[Bodhi01]

I went into Addicated to Audio yesterday and auditioned some headphones. TBH I was debating whether to sell my SP1000 Copper dac while it's still new/sealed & just buy a portable dac/headphone amp to use with my Iphone, reasoning that I might be able to get better bang for the buck that way. But the guys at ATA soon talked me out of that & commented that the SP1000 Copper is a very good dac and headphone amp (especially on balanced out as it has twice the output vs single ended).

So I setup a 3-way shootout between the Focal Clear, Hifiman Arya & new Focal Stellia cans. First up I heard the Clears. My first impression was they are light and very comfortable. Playing albums on Tidal, the sound through the SP1000m was quiet in terms of self-noise, crisp, articulate on vocals, well balanced & a bit airy. Bass was good. The AK drove the Clears comfortably. Fit and finish were excellent, and the included cables and semi-hard case were also impressive. Overall very enjoyable and I thought I could be quiet happy with them.

Next up I listened to the Arya's. I found the fit a bit loose (even after adjusting the headstrap), and the earcups were way too big which didn't help. First impression was the AK Dap was clearly struggling to drive the Arya's on the single ended cables & sounded a bit lean. The balanced cables would have been better, but I didn't try them. The Arya's had a wider sound stage, sounded airier than the Clears and had good top end extension. The bass was punchy, so given the right juice I think the Arya's would come to life. But on my head - and paired with the AK dap, I didn't think they were a good fit.

I obviously left the best till last. Although I was initially hesitant about the unusual cognac and mocha finish, the Stellia's soon grew on me. On the head they were the most comfortable of the 3 cans. The build quality, fit and finish is excellent. The full grain leather everything has a luxurious feel. And the included case was also commensurately better than the Clear. But wow, the sound! The increased efficiency of the Stellia's was immediately evident as the SP1000 drove them with plenty of headroom using the included single ended cables. Playing Anne Bisson 'Blue Mind' on Tidal, the Stellia's were just so much better than the Clears. They immediatley put a smile on my face, drew me into the music, and made my toes tap which the other cans didn't do. They sounded more musical, better balanced, more extended in the top end and richer than the Clears, had a wider and deeper sound stage, excellent inner detail & had accurate tone and timbre. Overall I would say the tonal balance was neutral and natural. And the sales guy said they would sound even better on balanced out. An added bonus for me is they're closed back, which means they could be used on trains and planes. Summing up, I just love it when I find perfect synergy, and there it was...absolutely perfect right down to the fit and finish. I can't wait to get back to the store for a longer listening session. I've got to hear those cans again! Heck, it's a good way to kill a couple of hours. Fishing guys hang out in fishing stores....audiophiles hang out in Audio stores!

 

[Craig Fralick]

I went into Addicated to Audio yesterday and auditioned some headphones. TBH I was debating whether to sell my SP1000 Copper dac while it's still new/sealed & just buy a portable dac/headphone amp to use with my Iphone, reasoning that I might be able to get better bang for the buck that way. But the guys at ATA soon talked me out of that & commented that the SP1000 Copper is a very good dac and headphone amp (especially on balanced out as it has twice the output vs single ended).

So I setup a 3-way shootout between the Focal Clear, Hifiman Arya & new Focal Stellia cans. First up I heard the Clears. My first impression was they are light and very comfortable. Playing albums on Tidal, the sound through the SP1000m was quiet in terms of self-noise, crisp, articulate on vocals, well balanced & a bit airy. Bass was good. The AK drove the Clears comfortably. Fit and finish were excellent, and the included cables and semi-hard case were also impressive. Overall very enjoyable and I thought I could be quiet happy with them.

Next up I listened to the Arya's. I found the fit a bit loose (even after adjusting the headstrap), and the earcups were way too big which didn't help. First impression was the AK Dap was clearly struggling to drive the Arya's on the single ended cables & sounded a bit lean. The balanced cables would have been better, but I didn't try them. The Arya's had a wider sound stage, sounded airier than the Clears and had good top end extension. The bass was punchy, so given the right juice I think the Arya's would come to life. But on my head - and paired with the AK dap, I didn't think they were a good fit.

I obviously left the best till last. Although I was initially hesitant about the unusual cognac and mocha finish, the Stellia's soon grew on me. On the head they were the most comfortable of the 3 cans. The build quality, fit and finish is excellent. The full grain leather everything has a luxurious feel. And the included case was also commensurately better than the Clear. But wow, the sound! The increased efficiency of the Stellia's was immediately evident as the SP1000 drove them with plenty of headroom using the included single ended cables. Playing Anne Bisson 'Blue Mind' on Tidal, the Stellia's were just so much better than the Clears. They immediatley put a smile on my face, drew me into the music, and made my toes tap which the other cans didn't do. They sounded more musical, better balanced, more extended in the top end and richer than the Clears, had a wider and deeper sound stage, excellent inner detail & had accurate tone and timbre. Overall I would say the tonal balance was neutral and natural. And the sales guy said they would sound even better on balanced out. An added bonus for me is they're closed back, which means they could be used on trains and planes. Summing up, I just love it when I find perfect synergy, and there it was...absolutely perfect right down to the fit and finish. I can't wait to get back to the store for a longer listening session. I've got to hear those cans again! Heck, it's a good way to kill a couple of hours. Fishing guys hang out in fishing stores....audiophiles hang out in Audio stores!

End up getting a pair of any of them?

 

[mixman]

I went into Addicated to Audio yesterday and auditioned some headphones. TBH I was debating whether to sell my SP1000 Copper dac while it's still new/sealed & just buy a portable dac/headphone amp to use with my Iphone, reasoning that I might be able to get better bang for the buck that way. But the guys at ATA soon talked me out of that & commented that the SP1000 Copper is a very good dac and headphone amp (especially on balanced out as it has twice the output vs single ended).

So I setup a 3-way shootout between the Focal Clear, Hifiman Arya & new Focal Stellia cans. First up I heard the Clears. My first impression was they are light and very comfortable. Playing albums on Tidal, the sound through the SP1000m was quiet in terms of self-noise, crisp, articulate on vocals, well balanced & a bit airy. Bass was good. The AK drove the Clears comfortably. Fit and finish were excellent, and the included cables and semi-hard case were also impressive. Overall very enjoyable and I thought I could be quiet happy with them.

Next up I listened to the Arya's. I found the fit a bit loose (even after adjusting the headstrap), and the earcups were way too big which didn't help. First impression was the AK Dap was clearly struggling to drive the Arya's on the single ended cables & sounded a bit lean. The balanced cables would have been better, but I didn't try them. The Arya's had a wider sound stage, sounded airier than the Clears and had good top end extension. The bass was punchy, so given the right juice I think the Arya's would come to life. But on my head - and paired with the AK dap, I didn't think they were a good fit.

I obviously left the best till last. Although I was initially hesitant about the unusual cognac and mocha finish, the Stellia's soon grew on me. On the head they were the most comfortable of the 3 cans. The build quality, fit and finish is excellent. The full grain leather everything has a luxurious feel. And the included case was also commensurately better than the Clear. But wow, the sound! The increased efficiency of the Stellia's was immediately evident as the SP1000 drove them with plenty of headroom using the included single ended cables. Playing Anne Bisson 'Blue Mind' on Tidal, the Stellia's were just so much better than the Clears. They immediatley put a smile on my face, drew me into the music, and made my toes tap which the other cans didn't do. They sounded more musical, better balanced, more extended in the top end and richer than the Clears, had a wider and deeper sound stage, excellent inner detail & had accurate tone and timbre. Overall I would say the tonal balance was neutral and natural. And the sales guy said they would sound even better on balanced out. An added bonus for me is they're closed back, which means they could be used on trains and planes. Summing up, I just love it when I find perfect synergy, and there it was...absolutely perfect right down to the fit and finish. I can't wait to get back to the store for a longer listening session. I've got to hear those cans again! Heck, it's a good way to kill a couple of hours. Fishing guys hang out in fishing stores....audiophiles hang out in Audio stores!

I would say if you are looking at the Stellia, a better comparison would be with the HE 1000 SE, which can be easily driven from any DAP, not with the Arya. As to any fit issues, that would be up to you to decide.

 

[Bodhi01]

End up getting a pair of any of them?

Thanks for your post Craig. I thought for a minute a time capsule I planted 30 years ago was just uncovered I returned to the store to have a second, longer listen to the Focal Stellia cans which i'm happy to say confirmed my first impressions. Unfortunately though i'm under the pump atm with other financial priorities, so i've had to put that purchase on ice. But i'll definitely update the thread when I pull the trigger.
Btw, have to seen the latest A&K SP2000? Crazy that the SP1000 was only the flagship model for 6 months before it got superceded . But that doesn't suddenly make the SP1000 a bad DAP, not at all. And my immediate thought was, if you shelled out for the SP2000 you would really have to go the whole hog and buy the optional amplifier module (or) use it as a DAP with an external headphone amp & step up to higher end cans like the Utopias. So I still reckon the SP1000 & Stellias are still a nice combo.

 

[Bodhi01]

I would say if you are looking at the Stellia, a better comparison would be with the HE 1000 SE, which can be easily driven from any DAP, not with the Arya. As to any fit issues, that would be up to you to decide.

That's a fair call, though the HE1000SE's are $1kAUD more than the Stellia's in my neck and are open back. I weighed the pro's/con's of open back cans & think closed back is the way to go as i'd be able to use them on long-haul flights, on some of the long overland rail journeys in Australia & on my laptop when I want to lockout noise from the neighbours etc.

 

[Craig Fralick]

I have the Clear and the just picked up the Stellia yesterday. Excellent headphone, especially for a Closed-Back. I can’t believe the sound stage. Not at all simply a closed back Utopia like I would have imagined...but I’ll post more once I’m out of the honey moon period.

 

[jooonnn]

I have the Clear and the just picked up the Stellia yesterday. Excellent headphone, especially for a Closed-Back. I can’t believe the sound stage. Not at all simply a closed back Utopia like I would have imagined...but I’ll post more once I’m out of the honey moon period.

Any news on your clear vs stellia experiences? I havent been able to find a shop in japan that has a pair of Stellias and ive been hungry for a Clear. I loved the utopia, but they are a bit out of my budget with needing to get a new dac/amp as well.

Many thanks!

 

[joesuburb]

They immediatley put a smile on my face, drew me into the music, and made my toes tap which the other cans didn't do. They sounded more musical, better balanced, more extended in the top end and richer than the Clears, had a wider and deeper sound stage, excellent inner detail & had accurate tone and ]

I hated, I mean HATED to spend $3000 on some silly headphones, but that's exactly what the Stellia did for me. It's made me smile everyday for the 3 weeks I've owned them.

I'd go on to say that they are one of the only audio related things I've ever purchased that I felt no need to improve or fidget with. Everything is just right. Its pure joy.

 

[BassicScience]

Any news on your clear vs stellia experiences? I havent been able to find a shop in japan that has a pair of Stellias and ive been hungry for a Clear. I loved the utopia, but they are a bit out of my budget with needing to get a new dac/amp as well.

Many thanks!

FWIW, I've owned the Utopias for a couple years and listened to the entire Focal lineup at the recent CanJam in LA. My opinion is that the Utopia and Stellia are on a completely different level than any of the other Focal cans. Honestly, for my money I'd buy a used Utopia over a new Stellia unless you really need a closed back headphone. The Utopia has an extra helping of clarity and soundstage realism to my ear. The Stellia also has a midbass bump, which some people may like.

 

[joesuburb]

FWIW, I've owned the Utopias for a couple years and listened to the entire Focal lineup at the recent CanJam in LA. My opinion is that the Utopia and Stellia are on a completely different level than any of the other Focal cans. Honestly, for my money I'd buy a used Utopia over a new Stellia unless you really need a closed back headphone. The Utopia has an extra helping of clarity and soundstage realism to my ear. The Stellia also has a midbass bump, which some people may like.

I keep hearing about a mid-bass hump and my low-quality ears can’t hear it. Although I do find it interesting that the only people that can seem to hear it don’t own them.

 

[BassicScience]

I keep hearing about a mid-bass hump and my low-quality ears can’t hear it. Although I do find it interesting that the only people that can seem to hear it don’t own them.

It wasn't the most rigorous or lengthy audition on my part. The Stellia is definitely the best closed back headphone I've heard, but it just sounded a bit less linear than the Utopia. As I say, many people prefer that signature, and I'm not trying to suggest that they're wrong or right in doing so. You might even perceive the Utopia as suffering from midbass suckout.

 

[Bodhi01]

Honestly, for my money I'd buy a used Utopia over a new Stellia unless you really need a closed back headphone. The Utopia has an extra helping of clarity and soundstage realism to my ear. The Stellia also has a midbass bump, which some people may like.

Yes, but the Utupia's are less practical in that they need a dedicated high end headphone amp to properly drive them & get the best out of them. And also, being open back, they're not practical in noisy environments or public places. The Stelia's OTOH can be driven comfortably with a high end DAP like an AK SP1000 or SP2000, or portable headphone amp like a Woo Audio WA8. And obviously they can be used at home, on long train or plane trips, on holiday, anywhere really.

 

[Bodhi01]

End up getting a pair of any of them?

Getting back to your earlier question Craig, Fyi after considering all my options, I've decided to double down on my main 2-channel audio system. So i'm not going ahead with the purchase of the Stelia cans, and will be putting all my headfi gear up for sale here in the next couple of days, incl: new/sealed AK SP1000 Copper dap, new/never used AK300 dap & new/never used Campfire Audio Andromeda IEM's.

 

[jooonnn]

I hated, I mean HATED to spend $3000 on some silly headphones, but that's exactly what the Stellia did for me. It's made me smile everyday for the 3 weeks I've owned them.

I'd go on to say that they are one of the only audio related things I've ever purchased that I felt no need to improve or fidget with. Everything is just right. Its pure joy.

Great honest human feedback. I love, like love the utopias, but i also love the clears. I honestly love all focal headphones ive heard, i just know which i love more, and i think everyone’s kind feedback is reinforcing the life lesson ive learned of buy what i want or save up until i can if my means can make it work(also.... avoid buying twice by settling first, oops).

What dac/amp are you using with these?

 

[jooonnn]

FWIW, I've owned the Utopias for a couple years and listened to the entire Focal lineup at the recent CanJam in LA. My opinion is that the Utopia and Stellia are on a completely different level than any of the other Focal cans. Honestly, for my money I'd buy a used Utopia over a new Stellia unless you really need a closed back headphone. The Utopia has an extra helping of clarity and soundstage realism to my ear. The Stellia also has a midbass bump, which some people may like.

Im leaning towards the closed back since i live in a small somewhat noisy apartmen, but of curiosity, are there any things to worry about when it comes to getting a pair of used utopias? I didnt know if they were super fragile or had issues to look for being made of such fancy materials.