Dan Clark Stealth Review (State of the Art Headphone)

[phrwn]

Reading some of those head-fi CanJam comments it makes me wonder if an event like that is really any use for evaluating headphones. Since it seems to take several days of consistent use for your brain to adjust to the sound of a new audio source, relative to what you were used to previously, I'm not sure jumping from one thing to the next is that useful for forming an evaluation overall. Fun, interesting, and possibly the only way to sample many of these headphones, yes for sure, but coming to black and white, written and published conclusions about them, not so good.

 

[Jimbob54]

Reading some of those head-fi CanJam comments it makes me wonder if an event like that is really any use for evaluating headphones. Since it seems to take several days of consistent use for your brain to adjust to the sound of a new audio source, relative to what you were used to previously, I'm not sure jumping from one thing to the next is that useful for forming an evaluation overall. Fun, interesting, and possibly the only way to sample many of these headphones, yes for sure, but coming to black and white, written and published conclusions about them, not so good.

Id say not. Good for evaluating fit and feel of a lot of potential purchases, maybe ruling out some that sound way away from your tastes. But lets be honest, if you EQ most headphones, unless you take a device with the EQ you might use plumbed in and an amp suitable for the 'phones, its not going to tell you much about how you might like after purchase.

 

[VintageFlanker]

New video from @oluvsgadgets

 

[preload]

Reading some of those head-fi CanJam comments it makes me wonder if an event like that is really any use for evaluating headphones.

Either way, it looks like the perfect super-spreader event.

 

[amirm]

New video from @oluvsgadgets

On my akg IEMs Stealth sounds much better than Elex. Better bass, overall tonality and clarity of highs. The Elex sounds flatter and less interesting. He badly needs verification of his subjective evaluations by other people.

 

[tusing]

@Dan Clark Are there any concerns about the Stealth's aluminum frame corroding in the presence of the carbon fiber? I was watching a video (timestamp) and it explains that aluminum corrodes extremely quickly when in contact with carbon fiber composites, explained by the distance between graphite and aluminum on the galvanic scale.

 

[DawgSlaya]

@Dan Clark Are there any concerns about the Stealth's aluminum frame corroding in the presence of the carbon fiber? I was watching a video (timestamp) and it explains that aluminum corrodes extremely quickly when in contact with carbon fiber composites, explained by the distance between graphite and aluminum on the galvanic scale.

I imagine headphones placed indoors are subject to a lot less corrosion than airplane wings.
In any case Dan Clark Audio has been using aluminum and carbon for a while now, and I haven't heard of any galvanic corrosion issues.

 

[dleblanc343]

Reading some of those head-fi CanJam comments it makes me wonder if an event like that is really any use for evaluating headphones. Since it seems to take several days of consistent use for your brain to adjust to the sound of a new audio source, relative to what you were used to previously, I'm not sure jumping from one thing to the next is that useful for forming an evaluation overall. Fun, interesting, and possibly the only way to sample many of these headphones, yes for sure, but coming to black and white, written and published conclusions about them, not so good.

I'd argue the best way to assess a headphone is to pit it up in direct A/B with another. Ideally you have a strong frame of reference and know what you like (this won't require you to spend hours of listening to understand an HP), and also a quiet listening environment helps.

Of course this is more of a subjective approach, but direct A/B and knowing what you enjoy is the best way to make a personal assessment

CanJam is also a mix of all demographics, listening preferences, and most-importantly unbiased ears - it's actually not too shabby to rely on data from end-users who don't have any ownership bias or "copium".

Stealth is a great headphone to me, especially for its objective measurements. That being said, its correctedness does not equate to a true Hi-Fi experience like my Raidho speakers or Susvara. Closed-back design is very limiting, but DCA did a commendable job within their limitations.

I want a Stealth open-back now.

 

[brandall10]

I'd argue the best way to assess a headphone is to pit it up in direct A/B with another. Ideally you have a strong frame of reference and know what you like (this won't require you to spend hours of listening to understand an HP), and also a quiet listening environment helps.

I agree - the idea of having to spend serious time is not exactly ideal... given enough time, you will adapt to the sound if it's not too far afield of your preferences (ie. 'brain burn-in'). I had this issue w/ the JH Roxanne custom I purchase years ago - initial impression was sideways, but over time I appreciated it. Put it away for about 6 months and when coming back again, was non-plussed again by what I heard. Perhaps a different thing if you have multiple cans in a similar bracket you're comparing and contrasting against.

That said, I agree that CanJam isn't exactly the best place to do it, unless you're in a quiet side room. Certainly better for a closed back, but I noticed at most listening stations in the main area volume levels were at ear bleeding levels.

 

[Dan Clark]

@Dan Clark Are there any concerns about the Stealth's aluminum frame corroding in the presence of the carbon fiber? I was watching a video (timestamp) and it explains that aluminum corrodes extremely quickly when in contact with carbon fiber composites, explained by the distance between graphite and aluminum on the galvanic scale.

Non issue due to the fact the carbon is coated with a PU plus the AL is anodized.

 

[John B]

Hey All,

Quasi serious question here. It is uniquely easy to lose track of volume levels in these headphones because they lack any distortion indicators. Can somebody calculate the db output for the THX789 amp and the different gain settings? I'm not sure how to go about that and don't want my next purchase to be an ear horn. : )

 

[Dan Clark]

Hey All,

Quasi serious question here. It is uniquely easy to lose track of volume levels in these headphones because they lack any distortion indicators. Can somebody calculate the db output for the THX789 amp and the different gain settings? I'm not sure how to go about that and don't want my next purchase to be an ear horn. : )

Easy trick that is independent of your amp is to install a DB meter app on your phone, set the music at the desired volume then place one ear pad over the mic-end of the phone so the mic is in the middle of the ear cavity and the pad kind of seals around the phone. Play music that's not all bass as that is least accurate to measure, and watch the peak SPL. For all-day listening keep it under 80. A phone isn't super accurate but it's ballpark for you, if you assume it's a few Db low you should be good. On IOS I use Decibel X Pro.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Easy trick that is independent of your amp is to install a DB meter app on your phone, set the music at the desired volume then place one ear pad over the mic-end of the phone so the mic is in the middle of the ear cavity and the pad kind of seals around the phone. Play music that's not all bass as that is least accurate to measure, and watch the peak SPL. For all-day listening keep it under 80. A phone isn't super accurate but it's ballpark for you, if you assume it's a few Db low you should be good. On IOS I use Decibel X Pro.

Like this?

 

[Dan Clark]

Like this?

View attachment 157701

Alas I only have my phone as a camera and can't take a photo of the phone in the right position. However, if you visualize the yellow post-it as the mic end of your phone it's like this... The pad should be sealing to the desk surface with the phone on the desk.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Got it, makes total sense!!

 

[DualTriode]

Hello All,

I got back into this audio stuff through the back door, vibration and noise.

In the ME world where I live there is the thing of mechanical caused noise in the medical research labs.

One lab now many others do video publications. Air movement noise is a bad thing for making research video publications.

We use these things called generically called MITCO pressure independent air flow control valves. https://www.rosemex.com/catalog/Ventilation/AirTUnitE.pdf

They make a lot of noise. We use highly damped Helmholtz like resonators to attenuate specific problematic frequency bands.

http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyAppa.../Helmholtz_Resonator/Helmholtz_Resonator.html

This metamaterial sure reminds me of the frequency damping / shaping the FR of ducts.

Thanks DT

 

[Dan Clark]

Hello All,

I got back into this audio stuff through the back door, vibration and noise.

In the ME world where I live there is the thing of mechanical caused noise in the medical research labs.

One lab now many others do video publications. Air movement noise is a bad thing for making research video publications.

We use these things called generically called MITCO pressure independent air flow control valves. https://www.rosemex.com/catalog/Ventilation/AirTUnitE.pdf

They make a lot of noise. We use highly damped Helmholtz like resonators to attenuate specific problematic frequency bands.

http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyAppa.../Helmholtz_Resonator/Helmholtz_Resonator.html

This metamaterial sure reminds me of the frequency damping / shaping the FR of ducts.

Thanks DT

Metamaterial can be used for exactly that. It's most common audio application people may know is noise barriers by highways. If the barrier isn't a solid material but is made of an array of holes they're probably helmholtz resonators tuned to reduce tire and engine noise.

 

[John B]

Super helpful! Thanks all!!

 

[solderdude]

Hey All,

Quasi serious question here. It is uniquely easy to lose track of volume levels in these headphones because they lack any distortion indicators. Can somebody calculate the db output for the THX789 amp and the different gain settings? I'm not sure how to go about that and don't want my next purchase to be an ear horn. : )

Sure... super easy to do.

U out balanced (24 ohm) = 13.5V
U out SE (24 ohm) = 7.3V
Sensitivity = 99.2dB/V
max. SPL at balanced out = 122 dB SPL
max. SPL at SE out = 117dB SPL.
More than enough for listening at VERY loud levels without any clipping.
Note these are peak levels in music and NOT the same as the 'a-weighted average noise level value exposure charts'.

Sound meters, especially phones can be very inaccurate.

 

[John B]

Sure... super easy to do.

U out balanced (24 ohm) = 13.5V
U out SE (24 ohm) = 7.3V
Sensitivity = 99.2dB/V
max. SPL at balanced out = 122 dB SPL
max. SPL at SE out = 117dB SPL.
More than enough for listening at VERY loud levels without any clipping.
Note these are peak levels in music and NOT the same as the 'a-weighted average noise level value exposure charts'.

Sound meters, especially phones can be very inaccurate.

Listening at the lowest gain setting which is a roughly 20db cut from peak (?) I should definitely be fine. Hitting top of range is intermittent in musical info, and when adding recording headroom should be all good!

Thanks!