Dan Clark Audio “Stealth”
 

Difficult to say…from a value point of view l’m struggling.

Pro’s
For a closed-back planar they sound surprisingly open.
The soundstage is not that wide but imaging is “above par” good.
Very natural and balanced timbral presentation, no tinkering with EQ or DSP profiles required like with the Audeze planars.
Good isolation.
Definitely a headphone for focused listening (for laid back listening, like when reading a book, I prefer my Audeze LCD XC)…the Stealth demands your attention but rewards in spades.

Con’s
The biggest caveats are the restrained dynamics and lack of punch/slam. Apparently this is a DCA thing. A balanced connection remedies this to some degree but the Stealth needs power. It plays better when played loud and that is somewhat of a concern from a hearing protection point of view.
My build has some minor minor blemishes, and for the money that was a hard pill to swallow, but I did…live and let live I guess.
I have a big head and relatively small ears…and they do touch the AMTS as the cups are rather shallow. It doesn’t bother me, but you should be aware of it.
They are not as comfortable as they seem. The padding on the headband is actually pretty thin.

On a general note…they do need their run in time…cold out of the box they sound underwhelming.

The only way to be sure is to audition them on the amp you will eventually use. Planars can get funky when driven by tubes and I have no experience with Stealth tube amp combo’s. So I would recommend some more research on the interwebs.

Resolve, from the Headphone Show, was very reserved and diplomatic in his review of the Stealth. Now I understand why. The Stealth certainly has its merits but just falls short at being that transformative experience in audio some claim it to be.

If one is looking for romantic renditions, euphonic theatrics or auditive thrills, the Stealth is not for you. You will find it plain and boring.

If one is looking for an uncoloured and clear window to the music, revealing all layers, be it in a somewhat restrained fashion when it comes to the dynamics department, the Stealth delivers, but at a high price of admission. IMHO 4.000$ is a stretch.

Hope this helps, and as always YMMV

Thanks Jacques, that’s very helpful. I’ll do my research and see if I can find a way to audition them.

Jacques, you're an excellent reviewer, and you have a way with words. :tresbon:

Thanks, Jacques. Excellent review and thread, I appreciate you hitting both the pros and the cons

One thing that strikes me about these is that unless one needs closed backs, the design makes them a challenge when we put them against other ultimate level headphones. For $4,000, we expect perfection that may only be possible with open back designs

Dan Clark Audio “Stealth”
 

Thank you Bart

Thank you Peter.

You are making a very astute observation, hitting the nail on the head.

For my particular use case it absolutely needs to be a closed-back as I need the isolation both ways.

As much as I covet a LCD 5, I have no use for it…for now [emoji48]