Closer Examination

The cable that comes with the Dan Clark Audio E3 is what the brand calls a VIVO cable, and it costs $299 by itself. The cable uses silver-plated oxygen-free high purity copper conductor in a "carefully designed geometry" to maximize sound quality and ergonomics. It's a thick cable which seems formidable when you first pick it up, but I came to appreciate it for its durability and zero microphonics while somehow still being supple enough to be easily looped and shaped. It does take more room when coiled up and transported around with the headphones, but this is where the customizable length and source connectors come in. By default, the E3 ships with a 2 m long cable that has a 1/4" (6.35 mm TRS) single-ended source connector, but you can choose to go for 3.5 mm single-ended, or a full-size 4-pin XLR, 2.5 mm TRRS, or a 4.4 mm TRRS balanced option in different lengths—1.1 m, 2 m, or 3 m, with the 3 m versions only available for the XLR and 1/4" connectors and costing $50 more. The cable included with this review sample is 2 m long and uses a full-size XLR connector, making it a good fit for desktop use. The Y-splitter leads to two thinner sections which terminate in genuine Hirose 4-pin circular connectors that are one of the better headphone cable connectors I have used to date. A red cover on the right channel helps identify the L/R channels and the metal jackets are easy to work with too.


If you have read my review of the Dan Clark Audio STEALTH then you already know a lot of what to expect with the Dan Clark Audio E3. However, for those coming in new and for the sake of having this be a complete review, we'll cover everything as usual. There are foldable gimbals in the frame on the sides which help make the E3 quite compact for when you want to store it or carry it in the provided case. The headphones unfurl to effectively become a bigger and more premium version of the Aeon Closed X we saw before. The headband assembly involves the use of two thin wires made of a lightweight and tough nickel-titanium alloy (Nitinol) which is complemented by a wide leather-wrapped suspension band that has E3 stitched on the top in blue, as we saw on the product box itself. Blue stitching continues on the edges too, as well as the underside, and the suspension band is supple and large enough to help support the mass of the headphones more evenly across a larger surface area on the top of your head to maximize comfort. The headband assembly meets the aluminium frame on either side where we see the DCA logo applied on the outside for further branding, albeit in a clean manner.


The inner side has the serial number engraved, among other things, and we see the use of screws to keep everything neatly assembled. This also bodes well for long term maintenance and replacement of worn suspension bands. The suspension band has a stretchy elastomer lining on either side which helps with vertical sizing of the DCA E3. The elastomer has been specifically chosen to last for years as long as you don't expose it to very hot conditions, and the leather cover helps there too. The space between this and the Nitinol headband up top is effectively the amount of room you have to accommodate these on your head, and it's plenty to fit people with head sizes small or large alike. The suspension band is also self-tensioning and not too resistant to moving up to where you won't feel the headphones are going to apply upward pressure on your ears, unlike some other such implementations I have used recently. I know that some people are not fans of this headband design though. I can see those with larger and/or taller heads perhaps finding the suspension band effectively pushing the ear cups up and that may not be the most comfortable feeling. However, based on feedback from several people who have tried the E3, I do feel confident that this will work well for the vast majority of people.


The gimbal system allows for two points of articulation on each side which in turn means the Dan Clark Audio E3 has extensive ear cup rotation and swivel on offer. You may not be able to lay the entire thing flat but the ear cusp can be folded inward too and there is so much freedom of movement in all three axes to almost guarantee that you get a great fit around your ears. A look from the side also shows the stitching on the underside of the suspension band results in multiple distinct padded contact points. This also allows for air to flow between the suspension band and your scalp to minimize any hot spots.


Here is where things get different from the STEALTH, which uses a carbon fiber/aluminium bonded ear cup design as opposed to the E3 that goes for a simpler one that is no doubt easier to manufacture too. The frame of the ear cup is still made of aluminium although the outside now sports a thin sheet of scratch and break resistant gorilla glass. The honeycomb design you see here aims to look similar to the mesh used in open-back headphones and is actually etched on the glass itself, not underneath it as some people might be thinking. While there is scope for different designs and even customization, Dan Clark Audio was quick to dismiss this possibility given the extra resources and potential for mishaps that would bring. E3 in blue is also etched on the glass at the bottom and the other stand out feature here is a dual-mode bass port, as opposed to a single bass port many closed-back headphones employ. DCA says this "delivers unrivaled control of the bass frequency response, creating a superbly balanced, impactful bass experience that is full of power yet free of bloat or midrange creep." The ear cups are D-shaped as with the other Aeon series headphones as well as the STEALTH and open-back co-flagship EXPANSE, and this works quite well in following the shape of the human ear for further comfort. It's not the easiest to grip though, although this could be a result of my direct comparison with the STEALTH that has a mix of concave and convex surfaces. The ear pads naturally touch each other and this is why we have the 3D-printed spacer in the case for use when the headphones are stored. The ear pads used an adhesive tape to help secure them in place as with the STEALTH and a few other headphones in this price range. Going this route helps maintain a certain level of seal between the ear cups and the pads themselves. I will also mention that the ear pads are part of the equation that's gone into the final tuning of the headphones, so pad rolling is not encouraged.


DCA says the tape used allows for the pads to be removed and re-installed a few times without worry, not that you would ever want to do that. However, I decided to take this to heart and, after getting permission from Headphones.com first, I decided to take the pads out for a closer examination. It's not the easiest task in the world and involved me using a thin, flat object to carefully pry each pad out at the bottom and then going around the sides until it eventually has enough leeway to be pulled out. The pads have an airtight microfiber suede contact surface with the inner and outer sides using synthetic leather. The inner surface is fenestrated for added airflow and this is also where these pads differ from the STEALTH pads that go for the solid suede on the inside too. The protein leather—which costs the same as fine leather—was used to allow for tighter tolerances compared to leather, and the synthetic materials also allow for the ear pads to be sewn more consistently. The suede is the same material used on high-end car seats. Ultimately I could not tell these were synthetics and would expect them to last the test of time compared to leather pads at least. These pads are also sculpted to where the front is narrower than the back to allow for them to more naturally go over the ears. There is also the large opening which is wider at the top than the bottom to better follow the shape of the human ear and these pads have an integrated mesh to help prevent contaminants from getting into the driver assembly.


Admittedly my main interest in taking off the ear pads was to take a closer look at the proprietary acoustic metamaterials tuning system (AMTS) inside. This is a 3D printed (appears to be resin printed) system that is custom to each product in that the STEALTH, EXPANSE, CORINA, and now the E3 all have different versions. It's an update to the filter-based damping system we saw used in the Aeon Closed X and allows for far more control over the tuning of the headphones. Note the hexagonal waveguides which also are placed at an angle to direct the sound more in line with your ear canals. There is more going on here besides just the waveguides and we'll talk about it on the next page.


On the bottom of the ear cups and angled outward is where we will find the mating ends for the same Hirose 4-pin connectors on the cable jutting out of the ear cup. Connecting the cable is best done by holding the plastic "boot" and then rotating the metal jacket inward until the notches and openings align and the connection clicks in place. Do the same on the other side and now you will notice the cable naturally positions itself to the front and away from the user to not have it simply drape over your neck/chest. Removing the cable connector is as simple as just pulling back the metal jacket, thus making it one of the best such connectors to use even if there are not many aftermarket cable options. Good thing then that Dan Clark Audio allows you to customize the length and source connector for the cables at least, and these are nice cables at the end of the day. I will also point out that the ear cup design makes it easy to place the STEALTH on the desk facing you quite easily, to make for a set of headphones you can quickly take off and put back on without much fidgeting needed or taking much room on your desk. There's no need for a dedicated headphones stand thus, although having one is a good idea in general—just remember to support these by the metal headband and not the suspension band. I also decided now was as good a time as any to take photos of the E3 next to the STEALTH so you can see the various differences visually. The STEALTH looks more like a sci-fi device compared to the lower profile of the E3; there will be people who prefer the E3's aesthetics over the STEALTH, although I personally dig the latter more.