Closer Examination

The cable that comes with the Dan Clark Audio STEALTH is what the brand calls a VIVO cable and it costs $299 by itself. This is a more premium version of the DUMMER cable we saw provided with the Aeon Closed-X before and is a fully custom cable that 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 STEALTH 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. I asked Dan Clark Audio to send me a 2 m long 4.4 mm balanced cable so I could use the STEALTH with both desktop and portable sources and the team was happy to oblige. The Y-splitter then 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.


Now we get to the main course in the form of the Dan Clark Audio STEALTH headphones. The foldable gimbals make this a hilariously compact product and they unfurl to make this seem like a bigger, far more premium version of the Aeon Closed X we saw before. In fact, the foldable gimbals were also used on the DCA Aeon 2 and is effectively one of the brand's design statements when it comes to planar magnetic headphones. The ear cups and headband assembly also immediately tell me this is a Dan Clark creation. For example, note the headband assembly which continues 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 STEALTH stitched on the top with A in red as we saw on the product box itself. Red 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 STEALTH. 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.


The gimbal system allows for two points of articulation on each side which in turn means the Dan Clark Audio STEALTH has extensive ear cup rotation and swivel on offer. You may not be able to lay it flat but the ear cusp can be folded inward too and there is so much freedom of movement in all three axes to guarantee 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.


The DCA STEALTH adopts a carbon fiber/aluminium bonded ear cup design with the goal of maximum stiffness with minimum weight. It's D-shaped as with the other Aeon series headphones as well as the open-back co-flagship EXPANSE and this works quite well in following the shape of the human ear for further comfort. I really like the aesthetics too with its industrial design given a futuristic touch as the cups go for a mix of concave and convex surfaces. The aluminium strips provide plenty of grip to hold on to the headphones without pressing inward accidentally either. There is a filtered opening on the top of each side which is effectively a bass port and part of the STEALTH's tuning. These help avoid excess sound or air pressure and also to prolonged comfort—it does feel like everything has been designed with user comfort in mind, doesn't it?

We then get to the ear pads that have an adhesive backing tape used to help secure them in place, not unlike a few other such headphones in this price range. Going this route helps maintain a certain level of seal between the ear cups and the pads themselves. DCA also sells replacement pads for its headphones at reasonable prices, although these should be able to withstand removal and re-installation 5-10 times too. 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 also says going with removable ear pads, such as with plastic locking rings or other such mounting mechanisms, also adds weight and bulk to the ear cups. The pads themselves have an airtight microfiber suede contact surface and inner wall and I've found this to help reduce any sweat and heat build-up in use. The leather around is synthetic as with the CORINA pads with Dan Clark saying this 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 also 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. Oh, and a careful examination here reveals the presence of the proprietary acoustic metamaterials tuning system (AMTS) on the inside with the hexagonal waveguides visible.


On the bottom of the ear cups, towards the middle, is where we find small cutouts for the cable connectors itself. Now we see the mating ends for the same Hirose 4-pin connectors on the cable. Connecting the cable is best done following the procedure described in the quick start guide, whereby you hold the plastic "boot" and then rotate 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 so as 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 better such connectors 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.