Dan Clark Audio EXPANSE

Our Take

EXPANSE is the kind of headphone that stops you mid-track. It combines Dan Clark Audio’s all-new 4th-generation planar magnetic driver with their breakthrough Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS), plus an entirely redesigned headband that nails ergonomics without sacrificing style.

We recommend pairing it with our GS-X Mini amplifier and the Chord Qutest DAC for an incredible, reference-level system.

Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS)

Headphones can develop standing waves at higher frequencies, which can make instruments like strings, cymbals, and even vocals sound unrealistic and fatiguing. AMTS is Dan Clark Audio’s patent-pending inline device located between the transducer and ear.

AMTS integrates waveguides, diffusion control, quarter-wave, and Helmholtz resonators into one compact structure to reduce standing waves and smooth and shape the frequency response from the midrange through the highest frequencies.

With AMTS, high frequencies are rendered with a refreshingly smooth, accurate, and detailed delivery across genres. (Bad recordings are still bad — Dan’s not a magician!)

DCA’s Most Advanced Driver

EXPANSE’s 4th-generation planar-magnetic driver delivers the smoothest, richest, and most detailed experience Dan Clark Audio could create. EXPANSE’s driver is 20% larger than the ETHER 2 driver and uses patented v-Planar technology to reduce THD to < 0.03% while improving low-frequency extension.

Diaphragm tension is set using a proprietary system that creates more uniform and consistent tension across the entire driver surface to minimize distortion and improve driver matching to better than 0.25 dB weighted across the spectrum for imaging and balance.

Mechanical Design Innovations

EXPANSE takes its cues from STEALTH and adds an exciting, unique open grill based on mathematical functions derived from the principles of generative design for a truly distinctive flagship look.

The top-grade black leather headband features fine blue stitching to create a quilted head-strap that’s both gorgeous and functional. Gone are mechanical sliders for fit adjustment; Dan Clark Audio designed a stable yet comfortable “self-adjusting suspension system” that seats the headphone just right.

At just 418 g, EXPANSE is also one of the lightest super-premium headphones available. Taken together, the vegan suede and “leather” ear pads, self-adjusting suspension, and lightweight chassis make EXPANSE so comfy you can just ignore it and vanish into your music.

EXPANSE Redefines “Detail”

Unlike many headphones where “detail” is created through exaggerated high-frequency energy, EXPANSE’s AMTS delivers industry-leading resolution without the fatiguing highs some listeners are used to. Together, the 4th-generation motor and AMTS deliver a sonic performance best described as “effortless.”

From delicately plucked strings to the most intense orchestral dynamics, or the weight and attack of a kick drum to the overtones and decay of a crash cymbal, EXPANSE delivers an exceptional balance of nuance and punch that will have you reaching for favorite recordings—and maybe staying up a bit too late.

And last but not least, there’s the soundstage: EXPANSE can compete with any open headphone in depth, width, and imaging. Its sense of space and instrument placement allows the headphone to “disappear,” so you can simply relax into your musical experience.

If It’s Not Comfortable, Game Over

Dan has often said if a headphone isn’t physically comfortable enough for extended listening sessions, then the design is flawed. That’s why comfort is a top priority—and why Dan Clark Audio has produced some of the lightest and most comfortable headphones in the industry.

EXPANSE’s ergonomic cup shape is a natural extension of AEON 2 ergonomics (with a larger footprint). For storage or travel, it incorporates STEALTH’s folding gimbal structure into a compact custom-molded case that’s easy to stow.

Included + Specs

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