Over-Ear
Dan Clark Audio Expanse
86Outstanding
$4,500
Full review dataDan Clark Audio Expanse vs STAX SR-X9000: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the STAX SR-X9000 comes out ahead with an HearWiki score of 88. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: STAX SR-X9000 - Outstanding overall at around $5050.
Over-Ear
STAX SR-X9000
88Outstanding
$5,050
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Dan Clark Audio Expanse
Sound9.0
Value6.0
STAX SR-X9000
Sound9.5
Value5.0
Specifications
| Spec | Dan Clark Audio Expanse | STAX SR-X9000 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Price (USD) | $4,500 | $5,050 |
| HearWiki score | 86 / 100 · Outstanding | 88 / 100 · Outstanding |
| Released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Audio | ||
| Driver | planar | electrostatic |
| Driver size | 76 mm | - |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 2 |
| Frequency response | - | 5Hz-42,000Hz |
| Impedance | 23 Ω | 145000 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 90 dB/mW | - |
| Wireless | ||
| Bluetooth | 5.x | - |
| Codecs | SBC, aptX HD, LDAC | - |
| Multipoint pairing | No | No |
| Battery | ||
| Wireless charging | No | - |
| Features | ||
| Active noise cancelling | No | No |
| Design | ||
| Weight | 415 g | 432 g |
| Water resistance | none | - |
| Balanced connection | Yes | - |
What reviewers said
Dan Clark Audio Expanse
The Dan Clark Audio Expanse is a premium planar magnetic open-back headphone that delivers a technically refined yet musically engaging sound signature, with a balanced and natural tuning that avoids excessive coloration. Its build quality and comfort are top-tier, but it demands a powerful amplifier to reach its full potential. While it offers wireless convenience, it lacks modern codec support and multi-device pairing, making it a niche choice for wired critical listening.
- Pro:Excellent technical performance and natural tonal balance
- Pro:Premium build quality with exceptional comfort
- Pro:Engaging, emotionally immersive sound presentation
- Con:Requires a powerful amplifier to perform optimally
- Con:Limited wireless functionality with only SBC codec support
- Con:No multipoint pairing for seamless device switching
STAX SR-X9000
The STAX SR-X9000 is a top-tier electrostatic headphone that excels at revealing fine detail, ambient cues, and instrumental nuance, delivering an exceptionally transparent and spacious soundstage. It offers outstanding speed, transient response, and realism, making it ideal for classical and spatially demanding music. However, it requires a dedicated energizer/driver unit, pushing the total system cost far beyond the already steep headphone price.
- Pro:Exceptional detail retrieval and transparency
- Pro:Huge, three-dimensional soundstage with precise imaging
- Pro:Fast transient response and realistic timbre
- Con:Requires separate electrostatic driver unit
- Con:Very high total system cost
- Con:No noise cancellation or wireless convenience
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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