Came across this as part of Addicted to Audio's Focal Clearance sale. Has been discontinued but from reviews is excellent.
Focal Elegia Closed Back Headphones $329 (RRP $1399) Delivered @ Addicted to Audio
660
Irrelevancy on 29/10/2023 - 07:26 addictedtoaudio.com.au (4202 clicks)
Last edited 29/10/2023 - 09:45 by 2 other users
Last edited 29/10/2023 - 09:45 by 2 other users
Related Stores
Comments
- 1
- 2
and to those arguing that they're closed back and 6x0 is open back
Yeah, like those "arguing" about gravity - it's just stating how things are, it's pretty simple.
It has NEVER BEEN $1399!!!
Wow, who knew…
I wonder how ridiculous the RRP was.
Just ordered a pair…. shifty eyes
See how they go i guess. At $329… see if they sounds any good with my Oppo DAC and desktop Headphone DAC/Amp.
Have a set of the Mass Drop Senns 58X Jub and they are great for the money as an open air system.
Love my Oppo PM's but they are starting to have signs of wear, so have been less frequent in terms of picking them up to use. Want to keep them for an long as I can, and the replacement pads are now impossible to get.
Let's see if they are any good/reasonable as a closed back can.
Prob end up in the draw with all the others and I'll just keep using the Senn TWM2's, 3's and the Samsung Bud Pro 3's I have… all great 'in ear' buds…
So easy to just walk out the door and throw them in my pocket…(Yes, well aware most of these models are different… Different drivers, types etc… so not to 'compare as a 1:1'…)
So how are they mate?
Bought these several months ago, not a fan.
If you have a big head they clamp pretty hard.
I also wasn't a fan of the cables - terrible. I know you can purchase better ones but considering the original retail price the supplied cables were stiff and cheap.
The sound and soundstage was OK, but left me wondering how they could charge $1000+ for them! Nothing amazing.
I ended up flogging them on ebay.
I much prefer BeyerDynamic DT 770 pros - they fit nicer and sound better!
These Focals are over hyped.Anyone else get a pair and had then delivered yet?
Got mine today - they defiantly need an amp to be properly run (as expected).Used on my PC direct (no amp) - average sounds as expected.
Unit an amp (initial 5 min test this evening with my Oppo HA-2 portable DAC) - while not as crisp to my ear or preference as my Oppo PM's, the Focal's seem to be pretty good.
Generally a good sounding driver/system in IMO.Few things I did notice - for a closed back, they are not fitting or isolating as well as the PM's.
While theses Focals seem comfortable enough, for me, again, they fall short of the comfort I get from the Oppo PM's
Cable seems to be just fine IMO - noticed another member mentioning they wanted to upgrade the lead, not sure why.
Two major disappointments for me though.the carry case - while great from a practical point (little pockets inside of it etc - strong and sturdy), it does 'look' like something that came out of Prada's radical and ridiculous catalogue. Just not classy looking at all.
I'm hoping it's not just the set I was shipped, however, can anyone else confirm if they too noticed the system is easy to distort and 'overdrive' the drivers? Seems my HA-2 was able to have the things distorting (High Gain setting - yes), at around 75%.
Normally i'd not drive the PM's this hard, but they are a different driver altogether planar magnet drivers. But to get the Focals running nicely, they needed a little more for my liking. It's a fine balance from sweet spot, to overdriving them.
I'll dig out my desktop headphone amp over the weekend and check with that also.
Wanted to know if anyone else had similar results?
Yes i got mine. My first set of "good" headphones so nothing to really compare to. So far am really enjoying them. Driving with A&K Kann Alpha and playing tidal lossless (not hi res)
Snug fit but comfortable (have a largish head ".
Driving
Coming from fidelio x2 - much better definition and response. Hearing details in tracks i never picked up before.
For reference most of my listening Is via Concept 50s driven by a marantz pm6007Nice one. fidelio is a nice unit…
So no 'over driving' or distortion at a higher volume level?Driving my PM's at the same (slight variation as a result of the resistance, spl etc…) but near enough my focals distort. Can drive the PM's further without any issue.
I'll dig up the other amp this weekend as mentioned and my Sennheiser 58x's Jubs… and see how it goes (open back).Running Tidal HiFi Plus (Lossless) also…
Had expected the Focal's would handle a little more power than mine have…
They maybe need a little more time to 'run in'. These are still great buying at this price.
@Sober Thoughts: I'd not sighted anywhere in the manual or the AU site stating a burning period was needed for these drivers.
I've otherwise been aligned with the Sennheiser way of thinking:
"What is Sennheiser's stance on "Burn In" Theory?
At Sennheiser we do not have an official stance regarding the theory that headphones need a "burn in" period. Sennheiser headphones are designed to sound great from the first moment they are plugged in.Some argue that over period of time a user will become more accustomed to the particular headphones. With this, they will start to notice more of the frequency response range and nuances that the headphones are capable of producing. This argument suggests that over time a user will develop a greater appreciation of the headphones and what they are capable of.
For additional information regarding the theory of "burn in" there is plenty of discussion at Head-Fi.org (http://www.head-fi.org)."
Having said that - the concerns I felt I was identifying otherwise relate to the drivers excursion.
I did find on the Focal global site after some digging earlier today that Focal recommend a burn-in period, to which, I had an old JMLabs (Focal) white noise file I ran some years ago (for loudspeaker drivers). Before you say, how is a loudspeaker difference to a headphone driver? Sure, in principal, a normal/traditional piston/diaphragm driver is a driver… Moves up/down or back/forward with a voice coil etc… The difference in the need for a burn-in period is the physical size and heat generated v time for the driver to 'settle in'. In all the headphones I've had over the years, I can't say i've honestly heard any noticeable performance different over time… Maybe I'm just not refined enough, who knows.Anyways… Played the JMLabs noise for around 30mins, and got sick of the background hissing and alarm like noise being heard from the other room, so gave up for the time being… (lol..)
Will give it another crack tomorrow and over the next few days. I'm sceptical that its going to make any difference, but… lets see… :)
Regardless, you are correct in the note that a 'run in period' is recommended for these drivers/headphones.
Focal website:
"RUNNING-IN PERIOD
These headphones require a running-in period in order to operate at their best.
They will run themselves in naturally after several hours of listening time.
If you want to speed up the process, we recommend playing very bassy music through them for at least 24 hours at a relatively high volume.
This will stabilise the speaker drivers and allow you to get the very best out of your headphones."
I've seen all the old reviews and no that they have a lot of potential especially at this price however was wondering if anyone here has jumped on this and can give us an idea of what they think? Are they rocking your world?
I am not an audiophile, but I like Focal. First I got the Radiance but bass boost was too much for me. I sold it for a profit and bought the Elegia. I really like it. For me, elegia, Clear and radiance, despite differing tuning, have the same technical capability and Utopia is the next level.
Been listening to the focal elagias for couple of weeks now. For the price it's incredible and is a refreshing change from over boosted bass we encounter in other headphones - i suspect alot of the criticism comes from purchasing at a higher price which drops the value rating.
Just got a pair and only had a quick try then away for Xmas. I ordered some sheepskin earpads as that seems to be highly recommended (also a cheap headband wrap), I think at some point I'll get a qudelix 5k but I'm cautiously bullish. It's hard to get proper opinions as audio elites hate closed backs and many reviews were completed on them at a price point WAY above $329. The build quality seems excellent for the price and from what I understand the new earpads will sort out plenty of shortcomings, if they don't then an EQ will.
Oh and comfort wise they seem great compared to any Sennheiser I've tried so I think it may even depend on headshape as much as size (also if you got hair I guess).Ok I got carried away as saw a Qudelix 5k for $130 so will give them every chance. Puts me in at $496.60 all in which if all goes well will be just fine!
enjoying these a lot so far, actually sort've amazed just 10 mins ago at how much better vocals are vs on my (admittedly not all that flash) Sennheiser HD 599
- 1
- 2
A loaner pair?
Cool story.