[Rayansb]

Left driver is dead. RIP. 

 

[JuanCamiloso]

  Loved your review.  Couldn't agree more, that setting the volume is the hardest part of this headphone.  I have made that comment 20 times in this thread as I am constantly befuddled by the Elear.  My relationship with it can only be described as complicated.  I love it, hate it, enjoy it and know I can't live without it.  When I set the volume right on my favorite music, it sounds so realistic and visceral.  When I don't, fatigue sets in and I sense a graininess and recession of the mids.  Round and round, back and forth I go.  I guess that makes them complex and wonderful in their own right.

 
About the volume control, I had the same problem when I used to feed the Elears with a Project polaris. A couple of weeks ago I got an audi-gd NFB-1AMP and now I am running the Elears balanced with it. I find it an amazing pairing. On top of that the relay based volume control of the amp lets me set the volume always at a precise point. Really nice stuff.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Tried them out with an Elemental Watson today. 
 
To put it mildly... I understand the hype. My lord. My endgame is now a decision between the Elear and the HD800s, and I honestly can't decide. I'm leaning toward Elear because I'm a metal guy and I value impact over soundstage, but still.

 

[GI-Mike]

Love these cans, after 6 mths comparison between my Shure 1440~1840s and my Senn 650s the Focal to my ears is a clear winner. Im using a Joutenheim amp, tried both single end and balanced cables, balanced is better by a small margin, To me these are so efficient that low gain really hits the sweet spot because volume and gain is really Key with these cans.

 

[abvolt]

  Left driver is dead. RIP. 

I don't like hearing that I want these hp's to last for years..Too bad dude 

 

[Rayansb]

I don't like hearing that I want these hp's to last for years..Too bad dude 

They're really fantastic headphones! I guess I just got a bad one!

 

[GI-Mike]

Sorry please explain  what you  mean "scared" of what, trolls like you need to  go away...

All the Senn fanboys are scared..

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Sorry please explain  what you  mean "scared" of what, trolls like you need to  go away...

All the Senn fanboys are scared..

Scared of what? Senn fanboy checking in, not sure what I'm scared of haha

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

 

[norman88]

Love these cans, after 6 mths comparison between my Shure 1440~1840s and my Senn 650s the Focal to my ears is a clear winner. Im using a Joutenheim amp, tried both single end and balanced cables, balanced is better by a small margin, To me these are so efficient that low gain really hits the sweet spot because volume and gain is really Key with these cans.

 
Bought the Elears last week and have been trying them with the Jots as well, but had left it on high gain. I'll try low and see if it's better, thanks.

 

[peter2]

Scared of what? Senn fanboy checking in, not sure what I'm scared of haha

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Not sure I am a Senn boy, but I have both Focal Elear and HD800S. I really don't understand how anyone can value either as "better". They are so different open headphones can be. I love both. I have also ordered HD650 to compare with Focal Elear. I bought the HD650 the same year they were released, but sold them years ago. Now I am curious again Who knows, maybe I end up with just HD650 and HS800S. Then I would be a real Senn fan boy.

 

[jbsu30]

Honestly with Hi-Fi and maybe summit-Fi (not really experienced with it though) it really comes done to preferences. Most of the cans are very good and there is no "perfect" HP.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

 
Not sure I am a Senn boy, but I have both Focal Elear and HD800S. I really don't understand how anyone can value either as "better". They are so different open headphones can be. I love both. I have also ordered HD650 to compare with Focal Elear. I bought the HD650 the same year they were released, but sold them years ago. Now I am curious again Who knows, maybe I end up with just HD650 and HS800S. Then I would be a real Senn fan boy.

 
I'd say the Elear almost sounds like a big brother to the 650 in a way. Similar lush sound, big soundstage and all, but the 650 is palpably softer (dare I say veiled?) and doesn't have as much visceral impact. I can't give like a point by point comparison but I will say that if you like your Elears then the 650 will feel kinda like a smaller version of them.
 
From my limited experience, totally agree that there's no way to call the 800S or Elear objectively "better" just because of their differing presentation. The Elear is more intimate but dynamic, the 800S spacious and almost "polite". I feel like it might even come down to preferred genres. I'm leaning Elear mostly because I'm not a big listener of acoustic/jazz/orchestral so that concert hall feeling isn't as important to me. 

 

[peter2]

   
I'd say the Elear almost sounds like a big brother to the 650 in a way. Similar lush sound, big soundstage and all, but the 650 is palpably softer (dare I say veiled?) and doesn't have as much visceral impact. I can't give like a point by point comparison but I will say that if you like your Elears then the 650 will feel kinda like a smaller version of them.
 
From my limited experience, totally agree that there's no way to call the 800S or Elear objectively "better" just because of their differing presentation. The Elear is more intimate but dynamic, the 800S spacious and almost "polite". I feel like it might even come down to preferred genres. I'm leaning Elear mostly because I'm not a big listener of acoustic/jazz/orchestral so that concert hall feeling isn't as important to me. 

I'm listening almost exclusivly to the genres you mentioned, i.e. acoustic/jazz/classical and I think both Elear and HD800S give me stunning experiences. Listening to a good Jazz trio based on piano, bass and drums, for example, result in completly different listening experiences depending on HP choice. The Elear give me intimacy, powerful bass and drum impact while the HD800S let me experience a laid back, big image, with more focus on cymbals and piano. Most ECM albums, for example, have both an Elear type of quality, which the Elear brings forward, and an 800S type of quality the Senns excels in.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I'm listening almost exclusivly to the genres you mentioned, i.e. acoustic/jazz/classical and I think both Elear and HD800S give me stunning experiences. Listening to a good Jazz trio based on piano, bass and drums, for example, result in completly different listening experiences depending on HP choice. The Elear give me intimacy, powerful bass and drum impact while the HD800S let me experience a laid back, big image, with more focus on cymbals and piano. Most ECM albums, for example, have both an Elear type of quality, which the Elear brings forward, and an 800S type of quality the Senns excels in.

 


I can definitely see this, yeah. Me, though, my primary genre is metal (of all kinds), with a lesser emphasis on hip hop, some smatterings of dark americana and indie. The intimacy and impact are much higher up the priority chain for those because metal isn't really trying to make it sound like a big concert hall setting, y'know? It's all about preferences and tastes. No better, no worse.

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

@SomeGuyDude you should listen to Opeth on the Utopia dual mono through the Gold stack lol. I love the speed of the kick drums. Ill try Ether out on that same song by them, "Ghost of Perdition". Curious if it can hang as well.