[AxelCloris]

They are probaly saving 50mm for v2 upgrade next year.

 
Again I'd like to know, how does a larger transducer invariably mean a better sound or an improvement over a smaller design? Sure they can move more air but I've heard large driver headphones that can't hold a candle to a smaller, better designed model. Jude's interview went into fine detail about the new tech and the level of design and testing that went into these headphones. Would it not make sense to reason that a company investing that much time and, presumably, money into R&D on a brand new tech would not also have tried different diameters in the process? To differentiate themselves even more these new Focal models use an original driver design, so would that also make conventional logic that "bigger is better" not be a guarantee here?
 
Legitimately asking as I think it'd be a good topic for discussion related to Focal's new driver design.

 

[Khragon]

My guess is larger driver not only move more air, it also have a more planar projection as well as not having to move too far (xmax) to reproduce deep bass. And not moving far allows the driver to return to default setting faster.

 

[XERO1]

Lord! isn't Be poison?

 
It's only poisonous when it is in a vaporized or atomized state.  As a solid, it's pretty much benign.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_beryllium_poisoning

 

[Khragon]

Thanks for the link..good to know.

 

[AxelCloris]

One of the key points in the Focal driver design was the reduction of mass and a larger design would obviously add more mass to the equation.
 

 
"If it's not light enough it will never reach high frequencies." They also aimed to make it more rigid to get better bass response and to have low distortion. Something small will often be more rigid than a larger design of the same weight, and objects of different sizes with the same rigidity will have different weights. Sounds to me like a larger driver could potentially sound worse than the one they selected for the Elear and Utopia.

 

[james6333]

They are probaly saving 50mm for v2 upgrade next year.

Lol. Good call

 

[Khragon]

There's no perfect solution, they're trade off. Smaller driver with large excursion like focal can be slow to move from low frequency

 

[sikki-six]

I don't think the driver size is that important, it's the complete design that matters. Not one spec. There are many smaller drivers that sound very good. It's all about how it's done. 

 

[grizzlybeast]

Think im gonna stick to my Kennerton Vali purchase and save for these. The vali is the same price but I have heard it and really love it. I have a feeling this will sound more open etc but drums and mids sound so rich on the Vali unlike any hp I have heard. I hope to have both!!! If I do ill do a write up.

 

[Vigrith]

Think im gonna stick to my Kennerton Vali purchase and save for these. The vali is the same price but I have heard it and really love it. I have a feeling this will sound more open etc but drums and mids sound so rich on the Vali unlike any hp I have heard. I hope to have both!!! If I do ill do a write up.

 
Need you to compare them real bad yo when you manage to audition the Elear. It's impossible to decide right now. T_T

 

[grizzlybeast]

Think im gonna stick to my Kennerton Vali purchase and save for these. The vali is the same price but I have heard it and really love it. I have a feeling this will sound more open etc but drums and mids sound so rich on the Vali unlike any hp I have heard. I hope to have both!!! If I do ill do a write up.

Need you to compare them real bad yo when you manage to audition the Elear. It's impossible to decide right now. T_T

Well the elear has the one up in comfort already it seems obvious. Also by how the cups are designed it should be more open.
I really hope to be able to. If my items sell I will. How About you by the Elear and I buy the Vali and you can trade for a week and see which you like.

Only thing is that youd be able to sell the Elear fast while buying a used Vali may be tough.

 

[Vigrith]

Well the elear has the one up in comfort already it seems obvious. Also by how the cups are designed it should be more open.
I really hope to be able to. If my items sell I will

 
Yea the Elear seem like they will be far more comfortable, I love the pad shape and how spacey they look, the weight doesn't bother me but just the design of it is enticing. The Vali are gorgeous though, the grills on the cups etc it's got such an oldschool stylish look to them.
 
I'm just hoping the Elear doesn't sacrifice the insane musicality/fun that the Vali provides due to being a more open design - if it doesn't then I'm inclined to think I'll prefer them.

 

[conquerator2]

I have 2 45mm headphones here and while there are some similarities, there is much that separates them. None of them have bass problems and they are both open. Ones goes audibly down to ~25Hz, while the other goes down to ~35Hz. I also have a 50mm headphone here that goes down to ~20Hz but then I have a 70mm headphone that barely reaches into ~35Hz...
It is true that the 70mm does bass in a way that's more spacious and enveloping, but it has less impact than either of the smaller drivers...
What I am hinting at that beside the size, things like damping, enclosure, rigidity and said openness make much more of a difference than the size.
I've owned large planar drivers, the likes of Ether and HE1000, which measure close to 80mm over 100mm in size respectively, yet I don't feel the smaller drivers giive up much in bass... On the contrary, there are things I actually prefer with them, like the impressive bass impact, presence and tightness that they have. I believe the ratio is harder to maintain the bigger a driver gets as it can be more challenging to control large mass, despite it "pushing more air" 

 

[Dillan]

I think when the drivers are larger they lose the aspect of quickness or attack. But anything can be made to sound well, it depends on how all the rest of it is built IMO

 

[Vartan]

  I have 2 45mm headphones here and while there are some similarities, there is much that separates them. None of them have bass problems and they are both open. Ones goes audibly down to ~25Hz, while the other goes down to ~35Hz. I also have a 50mm headphone here that goes down to ~20Hz but then I have a 70mm headphone that barely reaches into ~35Hz...
It is true that the 70mm does bass in a way that's more spacious and enveloping, but it has less impact than either of the smaller drivers...
What I am hinting at that beside the size, things like damping, enclosure, rigidity and said openness make much more of a difference than the size.
I've owned large planar drivers, the likes of Ether and HE1000, which measure close to 80mm over 100mm in size respectively, yet I don't feel the smaller drivers giive up much in bass... On the contrary, there are things I actually prefer with them, like the impressive bass impact, presence and tightness that they have. I believe the ratio is harder to maintain the bigger a driver gets as it can be more challenging to control large mass, despite it "pushing more air" 

I agree with you, but 40mm is too small