Audiophilepure

Dan Clark Audio EXPANSE Planar Magnetic Headphone Review

Give them sufficient power, and they will sound excellent at any listening level. For better or worse, the EXPANSE encourages you to listen at unsafe levels. They are so smooth, balanced, and free of distortion that their sound doesn’t induce fatigue, even at high volumes. It’s not that the sound changes or improves with more volume; it just keeps giving you more.

As the name implies, the soundstage is large and open, without sounding artificially distant. Imaging is distinct, and layering is phenomenal, especially with music that has a lot of space and separation.

The bass response is fast and relatively full for a planar. The bass is satisfying for most genres with a focus on texture and musicality over quantity. While the EXPANSE are not ideal for EDM and super-heavy bass tracks, they can hold their own surprisingly well and reach low, with fantastic bass texture and control, especially given that they are open-back planar headphones. They will not achieve the kind of physical sub-bass rumble that a large dynamic driver can more easily.

The midrange will reflect the quality of the recording and mix. It can be enchanting, or thin, or centered, or lacking. The treble is the same. If sibilance is inherent to the recording, you will hear it. If it’s detailed and crisp, you will be the beneficiary.