Dan Clark Audio: One Man’s Quest for Perfection Turned a Global Success
The story of the American company Dan Clark Audio is a testament to how a passion for music and authentic sound, coupled with relentless ambition, can turn into a thriving business.
Contents
Dan Clark’s Rock’N’Roll Bottom
Dan Clark Audio — or, rather, MrSpeakers, as the company was initially called — was founded in 2012 by audio engineer Dan Clark. But that’s just the brand itself; the real story had begun much earlier, when Dan was but a little boy. After all, it was his dreams that led him to create the company.
Since he was little, Dan has been captivated by music. As a four-year-old, he would passionately mimic John Lennon, an imaginary guitar in his hands, dancing to the sound of The Beatles. It only took him a couple more years to start spinning Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead’s records on his father’s powerful Wharfedale speakers and McIntosh tube amplifier.
Clark later recalled that when his parents were out, he would blast rock’n’roll and heavy metal, cranking the treble and bass to eleven and reveling in the rich sound of his favorite bands. Dan’s passion for high-quality sound and great music taste was forged all the way back then.
Rags to Riches, Audiophile Edition
Everything Dan did was one big setup for his future success. At Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, he studied electrical engineering with a particular focus on linear circuits and power amplifiers. At the same time, he did part-time gigs at Hi-End electronics stores, where he spoke to fellow audiophiles and tried out some premium audio equipment.
Dan Clark went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA in Engineering, and then worked for several big-name companies like Apple Computer, Compaq, and Sun Microsystems. But he only did it for the money, as he later admitted; his one true passion was still music and audio tech.
Beginnings of an Audio Empire
In the late 90s, Dan got some invaluable experience working for Monitor Audio, where he participated in the development and design of the premium Platinum Series 2 speakers. Personal audio gadgets were on the rise, and Dan was becoming a headphones expert: he would tune other companies’ models to improve their quality and sell them to audiophiles.
This little business of his performed rather splendidly and brought in some nice cash. In fact, it was how Clark funded his own R&D without any loans or investors after on April 1, 2012, he established MrSpeakers — a company that would later borrow its founder’s name and be known as Dan Clark. Soon, MrSpeakers released its first headphones, the Mad Dog. But it was the second model that truly launched Clark’s brand a year later.
The Alpha Dog model was the world’s first 3D-printed headphones, but it wasn’t just the novelty that did the trick. These headphones had superb noise isolation and sounded like a high-end speaker system — and they were extremely comfortable for long-term use thanks to their lightweight build, sheepskin earpads, and a leather headband.
Dan Clark’s first model made him an instant star in the world of premium audio, and it only went uphill from there.
New Alpha in Town
While the MrSpeakers Alpha Dog model belonged in the sub-$600 category, its features certainly didn’t. Thanks to its spacious sound and great frequency response, the headphones earned high praise from audiophiles worldwide and even earned the Headphone of the Year 2013 Award by The Absolute Sound magazine.
Being a true entrepreneur at heart, Clark didn’t stop there. He continued developing the Dog series, which used heavily modified Fostex T50RP planar drivers, but he was now set on designing a completely original product. The vast majority of MrSpeakers’ profits went into that project, and after several years of work, Dan Clark presented his new model.
The open-back Ether planar magnetic headphones became the company’s first 100% original design — and this model crushed it. Shortly after its release, Clark also developed a closed-back version, the Ether C Flow, in response to large customer demand.
Earpads material: leather
Headphone type: wired
Kind of headphones: over-ear
Earpads material: synthetic leather
Headphone type: wired
Kind of headphones: over-ear
Earpads material: leather
Headphone type: wired
Kind of headphones: over-ear
Headset type: stereo
Brand: Dan Clark Audio
Headphone type: wired
Brand: Dan Clark Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 20
Earpads material: leather
Headphone type: wired
Kind of headphones: over-ear
Headset type: stereo
Brand: Dan Clark Audio
Headphone type: wired
Headset type: stereo
Brand: Dan Clark Audio
Headphone type: wired
Headset type: stereo
Brand: Dan Clark Audio
Headphone type: wired
On a sidenote, it’s worth noting that all Dan Clark’s products were (and still are) designed, manufactured, and tested in San Diego, California. While most companies move their production offshore, Clark stands strong with his domestic high-tech factories and the “Made in USA” label. This was one of his founding principles then, and it holds today, giving Dan Clark another advantage over his competitors — but back to the story.
Rebrand and Revolutionize
At the Capital Audiofest 2019, MrSpeakers officially announced its rebranding to Dan Clark Audio — and unveiled the new Aeon 2 headphones. The company’s complete transition to its own proprietary technologies called for a new name to mark a new era in its history. And quite an era it was, beginning with two outstanding patents.
V-Planar
Speaking of Dan Clark’s tech achievements, the company created and patented one of the most advanced headphone technologies to this day, the V-Planar diaphragm, which was already present in the Ether и Aeon models.
A typical planar driver has one big downside: it’s just flexible enough that its center moves more than its edges. Clark’s V-Planar diaphragm bypasses this problem thanks to its surface being textured with a V-pleat pattern, allowing it to move more uniformly.
Thanks to that, the V-Planar driver moves more air while taking up less space, which reduces the size and weight of the headphones — all the while eliminating distortion and improving sound quality. It took Dan years of experiments to develop the V-Planar design, but it was worth it as awards and positive reviews began streaming in.
TrueFlow
Clark's next headphones, the Ether Flow and Aeon Flow models, were developed using another patented technology, TrueFlow.
In most planar drivers, their magnets’ fields can disrupt the path of sound waves passing through them. This causes diffraction, leading to a loss of detail and increased distortion. Of course, Dan Clark was not quite happy with that, so he set out to design a new tech — and he was successful.
With TrueFlow, the space between the magnets is filled with a perforated material that forms special waveguide channels. They steer the sound waves into a more organized and uniform flow, eliminating the turbulence and noise caused by chaotic air movement. As a result, distortion is minimal, and dynamics and frequency response are significantly improved.
Dan Clark’s Awesome New Tech
Today, Dan Clark Audio's arsenal includes numerous patented technologies and proprietary innovations. The price range of the company’s products is quite varied, with relatively accessible models like Aeon 2 and the mid-tier Ether 2 and Ether C Flow, to the elite, high-end Expanse and Corina.
By the way, Dan Clark’s Ether 2, Expanse, and Corina models all won the prestigious Dr.Head AWARDS 2023 in the Best Full-Size Wired Headphones category.
We’re expecting new models from Dan Clark Audio soon and have no doubts that they will, too, make waves in the world of Hi-End audio. Just like DC Audio E3, the Aeon 2 Noire’s successor did in 2024.
Why We Loved Dan Clark Audio E3
Long story short, because it’s great.
The 2024 model distinguished itself by a more open sound presentation with superb bass dynamics, a remarkably clear and smooth treble, and a rich, balanced sound profile. Here’s a quick rundown of its most distinct features.
- 5th-generation driver
- AMTS technology
- Improved planar driver performance
- New diaphragm materials to match optimized V-Planar metal tracks
- Gorilla Glass 3 earcups
- Dual-mode bass port
Headset type: stereo
Brand: Dan Clark Audio
Headphone type: wired
It comes as no surprise that DC Audio E3, much like other Dan Clark products, immediately became popular worldwide, from North America and Europe to Asia and Australia. That’s just how this company does it.
Thanks to its innovative technologies, impeccable build quality, and sheer dedication, Dan Clark Audio has quickly earned a reputation as one of the world's leading premium audio brands. Every model released under this name is the true embodiment of a quest for perfection — and the answer to the question whether perfection is even achievable.
To appreciate the unmatched sound quality of Dan Clark’s products (and, perhaps, compare it to other top-tier brands), visit the Dr.Head showroom in Dubai. Our specialists will be happy to help you find perfection, too.
