Finally got my Elegia yesterday!
Here are my first impressions with the Elegia (after only one night of burn in), in comparison with the Clear:
Build quality/comfort/fit: Pretty much the same build quality between the two. Elegia is lighter, have more clamping force and is more stable on my head. The pads are maybe a bit more comfy on the Elegia. Elegia is tad bit easier to drive than the Clear (10 o’clock vs 12 o’clock for the Clear on my Schiit Jotunheim – low gain).
Sound signature: First thing I’ve noticed, the Elegia is way more forward in the midrange (I’m ok with it, since I’m a midrange guy J). This makes the Clear to have a better tonal balance (the Clear is hard to beat in terms of tonal balance anyway...). So, with the Elegia, you have the mids upfront (vocals, guitars, etc.), then the highs and the bass a little bit more laid back in the mix. The Elegia doesn’t have the same crazy accuracy and resolution of the Clear (Elegia sound more smooth and a bit more lush). The overall signature of the Elegia is a bit more inviting, more intimate, but less even, dry and somewhat “analytical” than the Clear (I don’t like the word “analytical” since the Clear are not sounding truly analytical to me). The HD800’s treble is sounding analytical for me. The Elegia have an overall fuller sound than the Clear, but it’s definitely not a very forgiving, warmish or veiled sounding headphone though.
Bass: Elegia have the same kind of accurate, fast and thight bass than the Clear, but with a tad less presence and impact. Maybe the forwardness of the mids contributes to shadowing the bass (maybe), but for my ears, the Clear delivers more bass presence and more impact, especially in the sub-bass region. Elegia is not miles from the Clear though (it is more neutral IMO). They’re both similar in terms of extension, maybe the Clear have a slight better extension in the sub-bass. Both are definitely not for bassheads anyway. EDIT: After several hours of burn-in, the Elegia have a slightly punchier bass and dynamics than the Clear. The burn-in has improved significantly the Elegia,s dynamic rumble and bass punch (but again, it still shares the same DNA as the Clear).
Midrange: As previously said the mids are significantly more forward and “in your face” on the Elegia, but not in a shouty way though. I’ve noticed no sibilance, even from songs with powerful female voices. Elegia have good presence and are more intimate, but they lack some of the resolution, refinement and the micro details of the Clear. The mids of the Clear also have significantly more air (no big surprise there). Elegia’s mids are miles away from the congested mids of most of the closed-back headphones I’ve heard. Vocals, guitars, violins, saxophones, pianos are sounding accurately realistic, clear, airy and quite present. Maybe a slight more resonance from male vocals on some tracks with the Elegia (nitpicking there), but overall, it’s a true closed-back delight for the midrange lovers!
Treble: Quite natural and a tiny bit more laid-back than the Clear. The Clear have that subtle smart edge which I don’t hear trough the Elegia, but again, It’s not miles away from the Clear. Elegia have pretty good accurate and airy highs. As for the bass, both have similar extension in the highs. No papery or splashy highs there. Quite impressive for a closed-back HP...
Dynamics: The Clear have the edge there for the macro and the micro dynamics. But don’t take me wrong, the Elegia have the typical and impressive dynamics of the Focal’s house sound, but not in the same crazy way than the Clear. Very engaging and inviting. The kick drums, wow!
Soundstage: I’m not the best to describe soundstage L but my ears tell me that they’re relatively similar in terms of width and depth. Maybe the Elegia have a slight edge in terms of height and depth, then the Clear in terms of width, but they’re pretty similar in their stage presentation (relatively narrow stage, very good imaging, etc.). Definitely not the wider presentation there. It’s in line with the Focal’s typical presentation (not bad, just different than some other HP).
Competition: The first closed-back competitor which is coming to my mind for the Elegia is he MrSpeakers Aeon Flow. It could be interesting to see folks doing some detailed comparisons between those two HP... From what I’ve read about the Aeon Flow, I think it share the same kind of sound signature than the Elegia.
Conclusion: The Elegia is a hell of a pair of closed-back HP. It can give a pretty good fight versus some of the best hi-fi open-back HP (like the Clear) and can even leave some noticeable marks on most of the best mid-fi open-back models in some technical aspects. Definitely one of the few closed-back reference on the market right now. Good job Focal!