Dan Clark Stealth Review (State of the Art Headphone)

[dmac6419]

These aren't expensive at all,these might be my end game,money is after all made to be spent.

 

[Fafnar]

Yes, carbon fibre is used quite extensively in modern acoustic guitar building too, and I also have some experience of it. I never said it was easy. And I'm sure much manual prototyping was done during development of these phones. But once a design is finalised I have difficulty believing there is much manual fabrication other than perhaps final assembly and testing. The tolerances are just too fine.

I'm not saying these are not good phones or not worth a premium price. But over ten times the price of otherwise excellent phones? No, that is not reasonable.

At those prices we're in the realms of other finer things: art, food, wine, scotch. Is a glass of Balvenie 21 yr Port Cask worth 10x a glass of Glen Scotia Double Cask vs 10x a glass of Thunderbird?

Pretty much depends on how much a $ is worth to you. If you've got $$ to buy and enjoy some of the nicer things in life and absolute quality is important to you, then maybe these headphones are worth it.

For me, probably not. I just don't wear headphones that much anymore. For somebody else, maybe they are worth it and I won't say they are wrong.

Also, regarding marketing these could be considered a "halo" product -- this gets DCA name out there in the same ways a top tier car gets the manufacturer's name out there.

 

[Billy Budapest]

These aren't expensive at all,these might be my end game,money is after all made to be spent.

Well, as they say, you can’t take it with you. As far as the headphones being or not being expensive, that’s a decision each purchaser has to make relative to their income and spending habits.

 

[Billy Budapest]

At those prices we're in the realms of other finer things: art, food, wine, scotch. Is a glass of Balvenie 21 yr Port Cask worth 10x a glass of Glen Scotia Double Cask vs 10x a glass of Thunderbird?

Pretty much depends on how much a $ is worth to you. If you've got $$ to buy and enjoy some of the nicer things in life and absolute quality is important to you, then maybe these headphones are worth it.

For me, probably not. I just don't wear headphones that much anymore. For somebody else, maybe they are worth it and I won't say they are wrong.

Also, regarding marketing these could be considered a "halo" product -- this gets DCA name out there in the same ways a top tier car gets the manufacturer's name out there.

What he said. Although I do listen to headphones frequently. I used to have quite a collection including many “classics”—AKG701, Audeze LCD-2, and newer ones such as Oppo PM-1 and PM-3–but I am now just down to two: B&W P5 and Audeze Sine DX.

 

[RHO]

So from your experience, normal glasses will break the seal?

I have no issues with the seal. I wear glasses when listening and get very good bass extension with the RT.

 

[Doodski]

All of the unaffordable product comments aside these Stealth headphones are a pinnacle model, end game purchase and they will be selling like hot cakes when the people that want such devices see them and read of their capabilities. The support from Dan Clark Audio in offering repair service and replacement parts is a big deal. When I retailed audio gear for 9 years I was hesitant to bring in end game models, statement pieces and the weird, esoteric and exotic. After a couple of years I realized that if one wants to sell this sort of gear they simply need to offer it and people will come and buy it. The price of $4000.00 USD is not a big chunk of money for many people and even for some blue collar people it's affordable. I've seen that they will buy the Hayabusas, the Ducaties, the old classic expensive cars, the big trucks, the big stereos and yes even these headphones will be bought too. I don't doubt they will be very successful.

 

[Cortes]

These aren't expensive at all,these might be my end game,money is after all made to be spent.

I agree with you that that price for 'end game' could be fine; but there's a catch, 'end game' does not exist. Some years ahead there will be better cans.

 

[Doodski]

I agree with you that that price for 'end game' could be fine; but there's a catch, 'end game' does not exist. Some years ahead there will be better cans.

For some people they've reached a buying method that does not wait for the next best thing. These people are proactive and serious buyers who want something now or in the near future as soon as they find the product they need. Every time I buy a new PC or notebook pooder I am proactive and not thinking about the next best thing because I need the pooders and waiting is simply not practical or sensible. A progressive manufacturer or etailer/retailer in the know reacts to this and offers the product knowing the buyers are coming. I think if Dan Clark Audio offers the product in Canada or has a agreement with a distributor that I will be seeing these Stealth headphones at several Canadian websites and at retailers stores. I know of one Toronto retailer/etailer and they carry many very nice headphones in quantity costing thousands of dollars each. They apparently sell them often.

 

[lovesegfault]

The temptation of building a D90SE + A90 + DCA Stealth stack is itching

 

[Doodski]

The temptation of building a D90SE + A90 + DCA Stealth stack is itching

I would love to listen to that gear all together. I want to hear these Stealth headphones just so I know the reference to which all others should aspire.

 

[bboris77]

The temptation of building a D90SE + A90 + DCA Stealth stack is itching

Why not just get the Atom DAC/Amp and put the rest of the money towards the headphones? This is assuming one believes that all transparent amps sound exactly the same.

 

[Doodski]

Why not just get the Atom DAC/Amp and put the rest of the money towards the headphones? This is assuming one believes that all transparent amps sound exactly the same.

I too think the Atom Dac+ and Amp+ are the best value period in a sea of product although they don't have the balanced configuration.

 

[Billy Budapest]

All of the unaffordable product comments aside these Stealth headphones are a pinnacle model, end game purchase and they will be selling like hot cakes when the people that want such devices see them and read of their capabilities. The support from Dan Clark Audio in offering repair service and replacement parts is a big deal. When I retailed audio gear for 9 years I was hesitant to bring in end game models, statement pieces and the weird, esoteric and exotic. After a couple of years I realized that if one wants to sell this sort of gear they simply need to offer it and people will come and buy it. The price of $4000.00 USD is not a big chunk of money for many people and even for some blue collar people it's affordable. I've seen that they will buy the Hayabusas, the Ducaties, the old classic expensive cars, the big trucks, the big stereos and yes even these headphones will be bought too. I don't doubt they will be very successful.

It’s not really a question of how affordable the headphones are, but rather how big the market is. A $4000 headphone is an extreme niche product. It’s not the same as a $4000 television or even a $4000 set of speakers. It’s not about the haves/have nots, it’s about the “I have to get this!”/“I don’t care about this!”

 

[phrwn]

I thought I was done with my E-Mu Teaks, having been up and down the spectrum of offerings. But these... closed-back, low distortion, no EQ needed, a genuine technological step forward, vegan leathers for the soft bits... these are checking all the boxes for me.

The price is the price; not worthy of discussion in my opinion. My sense with DCA's past offerings is that they are not in the business of fleecing their customers, so if that's the cost, accepting all diminishing returns, that's the cost. You can either afford it or not, all the chat around the issue is tedious.

 

[lovesegfault]

Why not just get the Atom DAC/Amp and put the rest of the money towards the headphones? This is assuming one believes that all transparent amps sound exactly the same.

I think it's a combination of the looks of all those products feeling "matched" and the fact that it's just "spec hunting" way past the threshold of it really mattering.

In other words, just because it can be done and would look great.

 

[Doodski]

It’s not really a question of how affordable the headphones are, but rather how big the market is. A $4000 headphone is an extreme niche product. It’s not the same as a $4000 television or even a $4000 set of speakers. It’s not about the haves/have nots, it’s about the “I have to get this!”/“I don’t care about this!”

I think you underestimate the market for luxury products.

 

[Billy Budapest]

I think you underestimate the market for luxury products.

Let’s put it this way—there were 7,000 Ducatis sold in the USA last year. ‘Nuff said.

 

[Doodski]

Let’s put it this way—there were 7,000 Ducatis sold in the USA last year. ‘Nuff said.

Rolling eyes... That settles it then. Of course. If you say so it must be true.

 

[PeteL]

Yes, carbon fibre is used quite extensively in modern acoustic guitar building too, and I also have some experience of it. I never said it was easy. And I'm sure much manual prototyping was done during development of these phones. But once a design is finalised I have difficulty believing there is much manual fabrication other than perhaps final assembly and testing. The tolerances are just too fine.

I'm not saying these are not good phones or not worth a premium price. But over ten times the price of otherwise excellent phones? No, that is not reasonable.

If you are talking of something like HD-650, keep in mind they sold many tens of thousands in their lifetime. We are talking the same company that sells an amp an headphone combo, the HE1, For like 60K... If Sennheiser themselves believe that an headphone they make is worth 200 times a "Otherwise excellent phone", how is it not worth 10 times? DC, If he sells one thousand of these, he's doing good. The thing with volume, it's not a linear curve, doing 10 000 of something vs doing 1000, the price per units goes way down. But In order to be geared up to make these volumes needs huge funding. We should take it for what it is, a luxury item, the notion of reasonable don't apply. Now I don't know... we could see it as "just the final assembly" Me I see this as "Just the cup and hinges produced by a automated process." Using jigs and machinery still count for me as a manual process, but in the end it don't matter, Every companies Flagship goes for more than that. Focal, Audeze, etc. I would trust that it's because that's what it take to make something special.

 

[Doodski]

If you are talking of something like HD-650, keep in mind they sold many tens of thousands in their lifetime. We are talking the same company that sells an amp an headphone combo, the HE1, For like 60K... If Sennheiser themselves believe that an headphone they make is worth 200 times a "Otherwise excellent phone", how is it not worth 10 times? DC, If he sells one thousand of these, he's doing good. The thing with volume, it's not a linear curve, doing 10 000 of something vs doing 1000, the price per units goes way down. But In order to be geared up to make these volumes needs huge funding. We should take it for what it is, a luxury item, the notion of reasonable don't apply. Now I don't know... we could see it as "just the final assembly" Me I see this as "Just the cup and hinges produced by a automated process." Using jigs and machinery still count for me as a manual process, but in the end it don't matter, Every companies Flagship goes for more than that. Focal, Audeze, etc. I would trust that it's because that's what it take to make something special.

I don't get the impression that the Stealth headphones where made to achieve a price point. It appears they where made to be the best Dan Clark could design and manufacture and then a value was placed on them. That means a lot to me.