The Dan Clark Audio E3 closed-back headphone is a ground-up design featuring fifth-gen planar drivers, AMTS, Dual-Mode Bass Port and Gorilla Glass 3-covered ear cups.

Despite being a closed-back headphone, Dan Clark Audio promises that the E3 delivers the company's signature open-back listening experience allied to the noise isolation that closed-back over-ear headphones are known for.

This is no empty boast, however, as DCA has called in its patent-pending Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS) alongside all-new fifth-generation planar magnetic drivers for the job, which, we are told, enables the E3 to deliver a sound that's smooth, accurate and rich in detail.

Dan Clark's AMTS tuning system has been successfully used in its upper-tier offerings, such as Stealth, Expanse, and the recently announced Corina electrostatics. It is custom-tuned for every pair of headphones and promises to provide the E3 headphones with a top-end that will surprise and delight listeners and have a remarkably lifelike tone.

Dan Clark Audio explains:

All headphones are subject to high-frequency standing waves which can make treble sound harsh, fatiguing, or synthetic. AMTS is a patent pending inline device placed between the transducer and ear that integrates waveguides, diffusion control, and resonators into one compact structure that eliminates these standing waves while giving us complete control of the high-frequency response profile.

Meanwhile, The E3's all-new fifth-generation planar-magnetic driver is touted as providing the “smoothest, richest, and most detailed sound” Dan Clark has created so far. The new DCA driver diaphragms have an all-new tension system that is said to deliver a more uniform and consistent performance, with lower distortion and enhanced consistency. The drivers, coupled with AMTS, promise exceptionally high resolution without any rough frequency responses and fatiguing distortions.

Although the E3's earcup grilles resemble those of open-back headphones, these are enclosed using Gorilla Glass 3. This tech is typically more common on the likes of high-end smartphones and consists of a thin sheet of alkali-aluminosilicate, making glass stiffer and more scratch- and break-resistant. This aesthetic design choice for Dan Clark was a nod to the open-back listening experience the E3 delivers.

However, the keen-eyed amongst you will have noticed the holes in the glass on the earcups. We are told this is “another innovation for Dan Clark Audio” and dubbed the “dual-mode bass port”. Dan Clark tells us that, while finding a bass port on a closed-back headphone is not unusual, implementing two ports is a new endeavour for their headphones. The company states that the ports control bass frequency response, creating a balanced and impactful bass response full of power yet free of bloat.

The E3 sports Dan Clark's signature self-adjusting headband and comfortable earpads with a black and blue design aesthetic not unlike the open-backed Expanse model we have reviewed. This should translate to an ergonomic and comfortable experience for non-fatiguing music-listening marathons. Furthermore, the Dan Clark Audio folding gimbals are also present, so the E3 becomes a conveniently compact travel companion.

The Dan Clark Audio E3 Closed Back Planar Headphone retails at £2,125.

Visit Dan Clark Audio for more information