Dan Clark Stealth Review (State of the Art Headphone)

[XGEOX]

This is a very seriously looking headphone folks. It is not at all a gaming look.

Sorry but I have to disagree with this. The first time I click the review link I saw the picture without reading the title and what come to my mind was "hey Amir start reviewing a good gaming headphone!"

I had the same reaction, but I don't think a less traditional look is a bad thing; just going to be more divisive. As many have said, offering a subdued stitching option would probably be enough to shake off those connotations. No idea if it's going to be worth it for the extra sales though.

Of course the irony is I would absolutely want to use these for gaming (just not the teenage RGB-everything, Cheetos and Mountain Dew kind).

An amazing-performing closed back is what I've been looking for. Just add an Audeze-GX like boom mic cable and I'd be set.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Okay, I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here with @amirm.

AKG K371 EQ'd $149
Sennheiser HD600/650 EQ'd $400
This product (no ED necessary) $4,000

Please compare and contrast.

Obviously, if you have the money (if you're rich) and you're a headphone lover, $4,000 is probably not that much. If I won the lottery, I'd buy a pair.

But can the extra expense genuinely be justified for people with 'normal' bank balances?

Just how close do those other two, cheaper headphone come to this?

 

[someguyontheinternet]

Awesome work @Dan Clark and the team! What is the situation on EU orders - do you have resellers here already?

I found a German seller that has it listed: https://www.audiodomain.de/stealth?c=32

 

[escalibur]

Man, I would buy this headphone immediately if that price wasn't so insane

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[DanTheMan]

Even though I’m sure I won’t ever own this (while I’m married), I’m glad it exists.

 

[mslim]

That's the key message I meant to put in the review. We have the first company to fully adopt research and engineering for headphones. All others are playing around but Dan Clark is committed and executing. So no wonder the results are so good.

I thought it was the 'new' AKG with the K371 that was first.

 

[edahl]

Gotta say I wish I had money to invest in DCA back in march

 

[mslim]

Haven't read thru the whole thread as it has boomed in a short time.

Can someone or @danclark explain regarding the soft touch feel? What is the case material? Is the soft touch achieved with rubber coating? If that is the way then will that not get tacky with time or doesn't last long?

Thanks.

 

[XGEOX]

Can someone or @danclark explain regarding the soft touch feel? What is the case material? Is the soft touch achieved with rubber coating? If that is the way then will that not get tacky with time or doesn't last long?

I asked the same question. Amirm clarified that it does not have that coating.

 

[MrBrainwash]

I was hyped for first hour after read a review but then I thought what a difference might be?

Headphones are still headphones. This new model may sound fantastic as they are clearer and have neutral good tuning but that's it. For me music comes to imagination and a sensory input are only the beginning. My Sundara will not start sound bad becouse existence of these pair. From psychological pov it's about level of hormons, and neurotransmiters in our brains. How this diffrence influence this factors? In long run they stay the same. I am happy to see headphones like this show up but we are already in good times for headphones listeners that can afford Sundara or Aeon RT or even cheaper models.

 

[abdo123]

Okay, I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here with @amirm.

AKG K371 EQ'd $149
Sennheiser HD600/650 EQ'd $400
This product (no ED necessary) $4,000

Please compare and contrast.

Obviously, if you have the money (if you're rich) and you're a headphone lover, $4,000 is probably not that much. If I won the lottery, I'd buy a pair.

But can the extra expense genuinely be justified for people with 'normal' bank balances?

Just how close do those other two, cheaper headphone come to this?

Do you own an OLED TV?

 

[MayaTlab]

Just how close do those other two, cheaper headphone come to this?

That will 100% depend on their actual on-head behaviour, something test rigs can't predict to a degree below threshold of audibility. The K371 is an example of a pair of HPs that for me, on my head, performs quite a good (and measurable) deal worse for various reasons than what test rigs measurements would suggest.

We already talked in this thread of the issue of FR variation at lower frequencies depending on the quality of the seal and how different headphones react differently to various levels of seal breach, and for headphones susceptible to that phenomenon it's difficult to know what will happen on your own head without trying them first.

At higher frequencies I'm very curious to learn whether or not the AMTS part plays a role or not in preserving the desirable aspects of HPTF variation while helping to eliminate the undesirable ones. Dan Clark mentions in Head-fi's video that listening tests were performed to develop it unless I'm mistaken but I'm also curious to learn if DCA performed real ear measurements on real humans as well.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Do you own an OLED TV?

Yes, two.

 

[RHO]

Sorry but I have to disagree with this. The first time I click the review link I saw the picture without reading the title and what come to my mind was "hey Amir start reviewing a good gaming headphone!"

I honestly don't know why you would think that.
I think these look stunning.

 

[abdo123]

Yes, two.

Well if you think these worth it over a QLED TV of the same size then you probably think that one (expensive) extra push in technology is worth it.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I was hyped for first hour after read a review but then I thought what a difference might be?

Headphones are still headphones. This new model may sound fantastic as they are clearer and have neutral good tuning but that's it. For me music comes to imagination and a sensory input are only the beginning. My Sundara will not start sound bad becouse existence of these pair. From psychological pov it's about level of hormons, and neurotransmiters in our brains. How this diffrence influence this factors? In long run they stay the same. I am happy to see headphones like this show up but we are already in good times for headphones listeners that can afford Sundara or Aeon RT or even cheaper models.

Good points.

Ultimately, even a ‘perfect’ headphone can’t improve on its source. Dark Side of the Moon won’t suddenly gain three extra tracks, each better than any on the original LP…

…or do I just want to save £3,000…

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

More fun, which is nice of course, does not have to equal high fidelity. It all boils down to what the buyer wants. If "pleasant fidelity" is enough, EQ FTW. But "pleasant fidelity" doesn't require spending this kind of money IMHO.

Enjoying music does not require high fidelity, I enjoy AM transistor radios as much as high quality headphones.

Hopefully this metamaterial/3D acoustic contouring trickles down real quick, it seems suddendly a new avenue of tweaking/improving that wasn't available has been openned. Also, I hope/ think modders and 3rd party companies will come out with some aftermarket inserts/mods for existing staple models, and in that case I hope ASR gets to measure their effectiveness, aka, bumping other already excellent headphones to nearer Dan Clark perfection on the "cheap"..

Grado already uses specialized materials to sell their headphones. DCA isn't the first. Just the best. I doubt others will approach this tech for at least a few years.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Well if you think these worth it over a QLED TV of the same size then you probably think that one (expensive) extra push in technology is worth it.

Not necessarily.

My 65” OLED cost me £2.5k, and the entire family enjoy it for many hours every week.

These would cost me c.£3,000, and they’d only be used by me, and I don’t listen to music as much as I watch TV.

 

[RHO]

Enjoying music does not require high fidelity, I enjoy AM transistor radios as much as high quality headphones.

Really?
If it doesn't sound at least decent I don't care what's playing. I even get annoyed when the sound isn't at least of some quality. It can be the best song in the world, I wouldn't enjoy it.

 

[respice finem]

to each their own, it's a hobby, what one likes, is allowed.