By aspect — in detail
Broadly agreed to be tuned close to the Harman 2018 target but deliberately lively rather than dead neutral — a balanced all-rounder with a modest bass-and-treble lift for excitement. Most reviewers call it well-balanced and versatile; the main nuance is that Dan Clark Audio itself frames it as an 'exciting' voicing, not a flat reference, and a few hear that lift as clearly bright.
“the Noire X closely follows the Harman 2018 target curve, which seems like a clear design goal for Dan Clark Audio”
ecoustics
“the sound should not be expected to be completely neutral, as Dan Clark Audio itself states that they aimed to make the Noire X an exciting listen”
kuulokenurkka
Measured
Measures close to Harman with a lively tilt: TechPowerUp and ASR put it near the over-ear target, with a sub-bass bump around 100 Hz, a presence bump near 2 kHz and elevated upper treble — kuulokenurkka notes “there is somewhat more treble and mid-bass compared to it.” The 62 × 34 mm driver presents a flat 13 Ω load, so source impedance won't shift the response.
A genuine fault line. Reviewers largely hear the low end as improved over past AEON models — clean, tight and well-extended with real sub-bass and a modest ~100 Hz lift. But a vocal owner camp finds the actual slam modest for a $999 planar, and several report that the quantity depends heavily on getting a perfect seal or adding a little EQ. Not a basshead's headphone out of the box.
Measured
The FR shows good sub-bass extension with a bump near 100 Hz; TechPowerUp calls the bass shelf “not overpowering” with “the most energy being in the sub-bass,” and ASR EQ'd its own bass filter down for a tighter response. The split tracks something physical: owners in the r/headphones bass thread pin weak low end on a compromised pad seal — “you're not getting the bass you paid for” — so how the bass lands depends a lot on fit and, for some, a small bass shelf in EQ.
Where it splits
Clean, punchy and well-extended — a clear step up.60%
“You get tight, punchy bass hits with enough low-end extension to actually feel those subterranean rumbles”
ecoustics
Modest slam for the price — seal- and EQ-dependent, no basshead can.40%
“Even the Noire X's bass, despite its punchiness, often doesn't sound as big and deep as in the E3, which emphasizes sub-bass more”
kuulokenurkka
Generally praised as clean, natural and well-resolved, with vocals that come through vivid and full. The one recurring caveat is an upper-midrange presence bump near 2 kHz that can push female vocals and piano forward — pleasing to most, occasionally a touch shouty to sensitive listeners. Not a recessed or scooped midrange despite the Harman dip on paper.
“Vocals are vivid and full-bodied, with a natural timbre that avoids sounding sterile or overly sweet”
ecoustics
“Upper mids are prominent, some female vocals and piano keys could be overly emphasized”
TechPowerUp
Measured
The graph shows a slight dip lower down (kuulokenurkka measures a small trough around 800 Hz) but a “noticeable bump around 2 kHz that places female vocals prominently in the center” (TechPowerUp) — so the mids measure mildly recessed yet present, which is how most reviewers describe hearing them.
The central argument. Measurements agree on an elevated upper treble, so nearly everyone hears the Noire X as bright-leaning — but they split on whether that reads as a refined, well-controlled sparkle or as a boost that can fatigue treble-sensitive ears. The AMTS is repeatedly said to make the effect HRTF-dependent, so the same tuning lands very differently head to head.
Measured
The elevation is physically there: ASR measures a “peak at 4.7 kHz to the tune of 3.7 dB,” kuulokenurkka puts the uppermost treble “to the level of bright Hifiman headphones,” and ecoustics heard an audible peak “that wasn't visible in most published measurements.” TechPowerUp found it settles — the “mid-treble seemed to get less peaky and bright over time.”
⚠ vs. listeners — The upper-treble lift is real, but whether it fatigues is listener-dependent — DCA's own AMTS is repeatedly described as synergizing with individual HRTF, so the same measured boost is “excellent upper treble control” to one reviewer and a tinnitus-aggravating brightness to another.
Where it splits
Sparkly but refined — excellent control, not harsh or grainy.55%
“Excellent upper treble control.”
Headfonics (Marcus)
Bright enough to fatigue — a boosted top end that can get to treble-sensitive listeners.45%
“the Noire X's uppermost treble is quite significantly boosted, which exacerbates my tinnitus during longer listening sessions”
kuulokenurkka
Soundstage
Contested · 9 srcA real split, and an interesting one for a closed-back. Some reviewers hear an unusually open, wide stage that makes you forget the cups are sealed; others hear it as intimate and forward — precise but not spacious, and a touch narrow next to the pricier DCA E3 or the open AEON Core. Imaging within the stage is praised by nearly everyone regardless of how wide they find it.
Measured
There's no stage 'measurement,' but the read tracks expectations and comparisons: TechPowerUp calls it “a fairly wide—for closed-back sets—soundstage,” while MajorHiFi and kuulokenurkka frame it as more controlled and intimate than open or larger DCA sets. The disagreement is partly about the reference point (versus other closed-backs vs. versus open-backs).
Where it splits
Open and wide for a closed-back — bigger than the type usually manages.55%
“Soundstage is quite open for a closed-back set”
TechPowerUp
Intimate and forward — precise, but narrow next to open sets and the E3.45%
“The soundstage is a tad narrow compared to the E3 model”
kuulokenurkka
Imaging
Strong consensus · 6 srcOne of the least-disputed strengths. Across editorial, measurement and owner sources the imaging is called precise, sharp and coherent, with a well-defined center image and clean instrument separation — praised even by reviewers who find the stage itself intimate.
“the imaging is razor-sharp”
ecoustics
“Precise instrument separation and imaging”
TechPowerUp
Measured
The excellent channel matching underwrites the imaging — TechPowerUp confirms “excellent driver matching” on a “randomly chosen retail unit,” which helps place instruments precisely.
Rated resolving and clean for a closed-back, with fine detail that reviewers say never comes at the cost of coherence. It's precise rather than aggressively etched; a couple of listeners note it reads as very accurate but still 'conventional' next to the pricier E3 rather than class-transcending.
“Fine detail is on offer, though never at the cost of coherence”
Headphone.Guru
“sounds very precise, but still like a more conventional closed-back headphone”
kuulokenurkka
Measured
The updated 62 × 34 mm driver is spec'd for “a smoother frequency response and lower distortion” (TechPowerUp); ASR notes “more distortion than previous reference level headphones from DCA,” though it stays low across most of the range at normal levels.
Improved over the smoother, softer older AEON/Noire models — reviewers hear better micro- and macrodynamics and real punch. The caveat is the driver's size: it doesn't put as much weight behind notes as the flagship E3, and how much slam you get is fairly source-dependent, scaling with a stronger amp.
“the Noire X is a very dynamic headphone, improving upon the original Noire in both micro and macrodynamics”
audionotions (Drew)
“It's not the most dynamic yet in being able to resolve trailing ends of tones fully—heavy synth tracks will show this more”
TechPowerUp
Measured
TechPowerUp ties the ceiling to physics — “the smaller driver here not having as much weight behind the notes, especially for brass instruments” — and rates the E3 above it for bass impact and dynamics.
Comfort
Strong consensus · 9 srcA near-unanimous strength. The self-tensioning, quilted headband and light-for-a-planar ~385 g weight let most reviewers wear it for hours without thinking about it, several ranking it among the most comfortable headphones they've used. The caveats are a medium-strong clamp that can feel numbing on long sessions for some, a little heat build-up, and snug cups for large ears.
“The quilted, self-tensioning headband I found to be exceptionally comfortable”
Headphone.Guru
“rank the Noire X among the most comfortable headphones I’ve tried, coming close to the comfort of the HD 800S”
audionotions (Drew)
Measured
About 385 g with a self-tensioning nitinol headband and Alcantara/protein-leather pads. The main fit caveats: TechPowerUp measures “clamp force slightly higher than on the E3” with “a slightly less roomy interior,” and kuulokenurkka notes “the clamping force inevitably starts to feel a bit numbing without occasional breaks.” Getting the seating/seal right matters for both comfort and sound.
Isolation
Moderate · 5 srcStrong for the class. Despite a ported closed-back design, reviewers consistently find it isolates well — better than the pricier E3, and enough to knock down office chatter and droning mid-frequency noise. Not ANC, but among the more effective passive planars.
“passive noise isolation is excellent.”
ecoustics
“Isolation was on par with some last-gen ANC headphones in the mids, which says something”
TechPowerUp
Measured
kuulokenurkka measured “clearly better passive sound isolation” than the E3 — the E3 “leaks sound outwards over 6 decibels louder” — and TechPowerUp found the passive isolation high enough to work against droning mid-frequency noise like loud talking groups.
Widely admired for premium materials and tight assembly — Gorilla Glass cups, an Alcantara-and-nitinol headband, solid joints and a compact fold-flat form that reviewers call class-leading for portability. The recurring gripes are practical rather than structural: the glossy glass is a fingerprint magnet, the ear pads are glued on (a chore to replace), and the proprietary locking connectors are bulky and hard to source aftermarket.
“There are no manufacturing imperfections and all joints feel solid.”
Headfonia (Rudolfs)
“with the glossy finish, fingerprints and dust specs stand out like a sore thumb”
audionotions (Drew)
Measured
Gorilla Glass 3 cups, a self-tensioning nitinol headband and a fold-flat design at ~385 g. Universal practical caveats across build-covering sources: fingerprint-prone gloss, glued-on pads, and bulky proprietary connectors; a couple of reviewers also note some unease about dropping the glass.
Broadly regarded as strong value and a benchmark closed-back under $1k — several reviewers call it one of the easiest recommendations in the range, delivering flagship AMTS tech at a quarter of the STEALTH's price. The caveats: it's still $999 (up $100 from the original Noire), the pricier DCA E3 remains the better set for bass slam and smoothness, and a few listeners prefer the cheaper, older Aeon 2 Noire.
“$999 Never Looked—or Sounded—This Good”
ecoustics
“If you can afford either, I'd still say go for the E3 though”
TechPowerUp
Measured
Street price $999.99 from the Dan Clark Audio shop (some markets/listings higher, e.g. ~€1,099). TechPowerUp frames the value case as trickle-down — the Noire X arrives at “25% the cost of the STEALTH that heralded the AMTS tech” — and still names the E3 the better set for bass dynamics and smoothness.
