Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO
Deep, controlled bass meets an airy treble and holographic imaging in the NOIRE XO, an open-back planar built for long, immersive sessions. MajorHifi found its warm, articulate presentation emotionally engaging, while Hifi Pig praised its spacious, detailed balance. Alcantara pads and a compact folding design complete a refined, technically revealing all-rounder.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
88/100
Comfort Fit
92/100
Build Quality
90/100
Features Usability
90/100
Value for Money
91/100
Pros
Articulate, deep bass with strong control, texture and satisfying punch without overwhelming the mix.
Spacious, three-dimensional imaging with clear separation and layering.
Comfortable for extended listening thanks to breathable soft pads and an evenly distributed self-adjusting fit.
Highly detailed, balanced performance and broad amplifier compatibility for its class.
Cons
Upper treble can sound spicy or slightly thin for listeners sensitive to energy above 10 kHz, though it responds well to EQ.
The Harman-leaning midrange may sound somewhat recessed, shouty or lean depending on listener preference and amplifier pairing.
Controlled dynamics favor finesse over especially explosive slam.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 88/100
Reviewers consistently find the NOIRE XO balanced, controlled and technically capable, with articulate bass, spacious imaging and strong separation. Its smooth, slightly U-shaped tuning is broadly appealing, though some listeners note upper-treble spice and a less convincing midrange balance than the best alternatives.
Bass
92/100
Bass earns repeated praise for deep extension, clean pitch definition, texture and control. Hifi Pig calls it exceptionally articulate and punchy when required, while MajorHiFi finds it bouncy, detailed and naturally weighted; the main limitation is that it does not deliver especially forceful slam.
Midrange
84/100
Most commentary describes clear, smooth and detailed mids with welcome warmth and body, though the presentation is not especially forward. The Headphone Show hears slightly recessed vocal presence and mild 2 kHz shout, while WaveTheory strongly objects to an erratic, thin and fatiguing midrange, making this the most listener-dependent part of the tuning.
Treble
87/100
The treble is widely described as airy, elegant and well extended without obvious glare or harsh peaks. MajorHiFi hears crisp definition with soft resonance, but The Headphone Show finds the response above 10 kHz somewhat hot without EQ, and WaveTheory finds some percussion timbres a little thin.
Resolution Detail
91/100
Fine detail, layering and instrumental separation are clear strengths. Hifi Pig reports hearing previously unnoticed information and effortless retrieval through dense mixes, while both MajorHiFi and The Headphone Show praise the clarity, shape and easy separation of instruments.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
Reviews praise a spacious, uncongested presentation with accurate placement and convincing layering. MajorHiFi describes a tall, dome-like sense of space with more individualized images, while WaveTheory also finds worthwhile width, depth and three-dimensionality despite reservations about the midrange.
Dynamics
84/100
The NOIRE XO has controlled impact and can give drums and bass lines convincing weight, according to Hifi Pig. It is not portrayed as an especially explosive or hard-slamming headphone, however: MajorHiFi and WaveTheory both note a more measured sense of low-end velocity and impact.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Comfort Fit
92/100
Comfort is a consistent strength. MajorHiFi praises the Alcantara pads for reducing heat during long sessions, while WaveTheory finds the clamp secure but never tight; The Headphone Show also calls it very comfortable and an improvement over the E3.
Build Quality
90/100
Reviewers describe a polished, well-executed design with a satisfying folding hinge and a compact collapsed form for storage. WaveTheory calls the construction and ergonomics excellent, citing the locking connectors and carrying case, though there is little long-term durability reporting.
Features Usability
90/100
The folding design, small carrying case, locking four-pin cable connectors and available 3.5 mm, 6.35 mm, 4-pin XLR and 4.4 mm cable options make ownership flexible. It also appears relatively easy to drive for a planar headphone, with The Headphone Show reporting good results directly from a MacBook headphone jack.
Value for Money
91/100
At $1,299, Headfonics regards the NOIRE XO as an excellent open-back planar benchmark for its class, while Hifi Pig calls it a reasonable-price, easy recommendation. Ecoustics also explicitly praises its performance per dollar, although WaveTheory's tonal reservations show that its value depends on whether this tuning suits the listener.
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Manufacturer's Description — Dan Clark Audio
NOIRE XO is available immediately. Shipments begin May 12.
NOIRE XO™ updates our iconic AEON 2 open 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 XO’s dramatic black-on-black aesthetic, improved ear pads, self-adjusting headband, and beautiful open cups sumptuously hint at the numerous exciting upgrades within, all designed to maximize your listening pleasure.
Exquisite Acoustic Performance, Improved Comfort, and a Breakthrough Value!
NOIRE XO™ updates our iconic AEON 2 open 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 XO’s dramatic black-on-black aesthetic, improved ear pads, self-adjusting headband, and beautiful open cups sumptuously hint at the numerous exciting upgrades within, all designed to maximize your listening pleasure.
With NOIRE XO, DCA sets a new standard in midrange headphone performance, comfort, and value!
No Open Headphone Compares
NOIRE XO is a unique open headphone in that it is one of very few designs that can actually track the industry standard Harman target curve. What does this mean for the listener? For starters, this is one of the very few planar magnetic headphone designs that can actually produce a truly balanced sound signature, with the powerful bass more typically associated with closed back designs. But that bass doesn’t come at the expense of soundstage and clarity!
NOIRE XO is designed around our new, updated, and improved NOIRE audio driver. The new driver is significantly more rigid than its 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 XO’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 XO’s new driver with our patent-pending AMTS and redesigned ear pads to create an experience we’re sure you’ll never forget.
Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS)
Perhaps the most important feature of NOIRE XO 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 system frequency response while simultaneously eliminating high-frequency standing waves, which are responsible for the synthetic-sounding high frequencies found in all too many headphones.
By eliminating these standing waves, NOIRE XO with AMTS delivers remarkably balanced, nuanced, and airy treble free of the fatiguing artifacts that diminish your listening experience.
Luxurious Comfort with Upgraded Ear Pads
NOIRE XO 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 XO Ear Pads are designed to reduce “foam rolling,” so the pads will have a longer usable life, and a more consistent fit and operation. NOIRE XO Ear Pads are backward compatible with our AEON 2 NOIRE, AEON RT Closed, and AEON 2 Closed headphones.
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 XO ideal for long hours of immersive listening, free from adjustments or strain.NOIRE XO’s striking minimalist aesthetic is completed with the tone-on-tone understated color-scheme.
Enhanced Connectivity with Versatile Cable Options
NOIRE XO offers a comprehensive range of cable terminations, including combo 1/4" and 3.5mm, 4-pin XLR, and 4.4mm. For those seeking additional flexibility in cable length and termination, it’s easy to upgrade to our ultra-premium VIVO cables for more choices, including custom cable lengths.
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.
So You Ask: How Does NOIRE XO Sound?
We’ve gone all-in with NOIRE XO 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 XO among the greatest value/performance ratio headphones in the market.
Equally satisfying with all genres of music, NOIRE XO’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 XO will have you revisiting your entire music library to experience your music like never before.
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