Dan Clark Audio has followed the launch of its big-money Noire X closed-back headphones with the new open-backed Noire XO.
The Noire XO use a set of enhanced planar drivers, with a rigid diaphragm designed for reduced sonic distortion and improved reliability. The new headphones strive for a smooth frequency response with low distortion to craft a sonic profile which boasts plenty of "crisply defined yet smoothly rendered detail".
Like their closed-back siblings, the Noire XO make use of Dan Clark Audio's 'Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System', designed to greatly reduce high-frequency standing waves for a more "balanced, nuanced and airy treble performance".
They should be comfortable, too. The Noire XO are designed to be lightweight to reduce user fatigue, with a design which folds away for when you want to take your cans on the road.
A pair of synthetic leather and Alcantara-covered memory foam ear pads, meanwhile, combine to reduce on-ear heat for a cooler, more comfortable experience as minutes of listening turn to hours.
The open-backed cans come with a detachable cable, terminated with a choice of balanced 4.4mm, 4-pin XLR, or 6.35/3.5mm connectors, as well as a companion storage case.
The Dan Clark Noire XO are available now, priced at £1300 / $1300. In the world of big-money headphones, that's about the same as the closed-back Focal Clear Mg (currently around £1099 / $1500) and more than the five-star, open-backed Beyerdynamic T1 (3rd Gen) (£899 / $999).
MORE:
JBL, Bose and Cambridge Audio: these are the 5 freshly announced products that are on our radar
Discover our list of the best wired headphones
Best audiophile headphones: 9 best-sounding luxury pairs for music fans
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
