Dan Clark Audio’s Stealth closed back headphone has a 4th generation planar magnetic driver and Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System. All headphones are subject to standing waves in the higher frequencies, and these can make treble sound harsh, fatiguing, or synthetic. AMTS is an inline device placed between the transducer and ear. It integrates waveguides, diffusion control, quarter-wave, and Helmholtz resonators into one compact structure.
“Diffusion elements system reduce some standing wave formation while resonators act as both precision and broad filters to smooth and shape the frequency response, reducing the amplitude of response peaks and troughs from the midrange through the highest frequencies.” Stealth’s planar-magnetic driver is 20% larger than the E2 driver and uses v-Planar technology to reduce distortion and improve low frequency extension. The diaphragm is set for a more uniform and consistent tension, lower distortion, and better driver matching, while the motor structures increase driver force uniformity and smooth acoustic paths to reduce distortion.
Stealth’s all-new planer driver claims “incredibly low distortion throughout the listening range with levels of detail heretofore found primarily in the top-of-the-line electrostatics”. Together, our 4th-generation motor and AMTS deliver a sonic performance best described as “effortless.” The black leather headband features “fine red stitching to create a quilted head-strap that’s not only gorgeous but is also functional and comfortable. Gone are the mechanical sliders for fit adjustment; we’ve designed a stable yet comfortable self-adjusting suspension system that seats the headphone just right”. The weights 418g and claims to be “one of the lightest super-premium headphones on the market”.
Stealth costs £4,100 and is available from Electromod in the UK.