The Stealth retains the convenient folding gimbal design of the AEON, enabling the user to easily stow and transport the headphone in the compact custom-molded case provided. Note: Always be sure to fold both ear cups inward at once. The cups themselves are a carbon/aluminum bonded design, while the body also uses titanium. The ear pads are a composite (vegan) suede and protein leather material.

The Stealth also features the same NiTiNol (nickel and titanium) headband wires as other DCA headbands, but the two wires are in a more open, "flying" design rather than strictly parallel. And the headband strap itself is designed differently. Instead of adjusting with ratchets or mechanical sliders, the headband features a "self-adjusting suspension system." It's on an elastic that allows it to easily fit any head without needing manual adjustment. It's a cool feature.

The headband itself is black leather with red stitching, and its quilted surface improves comfort while reducing heat. I love the fact that there is red stitching on the underside of the headband. It's a semi-secret bit of detail that adds to the appeal of this good-looking headphone.

There is a reason the team at Dan Clark Audio spent four years on the development of the Stealth: They created an entirely new driver featuring a ground-breaking tuning system called AMTS (Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System).

When they first set out to make a new closed-back headphone, they thought they could repurpose the driver from the open-back ETHER 2 into an ETHER C Flow-type chassis, but they discovered this simply wasn't going to work. The ETHER 2 driver just didn't react properly to the dynamics of having a cup behind it. So they decided to start fresh, building a new driver from the ground up.

Metamaterial: A metamaterial (from the Greek word μετά , meaning "beyond," and the Latin word materia, meaning "matter" or "material") is any material engineered to have a property that is not found in naturally occurring materials. They are made from assemblies of multiple elements fashioned from composite materials such as metals and plastics. The materials are usually arranged in repeating patterns, at scales that are smaller than the wavelengths of the phenomena they influence. Metamaterials derive their properties not from the properties of the base materials, but from their newly designed structures. Their precise shape, geometry, size, orientation, and arrangement gives them their smart properties capable of manipulating electromagnetic waves: by blocking, absorbing, enhancing, or bending waves, to achieve benefits that go beyond what is possible with conventional materials. -Wikipedia

Review setup: Stealth, Black Dragon Premium headphone cable, Matrix Audio Element X headphone amp/DAC/music streamer. The Stealth is relatively easy to drive, but like any planar magnetic headphone, the Stealth will shine the more power you throw at it. I paired it with my iPhone and found that I had to crank the power too high in order to feel satisfied.

Oh, boy. I love this headphone. Balanced sound, smooth yet highly detailed, relaxed, clean, nicely placed mids, deceptively wide soundstage, and a sound that is beautifully natural and organic. Let's start with that soundstage. Jude Mansilla from HeadFi.org says it rivals open-back headphones. Now, sometimes I "forget" whether I even care about soundstage. But just a couple of days prior to this review, I tested a pair of wireless earbuds that had a narrow sound, and suddenly I "remembered" that I do, in fact, care.

But even if I hadn't had that experience, I would have been able to say with confidence that the Stealth does indeed have a soundstage that is unusual for a closed back. Listening to some Vangelis, I was very happy to hear the sound swirling around my head and even a bit out in front of me. Bravo to Dan Clark for this feat. Another notable attribute of the Stealth is the way it manages to have smooth treble and a highly detailed sound. Not once did I feel like details were being over-highlighted, or like the sound lacked cohesion or musicality (as to my ears can happen with a more analytical-sounding headphone). Listening fatigue? Not a thing with the Stealth headphones.

With the Stealth, I loved listening to music with lots of layering, detail, and instrumentation. The Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon version of the Calypso-sounding "Ya Mar" was lovely. This is a track with a relaxed vibe but lots of punch and detail throughout, and the Stealth managed to showcase both of these qualities. Percussion popped in my head, but not in an irritating or fatiguing way. And there is a lot of interesting percussion in this song and album, from uda drums, caxixi, and djembe to goats' hooves, fish shakers, and thrasher. These and the various other instruments in the musical interludes were all perfectly discernible. Finally, this headphone is not lacking in detail-giving ability. On this and many other tracks, I heard all of the "goodies" that other detailed headphones have shown me. On the Kottke-Gordon cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well," the guitar was so crisp and zingy. Like "Ya Mar," this track has lots of percussive goodies that benefit from the Stealth's prowess with detail and punch.

HiFiMan HE1000 V2

$2,999.00

HiFiMan HE1000 V2 ($2,999) -- The HE1000 V2 headphone, an open-back planar magnetic, has a very detailed and airy sound that with a soundstage that really envelopes the listener. Like the Stealth, the sound is more balanced and relaxed. Bass on the HE1000 V2 is very well extended, but it's not a bassy headphone. The low end is well controlled. Treble on the HE1000 V2 is more prominent than on the Stealth, and I think this is where a lot of that detail comes from. Both are very detailed headphones, but I think the HE1000 V2 achieves more of that detail through a treble lift.

So, why does the Stealth cost $1,000 more than these headphones? And why might you opt to pay it? First, you're paying for years of R&D. You're paying for innovation. And you're paying for a darn fine headphone. Another reason might be brand loyalty: You are a Dan Clark Audio fan, and you love the Dan Clark sound. At the end of the day, all three of these options are phenomenal planar magnetic headphones. If you want or need a closed back, then the choice is obvious: the Stealth.

Dan Clark headphones tend to be on the warmer side, so we usually pair them with a Silver Dragon or Blue Dragon cable. However, I chose to pair the Stealth with a Black Dragon Premium Cable because I wanted to add some bottom-end weight. It's a copper conductor-based cable that will add musicality and low-end impact to your headphones. The Black Dragon warms the bass and midrange tones and smooths out the top end without sacrificing detail. The immersive and natural sound of the Black Dragon was a great pairing for the Stealth.

About Dragon Cables

Generally, stock audio cables are manufactured with subpar materials, metals with impurities, poor geometries, and an overabundance of layers to make them look and feel like a fire hose. Inconsistency and lack of quality control in stock cables can lead to poor sound quality and a veiled sound vs what the musician intended for you to hear and feel from the music. Dragon cables are handcrafted to the highest standards and made to order according to your specific needs.

• Stealth headphone

• Black leather box with red stitching that matches headphones

• Carrying case

• VIVO cable

• Certificate of authenticity

• Manual

• Driver: 62mm x 34mm single-ended planar magnetic

• Impedance: 23 Ohms

• Sensitivity: 87dB/mw at 1KHz

• Weight: 415g

• Driver matching: 0.25db weighted 20-10,000Hz

• THD: Less than 0.03% 20-20KHz, ref. 1KHz at 90dB