[teknorob23]

Don't worry, ev666il,
while the AFC definitely sound closed, the Elegia have a much larger soundstage, feeling for me more like open headphones ( though lacking some air with extreme metal, but this is the case with all closed headphones I owned or tried).

Have a nice weekend,
bidn

Agreed, one of the wider stages only beaten by hd820 and stellia

 

[ev666il]

Thank you, fellers.

I really liked the AFC during this morning's audition, although they were a tad lacking in soundstage as well as impact in songs that had a stark contrast between quieter and more aggressive moments (e.g. "God Damn" by Avenged Sevenfold.)

I therefore decided to blind-buy the Focal Elegia and see about having a custom cable made for them, seeing as so many people complained about the quality of the stock one. What type of connector do the Elegia have? Any particular characteristics I should be asking for in the cable? I was thinking rhodium connectors for both durability and looks; 22 AWG silver-plated OFC; perhaps a black braid along the cable to prevent entanglement and again for the looks.

 

[teknorob23]

Thank you, fellers.

I really liked the AFC during this morning's audition, although they were a tad lacking in soundstage as well as impact in songs that had a stark contrast between quieter and more aggressive moments (e.g. "God Damn" by Avenged Sevenfold.)

I therefore decided to blind-buy the Focal Elegia and see about having a custom cable made for them, seeing as so many people complained about the quality of the stock one. What type of connector do the Elegia have? Any particular characteristics I should be asking for in the cable? I was thinking rhodium connectors for both durability and looks; 22 AWG silver-plated OFC; perhaps a black braid along the cable to prevent entanglement and again for the looks.

congrats on the elegia UPOCC silver is the best match i've found for them. The UPOCC copper is very good and good value too. Mono crystal copper and silver are head and shoulders ahead of most oxygen free copper cables. You get all the performance aspects associated with each metal but with few of the downsides. For example the silver has fantastic clarity/ seperation and dynamism but unlike other pure silver cables it has deep bass and full natural sounding mid range. Similarly the copper wire has a nice full presentation with gorgeous bass but it also has nice airy and crips high end. Connectors are important, but spend the largest proportion of your budget on getting the best wire/cable you can afford. I've banged on a lot about qualities of neotech's upocc silver, copper and silver/gold mix, but they really are astonishingly good both in terms of value and performance. My favourite cable with the Elegia is the 24awg 4 core silver, it helps add a bit more airiness at the top, while adding definition and improving layering and control of the bass. 8 core copper/silver mix is very good too and slightly cheaper. If you're interesting in getting the soldering iron out i'd be happy to help you choose the materials and talk you through the build, or if you dont want to do that i'd also be happy to make you one. Essentially you'll get a cable that outperforms anything at double the price, which i only know because i've spent fortunes on dozens of different shop bought cables, most which i was happy with until another headfier turned me on Neotech. Well done again on the Elegia and i really hope you enjoy them rob

 

[ev666il]

Thank you, Rob.

I ordered the Elegia and they should be here by next weekend; really looking forward to hearing them. If they're better than the AFC, which I already liked, I'm in a for a treat!

The store owner directed me to a local company that can make custom cables, and I see from their website that they're also a dealer for the Neotech brand so I can probably ask for their UPOCC materials. So if I say I'd like a 24 AWG 4-core UPOCC silver cable with an OCC Rhodium jack, that should do, right? Do the connectors on the Elegia require a specific, Focal-proprietary termination? I know many companies have their own plugs for their headphones (MrSpeakers being a perfect example.)

Also, what kind of price per meter are we talking on these materials?

On a tangentially related note, what is a good balanced headphone amp for the Elegias that would be a set up from the Magni 2 Uber? I'd like to keep my budget at about the $500 mark, but I realize if I want a balanced amp that might not be realistic.

 

[teknorob23]

It may be worth waiting until you’ve got to know the elegia and or made decided on your source/ amp selection, before you pull the trigger on a new cable. The stock cable isnt great but it does the job. In my experience interconnects/cables are best bought last once everything else is sorted, so you can choose something that compliments your major components. Equally i know how tempting it is to get everything sorted at once

 

[foodle]

hmm I'm tempted to try

I just made the pad switch to the Dekoni sheepskin (non perforated). I'm happy with the results.

New Dekoni pads arrived the same day as my new (to me) TA-ZH1ES. Elegia + Sony DAC/amp pairs well. Good bass. No sign of harshness or sibilance.

Might have saved me from splurging on a pair of Stellia's.

 

[ev666il]

Equally i know how tempting it is to get everything sorted at once

Heh, quite!

However, my gripe with the stock cable is not so much sound (I haven't really had a chance to hear it or compare it to anything) as length and flexibility. At 1.2m, it is indeed on the short side; if it is half as stiff and microphonic as people on this thread claim, I'm not sure I want to spend a whole lot of time with it.

If having a custom cable made is reasonably priced, I'm happy to have one made that is of adequate length and flexibility for use with the Magni 2 Uber. I can always buy a new one when I upgrade my amp should I go balanced.

 

[teknorob23]

Heh, quite!

However, my gripe with the stock cable is not so much sound (I haven't really had a chance to hear it or compare it to anything) as length and flexibility. At 1.2m, it is indeed on the short side; if it is half as stiff and microphonic as people on this thread claim, I'm not sure I want to spend a whole lot of time with it.

If having a custom cable made is reasonably priced, I'm happy to have one made that is of adequate length and flexibility for use with the Magni 2 Uber. I can always buy a new one when I upgrade my amp should I go balanced.

Yep the short length is ridiculous especially as it’s the only cable supplied. If it’s any consolation the cables don’t get any better as you go up the range they just change colour and get longer. Same rubbish build/sound with the stellia cable which at the price is even more of a crime

 

[Mr H]

Narrower than the AFC?

if feels like it's between the ears
it's small but it's weirdly accurate or detailed, don't know how to explained it (felt that with the elear also)
like you can't locate instruments from left to right + up down really good

 

[Mr H]

Thank you, Rob.

I ordered the Elegia and they should be here by next weekend; really looking forward to hearing them. If they're better than the AFC, which I already liked, I'm in a for a treat!

The store owner directed me to a local company that can make custom cables, and I see from their website that they're also a dealer for the Neotech brand so I can probably ask for their UPOCC materials. So if I say I'd like a 24 AWG 4-core UPOCC silver cable with an OCC Rhodium jack, that should do, right? Do the connectors on the Elegia require a specific, Focal-proprietary termination? I know many companies have their own plugs for their headphones (MrSpeakers being a perfect example.)

Also, what kind of price per meter are we talking on these materials?

On a tangentially related note, what is a good balanced headphone amp for the Elegias that would be a set up from the Magni 2 Uber? I'd like to keep my budget at about the $500 mark, but I realize if I want a balanced amp that might not be realistic.

they're not propietary I think the terminations are 2,5 right now can't check (same terminations as the Denon d600, can use those cables)
I also changed it right away, the stock cable is too rigid and short but I'm using one from eBay China like 20€

 

[teknorob23]

they're not propietary I think the terminations are 2,5 right now can't check (same terminations as the Denon d600, can use those cables)
I also changed it right away, the stock cable is too rigid and short but I'm using one from eBay China like 20€

do you mean the headphone end connections on the elegia? if so theyre 3.5mm mono jacks, same as the rest of the range (except the utopia) and the same as most of the Denon high end range.

 

[ev666il]

So I got the Elegia today, a bit earlier than anticipated.

Some initial impressions:

• They look amazing and much better than my HD650.
• They are heavier than I thought and have quite a bit of extra clamp force, so the Senns take the lead in the comfort department. I wouldn't say the Elegia are uncomfortable per se, but they'll take adjusting to after getting used to the HD650.
• They do pack more punch than the AFC, which is very welcome in the genres I listen to (and my general preference in terms of sound.)
• Fantastic speed and detail retrieval. Sometimes it feels like my Sound Blaster can barely keep up with the speed; the oscillator isn't up to snuff. I'll need a better DAC/Amp combo to do the Elegia justice.
• Soundstage is about on par with the AFC from what I remember. It's not as wide as an open can's, but that goes without saying. It's wide enough for my taste and needs.
• AFC isolates a lot better, but compared to the HD650 there is obviously no comparison. I can live with what little sound the Elegia leak, considering the volume I'm listening at (which is fairly loud.)
• Really enjoying the neutral timber after so many years of warm treble roll-off, but it'll take me some time to get used to the new sound. It can be fatiguing after a relatively long listening session compared to the laid-back sound of the HD650.

The stock cable isn't quite as stiff as I expected after reading this thread, but it's criminally short. Thankfully my custom cable should arrive some time next week in its full 3m glory

 

[teknorob23]

So I got the Elegia today, a bit earlier than anticipated.

Some initial impressions:

• They look amazing and much better than my HD650.
• They are heavier than I thought and have quite a bit of extra clamp force, so the Senns take the lead in the comfort department. I wouldn't say the Elegia are uncomfortable per se, but they'll take adjusting to after getting used to the HD650.
• They do pack more punch than the AFC, which is very welcome in the genres I listen to (and my general preference in terms of sound.)
• Fantastic speed and detail retrieval. Sometimes it feels like my Sound Blaster can barely keep up with the speed; the oscillator isn't up to snuff. I'll need a better DAC/Amp combo to do the Elegia justice.
• Soundstage is about on par with the AFC from what I remember. It's not as wide as an open can's, but that goes without saying. It's wide enough for my taste and needs.
• AFC isolates a lot better, but compared to the HD650 there is obviously no comparison. I can live with what little sound the Elegia leak, considering the volume I'm listening at (which is fairly loud.)
• Really enjoying the neutral timber after so many years of warm treble roll-off, but it'll take me some time to get used to the new sound. It can be fatiguing after a relatively long listening session compared to the laid-back sound of the HD650.

The stock cable isn't quite as stiff as I expected after reading this thread, but it's criminally short. Thankfully my custom cable should arrive some time next week in its full 3m glory

Phew! sounds you like you like them? Congrats and they're only going to get better over the next 200hrs

 

[ev666il]

I like them a lot, actually.

I see what people mean when they say "bass light", though to me it feels more like they're "bass right." If the record has bass, you'll hear it; if it doesn't, the Elegia won't mask that flaw for you. If you're used to bassy cans, or very warm cans with recessed treble, the Elegia will sound bass light in comparison. It's a matter of getting used to it; I don't think bass is missing at all.

 

[FourT6and2]

Got a pair of Elegias today. Listening to the new Tool album. Really punchy/snappy mid range. Zero bass. Love the mid range. But a bit anemic overall. Doesn't do heavy prog drumming justice but the guitar and snare/tom hits do come alive due to the punch of these things. I also got a pair of Elears to compare. Much better low end on those. And more spaciousness I guess from the open-back design. The mid range is a bit scooped in comparison and they lack the immediacy of the Elegias. I'm comparing both of these to a pair of Sony MDR-Z7M2. The low end on the Sony is much better than both. It's deeper and lush sounding. But the mid range is definitely too smooth in comparison to the Elegias. If I could find a pair of headphones that combine a bit of each, I'd be golden. Low end of the sony + mid range of Elegia + clarity and sweetness and spaciousness of the Elears.

Any suggestions?