Dan Clark Audio – DCA E3 Review

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Sound – Comparisons

For this comparison part I am using the SEAQ PDA-1b amplifier and the Aquarius DAC. The setup is fully balanced from DAC to headphone. For this section I prefer to compare the E3 to orthodynamic driven headphones, but if there are special requests, let it know in the comments section below.

Meze Liric II

First up is the Meze Audio Liric II which was only very recently launched. It is selling for $2k, making it a direct competitor. You can check out its full review here:

The Meze Liric 2 is a very different headphone from a design point of view and it has a very different type of headband. Both headphones are comfortable but the Liric 2 is rather small from an internal pad point of view. The cups and padding on the DCA are much larger than the Liric’s, and as such your ears will touch the pads in the Meze.

The Liric 2 sound wise is more v-shaped and the contrast between highs and lows is much larger. The Liric does have excellent sub bass, but the precision and clarity is better in the E3. With the w-shaped tuning, the E3 is the most balanced one of both, with fuller mids. The Liric 2 is airy but in a narrow stage, making it sound more hollow. The E3 is wider, breaths more and and the open headphone experience here is more natural. The clarity of the E3 overall is also higher then the Liric’s which is slower, smoother and warmer. The vocals in the Liric are thicker also and they jump out more, in the E3 they blend in better. The Liric has the edge for note extension and layering.

These are very different tuned headphones and I can see why some would prefer the Liric for its warmth, fulness and v-shaped presentation. For a better balance, higher clarity, speed and overall technical performance, the E3 is the winner. A larger comparison can be found in the Liric 2 article here.

ZMF Caldera Closed

The Caldera Closed is a brand new headphone, I am not even sure if it is out already but we have it here with us already. It is substantially more expensive at $3,199 USD.

The Caldera closed is a fuller and weightier sounding headphone without amplifier influence. In that regards it is more balanced than the E3. The CC also is softer and warmer tuned, where the E3 is the more reference neutral tuned headphone. Both headphones are musical in their own way. Both headphones perform excellent to portray that open sound feeling, but they do it in a different way.

The vocal tuning in both headphones is very different, soft in the ZMF vs energetic in the E3. The E3 and CC both score excellent from a technical point of view. The E3 in sub bass might reach lower but the CC comes very close and it is fuller in the ZMF (more impressive). Same goes for the layering, it’s perhaps a bit more refined in the E3. I actually feel they are very close to each other but the CC hides it more because of the mid fulness. Sub bass, mid bass and mid punch is bigger in the Caldera Closed and that’s probably one of the things you will notice first. Note extension and decay are better on the CC, but that’s no shame at all as the E3 is quite a bit cheaper. With the relaxed and smooth presentation (ZMF sound) the CC is the easiest headphone to listen to, and if you go back to the E3 after a few hours of CC listening, the E3 will wake you right up. These are both great headphones that are very differently tuned, and keeping both in your collection wouldn’t be a surprise. We do have to say that for $2k, the E3 puts up one hell of a fight.

DCA Stealth

Last but not least I want to add the Stealth in this comparison. This is DCA’s TOTL closed back headphone, and it is selling for $3,999 USD, double the price of the E3. You can find our full review here:

Both headphones weigh about the same the experience on your head is different even if they use the same headband system. Both headphones are comfortable but the side pressure here is very different. The Stealth’s cups are also smaller and it gives a lighter feeling, even if that isn’t really the case. The E3 does stay in place better when moving around.

When switching to the Stealth, you will immediately notice the step up in performance and technical excellence. Again, the E3 seriously impresses at $2k, but headphones like the Stealth will still outperform it. The Stealth loves the more analytical side of things and I really like the 3-dimensionality and stereo imaging of the Stealth. The Stealth also is more like the Caldera closed when it comes so sub bass rumble and impact, even if the mid presentation of the Stealth is completely oposite to that of the CC. The Stealth is more refined and more vivid, and the overall timbre and the extension are more impressive. The E3 for some type of listeners will be the more relaxed or easier to listen to headphone, though that strongly depends on the amplification used.

In short, both headphones perform well, but in the DCA line-up, the Stealth still is the undisputed closed back king. Very different tuned headphones for a different type of listeners, these headphones are complementary.

The part on sound continues on page four, with Synergy, our Conclusion and Summary. Click here!

Page 1: DCA, DCA E3, Features, Box & Accessories

Page 2: Design & Build Quality, Comfort & Isolation, Sound Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

Page 3: Sound Comparisons

Page 4: Sound Synergy, Conclusion, Summary