[Karister]

Hi all, I have just returned from local audio store when I was able to test Elears paired with Marantz HD-DAC1 vs. Audeze LCD-2. I must say I truly loved lows and midrange from Elear over LCDs. Also, Focals are very convenient and open-aired. Very nice. Treble on the other other side were too intense for my. I would love to take lows and mids from Elears and highs from LCDs.

Last and more important I tried Max Richter - War Anthem to check if they crack. I set the lowest gain in Marantz and set volume knob around 11 o'clock position. It was louder than I usually listen but nothing close to being very loud. And it happened after about a minute of listening. It was most terrible thing that ever happened to my ears. Just horrible. So unpleasant that I did not go for a second try and put them back on shelf. Extremely disappointing for a product at that price range.

 

[RatFarm]

Pathetic that Focal thinks the crackling issue is normal for the design of the driver. They should just stick with designing speakers and not headphones.

 

[makne]

That’s better folks, yea!
My new Elears arrived this afternoon, quite a difference, I’m chuffed. 

First popped on L.P Into the Wild, Quite strong bass as the drummer would hope you’d hear it I’m sure. Her Voice a little recessed, could do with coming forward just a tad, improved a fraction with an increase in volume. No complaints, nowt to really bother me.

Steely Dan .. Gaslight Abbie. Strong crisp snare, vocal a little back to my ears, just a tad. It seems to me there’s a slight peak up top somewhere? Possibly pushes it back a tad. But nice no complaints

Burial .. Truant Something a little different here, heavish bass with static and tinkly chimes running through it. Good no problem it does well with this track, better by a good margin than the HD650. Again vocal a tad back in comparison, very good however.

Steve Earle .. Copperhead road. Rock in out a bit more here. Loved it, plenty of exciting “slam” when it come in. The bass could do with a slight bit more control I thought listening to this track. Earles' vocal is about where it should be to my ears, I feel the lower frequency male vocal is reproduced better, more prominent. Higher frequency female vocals I feel are a little recessed in comparison. Possibly due to that slight peak up top, maybe?

Robert Len .. Amoureuse Muted trumpet presented well, triangle nice and clear and where it should be IMO. Overall nicely balanced to my ears. Lovely.

London Grammar.. Hey Now Her Voice is deeper, nice no problem happy where that is. Elear handled the strong bass well when it came in. Nice liking it so far, my brains getting used to it now!

Fatoumata .. Kanou Her vocal just a tad back again, very nicely balanced here, Elear is doing great on this track.

Murray Perahia .. Goldberg variations BMV:988 ARIA. Now some piano, ..... ermm no quite so sure here, I think I’m so used to the HD650 being a bit warmer, it’s sounding natural but that peak? I don’t know.... Maybe just my brain complaining about the change, I might bother EQ’ing a bit with piano, don’t know yet.

Endless .. Melancholia Nice, Im just enjoying the music now, so nowt much to say.

Now to get brave 

Tom Raybold .. Bad Dreams OH YES! ..... That’s good, I be a happy chappie!

Max Richter .. War Anthem ditto, ditto, ditto that’s made me a HAPPY Elear owner now! I can get it to crack but NOW at a level that I very rarely go to. .... It will clip when the HD650 will not but I’ll take the more powerful much better presented and extended bass over the HD650 any day!

These are my first impressions, that is literally all I’ve listened to so far and I’m impressed. (I thought i would be) There is a very good chance, as long as all continues positively over the next couple of weeks, that I’ll be selling my HD650's. At the moment I feel I would keep them for piano, unfortunately I can’t afford to though. It could well be I have to get used to the Elear's a bit more, or EQ.

Soundstage is a little narrower than the HD650 to my ears but. that doesn’t bother me, I like intimacy. You are sort of in the middle somewhere, that’s fine for me.

I can now say with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY that there ARE some driver inconsistency issues. TAKE NOTE PLEASE FOCAL. .... It may be slight but obviously enough to show! .... IF YOU WANT TO BE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD ONE TRY “MAX RICHTER.. WAR ANTHEM” IT WILL SHOW IT UP. Especially if your DAC/amp is warm'ish. ....

Focal have done a great job here in my personal opinion. I hear, agree and like their approach, Dynamic ability over SPL every time. Tighten production/QC tolerances a tad and bang, you got it right!

The War Anthem track has some killer low frequency bass, the very low frequencies are not to be taken lightly. Bass at those frequencies can do you some damage without you knowing it! And this new/correctly functioning example of the Elear can get to that level I feel, just, before clipping and letting you know, certainly to a level that I would not personally listen at. The HD650 IMO cannot produce it, so actually less dangerous! Ha ha ha. ..... The Elear should have a health warning attached ! 

Having waffled on for a while now. Source was PC, Qobuz, CD quality, apart from London Grammar 24/192. Into Regen through to Marantz PM7005 DAC. It may be that this DAC is heavy on bass, (warmer than my Mojo,) which could be turning the killer War Anthem track into a real Elear killer!
I’ll be plugging into my Mojo soon, I’ll let you know how that goes. But don’t worry that post will not be so drawn out!

Thank you all, I’m glad I was persuaded to try again, cheers!

After that very quick listen to the first example, (before hearing the clipping at a much too low level)
I knew I’d like it if the replacement was good, and it is! .... ...... Lighter cable now and that’s my lot.

lovin' it! Happy for you

If you want even more subbass out of the elear, you know I love sonarworks! And you know where I stand on cables
Have fun!

 

[makne]

I just tested again this morning and I'd like to retract my comment that the Elear has less high than the HD650. It must have been the bass that was drawing me in and made me think this headphone is way darker than it actually is. That or burning in helped a bit. Listening to the two headphones again this morning and focusing on the treble and there seems to be little difference (in term of quantity at least) between them. I'll wait for a solid-state amp to come in but it seems like the Crack is not ideal, but adequate so far.

So far I much prefer the sound of the Elear, even when paired with the Crack, despite the Elear being heavier on the head but I think I'll get used to it. It's a shame that my pair has the crackle issue though. It's not like I ever listen at that level and my go-to music doesn't have crazy subbass, but it does bug me a bit knowing that I have a less-than-ideal pair. I wonder if Adorama/Focal will exchange a non-defective pair for me, maybe I'll give it a shot later.

Try unplugging the cable from the elear and then put them on your head. If they feel lighter now, your wheight issue is with the cable (like it was with me). The answer then is getting a lighter cable, like the one I got from Forza. Improved comfort greatly for me.

 

[tuan2195]

Try unplugging the cable from the elear and then put them on your head. If they feel lighter now, your wheight issue is with the cable (like it was with me). The answer then is getting a lighter cable, like the one I got from Forza. Improved comfort greatly for me.

Thanks for your suggestion. I've tried it, and it's not very different for me. I left like 70% of the cable coiled up on my desk, so weight from the cable is not an issue. I'll still save up for a nice balanced cable but I need to get a balanced amp first haha. I'm considering getting the
NEOMUSICIA cable from Amazon for the time being though.

I don't find it super heavy, just heavier than the HD6XX, which is expected since the latter is full of plastics. But it's not uncomfortable, I had it on for 3 hours straight yesterday.

 

[makne]

Thanks for your suggestion. I've tried it, and it's not very different for me. I left like 70% of the cable coiled up on my desk, so weight from the cable is not an issue. I'll still save up for a nice balanced cable but I need to get a balanced amp first haha. I'm considering getting the
NEOMUSICIA cable from Amazon for the time being though.

I don't find it super heavy, just heavier than the HD6XX, which is expected since the latter is full of plastics. But it's not uncomfortable, I had it on for 3 hours straight yesterday.

oh yeah, the Senn's are very lightwheight, if the oads were softer it could've been even more comfy than the elear for me.

I just know that my neck hurt after a while with the stock cable, even though I had it coiled up on my lap. Good luck finding a cable and amp! If I were to point you in a direction, I love the Jot with Elear.

 

[tuan2195]

oh yeah, the Senn's are very lightwheight, if the oads were softer it could've been even more comfy than the elear for me.

I just know that my neck hurt after a while with the stock cable, even though I had it coiled up on my lap. Good luck finding a cable and amp! If I were to point you in a direction, I love the Jot with Elear.

Thanks! I think the Jotunheim is a fine choice, especially with the DAC module since you won't need a balanced DAC. I'm also waiting for this amp as well: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459 - it seems like a good match at least in term of features vs the Jotunheim. Shame I missed the Massdrop X Cavalli Liquid Carbon drop, it seemed like a good match for the Elear as well (but then I'd need a balanced DAC)

Just curious, what is your experience with pairing the Jotunheim with either the Elear or the HD650?

 

[DivaFonda]

Pathetic that Focal thinks the crackling issue is normal for the design of the driver. They should just stick with designing speakers and not headphones.

Do you speak the same way about Audeze? I'm just curious because quite a few posters mention Audeze build issues too.

 

[DivaFonda]

Thanks for your suggestion. I've tried it, and it's not very different for me. I left like 70% of the cable coiled up on my desk, so weight from the cable is not an issue. I'll still save up for a nice balanced cable but I need to get a balanced amp first haha. I'm considering getting the
NEOMUSICIA cable from Amazon for the time being though.

I don't find it super heavy, just heavier than the HD6XX, which is expected since the latter is full of plastics. But it's not uncomfortable, I had it on for 3 hours straight yesterday.

Try this one too: sort of high end at a decent price.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B072M874JM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[makne]

Thanks! I think the Jotunheim is a fine choice, especially with the DAC module since you won't need a balanced DAC. I'm also waiting for this amp as well: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459 - it seems like a good match at least in term of features vs the Jotunheim. Shame I missed the Massdrop X Cavalli Liquid Carbon drop, it seemed like a good match for the Elear as well (but then I'd need a balanced DAC)

Just curious, what is your experience with pairing the Jotunheim with either the Elear or the HD650?

have no experience with Monoprice, but that unit looks nice at least. Reminds me of a HA-1?

I've tried the Elear with Jot on multiple occasions, and I love the combo. The Jot's neutral sound goes well with the already slighty warm Elear sound IMO, I don't want to add further warmth to it. The pure power of the Jot really squeezes out every last bit of dynamic punch from the Elear.
Regarding the dac module, the common opinion in the schiit threads is that it's not really up to the task of driving a high-end system like this. It's been compared to the Modi 2, and personally I feel like this setup deserves a Modi Multibit. In fact, I was dead set on getting a Jot and pair with my mimby to drive the Elear, but then an awesome deal on a Chord Hugo popped up.
I did demo the Jot vs amps like Violectric (can't remember the name but one of the big ones), Asgard 2, Oppo HA-1, and I settled on the Jot with a multibit dac as my favorite. Jot and modi multibit seems like a very popular combo in Schiit-land, and I understand why. Definitely worth a listen.

 

[tuan2195]

have no experience with Monoprice, but that unit looks nice at least. Reminds me of a HA-1?

I've tried the Elear with Jot on multiple occasions, and I love the combo. The Jot's neutral sound goes well with the already slighty warm Elear sound IMO, I don't want to add further warmth to it. The pure power of the Jot really squeezes out every last bit of dynamic punch from the Elear.
Regarding the dac module, the common opinion in the schiit threads is that it's not really up to the task of driving a high-end system like this. It's been compared to the Modi 2, and personally I feel like this setup deserves a Modi Multibit. In fact, I was dead set on getting a Jot and pair with my mimby to drive the Elear, but then an awesome deal on a Chord Hugo popped up.
I did demo the Jot vs amps like Violectric (can't remember the name but one of the big ones), Asgard 2, Oppo HA-1, and I settled on the Jot with a multibit dac as my favorite. Jot and modi multibit seems like a very popular combo in Schiit-land, and I understand why. Definitely worth a listen.

Thanks for your thoughts. I was thinking the same as well, I've read that the Jot is pretty neutral so can be a good match for the Elear. DAC wise, I've already have a non-multibit Bifrost. I wonder how that compare to the balanced DAC in the Jot - I'm just drawn to the fact that the Jot DAC is a balanced DAC, and I want to use the balanced output.

 

[makne]

Thanks for your thoughts. I was thinking the same as well, I've read that the Jot is pretty neutral so can be a good match for the Elear. DAC wise, I've already have a non-multibit Bifrost. I wonder how that compare to the balanced DAC in the Jot - I'm just drawn to the fact that the Jot DAC is a balanced DAC, and I want to use the balanced output.

If the claim that the dac module equals the modi 2 is true, then I guess the bifrost is a definite upgrade. After hearing schiit's multibit dacs however, I do recommend upgrading your bifrost to multibit!

 

[styks]

Hi all, I have just returned from local audio store when I was able to test Elears paired with Marantz HD-DAC1 vs. Audeze LCD-2. I must say I truly loved lows and midrange from Elear over LCDs. Also, Focals are very convenient and open-aired. Very nice. Treble on the other other side were too intense for my. I would love to take lows and mids from Elears and highs from LCDs.

Last and more important I tried Max Richter - War Anthem to check if they crack. I set the lowest gain in Marantz and set volume knob around 11 o'clock position. It was louder than I usually listen but nothing close to being very loud. And it happened after about a minute of listening. It was most terrible thing that ever happened to my ears. Just horrible. So unpleasant that I did not go for a second try and put them back on shelf. Extremely disappointing for a product at that price range.

War Anthem is a brutal track, I can get my new pair to do it but it's at a level that I don't listen to playing that track so now it doesn't bother me. My first pair yes, did it too easy, at a lower level. It's the only track I've found so far that beats up the Elear. Ok I agree with you to a degree, may be it shouldn't do it at all on any track. I wonder if the new Focal Clear does it? They do say driver break up is improved, thats not quite the same as clipping, i dont think anyway, ive nowhere near the knowledge of the guys here.
Is that partly a confession / recognition that the Elears break down a tad under certain conditions.

Anyhow, after my first disappointment I'm happy now, everything else I've put through them is beautiful.

 

[tuan2195]

War Anthem is a brutal track, I can get my new pair to do it but it's at a level that I don't listen to playing that track so now it doesn't bother me. My first pair yes, did it too easy, at a lower level. It's the only track I've found so far that beats up the Elear. Ok I agree with you to a degree, may be it shouldn't do it at all on any track. I wonder if the new Focal Clear does it? They do say driver break up is improved, thats not quite the same as clipping, i dont think anyway, ive nowhere near the knowledge of the guys here.
Is that partly a confession / recognition that the Elears break down a tad under certain conditions.

Anyhow, after my first disappointment I'm happy now, everything else I've put through them is beautiful.

How did you get your Elear replaced? I contacted Focal but they say I need to deal with Adorama.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

Elear + Mojo (minus El) = EarMojo. Literally.

The hand-over-the-cup observation has made me think; I hope Focal have a closed variant of the C/Elear in their product pipeline...

Not sure if you're referring to my note about increasing the clamp force by pushing the headphone harder to my head, but if so, I didn't cover the cup, just pushed the cup surround harder, making a point not to cover the ear cup grills.