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Dan Clark NOIRE X Headphone Review

Rate this headphone:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 3 1.3%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 8 3.5%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 74 32.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 143 62.7%

  • Total voters
    228
I have to say it was interesting clicking through a lot of other headphones to see how manufacturers approach the common targets, or internal consistency to a house curve...

Also time consuming :/
Interesting to see how E3 and Noire X have such diffrent mids on B&K. Didn't notice that on GRAS.
Also, this Soundguys really like treble.

1736801673576.png
 
Thanks for posting, I've been watching that site, it seems to be getting more traction... Convenient for people to use.

I have to say it was interesting clicking through a lot of other headphones to see how manufacturers approach the common targets, or internal consistency to a house curve...
NoireX_vs_Stealth_5128.png


I agree! Here's a traced measurement of the Stealth by Jude at Head-fi for people to compare, if you don't mind. Very similar besides 4-6kHz as Amir mentioned.
 
Honestly, with modern music the less 4 to 6K the better.

Well ideally you'd want all frequencies reproduced as intended.

The issue really is which measurement device gives a truer indication of what a real person would hear, if this even makes sense to say.
 
those who are in europe, where can I buy a NOIRE X
? Because it's €1,149.00 in France. I thought I had at 999
That’s pretty much how the pricing goes with most headphones these days..even most European made headphones are cheaper outside of the EU.
Every DCA headphone costs more here. Look up every other model and see what they cost in the US vs Europe. This is not something uniquely pertaining to the Noire X. It is what it is, sadly.
 
Each headphone interacts uniquely with the acoustic impedance of the ear canal, a phenomenon known as the headphone transfer function. This interaction causes each headphone to produce different peaks and dips above 2000 Hz, depending on the measurement rig used. Since different measurement rigs have varying acoustic impedances, a peak observed at 4000 Hz on one rig, such as the 45CA, may not occur at the same frequency for every individual or may not occur at all.
This doesn't mean the 4000 Hz peak will be inaudible for everyone else, but it also doesn’t guarantee it will sound identical to how it appears on the 45CA.
The real question is: which measurement rig most closely matches the average acoustic impedance of the human ear? 45CA has a prerefence curve that helps us to evaluate headphones with each other better, that's very convenient. However, there is no strong consensus among engineers that 45CA is the closest to the average human ear canal.

View attachment 409760
Headphone transfer function is something that Sean Olive has been investigating since 2022 and the results are interesting.
Here’s how four different headphones measured across various individuals:



View attachment 409761

Sean Olive's full presentation: https://danishsoundcluster.dk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Olive_DSD_2022.pdf
The real question since those variances above 2K are different for everyone should they be changed at all. As they would hear the same differences in their personal response when listening to loudspeakers as well.
 
That’s pretty much how the pricing goes with most headphones these days..even most European made headphones are cheaper outside of the EU.
Every DCA headphone costs more here. Look up every other model and see what they cost in the US vs Europe. This is not something uniquely pertaining to the Noire X. It is what it is, sadly.
We try to keep the price = USD + VAT and shipping. VAT is 22-27% for most EU countries, hence the delta. FWIW in the US we get sales tax added as well.
 
For info to all fellow Europeans, GROK AI says: “
The sales tax percentage added to the cart of an online store in the USA can vary significantly depending on several factors:

  • State Sales Tax: Each state in the U.S. has its own sales tax rate, which ranges from 0% in states like Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon (which do not have a statewide sales tax) to over 7% in states like California, Tennessee, and Arkansas. For instance, California has a base rate of 7.25%, but this can increase with local taxes
  • ….”

If you want to know more just use the query:
How much tax percentage is added in the cart of an online store in usa?

In LA for ex is 10.25%
 
I purchased some E3s locally just so I could design a strap for the DCA models that use the newer strap design (Aeon X, E3, Stealth, Expanse, Corina). You lose the wider range of adjustability as it has to be sized, although it does have some stretch and should fit most heads even after sizing. You do get better support for the headphones as the strap will carry the weight and spread it over your head, unlike the stock one where the elastics expand and you have to mostly rely on the clamp pressure to support them.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1841513182

View attachment 419717

View attachment 419719



View attachment 419721

View attachment 419722

I picked this strap up and after a few days I have to say it has been absolutely amazing. I installed it on a pair of E3s (which have the same strap type as the noire x but are heavier) and it makes them feel almost weightless. Very easy to install too with a T6 driver, sizing was extremely easy. I think for headsets that share this headstrap style (stealth, E3, and Noire X) this is a great alternative to the stock strap.
 
I picked this strap up and after a few days I have to say it has been absolutely amazing. I installed it on a pair of E3s (which have the same strap type as the noire x but are heavier) and it makes them feel almost weightless. Very easy to install too with a T6 driver, sizing was extremely easy. I think for headsets that share this headstrap style (stealth, E3, and Noire X) this is a great alternative to the stock strap.
Glad to hear! Thank you for the kind words.
 
Hello, everyone. I finally purchased the Noire X.
Why did I choose this model?
If I don't take into account many previous relatively cheap headphones, then at first I had THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII - I was satisfied with their detail, but it was not very comfortable to keep them in my ear all the time.
So I started looking for full-size headphones and bought Denon AH-D9200 - they were more comfortable and with the equalizer they gave better tonality than Monarch MKII, but there was only one problem that was not solved by the equalizer - they lacked detail in the sub-bass.
And recently I accidentally saw that the Noire X model appeared.

As soon as I put them on my head, I was shocked - these are the most comfortable headphones I've ever tested. In addition, they have one of the best, if not the best, isolation of external noise.
When I tested them in the store and compared them to the D9200, I heard a very sharp whistle around 10900 Hz, but I knew that this could be fixed with the equalizer.
So at the time of writing this post, they have worked for about 6 hours at high volume - I give them Static-X to make sure the whole range works. The documentation says that it is advisable for them to work for 50-100 hours to achieve their best performance.

I connected them to iBasso DC-Elite, Fiio KA-17 and Neutron HiFi DAC V1 - the sound is almost the same, so I chose Neutron HiFi DAC V1 because it has a great parametric equalizer.
At the moment, in order not to hear that whistle at high frequencies, my equalizer settings look like this:

eq.png

eq chart.png


I hear this whistle in the 10900 Hz region on all well-mixed tracks, for example :
Ariana Grande - positions,
Lizzo - Juice,
System Of A Down - I-E-A-I-A-I-O.

If I'm doing something wrong and this whistle shouldn't be there or I'm choosing the wrong reference tracks, I'd be grateful for any tips.
 
Hello, everyone. I finally purchased the Noire X.
Why did I choose this model?
If I don't take into account many previous relatively cheap headphones, then at first I had THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII - I was satisfied with their detail, but it was not very comfortable to keep them in my ear all the time.
So I started looking for full-size headphones and bought Denon AH-D9200 - they were more comfortable and with the equalizer they gave better tonality than Monarch MKII, but there was only one problem that was not solved by the equalizer - they lacked detail in the sub-bass.
And recently I accidentally saw that the Noire X model appeared.

As soon as I put them on my head, I was shocked - these are the most comfortable headphones I've ever tested. In addition, they have one of the best, if not the best, isolation of external noise.
When I tested them in the store and compared them to the D9200, I heard a very sharp whistle around 10900 Hz, but I knew that this could be fixed with the equalizer.
So at the time of writing this post, they have worked for about 6 hours at high volume - I give them Static-X to make sure the whole range works. The documentation says that it is advisable for them to work for 50-100 hours to achieve their best performance.

I connected them to iBasso DC-Elite, Fiio KA-17 and Neutron HiFi DAC V1 - the sound is almost the same, so I chose Neutron HiFi DAC V1 because it has a great parametric equalizer.
At the moment, in order not to hear that whistle at high frequencies, my equalizer settings look like this:

View attachment 423519
View attachment 423520

I hear this whistle in the 10900 Hz region on all well-mixed tracks, for example :
Ariana Grande - positions,
Lizzo - Juice,
System Of A Down - I-E-A-I-A-I-O.

If I'm doing something wrong and this whistle shouldn't be there or I'm choosing the wrong reference tracks, I'd be grateful for any tips.
That's really quite a boat load of treble that you're taking out of the headphone from 2kHz to 7kHz, especially given that the headphone at stock tracks the Harman Curve sucessfully in that area and given also that you've increased the bass even more. So I'd say you've made that an extremely dark headphone that would likely sound muffled to most people, but if you like it you like it, and that's ok.
 
Hello, everyone. I finally purchased the Noire X.
Why did I choose this model?
If I don't take into account many previous relatively cheap headphones, then at first I had THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII - I was satisfied with their detail, but it was not very comfortable to keep them in my ear all the time.
So I started looking for full-size headphones and bought Denon AH-D9200 - they were more comfortable and with the equalizer they gave better tonality than Monarch MKII, but there was only one problem that was not solved by the equalizer - they lacked detail in the sub-bass.
And recently I accidentally saw that the Noire X model appeared.

As soon as I put them on my head, I was shocked - these are the most comfortable headphones I've ever tested. In addition, they have one of the best, if not the best, isolation of external noise.
When I tested them in the store and compared them to the D9200, I heard a very sharp whistle around 10900 Hz, but I knew that this could be fixed with the equalizer.
So at the time of writing this post, they have worked for about 6 hours at high volume - I give them Static-X to make sure the whole range works. The documentation says that it is advisable for them to work for 50-100 hours to achieve their best performance.

I connected them to iBasso DC-Elite, Fiio KA-17 and Neutron HiFi DAC V1 - the sound is almost the same, so I chose Neutron HiFi DAC V1 because it has a great parametric equalizer.
At the moment, in order not to hear that whistle at high frequencies, my equalizer settings look like this:

View attachment 423519
View attachment 423520

I hear this whistle in the 10900 Hz region on all well-mixed tracks, for example :
Ariana Grande - positions,
Lizzo - Juice,
System Of A Down - I-E-A-I-A-I-O.

If I'm doing something wrong and this whistle shouldn't be there or I'm choosing the wrong reference tracks, I'd be grateful for any tips.
Since it's a passive device it can't introduce a "whistle." Is it possible this is elsewhere in your system? Or am I not understanding how you are using "whistle?"
 
Since it's a passive device it can't introduce a "whistle." Is it possible this is elsewhere in your system? Or am I not understanding how you are using "whistle?"
I'm sorry, I may have misspoken. I meant that I hear strong sibilants in the 10.9 kHz range. I have just tested this headphones with the topping dx3 pro+ - it seems to have a little more accurate bass and treble, but I can't say for sure because I can't take measurements yet.
 
Be sure you have a good seal, a poor seal will lose bass. If you wear glasses put the arms on top of the pad. If you don’t, with no music playing rub your fingertips together and slowly, if you can hear your fingertips rub you have a poor seal. Contact us at [email protected] for help… If you do have a great seal the easiest way to EQ is with a simple shelf where you set the frequency to set a fixed rolloff. Start with something simple like -2dB with a “high shelf” filter starting around 4KHz and see how that works. You can play with the shelf magnitude and cutoff frequency to taste.

I did check the M17 power, it has 750mW at 16 ohms so it should be OK unless you are cranking it. If you are playing really loud and the sound gets brighter or sharp or crackly you may be clipping. They do have a high-power headphone setting that almost doubles the power so check that that is enabled.
"If you wear glasses put the arms on top of the pad"
how is this even possible? puts lens at angle and distorts vision.
 
If you have basic version RME ADI-2 DAC FS I would be careful. My experience with Aeon 2 Noire and ADI-2 was rather disappointing, and I attributed it to low Noire impedance of 13 ohms. Noire X also has similar low impedance. If you can try audition this pairing to see if you like it.
Amir tested this with the RME ADI-2 DAC FS , so will be fine. or have i missed something?
interested in buying both
 
Since it's a passive device it can't introduce a "whistle." Is it possible this is elsewhere in your system? Or am I not understanding how you are using "whistle?"
I have an idea - please write down the names of a few tracks that you think are reference tracks and are best mixed, then I will at least have an understanding of how you hear them in NOIRE X and what's wrong with my hearing :)
Maybe I shouldn't have adjusted the equalizer at all, and I just chose tracks that are not suitable for the test.
 
I need to get more time on mine - just got them last week - but I definitely found them a little hot in the treble. Granted I’m used to Sennheiser HD6xx.
 
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