DAN CLARK AUDIO E3 HEADPHONES REVIEW

Dan Clark Audio E3 are a closed-back headphone design and cost a little over £2000. Oscar Stewart takes a listen for HiFi PiG.

I don’t feel that Dan Clark Audio requires much of an introduction, HiFi Pig have reviewed some previous models from this company and they are quite a big deal in the head-fi side of things. Starting as a small company modifying headphones to making their own models from the ground up, Dan Clark Audio has certainly grown a lot over the last 11 years or so. 

The new E3 features their 5^th generation driver along with their patent-pending AMTS tuning system to create a new closed-back model that aims to deliver an open-back-like sound with musical accuracy.

BUILD QUALITY, COMFORT AND FEATURES OF THE DCA E3

Well, I don’t think I’ve faulted Dan Clark Audio build quality before, and I cannot fault it here either! The E3 features their usual metal headband, aluminium folding arms and self-adjusting suspension strap. The outer cups are aluminium and the faceplates use Gorilla Glass 3 which both looks great and gives a visual nod to open-back models with the pattern on the outside. The detachable cable uses the usual Dan Clark Audio connector and is well-built – it’s a stock cable that doesn’t feel like it needs changing or upgrading. The earpads are a little different on the E3, the outer is sealed imitation leather, the inner is perforated imitation leather, and the face that touches your skin is Alcantara-like. 

All of the above contribute to a very comfortable headphone. The earpads are deep and spacious, and the self-adjusting headband strap is also excellent meaning they are very much fit and forget when putting them on. Being closed-back they will always be a little warmer than open-back designs, but the earpads are well-designed to help keep heat build-up to a minimum. The Gorilla Glass 3 does add a little weight, but, overall, they are not a heavy headphone in use and the weight is well distributed. I found the E3 to be a pleasure to wear for long listening sessions and being closed back they are somewhat “portable”, however, the low-ish sensitivity and the size of them does mean they are not really to be considered a portable headphone in my opinion. 

Regarding sensitivity, these are rated at around 90dB/mW, which makes them fairly inefficient and as such these are best paired with a good desktop amplifier. Feature-wise these are a closed-back headphone as mentioned, but there are 2 bass-ports on each earcup. These along with the overall design mean they slightly dull outside noises but don’t block them out totally. For example, I could still easily hear my keyboard tapping away while writing this review. Leakage though is not bad and you have to crank them up quite high to disturb someone in the same room.

These cans feature Dan Clark Audio’s patent-pending AMTS tuning system. It’s a device placed between the transducer and ear that integrates waveguides, diffusion control, and resonators into one compact structure that eliminates standing waves while giving them complete control of the high-frequency response profile.

SOUND QUALITY

I’ve been using the E3 with a 4-pin balanced cable out of both the iFi iCAN Phantom and the Feliks Audio Envy (Performance Edition) with the iFi NEO iDSD2 as the DAC and my conclusion is that these definitely benefit from a good desktop amp. 

The Dan Clark Audio E3 have a very natural and unforced sound and when I first put them on, I almost thought they sounded a little boring, but that sentiment went away quite quickly as I started to appreciate them more. Now, they are one of the best closed-back headphones I have come across and are a step up from the Dan Clark Stealth for pure enjoyment. The E3 still have a remarkably linear sound that comes across as very well-balanced, yet they are not boring and there is an underlying groove that comes out to play when called for, but without upsetting the overall tonal balance. 

I really enjoyed the sound of the E3 when using a good solid-state amp, they have a very snappy sound that reacts to whatever you listen to and brings out the best, or worst, in the recording. They won’t make bad recordings sound good, yet they don’t make them unlistenable! They are not the most ruthless headphones out there, but you can clearly distinguish a good recording through these. 

Bass is taut and controlled, yet doesn’t falter when it comes to both punch and depth and no matter what you put on the E3 will keep up and deliver it as intended. Kick drums in rock have excellent punch that is backed up with body, electronic music can dig deep into the sub-bass with ease, and the bass ports do their job of preventing unwanted bloat and resonance. Electronica tends to be my go-to when it comes to testing bass response and Eat Static – Kryll came on when listening to these and it was a really engaging experience. There is so much space staging-wise that you have an ethereal sound that’s swirling around you, and there is excellent control of the bass line that has a subtle rumble that is audible yet doesn’t become overblown. These are linear in the bass region, from sub-bass to mid-bass nothing is missing. 

Moving onto some rock, Underoath – We Are The Involuntary you never get a feeling that the bass is encroaching upon the midrange and the transition from upper mid-bass to lower midrange is handled really well and with no unwanted colouring in this region. Both vocals and guitars are well separated and there is excellent depth to the soundstage, the exquisite resolution of these means you can hear every detail and distorted guitars sound incredibly lifelike. Snares are super snappy without sounding sharp, cymbals crash around you with great clarity and extension yet without a hint of fatiguing peaks anywhere. 

The treble is an area that Dan Clark Audio highlight as being resolving without becoming harsh, and the E3s succeed at this too. There is a huge amount of detail in the treble, yet not once did I find it grating or bordering on bright, they manage to deliver up high frequencies delicately and naturally. 

Radiohead – Present Tense is delivered up with heaps of width and the delicate fingerpicking of the guitar is beautifully detailed. The gentle brushing of the drum skins, harmonies, and intricacies are all intertwined in a coherent sound that just sounds right, and I think that’s what these do extremely well… sounding right. They won’t turn a poor recording into a masterpiece, but they will present you the music in a tonally natural way with plenty of air between the layers whilst remaining coherent and musical. Not a single part of the frequency range sounds like it is fighting for your attention, instead, they allow you to focus on whichever part you personally want to hear. 

It’s hard to quantify soundstaging and micro-detail, but I will say that the E3 manage to create a lovely sense of space around your head with great width, depth, and height – these are far from sounding closed in and rival some excellent open-back headphones from the likes of HiFiMAN and Sennheiser. These also sound very dynamic, delivering huge impacts when called for, yet the tiniest details in quieter sections are never masked. They have explosive energy for hard-hitting drum sections (note: Architects – Doomsday, the drums are on another level through these). 

I don’t find many headphones that are flawless to me (again this is subjective) and to be honest, the list is very short, yet the E3 fit into that category. They are a headphone I would happily live with for daily listening! They manage to deliver the music in a largely unaltered way, but without coming across boring and cold. They can deliver a hugely engaging sound when called for and you can slightly influence their sound with different amplification – I did find myself listening to these with the iCAN Phantom set to solid-state mode the most though. Whilst they don’t need a powerhouse of an amp behind them, they are relatively inefficient so something with a little oomph will help bring out their best. The Feliks Audio Envy had no issues with driving them however I did find this pairing to sound a little overly warm and almost takes away a little of the crispness that makes the E3 so special. 

Bob Marley – Turn Your Lights Down Low just happened to pop up when I engaged Tube+ mode on the iCAN Phantom and this combination is super smooth with excellent body. Tube+ gives a slight rounding of the edges of notes that is perfect for kicking back and listening to some of your favourite tunes without taking away the clean and controlled qualities of the E3.

QUIBBLES

I’m not sure I have any actual quibbles with these headphones. The looks might not be for everyone and they are quite revealing of poor tracks and equipment, but I can’t say those are negative points as such. They do require a little listening time to appreciate their magic and might not “wow” you upon first listen – I’ve often found the best kit to be like this. 

CONCLUSION

The Dan Clark Audio E3 grow upon the success of the Stealth with a linear and detailed signature that is a little more spacious and perhaps a tad more engaging. This makes the E3 an impressive set of cans that can deliver your music in a very detailed and controlled manner whilst also being capable of heaps of impact and strong dynamics when called for. There isn’t a single bit of the frequency range that stands out, they have excellent resolution and detail retrieval and an open and spacious soundstage that rivals many open-back models out there.

This is a headphone that excels at being an all-rounder, I haven’t found anything that sounds bad through them, this makes them a joy to live with and well worthy of an audition if you are looking for headphones in this price range. 

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality And Features:

Flawless build quality that’s premium and functional

Solid connectors and their ability to fold up means they’re compact when stored in their case

Stock cable is lovely to use and of high-quality

Sound Quality:

Open, dynamic and engaging

Nuanced with excellent resolution and micro-detail 

Spacious

Value For Money:

They come in at just over £2k, and you get a lot of sound for your money along with solid build quality and comfort – whilst they’re not cheap, they are good value for what you get

We Loved:

The natural yet dynamic sound that is both resolving and engaging at the same time

Comfy fit with high-quality materials

We Didn’t Love So Much:

I am struggling to think of something I didn’t love about them, take some time to appreciate their sound and you’ll soon realise why these are quite special

Elevator Pitch Review: If you need a high-end closed-back headphone for all-round use, it doesn’t get much better than the Dan Clark Audio E3. They sound very balanced and natural, yet can deliver some hefty punch and depth when called for. These are such a fun and enjoyable all-rounder that don’t manage to put a foot wrong, just make sure you have a good source for them.

Price: £2125 / $1999

Oscar Stewart

SUPPLIED BY ELECTROMOD

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION

• Weight – 455gr
• Impedance – 27ohms
• Sensitivity – ~90 dB/mW
• Frequency response – Yes, it has one
• Distortion – < 0.1% ref 80dB White Noise