I finally, and unexpectedly, got the chance to demo the E3 today at Linear Tube Audio. I was really there to try out the Z10e + Aero DAC combo with my electrostatics, but the E3 was there, so I listened to it for a bit. Mostly used the Z10e's Low output headphone jack, with a bit of use on the High output jack. I don't listen that loudly, so the low output was more than good enough in terms of headroom. DACs used were the Ferrum Erco Gen 2 and LTA Aero.
Comfort was good. Not a fan of how the earcups extend so far down my face, but it's still comfortable.
Sound-wise, it's the most agreeable DCA headphone I've heard. Now, I'll be clear in that I'm not normally a fan of DCA headphones. I have the Aeon 2 Closed with perforated pads (nearly identical to the Noire) and I've heard the Stealth, Corina, and Expanse multiple times and the Ether 2 once. I don't like any of those headphones. They sound varying levels of dull and lifeless to me. But the E3, I could get along with it.
There are actually some dynamics here, roughly on par with my SR-X9000 and Shangri-la Jr electrostatic headphones. I know this doesn't sound like high praise, but the previous generation of DCA headphones were practically outdone in dynamics by those same estats. The E3 avoids the deadened, isolation booth sort of sound that made me dislike the Stealth and Noire. Drums have more of the decay that I expect from a drum without being as overly dense and dampened as on earlier iterations.
The soundstage was fine. It's not small, it's not as large as my electrostatics (which are open-backed), but I think it still lacks in some openness, which is a separate attribute from soundstage size. Excusable since it's still a closed-back and does a lot of other things well, and more openness in a closed-back usually requires compromises elsewhere.
Tuning was good, but also the source of my main issue with the sound. There's an odd emphasis somewhere in the upper mids that colors vocals with a slightly nasal tone. It sounds a bit like you push your tongue towards the top-back of your mouth and sing/speak like that. I picked up on it within seconds and couldn't unhear it. It sort of spoiled the sound for me, because it's so neutral everywhere else that there's nothing to hide that coloration. By comparison, the Shang Jr also has a boost in the upper midrange from 3-5K, but the scoop between 1-2.5K balances it out so vocals sound breathy and emotive, like their voices are strained with emotion, rather than just nasally. I also heard a bit of sizzle in the upper treble, but that wasn't as bad as the upper mids being odd. Fortunately, this is just a tonal issue, so it should be easy to EQ out.
Anywho, I'm glad I got to hear it. The E3, like all DCAs, do many things very well. They're well-built, extremely detailed, and quite neutral with good tunings. Anyone in the market for a $2K headphone would do well to give it a demo.
