Select Comparisons
The following comparisons to the Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO were completed using a mix of the Ferrum OOR/WANDLA GSE stack and the Cayin C9ii portable tube amplifier paired with the N7. Both systems are in balanced output format.
Dan Clark Audio NOIRE X
The Dan Clark Audio NOIRE X was launched at the tail end of 2024 and replaces the original NOIRE from 2021. It is the current flagship AEON series closed-back headphone.
Technical
Aside from open-back versus closed-back, there is not much to separate the NOIRE XO from the NOIRE X on paper concerning their internal makeup.
Both have the latest iteration of DCS’s 62mm x 34mm single-ended planar magnetic driver with V-Planar Technology, and both have been installed with AMTS technology.
Of course, the devil is in the details, so the programmable side of their respective AMTS honeycomb wedges is very different. Not just to calibrate for the open-acoustic environment of the NOIRE XO, but also to match the goal of tracking the Harman Target end-to-end.
The Noire X has a different set of permeations, including combating closed-cup resonance and ensuring the soundstage remains as open as possible.
Their respective benchmarking milestones are not that far apart, with some minor deviations, including a little 23g more weight for the NOIRE XO and a slightly higher impedance level at 16Ω compared to 13Ω.
Their sensitivity levels are the same at 94 dB/mW, which means they both need a decent amount of power to sound optimal, though quality portable devices are not out of the question.
Design
The form factor of each is an exact match; there is no difference here with the ovoid cups, lightweight headband, and the new hybrid pads with the wider contact surface. Both articulate smoothly and fold like a boss.
The biggest difference is the NOIRE XO open-back design, which brings in a strong EXPANSE influence with the recessed honeycomb structure of the cup grills compared to the flatter Gorilla Glass cup and race-like branding of the NOIRE X cups.
The design differences beyond the cups are nuanced, but if there is a noticeable change, it’s in the wearing experience. The NOIRE XO offers slightly less lateral pressure, thereby creating a more relaxed feel on my head.
The NOIRE X pressure strap seems slightly more arched, though it could well have changed shape from the months of use.
Still, there does seem to be more tension in the strap and a slightly stronger clamp, creating a stronger seal on the side of the head. Isolation is naturally a big requirement for the NOIRE X.
Cable choices and accessories are the same, with optional upgrades to VIVO available for both headphones.
Performance
There are two immediate standout differences between these two headphones.
The first is the imaging or positioning with what I presume is the closed-cup acoustical effect delivering a more immediate or intimate staging quality to the NOIRE X. The NOIRE XO has more relaxed and slightly more distant positioning, but with a more effortless diffusion of trailing note decay.
There is a very slight volume difference between the two, or at least subjectively, and it could be XO’s imaging creating that, as I found myself pushing the volume just a tiny bit more than the X when listening.
The second big difference is the treble tuning. It’s firmer on the NOIRE X with more noticeable 6-8k and 10k peaks compared to the gradual attenuation of the NOIRE XO curve from 6k onwards.
That has two effects. The first is the treble presence and sparkle, which is stronger on the X. It delivers a more upfront percussion presence, a stronger leading attack, and more of an upper-harmonic emphasis on notes above 2k.
The NOIRE XO is smoother, more eloquent, and relaxing through the mids. It has more of a natural tone and timbre with enhanced emotional engagement in its vocal delivery.
On the low-end, the NOIRE X has a little more punch and energy, which honestly does not surprise me given it’s a closed-back. The NOIRE XO extends just as well and sounds a bit richer in the sub-bass to my ears, and also with a degree more bass-to-mids-separation.
Overall, the NOIRE X is the punchy, higher-contrast, and cleaner performer, whereas the NOIRE XO is the smoother, more balanced sound signature.
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 NOIRE
The Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 NOIRE was launched in early 2021 and was seen as a leap forward in tuning over the original closed-back AEON 2.
Technical
The AEON 2 NOIRE is a closed-back planar magnetic headphone, representing the pinnacle of the previous generation of non-AMTS-fitted AEON series headphones.
This is an internally machined FLOW structure with second-generation TrueFlow technology. It has a similarly sized but older single-sided 62mm x 34mm single-ended planar magnetic driver using V-planar technology.
Without AMTS, the NOIRE relied more on DAN Clark Audio’s tuning classic pads, 3 options: a white pad, a black pad, and a foam-type pad. They will affect the tuning a little in various directions, such as masking the highs a bit more to create a smoother sound.
The AEON 2 NOIRE has a slightly lower impedance of 13Ω compared to the NOIRE XO’s 16Ω, but it is less sensitive at 92dB/mW SPL compared to 94 dB/MW. Both need good amps, but you will have to push the dial up a tiny bit more with the older NOIRE.
Design
Because these two headphones span an almost 5-year development timeline gap, you will notice how more evolved DCA’s engineering is on the NOIRE XO compared to the NOIRE.
Granted, the price difference between them at the launch date is significant, but inflation is a thing, especially in the last 5 years. So also, are the aesthetic and build improvements, and the overall quality of the NOIRE XO materials.
On the NOIRE XO, you will notice the stronger gimbal blocks, the more premium pressure strap with upgraded memory foam, the tighter cup finishing around the connectors, the more elaborate open-back honeycomb mesh, and the newer, thicker, wider contact surface hybrid pads.
It feels like a more substantial headphone, and also heavier at 80g, more than the older NOIRE, and you will feel that difference a bit when handling them.
Do I complain? Not at all, the pressure balance is everything to me, and both sit just right on my head and feel very comfortable despite the subtle wedge shape inside the NOIRE XO due to the AMTS inserts.
Like the NOIRE X, the NOIRE does have a little more lateral clamping pressure. It is not as significant as the NOIRE X, but not as relaxed as the new pads on the NOIRE XO.
I have to mention that the NOIRE uses the older pads, which have a thinner contact surface and are prone to memory foam rolling and sagging.
Performance
Honestly, the old NOIRE is way behind the NOIRE XO in a lot of key aspects in its presentation. If you need an excuse to upgrade and want a smoother sound in the process, the NOIRE XO is the right choice.
It delivers superior dynamic range, sounds a little easier to drive, offers a smoother, richer timbre, and its open-back acoustics give it a deeper soundstage.
In contrast, the NOIRE sounds thin, like the NOIRE X on a diet, and lacks the same confidence of either the XO or the X on low-end power and punch.
It has some upper-mids and treble resonance that never wholly agreed with my preferences, pushing you further upwards on every note.
The NOIRE X takes a lot of the unevenness out of the equation from the NOIRE’s midrange and treble tuning and adds a much more dynamic and bigger sound signature.
This is then softened up a bit, smoothed out in the upper-mids and highs, particularly around 5-6k, and opened up even further by the XO presentation, resulting in a much more relaxing performance from top to bottom.
Yes, you can add pads and get closer to that smoother NOIRE XO sound from the NOIRE. However, I find the pads mask a little bit of immediacy and perceived clarity in the mids from the NOIRE. It never really matches the NOIRE XO in terms of resolution, so I ended up not using them in the long run.
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Open
The AEON 2 Open was launched in 2019 and superseded the original AEON Flow from 2018. It was the first open-back in the AEON series to come with a foldable design.
Technical
The AEON 2 Open represents the second generation of the AEON series, and the first with the unique folding design. It takes much of its internal technical cues from the closed-back version upon which the AEON 2 NOIRE was drawn.
That includes learnings from the then-flagship open-back ETHER 2. This included a solid single construction rather than the pieced-together design of the original AEON, with the driver structure flipped 180 degrees and the magnet/FLOW structures out of the direct signal path of the ear.
This was DCA’s first machined AEON series headphone (including the closed-back), replacing the older injection molding process.
The legacy driver is not that different on paper from the NOIRE XO, including a single-sided 62 x 34mm planar driver and a vanishingly low impedance value of 13Ω, lower by 3Ω, though their SPL is the same 94 dB/mW.
However, there is no AMTS inside the AEON 2 Open; the driver is a couple of generations behind in development, as is the V-Planer tech used. This is a totally different beast from the NOIRE XO performance-wise.
Design
As with the original NOIRE, the design evolution of the NOIRE XO is leagues ahead of the AEON 2.
However, the basic form factor is unchanged. The AEON 2 was the last of the Red/Blue combo DCA used back in their MrSpeakers days. Now, everything is a bit more nuanced in color coding, and with the NOIRE, it is mostly black.
Since both are open-backs, there is some character in the cup plates. Honeycombing is a shared feature, though the NOIRE XO version shows off a much more refined machining process with its shapely contours as opposed to the simpler, flatter AEON 2 Open version.
The AEON 2 Open also has a simpler pressure strap and a narrower Nitinol headband sitting on top of a thinner, gimbal block. Both fold just as well as each other, but the gimbal structure on the NOIRE XO feels more durable.
Like the NOIRE, the AEON 2 has the older pad design, one that is more prone to memory foam rolling and with a narrower contact surface. For some unknown reason, my pads on the AEON 2 Open never sagged, unlike the NOIRE.
Still, I would much rather have the hybrid NOIRE XO pads. Combined with that slightly looser clamp pressure and fabric wide surface contact on my head, it’s a more relaxed fitting.
The AEON 2 Open feels a little tighter on the head compared to the NOIRE XO, making it slightly less comfortable for longer listening periods despite weighing almost 70g less.
Performance
I am probably one of the few people who preferred the AEON 2 Open to the NOIRE. However, personal preference aside, the older headphone has a more uneven sound signature compared to the smoother, more balanced tuning of the NOIRE XO.
Side by side, it’s the mid-bass bump of the AEON 2 that immediately grabs you. It’s big and bold and dominates, and though some will enjoy that, it can distract and upset the balance of a recording unnecessarily, especially with a midrange FR that stays largely south of the Target curve from 1-4k.
That’s one of the major changes in the evolving house sound of DCA that shines particularly with the NOIRE XO, the correct neutral to slightly north of neutral vocal imaging. The improved head gain brings vocals out in a more expressive manner, particularly with that softer, more controlled treble overtone.
The AEON 2 Open shows how DCA was still grappling with the spikier treble overtones from its planar driver. Like the NOIRE, it also came with pads that can combat that, but also like the NOIRE, I stopped using them on account of the slightly veiled midrange response.
Without, there is some mid and treble harmonic dissonance from a peaky 5-8 range that is absent from the NOIRE XO sound signature.
As a result, there is a timbre ‘battle’ in the AEON 2 mids and vocal tones that sounds completely resolved with the smoother, evenly-balanced mids of the NOIRE XO.
Cannot pass by without mentioning the size of the presentation. The gap in staging isn’t huge in terms of physical size, more the improved dynamic range and air afforded each instrument are more satisfying, creating a deeper sound from the NOIRE XO.
My Verdict
The Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO is an excellent benchmark for open-back planar headphones at this price point.
It does things a little differently from the closed-back X, eschewing the generally high-contrast, more explosive sound of the former for a smoother, more agreeable sound signature that pairs with a far wider range of amplifiers.
The aesthetics have plenty of drip-down influences from the flagship EXPANSE, the form factor is lightweight and probably even more comfortable than the X, with a slight reduction in clamping pressure.
With that smoother tuning, improved clamping, and the hybrid breathable pads, I get the feeling DCA is aiming to convince you to keep the NOIRE XO on your head for a very long time. They have a valid point here as to why that should be the case.
Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO Technical Specifications
- Weight: 408g
- Efficiency: 94 dB/mW
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Recommended Power Output: Minimum 250 mW
