NOIRE XO

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 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.

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.

Different strokes for different folks. I own an LCD-X (originally a 2019 model, swapped to an LCD-4 carbon fiber headband and upgraded to a 2021 model), and yeah, the weight is bearable and I can wear them for hours, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. It can be a bit distracting. It's not causing me pain or anything, but it does take away from the experience of long listening sessions a bit. As I've shifted more into using speakers for 90% of my listening, the less willing to deal with very noticeable headphones for extended listening sessions I've become. I work in product development for a gaming peripherals brand known for headsets (and headset comfort), and I can tell you that headphone ergonomics are a whole thing. There definitely isn't 1 size fits all with all sorts of variables like clamping force, weight, weight distribution, how the shape of the headband changes as its stretched, materials, ear cup depth, how much the ear cups can tilt/angle, thickness and firmness of padding, min and max size of the headband, and I could go on. Now you've got to try to tune those variables to work with as much of your market as possible. So considering how much heavier the LCD-X is compared to the majority of headphones on the market, it really shouldn't be the hard to understand that some people just don't like it.

You might like trying some of [Dan Clark Audio](https://danclarkaudio.com/)'s offerings. The triangular shapes aren't for everyone, but I personally find them very comfortable. I think the [Noire XO](https://danclarkaudio.com/noire-xo.html) is easily one of the best headphones on the market at its price point.

To each their own! What kind of electronics are you running your headphones with? I agree that the E3 is a great headphone. I just have no interest in using closed-back headphones (I'm primarily a speakers guy with headphones being used as a backup when speakers aren't available or practical). I still primarily use an old Ether Flow 1.1. It's definitely not the best can out there, but right now, my priorities are on building my listening room, and speaker setups are expensive lol. I own an LCD-X as well (originally a 2019 model that I put an LCD-4 headband on and eventually had upgraded to the 2021 spec). It's definitely a great headphone, though I rarely use it these days. I've found it easier to get good results out of than the Ether Flow, especially the bass department (the LCD-X has better bass period, but it's also less picky about amps as my Ether Flow can sometimes sound a bit loose an uncontrolled). That said, I find it interesting that you found the bass anemic with the Noire XO. It's definitely not the best bass around, but I wouldn't go as far as to say anemic. That makes me wonder if you didn't have a good amp for it or if your bass preference is quite far above neutral.

DCA Noire XO. Better build than the both, balanced soundstage, the best imaging out of all of those and just better build quality. Better bass than those as well.

It’s a very large change from that sound signature. You will get actual bass shelf and a cleaner more precise.

Dca noire xo. Skip the rest. Avoid hifiman at all costs

Primarily build quality and qc. They also just pump out new versions of their headphones every few months and devalue the one you bought. Take the Arya / Stealth for example: the adjustment mechanism permanetly scratches the headband when you use it. Now maybe you use it once and you don't care, but that is such a poor design. They are also generally poorly tuned. They have a following because they give off the vibe of good value to sound quality but honestly they don't have better sound quality than a standard HD600 / 660s or any audiophile headphone at the "budget" level. Back to the tuning aspect, they have elevated treble that give off the perception of additional detail but it's simply just distortion / peaky behavior. That doesn't mean it's wrong to like it, but it can be fatiguing. The Hifiman brand has a dedicated following so you'll see downvotes because people get sensitive about their purchases. That's OK. No headphone is perfect so people can even be critical of my suggestion and I wouldn't downvote them. But objectively the XO is superior to every headphone Hifiman makes up to their 8k headphone. It has a modern design, isn't super demanding from an amp. Build quality is also leagues better than anything Hifiman makes. Look on the open box / used market and you can probably get a decent deal.

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!

I’m with the DCA NOIRE XO as my allrounder, but now I’m starting to want a set for each purpose. Anyone know if these image better than the Arya Stealth? If you can get performance for cheaper then why not.

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.