Dan Clark Audio Stealth

Dan Clark Audio has certainly poured a ton of R&D into the Stealth and the evidence is certainly evident in the fantastic build quality and technical performance, but it just makes me realise how good the $899 USD Aeon 2 Noire is by comparison. I feel like the Stealth is like one of those futuristic concept cars that a manufacturer like BMW will wheel out at motor shows from time to time – sure, they’re cool and all, but why not go and get an M3 instead? They’re actually attainable, and you can drive one today. But, if you’re looking to extract that last percent or two of detail and performance and enjoy a finessed, balanced sound then you can rest assured that the Stealth will leave absolutely nothing on the table.

Closed-back planar headphones have been often seen as the black sheep in any company’s product lineup. Few do the and few do them well with the resulting niche category being subsequently applied. The Stealth breaks that mold and then some.

However, it is just not the technical innovation inside the Stealth to create one of the most open-sounding closed-back but also the tuning makes it one of the most accessible.

The detail is very much there but it is delivered in a very natural manner that makes this a very enjoyable listen. Given how hard it is to tune closed backs to get an accurate and pleasing tonal character that should be taken as a bit of a home run from the DCA team.

Also, the aesthetics are great, the materials used are thoughtful and the comfort/isolation is excellent. You do need a quality amplifier to get the most out of the Stealth but I suspect those who are willing to shell out 4G’s for it will already have something a bit special to pair with it.