[styks]

Very well said... I find it funny to read all the vitriol that accompanies tbe Elears. What it tells me is that they are a very dynamic pair of cans that sparks emotion across the spectrum. In my opinion, they are fantastic. Not perfect, but so enjoyable. Powerful, subtle and most importantly, musical. They are worth the money. I pair with a Silver Dragon cable which makes them that much better. Coupled with my Wells Audio Milo and Metrum Musette, the Elears sing.

Erm, thank you I think. ..... I'm wondering why you find it funny that someone questions if what they hear is a problem? Is there something you know that you're not divulging?
Vitriol, some maybe be bitter, some may just be asking advice to further improve their understanding, I do hope you're able to differentiate between the two. Educate, don't laugh!

 

[DivaFonda]

Maybe he meant the people who say this is the worst sounding set ever or the like. That's how I took it.

 

[mark5hs]

Annnnd there it is. The crackling. Heard it on a listen of Dream Theater's Octavarium. Sounds like two pieces of gift tissue paper being rubbed together.

Anyone have any experience with returning things to headphones.com? I remember being blown away by these at CanJam but between the crackling and the left channel cutting, a bad batch is sounding more and more likely

 

[styks]

Maybe he meant the people who say this is the worst sounding set ever or the like. That's how I took it.

Yes sorry, he probably did, please accept my apologies geoffalter11.
Mum's just been sectioned and taken to hospital, dementia, a very cruel disease.
Everything seems like a personal attack on me at the moment.

 

[RatFarm]

Annnnd there it is. The crackling. Heard it on a listen of Dream Theater's Octavarium. Sounds like two pieces of gift tissue paper being rubbed together.

Anyone have any experience with returning things to headphones.com? I remember being blown away by these at CanJam but between the crackling and the left channel cutting, a bad batch is sounding more and more likely

Another one bites the dust. Bad design like I said before.

 

[ZenGentleman]

Yes sorry, he probably did, please accept my apologies geoffalter11.
Mum's just been sectioned and taken to hospital, dementia, a very cruel disease.
Everything seems like a personal attack on me at the moment.

Very sorry to hear about your mum. A close friend of mine is going through the same thing with her mother right now and from everything she is sharing with me, it is absolutely brutal and heartbreaking. She's lost the person she knew and loved even though she's still in the next room, sadly unaware of who her daughter is anymore.

I think DivaFonda is right, I think geoffalter11 was merely commenting on individuals in these forums who tend to be extreme in their opinions regarding a certain headphone's merit or lack thereof. There tends to be a lot of proclamations and judgements based on, often times, anecdotal information and individual personal preferences being expressed as "definitive."

People experiencing problems with the Elear are justifiably upset and disillusioned with Focal. Paying $1K for a piece of audio gear is no small investment for the majority of us, and it is not unfair to expect a flawless, quirk-free performance when laying out that kind of money. When that doesn't happen, and expectations are dashed, people get vocal! Tyll has addressed the disappointing consistency in expensive headphone manufacturing by the likes of Focal and Audeze, and even shared a story about a recent glitch in the rollout of the Aeons from MrSpeakers, though their response was a lesson in excellent customer service. These are highly technical and complex pieces of gear, offering a level of sound and refinement not previously seen at this, albeit expensive, price point. It is unrealistic to expect problems won't occasionally arise. However, what is critical is the company's response, a rapid fix for the problem and prioritizing customer service so buyers walk away with a positive view of the company and their experience of how the problem was handled.

I'm not going to lie, after going through selective sections of this thread, I'm more than a bit paranoid about Focal's quality control and the long term performance of my Elears. That said, until there is a problem (if ever) I'm going to try and put what I've read on here in perspective and try to enjoy these amazing new headphones for as long as possible. As a participant here, I do want to thank everyone for sharing their opinions and constructive criticism and advice. In the end, it helps all of us enjoy this hobby to its fullest.

 

[Ken G]

Annnnd there it is. The crackling. Heard it on a listen of Dream Theater's Octavarium. Sounds like two pieces of gift tissue paper being rubbed together.

Anyone have any experience with returning things to headphones.com? I remember being blown away by these at CanJam but between the crackling and the left channel cutting, a bad batch is sounding more and more likely

I had headphones.com facilitate a warranty exchange for me. It was easy. Taron hooked me up and provided great service. The turnaround time was about a week and a half and I think Focal sent me a new model.

I had something loose in the baffle and didn’t experience the crackling. I recently tried some of the music pieces that gave folks trouble (Light My Fire, War Anthem) and had no clipping issues.

I’m using a Mojo DAC with the line out to a Magni Uber. I’m curious to the gear folks are using and having issues.

 

[mark5hs]

So something I noticed about the Elear. If i set the sampling rate to 44.1khz (I'm using an LH Geek Pulse Dac/amp), the crackling is pretty minor. But if I set it to 96k, it's EXTREME. Like, constant throughout the song. Tried by HD650 and Nighthawk for comparison, zero crackling. No way in hell this is normal.

 

[abvolt]

It's not normal for the Elear's to do that my second pair worked flawlessly until the left driver died, send them back or in for warranty..

 

[DivaFonda]

Very sorry to hear about your mum. A close friend of mine is going through the same thing with her mother right now and from everything she is sharing with me, it is absolutely brutal and heartbreaking. She's lost the person she knew and loved even though she's still in the next room, sadly unaware of who her daughter is anymore.

I think DivaFonda is right, I think geoffalter11 was merely commenting on individuals in these forums who tend to be extreme in their opinions regarding a certain headphone's merit or lack thereof. There tends to be a lot of proclamations and judgements based on, often times, anecdotal information and individual personal preferences being expressed as "definitive."

People experiencing problems with the Elear are justifiably upset and disillusioned with Focal. Paying $1K for a piece of audio gear is no small investment for the majority of us, and it is not unfair to expect a flawless, quirk-free performance when laying out that kind of money. When that doesn't happen, and expectations are dashed, people get vocal! Tyll has addressed the disappointing consistency in expensive headphone manufacturing by the likes of Focal and Audeze, and even shared a story about a recent glitch in the rollout of the Aeons from MrSpeakers, though their response was a lesson in excellent customer service. These are highly technical and complex pieces of gear, offering a level of sound and refinement not previously seen at this, albeit expensive, price point. It is unrealistic to expect problems won't occasionally arise. However, what is critical is the company's response, a rapid fix for the problem and prioritizing customer service so buyers walk away with a positive view of the company and their experience of how the problem was handled.

I'm not going to lie, after going through selective sections of this thread, I'm more than a bit paranoid about Focal's quality control and the long term performance of my Elears. That said, until there is a problem (if ever) I'm going to try and put what I've read on here in perspective and try to enjoy these amazing new headphones for as long as possible. As a participant here, I do want to thank everyone for sharing their opinions and constructive criticism and advice. In the end, it helps all of us enjoy this hobby to its fullest.

Yes Focal's CS and quality control needs some help IMO. But I still couldn't say I hate Focal headphones themselves.

 

[prazvt]

Yes Focal's CS and quality control needs some help IMO. But I still couldn't say I hate Focal headphones themselves.

Speaking of which, I sent my Elears for diagnosis / repair at the end of August. As of Sept 22, my dealer said Focal would be processing the claim in the next week. Anyone have experience with Focal and the turnaround for any warranty claims?

When the Elears worked, they sounded great; kinda miss them. Been getting re-acquainted with my HD600s in the meantime.

 

[Bern2]

Inconsistencie

A lot of people don't like these phones, but positive Elear reviews keep cropping up. I just saw a brand new positive one by Z reviews on Youtube. Despite all the disappointed people here on head-fi, the Elear is still a headphone I want to try.

And the one he borrowed from a friend has a buzz in one channel on occasion. Hopefully the Clear will address the driver problems.

Bern

 

[gman292]

I'm curious because I have had these headphones for a little under a month and I can't say the dip in the mids has really bothered me. I was wondering if there is something really noticeable that I should be looking for particularly when listening to metal. Symphonic metal if you want to be specific, female fronted like Nightwish, Epica, etc...

 

[makne]

It's not a bad headphone at all. Its technicalities are very good, and sound signature for the most part non-offensive.

However, its comfort I would describe as 'annoying' because of its heavy weight and high clamping force, and its upper mid-lower treble dips is definitely polarizing.

Agreed, although the comfort can be fixed:
A lot of the wheight comes from the cable, swapping it for a more lightwheight one will make a huge difference on comfort. Try wearing the cans without the cable attached, and see if that's the case for you too.
The clamp force can be "adjusted" by bending slightly on the grey aluminum yokes. I've bent mine slightly outwards compared to how they came in the box.

 

[PpapaBearD]

I got my Elears a month ago...have had no issues with them, and the only reason they don't get more head time is because I bought the Utopias and, well, they are the Utopias .

I've tried both sets of headphones with the Mojo as well as the WA8 Eclipse...the latter being my go to DAC/AMP since I got it a few weeks ago(Figured if Focal was using it themselves to show off the Utopia I couldn't go wrong...and the combo is magical).

When I was asking around about the Utopias (mainly because I really liked the Elears and wanted to ensure I'd be getting a real upgrade by going to the Utopias) I was told that they take all the good of the Elear; eliminate all the weaknesses; and do everything 10x better...and after spending a few weeks with them I have to agree. I did have a plastic moving sound in the right ear of my first pair of Utopias (didn't affect sound quality but was there if I tipped my head to the right or left), but a quick and painless swap via the guys at headphones.com took care of getting me a new pair that have been nothing short of amazing.

With the Utopia and the WA8 pairing I think the last part of the chain is to upgrade the stock cable that came with the Utopia, and as such, I ordered a Danacable Lazuli Reference FC that should be here in early Nov, earlier if I'm lucky. Will post some impressions once I get to try out.