Blue "ELLA" Planar Mags

[FullBright1]

Wanted to give you a quick review of the Blue "Ella" Planar's that have recently arrived.

I waited a couple of months since their initial release to buy them, as i wanted to read some comprehensive reviews prior to purchase.

And, i waited and waited.....and finally a couple of reviews showed up and were "glowing". So, i pulled the trigger, and have now had time with them to evaluate them for you, briefly, as there is no need to write a 10,000 word essay with diagrams and so forth, as all you want to know is just a few things..

So, let me begin by giving our short but accurate review some context......Let me compare the Blue "Ella's" with the HifiMan 560s and the Audeze EL8s., as these PLMag headphones are polar opposites in sound. Now, where do the Blue "Ella's" sit within that diagram?.. Well, they lean more towards the Audeze, as the Blue Ella Planar Mags are certainly sonically engineered more towards the "lush and warm" side of the frequency spectrum, whereas the HE560s are bright and airy, but not lush or warm. The Blue Ella's have a small 3-setting "twist and click" control that allows for 1.) (off) no amp, 2.)amp on, and 3.) amp + bass eq...The Amp "on" is the Ella's optimal tone setting as it engages the "audiophile" circuitry and establishes the True Blue sound regarding this set of Planar's... And what do you get when you turn it "on"?.... Exactly What IS this set of headphones all about?....Well, 2 things, 1st = Good midrange and 2nd and wide soundstage . As a matter of fact, the openness that is achieved as per this set of Planar's is, quite good..

Now the flip side, is that the trebles have sparkle but are not as extended as you find with the HE560s, but are more in line with the Audeze EL8 experience. These are not "treble head" headphones. The bass response is extended and pure, but not outstandingly deep, tho with a flip of the switch (#3) you can opt for an increased bass presence, gently provided, tho i prefer my bass to be accurate and balanced, so i'll stick with the #2 setting which is the setting that Blue's engineers have designed to get the most out of their built in Ella "audiophile" headphone amp.

Almost Final thought is....you would not want to match this headphone with a warm tube type sounding Dac or Headphone amp, as this would create too much of a good thing regarding the already lush mids and overall smoothly balanced finesse that are the sonic hallmarks of this fine product. Blue claims that the goal of this set of Planar's is to "capture the essence of listening to good speakers", and i would agree that to a very decent degree they do indeed.

Final thought is....Yep they're too expense, they are certainly not designed to eliminate outside sound, they take about 3.2 hours to charge then play for 12 hrs, and for the money they arrive in a truly pathetic box. However the cables provided are very good, and the build quality of the Ella's is decent if you enjoy a lot of plastic with your metal hinges. The brown and very soft ear-cups are manmade materials but dont generate much heat. On the Head, the Blue Ella's are like wearing a football helmet. Long listening sessions are ok, and i can tell they are designed sonically & exactly for this purpose, and while i would not consider them a great build quality value @ $699 USD, i do consider them to be overpriced. There is also the situation with their "3-way" switch. Its way too delicate regarding its purpose. It'll break.
At this point in time, there are many other Planar's available, that are more comfy, and sound better.
-
-

[size=17.03px][/size]

 

[MLGrado]

Thanks! I have a lot of interest in these.  
 
 
Quick question.  have you noticed any strange rattles or resonances?  Especially on bassy material?  I always worry about that with enclosures that may be somewhat 'plasticky' as you kindof allude to.  
 
 
I currently have both Audeze LCD-X and Hifiman HE-560 here, so your comparisons are very helpful.  I will probably grab a pair of these..

 

[FullBright1]

  Thanks! I have a lot of interest in these.  
 
 
Quick question.  have you noticed any strange rattles or resonances?  Especially on bassy material?  I always worry about that with enclosures that may be somewhat 'plasticky' as you kindof allude to.  
 
 
I currently have both Audeze LCD-X and Hifiman HE-560 here, so your comparisons are very helpful.  I will probably grab a pair of these..

 
 
The Blue Company created the "Mo Fi" years ago, and that headphone design never had any of the resonance issues you have mentioned.
Subsequent to the "Mo Fi", years later, Blue has created an updated tho similar "Mo Fi" enclosure for their Planar system, so, as it was a good design as their non-Planar system, its now evolved  using different speakers.
 
And no, i dont find them to be plasticy sounding like some of the  A-Technica or Beyer headphones.....no....the Ella's sound instead very smooth, very very smooth and balanced, tho just like any set of headphones, they have their own sound.
I think they sound less like Planar's then any other Planar that ive heard......... What i mean is.... they have a way of handling music that sounds more like dynamic speakers.  
Planar's can have a certain thin quality, strident, too pristine, not exactly brittle, but, sort of lacking in feeling...... Does this make sense?
Planar's are to headphones what Digital sound is to Analog......is the best way i can describe it.
So, the Ella'a add the analog back in to the sound much more, similar to Audeze, but Audeze adds too much low mids to try to make you think its a warm sound, but really its just too much bloating of the low mids reaching and overlapping into the mid range.
The Ella's have the 3 frequencies separated, nicely, and yet there is a warmth to them that is very natural sounding, and it is a bit disconcerting, as your mind and your ears are use to a"Planar's" sterile delivery, and the Ella's dont sound like that at all.
Unique.
Not for everyone, but if you research the few posted reviews, you'll discover that im not the only one who thinks they are very good sounding.
Tho dont expect them to sound like the HE560s., as they sound nothing like those.

 

[Jackpot77]

Just picked up a pair of these, and definitely echo the sentiments expressed above - great clarity and a nice warmth and musicality to the sound. Had them on my ears for about half an hour before I decided to sell my Meze 99 Classics and install these as my at-home closed back pair of cans. Also handy for listening in bed as the logos light up when the amp section is running, so helps you find your way around in the dark!
 
In all seriousness, apart from the relative lack of sub-bass (which surprised me for a planar magnetic driver), these are a seriously good sounding piece of kit.

 

[FullBright1]

  Just picked up a pair of these, and definitely echo the sentiments expressed above - great clarity and a nice warmth and musicality to the sound. Had them on my ears for about half an hour before I decided to sell my Meze 99 Classics and install these as my at-home closed back pair of cans. Also handy for listening in bed as the logos light up when the amp section is running, so helps you find your way around in the dark!
 
In all seriousness, apart from the relative lack of sub-bass (which surprised me for a planar magnetic driver), these are a seriously good sounding piece of kit.

 
Go here to check out your new Ella's.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/789298/music-to-test-your-headphones
 
 
-
And yes, .....Exactly, you are exactly correct.
These are fine headphones.
And interestingly enough, after i heard these, i also decided to sell my Meze 99 classics.
Mine are Maple.
Cool.. <
 
So, if anyone is looking for MEZE 99 Classics, (which sound great) then i know where you can find 2 pair
PM us..
 
 
 
FB1

 

[mcconnel]

Very interested in these. I owned a pair of Blue's first cans and loved them - happy to see they have come so far.
 
Opted for a pair of Oppo PM-3 and the HA-2 instead. Just sold them to move on to the next, um, obsession.
 
One major thing... WHERE is the LIGHTNING CABLE!?
 
That's almost a deal breaker. The DAC remains in the phone and a dongle means no 24bit, correct?
 
Blue has to release a lightning cable... lightning fast.
 
Anyone know how these compares to the new Audeze Sine with their fancy little lightning cable?

 

[FullBright1]

  Very interested in these. I owned a pair of Blue's first cans and loved them - happy to see they have come so far.
 
Opted for a pair of Oppo PM-3 and the HA-2 instead. Just sold them to move on to the next, um, obsession.
 
One major thing... WHERE is the LIGHTNING CABLE!?
 
That's almost a deal breaker. The DAC remains in the phone and a dongle means no 24bit, correct?
 
Blue has to release a lightning cable... lightning fast.
 
Anyone know how these compares to the new Audeze Sine with their fancy little lightning cable?

 
I use mine with a Laptop and a selection of Dacs.
So, i really cant help with LTNING cables and phones.
I dont own the Sines, but i have owned the EL8s, both open and closed, and i would not believe that the Sine's will sound as good or better then those.
The Sines are not going to sound better then the recent HiFi Man Edition S.
And to my ears, the  Ella's sound better then the EL8s because they are more accurate, are more tonally balanced,  have a wider soundstage, and produce better instrument separation.
The downside is that the Ella's have a rechargeable battery and cost $700.

 

[Jackpot77]

Bit of an old thread now, but just got around to posting my review of these cans on Head Gear:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/blue-microphones-ella-planar-magnetic.22220/reviews

Just in case anyone was still subscribed and wanted to take a look!

 

[Max_Settings]

Can you take the pads off and post a picture of the driver. No one has done that to my knowledge and I want to see what it looks like.

 

[PolloLoco]

Can you take the pads off and post a picture of the driver. No one has done that to my knowledge and I want to see what it looks like.

I don't think anyone has done that because the pads can't simply be pulled off and replaced, I recently e-mailed Blue's tech support for information on replacement pads. I tried to use some force, faced surprising resistance - then e-mailed tech support to confirm. The only way to remove and replace the pads requires opening up the headphones.

I recently bought these on a lark from EBAY. The previous owner thought the amp switch was defective, and I figured I might try to fix it. To my surprise, I believe the only problem was on the component side of the cable. Swapping cables - I haven't had a single issue, so I believe I got a heck of a deal.

In general I agree with the first review on this thread. Comparing to my Modhouse Argons running balanced, I thought the Argons might be superior in both bass and treble - with the Blue's having more forward (but not necessarily better) mids. They're so similar listening to the same songs back to back, that I questioned whether they might use the same drivers. From checking the specs, I think they're both roughly 50mm x 50mm.

The Blue's have cables that connect with a recessed 2.5mm plug on the headphone side. If the material around the plug is too thick, a generic cable won't fit in the port. BUT - I noticed that both cables that came with the blues had 4 contacts on the 2.5mm end. One cable has remote functionality, though the other end is single ended. it made me wonder if like the Sennheiser 5 series (I briefly owned 598C) - the port can be run balanced with the proper cable. I contacted Tech Support to ask if this port could be run balanced, and what the pinout might be. The response was that the port was balanced, but they couldn't tell me what the pinout was. So that got me thinking.

Knowing I got my Blues for a great deal, I decided to take a risk. I bought a cheap generic balanced cable, 2.5mm to 2.5mm using the Sennheiser pinout and twist-lock mechanism on the headphone end. I figured if the plug was too big to fit in the port, I could dremel it down. Physically - it fit right away. Knowing I could short an amp or balanced player if the pinout was wrong - I was conscious of the potential cost of destroying headphones and dap, braced myself and gave it a shot. In short - it worked on my Shanling M3S dap, and then I tried it with my Sabaj D5. I've been listening from the D5 for the last couple hours.

I don't have trained ears, and I don't know what being out of phase would sound like - but I think it would be obvious? Left and Right sound correct, so I figure I either swapped or grounded the driven negative signals - so the worst case might be a phase shift issue? After 3 hours of listening, these sound fantastic run balanced. I haven't done AB comparisons to see if there's a placebo effect going on. So far there's been a few songs that have given me goosepimples I hadn't gotten with these headphones before now. I think I would still like more sparkle, but I FEEL (can't prove it) a little better extension on both ends?

Has anybody opened these up to verify whether or not the wiring is truly balanced? I'm curious to know whether I'm crazy to have tried this, and probably won't get a chance to do A/B tests with the single ended cable until this weekend or next week due to work.

 

[Keriboi]

Fullbright sorry for the bump but how are you finding these now after a couple of years?

 

[MrBaconHawk]

Fullbright sorry for the bump but how are you finding these now after a couple of years?

Here's my thoughts on it after a year of ownership

 

[MrSushi]

Interested in these, but I’ve heard that they break after a short while. Any long term users have any issues? Also how would you compare these to audioquest nighthawks if you’ve tried both?

 

[Jackpot77]

Interested in these, but I’ve heard that they break after a short while. Any long term users have any issues? Also how would you compare these to audioquest nighthawks if you’ve tried both?

Did a review of these a few years back on here (can be found in the main reviews section). It has a comparison with the Nighthawks on there, if that helps?

Relevant section below:

Audioquest Nighthawk – the Nighthawk is one of my all time favourite headphones, and has pretty much monopolised my “late night, dark room, glass of something interesting” listening at home when I have a spare hour to really sink into some music. In terms of the tuning, it isn’t a million miles away from the Ella, with more emphasis on a warmer and more organic sound, but a similar approach to clarity of treble and overall resolution. It is based on a biocellulose dynamic driver with some proprietary design tech to minimise resonance and distortion retailing at a couple of hundred dollars less at current RRPs.

In terms of bass, the Nighthawk has a warmer and slightly fuller sounding bass (even over the “On+” setting, showing good resolution but a little less sense of speed than the planar drivers used in the Ella. Extension is slightly better on the Nighthawk, digging deeper and more solidly into true sub bass territory than the cleaner and leaner Blue model. “Bad Rain” by Slash is a a good comparator, the bass riff sounding fuller and a little more fleshed out than the exquisitely textured Ella’s interpretation. Again, this isn’t a basshead ‘phone by any means, but if you value a fatter and more organic sounding bass with only a slight loss in perceived detail retrieval, the Nighthawk will be your go to here, with the Ella working better for people after a more traditionally “neutral” and textured tuning.

Moving up to the mids, the vocals on the Nighthawk feel more laid back in terms of positioning than the mid-forward Ella, and possessing a warmer and more organic tone in comparison to the crystal clear and liquid Blue planar. Crunch and speed is again more emphasised on the Ella, with the Nighthawk taking a weightier and slightly softer around the edges approach, although detail retrieval is similar on both. The Ella can sometimes appear more detailed due to the relative sharpness of the tuning, but listeners of the Nighthawk will know that the drivers are capable of truly excellent resolution once your brain adjusts to the overall tuning and lack of treble emphasis.

Treble is the main point of difference between these two headphones, with the Ella all crisp and jangling and the Nighthawk taking a clear but smooth approach, without any specific emphasis on the high notes. This can initially lead the Nighthawk to sound slightly veiled until your brain burns in, but much like the midrange, all the details are there if you listen out for them, but just not presented in the more emphasised way the Ella manage. In terms of extension, the Ella sound stronger going up into the very high treble, so this will be the headphone to recommend if you prefer a more emphasised but still smooth treble, with a bit more overall crispness to the cymbals and other higher register sound than the more laid back Audioquest. Again, both headphones offer different but very enjoyable takes on treble – for me and my sonic preferences, I prefer the Nighthawk and its smoother blend of clarity and weight, but that doesn’t mean the Ella is anything less than very good in this department either.

Finally, in terms of soundstage, the two headphones are very similar, with the Nighthawk having just a little more spatial width and bigger “feel” to the sound due to its semi open nature – the Ella certainly doesn’t feel outclassed here, and competes very well for a fully closed back can. Both headphones are technically very adept at layering and separation, with the Nighthawk presenting sound in a bigger and more accessible way, but the Ella providing a crisper definition to everything on its slightly smaller sonic image. An honourable draw here, with neither headphone coming out convincingly on top for me.

Overall, these are headphones that share some similarities, but diverge just enough to offer two different and enjoyable musical signatures. My preferences lie with the Nighthawks for extended listening to older classic rock, and the Ella if I’m listening to acoustic and singer/songwriter genres – both are technically excellent, extremely enjoyable and masterfully tuned to bring the listener into the music rather than just throw the notes at them. If I had to choose just one, it would be the Nighthawk, but as it is nailed on as pretty much my ideal tuning in all aspects, the fact the Ella has taken some head time off it over the last few months is testament to just how good I think they are as well. Lovers of a sharper and more emphasised treble but within the bounds of a musical and neutral signature should look seriously at the Ella, though – I haven’t heard anything quite like it so far on my audio journey, and it is definitely a headphone worth investigating.

 

[MrBaconHawk]

Interested in these, but I’ve heard that they break after a short while. Any long term users have any issues? Also how would you compare these to audioquest nighthawks if you’ve tried both?

As mentioned above (although in terms of clarity, Blue is just more accurate in just about all aspects) but also keep in mind, Blue Ella's can be found for about $400 nowadays, which easily puts them above any other in terms of quality for price.

The only thing I'd say is possible to break is the switch between on and on+ can wear and be a bit more touchy, and the cable with the in-line mic can break... But it has held up to a LOT of abuse over the years. Countless drops, spills, and abuse from my now-5-year-old daughter and 1 year old son, and I still use them every day for hours on end. So I have to say, they're built really solidly and I'm far more confident in these than any other pair I've used. Still the best headphones I could reasonably recommend to anyone. If you want quality, Ella's are the way to go. If you want open-back (and it's downsides) width and slightly thicker bass, Nighthawks could be a good option, but honestly the clarity on Ella's is far more impressive than anything I've heard from any other pair of headphones. It's the Tesla of the Headphone world, in my opinion, I just wish they would continue the line and offer more accessories (you can easily get replacement pads and carrying case for cheap online, too bad Blue doesn't really make these anymore, for now at least)