Dan Clark NOIRE X Headphone Review

[Bow_Wazoo]

Maybe they are deep enough for YOU

 

[Jimbob54]

Maybe they are deep enough for YOU

I know the new pads for the X are deeper than on my old aeon RT and think I read they are deeper than any previous aeon pads . I've got ears that can touch in smaller cups like the hd600 and I'm ok in the Noire X but of course pads collapse somewhat .

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

I will listen to it today

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

I have now listened to the Noire X.
First of all, I have to say: I am delighted and have bought it.
I was very skeptical. Unlike with the Aeon 2,
with the Noire X, I don’t touch anything inside with my ears!
Since I'm coming from the Arya Stealth, I was worried that I would miss some liveliness, dynamics and probably a powerful (and punchy) bass.
After listening to the Expanse a while ago,
and it sounded too much like a sterile, reflections-free studio monitor, I expected something similar from the Noire X.
But none of that was confirmed! Nothing!
To me, the Noire X sounds lively, dynamic and at the same time pleasantly precise. Especially in the highs.
A stroke of genius!
Because compared to the Arya Stealth, which often sounds too aggressive, sharp and edgy (despite EQ), the Noire X manages a sensational balancing act between an exciting and never annoying sound. A good example of this is the first track from Bonobos - Black Sand album. The violin sounds like a drill penetrating your skull, on the Arya Stealth. Not so on the DCA. Here it also sounds more authentic.
And as already mentioned, the bass qualities of the Noire x are breathtaking.
To convince yourself, I recommend the track Thing go Wrong from the Elektrochemie LK album "Gold!".
A huge compliment to Dan Clark!

 

[Robbo99999]

I have now listened to the Noire X.
First of all, I have to say: I am delighted and have bought it.
I was very skeptical. Unlike with the Aeon 2,
with the Noire X, I don’t touch anything inside with my ears!
Since I'm coming from the Arya Stealth, I was worried that I would miss some liveliness, dynamics and probably a powerful (and punchy) bass.
After listening to the Expanse a while ago,
and it sounded too much like a sterile, reflections-free studio monitor, I expected something similar from the Noire X.
But none of that was confirmed! Nothing!
To me, the Noire X sounds lively, dynamic and at the same time pleasantly precise. Especially in the highs.
A stroke of genius!
Because compared to the Arya Stealth, which often sounds too aggressive, sharp and edgy (despite EQ), the Noire X manages a sensational balancing act between an exciting and never annoying sound. A good example of this is the first track from Bonobos - Black Sand album. The violin sounds like a drill penetrating your skull, on the Arya Stealth. Not so on the DCA. Here it also sounds more authentic.
And as already mentioned, the bass qualities of the Noire x are breathtaking.
To convince yourself, I recommend the track Thing go Wrong from the Elektrochemie LK album "Gold!".
A huge compliment to Dan Clark!

I thought you didn't like Harman Curve headphones?

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Yes, the Hamann target is always my starting point, for an individual EQ profile.
My EQ profile for the Noire X is quite unusual in this context.
I actually like the tonality best, when I increase the bass by 2-3dB and lower the treble a little. It's incredible how well the Noire X maintains order at very high volumes.

 

[Robbo99999]

Yes, the Hamann target is always my starting point, for an individual EQ profile.
My EQ profile for the Noire X is quite unusual in this context.
I actually like the tonality best, when I increase the bass by 2-3dB and lower the treble a little. It's incredible how well the Noire X maintains order at very high volumes.

View attachment 426186

That's not massively away from Harman, you've corrected the 5kHz peak a tad more than the measurement and then you've added your extra bass you mentioned, and you've decreased treble over 10kHz with the shelf with this last one making sense from the measurements as for me that would generally be too hot in that 10-13kHz area - I tend to like that area at about the same height as the response at 1kHz (maybe a couple dB below that). For Oratory EQ's I often end up putting an extra dB on the bass.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

This time I used Amir's measurements as a starting point. As far as I know, there are no measurements from Oratory yet.
So for me it is unusual to still feel the need to increase the bass further, with the tonality (I mean the bass boost) that the Noire X has out of the box. But I really like that in this case.

It's amazing what kind of party you can throw with the Noire x, especially with EDM.
I use the normalize function of the Neutron Player, so that the true peak level is 0dB.
When connected to the SMSL DL100, I like to turn the volume control down to -5.
That's almost insane...
But the Noire x sounds unique at these extreme levels. Uniquely structured and tidy.
It sounds as if the sound waves are taking an absolutely "correct path".
I've never experienced anything like it with any other headphones...

Check this out

 

[jadenorth]

Has anyone heard both the Noire X and the Aeon 2 Open? Any comparisons between the two?

I have had the A2 open's for about a year and really like them with EQ. I do find them to have a nice soundstage. Just curious what anyone's thoughts are.

I guess what I would be curious about is if the high frequency clarity would be better while not being fatiguing, and also if they would sound better without EQ (which I guess Amirm demonstrated pretty well in his excellent review).

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

I had both.
The Noire X is on a complete different level.

 

[Moonhead]

Any of you good people tried Noire X to Editon XS...
I'm a treble freak and in the same time treble sensitive because tinnitus, facepalm!

 

[Lofemicewt]

I currently have the desire to purchase Noire X, but I have some concerns.
Since my previous headphones were low sensitivity and high impedance, I used a passive preamp and power amplifier to drive them.
Given that Noire X is both low impedance and high sensitivity, I'm worried about potential issues with driving them properly.
If I connect Noire X directly to the power amplifier (adjusted to an appropriate volume level), could this potentially damage the headphones?

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

If you leave the volume control to 0 when turned on, then determined. I got my He6se with the Sabaj A30a. That worked great. The SMSL DL100 goes very well with the Noire X. Even if I almost have to operate it at the limit.

 

[Dan Clark]

I thought this would be interesting for people interested in how isolating the headphones are. I put an acoustic noise source in our isolation chamber and then measured the chamber noise with and without the headphones, the graph is the difference. You can see noise blocking starts at 100Hz, by 1K noise is reduced roughly 16-17dB, by 2.5K ~23dB, which is better than many ear plugs on the market.

For myself, I find this to be incredibly effective on airplanes as it does a great job with blocking conversations, ventilation noise, and most importantly babies. For myself I prefer to travel with my Mojo 2 and the NOIRE X vs ANC, though of course there are great arguments to prefer ANC, depending on your priorities.

 

[imagidominc]

Lastly, here's a beauty shot for those who like these...

View attachment 409765

 

[Joel]

A wireless NOIRE X with ANC would be an instant purchase for me.

Can we get wireless adapters? Would love to "convert" my Aeon 2 to wireless (although I suspect the battery to drive the unit might throw off the superb balance).

Honestly I keep expecting someone at Apple to realize what is sitting right under their noses as make Dan an offer he can't refuse for the company. Especially now with the Noire X, these seem like everything the AirPods Max should have been and made right there in California no less.

 

[Schnozinator]

Has anyone had comfort issues with the self adjusting strap of the Noire X?

 

[Albert Dagger]

Would the Chord Mojo be sufficient to drive the Noire X? I read that Dan Clark himself uses the Chord Mojo 2 with the Noire X while traveling, and the power difference between the Mojo and Mojo 2 appears to be minimal. I’m curious whether the Mojo can drive the Noire X to satisfying levels. While I don’t listen at high volumes, I do appreciate having some headroom.

I've considered investing in a more powerful portable or desktop DAC/amp, but I have reservations about the long-term reliability of Topping products, despite their impressive performance. My Chord Mojo has served me well for years, so I’m reluctant to replace it unless absolutely necessary.

 

[NoteMakoti]

I really love the Noire X. Really love it. Maybe more than the Stealth. I'll have to try them more tomorrow.

 

[Jimbob54]

Has anyone had comfort issues with the self adjusting strap of the Noire X?

I put one of those knitted wool covers on straight away . Because someone said it added just enough padding to matter