Thanks for the great review.
I'm the "next guy" in Texas, and I did indeed receive the Elear safe and sound. I plan to ignore my Thanksgiving house guests to get some quality time with it. Stay tuned.
Focal Elear in stock and a loaner program!
- Thread starter Todd
- Start date
Thanks for the great review.
I'm the "next guy" in Texas, and I did indeed receive the Elear safe and sound. I plan to ignore my Thanksgiving house guests to get some quality time with it. Stay tuned.
Defiant00
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So, first off, big thanks to Todd for the loaner program, and sorry that this took so long to type up.
Listening was done at work through Bifrost MB and Asgard 2, and compared primarily to my HD800S, and briefly against HD600.
The Elear pads are nice and soft, so I'm not sure what the issue was, but it definitely was an issue throughout the week.
With that said, if I could only have one high-end dynamic, the HD800S is still for me. I prefer the HD800S sound signature and, quite a few months in, am still quite enamored with its detail and soundstage. It remains, to my ears, the best all-around headphone I've listened to for any real length of time.
Listening was done at work through Bifrost MB and Asgard 2, and compared primarily to my HD800S, and briefly against HD600.
Build
Build quality is good and definitely feels premium, although they do seem to be a bit heavy because of it. As I'm sure everyone is aware by now, the cable is silly, but does seem to be of good quality. The Elear creaks significantly less than my HD600, but still does occasionally if I turn my head the right way. The Elear also has probably my favorite size adjustment, with nice solid clicks that stay put when on my head or moving them around.Sound
Sound quality is quite good. They have a very punchy and dynamic sound with a bit of extra bass, but not to the point that I'd call them basshead cans. When coming from the HD800S they do seem to be lacking some treble, but overall the detail is there, just subdued. At the same time, going back to the HD800S after listening to the Elear all week made the HD800S seem pretty bright for the first couple songs. The Elear is a lot of fun to listen to, and to me it seems like an excellent companion set to the HD800S. Elear has good staging and instrument placement, but cannot compete with the HD800S for soundstage size. The Elear is a very in-your-head sound, but positioning within that space is good. Dynamics are a hard thing to quantify, but I do agree that the Elear is a very punchy and dynamic headphone, making music very exciting to listen to.Comfort
Comfort is super-subjective, but for me personally Elear < HD800S < HD600 (which are my most comfortable cans). They are still reasonably comfortable, but I had to adjust them every hour or so and take breaks due to pressure on my jaw. For what it's worth, I also thought LCD-2s were fine, and MA900 gave me headaches for some reason, so clearly my head is weird The Elear pads are nice and soft, so I'm not sure what the issue was, but it definitely was an issue throughout the week.Conclusion
So, for me the Elear is interesting. It is a clearly well-built, nice sounding headphone that offers a more energetic and fun presentation than my HD800S. If I was going to get another $1k-ish headphone, the Elear would be at the top of the list, as it really is a different-enough sound that I think it'd be worth owning both, and being able to switch between the two would alleviate most of my comfort concerns, since that mostly cropped up during longer listening sessions. I previously thought that an LCD-2 would be my first choice for second cans (having enjoyed owning them for over a year before), but I think from memory that I would probably pick the Elear now instead.With that said, if I could only have one high-end dynamic, the HD800S is still for me. I prefer the HD800S sound signature and, quite a few months in, am still quite enamored with its detail and soundstage. It remains, to my ears, the best all-around headphone I've listened to for any real length of time.
This is the second of Todd's wonderful loaner programs that I've participated in, and he's a true treasure on head-fi for offering them.
I just spent a very enjoyable week with the Focal Elear. We had some house guests over the Thanksgiving break, so I was able to give a few high-end novices a taste of what good head-fi can sound like. I'm happy to report that several minds were suitably blown!
I laughed when I read @Defiant00's review because my impressions are so similar. Thanks to him, my review can be much shorter.
Background
My current rig consists of the Ayre Codex DAC feeding the Cavalli Liquid Gold amp driving the HD800 (with SD mod). The path is fully balanced, using Ayre Signature XLR interconnects, and the Moon Audio Black Dragon balanced headphone cable. I've spent the better part of a year optimizing my system for the HD800, and it is at a point now where it is really sounding lovely.
But wait - certain genres and certain less-than-high quality recordings in my system sound rather unpleasant on my HD800's. In my experience, the HD800 is unparalleled for classical music, especially well-recorded high-resolution recordings, of which I have many in my DSD collection. Its resolution and imaging for orchestral music is just magical. This is also true of other primarily acoustic genres like jazz. However for my other favorite genres - classic and progressive rock - the HD800 can sound a bit thin and be quite fatiguing. Even on my rig.
What to do? What about a reasonably priced complementary companion headphone? Unlike Tyll at Inner Fidelity, the HD800 was not going to leave my wall of fame anytime soon. Perhaps the Utopia would tick all my boxes, but at a considerable cost.
Enter the Elear. From the reports, it seemed like it might fit the bill. Did it? Let's find out.
Comfort and Fit
I won't repeat all that's been written about this. This is a very comfortable headphone. One thing about the ear cups - my ears barely fit in them. They are a bit cozy. Maybe I have big ears, or more likely, have gotten used to the cavernous space of the HD800. I initially thought this would be a showstopper, but to my pleasant surprise, it ended up being a non-issue. But if you have - or think you have - bigger ears, do try them on for yourself.
Sonic Impressions
Here I will just echo @Defiant00's comments. What he said.
Coincidentally, I'd just bought some Steve Wilson mixes in high-res (96/24) of Aqualung, Fragile, and The Yes Album. Listening to these on the Elear brought a smile to my face. No harshness whatsoever, and just smooth. I love the bass on the Elear. It is meatier than the HD800, but sounds just right.
I also fired up a couple of my recordings that sounded harsh on the HD800 - Band on the Run (96/24) and The Electric Light Orchestra (96/24). Wow. The fatigue factor was gone.
Comparison with the HD800
The Elear is no match for the HD800 on imaging or resolution, and aren't that impressive on classical music. But that's not what I was looking for anyway.
On non-classical genres, especially with treble energy, the Elear was much more enjoyable to listen to, and the heftier bass was most welcome. Even here, the HD800 pulled ahead for higher-quality recordings. For example, my SACD's of Wish You Were Here, and especially my SHM-SACD of Breakfast in America sounded better on the HD800.
Conclusion
I evaluated the Focal Elear for a very specific purpose - as a companion to my HD800 for non-classical music. I have to say that for this purpose, I fell in love with them over the week they were here. I don't know of a better headphone in this price range that can match them. I used to own an HD650 for many years and remember it well. While the Elear does remind me of the HD650, it is so much better. The bass is far more articulate, and there is no "Sennheiser veil."
I've also listened to Audeze LCD-X and LCD-2's in the past, and found them to be too bassy, while also recessed in the treble. Not to mention, heavy. I haven't heard the Audioquest Nighthawk, but such is life.
The Elear is true standout. I've already contacted Todd about acquiring a pair.
I just spent a very enjoyable week with the Focal Elear. We had some house guests over the Thanksgiving break, so I was able to give a few high-end novices a taste of what good head-fi can sound like. I'm happy to report that several minds were suitably blown!
I laughed when I read @Defiant00's review because my impressions are so similar. Thanks to him, my review can be much shorter.
Background
My current rig consists of the Ayre Codex DAC feeding the Cavalli Liquid Gold amp driving the HD800 (with SD mod). The path is fully balanced, using Ayre Signature XLR interconnects, and the Moon Audio Black Dragon balanced headphone cable. I've spent the better part of a year optimizing my system for the HD800, and it is at a point now where it is really sounding lovely.
But wait - certain genres and certain less-than-high quality recordings in my system sound rather unpleasant on my HD800's. In my experience, the HD800 is unparalleled for classical music, especially well-recorded high-resolution recordings, of which I have many in my DSD collection. Its resolution and imaging for orchestral music is just magical. This is also true of other primarily acoustic genres like jazz. However for my other favorite genres - classic and progressive rock - the HD800 can sound a bit thin and be quite fatiguing. Even on my rig.
What to do? What about a reasonably priced complementary companion headphone? Unlike Tyll at Inner Fidelity, the HD800 was not going to leave my wall of fame anytime soon. Perhaps the Utopia would tick all my boxes, but at a considerable cost.
Enter the Elear. From the reports, it seemed like it might fit the bill. Did it? Let's find out.
Comfort and Fit
I won't repeat all that's been written about this. This is a very comfortable headphone. One thing about the ear cups - my ears barely fit in them. They are a bit cozy. Maybe I have big ears, or more likely, have gotten used to the cavernous space of the HD800. I initially thought this would be a showstopper, but to my pleasant surprise, it ended up being a non-issue. But if you have - or think you have - bigger ears, do try them on for yourself.
Sonic Impressions
Here I will just echo @Defiant00's comments. What he said.
Coincidentally, I'd just bought some Steve Wilson mixes in high-res (96/24) of Aqualung, Fragile, and The Yes Album. Listening to these on the Elear brought a smile to my face. No harshness whatsoever, and just smooth. I love the bass on the Elear. It is meatier than the HD800, but sounds just right.
I also fired up a couple of my recordings that sounded harsh on the HD800 - Band on the Run (96/24) and The Electric Light Orchestra (96/24). Wow. The fatigue factor was gone.
Comparison with the HD800
The Elear is no match for the HD800 on imaging or resolution, and aren't that impressive on classical music. But that's not what I was looking for anyway.
On non-classical genres, especially with treble energy, the Elear was much more enjoyable to listen to, and the heftier bass was most welcome. Even here, the HD800 pulled ahead for higher-quality recordings. For example, my SACD's of Wish You Were Here, and especially my SHM-SACD of Breakfast in America sounded better on the HD800.
Conclusion
I evaluated the Focal Elear for a very specific purpose - as a companion to my HD800 for non-classical music. I have to say that for this purpose, I fell in love with them over the week they were here. I don't know of a better headphone in this price range that can match them. I used to own an HD650 for many years and remember it well. While the Elear does remind me of the HD650, it is so much better. The bass is far more articulate, and there is no "Sennheiser veil."
I've also listened to Audeze LCD-X and LCD-2's in the past, and found them to be too bassy, while also recessed in the treble. Not to mention, heavy. I haven't heard the Audioquest Nighthawk, but such is life.
The Elear is true standout. I've already contacted Todd about acquiring a pair.
Austinpop nice review sir, I am super excited to give these a whirl today/tomorrow. They must be really really good if one of the users had his dog listen to them ? Lol. I don't have any kind of special amp to run them off of. But i did purchase the new Fiio A5 just so it's amped. Because i know my source can't power these even remotely close to capacity. I never got into buying a high end amp as of yet. Still searching for that perfect can in a non perfect world.
Don't worry, they're not hard to drive. You should be ok. The nice thing about these loaner programs is that you get to read about the gear in different systems, so you get a sense of how they synergize and scale.
It will be good to get your impressions.
Enjoy your week!
Sounds good brother. These headphones should apply for frequent flyer miles lol. They have been around the country quite a bit since Sept.
So... My wonderful shipping company did not deliver my amp to pair with the headphones. But running out of a pos galaxy s6. Which is not powerful enough for the bass. But I'm loving these. Hopefully by tomorrow when the amp arrives I can finally do some extensive listening. But I truly love them so far. Just my pre-review
So first off, thanks again to Todd for making this loaner program a reality, and my apologies for the week delay in putting up my impressions from my time with the Elear.
First impressions - a quality piece of hardware..........no question. The box, presentation and looks are first class all the way. The Elear feels quality, looks quality and is built like a tank with refined fit and finish. Overall the looks of the headphone are basic and understated - it's classic looks and feel in your hands like a well made piece of equipment.
How I listen - all I own are vintage speaker amps - 8 systems in all and all in use in various locations. Pioneer is my manufacturer of choice and the flagship is the Spec 1 pre/Spec 2 amp combo in the rack system shown below. I feed it with either an iPhone6 through a NuForce iDo DAC, a Pioneer CD player or you guessed it, a Pioneer vintage turntable. For the Elear audition I played a variety of Smooth Jazz music (Paul Harcastle, Paul Taylor, Rick Braun to name a few artists), Rush 2112 and for a change of genre, a bit of classical in the form of The Nutcracker (a favorite of mine from my daughter's ballerina days dancing the lead in a local production of the Nutcracker).
A few initial comments - the Elear felt heavy to me and the clamp was a bit tighter than I preferred (and I like a firm clamp) much like the Senn 650 but because of the added weight it felt a bit too tight, too heavy, and therefore a bit on the uncomfortable side to me. The next item I noticed was how CLOSED they sound to me - even putting my hands around the cups had little impact on the soundstaging so honestly it was a bit of a surprise. Also a surprise - how dark they are - very bass-capable, normally a huge plus in my book as I'm a reformed/audiophile basshead. My system allows for both EQ (both with the tone controls of my Spec 1 preamp and in the form of a hardware EQ in the chain) as well as electronic EQ profiling (both with the iPhone6 app I run my playlists through - EQ10 which I highly recommend by the way and my Chase RLC-1 remote control/preamp) which allows for a huge amount of fine tuning ability. So for the purists, I am the anti-purist I guess - I like being able to make the music sound exactly how I want it.
Overall sound - the thing is............I have a pair of HE-6's that are fully modded and fed from the Spec system from the speaker taps and honestly, after owning and/or auditioning over 60 headphones now, nothing comes close to the HE-6. Nothing. The bass on them is visceral and the overall sound to my ears is almost to the point that I wonder if anything can beat them. So the Elear had an uphill battle on it's hands - I chose to not listen to the HE-6 for a few days before the Elear arrived and did not A/B them against each other till the final day of having the Elear in the house - I wanted to let my mind acclimate to the Elear sound and see if it was a possible replacement for the HE-6. Well, the Elear sounds good - very good, but it is not a HE-6 killer - the search continues - not that I want to replace the HE-6 but if I find something better I WILL switch.
What I felt was outstanding on the Elear was the tonal quality - I'm not sure how to describe it but the sound was just so................good. Very musical and crisp with all areas sounding excellent - treble, bass and mids are well represented. Mids especially were a nice revelation - female vocals (Hardcastle has his daughter do vocals on some of his songs) are excellent. I kept going back to the disappointment I felt though with the closed in sound - I love open back headphones and these just didn't sound like an open back headphone. Listened to a few key passages off the Nutcracker CD, comparing the HE-6 and Elear and the HD700. The Elear clearly was the most closed in sound - though the positional cues were good they still were in my head - if that makes any sense.
Overall I'd put the Elear in my top 5 - below the HE-6, Dharma (which is my second favorite open back), HD800 (anyone who thinks they are bass light has not heard them out of a vintage speaker amp!) Denon LA7000 all best it in my preferences.
First impressions - a quality piece of hardware..........no question. The box, presentation and looks are first class all the way. The Elear feels quality, looks quality and is built like a tank with refined fit and finish. Overall the looks of the headphone are basic and understated - it's classic looks and feel in your hands like a well made piece of equipment.
How I listen - all I own are vintage speaker amps - 8 systems in all and all in use in various locations. Pioneer is my manufacturer of choice and the flagship is the Spec 1 pre/Spec 2 amp combo in the rack system shown below. I feed it with either an iPhone6 through a NuForce iDo DAC, a Pioneer CD player or you guessed it, a Pioneer vintage turntable. For the Elear audition I played a variety of Smooth Jazz music (Paul Harcastle, Paul Taylor, Rick Braun to name a few artists), Rush 2112 and for a change of genre, a bit of classical in the form of The Nutcracker (a favorite of mine from my daughter's ballerina days dancing the lead in a local production of the Nutcracker).
A few initial comments - the Elear felt heavy to me and the clamp was a bit tighter than I preferred (and I like a firm clamp) much like the Senn 650 but because of the added weight it felt a bit too tight, too heavy, and therefore a bit on the uncomfortable side to me. The next item I noticed was how CLOSED they sound to me - even putting my hands around the cups had little impact on the soundstaging so honestly it was a bit of a surprise. Also a surprise - how dark they are - very bass-capable, normally a huge plus in my book as I'm a reformed/audiophile basshead. My system allows for both EQ (both with the tone controls of my Spec 1 preamp and in the form of a hardware EQ in the chain) as well as electronic EQ profiling (both with the iPhone6 app I run my playlists through - EQ10 which I highly recommend by the way and my Chase RLC-1 remote control/preamp) which allows for a huge amount of fine tuning ability. So for the purists, I am the anti-purist I guess - I like being able to make the music sound exactly how I want it.
Overall sound - the thing is............I have a pair of HE-6's that are fully modded and fed from the Spec system from the speaker taps and honestly, after owning and/or auditioning over 60 headphones now, nothing comes close to the HE-6. Nothing. The bass on them is visceral and the overall sound to my ears is almost to the point that I wonder if anything can beat them. So the Elear had an uphill battle on it's hands - I chose to not listen to the HE-6 for a few days before the Elear arrived and did not A/B them against each other till the final day of having the Elear in the house - I wanted to let my mind acclimate to the Elear sound and see if it was a possible replacement for the HE-6. Well, the Elear sounds good - very good, but it is not a HE-6 killer - the search continues - not that I want to replace the HE-6 but if I find something better I WILL switch.
What I felt was outstanding on the Elear was the tonal quality - I'm not sure how to describe it but the sound was just so................good. Very musical and crisp with all areas sounding excellent - treble, bass and mids are well represented. Mids especially were a nice revelation - female vocals (Hardcastle has his daughter do vocals on some of his songs) are excellent. I kept going back to the disappointment I felt though with the closed in sound - I love open back headphones and these just didn't sound like an open back headphone. Listened to a few key passages off the Nutcracker CD, comparing the HE-6 and Elear and the HD700. The Elear clearly was the most closed in sound - though the positional cues were good they still were in my head - if that makes any sense.
Overall I'd put the Elear in my top 5 - below the HE-6, Dharma (which is my second favorite open back), HD800 (anyone who thinks they are bass light has not heard them out of a vintage speaker amp!) Denon LA7000 all best it in my preferences.
I will start my review with a big thank you to Todd for my opportunity in this review !!!, It was a roller coaster poop show in obtaining an amp in time for this review. My amp was lost in the mail. The shipping company decided to use it in one of there own vehicles it seems. Because it never showed up.
Amp used : Fiio A3 - WIth the power equivalent to a paper airplane pushed out by a hot air balloon. It barely drove the Elear to volumes i wanted them at.
Box presentation : The box came nicely packaged from the loaner before me. The actual box to the headphones screams QUALITY ! to me. I love the all black, sleek design to it, and stylish interior.
Cable : This section deserves a mention on it's own. The cable is ridiculous! and i mean that in the most negative way. Was it's length meant for you to tie yourself to a chair ? Because it's so Long that you have to tie it to something. The thickness of it and weight is also a very big concern. It's a very uncomfortable cable. It's to freaking heavy/thick/long.
Headphone design : I LOVE the look of the headphones themselves. The all black metal mesh cups, With the silver Hinges, Silver Logo, And writing. They look a lot better in person than in Pictures. It's a knock out design wise for me.
Comfort/Fit : Well, they are comfortable but heavier than all my cans, After i move them about on my head for at-least a few minutes in each listening session than they became comfortable. Due to the cups sitting in a weird spot under my ear lob. The headband is comfortable, The weight doesn't bother me much, but the cable weight pulls down on them a little if you don't hold the slack on your legs during listening so it's a real pain in the rear end, to constantly monitor the cable's location. The worse cable in the history of headphones. I just had to mention it a second time, because it's a choice that baffles my designer senses in which it was chosen over any other choice available.
Music choice : Various, Rap/Hip-hop,Rock,Indie,Techno/Trance. Artist ? to many to list here. My music addiction added 3,000 songs in 12 months alone.
Vocals ; The male/Female vocals sounded GREAT !!!! Boy, finally a headphone that pulled me in, smacked me around! and threw me out!, wanting to be hit face first with sound again !!!!
So for the next 7 days i been dealing with this relationship wanting more and more. They we're CLEAR !, CRISP, Tasty !. They sounded natural, Very organic in performance.
Upper treble : No to any kind of sibilance in the highs what so ever, Never any kind of cringe worthy moments in any of the songs that i listened to. And i mentioned that i spent a lot of time hearing everything i could catch. I'm not that familiarized with how to properly word what i'm hearing in the highs what so ever, I'm more mid's and bass oriented.
Mids : They are full, in you're face and sounding very good. Or maybe it's a mixture of the smooth bass response at lower volumes, I'll get to in the below section. I heard all the back ground sounds very clearly with a nice smooth punch behind them. Drums we're presented smoothly in separate locations in the sound spectrum.
Bass : Okay, here is where it went from AWESOME, to a let down
, because the headphones had a rattling noise, distortion in the above 3/4 volume mark in all my listening sessions. During drum and bass, And Hip-hop/Rap. If the next reviewer get's them and hears what i heard, Than they might be defective. This was my first actual review, so maybe i was doing something wrong. I don't know. But the bass sounded excellent in lower volumes. Full, thick, tight. Just like my ladies. There was overall weight to the sound, thanks to the bass section.
Overall conclusion : The hardest part to this first newbie review done by me is ..... Packing them back up and sending them out ! Going over all the steps in reverse of unpacking them in the first place. They sounded borderline intoxicating to me !!!! i listened to so many songs i was drunk off music i need music anonymous to open up shop. Eyes closed, and i heard heaven calling me home. This is not hype. I love these things A-LOT. In January i will be placing an order on these, and some other ones. But this is not about another lady. This is about you Elear lol.
I might not be a qualified professional, But i'm a writer/Producer in my spare time. So i naturally know what sounds good.
Thank you very much for this opportunity.
Amp used : Fiio A3 - WIth the power equivalent to a paper airplane pushed out by a hot air balloon. It barely drove the Elear to volumes i wanted them at.
Box presentation : The box came nicely packaged from the loaner before me. The actual box to the headphones screams QUALITY ! to me. I love the all black, sleek design to it, and stylish interior.
Cable : This section deserves a mention on it's own. The cable is ridiculous! and i mean that in the most negative way. Was it's length meant for you to tie yourself to a chair ? Because it's so Long that you have to tie it to something. The thickness of it and weight is also a very big concern. It's a very uncomfortable cable. It's to freaking heavy/thick/long.
Headphone design : I LOVE the look of the headphones themselves. The all black metal mesh cups, With the silver Hinges, Silver Logo, And writing. They look a lot better in person than in Pictures. It's a knock out design wise for me.
Comfort/Fit : Well, they are comfortable but heavier than all my cans, After i move them about on my head for at-least a few minutes in each listening session than they became comfortable. Due to the cups sitting in a weird spot under my ear lob. The headband is comfortable, The weight doesn't bother me much, but the cable weight pulls down on them a little if you don't hold the slack on your legs during listening so it's a real pain in the rear end, to constantly monitor the cable's location. The worse cable in the history of headphones. I just had to mention it a second time, because it's a choice that baffles my designer senses in which it was chosen over any other choice available.
Music choice : Various, Rap/Hip-hop,Rock,Indie,Techno/Trance. Artist ? to many to list here. My music addiction added 3,000 songs in 12 months alone.
Vocals ; The male/Female vocals sounded GREAT !!!! Boy, finally a headphone that pulled me in, smacked me around! and threw me out!, wanting to be hit face first with sound again !!!!
So for the next 7 days i been dealing with this relationship wanting more and more. They we're CLEAR !, CRISP, Tasty !. They sounded natural, Very organic in performance.
Upper treble : No to any kind of sibilance in the highs what so ever, Never any kind of cringe worthy moments in any of the songs that i listened to. And i mentioned that i spent a lot of time hearing everything i could catch. I'm not that familiarized with how to properly word what i'm hearing in the highs what so ever, I'm more mid's and bass oriented.
Mids : They are full, in you're face and sounding very good. Or maybe it's a mixture of the smooth bass response at lower volumes, I'll get to in the below section. I heard all the back ground sounds very clearly with a nice smooth punch behind them. Drums we're presented smoothly in separate locations in the sound spectrum.
Bass : Okay, here is where it went from AWESOME, to a let down
, because the headphones had a rattling noise, distortion in the above 3/4 volume mark in all my listening sessions. During drum and bass, And Hip-hop/Rap. If the next reviewer get's them and hears what i heard, Than they might be defective. This was my first actual review, so maybe i was doing something wrong. I don't know. But the bass sounded excellent in lower volumes. Full, thick, tight. Just like my ladies. There was overall weight to the sound, thanks to the bass section.Overall conclusion : The hardest part to this first newbie review done by me is ..... Packing them back up and sending them out ! Going over all the steps in reverse of unpacking them in the first place. They sounded borderline intoxicating to me !!!! i listened to so many songs i was drunk off music i need music anonymous to open up shop. Eyes closed, and i heard heaven calling me home. This is not hype. I love these things A-LOT. In January i will be placing an order on these, and some other ones. But this is not about another lady. This is about you Elear lol.
I might not be a qualified professional, But i'm a writer/Producer in my spare time. So i naturally know what sounds good.
Thank you very much for this opportunity.
[COLOR=FF0000]I will start my review with a big thank you to Todd for my opportunity in this review !!!,[/COLOR] It was a roller coaster poop show in obtaining an amp in time for this review. My amp was lost in the mail. The shipping company decided to use it in one of there own vehicles it seems. Because it never showed up.
Amp used : Fiio A3 - WIth the power equivalent to a paper airplane pushed out by a hot air balloon. It barely drove the Elear to volumes i wanted them at.
[COLOR=FF0000]Box presentation[/COLOR] : The box came nicely packaged from the loaner before me. The actual box to the headphones screams QUALITY ! to me. I love the all black, sleek design to it, and stylish interior.
Cable : This section deserves a mention on it's own. The cable is ridiculous! and i mean that in the most negative way. Was it's length meant for you to tie yourself to a chair ? Because it's so Long that you have to tie it to something. The thickness of it and weight is also a very big concern. It's a very uncomfortable cable. It's to freaking heavy/thick/long.
[COLOR=FF0000]Headphone design[/COLOR] : I LOVE the look of the headphones themselves. The all black metal mesh cups, With the silver Hinges, Silver Logo, And writing. They look a lot better in person than in Pictures. It's a knock out design wise for me.
Comfort/Fit : Well, they are comfortable but heavier than all my cans, After i move them about on my head for at-least a few minutes in each listening session than they became comfortable. Due to the cups sitting in a weird spot under my ear lob. The headband is comfortable, The weight doesn't bother me much, but the cable weight pulls down on them a little if you don't hold the slack on your legs during listening so it's a real pain in the rear end, to constantly monitor the cable's location. The worse cable in the history of headphones. I just had to mention it a second time, because it's a choice that baffles my designer senses in which it was chosen over any other choice available.
[COLOR=FF0000]Music choice : Various, Rap/Hip-hop,Rock,Indie,Techno/Trance. Artist ? to many to list here. I my music addiction added 3,000 songs in 12 months alone. [/COLOR]
Vocals ; The male/Female vocals sounded GREAT !!!! Boy, finally a headphone that pulled me in, smacked me around! and threw me out!, wanting to be hit face first with sound again !!!!
So for the next 7 days i been dealing with this relationship wanting more and more. They we're CLEAR !, CRISP, Tasty !. They sounded natural, Very organic in performance.
[COLOR=FF0000]Upper treble[/COLOR] : No to any kind of sibilance in the highs what so ever, Never any kind of cringe worthy moments in any of the songs that i listened to. And i mentioned that i spent a lot of time hearing everything i could catch. I'm not that familiarized with how to properly word what i'm hearing in the highs what so ever, I'm more mid's and bass oriented.
Mids : They are full, in you're face and sounding very good. Or maybe it's a mixture of the smooth bass response at lower volumes, I'll get to in the below section. I heard all the back ground sounds very clearly with a nice smooth punch behind them. Drums we're presented smoothly in separate locations in the sound spectrum.
[COLOR=FF0000]Bass[/COLOR] : Okay, here is where it went from AWESOME, to a let down
Overall conclusion : The hardest part to this first newbie review done by me is ..... Packing them back up and sending them out ! Going over all the steps in reverse of unpacking them in the first place. They sounded borderline intoxicating to me !!!! i listened to so many songs i was drunk off music i need music anonymous to open up shop. Eyes closed, and i heard heaven calling me home. This is not hype. I love these things A-LOT. In January i will be placing an order on these, and some other ones. But this is not about another lady. This is about you Elear lol.
I might not be a qualified professional, But i'm a writer/Producer in my spare time. So i naturally know what sounds good.
[COLOR=FF0000]Thank you very much for this opportunity. [/COLOR]
Cool review!
Regarding that distortion you heard at high volume - that may well be clipping. Since you mentioned you had to use an underpowered amp.
As you know, I had it before you and heard nothing like that. But then, one thing my amp (Cavalli LAu) definitely isn't is underpowered!
I heard it on one song with deep bass directly through the phone. It sounds like something rattling. Back and forth. I would never attempt to take something apart that isn't mine. It was on the very first day that i heard it. I need to hear another pair. If this same problem persists than i may just like these higher in volume.
Austinpop, You're amp was a Boeing compared to my baby paper airplane lol.
Now that I read this, it reminded me of a couple of "interesting" sounds the Elear made trying to reproduce some strong bass notes - it certainly isn't being underpowered in my case but it was only on a song by Fourplay with one heck of a bass drop (Silver Streak track on the Silver CD at the 4:20 mark it shakes the head it's such a low note). At first I wondered if it was the amp or headphones but after testing the HE-6 and LA7000 it was definitely the Elear. Backed off the bass tone and never happened again nor did the headphone sound any different after this event.
Which makes me wonder - what is the max power these are intended to handle?
vc1187
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After the busy holidays, I'm just now getting around to posting my review of the Focal Elear. Thank you Todd for giving me the opportunity to listen, experiment, and enjoy the Elear in my personal system.
I'd like to preface the review with a little bit of background information. I've been actively involved in the world of 'higher-end' headphones since 2011. Ever since 2011, not only has my passion for music grown, but my preference in sound signature has changed. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to attend several mid-sized meets (20-30 people) and host a few nano/micro-meets (4-6 people). This has helped me to realize that this hobby is truly fascinating, and there are endless possibilities when it comes to hearing music a different way.
In my opinion, the most important aspect of good equipment for music reproduction is how well it synergizes - how well the chain of equipment works together to make the music flow tonally, effortlessly, and emotionally. Improvements in technicalities (frequency response, soundstage, imaging, etc.) are methods of moving towards one's personal opinion of what qualifies as a synergistic chain of equipment. In the simplest terms, if the last change that you make to your audio chain subdues the desire to continue to tinker with what you're hearing, you have found synergy. These changes can be as small as cable or vacuum tube changes or as large as amp, dac, and even headphone changes.
That said, the amps I used to review the Focal Elear are tube amps because I enjoy the ability to change what I'm hearing by simply swapping a tube or tubes and also because I don't have any Solid State amplifiers in the stable at the moment.
I used the following equipment with the Focal Elear:
Source: iMac connected to NAD M51 via USB
Amps: Eddie Current Zana Deux and DNA Stratus
Tubes for ZD: ZD had stock rectifiers and power tubes but swapped around the driver tube: Sophia 6SL7, Mullard ECC35, RCA 5691 Red Base, Tung Sol 6SL7 Black Glass Round Plate
Tubes for Stratus: Rectifiers - RCA 5U4GB, GEC U52 Driver tubes: Cryoset 6N1P-EV, Westinghouse 6BQ7A 2A3 Power tubes: AVVT 2A3 Solid, AVVT 2A3 Mesh, KR Audio 2A3
While I was provided with a week to listen to the Elear, plans to travel were already in place and made it possible to only listen for 3 days... However, I spent many hours with the Elear during those 3 days, and it was more than enough time to formulate a strong opinion about these cans. I can appreciate any genre of music but have a preference towards jazz, vocal, acoustic, indie, classic, and alternative rock.
For reference, the other headphones that I own at the time of this review are the HD800 and HE1000.
Review
Build Quality and Fit
Coming from the HE1000, the build quality is miles ahead. From the box to the headphones, attention to detail was in abundance when designing these headphones. I really liked how the box had magnetic compartments for cable storage instead of velcro. This gives it a very luxurious feel and made it a very simple experience to pack and unpack everything. The headphones feel very sturdy and in my opinion, look great! The stock cable is somewhat annoying in that it's extremely long and rubbery. I didn't find this as annoying as some of the other reviewers here, but I did notice the increased weight due to the cable. Overall, the fit was pretty good, but I had an issue with my right ear touching the inside of the cup, which would eventually cause minor physical fatigue. It wasn't really noticeable with the headphones on, but once I took them off, I'd feel relief from a newly introduced soreness in the ear. Perhaps the shape of my head is abnormal, causing the headphones to angle towards the earlobe in unintended ways.
Sonic Impressions
Upon returning from work on the day of the Elear's arrival, I first plugged them into the DNA Stratus with my go-to tube combination for both the HD800 and HE1000: AVVT 2A3 Solid Plates, GEC U52, and Westinghouse 6BQ7A. My impression was that it was a nice pair of headphones with some weaknesses. At this point, I wasn't convinced that I'd pay $1K for the Elear. Compared to the HD800 and HE1000, the soundstage was tiny. Also, I was getting a bit of an over-energetic/shouty presentation with fast tracks.
I switched over to the Zana Deux with the RCA 5691 and was rewarded with a larger soundstage and a less energetic presentation, but the tonality sounded very strange and the staging didn't sound centered. Swapped in the Mullard ECC35 and the tonality and staging were slightly improved, but it still sounded sort of weird and additionally, the treble sounded inaccurate and rolled off. The Tung Sol 6SL7 BGRP sounded more crisp and clear compared to the other two tubes, and made the Elear very listenable. Regardless, with my high standards, I still wasn't convinced that I'd dish out the money for these over say... the HD800 which can now be purchased at around the price of an Elear.
I switched back to the DNA Stratus and spent hours testing many different tube combinations. Well... it was worth the effort. On tube combination number 6 or 7, I got extremely close to what I would've considered synergistic. The tube combination was the AVVT 2A3 Mesh Plates, RCA 5U4GB, and Cryoset 6N1P-EV. Music just began to flow through the Elear effortlessly and with authority. I couldn't believe that I was listening to the same pair of headphones. The soundstage expanded and sound seemed to materialize out of thin air within the boundaries of the soundstage. Zero fatigue, in fact: almost a negative amount of fatigue... Oh wait... that's what the problem was. Treble was rolled off to where excitement was dull.
Remembering the characteristic that each tube brought to the table, I perceived the issue to be the RCA 5U4GB rectifier, as that tube has a sweeter, bassy tone with a polite and rolled off treble.
I swapped in the GEC U52 and I struck gold. Perfect synergy was there, and I knew it. At that point, I stopped the exhaustive tube rolling expedition, sat back, and enjoyed music. Enjoyed may be an understatement because 4 hours went by before I realized that I still had to wake up for work the next morning.
The best way I can describe what I was hearing is music just sounded right. I realized after my listening sessions, I was not paying attention to specific regions of the frequency response nor was I wishing the soundstage was as large as the HD800 and HE1000, but rather appreciating the sound as a complete package of excellence.
A few days later I made my best attempt to extract technical qualities and compared it with my favorite headphone (the HE1000):
HEK positive traits:
- Soundstage larger - More ethereal presentation
- More laidback, but treble is more pronounced
- Better at louder volumes
- More comfortable - Long term
Elear positive traits:
- More engaging and overall, less fatiguing
- Treble is not as sharp and therefore more pleasant to listen to over time
- More musical
- Much better build quality
Positive traits of both headphones:
- Both have some excellent reproduction of music but particularly the bass. Not sure which one I prefer more if we are solely talking about bass, but they both do it in a way that it injects speaker-like energy into the music
- Both scale extremely well, but the Elear are pickier as far as amping goes. The HEK can sound pretty good on a variety of amps and tube combination, while the Elear didn't sound very good with most tube combinations
- Both are pretty comfortable but after I take the Elear off, my right ear feels relief. I'd say this is the biggest drawback of the Elear.
Conclusion
I couldn't say which headphone I prefer overall at this point in time, but when the Elears were on my head, I didn't want to take them off. The level of engagement and musicality that these cans are capable of outputting will have you forgetting about things that you might care about on other headphones. For example, as an owner of both the HD800 and HEK, I tend to think that other headphones lack soundstage and sound rather flat. Until I found the right tube combination for the Elear, I sort of felt that way... but now that I have my personal optimal setup for these headphones, the thought hasn't crossed my mind. In fact, I had trouble thinking of the negative traits, which is why I only included a list of positive ones above! These are outstanding headphones that in my mind, sound way better than their price tag suggests and are likely to end up in my stable in the near future.
Here are a few pictures of the review unit and amp w/tubes of choice:
I'd like to preface the review with a little bit of background information. I've been actively involved in the world of 'higher-end' headphones since 2011. Ever since 2011, not only has my passion for music grown, but my preference in sound signature has changed. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to attend several mid-sized meets (20-30 people) and host a few nano/micro-meets (4-6 people). This has helped me to realize that this hobby is truly fascinating, and there are endless possibilities when it comes to hearing music a different way.
In my opinion, the most important aspect of good equipment for music reproduction is how well it synergizes - how well the chain of equipment works together to make the music flow tonally, effortlessly, and emotionally. Improvements in technicalities (frequency response, soundstage, imaging, etc.) are methods of moving towards one's personal opinion of what qualifies as a synergistic chain of equipment. In the simplest terms, if the last change that you make to your audio chain subdues the desire to continue to tinker with what you're hearing, you have found synergy. These changes can be as small as cable or vacuum tube changes or as large as amp, dac, and even headphone changes.
That said, the amps I used to review the Focal Elear are tube amps because I enjoy the ability to change what I'm hearing by simply swapping a tube or tubes and also because I don't have any Solid State amplifiers in the stable at the moment.
I used the following equipment with the Focal Elear:
Source: iMac connected to NAD M51 via USB
Amps: Eddie Current Zana Deux and DNA Stratus
Tubes for ZD: ZD had stock rectifiers and power tubes but swapped around the driver tube: Sophia 6SL7, Mullard ECC35, RCA 5691 Red Base, Tung Sol 6SL7 Black Glass Round Plate
Tubes for Stratus: Rectifiers - RCA 5U4GB, GEC U52 Driver tubes: Cryoset 6N1P-EV, Westinghouse 6BQ7A 2A3 Power tubes: AVVT 2A3 Solid, AVVT 2A3 Mesh, KR Audio 2A3
While I was provided with a week to listen to the Elear, plans to travel were already in place and made it possible to only listen for 3 days... However, I spent many hours with the Elear during those 3 days, and it was more than enough time to formulate a strong opinion about these cans. I can appreciate any genre of music but have a preference towards jazz, vocal, acoustic, indie, classic, and alternative rock.
For reference, the other headphones that I own at the time of this review are the HD800 and HE1000.
Review
Build Quality and Fit
Coming from the HE1000, the build quality is miles ahead. From the box to the headphones, attention to detail was in abundance when designing these headphones. I really liked how the box had magnetic compartments for cable storage instead of velcro. This gives it a very luxurious feel and made it a very simple experience to pack and unpack everything. The headphones feel very sturdy and in my opinion, look great! The stock cable is somewhat annoying in that it's extremely long and rubbery. I didn't find this as annoying as some of the other reviewers here, but I did notice the increased weight due to the cable. Overall, the fit was pretty good, but I had an issue with my right ear touching the inside of the cup, which would eventually cause minor physical fatigue. It wasn't really noticeable with the headphones on, but once I took them off, I'd feel relief from a newly introduced soreness in the ear. Perhaps the shape of my head is abnormal, causing the headphones to angle towards the earlobe in unintended ways.
Sonic Impressions
Upon returning from work on the day of the Elear's arrival, I first plugged them into the DNA Stratus with my go-to tube combination for both the HD800 and HE1000: AVVT 2A3 Solid Plates, GEC U52, and Westinghouse 6BQ7A. My impression was that it was a nice pair of headphones with some weaknesses. At this point, I wasn't convinced that I'd pay $1K for the Elear. Compared to the HD800 and HE1000, the soundstage was tiny. Also, I was getting a bit of an over-energetic/shouty presentation with fast tracks.
I switched over to the Zana Deux with the RCA 5691 and was rewarded with a larger soundstage and a less energetic presentation, but the tonality sounded very strange and the staging didn't sound centered. Swapped in the Mullard ECC35 and the tonality and staging were slightly improved, but it still sounded sort of weird and additionally, the treble sounded inaccurate and rolled off. The Tung Sol 6SL7 BGRP sounded more crisp and clear compared to the other two tubes, and made the Elear very listenable. Regardless, with my high standards, I still wasn't convinced that I'd dish out the money for these over say... the HD800 which can now be purchased at around the price of an Elear.
I switched back to the DNA Stratus and spent hours testing many different tube combinations. Well... it was worth the effort. On tube combination number 6 or 7, I got extremely close to what I would've considered synergistic. The tube combination was the AVVT 2A3 Mesh Plates, RCA 5U4GB, and Cryoset 6N1P-EV. Music just began to flow through the Elear effortlessly and with authority. I couldn't believe that I was listening to the same pair of headphones. The soundstage expanded and sound seemed to materialize out of thin air within the boundaries of the soundstage. Zero fatigue, in fact: almost a negative amount of fatigue... Oh wait... that's what the problem was. Treble was rolled off to where excitement was dull.
Remembering the characteristic that each tube brought to the table, I perceived the issue to be the RCA 5U4GB rectifier, as that tube has a sweeter, bassy tone with a polite and rolled off treble.
I swapped in the GEC U52 and I struck gold. Perfect synergy was there, and I knew it. At that point, I stopped the exhaustive tube rolling expedition, sat back, and enjoyed music. Enjoyed may be an understatement because 4 hours went by before I realized that I still had to wake up for work the next morning.
The best way I can describe what I was hearing is music just sounded right. I realized after my listening sessions, I was not paying attention to specific regions of the frequency response nor was I wishing the soundstage was as large as the HD800 and HE1000, but rather appreciating the sound as a complete package of excellence.
A few days later I made my best attempt to extract technical qualities and compared it with my favorite headphone (the HE1000):
HEK positive traits:
- Soundstage larger - More ethereal presentation
- More laidback, but treble is more pronounced
- Better at louder volumes
- More comfortable - Long term
Elear positive traits:
- More engaging and overall, less fatiguing
- Treble is not as sharp and therefore more pleasant to listen to over time
- More musical
- Much better build quality
Positive traits of both headphones:
- Both have some excellent reproduction of music but particularly the bass. Not sure which one I prefer more if we are solely talking about bass, but they both do it in a way that it injects speaker-like energy into the music
- Both scale extremely well, but the Elear are pickier as far as amping goes. The HEK can sound pretty good on a variety of amps and tube combination, while the Elear didn't sound very good with most tube combinations
- Both are pretty comfortable but after I take the Elear off, my right ear feels relief. I'd say this is the biggest drawback of the Elear.
Conclusion
I couldn't say which headphone I prefer overall at this point in time, but when the Elears were on my head, I didn't want to take them off. The level of engagement and musicality that these cans are capable of outputting will have you forgetting about things that you might care about on other headphones. For example, as an owner of both the HD800 and HEK, I tend to think that other headphones lack soundstage and sound rather flat. Until I found the right tube combination for the Elear, I sort of felt that way... but now that I have my personal optimal setup for these headphones, the thought hasn't crossed my mind. In fact, I had trouble thinking of the negative traits, which is why I only included a list of positive ones above! These are outstanding headphones that in my mind, sound way better than their price tag suggests and are likely to end up in my stable in the near future.
Here are a few pictures of the review unit and amp w/tubes of choice:
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