Dan Clark Audio Noire X headphones
Dan Clark Audio’s Noire X closed-back planar magnetic headphones feature top-tier technologies at a more accessible price
With their dark, brooding aesthetic, Noire X are the latest headphones from Dan Clark Audio (DCA), and available in the UK via distributor Electromod.
Based in San Diego, USA, DCA is an artisan headphone maker of the highest order. The company focuses on technical innovation and holds six patents, its headphones earning global acclaim for their exceptional sound, build and ergonomic qualities.
A particular DCA specialisation is closed-back headphones with planar magnetic drivers, engineered to deliver an unusually ‘open’ sound. Closed-back headphones offer reduced sound leakage and superior noise isolation, but their acoustic characteristics tend to make them sound more ‘closed in’ than open- back headphones – for that reason, open-back headphones are often considered sonically superior, albeit less practical in some environments. But DCA’s closed-back headphones do a remarkable job of disproving the rule, their unique engineering delivering a supremely open and spacious sound.
The new closed-back Noire X headphones are a case in point. They utilise proprietary planar driver and metamaterial tuning technologies developed for DCA’s top-tier headphones like the closed-back Stealth and open-back Expanse, both of which retail at £4,100, delivering them at a fraction of the price. These technologies are combined with a dramatic ‘black on black’ aesthetic, superior ergonomics and excellent build quality, including ultra-tough Gorilla Glass 3 on the cups and a self-tensioning headband.
Dressed in black and blessed with immense musical talent, the Noire X is the Johnny Cash of headphones. With an RRP of £1,000, its unique mix of attributes ensures it walks the line between performance and price with perfect balance, lifting it above the price-comparable headphone crowd.