Dan Clark Audio - NOIRE XO

I have three of these and will give my opinions. Best for music is clearly the Focal Bathys with the onboard DAC. This rivals my DCA Noire and LCD-3 headphones for separation and clarity. Not as detailed as the LCD-3 but still clearly the best sound profile of the three. The ANC is the worst of the 3 especially for low dB noises. Microphone also worst of the 3. Comfort is ok but not phenomenal. Most comfortable with the best ANC for me is the Bose QC Ultra with the Sony right behind. Bose and Sony both need EQ and I don't see much of a difference between them for that. Sony has more bells and whistles with the APP with a better environment for adaptive sound control if that is of interest to you. And out of the box Sony sound better but for me still needs a lot of EQ to even out the low and high frequencies. Also I'm not a huge fan of the lack of deep cups for the WH1000X6 but that is just my preference for comfort. But agree just test all three by going to big box store or ordering and returning them. I also agree that the #2 for sound is the Sennheiser Momentum 4 which is the best deal of the four.

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.

The Meze 109 is a bright headphone with a strong bass presence and is not what I would consider a "natural sounding" headphone. For me it would be much closer to the HD660s2 than the 600 or 650. It is much better made than the Sennheiser headphones which are solid made but pretty much plastic all around. The wood earcups are a nice touch and the frame is manganese and not plastic. So clearly a premier looking open headphone. If you are interested in a closed headphone that is a bit more punchy than the HD600/650 the DCA Noire which comes with different pads to change tuning is one of my favorite headphones and the best closed headphone for me at that price. And really hard to compare to the 109 as the DCA is closed so starts a bit different. But of my closed headphones it isn't that far from the Meze 109 with a very solid bass and subtle V shaped sound presentation. To be clear, if you like the Meze 109 Pro (great headphone) with an AMP you are looking at \~$1000.

I’ve spent way too much money chasing the perfect sound, and after burning through a pile of headphones and IEMs, I think I’m finally there. The headphone path went: Sundara → HD600 → HD650 → Edition XS (good but too sharp and sibilant) → Focal Azurys (Did not get the hype here) → Audeze MM-500 (good but painful clamp). On the IEM side I tried the Kiwi Ears Astral, Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk (didn’t understand the here either), Moondrop Hype 4, and DUNU Brain Dance. Brain dance was my favorite until I randomly tried The Campfire Moon Rover, though, which has become my IEM of choice for a reason I’ll explain later. For over ears, eventually I gave Dan Clark Audio a shot. First the Noire X, then the Noire X Open… and wow. The Noire X Open is the first headphone I’ve heard that delivers incredible detail without stabbing me with harsh “s” and “t” sounds. It can be just a touch energetic above 10k, but a simple high-shelf EQ at -3 dB takes care of it instantly. I also like adding a +2 dB bass shelf, which rounds out the sound beautifully. What really surprised me is how perfectly this same EQ profile works on the Campfire Moon Rover as well. It feels like they were made to share it, and having one tuning that works seamlessly between both is a huge win. I’ve saved the preset on my HiBy R4, so switching back and forth between the XO and the Moon Rover is effortless. So at this point, my perfect setup has become the Moon Rover for IEMs and the Noire X Open. Ironically, the gear I’ve ended up loving the most has all been from American brands which I didn’t expect. I know endgame is a dangerous word in this hobby, but right now this feels like it. Has anyone else had that moment where you put something on and thought… yeah, this is it?

I’ve found that while yes some more expensive gear can be better, it’s not always the case lol.  The real end game is EQ, for me the xo and the moon rover have given me the best base for eq that I’ve found so far - they’re just incredibly easy to refine.  Oh, and comfort is the most important factor.

Had my Noire XO for around 2 months now. I think they're amazing. For me, it too was ever so slightly high in the treble, I moved a negative PEQ peak around until I found where it was, and tightened it up witha aharowr Q value. It's reigned in the small.sibilance I was having. I'm now going to have to.look at those iems

I just went through pretty much the exact same thought process as you, with the same limitation on that I couldn't demo either headphone. In the end I went with the Noire XO, as at heart I'm just an open-back fanboy. I've had the Noire XO's for about a month now, and I honestly think they're brilliant. Even out of the box they're punchy. I tried DMS's tip of putting a high shelf on 10k and it definitely tames the highs, but I've never been sensitive to treble so I've since removed the high shelf. Currently I'm rocking them with a 4db low shelf at 105hz and it really adds some heft to those low notes. But yeah, the XO's are super detailed with a super smooth stock tuning, but they also respond super well to EQ, so you can really dial them in to your preferred sound signature if you want. Can't recommend the XO enough!

The E3 are amazing. Best closed back I’ve ever owned and better than many open back I’ve tried. Could not be happier with them. I used my buddies Noire’s and they’re good for sure, but I was definitely not as floored as I was with the E3s. I love the E3s so much I spent a fair amount of effort trying to make them work for my while traveling on planes. Sadly I couldn’t, so I use a set of T+A Solitaire Ts in the plane? My HE-6 when I’m home alone and my E3s all other times.

Stage on the XO is solid but i preferred the E3 overall better headphone.

People say the E3 only sounds a bit wider than the X and are really similar in detail and tuning. Oddly enough the XO only sounds a bit wider than the X and roughly same detail and tuning. I can attest that the X is an excellent headphone the only reason I can see to get the XO is the bass isn’t seal dependent and you can hear the going ons inside your home.

So you need a closed back headphone, but they usually get hot which is tricky. You might do well with a DCA Noire X. Other decent closed back options are the Sennheiser 620s and the Focal Azurys. Of those I mentioned, I have only owned the predecessor to the Noire X, the Aeon Noire. Great build quality. Best of luck finding the one right for you