Can't personally vouch for focal (haven't tried them) but compared to MSRP and other sales this seems to be a killer deal if you want audiophile closed back headphones.
Focal Elegia Closed Back Headphones $329 Delivered @ Addicted To Audio
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Clear is better value if you can afford them.
Ah yes, very comparable
Two people have said this now. Which clears sorry?
Edit: focal clear lol I should have figured that. $800 on sale is more than x2 the price which is very difficult to justify =(
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/products/focal-clear-open-bac…
Clears are open back though.
Radiance would be the step up for closed back.As someone who has both, it definitely isn’t, some EQ can get these relatively close
How do you EQ closed back to sound like open back?
You can’t, but you can get a frequency response that is very similar.
Given that Focals aren’t particularly wide sounding regardless, it’s not a massive difference
The Elegia were meant to be like the Clear but closed version
Open back also better if using at home.
Focal are very tight on the head for ppl with a slightly larger hear
Very fatiguing.Yes I too have large hear.
thanks. Giant head guy like me need not apply
Anyone know how these would compare to hd600 (same price)? I'd check them out in person but will probably be sold out by then. I know closed vs open but the hd600s don't have that big of a soundstage so I assume they're somewhat similar in that regard, just curious about bargain value.
These are closed back vs HD600 being open back.
So depends on use case.
I'd say, if choosing between the 2, I'd go for HD600.
But, as the HD600 are open back, in certain situations, they're non-viable.
So, then a pair of closed back become the obvious choice.In terms of closed back, I don't think you could find many options equivalent to the Elegia at the same price point.
I have the 6XX and the Elegia's. For me, the 6XX have this beautiful warm mid range that is amazing from a tone perspective. The mids are the centre stage and everything else is in the background. With the Elegia, the mids are a bit more back, and the tone is not quite spot on like the 6XX, however, the clarity and detail is far far superior. It is not even close. So whilst the mids are not as highlighted, you actually hear far more in the voice of the singer as the detail is just so much better. The Elegia respond really well to EQ as well, if that is your thing. I don't mind the stock sound.
I'd take the Elegia's every time. In addition, you definitely need a DAC/Amp with the 6XX, however, you can drive the Elegia's just from your phone.
Hmm, nice having more than one pair of headphones over time, that way you don't need to find a jack of all trades (sound signatures, portability, isolating, open/closed etc).
Personally I have the dt1990 Pro which are awesome detail and suit all genres, but looking forward to the 6xx for a different (less energetic sound) and expect them to be great for vocals, folk rock, maybe jazz.
All headphones benefit from a good DAC & source files, and an amp (unless they are 32 ohm or something).
Audeze maxwell is so much better than these poorly tuned closed backs.
Extra 200$ plus.
Get the LCD
I have 58x and these, the 600 or 6xx would be a better purchase for most.
Graphs tell a lot of the story.But never the complete story. I owned and sold 6xx - couldn't understand the hype, but absolutely loved the Focal Elear, which is why I bought the 2022 Utopia. Sound is such a personal thing.
Lol not a fair comparison, Focal utopia $3500.
@G-rig: I was comparing the 6xx to the "entry level" Focals, not the Utopia, but owning the Utopia has confirmed to me what an exceptional value the Elears are. But then again, the legendary Clears are only two $200 more than what I paid for the Elears with the case. And adjusted for inflation, they're practically the same price :)
@elektron: Fair enough, most people won't want to spend $200 more plus than this deal, but worth comparing both and listening to them if possible.
I'd always recommend open back for home listening (cooler, less closed in, better sound stage etc).
I got some 6xx coming, you don't hear anything bad about them but depends what music you like. I already have some dt1990 Pro which are great for all styles of music but keen to see what the hype is about with the 6xx (should be great for vocals and jazz hopefully).
Ps. Some people wouldn't be getting the most out of them without a/decent amp.
I've got the Elears (unbelievable for $500) and the 6XX, and love them both :-)
Audiophile gear hitting the front page daily = the true recession indicatorThese are on clearance though, past sales were around 700
$300 for something I use every day and replace every 5 years (if that), and is half a week of rent…is really not egregious.
If you're busting out 32kbps streamed music it may be unnecessary, but it doesn't feel egregious.
I think his/her point was that no one is buying this stuff so it's on sale constantly.
Tax deduction
A2A (technically BusiSoft AV) are no longer distributors for Focal products in AU/NZ, so they're dropping all their products at what are genuinely very low prices.
i use focal speakers in my car and dont find their quality all that loud can anyone tell me how these hold up against sure headphones?
quality all that loud
Are quality and volume not two different things typically?
well i like loud and bass heavy music the focal sub and amps just dont produce the power i came to like from sony xplod even the sound quality isnt that great compared to other speakers ive heard i like the sure headphones and their volume and quality but not that great in comfort so kinda hoping these ones are better
These don't have strong bass.
It's called eq and dsp
And the latter typically comes from the amp, not the speakers.
Comparing brands for volume?
You can compare products, brands is harder and volume is odd.
Maybe the headphones are louder than the car speakers
I don't think you can really compare a car stereo to headphones, even if they're the same brand.
And do you mean Shures, and if so which ones.
Shurely you can't be serious?
Focal make quite a wide range of speakers at a range of prices. They aren't all going to be awesome. My previous car's Utopia speakers performed VERY well.
Install them well. Power them well. Tune them well.Maybe you have a lower end focal / didn't properly power and tune them.
Not highly rated on Rtings.
They're not the greatest tune, great with some EQ.
Stretch to the Clears if you don't mind open headphones - they are much better and at an amazing price
Linky on which model?
My use case is just needing them as part of a DJ setup - plugging into a Pioneer DJM.
I’m prepared to spend a few hungy to replace my current cans.
I wouldn't use open headphones as a DJ however?
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/products/focal-clear-open-bac…
$799 regardless is a bit out of the price range.
Recommendations around $300-$400?
@VerticallyIntegrated: Not sure haha. I just bought the ones from this post. Will see if they're any good. My X2s were driving me nuts.
But these are closed back, so maybe suitable. But I'm not a DJ =/
@VerticallyIntegrated: I use the HD25's and really recommend them. They are very durable, isolation is fantastic and they sound very good too. Much lighter than the M50's, which are what I started with.
Sennheiser Professional HD 25 On-Ear DJ Headphones Black https://amzn.asia/d/6qe94Fy
Just an FYI the Elegia has a known issue with build quality: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/vy4p3t/yet_anot…
Oh that's disappointing. Why on earth is it not metal end to end?!
🤘🔚
Unless @Jasswolf shames these I really don't know what to think
I also don't know what to think, last time I went to Crystal Castle I am pretty sure it hadn't achieved sentience, now I am concerned. Should I move out of the area for my own safety?
Stay and fight.
I'm an audio noob and I generally look for his perspective on here too lol.
LOL someone's already done the work for me, and I've commented in the previous Focal deal thread: these need EQ and the headphone seal is too easily broken on them.
Radiance represents much better value if you can't get around that, as does the Audeze Maxwell if you want something you can potentially use on the go.
Do radiance need an amp?
To be clear, every audio device needs an amp, it's just a question of whether you're getting sufficient performance from built-in DAC/amp combos, or simple DAC/amp combo dongles.
They're low impedance and high sensitivity, but they're very refined so a clean and nimble signal will assist, and it will faithfully reproduce what sub-$1000 DACs push. But to start off, you can definitely get a benefit from the headphone on its own from most sources. Based on previous Focal implementations, there would likely be an impedance spike around 60Hz that will challenge entry level amps.
Headphones are the starting point of great sound in such a setup, DACs need to be reasonably functional, and amps need to hit some minimum watermarks, but some headphones can challenge them for voltage, current, or the varying demands of one or both of those. At 32 ohms typical impedance and 101dB SPL for sensitivity, it should be mostly easy for a decent amp, but start with what you have and give yourself time to research and demo to get an idea if you want to push things further or move to a different headphone.
Hope that helps!
@jasswolf: Helps a lot, thanks so much.
What would be a good budget amp to start with doe the radiance? Topping L30?@Phesto: I would instead start with a USB-C dongle, such as the Truthear SHIO. That gives you a performance base to start from in terms a technical baseline with good execution of tone and timbre.
Desktop amp wise I would be looking at a solid landing point for a headphone collection in the longer term, and I would set the mark at say the Schiit Jotunheim 2, with the ceiling at a Burson Soloist 3XP. That will shift over time and bring rise to cheaper amps, but there's a lot of R&D to be done.
They key advice is to not grab at cheap desktop amps that are not discrete in their design (eg. basic op-amps or feed-forward designs) as they will not have the extra current or voltage drive to deal with either heavy impedance swings or heavy current demands.
They do basic measurements well but alongside the lack of power ramp they also lack a sense of dynamic range capability, which makes them sound very sterile, and lacking in bass punch and intensity on a lot of pricier headphones (particularly dynamic drivers).
Hope that helps!
@jasswolf: Well I went in store to demo for an hour or so. Tried the radiance, focal og and utopia. Utopia was good but not $4k good.
Radiance was meh, clear was better but still nothing amazing(store was a bit loud though).
Decided to try some iem's, tried the ie600 and also nothing amazing.
Tried the Letshuoer EJ07M and they sounded incredible but they were enormous and didn't fit well.Oh well, I'm glad I tried in store but I don't think I'll be taking advantage of the focal sale.
@Phesto: Yeah my personal take is to target something with the feature set of the Maxwell, and I've never been drawn to previous Focal gear due to the timbral quirks, where if I'm giving up that I'd rather focus on a HIFIMAN planar.
IEM wise I keep things a lot more high value because I'm going to reach for a headphone preferentially, and I'm not interested in stage fits.
Lots of other stuff to demo at AtA/Minidisc over time leading into end of year sales, smart work by you and I hope you find what you're looking for!
@jasswolf: I ended up purchasing Ikko OH10S, couldn't demo but pulled the trigger, let's hope they work for me.
@congo: More information?
It is the last thing you should buy but a lot of audiophile headphone are hard to drive them your normal budget ones, it's a known fact.
I tested the headphone out on my RME and iFi DAC and while it would do, the headphone stages are still nowhere near as good as a dedicated all amp.
Agree you may not need to bother with 32 ohm headphones but all do benefit. Just a more complete richer better sound, less thin.
Anyway not saying you have to buy one but a statement like that just makes you sound silly.
@G-rig: Amplifier only increase the power or volume of an existing input signal, if you don't like the signal, an amp will not improve it.
Amps are only needed for high impedance headphone. For most headphone, investing in an amp is diminishing returns and somewhat unnecessary.But up to you, go crazy if you want.
I would rather spend the money on upgrading the headphones instead.Amplifier only increase the power or volume of an existing input signal
This is a massive oversimplification, and ignores a large number of factors.
@congo: Yeah it's not that simple as others have said. Agree it's good to start with good a good signal and source/tracks too - you sound like the type of person to say that MP3 sound as good as FLAC files.
Sounds like you got cheap easy to drive headphones anyway, don't really care but which ones
Wouldn't call it going crazy completing the last part of a setup and can get decent headphone amps for a couple of hundred.
a couple of hundred
When you go down the rabbit hole, it can add up quickly.
IMO it is not oversimplification because that is what an amp does. It boosts up the signal, it doesn't do anything magical.
If your cans sounds better with amp, then it means it has high impedance and is designed to be used with an amp.
But most cans here do not require an amp.@congo: Exactly, None of it is essential with this hobby and the sky is the limit.
People don't mind spending a fortune on a gaming card on here for very marginal gains either, but tight af when it comes to other things.I'm talking in general terms - a lot of headphones are 250-600 ohm and definitely benefit from being powered properly. Take that as you will.
Obviously you are happy with the sound, good stuff.
You didn't say which headphones and DAC you got, probably just trolling and don't have any.@G-rig: I have too many headphones, TWS, IEM, sound bars, speakers, DAC/AMPs.
I had to sell many because I ran out of space to house them all.@congo: Nice gear yeah can only listen to so many. I got a pretty good minimalist sound speaker setup (Volumio - RPi4 - Adi2 FS - Yamaha hs80m and hs8s sub), plus a desktop headphone setup (iFi Zen DAC- a AAA 789 - DT1990 pro / 6xx / DT250 if i want closed). Just use Yuin PK1 earbuds +USB C DAC at work from phone, and XM5 for work/travel.
Anything more than that would sit around collecting dust.I got some Massdrop 6XX that should be here Monday and those do need an amp for best results.
@jasswolf Audeze Maxwell vs the Focal Radiance? I'm looking for the best closed pair of headphones under $800 for pop/edm/rock.
Tonally they're both very balanced, have strong separation of notes, but otherwise they have different strengths and weaknesses, with the Maxwell having extra features being wireless and having internal mics and a detachable microphone.
If you want something that can be more portable or to go wire-free at your home PC, the Maxwell is a pretty easy buy at the moment, but other closed backs will start having its feature set (Bluetooth LE Audio, LC3, LC3Plus) soon. If you don't care about wires and want something with a little more bass slam, detail, imaging, and soundstage, the Radiance will probably take the cake.
If you want less bass distortion, that will probably fall to the Maxwell. If you don't have and aren't interested in getting a decent DAC & amp to power them, the Maxwell has that built in.
If you're interested in wireless but only for in your home, keep an eye out for the upcoming Sony Pulse Elite, which seems set to be a much cheaper implementation of the tech in the Maxwell, but a bit ugly for taking out of the house.
@jasswolf: I disagree. I think the focal radiance and celestee have really thin lower mids and as a result make male vocals awful to listen to. Maxwell is so much better in that regard.
@zjz93: What were you listening to them through? If they're not getting enough juice when playing a variety of notes between 50-200Hz, they will lose a decent amount of amplitude and texture. Focal's typical impedance curve isn't dissimilar to Sennheiser open backs.
@zjz93: Out of the single-ended or balanced output? The former would leave it sounding thin in the region I'm specifying, as its power output drops away as headphone impedance rises.
@jasswolf: I don't exactly remember but the elegia is 100.25 dB/mW at only 30+- Ohms. Either one would be more than sufficient since both balanced and unbalanced can output over 1W (enough for some speakers) regardless. This isn't the HE6 or some crazy planar we are talking about here, and I highly doubt the elegia or celestee places this much emphasis on sources.
Edit: btw before i meant elegia not radiance. radiance was fine.
@zjz93: At 300 Ohms, SE power output drops to 278 mW, which is a concern for something like the Clear, as it peaks at 342 Ohms @ 60Hz.
That being said I've had a look around and found impedance graphs for both the Elegia and the Stellia, and they both have a very tight impedance range so it's apparently not a concern for macrodynamic contrast. While that's not confirmation on the Radiance, it'd be likely.
I'd look into how power level shifts beyond 30 Ohms on the SE output, doesn't seem great.
Reviews are very good. Not too concerned about the headband issues tbh cause I'm not going to use them much out of the house.
Seemed like a good deal and jumped on it. Found the deal after the focal deals posted on here.
Reviews say you don't need an amp for this but I'll probably get one anyway. Happy with the purchase on face value, looking forward to them arriving!
Excellent in midrange, but weak in bass.
That doesn't look right.
Its a good price for $330, some EQ would improve it greatly, but not for rrp.
What would be better at $330?Sundara or Sennheiser 6XX
@congo: Get the 6XX, about $355 using 20$ signup from drop. Not as cheap as they used to be with taxes now (still, us$199 pretty good).
Oh yes, I have these! Paid $300 used, fairly new condition. So this is a great price.
Can someone gimme a rundown on these vs sennheiser hd600s? they are about the same price right now. Thanks!
These are pretty terrible. Mids are very incoherent and thin as well as no pinna gain
Uh they're pretty different. Biggest being, open back vs closed back.
Elegia needs to be EQ'd slightly to be enjoyed imo, lacked a bit of bass. Mids are slightly recessed. Treble is fine. It also has a good seal, which you need for the bass if you are not going to EQ them.
I have a few different pairs of headphones, but Elegia is currently my go to for during work use, since it doesn't look too weird haha.. I can enjoy my music and quickly jump on a teams call without any troubles or switching over, which for me is a big bonus.
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Damn these used to be like $700