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).
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