On sale again, seemed popular the last time it was posted in May.
The following Focals are also on sale.
Focal Celestee Closed-back $999
Focal Radiance Closed-back $1599
Focal Clear Mg open-back $1799
Focal Clear $1199 Delivered @ Addicted to Audio
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lol?
Laugh out loud.
I see your lol…and raise you a rofl
Pffft, roflcopter
.
Interesting they took the price back down, especially since this is discontinued. Very good headphone, they're probably just trying to get rid of them at this point
This is new stock
This isn’t new stock, the original clear has been replaced with the mg and they aren’t producing the original anymore.
What @jeo meant was its an old model
can confirm this is new stock. It was on pre-order 2 months ago
Oh cool, anyone know how many times they'll restock?
Brilliant headphones, but I've always been nervous about discolouring the ear pieces.. Wish I bought the darker version.
So far so good though, but I've been babying them.
Yes I had those as well and had to sell them as they would get dirty and I had to take extra care of them
Thank you 👍🏾
Nothing against this headphone. I love it. Just wanted to let others know I had placed an order with A2A and the delivery date kept getting pushed forward. I waited for 3 months and got fed up and found a used pair / cancelled my order. These are not in stock ready to ship. It took a couple of weeks to get my refund as well I was pretty displeased at the end of it all.
That sucks to hear. I got a pair of these awhile ago from A2A for the same price and I had them the next day. It is pretty dodgy to show that something is in stock when it isn't though.
They are now in stock, as stated on the website these were pre order only… it was in big bold red writing in the description
Yeah similar. I bought some niche vacuum tubes they had as in stock, and every few months they said it missed the last shipment and likely would be on the next one. I didn’t mind the wait, but after 9 months it was ridiculous. I wouldn’t have minded if they cancelled the order, but stringing along indefinitely was not nice
I’ve previously spent a lot of money in store and they were great, got to trial and helpful staff. However won’t buy from them online from now on, maybe if I can’t find anywhere else
I’ve had mixed results with A2A. I cancelled an order once and got an immediate refund, that was good.
However I had an issue with my Audeze’s that ended up being a fairly painful procedure to get sorted out. Dropped them off at the service center and it took them two weeks to send away to the local technician. Then a month after that to return to me. The issue - replacing a single screw.
Can anyone (so @jasswolf) comment specifically on the Clears vs the 2021 LCD-Xs? I've been looking at the Audezes pretty closely since they seem to be well regarded for metal/rock/edm, have outstanding bass extension, and generally seem to be one of the top picks in their price bracket. However this special lands the Clears less than two-thirds the price of the Xs, so might be worth looking in to.
I was thinking about holding out to hear more reviews on the Audeze MM-500, as i had been considering picking up the LCD-X, I've had the HD 800S previously and enjoyed them but it wasn't an everyday sorta listening experience for me.
The Audeze range doesn't tend to go on sale very often and there seems to be an Australian tax here added to the price compared to some of the other manufacturers.
I ended up picking up a pair of Clears from this deal, just because its the lowest price it's been and they are soon to be discontinued apparently. I've heard that the Clear compared the the Audeze range and planar headphones in general have more low end slam and a bit more of a warmer presentation, while still having an articulate treble presentation, seems like a good overall daily driver to me.
The lcds are heavy on the head compared to these aren't they? Did you demo
?Nah I haven't demo'd, will get into A2A next week prob. Yeah they're heavier but most ppl seem to report it not being a huge issue.
Yep see for yourself. I had the lcds demoed and they were not overwhelming. I guess the lcds need the right power. So for my budget at the time, the Clears were the right mix. Didn't have to break my budget to get expensive amps and dacs. Have a listen though as these headphones are a love affair between you and your music😊
Though at this price you could get the Clears and some decent dacs instead of only the lcds. 😉
@Raj09: I have a modi/magni3 stack, and as tempting as it is to get something like an A90, the schiit stack should really be fine.
@harro112: Ah you got a great combo. The lcds will be a good one to add to it. Yep have a go and see.🙌🏾
My experience with either is limited. You're getting Audeze planar slam and timbre, but with their old house sound that suuuuuucks. There's no pinna gain.
The Clear you're getting a mostly good tuning, and Focal's technical prowess when it comes to dynamics in the bass, but I'm not sure it's the be all and end all any more depending on what matters to you.
Audeze also have the MM-500 as already mentioned, and that brings a much better tonal balance (new Audeze house sound) at the expense of a smidge of the soundstage width and technical performance of the 2021 LCD-X. You might even just be happy enough with the HIFIMAN Edition XS, though I would buy it on Amazon during a sale with cashbacks.
I would be demoing all four, but here's two more for you to look into at A2A: the HIFIMAN HE-6SE, the HIFIMAN Susvara. You're listening to the 6SE for its soundstage and technical performance, and the Susvara for its tonal balance. You can get that combination for $750 or so via Taoboa, with Mr Anan's Nan-6, but you're also going to need the kind of amp that drives either the HE-6 or the Susvara decently as your new baby will need current.
If you want to push past the $2500ish price point of the Audeze MM-500, the only thing I would really insist upon is the RAAL CA-1a, which is their brand new ribbon circumaural, and is shaping up as a summit-fi killer at a modern high-fi price tag. The future of audio is phenomenal.
Cheers. I considered the XS, but since I'm looking to upgrade from Sundaras (amongst other mid-fi cans) I wasn't sure if they'd be a big enough upgrade to properly scratch the itch and leave mid-fi hell well behind.
Having said that, I was looking more around the 1.5-2k max mark, which puts the MM-500, HE-6SE, and Susvara out of my current budget. I'll definitely look to demo as many as possible to see what I like, but I guess it's possible that the best thing to do might be to wait a bit longer.What I was bringing up the HE-6SE and the Susvara for was to get an idea of a $770 headphone that brings the technicalties of the former to a tonal balance of the latter, and that's well within your budget.
Massive upgrade from the Sundara, but it's a very thirsty planar (think 4W amps, ideally, but at least 2-3 W). Better than the LCD-X 2021, just not the same technical strengths and weaknesses.
@jasswolf: Thanks, understood - will look into the Nan-6. 3+ W is slightly beyond the magni 3's ability but that price leaves me enough leftover for an a30 pro/a90.
@harro112: Try out the HE-6SE on the Magni 3 to get an idea, then test the Nan-6 on your gear before deciding, but probably yes.
Asgard 3 would do a great job.
@jasswolf: Thanks very much, last question - do you have any info on ordering from TB to Australia? I was under the impression shipping was expensive/difficult.
@harro112: It varies from product to product, because direct shipping is possible, and potentially included via Alibaba's network, but you'll need a translator app handy if the seller declines.
At that point yes, you'd move onto a re-shipping service.
On a final note, the Nan-7 is now a thing, but I'm yet to see a review, at least in English. It's also 60% more expensive, but I have no idea what technical changes come with that.
Yes get them. Try to get the reds though. The greys are great but they will get dirty
Just get a dozen sets of replacement earpads - done!
Enjoy. These are some top notch headphones. You don't need much power to drive them.. I got an ifi zen dac and a creative g6. The g6 is what I use to listen to these.
I can hear all the "audiophiles" fainting to the floor with that comment
@krisspy: Amps and Dacs are the biggest snake oil around in the audiophile world, they make the last 10% of difference.
If you really want to shock and make them faint, tell them that most issues can be fixed with EQ
Can I ask what's the difference of these ultra high end headphones compare to generally $400-500 mainstream line up like audio technica ATH M50x or Sony XM3/4/5 or Bose BT headphones on wires?
Tldr, ALOT less bass than those consumer bass cannons. Mainly due to being open cans for one, but also the targeted frequency response ie 'neutral'
Once you cut back on the bass to normal levels, you'll hear alot more nuances in songs since you're not too distracted by the bass. Soundstage, imaging and little nuances in how drums decay fast or how splashy/natural snares sound, if the vocals are inside your head or 30cm away from your face.
A million different things really.
Better separation of instruments, better clarity of vocals, better soundstage.
The BT ANC headphones will likely sound a bit muddy after using a higher end set of headphones. I ended up tweaking the EQ settings on my Surface headphones after using the Hifiman Edition XS.
The ATH-M50X has generally been a sub-$200 headphone for years, often sub-$150 on sale. It's also a tonally unbalanced mess that just images well, so it's nice for basic audio engineers who know nothing of headphone design and then EQ the living crap out of it, but for casual use it's a pitchy mess with scratchy treble and has the soundstage width of two speakers sandwiched onto your head.
It's long been surpassed by the AKG K371.
ANC headphones compromise even bass quantity and overall sound quality to cancel out a lot of noise, and tend to only sound good with one specific ANC level (or sometimes, off). Headphone tuning is built on the back of physics, so between Bluetooth bandwidth/compression currently (though this is soon to change), and the impact of the noise cancelling itself you're left with little room for EQ to do anything without further compromising audio quality.
ANC headphones will always diminish audio quality, and current materials and engineering techniques are not good enough to skip past this unscathed even with Bluetooth LE Audio an the associated LC3 codecs. Also $400+ for those Sony models is highway robbery at launch, let alone today.
I've been through all this over an obsessive 30 year period. All you need to know is just because, say, a set of headphones and amp is $30k it doesn't guarantee it will SOUND any better than a $1k set up. I'll repeat that. Forget 30x better, 2x better or even 1% better. There are definitely some $1k phones that sound as good to my sharp ears as rigs costing 30x as much. This is no joke. Let me elaborate.
When you get into the upper realm of audio you are no longer paying for better sound - that undoubtedly peaks in "poor man's" land - but greater exclusivity, nicer materials and build quality (indeed some are amazing works of art) and of course research. I have to say for all my years searching for pure audio perfection the greatest, if not most challenging discovery is that it was in front of me the whole time.
You will always find people who's perception of audio clarity is firmly linked directly to cost and they can never or will never alter their view - their mindset is literally locked, although I do know some who willingly accept that they have long reached the sound quality ceiling and are willing to pay extra for these pieces of art. What I have also learned is when you dare speak out about such findings you are immediately at odds with elements of a community who spend countless millions year after year, not to mention the lucrative industry which fuels them. The resulting backlash from both is obvious.
In summary, decide what it is you desire. If like me you have settled on absolute sound then enjoy that sound as it was produced at the source for a fraction of what you can pay. If like others you want that same high quality output but are willing to pay more, sometimes much more, to gaze lovingly at something beautiful (other than your partner) or to happily fund research then go right ahead spend as much as you can.
any recommendations of setup eg. amp/dac and headphones for "absolute sound produced at the source" at a reasonable price?
I also would love to hear your recommendation :-)
Most people don't actually prefer the "absolute sound produced at the source" as you put it. Some headphones like the HD800S are so clear and detailed that you begin to hear how crap the recordings are
This comment is so accurate. I feel exactly the same way. After around the $1k - $1.5k mark you pay more for build materials, research or exclusivity. I think I've hit my end game (Audeze LCD2Fs and Focal Clears)
An oversimplified comparison:
If you were to close your eyes and listen to Sony XMs you would get a sense of sound either coming fairly center or left/right side.If you were to close your eyes and listen to something like Focal Clear you would get a sense of the singer being in front of you, the guitarist to the the left of the singer, the bass guitarist to the right, the drummer set further back. You could point to where each instrument is, you could hear the finer detail of each instrument and the singer’s voice. Its almost like sitting in the bar and listening to a live performance.
I’ll add, after a certain price point the auditory improvements in listening experience become diminishing returns. There will be differences in comfort, looks, ‘sound signatures’, durability, materials, etc.. Listening to favourite music on the headphones is the best way to determine where the personal sweet spot between price and satisfaction lies for each individual.
Yes very well said. I picture headphones as glasses in front of your eyes. They reveal the music to you. Others are clear and show you everything n some taint the music.
The Clears are in the reveal category. You start hearing the little details, the positioning and the meshing of melodies.
There are diminishing returns so work with your e budget
One caveat on that though is what your sound source is.
If you're source is streaming at low quality, there's only so much these are going to do.
😆😆
A2A send my headphones with missing parts and box damaged. It took me ages to get another pair. I made a big mistake, asked a friend to offer for me while I was away from AU. The poor guy had to go through a painful return.
They are definitely not trustworthy with 1000+ dollars headphones. Goto the shop, buy over the counter if possible.
Connectivity is important to me. Seems like no Bluetooth and noise cancelling and mic?
Great in door pro use?These are audiophile grade headphones. Not for using on the bus, but for plugging into your several thousand dollar hi-fi setup, sitting on a comfortable couch, and really listening. If you have $1000+ to spend on headphones and you want Bluetooth, perhaps look into the Apple Airpod Max, they're supposed to have supremely good ANC and have all the features you've listed.
Thank you.
That's kind of like complaining a Ferrari can't fit the weely shop in the boot.
beware of a2a, I've got an ongoing issue right now. purchased audeze headphones that are complete duds, they do not want to refund me saying they work fine which they clearly do not. so it's about to turn into a big fight. very pretty store, nice to you when you walk in, but after sales beware
Focals don’t have the best of longevity, mind you that their new set of release is about to happen in the coming months and they boast to be much better than their current ones
Imo build quality rarely improves on anything in life…
Had mine for almost 4 years with no issues, you'll only ever hear about the people who do
Not trying to nullify the experiences of A2A mentioned by anyone here, but people are less inclined to share positive experiences so I wish to share mine.
Have bought a series of IEMs from A2A over the years (local to their Kew and now Richmond store), ranging from $50-200, so not as high end as in this thread but their customer service has been exemplary and fast in about 5 different warranty/return claims (I swear I look after my IEMs and am cursed).
I have bought many goods from A2A, both Perth and online store and experience has always been pleasant. I have also returned faulty products without issue. One of my order did take ages but that is because the supplier was very slow at building my order rather than A2A being at fault.
Selling premium audio product customer service is key to their business success because pissing people off in a market that is already very small will do so much harm.
Please tell me why the Pro versions aern't included.
This is an end game headphone in every sense. Doesn't need much amplification, but does scale up incredibly well with higher end dacs and amps. Don't worry about new models coming out, sound quality doesn't change regardless of new releases. This will always be an amazing pair of headphones.
I've had nothing but positive encounters with A2A, however i have been waiting for a pre-ordered E2R-XR for about 2 months now, the date keeps getting pushed back.
What do people who have owned the Celeste think of it? I'm interested in a closed back as a secondary headphone for when it gets noisy.
Fantastic detail and tonality, but very narrow soundstage when I heard it
I don't own the Celestee, but I did demo it in store. Sound quality is excellent for the price point (arguably the best closed back headphones at this level). Definitely narrower sound stage than open backs, but they also weren't entirely closed - they let in more sound than I was expecting (I could hear a few people talking behind me). Could perhaps not suit your use case so probably worth trying in person.
Interesting Thank you both.
I remember calling A2A once to ask for stock levels of something. I spoke to the most unhelpful sounding sales person. Soured opinion on the company. I did eventually go in store and bought some wireless IEMs and the sales guy seemed friendly enough.
This is crazily good price. I paid almost twice as much!
No Stellia :(
I have the Focal Clear. My favourite set of headphones