Focal Elear and Utopia Review / Preview With Measurements - Head-Fi TV

[shockwaver]

The headphones have been drop tested to 1.7 meters 
 http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/focal-utopia-hands-on/#/10

drop test !

 

[musicday]

It is a written drop test, we want to see a video drop test from the same height mentioned in the article.
That's why i could feel them on my head at the CanJam Lodon 2016, they are nearly 500 gr vs Ether C Flow 370 gr.

 

[DKMTech]

Some weight can be a good thing. It appears they are built really well from the reviews so far... Good stuff.

 

[musicman59]

 
The cable provided is OFC ( Oxygen Free Copper ). Same cable type except for different connectors.
It should be very cheap to acquire from the vendor. It's mostly OK for > 90% of listener.
Not stranded pure Copper.
Not solid Core Copper. Starting to be expensive.
Not Silver Plated. Cost a little bit more.
Not pure Silver. It's dam expensive.
 
Pure Copper/Solid Core Copper OR OCC is another upgraded level of money and listening for details ( More detail for lower bass region and control, More intermit Mid Vocal, Soundstage expansion, glittering in space for the upper treble region )
Pure Copper or OCC with 4 meter long cost maybe for about > $ 1500 Upward. ( Cardas Clear version )
Pure Silver with 6 feet long > $ 2300.
 
I usually don't use stock cable. Once you started that direction(upgrade), you don't want to go back to stock cable.

 
 

 
I wonder what type of 'upgrade' wiring will be best for the Elear. I think Jude said he's using a silver cable with his for potential improved highs. I'm leaning towards a silver plated copper one. 

I have tested the Elear with:
 
WireWorld Nano Platinum Eclipse (OCC Silver)
WireWorld Nano Eclipse (OCC Copper)
MIT Vero Reference
WyWires Red
Dana Cables.
 
I will post later today my personal impressions and preference.
 
I have a DHC Complement4 (OCC Copper) but I need to make an adapter since it has the 2.5mm connectors for my HE1000.

 

[harmonix]

Focal has my respect as speaker maker - about time to shake up the headphone guys...
I want one!

 

[John2e]

Got my Elears last night 
Couldn't wait to break them in.. I had to listen right out of the box
I never listened to the abyss nor any of the hi end planars / stats
I have had the Grado PS-1, Senn HD-800, & 650, Ultrasone Edition 10, 9 & 8 and many less notable headphones
From my few hours listening unbroken-in and through the stock cable, I can easily say these surpass any of my previous headphones by a wide margin. At $999 they could be considered a bargain.  They sounded excellent from my cord Mojo. My stand alone system a Rudistor RPX-33 and MSB DAC sounded a bit better but not by a wide margin,  They are on the warm side and as such are not fatiguing in any way. I could have listened for hours and I did to they point where it was 1:30 AM and I needed to get to sleep as I wake up at 6:30 for work.  I had no idea I was listening for so long.  Everything I threw at them sounded amazing from Metallica to Tool to Steely Dan.  They did reveal the quality or lack thereof of the mastering and hi rez downloads sounded best adding a few inches to the sound stage extending outside my head and sounded an additional step closer to real life.  I can see the comparison to the HD-650 but these were much better adding a lot more sparkle to the higher end and removing the veil.  It always sounded like the musicians were behind a curtain with the 650 with these they were right out on the stage unobstructed.  Very well balanced in tone.  The PS-1's had more bass slam but maybe too much.  The Edition 10's had more sparkle but sounded shrilly and fatiguing.  These were the perfect blend.
 
If I had to pick anything they could improve upon it would be a tad more imaging as most of the sound was inside my head and maybe a few inches outside left to right.  I know that imaging is improved with break-in so I will need to reevaluate once broken in.  Also there wasn't a lot of height or front to back imaging but big deal this always sounded gimmicky and sometimes distracting in the HD-800's and Edition 10's
 
Micro detail could also be improved a bit but that might cause fatigue.  With my Edition 10's I could hear the rattling of Slashes bracelets after he strummed his acoustics guitar in Guns and Roses patience. On the Elears I could not detect this.  Again not a big deal and it could have been source related.  I was using a Fiio X-5's digital output for this session.
 
The dynamic range is also excellent with softer strums of an acoustic guitar sounding lower and harder more violent strums almost making me jump out of my seat
 
These headphones paired with a Cord Mojo are probably the best value in audio. They easily compete with a $40K  loudspeaker set up and cost less than $2K.  I am number 4 on TTVJ's Utopia loaner list. I am not sure I want to nor need to hear anything better than what I currently have and I might just relinquish my spot.   
 
John

 

[dudlew]

With all these impressions on the elear, you guys are making me jealous. I think I am going to have to crimp and save like crazy just to afford this, but I like how its described a great deal. Where I live....... well thats an issue and a half. Would have to try and beat the system. This means I would probably have to ditch the case. If I were to beable to buy this and have it shipped straight to me, I would be looking at maybe EC$5000 for sure taking into account shipping and duty. Almost double what it costs in the US. But u guys have me drooling. This with my Burson and hopefully the modi multibit in the furture would be my end game home setup. But this is in the far future, not the near one. maybe end of next year as a christmas present to myself.

 

[TokenGesture]

It's looking like an Elear Christmas!

 

[Vigrith]

  With all these impressions on the elear, you guys are making me jealous. I think I am going to have to crimp and save like crazy just to afford this, but I like how its described a great deal. Where I live....... well thats an issue and a half. Would have to try and beat the system. This means I would probably have to ditch the case. If I were to beable to buy this and have it shipped straight to me, I would be looking at maybe EC$5000 for sure taking into account shipping and duty. Almost double what it costs in the US. But u guys have me drooling. This with my Burson and hopefully the modi multibit in the furture would be my end game home setup. But this is in the far future, not the near one. maybe end of next year as a christmas present to myself.

 
Was about to say Focal should be one of the best represented brands outside of the US because of how famous their speakers and car systems are but then noticed you live in Canouan, yikes, I've been there on holiday before and being Portuguese I can actually relate to wearing headphones in that climate, it must be hard times having to import literally everything though, availability is even scarcer for you than it is for me. Lovely place to live though, you're very lucky.

 

[dudlew]

   
Was about to say Focal should be one of the best represented brands outside of the US because of how famous their speakers and car systems are but then noticed you live in Canouan, yikes, I've been there on holiday before and being Portuguese I can actually relate to wearing headphones in that climate, it must be hard times having to import literally everything though, availability is even scarcer for you than it is for me. Lovely place to live though, you're very lucky.

lol  u are very correct. My PM3 cost me over US700 to get it in my hands. and that was a $400 headphone. Could only imagine the hit I would take on the Elear.

 

[jamato8]

  lol  u are very correct. My PM3 cost me over US700 to get it in my hands. and that was a $400 headphone. Could only imagine the hit I would take on the Elear.

Why not have someone pick up what you need and send it to you? My mother had a friend who lived on St. Vincent for years and loved it. She would come to the states to have her dental work done otherwise, was happy as a sun lover could be. 

 

[ubs28]

Is the difference between Elear + Utopia pads not signficant in comparison to the Utopia?

 

[Mediahound]

I'm going to France next month (Cannes). Are the Elear more readily available there or equally as scarce? Any dealers in Cannes I should look in on?

 

[dudlew]

 
Why not have someone pick up what you need and send it to you? My mother had a friend who lived on St. Vincent for years and loved it. She would come to the states to have her dental work done otherwise, was happy as a sun lover could be. 

That would be the idea, but that would mean no storage box, as that would take up a lot of luggage space, and tip off customs that its not used, then they will get hit hard at customs. Always a trade off.

 

[musicday]

A question for those who own the Utopia.How much do they leak in a quiet room compared to other full size open headphones as HD650,HD800?
Wonder if they cab be used outside at all.
Thanks.