E3

Will disagree with anyone that the DCA E3 can't compete with any open headphone for space and soundstage. But for me it doesn't meet the requirements that you listed. It's almost a stock Harman Curve headphone and I don't usually think of that curve as presenting "excitement" in music. For that definition I would look at Audeze or Meze for planar/hybrid or Focal for a dynamic headphone.

They are a bit different as the E3 is closed and the XO is an open headphone. If you don't need a closed headphone, get the XO. If you do and If fidelity to the Harman Curve and a large soundstage are critical to you, get the E3. I have the Noire 2 (not the X) and I really like it as a slightly more fun sound than the E3. But if I want reference sound in a closed headphone I go to the E3.

I'm going to say no based on the following selection of headphones that I own: Dynamic: Verite Open, Focal Elegia, Beyerdynamic T5/3rd generation and HD650, Planar: DCA E3, DCA Noire, Hifiman HE1000 Stealth, Audeze LCD-2f. IEMs: FiiO FH7s, Westone Mach 40; earbuds: Galaxy Buds Pro 2, Galaxy Buds Pro 3, Jabra Elite Active 8, Sennheiser True Momentum 4, Bose QC II, Bose QC Ultra and ANC headphones Bose NC700, Bose QC Ultra, Sony XM5 and B&W Px8.

1. DCA E3: To me nothing else is very close. Perfect tuning out of the box for what I like and very comfortable. I can wear these all day easily. 2. Focal Elegia: With Dekoni sheepskin pads and a bunch of EQ these sound incredibly better. Agree with build comments and not a great fan of microfiber. 3. DCA Noire: Very comfortable more fun oriented sound for me. Use these for certain types of rap, rock and hip-hop where they are quite effective. 4. Beyerdynamic T5/3rd Generation: Another puzzling stock sound choice that sounds much better with EQ. Perhaps my most comfortable headphone. ANC preferences Focal Bathys and B&W Px8 the latter with EQ to fix low frequencies.

DCA E3 are the closest for me to an open backed-like sound that is almost spot on for the frequency presentation that i prefer. My favorite headphones.

Glad you found a great pair! I just got my DCA E3 and I’m blown away with how amazing a closed back can sound. It’s kinda scary when you listen and it just absorbs you!

If I was going to pick up a DCA headphone, it would be either the Noire X or Stealth. I compared the Noire X recently to the E3 and I MUCH preferred the Noire X: more comfortable and a more pleasing expression to me. It’s an excellent choice. Enjoy!

I sank a lot of money into a DCA E3 (sold a STAX 007mk2 setup to get it!), only to get the upgrade bug again and now I'm liking the much cheaper Heddphone D1 more than the E3. So don't assume that DCA is magical, either.

Dan Clark Audio headphones are built like small tanks. Meze also engineers their headphones to be as straight forward as possible to replace parts on.

My E3’s feel much more substantial and well built compared to my other headphones. I have no concerns about my E3’s breaking during anything normal. They would have to be run over or thrown from a building to break I feel like.

Interesting question. I own roughly 17 headphones from low to high end. It’s maybe an obsessive hobby for me that turned into a collecting endeavor. I’ve owned the older DCA Noire, the DCA E3, Audeze LCD2, HiFiman Arya V2 and HE1000V2, ZMF Atrium and Aeolus, Beyerdynamic T1 and DT1990 and DT880, Meze 99 Classic, both Aune AR5000 and SR7000, Sennheiser 6xx, and some bass cannons like the Modhouse Argon and Harmonicdyne Eris. And a bunch of others that don’t really meaningfully stand out. I tend to notice a disparity between my “best” headphones and the ones I listen to the most. The DCAs and HiFimans are objectively excellent, but I rarely pick them up. For me, personally, I’m in love with a rich, full-bodied and impactful sound. The ZMF Aeolus on an OTL Tube amp takes the win for me every time. It just makes every single song sound so enjoyable. It is soulful and “weighty”. Many of my headphones are technically better in many categories, but if enjoyment is the most important factor then the ZMF Aeolus hits the mark every time. It is just so well rounded and engaging with every type of music.

Dan Clark Audio E3, HiFiMAN Arya Organic, RME ADI-2 DAC FS, FiiO QX13. I leave the E3’s at stock, the Arya’s to Harman. Incredibly happy with this setup. I’m not an audiophile (ears aren’t good enough I think), but when producing and mixing music I find the E3’s are super precise and clinical, I can really distinctly identify issues across the spectrum, particularly in the bass. The Arya’s are like wearing a pair of speakers. They are not as clinical to me as the E3’s, much more ‘fun’ with a deep and impactful rumble and thud in bass, but a tiny bit more ‘smeared’ in areas. I use the QX13 for a portable setup. It doesn’t go super loud with the E3’s which are pretty hungry, but it works perfect for my needs. When I want to have super critical audio I just use the RME anyway. Across both these headphones, I find I can make really well translating mixes.

I haven’t got extensive experience of planer headphones, I’ve previously had dynamics. I definitely get more of a physical feel of bass on Arya’s vs E3, but the bass that is there on E3 I find to be much cleaner and clinical and I can pick up problems a lot easier for example. The mids and highs are both really clean and precise too. Overall, the Arya’s have more of a weight and physicality overall I would say, but E3 are way more clinical and to me ‘precise’. If I just wanted to chill out and relax though, I would probably choose the Arya. The soundstage is a bit wider on the Arya, but I would assume this is pretty normal as one is closed the other open, E3 is plenty wide just not as wide when directly comparing. I still do really enjoy the E3, and easy to EQ slightly in order to make them a more fun listen. If I could only choose one for making music, it would be the E3. The Arya I customised a little by putting some black automotive film over the wood as prefer a pure black look!

Well nothing quite compares to real speakers for stuff like feeling the thud of a bass in the chest. Saying that, I really don’t feel like I’m missing much when using headphones. The room is not treated, so I don’t use the speakers for anything critical just another check. Also due to where I live with neighbours on both sides, I am not able to use or crank the speakers very much anyway (which is why I’ve invested into my headphones). All that being said, I do really love the IN-8’s, they are very clinical and ‘fast’, I can hear a ton of detail with them and make out details of transients etc. Bass is decent, with mids and highs super clean as well. I previously owned Mackie HR824, which were awesome but did sound ‘muddy’ compared to these. They probably suffered from being in an untreated space though, so my judgement is not really fair, just the IN-8 are definitely dealing with untreated room better. I also had IK Multimedia iLoud MTM for a brief time. These were surprisingly decent particularly for the size and dealt with the room well, but for the odd instance I did want to crank the volume like when I wanted to play people some music, they could not handle it well at all, tons of distortion.

I did do a fair amount of research into this as I wanted to ensure that whatever I used does not damage the veneer (for resale etc). The product I used is called 3M™ 2080 Dead Matt Black DM12. Because it is designed to be used on cars and then safely removed without trace even after many years, the glue is formulated to be as non damaging as possible. I used a guillotine to cut nice straight lines. It took a couple of goes, the trickiest bit is around the hinges, I cut little v shapes there. I have had it applied for around six months and there is no sign of any effect on the veneer when I peek underneath. Obviously I can’t guarantee this, but it does look so much better in my opinion!

I can only compare/contrast from experience with the following: - Topping DX5 II using 6.35 mm unbalanced (4.4 mm was faulty on my unit) - FiiO QX13 using 4.4 mm balanced The RME is able to drive the E3 really well from my experience. It certainly has a ton of volume (way more than I could ever need). The sound is clean and very ‘honest’, clinical in a good way. I cannot compare to an amp that might give it more of a character though, like and R2R type of DAC, I have heard some reviewers say they prefer the E3 coming out of R2R amps though so could be more your taste and use case.

The E3s are super well built, feels almost like a piece of jewellery. They do feel vulnerable, I wouldn’t want to throw them in a bag or drop them. I don’t really enjoy putting them in the case they come with either, something about how you need to fold the metal headband makes me feel uncomfortable! The Arya’s are decent, though not as high end feeling. As with the E3 I am very careful with them, so less so than with the E3s. They are incredibly light weight which is amazing, I forget I am wearing them. I do worry about dust getting into it as I don’t know how hard it will be to clean that out without taking them apart (I keep them in a drawer most of time for this reason). The RME, rock solid build quality. The QX13 feels a little bit plasticky (even though it is carbon finish), and buttons are a bit mushy, but it does its job really well especially for its tiny size.