Reviews by CephDigital

CephDigital

Head-Fier
Very fun but very weirdly tuned
Pros: Comfortable to wear even with glasses
Easy to power (only slightly so more than your typical IEMs)
Excellent in bringing out detail
Very open sounding despite being closed back
Passive isolation is VERY good (I can barely hear anything on the outside with these on)
Comes with a very nice carrying case
Cons: Stock cable is garbo
The tuning isn't for everyone
There's some weirdness with the treble
Needs some EQ (I quite like it without EQ but it does help)
Hi there!
I managed to pick up an unused, display model of the Elegia for £350 and this was practically new in the box. Zero indication it was ever picked up let alone opened. Couldn't resist, especially more after AB testing them against a Celestee in a store so I knew how good they were for me. I'll be comparing this to my Monolith M1570 (giant planars with Oratory's EQ), AIAIAI TMA-2 (current portable headphones, alcantara earcups and S10 speaker units) and Corsair Virtuoso SE (my gaming headphones). This is my first time making a proper review on a pair of headphones I own and I am by no means an expert with fancy measuring rigs, I'm just a dude giving his opinion based on his preferences and such.

Source - FiiO M11 Plus from downloaded FLACs (mix of 16 and 24 bit) with the PowerAmp app

Accessories - on the go goodies
This comes with a carry case, a dual 3.5mm TS to 3.5mm TRS cable and a 3.5mm to 6.5mm screw on adapter. Everything fits neatly in the carry case and can be stored very nicely away. The cable bloody sucks though, rubbing this against the slightest thing and you can hear it through the headphones. Get a custom cable ASAP.

Comfort
I'd place these as my 2nd most comfortable pair of headphones just behind the Virtuoso. This has excellent clamp force and the weight is nicely distributed across the headband. It's SUPER light compared to my M1570 but those things are gigantic and the worst for comfort. The TMA-2 feels lighter than the Elegia but the cushion around my ears feels much better on the Elegia than the TMA-2 so that puts the TMA-2 below the Elegia. The Virtuoso feels lighter on my head so that's why it's higher on my list. Bonus points to being easy on my glasses though, I'm wearing mine and don't feel any excessive force on the frames or it digging into my ears. I can wear them no problem lying in bed as well which is nice.

Isolation - WHY AM I TALKING SO LOUD?
Being closed-back, you want them to isolate you from the outside. This does that perfectly for me to the point people were telling me I was speaking too loud when trying to talk to someone with these on. The oval shape to the earpads makes it a better fit against my head with a better seal compared to the TMA-2 and Virtuoso which has circle earcups. I'd say the M1570 has a better fit against my head though as those earpads are angled but those are open-back so slightly less relevant when it comes to isolation. I sat about a meter from my sisters and started testing at what point they could hear my music. At my usual listening level (80 on low gain), they couldn't hear it. Only when I pushed it a bit higher to 90 did they start to hear it and these were pretty damn loud at that point. I'd say that makes them great for taking to the office to drown out your noisy coworkers without them hearing what you're jamming to.

Sound - weird, in a fun way (tested without glasses)
First of all, these things SING with the right amount of power. Give it enough power and the mids + treble come alive with clarity and detail which is about 85 low gain on my M11 Plus. These are headphones that lean more towards the mids and highs than the bass but that's not to say there isn't any bass, there definately is and I'd say it's enough, it's just not the focus.
The M1570 is more pleasing to me in the lows with extra kick but in the mids and treble, this takes the crown.

Now why do I call these headphones weird? There's something funky going on with the highs where certain things are definately more emphasised than others and it's pretty obvious. For instance, in Lost Boys by Aviators the drums are always there present in front of you whereas with my other headphones, they're more in the background. Whether or not this is bad I think is subjective. To me, I like it. It's a little bit of spice in my music and something different. These headphones were always pleasing to me when I first tried them and these little quirks give it a little bit of charm. It's a nice contrast to the TMA-2 which sounds pretty flat and neutral.

Now, I though planars are typically better at detail retrieval than dynamic so I thought I heard all the little things in my music I missed when I got my M1570. Then I heard the Elegia. Holy crap, I don't know if it's the weird tuning it has but it brings out random bits of detail from all over the place in songs you never realised whether it's in the bass, mids or treble and you don't expect it. Did the singer always sound like that at the end of his words? Was that airy-ness in that bass drop always there? Was that instrument always there? It's completely random what I'll manage to pick out because of these headphones when I least expect it. I thought I got all the things I missed in my music when I got the M1570 but here comes the Elegia smashing what I knew about my music. I think the best way to explain would be in Pressure by Draper where you can easily hear Laura Brehm inhale before singing without trying while the M1570 you have to focus on the lyrics to hear it.

Conclusion - not for everyone, but it is for me
I highly recommend you at least try them out before making a decision on these headphones to see if the weirdness is for you. I was stuck between the Celestee and Elegia until I actually got to try them out to make my decision. They're a fun and portable pair of headphones that you could take to the office that brings out the detail of your music without even trying. To me, they're a 4.5 / 5 but I dropped it to 4.0 because I know it's not going to please the vast majority of people.
CephDigital
CephDigital
Oh they definitely aren't the same size.
bassdad8
bassdad8
I am literally about to buy these for $390, but some of the earlier reviews have given me pause. I don’t care about “weird” tuning as I am looking for something different from the B&W px7 s2 and Sony xbr950n1s that I currently own and enjoy. I am not a full-on basshead, but I like to hear it when it’s supposed to be there. Since you have put up the most objective and very well detailed review, I have to ask, should I put my $400 on the Elegias or elsewhere?
WILLJS
WILLJS
definitely worth $390, but you could probably get them cheaper if you wait
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