Focal Elear - Impressions Thread
Apr 11, 2017 at 7:38 PM Post #3,196 of 6,763
  @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.

 
Haha I actually threw Blackwater Park on when I tested them. The Drapery Falls specifically. Sounded incredibly, but... my ears were telling me Elear + Watson. 
 
Apr 12, 2017 at 10:58 AM Post #3,197 of 6,763
   
Haha I actually threw Blackwater Park on when I tested them. The Drapery Falls specifically. Sounded incredibly, but... my ears were telling me Elear + Watson. 

This is quite interesting. I said I almost exclusivly listen to acoustic/jazz/classical. The fact is, I have 1 single rock album, it's the Opeth double album with Delviverance and Damnation. I have loved the album Damnation ever since I first heard it back in 2003/2004. I have made me listen to some of the other more growl, metal Opeth albums and I even foud some appriciation to them. Every person interested in music technology should listen to Damnation, very soft progressive rock that really brings out the best of headphones as the Elear or hd800S - in completly different ways of course.

 
Apr 12, 2017 at 11:11 AM Post #3,199 of 6,763
  This is quite interesting. I said I almost exclusivly listen to acoustic/jazz/classical. The fact is, I have 1 single rock album, it's the Opeth double album with Delviverance and Damnation. I have loved the album Damnation ever since I first heard it back in 2003/2004. I have made me listen to some of the other more growl, metal Opeth albums and I even foud some appriciation to them. Every person interested in music technology should listen to Damnation, very soft progressive rock that really brings out the best of headphones as the Elear or hd800S - in completly different ways of course.

Damnation really is wonderful. Windowpane is one of my favorite tracks of theirs. 
 
I still say Blackwater Park is their apex, though. It's the best marriage of their death metal and their progressive rock. At least to my ears.
 
If I'm allowed to throw some more kinda heavy music? Maudlin of the Well's Bath is a genuine masterpiece.
 

 
Apr 12, 2017 at 11:26 AM Post #3,200 of 6,763
  Damnation really is wonderful. Windowpane is one of my favorite tracks of theirs. 
 
I still say Blackwater Park is their apex, though. It's the best marriage of their death metal and their progressive rock. At least to my ears.
 
If I'm allowed to throw some more kinda heavy music? Maudlin of the Well's Bath is a genuine masterpiece.
 

 
Ah :) I had a quick listening session with a few songs on Tidal - with my speakers. Most songs, as 1, 3 and 4, were really beautiful. But I can say that I almost dropped my glasses when the second song started :frowning2: But I like to test my borders :) I will give it som more ear time tonight, with the Elears. And this time I will be prepared for some serious metal growl on some passages. 
 
Apr 12, 2017 at 11:33 AM Post #3,201 of 6,763
   
Ah :) I had a quick listening session with a few songs on Tidal - with my speakers. Most songs, as 1, 3 and 4, were really beautiful. But I can say that I almost dropped my glasses when the second song started :frowning2: But I like to test my borders :) I will give it som more ear time tonight, with the Elears. And this time I will be prepared for some serious metal growl on some passages. 

Haha sorry about that. I should have warned you. I do have a list of albums that are similar to this (and some with a lot less loudness and growling). Believe it or not, I even have a fully acoustic "metal" album in my collection! Not a single growl, no blast beats, no distorted guitars, yet somehow it's metal. 
 
Dolven - Navigating the Labyrinth
 

 
No more album links, though. In one month and ten days I will have my Elears!!
 
Apr 12, 2017 at 11:45 AM Post #3,202 of 6,763
  Haha sorry about that. I should have warned you. I do have a list of albums that are similar to this (and some with a lot less loudness and growling). Believe it or not, I even have a fully acoustic "metal" album in my collection! Not a single growl, no blast beats, no distorted guitars, yet somehow it's metal. 
 
Dolven - Navigating the Labyrinth
 

 
No more album links, though. In one month and ten days I will have my Elears!!

 
I would not mind if you PM me that album list. Perhaps it's the Elears making me intrested in progressive rock (metal). I have listened alot to rock from the 70's before (my childhood music), but not recently. Perhaps it's time to give the Elears some Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. I guess it must be something special with headphones making you dive into music you normally are not listening to.
 
Apr 12, 2017 at 11:53 AM Post #3,203 of 6,763
   
I would not mind if you PM me that album list. Perhaps it's the Elears making me intrested in progressive rock (metal). I have listened alot to rock from the 70's before (my childhood music), but not recently. Perhaps it's time to give the Elears some Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. I guess it must be something special with headphones making you dive into music you normally are not listening to.

Sure thing! I'll start putting that together and shoot what I got. It won't be complete but there should be a lot of neat stuff. 
 
And don't forget King Crimson if you're going progressive!
 
Apr 14, 2017 at 12:15 AM Post #3,204 of 6,763
Hi guys. Bought Elear 5 days ago, burned around 60 hours with me listening to it from time to time. I gotta say this headphone looks gorgeous. But there is a problem for me that I never experienced on any headphone before. Listening to it is fatiguing and painful. There is a frequency in it around 1 kHz - 5 kHz that is really piercing my ear, I am not sure. I even own an HD800 (unmodded) and it is still ok, not painful, compared to it. Every sound quality of it is great except that upper midrange frequency that really hurts me. I am not sure if I have ear problems or I am just listening to it too loud. I am using it with mojo. Somehow really frustrated not because i did spend money to it, but I cannot enjoy some of the best headphones in the world, also afraid that other headphones that have the same tonality or speed will hurt my ears. Any suggestions what volumes you used it with mojo? anybody experience this? any suggestions or advice?
 
Apr 14, 2017 at 12:21 AM Post #3,205 of 6,763
The only area I can see the Elear having more energy than the HD800 is probably around 2k.  That frequency can make things a little shouty, but I never associate it with piercing.
 
If anything you might be compensating for the Elear's lack of presence around 4-6k that the HD800 has, and turning the volume up louder, so as a result you're listening to music overall louder than with the HD800.
 
Apr 14, 2017 at 1:04 AM Post #3,206 of 6,763
  The only area I can see the Elear having more energy than the HD800 is probably around 2k.  That frequency can make things a little shouty, but I never associate it with piercing.
 
If anything you might be compensating for the Elear's lack of presence around 4-6k that the HD800 has, and turning the volume up louder, so as a result you're listening to music overall louder than with the HD800.

 
I listen mainly with HD600 in fact, and somehow it is fine for me even in loud volumes. Even if i turn the volume way down, pain is gone, though it is somehow ringing into my ear that certain frequency, it is in the voice of the singers, specially if they are belting, most pronounce in a trumpet. I am somewhat sure something is wrong with my ear.
 
Apr 14, 2017 at 1:16 AM Post #3,207 of 6,763
From my experience, certain frequencies can produce ringing in your ear, a symptom of tinnitus if I'm not mistaken.  I couldn't stand to listen to the original HE-400 with it's 9kHz spike of death, it immediately made me cringe.  This might be the same for you.  
 
Elear does have a dip between 4-6kHz and then a sharp spike up at 9kHz.  I bet this is what's messing with your ears.
 
Apr 14, 2017 at 1:50 AM Post #3,208 of 6,763
Hi guys. Bought Elear 5 days ago, burned around 60 hours with me listening to it from time to time. I gotta say this headphone looks gorgeous. But there is a problem for me that I never experienced on any headphone before. Listening to it is fatiguing and painful. There is a frequency in it around 1 kHz - 5 kHz that is really piercing my ear, I am not sure. I even own an HD800 (unmodded) and it is still ok, not painful, compared to it. Every sound quality of it is great except that upper midrange frequency that really hurts me. I am not sure if I have ear problems or I am just listening to it too loud. I am using it with mojo. Somehow really frustrated not because i did spend money to it, but I cannot enjoy some of the best headphones in the world, also afraid that other headphones that have the same tonality or speed will hurt my ears. Any suggestions what volumes you used it with mojo? anybody experience this? any suggestions or advice?


I don't have the Elear but with the Utopia (same impedance and sensitivity) I listen around the red range, to the lower yellow range in the Mojo, depending on the track. Tyll noted how with the Elear setting the correct volume is crucial or it'll punch you in the face. Where do you have the Mojo set?
 
Apr 16, 2017 at 11:06 AM Post #3,209 of 6,763
Hi, i did take all your suggestions and consider things. What I assessed is that i am really listening to it very loud. Also as you have said guys, for the reason is that my ear is not accustomed to the sound signature of Elear. What i did is rest my ear for a day or two, try to listen to it again bit by bit in low volumes. Still adjusting, though in some moments I get to feel how elear really shines. Guess ill take more time with this.
 

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