Sound Impressions
The following sound impressions were completed using a combination of the Ferrum OOR/HYPSOS paired with the Cayin Mini-CD MK2 and the HIFIMAN Prelude paired with the HIFIMAN Serenade.
Summary
If you are an AEON 2 Noire lover you are going to find the E3 the perfect upgrade path. It has all the energy and excitement of the Noire but it sounds more open with excellent dynamics on the lows and a set of highs that are more resolving and comparatively smoother.
This is a big-sounding closed-back headphone. Not as cavernous as something like the Atrium Closed but it is faster and more detailed with a clearer and more forward midrange presence.
The E3 has some satisfying dynamics with a wide range of amplifiers both portable and desktop. The bass has some lift, not overpowering but critically, its response has a presence that can be heard when called upon.
It makes a big difference to the completeness of any band’s performance and colors the E3 with some improved depth and power over the Noire and possibly even the Stealth though the flagship makes up for that with a more natural and fulsome midrange timbre.
The E3 also passes my “Does it sound good with Metallica?” test with ease. Quite often a headphone will either accentuate high-pitched percussion or lift some of Hammet’s chord crunching over Hetfield’s growling vocal performance.
Not here, everything on the E3 for Metallica’s 72 Seasons album is clean, clear, and with space to be heard. Especially so with Robert Trujillo’s bass mix which if not heard or lacks a decent fundamental can leave the whole mix sounding very flat or dry. Rest assured, it’s there, it’s physical and fast-sounding which pleases me to no end.
Frequency Response
So, what has DCA changed in the FR from the Noire and the Stealth to give the E3 this lively and more ‘playful’ sound signature?
Well, it seems a few areas were targeted for refinement and tweaking to give you something that I think cleverly sits in between both of the aforementioned headphones.
Like the Noire, DCA has kept the E3 nicely boosted from 80Hz down to 20Hz and not as linear as the Stealth lows tuning. It does keep a better lid on mid-bass bloom compared to the Noire. I suspect the dual bass port tuning combined with AMTS reduces the closed-cup resonance more prevalent in the Noire.
There is still a bump around 100-200Hz E3 tuning but it’s not as pronounced which helps create a more open and natural bass performance from the E3.
The E3 FR progression into the mids is more closely aligned with the Stealth save for some additional elevation and warmth around 700Hz-1K. You get more lower-mid body from the Stealth whereas the E3 sounds a little lighter for the same note body.
Mids are where the Noire loses a bit of focus with less elevation compared to the E3. Vocals can suffer a bit if treble and bass are in full force. Out of the 3 headphones, the E3 has the most forward-sounding 1-4k range which gives vocals a nice lift.
The E3 upper-mids and treble elevation is stronger compared to the Stealth from 4k to 8k. You will hear a slightly brighter timbre and more sparkle which is a big factor in its stronger percussion presence and bite.
However, it’s not as bright as the Noire which has much more 5-7k amplitude and can sound a little peaky at times without some filter pads and amplifier tweaking.
Timbre
Overall, the E3 has a relatively clean tonal quality with higher levels of bass/treble contrast compared to the Stealth but is more evenly balanced compared to the bloom and shine of the AEON 2 Noire’s tuning.
Both the upper-mids and treble-forwardness will give it a more ‘immediate’ quality to percussion with an excellent balance between the required body and the speed of the note’s attack and decay.
Note definition is very good actually and something which benefits from the E3’s more elevated treble when compared to the Stealth. However, it is not as bright in the highs as the Noire though. The E3 tonal balance for me is just right this time around so percussion is not overpowering and sibilance treated more accurately.
The fundamental is a big shift from the Stealth and I suspect a lot of people will gravitate to the E3’s better dynamics and stronger bass response. It does make a big difference on some amplifiers with low-end instrumental notes sounding more denser and more powerful from the E3. It does give better support to the rest of the performance.
The E3 has some transparency and source/amplifier matching here will tip the balance one way or another.
For example, the Ferrum OOR will deliver a very neutral and harder-edged performance whereas the HIFIMAN Prelude and the Cayin HA-300MK2 will soften the tone and introduce some rich texture, and more midrange body.
Staging & Dynamics
This is where DCA has ‘struck gold’ with the E3. It is one of the most open-sounding closed-back headphones out there along with the Atrium Closed and of course the Stealth.
Coming from the AEON 2 Noire you are going to notice how ‘cuppy’ it sounds compared to the E3. You get very little uncontrolled mid-bass bloom hitting ‘acoustic walls’ with the E3 compared to its smaller sibling.
I love the Stealth midrange but on a high level, the E3 delivers a stronger perception of depth and height. It is only when you get the amplifier pairing right with the Stealth that can you taste just how deep the flagship can go and just how resolving its low-end can be.
Mind you, the E3 will still perform at its best with big desktop rigs with excellent power in much the same manner as the Stealth. It’s more of the E3 delivering a high level of power and impressive bass dynamics with a wider range of portable sources and amps.
One thing to note, the E3 mids seem the most forward of the recent lineup, especially around 2-5k. That will have the effect of pushing a lot of vocals and instruments front and center and stretching the stage from front to back.
DAP Synergy
Efficiency & Sensitivity
The Dan Clark Audio E3 measures at 27Ω impedance with an SPL of -90 dB/mW so it is not going to be a walk in the park for a lot of portable sources. However, most amplifiers or portable devices hitting around 750mW to 1W or above at 32Ω should be able to provide good to optimal driving conditions.
I tested it on 4 of the more powerful DAPs out there including the N8ii, FiiO’s M17, the HiBy RS8, and the iBasso DX320 Max Ti, and all 4 can drive the E3 to a high standard.
However, to get that you do need to opt for the VIVO 4.4mm termination and switch to a high gain setting on the DAPs. I would further refine the performance of the N8ii and the RS8 with their respective P+ and Turbo modes which deliver some improved dynamic range, particularly on the E3 lows.
The E3 is easier to drive from portable sources than the 22Ω, 87 dB/mW SPL Stealth but I think the livelier tuning of the E3 and the pickier bass response of the Stealth will enhance your perception of a louder performance when A/B’ing from decent portable sources.
If you are coming from the 13Ω and 92 dB/mW AEON 2 Noire you will need a little bit more volume and gain but the difference is not huge so I would not recommend upgrading what works for the Noire to use the E3 unless the source was already right on the limit.
DAP Pairings
All four DAPs had no issues in terms of dynamic range from the E3 pairing so it will come down to coloration and what particular area of the E3 you like emphasized.
Of the four, the M17 delivered some of the strongest sub-bass presence and weight with a relatively forward and denser upper-mids range.
The iBasso DX320 MAX Ti was a lighter touch in terms of note body, but its speed and resolution were the best among the four. It also delivered the most spacious soundstage with the E3 with excellent headroom. Despite the lack of comparative warmth from the lows, the impact of the E3 bass performance was excellent.
The RS8/E3 pairing delivered more bass body than the iBasso pairing but the performance from the mids was more neutral. Vocals also tended to sit a little further back compared to the N8ii and the M17 though by no means recessed.
The N8ii with the tube and Class AB mode delivered a beautiful combination of bass body and sweet and forward midrange presence. It has some nice sparkle but it’s not as airy or as wide sounding on the E3 compared to the DX320 MAX Ti.
If you want the strongest bass experience I would probably pick the M17 followed by the RS8. Go with the DX320 MAX Ti for staging, clarity, and resolution. For vocals and mids presence the E3 sounded ideal with the N8ii.
Amplifier Synergy
I tested quite a few desktop setups and what applies for the DAP is pretty much the same setup for amplifiers though your potential headroom will increase with desktops able to deliver more power.
Desktop amplifiers such as the HIFIMAN Prelude, Cayin HA-300MK2, Feliks Audio Envy, and Ferrum OOR will easily drive the E3 but again with the right settings, they will maximize its potential.
In the case of the Prelude and the Ferrum it’s their respective higher gain option settings, for Envy is the high impedance setting, (designed for planars), and for the Cayin it’s the high impedance setting, (improved bass body).
Amplifier Pairings
I had stronger amplifier pairing preferences with the Stealth than I do with the E3. It plays well with a lot of amplifiers with perhaps how bright or how dry your amplifier and DAC setup being more of an influence than dynamic range or resolution.
Out of those four aforementioned amplifier pairings, I would settle for the Prelude over the OOR, and the HA-300MK2 over the Envy. In both ‘winning’ picks, I also had an R-2R DAC feeding the amps, including the Serenade and the Holo Audio Spring 2 Wildism Edition.
Most of these choices will simply come down to how I like to hear things and with the E3 I loved the juicier timbre from the warmer Prelude and the HA-300MK2.
Both of these amplifiers are also a little more relaxed sounding with the E3 compared to the OOR and Envy and deliver a smoother upper-mids and treble performance. The Cayin will provide excellent width and highs but perhaps slightly less sub-bass power compared to the Prelude and the Envy.
The Envy staging was deep but not as expansive which is a quality the E3 could do without losing. The Prelude and the Envy produced some excellent lows on the E3 but I felt the Envy didn’t push out wide enough compared to either the Prelude or the HA-300MK2.
The OOR was the most neutral but delivered the smallest soundstage. It adds plenty of energy and clarity to the E3 so imaging is excellent with a very clean background coming from the Mini-CD MK2.
