[Benaudio]

Firstly try some EQ. But if you want overall a bit more warmth and meat on the low end. Give it a try Overall it gives a slightly fuller more engaging sound. Low end though, it can hit hard.

Unfortunately I'm still new to the game and have a minimalistic setup with a couple cheap dacs (dragonfly red, Q1 mark II), and tend to use them bit perfect on both android and macos, so EQ is not an option. I prefer the sound this way compared to going through android / mac os and then to the DAC.
Next order of business down the road is finding a competent stack and try and integrate EQ.
Still this setup I guess is enough to compared HP, even if I'm sure I'm not getting 100% out of them.
Now I realize I got head first in this rabbit hole wallet annihilator of a hobby...

 

[Slim1970]

Unfortunately I'm still new to the game and have a minimalistic setup with a couple cheap dacs (dragonfly red, Q1 mark II), and tend to use them bit perfect on both android and macos, so EQ is not an option. I prefer the sound this way compared to going through android / mac os and then to the DAC.
Next order of business down the road is finding a competent stack and try and integrate EQ.
Still this setup I guess is enough to compared HP, even if I'm sure I'm not getting 100% out of them.
Now I realize I got head first in this rabbit hole wallet annihilator of a hobby...

You're still early enough in this hobby to walk away . This hobby is more like quicksand. Whereas, you get sucked in by the endless pursuit of better sound. Trust me when I say there are better sounding products on market than the Elegia. The solution is to just be happy with what you have. Stay away from meets and Canjams because once you hear the "better" this hobby has to offer, you can't unhear it. It's at that point everything in your current setup sounds like crap, lol.

The Elegia are fanastic headphones and fairly easy to drive. With your current setup you should be okay driving them. But if you want to integrate any kind of EQ I might suggest taking a look at the Schiit Loki. It's a great system tweak and fairly inexpensive for the benefits it brings to your setup.

 

[Benaudio]

Thanks for the insightful tips
Been reading a lot around here before, this is a great and diverse community!
And the enjoyment of good music and good sound is an amazing hobby.
Went through porta pro, CAL, HD58X, HE4XX, Elear and now Elegia, so yeah I guess I'm only knee deep.
Its incredible how one can develop the ability to listen critically, both a blessing when you find well recorded music and a curse when you can no longer listen to badly recorded music you used to love.
They say ignorance is bliss, sometimes I can see why.
In that regard, the Elegia is the most revealing of the above mentioned HP, but it really brings out the joy out of well produced tracks

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

Unfortunately I'm still new to the game and have a minimalistic setup with a couple cheap dacs (dragonfly red, Q1 mark II), and tend to use them bit perfect on both android and macos, so EQ is not an option. I prefer the sound this way compared to going through android / mac os and then to the DAC.
Next order of business down the road is finding a competent stack and try and integrate EQ.
Still this setup I guess is enough to compared HP, even if I'm sure I'm not getting 100% out of them.
Now I realize I got head first in this rabbit hole wallet annihilator of a hobby...

Oh don't worry about gear. The rabbit hole well.... Audio is always a rabbit hole haha. I sometimes use the Audioquest Dragon fly red for the Elegia and find it sounds great but my main dac/amp is the E1DA 9038s. I am a portable listener so most of my gear is for on the move. Even since I got myself the 9038s I kind of stopped using at home gear. Now there is better sounding headphones and iems out there. But honestly, for what the Elegia does, it is impressive and I am beyond glad to call them one of the best headphones out now. In the future yes, there might be a newer option from Focal or some other company but what really matter in audio is, what sounds good to you? . My set up is an E1DA 9038s on performance mode hooked up to my Samsung S20 using poweramp. Dyson Audio 2.5 balanced cable connected to the Elegia and have Dekoni Elite Sheepskin Earpads. Now for at home, I could use my WooAudio WA7 Fireflies 2nd gen dac/amp but I find myself enjoying the E1DA 9038s more and using it more. It sounds great. There is no need to spend massive money on gear . Simply look around, ask around and sometimes you can find some small gems that are extremely impressive. The best? No. But very very very good? Hell yeah

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

So after more listening I have decided the Dekoni Elite Sheepskin are my much more preffered earpads. The low end is simply superb. It is clean, fast, tight and has amazing extension and texture that rumbles. With EQ well, you get simply more without sacrificing speed and tightness. Mids are upfront, velvety and highly detailed. The treble is energetic and precise with great detail aswell. I have been comparing the Elegia to my Campfire Audio Andromeda and simply the Elegia put the bigger smile on my face. The amount of detail I get is insane and the low end is much more satisfying on the Elegia as well. The Andromeda sound warmer in comparison and mids feel somehow recessed even though they are not. With stock earpads, the Elegia feel slightly thinner and the Andromeda have the more oomph in the low end but now the Elegia take the win. The dynamics and speed is more intense, mids just have so much texture and emotion and the treble is simply perfect. The Andromeda fatigue my ears after 3-4 hours but the Elegia, I simply could wear them most of the day. Amazing they are .

 

[JoePR31]

So after more listening I have decided the Dekoni Elite Sheepskin are my much more preffered earpads. The low end is simply superb. It is clean, fast, tight and has amazing extension and texture that rumbles. With EQ well, you get simply more without sacrificing speed and tightness. Mids are upfront, velvety and highly detailed. The treble is energetic and precise with great detail aswell. I have been comparing the Elegia to my Campfire Audio Andromeda and simply the Elegia put the bigger smile on my face. The amount of detail I get is insane and the low end is much more satisfying on the Elegia as well. The Andromeda sound warmer in comparison and mids feel somehow recessed even though they are not. With stock earpads, the Elegia feel slightly thinner and the Andromeda have the more oomph in the low end but now the Elegia take the win. The dynamics and speed is more intense, mids just have so much texture and emotion and the treble is simply perfect. The Andromeda fatigue my ears after 3-4 hours but the Elegia, I simply could wear them most of the day. Amazing they are .

I returned the Dekoni Elite Velour, and ordered the Elite Sheepskin yesterday. Barring any shipping shenanigans, I should have them by Saturday. I hope I like them as much as you do.

 

[thymen002]

Oh don't worry about gear. The rabbit hole well.... Audio is always a rabbit hole haha. I sometimes use the Audioquest Dragon fly red for the Elegia and find it sounds great but my main dac/amp is the E1DA 9038s. I am a portable listener so most of my gear is for on the move. Even since I got myself the 9038s I kind of stopped using at home gear. Now there is better sounding headphones and iems out there. But honestly, for what the Elegia does, it is impressive and I am beyond glad to call them one of the best headphones out now. In the future yes, there might be a newer option from Focal or some other company but what really matter in audio is, what sounds good to you? . My set up is an E1DA 9038s on performance mode hooked up to my Samsung S20 using poweramp. Dyson Audio 2.5 balanced cable connected to the Elegia and have Dekoni Elite Sheepskin Earpads. Now for at home, I could use my WooAudio WA7 Fireflies 2nd gen dac/amp but I find myself enjoying the E1DA 9038s more and using it more. It sounds great. There is no need to spend massive money on gear . Simply look around, ask around and sometimes you can find some small gems that are extremely impressive. The best? No. But very very very good? Hell yeah

Agree with you that you don’t need to spend massive money on gear but I yet have to find someone in this Hobby who does not get upgraditis... own the Elegia now for a while and it’s a fantastic headphone, even after having owned the Stellia last year (has to sell as I just couldn’t justify its price).

 

[JoePR31]

Agree with you that you don’t need to spend massive money on gear but I yet have to find someone in this Hobby who does not get upgraditis... own the Elegia now for a while and it’s a fantastic headphone, even after having owned the Stellia last year (has to sell as I just couldn’t justify its price).

Interesting. I love my Elegia, but have started viewing the Stellia as the natural progression the next time I get infected by a case of upgradeitus. A headphone that takes most of the attributes that make the Elegia great to the next level, due to the technical superiority of the beryllium drivers. Are you saying that it doesn’t do this, or that it does, but that the improvements aren’t worth paying 3 times the cost?

 

[JoePR31]

My new Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads were delivered 2 days early, so I got to spend a few hours auditioning them and comparing them to the stock pads. All in all, these pads left me feeling very conflicted....but, I guess I’ll start with the good.

First off, the sheepskin leather is good quality, and the pads are comfortable, though no quite as comfortable as the stock pads. Also, @HardstyleLoco96 was right about the effect they have on the bass. Both the sub and mid bass are given about a 1.5 to 2 dB boost, while somehow also managing to sound even tighter, and the result is addictively delicious. When the music called for it, the Dekoni pads made the Elegia rumble and purr like nothing I’d ever heard before. Not gonna mince words...the Elegia with Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads has the nicest bass I have EVER heard.

Unfortunately, for me, this is where the good ends. Both the mids and the highs take a turn for the worse when compared to the sound with the stock pads. I love the mids with the stock pads, and they definitely take a step back with the Dekoni pads. Some people may think that this is good, since the stock Elegia mids are very up front. But, they also lose the open airy quality of the stock mids. With the Dekoni pads, they sound a bit congested.

The highs also seem more closed in and subdued. They don’t extend as well, and lose both air and sparkle. The soundstage also takes a turn for the worse, and the imaging doesn’t seem quite as holographic.

And last, but not least, Dekoni seems to have a QC issue. The Elite Velour pads that I tried a few weeks ago had a very poorly aligned adapter ring on the back of one of the pads. These Elite Sheepskin pads have one ear opening that is noticeably smaller than the other, and the adapter ring on the back of that same pad is not glued down well. I‘m attaching a picture of the ear pad openings, so hopefully you can see the difference in the size of the openings. It’s the pad on the left, and it’s easiest to notice if you look at the top left of the ear opening.

One more picture, so you can see that the nice quality of the leather and the stitching.

All in all, despite the perfect bass, I can’t justify keeping these. The Elegia is a great headphone because it shares all of the special traits that the rest of the high end Focal headphones have. But, for me, what makes the Elegia special is that it’s a closed back headphone that sounds less like a closed back headphone than any other that I’ve ever heard. Unfortunately, the Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads take away from these special traits, and I’m not paying $80 just to have a pair of pads that I swap in every once in a while when I feel like having a bass eargasm.

For me, if there’s anything to be learned from these pad swaps, it’s that Focal knows what they’re doing. The stock pads are expensive, but they are impeccably built, and a perfect match for the Elegia. So, back to stock it is.

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

I returned the Dekoni Elite Velour, and ordered the Elite Sheepskin yesterday. Barring any shipping shenanigans, I should have them by Saturday. I hope I like them as much as you do.

I hope you do as well. Will be looking forward to your impressions

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

My new Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads were delivered 2 days early, so I got to spend a few hours auditioning them and comparing them to the stock pads. All in all, these pads left me feeling very conflicted....but, I guess I’ll start with the good.

First off, the sheepskin leather is good quality, and the pads are comfortable, though no quite as comfortable as the stock pads. Also, @HardstyleLoco96 was right about the effect they have on the bass. Both the sub and mid bass are given about a 1.5 to 2 dB boost, while somehow also managing to sound even tighter, and the result is addictively delicious. When the music called for it, the Dekoni pads made the Elegia rumble and purr like nothing I’d ever heard before. Not gonna mince words...the Elegia with Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads has the nicest bass I have EVER heard.

Unfortunately, for me, this is where the good ends. Both the mids and the highs take a turn for the worse when compared to the sound with the stock pads. I love the mids with the stock pads, and they definitely take a step back with the Dekoni pads. Some people may think that this is good, since the stock Elegia mids are very up front. But, they also lose the open airy quality of the stock mids. With the Dekoni pads, they sound a bit congested.

The highs also seem more closed in and subdued. They don’t extend as well, and lose both air and sparkle. The soundstage also takes a turn for the worse, and the imaging doesn’t seem quite as holographic.

And last, but not least, Dekoni seems to have a QC issue. The Elite Velour pads that I tried a few weeks ago had a very poorly aligned adapter ring on the back of one of the pads. These Elite Sheepskin pads have one ear opening that is noticeably smaller than the other, and the adapter ring on the back of that same pad is not glued down well. I‘m attaching a picture of the ear pad openings, so hopefully you can see the difference in the size of the openings. It’s the pad on the left, and it’s easiest to notice if you look at the top left of the ear opening.



One more picture, so you can see that the nice quality of the leather and the stitching.



All in all, despite the perfect bass, I can’t justify keeping these. The Elegia is a great headphone because it shares all of the special traits that the rest of the high end Focal headphones have. But, for me, what makes the Elegia special is that it’s a closed back headphone that sounds less like a closed back headphone than any other that I’ve ever heard. Unfortunately, the Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads take away from these special traits, and I’m not paying $80 just to have a pair of pads that I swap in every once in a while when I feel like having a bass eargasm.

For me, if there’s anything to be learned from these pad swaps, it’s that Focal knows what they’re doing. The stock pads are expensive, but they are impeccably built, and a perfect match for the Elegia. So, back to stock it is.

Thanks for your impressions. I did feel that it warms up the mids and tames treble a fair bit. But it also could be the low end interfering with the mids and treble? I EQ the low end down using the Sheepskin earpads as it can be too warm sounding and add a bit of energy in the mids and treble to help take off the warmth. But it's always best you try and use what feels best for you . Also the dac/amp plays a roll and I do use the E1DA 9038S that brings mids and treble a touch more forward... Maybe give them a few more hours and you might grow to like them, but if not thats ok

 

[revolutionz]

Now I'm intrigued about the sheepskin pads...guess it's time to get some coming. Question is, fenestrated or not?

 

[Benaudio]

From everything I've read, definitely NOT fenestrated. You will likely end up losing a lot of bass compared to stock

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

Now I'm intrigued about the sheepskin pads...guess it's time to get some coming. Question is, fenestrated or not?

I rec the sheepskin if you find the stock tuning too mid forward and bass light. But for some it may become to warm especially if you use a warm sounding source. But I enjoy both earpads as they both have different sounds. Stock is very clear, analytical, precise and detailed while the Elite Sheepskin give a warmer more relaxed tonality with great low end, warmer and thicker mids and thicker yet energetic treble. Acoustic sounds amazing with the sheepskin earpads. Anyone that has both earpads. Listen to guitar work, you'll hear what I mean. Johnny Cash Hurt sounds awesome where the stock earpads lack that low end grunt for guitar strings. If you have a slightlt more anlytical/brighter dac, the sheepskin earpads are a great pairing.
Also if you find the low end to be too much. EQ the sub, mid and high bass down by 1.5 - 2.5 db. It'll have the same quantity as stock but overall the feel will be more natural and help mids shine a bit more
JoePR31 do you have any more impressions or they ultimately were no match for you?

 

[revolutionz]

I rec the sheepskin if you find the stock tuning too mid forward and bass light. But for some it may become to warm especially if you use a warm sounding source. But I enjoy both earpads as they both have different sounds. Stock is very clear, analytical, precise and detailed while the Elite Sheepskin give a warmer more relaxed tonality with great low end, warmer and thicker mids and thicker yet energetic treble. Acoustic sounds amazing with the sheepskin earpads. Anyone that has both earpads. Listen to guitar work, you'll hear what I mean. Johnny Cash Hurt sounds awesome where the stock earpads lack that low end grunt for guitar strings. If you have a slightlt more anlytical/brighter dac, the sheepskin earpads are a great pairing.
Also if you find the low end to be too much. EQ the sub, mid and high bass down by 1.5 - 2.5 db. It'll have the same quantity as stock but overall the feel will be more natural and help mids shine a bit more
JoePR31 do you have any more impressions or they ultimately were no match for you?

Thanks for the info. I use a CEntrance DACMini, it's somewhat bright but not terrible, but leaves me with no EQ options listening to Tidal. Some songs so far the Elegia's have a perfect balance with great detail, but on other songs, I do sometimes find it a bit light in bass. I will have to give the sheepskin's a try and see what they do for me. I would have no issue swapping pads depending on what I'm in the mood to listen to.