $999.99.
This is one high quality and gorgeous headphone. It is more compact and lighter than my daily driver, the DCA E3 which I appreciate. It comes with a very flexible and nice (silicone?) cable with just the right length for desktop use.
As with the last few reference quality headphones from DCA, the NOIRE X uses "meta material" to tune the response of the headphone. Development process included evaluation with both GRAS 45CA (same fixture I have) and B&K 5128 (one that I evaluated). Some of the tuning is informed because of this dual testing. I will comment on this in the measurement section.
I received the headphone about a week ago and have been listening to it and only measured it tonight. I found the headphones very comfortable to wear for many hours on end. The automatic fitment works well. I believe work has been done to make sure the headphone is more resilient to how one wears the headphone.
DCA NOIRE X Measurements
As usual, we start with our headphone frequency response measurements. Fitment on the fixture was easily achieved:
On my 45CA fixture, high level compliance is good but we have localized areas of deviations. As some of you know, there is no official target response for 5128 fixture. DCA has adopted its own (based on Oratory DF?) and using that, they don't see the two deviations I have marked. They performed sweep listening tests and feel that the 5128 response is closer to what they hear. I will address this when I EQ the headphone in the listening test section.
Here is the differential relative to our target:
Other than the peak at 4.7 kHz to the tune of 3.7 dB, the rest are quite minor and would easily fall in the "error bars" of the research for target curve.
There is more distortion than previous reference level headphones from DCA:
As noted though, at 94 dBSPL, distortion remains quite low in the rest of the spectrum. Specifically, it hugs on "0%" line quite closely from 2 to 5 kHz where our hearing is most sensitive.
Of note, DCA found that the GRAS 45CA measurements show less distortion than that of 5128, indicating the microphones in the fixture itself has lower distortion.
We see a couple of reflections causing non-minimum-phase response in Group Delay but otherwise, we have the typical clean response from DCA:
Impedance is very low at just 13 Ohms:
It is flat though as you see so source impedance won't change frequency response.
It is more sensitive than other DCA reference headphones which is nice:
Quickly switching from E3 to NOIRE X resulted in noticeably higher volume. This will open up a lot more headphone amplifiers that can drive the NOIRE X.
NOIRE X Headphone Listening Tests
As I noted in the introduction, due to being overwhelmed with work, I just listened to the NOIRE X and did not measure it. Immediate impression going from E3 to it was total familiarity with perhaps, the high frequencies standing out just a bit. Post this measurement, I brought out the EQ to examine the audible effect of deviations I see in the frequency response:
I had to dial down the bass filter at 111 Hz as the predicated deviation while nice on some tracks, took the impact away from bass heavy tracks. With the reduced amount, you have a tighter bass response while still having 80% of the impact. The sum total of the rest of the filters gave me the impression of more separation of instruments though the effect is very subtle.
Above was sighted. In ad-hoc blind testing, I guessed correctly only 1 out of 3 as to which was stock and which was the EQ! So the effect is quite small and subtle. In that sense, I don't think I can make a strong case that these deviations are real. At the same time, I can't say they are not either. To wit, I am listening with the EQ on.
Listening to music is a delight with performance that is both familiar and superbly high fidelity.
Conclusions
When DAN Clark brought the "meta material" innovation to headphones with the Stealth, the improved performance was real but so was the $4,000 price tag. We all wished for lower cost headphone which they delivered with E3. But at $2K, still quite expensive. Now we have an under $1,000 headphone that delivers all that technology in a compact packaging. It has a bit more distortion but perhaps with a tuning that some like better. I know the comfort is there as I prefer to wear it for long hour listening sessions.
Subjective experience of NOIRE X is stellar: every reference track I played put a smile on my face. It feels like I am wearing super high quality, full range studio monitors strapped to each ear! Objective data backs that, pleasing both sides of my brain!!
It is my pleasure to recommend the DCA NOIRE X.
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
This is one high quality and gorgeous headphone. It is more compact and lighter than my daily driver, the DCA E3 which I appreciate. It comes with a very flexible and nice (silicone?) cable with just the right length for desktop use.
As with the last few reference quality headphones from DCA, the NOIRE X uses "meta material" to tune the response of the headphone. Development process included evaluation with both GRAS 45CA (same fixture I have) and B&K 5128 (one that I evaluated). Some of the tuning is informed because of this dual testing. I will comment on this in the measurement section.
I received the headphone about a week ago and have been listening to it and only measured it tonight. I found the headphones very comfortable to wear for many hours on end. The automatic fitment works well. I believe work has been done to make sure the headphone is more resilient to how one wears the headphone.
DCA NOIRE X Measurements
As usual, we start with our headphone frequency response measurements. Fitment on the fixture was easily achieved:
On my 45CA fixture, high level compliance is good but we have localized areas of deviations. As some of you know, there is no official target response for 5128 fixture. DCA has adopted its own (based on Oratory DF?) and using that, they don't see the two deviations I have marked. They performed sweep listening tests and feel that the 5128 response is closer to what they hear. I will address this when I EQ the headphone in the listening test section.
Here is the differential relative to our target:
Other than the peak at 4.7 kHz to the tune of 3.7 dB, the rest are quite minor and would easily fall in the "error bars" of the research for target curve.
There is more distortion than previous reference level headphones from DCA:
As noted though, at 94 dBSPL, distortion remains quite low in the rest of the spectrum. Specifically, it hugs on "0%" line quite closely from 2 to 5 kHz where our hearing is most sensitive.
Of note, DCA found that the GRAS 45CA measurements show less distortion than that of 5128, indicating the microphones in the fixture itself has lower distortion.
We see a couple of reflections causing non-minimum-phase response in Group Delay but otherwise, we have the typical clean response from DCA:
Impedance is very low at just 13 Ohms:
It is flat though as you see so source impedance won't change frequency response.
It is more sensitive than other DCA reference headphones which is nice:
Quickly switching from E3 to NOIRE X resulted in noticeably higher volume. This will open up a lot more headphone amplifiers that can drive the NOIRE X.
NOIRE X Headphone Listening Tests
As I noted in the introduction, due to being overwhelmed with work, I just listened to the NOIRE X and did not measure it. Immediate impression going from E3 to it was total familiarity with perhaps, the high frequencies standing out just a bit. Post this measurement, I brought out the EQ to examine the audible effect of deviations I see in the frequency response:
I had to dial down the bass filter at 111 Hz as the predicated deviation while nice on some tracks, took the impact away from bass heavy tracks. With the reduced amount, you have a tighter bass response while still having 80% of the impact. The sum total of the rest of the filters gave me the impression of more separation of instruments though the effect is very subtle.
Above was sighted. In ad-hoc blind testing, I guessed correctly only 1 out of 3 as to which was stock and which was the EQ! So the effect is quite small and subtle. In that sense, I don't think I can make a strong case that these deviations are real. At the same time, I can't say they are not either. To wit, I am listening with the EQ on.
Listening to music is a delight with performance that is both familiar and superbly high fidelity.
Conclusions
When DAN Clark brought the "meta material" innovation to headphones with the Stealth, the improved performance was real but so was the $4,000 price tag. We all wished for lower cost headphone which they delivered with E3. But at $2K, still quite expensive. Now we have an under $1,000 headphone that delivers all that technology in a compact packaging. It has a bit more distortion but perhaps with a tuning that some like better. I know the comfort is there as I prefer to wear it for long hour listening sessions.
Subjective experience of NOIRE X is stellar: every reference track I played put a smile on my face. It feels like I am wearing super high quality, full range studio monitors strapped to each ear! Objective data backs that, pleasing both sides of my brain!!
It is my pleasure to recommend the DCA NOIRE X.
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
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