While they are comfortable for long hours, they wonât isolate ambient chatter, and you will disturb colleagues with your music since they leak quite a lot. Iâm a lucky guy; Iâve heard almost all of the best headphones currently on the market, but I wasnât expecting something in that league from Focal. Black Dragon Premium Cable is an upgrade headphone cable to optimize the sound quality of your ⦠These headphones are designed for critical listening, and their open-back design doesnât isolate any noise for commuting or the office. So far, I have listened ⦠They have a nice grill on the cups and a well-padded headband. Made specifically for the Focal Elear headphones, it is our Top of the Line headphone cable. They are decently breathable thanks to their open-back design which helps with airflow. On the other hand, the Elear lets you hear a lot more of the sound around you, and the soundstage is more expansive than the PM-1’s. See our recommendations for the best audiophile headphones, the best wired headphones, and the best headphones for studio use. You can see what products we currently have for sale. This is not a cheap ⦠This shouldnât be too much of a problem since you shouldnât be carrying around critical listening open back headphones often. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 44Hz, which is decent. ), and I have a one-off flagship, and Zelda themed, Double Helix Cables balanced cable to pair it with. The GD graph also shows that the entire group delay response is below the audibility threshold. Minus However, you can use the box that they are packaged in as a case, but it adds a lot of bulk and won't be practical to carry around unless you have a really big bag or suitcase. Also, the Focal are slightly better-built headphones and feel sturdier. These are premium headphones made to enjoy in quiet environments to benefit from their open sound quality. However, if youâre gaming alone in a quiet room and have a stand-alone microphone, these could be great headphones to game with thanks to their wired connection, great comfort, and great sound. Also, due to the open-back design of these headphones, their soundstage may feel more open than that the closed-back counterpart Focal Elegia and Focal Stellia. Focal Elear. I found that cable to be rather thick and unwieldy for everyday use. 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Bad for commuting. No doubt â this was the missing item for the perfect sound experience. Bad leakage performance, but this is also expected by open-back headphones and part of their design. Over-ears usually trap heat under the ear cups, but the grille on the cups helps to lower the temperature. The Focal Elear are good open-back critical listening headphones. Focal Elear open-back wired headphones reviewExcellent sound qualityBeautiful designA little heavy9Overall ScoreSound9Design9.5Comfort8.5Value9We review a ton of consumer-focused headphones here at Headphone Review, but every now and then we get access to something truly special. They are open-back headphones and do not isolate any ambient noise, making them a bad choice for commute and travel, especially since they leak a lot, meaning people surrounding you will be disturbed by your music. $169.99 to $369.98. The cups are large and deep so that your ears donât touch the drivers. They are very well-built and very comfortable for long listening sessions thanks to ⦠Elear did a better job communicating the improvised rhythms; the LCD 2 Fazor sounded less immediate, less exciting. Low-bass is under our target curve by 4dB, and could lack thump and rumble, which is common to bass-heavy music like EDM, hip-hop and film scores. The Focal Elear are great critical listening headphones that have good audio reproduction and are one of the better-built headphones we’ve tested so far. Elear are audiophile open-backed headphones manufactured in France by Focal. The Focal Elear are very well-built headphones that have a solid, high-end design. The Focal Elear are kind of the âentry-levelâ models (yes, the others are even more expensive than around $1,600.) Focal ⦠Their sound signature is well-balanced and is versatile for a variety of music genres, especially classical and vocal-centric music. $1000. Free shipping. These over-ears are bulky, heavy, and not stable enough for physical activity. Iâm getting Focal Elears extremely soon (will be delivered in a few short days! Not only that, the headphone driver’s back-and-forth movement (excursion) is far greater than a tweeter’s, so its suspension and magnet structure have to accommodate a much larger range of movement than a dedicated tweeter. The Sennheiser have more accurate reproduction of the treble range than the Elear and also have a better speaker-like soundstage. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit were well-matched in frequency, amplitude, and phase. 14 comments. These headphones do not come with a case, which is disappointing since the closed-back variant Focal Elegia do. The treble delivery is also very consistent across multiple re-seat, especially under 10KHz. You can buy a Clear for a bit more then 1k now, the Elex is marketed as an "improved" Elear and it's priced at 700.00. because of these prices it no longer makes sense for Focal ⦠Be part of the most informed community and take advantage of our advanced tools to find the best product for your needs. Upgrade your Focal Radiance, Elear or Elegia headphones. They also interact more with the pinna and create a more open soundstage than the Focal. The downside to this, as with all openback headphones, is that they don’t block external sound, and people around you can hear the Elear’s sound. 13-foot-long cable is unwieldy. Even if these are bulky over-ears, they arenât flashy and donât necessarily stand out. Length 9ft (2.75m) with Cardas 4-Pin Male balanced plug (will fit Headphone amplifiers with 4-Pin XLR Jack) With concentric conductors, Clear Headphone is a ⦠It can improve the listening enjoyment of most high end headphones and it ⦠Both are great headphones, but the Sennheiser might be a better choice if you’re looking for your first pair of audiophile headphones. I’m surprised Focal didn’t also include a shorter cable, but aftermarket cables are readily available. The ⦠However, the Elear are open-back headphones, while the Elegia are the closed-back variant. No cherry-picked units sent by brands. These headphones are not the most stable and wonât be suitable for sports. One of the unusual design ⦠However, the lack of sub-bass is not too noticeable, especially on headphones. The Focal Elear do not have a dock. This suggests a decently large soundstage that may be perceived to be located inside the listener's head as opposed to in-front. Even if they have great sound quality and a long cable that should let you game from your couch, they do not have a microphone for online gaming. However, not everyone will have the same listening experience. It is the smaller sibling of the Utopia. $169.99 to $209.99. Arctic Cables Cardas Premium Cable for Focal Clear Elear Elex Elegia Stellia. The ear cups also donât swivel to lay flat. Enter Focal's universe. These headphones do not have an in-line remote with controls. The earcups will feel familiar ⦠read Aloha friend and Welcome aboard!! Super-easy to drive After an hour listening I tried hard but wasnât sucessfully when trying to get the smile out of ny face. However, there is not a 10KHz notch present. The Elear is an open-back, over-the-ear design using a 40mm aluminummagnesium dome driver. Yeah the Elear is on my radar and possibly will be last wired headphone........ You would be correct on the elear being one of the last wired headphones if audio fidelity wasn't a concern, because wireless tech won't be able to reproduce the audio quality of the wired headphones, for now at least. Both have good audio reproduction, but the open design of the Elear will give you a more speaker-like experience. Its 'Made in France' know-how has been recognised for more than 40 years. They donât put too much pressure on the head, and the materials used for the ear cup padding is cushiony and soft. Elear offers the ⦠The Focal Elear is an open over-ear dynamic headphone. 3-4 min. They are practically all-black, expect for the metallic silver finish on the cup hinges and logo. share. Their open design makes them a poor choice for any other use cases as they donât block any ambient noise and don't have a microphone or wireless technology. Looks like I'll soon be shopping for a new headphone amp! That one was even more dynamically alive, transparent, and spacious. They are very well-built and very comfortable for long listening sessions thanks to well-padded ear cups and headband. 3 watching. The Focal Elear are great looking headphones that have a high-end and premium feel. There is not a companion app for the Focal Elear headphones. This shouldnât be a problem for casual listening sessions. The PRTF graph shows a decent amount of pinna activation, with an average amount of accuracy. The Focal Elear have a great audio reproduction with good bass performance, an even and flat mid-range and decent but slightly veiled treble. That said, it slams real nice with Joti and ⦠They are very comfortable headphones for long listening sessions but may lack sub-bass for fans of bass. It retails for around ⬠1000.- to ⬠1200.-. They wonât be ideal for sports as you might sweat more than usual with these headphones on. The two Focal headphones look and feel similar; the difference in the sound is credited to the Utopia’s pure beryllium driver. We purchase our own headphones and To say Focal Elear headphones are an enormous value at $995 is to have a gift for understatement. Those advantages were apparent with CDs, but even more so with some of the better-sounding 192-kHz/24-bit hi-res files I had on hand, including soul singer Macy Gray’s new Stripped album. However, they lack sub-bass for bass fans. so that you can compare the results easily. Updates 12/4/19. Music in total intimacy. Many reviews of the Elear have praised it for its dynamic punch. The overall level of their leakage is quite loud too. This tool will clearly show you the differences, Use our data and table to find the best headphones for your needs, Want to see us review a specific headphones? This is important for the proper placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo field. Inspired by the best technology and acoustic research that went into designing Utopia, our flagship headphones, ⦠Elear is tonally richer and sweeter than the Utopia. The Sennheiser are one of the best-sounding headphones we’ve reviewed so far. The significant portion of their leakage is spread between 300Hz and 20KHz, which is very broad. The Focal Elear open-back dynamic headphone was officially released in late 2016 and remains in high demand and limited availability as they slowly trickle out of Focal⦠Like most over-ear headphones, the Elear are not very portable. The Focal Elear over-ear open-back headphones are inspired by the same technology and research that went into their flagship Utopia headphones. Their sound quality follows more our target curve with excellent mid and treble ranges. They have great audio reproduction, and you should use them in a quiet environment to benefit from their open design. They also have a detachable cable, which is convenient and easily replaceable if broken, which makes them more durable. for 30% upgrade. save hide report. The most remarkable thing about the sound is that it’s not so easy to get a handle on. The Utopia’s transparency is a big step up, though, and so is their price: $3,999! I’ve seen the naked driver out of the headphone, and while it looks like a speaker’s tweeter, the internal design is very different. They are passive headphones that do not require a battery. On the other hand, the closed design of the Elegia will isolate more and leak less, making them more versatile for outside use cases. Elear are audiophile open-backed headphones manufactured in France by Focal. Buy NewFantasia HiFi Cable with 4-pin XLR Balanced Male Compatible with Denon AH-D600, AH-D7200, AH-D7100, Meze 99 Classics, Focal Elear Headphones ⦠I’ve enjoyed their Spirit headphones for years, but Elear is radically different from what came before. Poor isolation and leakage performance, by design. Often, the balanced ⦠The Sennheiser HD 800 S are better headphones than the Focal Elear, but are also way more expensive. The Elear and the top-of-the-line Utopia headphones were designed from the ground up by Focal, with tooling developed by Focal engineers in a process consuming four years. Poor isolation by design. 2.5mm BALANCED Upgrade OCC Audio Cable F... 2.5mm BALANCED Upgrade OCC Audio Cable For SONY MDR-Z7 Z7M2 MDR-Z1R McIntosh Labs MHP1000 ONKYO A800 Focal ⦠Sub-par for gaming. The LCD 2 Fazor is known for its prodigious bass, but the Elear’s was just as deep. AT A GLANCE Although the Elear provide better value for use in a quiet listening room, the Stellia have deeper bass and also isolate more noise, which is better for use in environments with more ambient noise. On the contrary, the Elear almost seems rather politely mid-centric. The Focal Elears are a top contender for best headphones in their price class, while the Focal Utopias are one of the very best headphones on the planet. This thread is archived. 91% Upvoted. You might say the prime difference between the two is that the Elear disappears more. Just something to consider when purchasing one or the other is that one should research and find what is most suitable. Unsuitable for office. They have decent clamping force to help the headphones to stay in place, but they will come off fairly easily during physical activity. Over-ears also trap heat under their ear cups, making you sweat more than usual, even with an open-back design. The overall response is relatively well-balanced and even, which is important for producing accurate vocals and lead instruments but is slightly veiled. If youâre looking for headphones to watch TV without disturbing your household, they leak too much for that usage too. Elear comes with a 13-foot-long Y cable with 3.5mm plugs that connect to the left and right earcups, plus a 6.3mm plug for your amplifier. Inspired by the best technology and acoustic research that went into designing Utopia, our flagship headphones, ⦠For example, put on a pair of Oppo PM-1 open-back headphones, and you’ll feel a little cut off from your surroundings. Elear Circum-aural open-back audiophile headphones. This week we tested the Focal Elear hi-fi headphones, an open-back, circumaural model fitted with Focalâs own dynamic transducers.. Focal is an acclaimed French brand specializing in hi-fi products. The reason the Elear has dropped in price is because Focal priced themselves out of that range with their other headphones. The frequency response consistency is great. Poor for sports. They are too bulky and not stable enough for sports and donât have a microphone for online gaming. I also spent some time comparing Elear with Focal’s reference model, the Utopia. The Focal Elear have good bass. The maximum amount of deviation across our five human subjects is under 3dB at 20Hz, and the rest of the bass range is consistent. In a comparison with my Audeze LCD 2 Fazor headphones, the Elear is clearer and more open. Also, they could feel a bit tight on bigger heads. They’re beautifully crafted and a pleasure to use. Most of the build is metal, and the cups are large and well-made. The HiFiMan Ananda are better critical listening headphones than the Focal Elear. Weighted group delay is at 0.17, which is excellent. On the other hand, the Sennheiser have flatter treble, and they are more lightweight and stable on the head. Focal believes the M-dome allows an added degree of physical space in the earcup that allows the plane sound wave to fully develop much as it would in ⦠The Focal Elear are better open critical listening headphones than the Sennheiser HD 660 S. They aren’t as tight on the head and will be more comfortable for long listening sessions. Focal Elear to give a balanced connection to devices such as the Pono player or balanced XLR / TRRS amps The cable is very flexible, fairly lightweight and soft ⦠The whole build is almost all made out of metal, making the headphones very sturdy. The fact is that Focal hasn't been specific about how the Elear and Elex are different (I'm just seeing heresy that a spokesperson said differences in ⦠However, these results are only valid for our test unit, and yours may perform differently. New ⦠The Focal Elear is a world-class design, right up with the best of Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Grado, Hifiman, and Sennheiser’s ’phones. Overall, the Focal offer a better value than the Beyerdynamic. Article cleanup. Hand-crafted in France Overall, they have few moving parts that are susceptible to breaking and are made like premium headphones. 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