Dan Clark Stealth Review (State of the Art Headphone)

[evert]

Why istn't this review listed in the Headphone Review and Measurements Index?

 

[Robbo99999]

Why istn't this review listed in the Headphone Review and Measurements Index?

Ha, it broke the index with it's Price & Preference Rating! But on the serious side it's not included..... the latest review included in the index is from July this year, no other headphones added to the index since then:

Headphone Review and Measurements Index

Headphone Review and Measurements

www.audiosciencereview.com

@amirm , probably a bug or it's a manual exercise to add them.

 

[amirm]

@pozz is looking into it.

 

[Wolvebain]

The DCA arrived earlier today!!!
Huge props to https://www.lumous-audio.co.za/ for sourcing them for me!

Some unbox therapy below




The DCA-Stealth's are a bit of a Power Hog tho. 1 O'Clock on the Cayin HA6-HA for 'normal' volume.
The LPGT does drive them okay; sounds AwEsOmE

Thanks @amirm and @Dan Clark for this review and assistance!

Just received the pro-forma for the DCA Stealth this morning (what a journey that was!!!).
Payment made to dealer, and hope to get my pair......... within the month

 

[jlb]

the stealth has become quite a controversial HP after the initial over the top review here that garnered all the attention...quite a few people out there posting opposites views...interesting

 

[enricoclaudio]

If the Stealth is better than the Noire, then I want the Stealth because the Noire is by a few miles the best CB headphone I have ever listened to.

 

[someguyontheinternet]

the stealth has become quite a controversial HP after the initial over the top review here that garnered all the attention...quite a few people out there posting opposites views...interesting

A lot of what I've read is criticism toward the neutral tonality of the Stealth. To me that sort of criticism is nonsense. They essentially claim that their subjective tonal preference is superior for the simple reason of liking it better...

 

[enricoclaudio]

A lot of what I've read is criticism toward the neutral tonality of the Stealth. To me that sort of criticism is nonsense. They essentially claim that their subjective tonal preference is superior for the simple reason of liking it better...

Precisely, neutral headphones/amps and speakers are my preference. I guess not everybody like to listen to neutral and transparent sound?

 

[John B]

I've seen some of those reviews. They are odd. You can twist this headphone into a pretzel in EQ and it sounds great. Discounting a device like this because you aren't a fan of the Harmon curve is suspiciously shortsighted.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Those Harman curve haters should have watched to @Sean Olive in today’s live streaming event. It was Great!!

 

[Malaj]

If the Stealth is better than the Noire, then I want the Stealth because the Noire is by a few miles the best CB headphone I have ever listened to.

Have you heard the ether c Flow? I am demoing that one and the noire now. Main comparison is another headphone that also taget the Harman target curve. Kennerton magni. It and noire do follow each other very nearly and to my ears just have the right tone.

So far I am biased toward ether c Flow. Its the air and treble mainly and the soundstaging that really set it apart from both noire and the magni.

 

[holicst]

Has anyone heard both the Stealth and the Shure SRH940? I have the latter which is considered very neutral, flat and has low distortion. I'm considering an upgrade but I'm not sure how big the difference is. Additionally, I can drive the Shure with an E1DA dongle properly, and I'd have to invest in a desktop setup for the Stealth.

 

[Malaj]

Is the stealth harder to drive then the noire or the ether c flow? These still sound good on low power to my ears and no problem getting the db:s.

 

[brandall10]

A lot of what I've read is criticism toward the neutral tonality of the Stealth. To me that sort of criticism is nonsense. They essentially claim that their subjective tonal preference is superior for the simple reason of liking it better...

Some of it is, but generally it’s down to ‘macrodynamics’. If anything, head-fi finds Harman bass north of neutral, but the criticism is the opposite, claiming it’s lacking there or rather lacking slam.

This may be interpreted differently but I for one can’t hand wave the criticism away like that, not for a purchase at this price point.

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

A lot of what I've read is criticism toward the neutral tonality of the Stealth. To me that sort of criticism is nonsense. They essentially claim that their subjective tonal preference is superior for the simple reason of liking it better...

I thought that is what purveyors of the Harmon Curve say? That the Harmon response curve is better because people enjoy it more in a blind test.

 

[someguyontheinternet]

I thought that is what purveyors of the Harmon Curve say? That the Harmon response curve is better because people enjoy it more in a blind test.

My criticism was based on the lack of logical reasoning in their evaluation of the Stealth, not that deviation from Harman target cannot be preferred by some people. It's very well possible for people to prefer a tonality that is far away from the Harman target. However the assumption that a headphone is flawed because it has neutral (or "boring" as some put it) tonality is simply nonsense.

 

[brandall10]

My criticism was based on the lack of logical reasoning in their evaluation of the Stealth, not that deviation from Harman target cannot be preferred by some people. It's very well possible for people to prefer a tonality that is far away from the Harman target. However the assumption that a headphone is flawed because it has neutral (or "boring" as some put it) tonality is simply nonsense.

But again, as I stated above, that doesn't seem to be the main criticism. By and large it's about dynamics. Saying people don't like Harman is kind of a copout as to what primary issue is. Conversely, many in that CanJam thread are quick to point out FR issues w/ the LD-5 they are willing to overlook.

 

[muslhead]

I received mine last week and so far I will add my name to the list of those who are disappointed.
I sold my hifiman he1000v2 in for the stealth and, as of now, i am thinking i made the wrong decision.
Of course, when i sold my lcd-3's for the he1000v2, i was disappointed. But, over time they grew on me and eventually thought they were the best of all the cans i ever heard. There is still hope the Stealths will turn out the same.
My disappointement, in both cases, is/was dynamics and dynamics only.

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

My criticism was based on the lack of logical reasoning in their evaluation of the Stealth, not that deviation from Harman target cannot be preferred by some people. It's very well possible for people to prefer a tonality that is far away from the Harman target. However the assumption that a headphone is flawed because it has neutral (or "boring" as some put it) tonality is simply nonsense.

It's helpful when you are criticizing someone's article to provide a link so we can see exactly what was asserted so no straw man arguments are made.

That said, if there is a reviewer suggesting that the Stealth is lacking in dynamics, I would suggest his amplifier is lacking in power. They're Dynamic.

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

Is the stealth harder to drive then the noire or the ether c flow? These still sound good on low power to my ears and no problem getting the db:s.

The Stealth is slightly quieter than the Aeon RT at the same (max) vol on my friend's tube amp. They feel similar but frankly, I am thinking an Aeon 2 will get me most of the way there.