Dan Clark Audio NOIRE X
The NOIRE X makes closed-back listening feel remarkably open, pairing tight, punchy bass with natural vocals, airy AMTS-refined treble and sharply placed images. ecoustics highlights its unusually spacious presentation, while MajorHifi praises its smooth detail and balanced tuning. Foldable construction and premium comfort complete a highly polished planar all-rounder.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Comfort Fit
86/100
Build Quality
91/100
Features Usability
84/100
Value for Money
94/100
Pros
Deep, controlled bass combines punch, extension and clear mid-bass definition.
Airy, refined treble and precise imaging create an unusually spacious closed-back presentation.
Foldable, durable design with Alcantara-contact pads supports comfortable portable use.
Cons
Upper treble can sound bright to treble-sensitive listeners.
Some listeners may want greater visceral impact and a wider soundstage.
Glossy Gorilla Glass cups readily show fingerprints.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers consistently describe a clean, balanced and unusually spacious closed-back presentation, combining controlled low end, natural vocals and refined treble. Its strongest traits are spatial precision and tonal smoothness, while one reviewer finds detail retrieval merely good rather than a class-leading attraction.
Bass
94/100
Bass is widely praised as deep, controlled and articulate, with tight, punchy hits, convincing sub-bass weight and clear mid-bass definition. Several reviewers hear more slam and physicality than earlier Aeon models, though Hifi Pig finds the default presentation slightly short of visceral impact without bass enhancement.
Midrange
93/100
Vocals and acoustic instruments are described as clear, full-bodied and natural, with convincing body and a smooth, open character. Reviewers also praise the lack of shout, honk, nasality or excessive forwardness, while noting strong separation within busy material.
Treble
93/100
The top end earns repeated praise for air, sparkle and realistic texture without grain, glare or sibilance. Ecoustics does hear an audible upper-treble brightness peak, but still calls the wider treble presentation exceptionally refined for a sub-$1,000 closed-back headphone.
Resolution Detail
89/100
Reviewers hear clean separation, nuanced low-level information and a smooth presentation of detail rather than artificially etched clarity. WaveTheory considers resolution good but not a standout at this price and says the headphone reaches its ceiling fairly quickly, tempering otherwise enthusiastic comments.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
For a closed-back design, the NOIRE X is repeatedly described as open, spacious and precisely organized. Reviewers praise sharply defined placement, a stable center image and convincing layering, although Joshua Valour would still like a wider stage and WaveTheory finds its scale more moderate than huge.
Dynamics
90/100
The NOIRE X is regarded as snappy and responsive, with excellent transient behavior and substantially improved bass macrodynamics over its predecessor. Its impact can scale notably with stronger amplification, while Hifi Pig hears a more restrained visceral punch in its standard presentation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Comfort Fit
86/100
The Alcantara-contact pads are said to reduce heat and moisture, contributing to a cooler, more comfortable listen over longer sessions. Review commentary is positive but limited, with Joshua Valour calling the fit reasonably comfortable rather than exceptional.
Build Quality
91/100
Reviewers praise the upgraded construction, robust self-tensioning headband, scratch-resistant cup glass and established folding mechanism. Hifi Pig specifically says the chassis has no weak points and highlights easy replacement of consumable parts, supporting confidence in long-term ownership.
Features Usability
84/100
The folding design improves storage and transport practicality, while replaceable consumables add welcome serviceability. It is easier to drive than some prior Dan Clark models and can work with capable portable sources, though MajorHifi still recommends a DAC and amplifier for best results.
Value for Money
94/100
At $999, reviewers repeatedly frame the NOIRE X as highly competitive among closed-back audiophile headphones. Comments include “superb for the price,” “incredible” value, and a claim that no clearly better all-round closed-back option at $1,000 readily comes to mind; Joshua Valour also compares it favorably with the much pricier E3.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Manufacturer's Description — Dan Clark Audio
NOIRE X™ updates our iconic AEON 2 NOIRE by integrating DCA’s state-of-the-art Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System™ (AMTS™) with an improved driver, all carefully wrapped in a gorgeous ergonomically-enhanced design. NOIRE X’s dramatic black-on-black aesthetic, improved ear pads, self-adjusting headband, and Gorilla Glass 3 clad cups sumptuously hint at the numerous exciting upgrades within, all designed to maximize your listening pleasure. With NOIRE X, DCA sets a new standard in midrange headphone performance, comfort, and value!
Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS)
Perhaps the most important feature of NOIRE X is the addition of DCA’s critically-acclaimed AMTS tuning system, previously found only in our top-of-the-line Stealth, Expanse, E3, and Corina, headphones.
Truly a revolution in acoustic engineering, AMTS uses advanced metamaterial design concepts to shape the system frequency response while simultaneously eliminating high-frequency standing waves, which are responsible for the synthetic-sounding high frequencies that are found in all too many headphones.
By eliminating these standing waves, NOIRE X with AMTS delivers remarkably balanced, nuanced, and airy treble-free sound of the fatiguing artifacts that diminish your listening experience.
Better Technology Means Better Sound
NOIRE X is designed around an updated and improved AEON audio driver. The new driver is significantly more rigid than it’s predecessor, with superior unit to unit consistency, reduced distortion, improved reliability, and smoothed frequency response.
Extensive R&D investments were made to optimize other aspects of NOIRE X’s planar driver. New manufacturing processes combined with highly optimized V-Planar knurling deliver a remarkably smooth frequency response with low distortion throughout the listening range, achieving levels of detail heretofore found primarily in our top-of-the-line headphones.
Leveraging our state-of-the-art Audio Precision 555B and B&K 5128 measurement system, we’ve carefully integrated NOIRE X’s new driver with our patent-pending AMTS and redesigned ear pads to create an experience we’re sure you’ll never forget.
Self-Tensioning Headband
Our self-tensioning headband reduces listening fatigue by distributing pressure evenly across your head for a balanced, barely-there fit.
The uniform pressure distribution helps prevent hot spots and pressure points, making NOIRE X ideal for long hours of immersive listening, free from adjustments or strain.
Gorilla Glass
NOIRE X is a stunning yet understated headphone, from the stitched headband to the all-new
Gorilla Glass 3 finish on the cups. Gorilla Glass 3 is a thin sheet of alkali-aluminosilicate that makes the glass stiffer and more scratch and break-resistant than conventional glass formulations.
NOIRE X’s striking minimalist aesthetic is completed with the tone-on-tone understated
NOIRE X logo.
Luxurious Comfort with Upgraded Ear Pads
NOIRE X includes all-new ear pads to ensure an exceptionally comfortable experience. Using Alcantara synthetic suede on the contact surface reduces heat and moisture buildup, ensuring cool comfort during extended listening sessions, even in warmer or more humid environments.
In addition, the NOIRE X Ear Pads are designed to reduce “foam rolling,” so the pads will have a longer usable life, and more consistent fit and operation. NOIRE X Ear Pads are backward compatible with our AEON 2 NOIRE, AEON RT Closed, and AEON 2 Closed headphones.
Enhanced Connectivity with Versatile Cable Options
NOIRE X offers a comprehensive range of cable terminations at the base price, including combo 1/4" and 3.5mm tips, 4-pin XLR, and 4.4mm. For those seeking more flexibility in cable length and termination, it’s easy to upgrade to our ultra-premium VIVO cables, which are available in multiple length and termination options.
With these versatile cable options, you can pair your headphones with any amplifier, eliminating the need for costly third-party cables and ensuring you get the most out of your audio setup.
We’ve gone all-in with NOIRE X to deliver the most exciting possible sonic experience, regardless of price. As is our custom, we never de-feature a headphone at lower price points, instead, we try to take the technology, comfort, and performance of our flagship headphones and cost-reduce them to realize superior performance at lower prices. Combining our no-compromise audio performance ethic with an exciting new look and great ergonomics establishes NOIRE X among the greatest value/performance ratio headphones in the market.
Equally satisfying with all genres of music, NOIRE X’s expansive soundstage, punchy bass, silky midrange, vibrantly smooth highs, and layers of detail will keep you engaged with your favorite music for days on end. Never fatiguing, NOIRE X will have you revisiting your entire music library to experience your music like never before.
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